Etsy Vs. Amazon Handmade Market Place

Amazon:

Pros: Amazon recently created a new shopping service on their website called the Handmade Market Place. This service may prove to be a huge competitor for Etsy due to Amazon's selling standards and popularity. Since Amazon is known for their affordable shipping and high seller standards, Amazon may be a more reliable source to purchase from. Also, Amazon encourages buyer feedback on the site, so future customers will be aware of possible product defects and customer service. This is a very useful feature that is not as strong on Etsy's site. Etsy used customer service stats in the past and this program became difficult to maintain and had many bugs in it. Sites like dummies.com had to even post about how to use this service, because it was so complex.

In addition, Amazon has created a way to contract with numerous artisans. On Amazon's Artisan form, there is a statement at the end that encourages artisans to invite other artisans to join in selling on Amazon. This may increase the number of vendors that choose to sell on Amazon. 

Cons: Amazon has much stricter rules for operations. Artisans may have to pay higher prices and follow strict guidelines to be able to sell on Amazon. Thus, this may discourage vendors from choosing Amazon as their primary sales company. Additionally, Amazon is a company that is not known for handmade products and has never had the reputation of individuality such that Etsy has. Therefore, it may be difficult to increase business in the handmade product industry initially. 

Advice: I would instruct Amazon to market the new handmade market place service to the community through numerous advertisements such as videos and page ads.

Etsy: 

Pros: No one can deny the charm that Etsy possesses and the originality that comes from a site such as Etsy. On sites such as Amazon, customer's expect a more basic product, while on Etsy, customer's expect a highly unique one. Furthermore, Etsy's business revolves around handmade items and does not have highly diversified product lines. Therefore, Etsy is able to focus on handmade items solely, mastering the market. 

Cons: Since Etsy has providers from all around the world, customer relationship between small companies and buyers can be limited. Furthermore, Etsy does not provide the strict promise of speedy delivery and assistance that Amazon does.

Advice: Etsy should come up with a much sounder customer service program than customer service stats. Etsy has the products, but they need to focus more on relationship building and customer help avenues. 

Amazon's Vs. Ebay's Affiliate Program

According to mThink.com, Amazon ranks at number 3 in affiliate programs, while Ebay ranks at number 5. Amazon’s affiliate program utilizes its large customer base to advertise for them. With millions of users making purchases on Amazon regularly, advertising for them should be quite simple. So how does it work? Amazon gives you the option to attach an amazon link to your company, blog, etc. in order to promote their company and earn a percentage of their product earnings. The more products that are purchased from Amazon through your link, the more money you will acquire. This is a benefit to customers as well as Amazon. Both can earn money through assisting each other. 

 

However, due to new tax laws in states such as Illinois, Arkansas, Colorado, Rhode Island, and more, Amazon has begun to retract their affiliate program. These tax laws require Amazon to pay taxes on sales through affiliate advertising. Thus, Amazon has to pay state taxes in states that their company does not physically reside in. Therefore, Amazon has made plans to soon terminate the program, for the revenue benefits will dramatically decrease due to the tax laws. 

In contrast, Ebay's affiliate program does not seem to be facing the same challenges that Amazon is facing. In the same manner, one may become an Ebay affiliate by simply signing up on the website and agreeing to the terms and conditions. Once an affiliate, the more traffic one sends to Ebay's website, the more compensation the affiliate will receive. People may earn up to high percentages of revenues depending on the amount of traffic and number of new customers that they send to Ebay. Some people have done very well utilizing this program. Ebay as well as Amazon supplies all the tools on their websites to connect one's page with their company site. Social media platforms may be used as well as any other personal site. 

However, the major benefit to becoming an affiliate on Ebay rather than Amazon is the commission possibilities. The products often on Amazon are typically lower priced items, thus the commissions for affiliates are smaller. Amazon's higher priced items are typically collector's items, which have a much smaller buyer market. Therefore, acquiring large sums of money on Amazon is more difficult. On Ebay, numerous cars are sold that encourage exceedingly higher commissions. Cars have a much larger target market and are sold often on Ebay. Thus, imagine a 75% commission on a $10,000 car? The program could indeed make you rich. 

