The Target Is You: Hollister
Executive Summary
The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into Hollister Co.’s marketing communications and assess whether it successfully targets my demographic of young, male recent college graduates. The paper will first introduce Hollister and provide a brief company history as well as outlining the challenges in reaching out to consumers such as myself who differ from the brand’s intended targets. It will then segue to discussing Hollister’s position within the market and any outlying challenges the brand has navigated through.
Characteristics such as income, age, behaviors, emotions, occupation, and location will be addressed as they pertain to the company’s target audience. The paper will then
Communications Objectives and Role of Communication From my observations, Hollister’s communications objectives are to reach its established audience of high school students through a balanced mix of social media and walking self-marketing while abstaining from using traditional media outlets such as television commercials or print advertisements. They also desire for customers to switch from traditional surfing brands such as Quiksilver or Billabong. As such, Hollister differs strongly from other mainstream fashion brand names, as its products are made known through word of mouth. The company is very much a 21st-century creation as successful use of technology has driven much of its growth. Hollister’s objective is specific because focuses squarely on its target audience and does not make headway into other consumer markets. The company ensures its goals are measurable because they frequently keep track of sales trends through the release of quarterly reports. They are achievable because of the company’s strong current position in the American apparel market compared to other leading brands. Hollister also keeps its objectives realistic by recognizing that tastes and trends vary with the seasons—as such, it has diversified its current offerings beyond simply beachwear. Finally, the brand keeps its objectives time-bound by recognizing the fickle nature of the apparel industry and the shifting tastes of its target consumers. Another communications