Freedom from discrimination is one of the fundamental human rights necessary for workers to freely choose their place of work, fully develop their potential and receive decent wages. In the field of education, the spread of sexist ideas and views is unacceptable. Teachers have the opportunity to influence this dangerous trend directly. For example, teachers can explain to children why girls and boys are equal in their rights and options. Educators can also suppress inappropriate comments that promote stigma against women, thereby reinforcing the values of equality (Jacobson, 2008, p. 82). They can and should show colleagues positive examples and work concepts concerning gender equality. Global misunderstanding of the idea of feminism and gender equality in education leads to devastating consequences that cannot be allowed.
At the same time, it is essential to understand that the main barriers to women’s career growth are nevertheless connected not with a lack of qualifications. It is primarily due to the internal attitudes of both women themselves and the system. Such biases influence the decisions that leaders make about the promotion of a particular teacher. This is why companies aiming to create a level playing field need to educate executives on what unconscious biases are and how to deal with them. In this fight against sexism, teachers should take an active position. They must speak out about manifestations of discrimination, share experiences with colleagues, and educate students on the importance of not following existing social norms that are harmful to society.
I remember how I heard that girls should not be rude and aggressive many times when I was still a child. The adults insisted that they should be gentle and tolerant and that their primary purpose was to create a family and raise children. At the same time, I saw how my female peers, along with the boys, wanted to speak out and be heard, but their words were often not taken seriously. As I got older, I noticed how girls are told to calm down and behave more modestly. However, I have seen that the same behavior in men is socially acceptable; moreover, such men were called leaders, and they prophesied a successful career.
When I tell my acquaintances that I plan to care for and educate children, I am met with disappointed looks. People underestimate my work and believe that it does not have its difficulties, which is not true. In addition, people begin to talk about the fact that this is purely female work. However, I know that for many of my classmates, the decision was not at all determined by their gender.
I think the story should show how sexism pervades the lives of women, both who have achieved extraordinary heights in politics and ordinary women in more modest positions. The bottom line is that the same experience unites them – they are not taken seriously. Regardless of the job she occupies, every woman is criticized for doing something wrong. She is told that she is overwhelmed by emotions and her actions are not rational, as if men always act unerringly and rightly. That is why the act of a woman voting for another woman is so essential; through it, people with similar problems support each other. I think this understanding of the similarity of women’s experiences was the lesson that Jacobson learned from this story.
Reference
Jacobson, T. (2008). Don’t get so upset! Redleaf Press.
Marketing Strategies And Sales Promotion: Nascar And Tide
Frequency marketing is an advertising strategy that aims to encourage regular customers and those who buy products in considerable amounts. The company encourages consumers with discounts and material gifts, but prizes may vary depending on the organization. Sales promotion is a system of planned advertising events united by striving to reach the marketing goal. These two notions are similar and different simultaneously, and it is essential to look at the purposes of each tool.
Frequency marketing is a strategy that lures customers to buy goods or services in a particular company with the help of encouraging prizes. It ensures clients’ retention and might guarantee a stable audience base. It is similar to sales promotion in attracting customers to buy and expecting people to become brand-loyal. Both strategies are motivated by increasing sales and making people interested in offered goods and services. However, there are some differences; frequency marketing strives to encourage existing customers, while sales promotion is directed to new buyers. Moreover, the sales promotion strategy does not provide customers with bonuses for regular customers, for example, accumulative system cards with rewards.
Overall, frequency marketing and sales promotion strategies might be similar in facilitating customers to buy products and services offered by companies. Indeed, the goal of the frequency marketing tool is to make customers buy more goods to receive rewards and make them hope to get more prizes; in turn, the company which uses this tool hopes that these buyers will become regular clients. It is not the prime concern of sales promotion, which strives to boost sales for a short period.
Nascar and Tide
A good promotion strategy might provide the brand with tremendous success. It is regular that companies seek to promote their goods and services in the same niche. For instance, the organization selling toys might promote its products through collaboration with the agency of events and celebrations for children. However, the case with Nascar racing and Tide laundry brand is flourishing, despite having various product aims. Indeed, it is interesting to look at the promotion strategy of Tide, the brand of washing powder that became a sponsor for Nascar racing.
It may seem that these two organizations do not correspond in their purpose; however, interaction with Nascar changed the way Tide came to stand for excellent performance on the laundry issues. Nascar is one of the most prominent American sports; it involves racing cars that participate in oval tracks competitions up to 200 miles per hour (Elsbach & Cable, 2018). At the beginning of the 90s, Nascar and Tide collaborated on creating a joint project branded with the Tide logo. The orange and yellow designs of cars became legendary and received the name of Tide Ride (Pryson, 2016). The race lasted from 1987 to 2006; in this period, Toyota Camry with Tide design became very famous. Many famous racers participated in Tide Ride, for instance, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, and others. Matt Kenneth, the sportsman, reported that Tide had a rich racing history (Pryson, 2016). Because of this marketing strategy and with the help of talented drivers shown in Nascar, Tide facilitated its prominence, and this collaboration helped the brand be worldwide famous.
Today, many people are fans of Tide Ride cars; people strive to buy rare and limited toy versions of these legendary vehicles. It is seen how the collaboration between different companies might promote the product. Nascar is a good association for Tide, as this racing sport is popular in America and involves many celebrity drivers (Elsbach & Cable, 2018). It is efficient because many people are fond of sports cars, and this method is a perfect way to increase sales in the brand.