Victoria's Secret Vs. AdoreMe

According to Clickz.com, a social media report in 2015 reported that across the eight top social platforms, Victoria's Secret ranked in the top percentile. While most people joke about the reasoning behind this high rating, the truth of the matter is that Victoria's Secret is an online marketing genius. With over 26 million likes on Facebook, 8.2 million followers on Twitter, 24.3 million followers on Instagram, and an average of over 2,000 notes to each tumblr post, Victoria's Secret has not only one over a big audience, but an exceptionally loyal one. Furthermore, Victoria's secret's target market is more engaged in company matters than most companies. Every year the Victoria's Secret fashion show captures the number one spot on CBS above all other shows. Generating millions of tweets in one night, Victoria's Secret successfully dominates the social media platform in one evening, as well as days leading up to the show and after. Victoria's Secret has become an iconic brand for women and fashion enthusiasts everywhere through their strategic marketing strategy and amazing advertising campaigns.

This year, Victoria's Secret has even created a football commercial to target their male audience, reminding them to think of their significant others over Valentine's Day.

AdoreMe is a leading competitor against Victoria's Secret that has been trying to convince consumers to purchase less expensive versions of consumer brands. AdoreMe has been very successful on the social media platform, Pinterest, and has been climbing at a rapid speed. Showing lingerie options that have unique styles at lower prices has been very appealing to customers. However, AdoreMe will have a difficult time catching up to the iconic brand of Victoria's Secret and their incredible branding strategy. However, AdoreMe has been reaching out to their customers as the "New Face of Lingerie" and hopes to increase their incline toward the top with Victoria's Secret. The future will determine their success. So far, AdoreMe has been doing a marvelous job in reaching the millennials through introducing a new intriguing brand that is more affordable and equally sexy.

Who doesn't need more to adore?

Geico VS. Allstate

You've graduated from college and it's time to branch out and purchase your very own car insurance. Which company comes to mind first? The friendly gecko declaring "15 minutes will save you 15% or more on car insurance!" or Allstate's ever so popular Dean Winters on his mayhem commercials that state, "Are you in good hands with Allstate?" Both marketing tactics have done exceptionally well within their target market. However, the difference is that Geico has kept their marketing light, while Allstate taken a much darker, sardonic approach.

According to ConsumerAffairs, Geico rates higher than Allstate by a large margin. Even though Geico has fewer followers on social media than Allstate with 45,400 followers on Twitter, 2,090 on Instagram, 433,205 on Facebook. However, Geico has successfully reached the family segment of their market. When people think of Geico they think of an icon that "they can trust"...a cute little gecko. This initially attracts the customer and then they think of what the company offers, which is their slogan - "15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." This is an appealing offer to consumers, because there is one thing more than safety that people appreciate, and that is saving money.

Allstate has taken a couple different approaches to marketing their brand. First they Dennis Haysbert with the "Our stand" campaign and then accelerated with the "Mayhem" campaign. Throughout both campaigns, Allstate has used the "what if" philosophy. As seen in the video below - "What if your teenage daughter is texting and driving and gets emotionally distraught?" Thus, Allstate throughout their campaigns has attempted to use a seemingly "scar/humorous tactic" to persuade customers into purchasing their auto insurance. These commercials urge customers to get serious, while Geico is a lot more subtle and friendly on the matter. I believe that due to their sarcastic and amusing videos, Allstate ranks ahead of Geico on social media with 453,139 likes on Facebook, 5,878 followers in Instagram, and 66,500 followers on Twitter. However, Geico's approach has granted them a ranking above Allstate, because they do not seem as forceful. When people make purchases, they like to think that it is their idea. Geico provides this option with their friendly stance and generous offer. Allstate has too much of a demanding approach and often seems forced. Therefore, marketers should be aware of the psychological affect that advertising may have on people and market accordingly.

