Shaun White 4 Clothing Line

Ever-so-recently (Feb.18), Target announced the continuation of the "Shaun White 4 Target" clothing line. You can read Target's press release on their website by clicking here. Shaun White is a Target athlete, and Olympic Gold Medalist. Doesn't he make Target look ever so lovely? The cool skateboarder/snowboarder most definitely appeals to the kids. And since Shaun is such a cool and well-behaved athlete (Seriously, not even his Wikipedia article has a bad word about him!) his fabulous reputation reflects well onto Target. It seems Target did a good job promoting the return of it's clothing line. When you google news search for "target shaun white 4 target clothing" you see that the PRNewswire was sent the release for mass release. Yay! Target gets a gold star for that move! When you switch over to check out the regular google results for the same strand, you see that plenty of bloggers/online news sources have picked up on the newsrelease...including CNBC and The LA Times. On page 2 of google results, the snowboard websites start popping up as reporting that their own Shaun White is teaming up with Target.
Target, judging from the internet reaction, has done a good job announcing their continued relationship with Shaun White. This announcement does further fab PR for the company, as it promotes their sponsorship of some action sport stars.Kudos to Target for connecting their reputation with the noble likes of Shaun White. Good reputations should share the wealth, the publicity, and all the sugary sweet goodness like that. Target + Shaun White= Looooove.

Use of New Media

Target doesn't seem to use a whole lot of new media, aka, a blog or a podcast. But what they do have they use well. Target's website is almost overwhelming, though despite this it's still quite user friendly. Colorful and red-and-white themed, it reels you in. Whether you're looking to check out the newest clothing options for women in the store:here, or trying to catch a glimps of the annuual report:here ...Target makes it all available at your fingertips.
Target also allows customers to sign up for e-mail updates of their latest sales or special promotions. I've been getting these updates since about a year ago after I ordered rain boots off their website. They are helpful, but could use catchier subject lines at times. Another nice touch is making their weekly ad available online:here!. A lot of grocery stores do this same thing with their circulars, and I think it really speaks to people my age who are poor college students looking for deals, and find it much easier to log onto a website and find what we're looking for as opposed to calling or digging through mail.
The website, being so pretty and helpful, is a very very effective use of new media. However, the e-mails are slightly less effective in my view. I'm not sure why, they are informative. Perhaps I just think of them as "junk mail" sometimes? Whatever the case, I personally find the Old Navy e-mails much better, as they only e-mail me when there's a really good sale. Perhaps Target would benefit from having a facebook account or a twitter account. Either would certainly put them up a step higher than competitors K-mart or Wal-Mart. Target would look that much savvier and trendy.

Expect More. Pay Less.

Target is the classier, slightly more expensive version of Wal-Mart. Though Wal-Mart is frequented by myself and friends because it's closer, Target is the place we journey too. We look forward to it. Lovingly, we pronounce it "Tar-jay" with a French accent. Brightly lit and modern looking the store is inviting and has a trendy feel (as evidenced by the Starbucks within.) I admit, my love seems shallow, but I swear it's not just about looks. In this blog, I plan to unearth the deeper, more mature side of Target.Target is a retailer that sells just about everything one could think of needing in day to day life. Things myself or friends have purchased from Target: Patterned rainboots, DVDs, clothing, toiletries, make-up, various snacks, a humidifier, weight loss shakes, bedding, etc. On their website http://www.target.com/ Target has their mission statement:

"Our mission is to make Target the preferred shopping destination for our guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise.
To support our mission, we are guided by our commitments to great value, the community, diversity and the environment."

Sounds pretty amazing to me. Target proves all of the extra stuff in the second sentence through it's actions as well. The are certainly not all talk. Target is going green, giving back to the community, and are strong supporters of diversity within their stores.

Target has a nice, squeaky-clean reputation through word-of-mouth and business magazines alike. Perhaps Target's most impressive, recent nod came from Fortune Magazine, which ranked target #11 on it's list of "America's Most Admired Companies 2008." All of the company's accomplishments are posted conveniently on it's website, displayed prominently. Target also showcases that it gives back to the community with a recent TV ad saying that it gives back 5% of all profits it makes to the communities of the U.S.

I'll admit, most of target's stunning good news I was unaware of until I visited their awesome website. I had seen the commercial that stated the percentage of money Target gives back, but that was the extent. Otherwise I had just never heard anything bad about the store through word of mouth.

PR wise, Target needs to get the good things it does out there more than they are already, one commercial and a section on their website that most people don't visit just isn't enough. Will I come up with better suggestions? Oh, I hope so. This Saturday Night Live skit might be considered a bit of good, though abnormal, PR as well. Enjoy.

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