References
Elsbach, K. D., & Cable, D. M. (2018). Explaining stakeholder identification with moderate prestige collectives: A study of NASCAR fans. Organization Studies, 40(9), 1279–1305. Web.
Pryson, M. (2016). Classic Tide car returning to NASCAR at Darlington. Autoweek. Web.
Selfridge & Co.’s Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools comprise a number of marketing instruments designed to ensure efficient and consistent communication with the target audience. The tools include advertising, sales promotions, public relations activities, social media, direct marketing, public relation, and sales campaigns (Juska 2017). According to Percy (2018, p. 4), marketing communications planning ‘recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines’. Marketing and retail have evolved significantly over the recent decades, and Harry Selfridge, the founder of a chain of London-based department stores, can be named among the prominent contributors to the development of the industry. As stated by Woodhead (2008, p.3), Selfridge ‘had a deep-rooted belief in the power of advertising’, which became a critical factor of his business success. This paper aims to analyze Selfridge’s business success, study what IMC tools were used as part of his marketing strategy, and identify what role advertising played in growing his achievements.
The Success of Selfridges and the Role of IMC Tools
Selfridges revolutionized the way shopping was done in the United Kingdom in the 20th century. He noticed the difference in the American and British consumer culture, brought the concept of the department stores in the country, thus, filling this gap and transforming retail trade. Selfridges used marketing communication to gain a competitive advantage, understand customer needs and wants, and be able to retain and attract clients (Scott & Walker 2010). As a result, a competitive advantage allowed for increasing sales and profits, leading the company to success.
Advertising was the primary IMC tool used by Selfridge to grow brand awareness and appeal to various audiences, namely, all social classes and genders. The illustrations used for ads targeted people of different statuses, aiming to eliminate the social gap and offer a safe and pleasurable shopping experience for everyone (Woodhead 2008). In doing so, Selfridge implemented his principle of creating a comfortable space for customers and promoted it through advertising. Indeed, as Woodhead (2008) states, lighting, temperature, cleanliness, and the availability of restrooms, which Selfridge was the first to install in his stores, play an essential role in attracting clients. Large displays of advertisements were an essential part of Selfridge’s marketing campaign enabled by his connections to media outlets. Appealing to the mass market and providing value allowed Selfridge to win customer trust and increase brand recognition.
Another IMC tool used by the entrepreneur was the implementation and amplification of brand stories. Selfridge revolutionized the industry with his window display technique which combined retail and art, offering a unique experience at the time (Woodhead 2008). Such an approach increased visibility, encouraged people to stop and watch, and created a positive image of the store, which, consequently, increased sales and spread word of mouth. Therefore, Selfridge combined the use of paid and earned media, which made up a powerful strategy for promoting his stories. Furthermore, he promoted not only the narratives about products but also stories engaging people to connect with popular opinions; for instance, supporting the Suffragettes movement impacted the store’s image in a positive way (Woodhead 2008). Creating such a unique brand image and offering displays was an effective marketing strategy.
The similarity between the IMC tools used by Selfridge lies in his dedication to catering to customers, which was not common until his stores appeared. Selfridge’s famous phrase ‘the customer is always right’ became the fundamental principle reshaping the retail industry along with marketing strategies. According to Orazi et al. (2017), the IMC tools significantly contribute to the brand identity and image, which influences brand equity. As can be seen, Selfridge’s success is an example of the transformation of marketing and promotion through strategic layout, customer care, and advertising revolutionary at the time. As Outka (2005) claims, Selfridge’s new commercial environment refined the atmosphere for the store’s guests and became a pivotal moment in the marketing industry. The memorable experience influenced people’s perception of the brand in an efficient manner, creating value for the customer.
Selfridges IMC tools in the Modern Context
Undoubtedly, Selfridge’s success was primarily based on his customer-centered approach and smart advertising that appealed to the mass market and extended the target audience. Selfridge & Co., a high-end department store chain, still exists and continues to deliver value for the customer, adapting to the current marketing trends (Woodhead 2008). In the contemporary context, integrated marketing communication tools for the company would include increasing brand visibility and reaching out to the customer through social media, direct mails, and newsletters. Furthermore, offering webinars and seminars is an effective strategy to generate leads and introduce new products.
To summarize, Selfridge was aware of the need to evolve and provide a better experience for shoppers, and his IMC approaches identified gaps, appealing to the customer, offering value, and improving the brand image. A comprehensive marketing campaign needs to focus on numerous marketing channels for the company to remain competitive. The emphasis on pleasurable experience is still of great value in the modern marketing industry, which makes Selfridge a revolutionary entrepreneur whose principles are currently implemented by numerous companies across the world.
Reference List
Juska, J M 2017, Integrated marketing communication: advertising and promotion in a digital world. Routledge, Abingdon, UK.
Orazi, D C, Spry, A, Theilacker, M N & Vredenburg, J 2017, ‘A multi-stakeholder IMC framework for networked brand identity’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 51 no. 3, pp. 551-571.
Outka, E 2005, ‘Crossing the great divides: Selfridges, modernity, and the commodified authentic’, Modernism/modernity, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 311-328.
Percy, L 2018, Strategic integrated marketing communications, 2nd edn, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.
Scott, P & Walker L 2010, ‘Advertising, promotion, and the competitive advantage of interwar British department stores’, The Economic History Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 1105-1128, Web.
Woodhead, L 2008, Shopping, seduction and Mr Selfridge. Profile Books, London, UK.