CoverGirl Vs. Maybelline

Leading the market in cosmetics, CoverGirl and Maybelline have taken social media by storm. Their target markets are women from around the world and both have similar marketing strategies seen on the surface level. However, when digging deeper, one will notice that their brand strategies are also very different.

CoverGirl:

When one thinks of CoverGirl, they think "Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Cover Girl." CoverGirl creates an emotional bond with their consumers as the cosmetics producer that has their target market's best interests at heart. Through promoting brand awareness with their customers at social events as well as through social media, CoverGirl is often thought of as the "Best Friend" of teens. Every teen wants to be beautiful and will often do whatever it takes to look the part. That's where CoverGirl comes in. Covergirl has 628,000 followers on Instagram, 4.7 million likes on Facebook, 556,000 followers on Twitter, and 141,000 subscribers on YouTube. CoverGirl not only markets through social media but also has a large presence in current TV shows such as "America's Next Top Model." There are numerous occasions where Tyra Banks has the models do CoverGirl photoshoots/videos where they have to represent the company through posing a certain way or repeating the CoverGirl slogan. CoverGirl is not only a cosmetic brand, but it is the widely renowned brand of the Hollywood world. Therefore, by promoting their brand through icons that teens greatly admire, CoverGirl does an exceptional job at grasping the attention of teen girls everywhere.

Maybelline:

Maybelline takes a refreshingly different approach to reaching out to their target market. Their brand strategy is promoting a brand for the empowerment of the people. CoverGirl focuses on outward beauty and advertises through iconic beautiful women, while Maybelline focuses on empowering the inner self of the woman. My favorite line in the movie below is "cover up nothing and show off everything...no regrets, no apologies, no maybes." In summary, do not hide who you are, but be bold and reveal yourself to the world. This is represented by the iconic woman, Ruby Rose, on the video who has boldly revealed who she is as a homosexual woman and is proud to show it off. Maybelline is a proud supporter of empowering women to be proud of who they are, whomever they may be, and that message alone has drawn a loyal following around the world. With 1.4 million followers on Instagram, 490,000 followers on Twitter, 4.6 million likes on Facebook, and 90,000 subscribers on YouTube, Maybelline has a strong following. With over double the number of followers on Instagram, Maybelline has proven to be more successful in winning the hearts of their market by focusing their brand specifically on meeting the needs of the people by providing cheap and simple ways to buy and use makeup that provides nearly the same look as more expensive brands. Furthermore, when using celebrities, Maybelline has focused on trending iconic women as opposed to widely renowned women. This is a much wiser strategy when targeting teen women who are more apt to be interested in new trending iconic celebs than overused/widely known celebrities.

In conclusion, due to the brand awareness that CoverGirl possesses, CoverGirl still remains to be the leading cosmetic brand. However, over the years, Maybelline has remained a more reputable company by their brand strategy of empowering women instead of merely empowering the body. Furthermore, CoverGirl's marketing strategy has been overused over the years and must be revamped. Maybelline has a powerful strategy of using trending icons and topics to promote their brand, while CoverGirl remains the brand of pure flawlessness and outer beauty. Therefore, I believe Maybelline will soon take CoverGirl by storm.

