Staffing Target Stores
Presented by:
Group 4 – Section 007Drew Cymek, Katie Bennett, Arielle Pressau, Brian Austin
Viral Marketing: Changing the Image of Target as an Employer
Expect the Best
Objective
To attract the top candidates for both salary & hourly in-store positions.
• Leadership
• Desire to work in retail
• Commitment & Loyalty
• Fast, Fun, & Friendly(Barter, Theresa. Interview. 3 November, 2010)
Problem
Many top candidates have a negative perception of Target as an employer.
People think of working as cashier.
Comparable to a job at Wal-Mart
Solution
Create a viral marketing campaign to change the image of Target
• New image of prestige
• The focus will be on salary associates
• Image will attract hourly
(Kleiman)
SWOT Analysis as an Employer
In Depth Look at the ProblemPERCEPTION OF TARGET AS AN
EMPLOYER
Negative Perception
Positive Perception
Participants
Survey 25:Mix of students and recent graduates
3 Questions asked:
• What is your perception of a job at Target?
• What types of positions come to mind?
• Would you consider applying to Target?
In Depth Look at the Problem
• 17 – Cashier
• 4 – Management
• 4 – Various positions
Of the 25 participants
POSITIONS PICTURED AT TARGET
In Depth Look at the Problem
Negative perception
• Top talent will not consider employment (www.recruiter.co.uk)
• Candidates not hired elsewhere will apply – less talented
Prestigious image
• Top talent chooses prestige over pay (Vlerick Brand Management Centre, 2008)
• Increases employee morale(Pruyn, et al., 2001)
• Retains top employees(Pruyn, et al., 2001)
In Depth Look at Solution
Create a viral marketing campaign to change the image of Target as an employer from an undesirable job to a prestigious career.
The Viral Marketing Campaign:
• Focus on viral videos
• Use social networking site and video sharing site
• Have a long-term effect of the image, as well as immediate ROI
• Create more knowledge of the benefits and careers available
Viral Marketing
Viral videos – the use of online videos to spread the viral marketing message
Viral Marketing – strategic use of marketing tactics delivered through media tools to stimulate spread of a message by Word-of-Mouth (Deas, et al., 2009)
The focus of the campaign will be viral
videos
Reason for Viral VideosCreate a new image of Target as an employer
There is no cost to upload
No cost to spread the video
Alternatives to change image:TV advertisingChanging uniforms
Does not change image as a retailer
Reasons for Viral Video• 5.4 billion viewing sessions in October according to comScore.com
• 68% of college grads watch online video
(PewInternet.com)
• 89% of adults viewers share videos
As a video is shared, views increase exponentially
(Dybwad, 2010)
Success of Viral VideosOld Spice Viral Campaign
Evian Viral Video
Over 160 million views on YouTube
Over 30 million views on YouTube
Implementation
The strategy of viral marketing campaign will include using several videos with different focuses to change the image.
• Humor• Reality of working at Target • Diversity• Aspects of working (fast, fun, friendly)
Videos: Humor
Target’s goals of humorous videos:
• Generate initial buzz (Sultana, 2010)
• Begin changing the image of Target• Provide visibility for other videos
Launch & spread through Facebook(2 million fans)
Humor is essential to the success of a viral marketing campaign(Be funny or don’t even try, what makes a video go viral?, www.marketingvox.com, 2010)
Videos: Humor
Apple Target
Parodies of existing commercials and viral videos (Scott, 2010)
Reverse of original perception
Videos: Reality of Target
“A day in the life of…”Demonstrates what a leadership role is at
Target
Current employees sharing their experiences
Videos: DiversityDiversity is individuality. Target welcomes all.
Demonstrate Target’s diverse culture
Videos: CultureVideos highlighting each element of Target’s
culture: Fast, Fun, & Friendly
A face paced environment
A fun experience for employees & customers
A culture focused on friendliness
ConclusionProblem: Target’s image as an employer is not prestigious
Solution: Create a viral marketing campaign to change the company’s image.
Results:
• Videos will promote desired image
• Top candidates will view Target as a viable option
• The image change will have long-term effects.
• Cost effective strategy to change the public perception
Works Cited
comScore. (2010, Nov 15). comScore Releases October 2010 U.S. Online Video Rankings. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/11/comScore_Releases_October_2010_U.S._Online_Video_Rankings/(language)/eng-US
Deas, T., Elias, T., Malden, S. (2009). Viral Marketing: Industry Insiders’ Insight on the Impact of Diffusion,Variation, and Selective Retention. Conference Paper—International Communication Association; 2009 Annual Meeting. P. 12, 15, 23. Retrieved fromhttp://proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/login?ins=tu&url=http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=45286466&site=ehost-live
Dybwad, B. (2010, April 25). Word of Mouth Marketing – STATS. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://mashable.com/2010/04/25/word-of-mouth-marketing-stats/
Kleiman, R. Recruit the Best Hourly. The Workforce Institute. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from www.workforceinstitute.org/.../kleiman-recruit-the-best-hourly-06.pdf
MarketingVox. (2010, Oct 15). Be Funny or Don't Even Try. What Makes a Video Go Viral? Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.marketingvox.com/be-funny-or-dont-even-try-what-makes-a-video-go-viral-047891/
Pruyn, A., Smidts, A., Van Riel, C. (2001, October). The Impact of Employee Communication and Perceived External Prestige on Organizational Identification. Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 44 Issue 4, p2. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/login?ins=tu&url=http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=5412303&site=ehost-live
Recruiter. (2010, March 17). A good name is key to job candidates. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.recruiter.co.uk/1004707.article?cmpid=REC06&cmptype=newsletter
Scott, Jeremy. (2010, July 23) Viral Video Lessons Round Up: Parodies, Pranks, And Fortunate Timing. ReelSEO: The Online Video Marketers Guide. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.reelseo.com/viral-video-lessons-parodies-pranks-fortunate-timing/
Works Cited
Sultana, Karl. (2010). Is Viral Marketing Still Effective? Buzzle—Intelligent Life on the Web. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/is-viral-marketing-still-effective.html
Vlerick Brand Management Centre. (2008, Nov 3). Talent chooses prestige over pay. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.vlerick.com/en/media/press/releases/9412-VLK.html