Burrito Game

Undoubtedly, the most popular fast food restaurant among high school and college students alike is Taco Bell. With 632,000 followers on Instagram, 10.2 million likes on Facebook, and 1.5 million followers on Twitter, Taco Bell has successfully met the needs of their target market. On March 27, 2014, Taco Bell launched their first ever Breakfast menu. This menu was strategically marketed across social media sites and caught the attention of fans everywhere. Short after the breakfast menu was released, revenues shot up by over 14%. Furthermore, Taco Bell has continued to meet the needs of their target market by launching mobile ordering and payment. By doing this, Taco Bell reached the technology focused generation by allowing a faster and easier way of ordering fast food. This new way of ordering was plastered all across restaurants everywhere and went viral across social media sites. Finally, Taco Bell continued to meet the needs of their market by investing in a new urban look for their restaurants. This new look provides a unique environment that matches modern concepts and desires among the present generation. Taco Bell is the poster child for successfully researching and satisfying their target market. However, I believe Taco Bell should bring back their Chihuahua commercials. The commercials were a wonderful marketing tool to promote their company. One could think that Budweiser may have even "borrowed" the idea of using man's best friend for publicity. The puppy works. The question is, does Taco Bell need to spend the money for commercials if they are already doing extremely well?

Either way. We love these videos.

In my social gatherings, Chipotle is seen as the "Father of Taco Bell." Born in the millennial generation at year 1993, Chipotle is the Mexican restaurant that young people will travel hours to visit. Unlike the beloved burritos at Taco Bell, Chipotle's burritos offer more flavorful and gourmet ingredients. Therefore, Chipotle is the generation's deep mouthwatering desire. However, due to Chipotle's higher priced menu and smaller number of restaurants across the globe, Taco Bell still remains ahead in the revenue game by nearly 1 billion. Also, on Social Media, Chipotle has 242,000 followers on Instagram, 2.7 million likes on Facebook, and 701,000 followers on twitter, which is significantly less than Taco Bell. However, is this possibly due to the fact that Chipotle has simply not been open as long as Taco Bell? Possibly. However, Chipotle is making great strides to move forward in the food industry as it is planning on offering a delivery option to college campuses this Fall. This strategic marketing move may put Chipotle ahead in the "Burrito Game" sooner than we may expect. In conclusion, Taco Bell and Chipotle have both done very well in marketing their companies to meet the needs and wants of their target customers. Both companies will prosper as long as they continue to improve upon their product and continually research their market.

Guess Who!

When I think watches that match my style, I think Fossil. I have personally been extremely loyal to Fossil since a very young age. Fossil is a U.S. company that focuses on providing customers with authentic accessories that fit stylish, vintage preferences. Fossil successfully manufacturers watches for casual and business settings with various material and customize-able options. Like trends and fads that claim the attention of millennials, Fossil is a company that has dominated the attention and loyalty of our current generation by providing a brand that meets a trendy lifestyle. With 272,000 followers on Instagram, 1.86 million likes on Facebook, and 62, 600 followers on Twitter, Fossil has done very well in constantly promoting their brand and proactively communicating with customers. Fossil uses Twitter to handle customer service issues, and uses Facebook and Instagram to share fashionable accessory photos and new deals. Additionally, Fossil also provides and markets coupons on sites such as Groupon and on Apps such as RetailMeNot. By using apps and popular sites to offer discounts that are utilized by the target market, Fossil has succeeded in the hearts of customers by offering valuable, yet affordable vintage products.

Now, guess who Fossil's biggest competitor is? Guess. No really. Guess. With 1 million followers on Instagram, 6.3 million likes on Facebook, and 316,000 followers on Twitter, Guess has proven to dominated the trendy vintage company on social media. Being established only three years earlier in 1981 (as opposed to Fossil's 1984), Guess used an enhanced lifestyle to capture customers. Instead of focusing on vintage and artsy lifestyle like Fossil, Guess portrays a lifestyle of power and sensuality. Guess has portrayed a marketing genius of high end fashion focusing on flawless beauty and attraction. When teaming with Guess, consumers are influenced to feel like they belong in the upper class of social society. Guess uses Pinterest and sexy photo shoot campaigns to continuously promote this brand image. Therefore, while Fossil creates customer loyalty by promoting individuality and an artsy style, Guess exploits the inner desire to be beautiful and powerful. Both of these strategies have proven to work within their target markets, however, due to the innate desire of mankind to obtain power, Guess has done an excellent job at fulfilling this desire through brand image.