• Posted on February 6, 2024
• Amita

MOD00334 Marketing Communications

Introduction

Gymshark is well known British apparel and accessories brand based on fitness and it is headquartered in Solihull, England. It was founded in June 2012 and it distributes and creates the fitness wears. In 2020 the company recorded revenue of over 1 billion Euros. In October 0222, the company opened its first store in Regent Street, London. It was founded by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan who were school friends and they both aged 20 set up the brand. Francis used to study in Aston University before dropping out of college and he worked as delivery boy for Pizza Hut when he started the company. Gymshark started to supply supplements of physical fitness using its website. In 2013, the company began to design and manufacture its own physical fitness apparel. In the year 2013 the company did its first trade show in Birmingham where it sold out its full stock. After the completion of the show the company’s tracksuit went viral on facebook and it generated up to 30,000 Euros of sale within few minutes.

The company claims that the goals do not unite them but the good things they do. Their training grounds are tight and motivating which shows their positive reply towards their sporty apparels. They started their operations from a small garage in UK in the year 2012 with just a printer, sewing machine and positive ambitions to hold. The company holds a family of nearly 10 million people comprising of employees, athletes and followers and a strong social media family of nearly 18 million people. They are spread over 230 countries and has 14 online stores. It was valued up to $1.3 billion by Forbes. They believe in core values like being human, give a shit, and doing the right thing.

Task 1

Integrated marketing communication

IMC states the process of unified marketing communication strategies such as social media, audience analytics, business development policies and public relations. It helps the public and private companies to identify the brand identity which stays consistent across the media channels. It helps the companies to deliver seamless customer experiences and engage for product related services (Shahriar et al. 2020). Professionals who know IMC might go for different employment opportunities in social media, digital media marketing. IMC helps to combine traditional and new practices of Medias. It is termed as a holistic concept which takes into account marketing strategies in a larger perspective of the organization.

By using the IMC theory different personnel like brand managers, associates, social media marketers ensures the target and influence over specific audiences (Yan et al. 2021). The influence of this theory can be noticed when the website advertisements and different blogs come into forefront. Each and every organization use different models to communicate with the audiences like TV, radio, facebook and other modes. Companies focus on marketing channels which stands as a necessity for them. There are some importances of IMC which are as follows-

• Consistency for the customers
• Brand building
• Using of appropriate marketing channels in order to boost effectiveness of campaigns

There are some tools used in IMC which are as follows-

Advertising- It refers to paid promotion which is not personal based on products and services by any sponsor. There are various media like magazines, newspapers and other networks like posters, billboards and signs. The main advantage of advertising is dispersed customers in geographical mode and customers generally believe to be offered with good value.

Sales promotion- It is short term programs which is used to encourage the purchase of the service or products. It includes different promotions like customer promotion which includes distribution of free samples, offers and other relevant things. It also focuses on retailers such as displays and merchandising of products with pay performances. It draws the attention of customers and engages them by offering them invitation of various incentives.

Personal Selling- It means face to face selling with one or more buyers in order to make presentations and taking orders (Zhang et al. 2019). This acts as an effective tool in the next stages of buying chain. The advantage is that the needs of buyers can be customized and it helps to build a long term relationship with the buyer.

Public Relations- There is variety of programs which are implemented in betterment of the organization and public relationship. Advertising acts as the one way communication tool whereas public relations stands as a dual mode communication channel which helps to monitor the feedbacks and adjustments of the messages.

Advantages of IMC

Helps to build customer relationships- Gymshark always focus in building and nurturing good relationships with the customers and this cannot be achieved by creating a product. It can only be achieved when the company will keep trusted bonds with the customers even after product or service delivery (Kuang 2022). An IMC will enable Gymshark to convey the important messages across different marketing channels and Medias with the target audience.

Personalized communication- It means when customers receive special messages or mails from the company which shows the gesture of pure trust and familiar bonding with them. The only way to build personalization communication is by conducting loyalty programs which nobody does in today’s world.

Targeted groups- IMC helps to conduct B2B segmentation with the companies in order to segment the customers based on preferences, needs and attitudes.

Brand Perception- Successful IMC can help position a product in the customer’s mind which he/she can compare with the competitors. A merged message helps to create a healthy and positive brand position and image.

Task 2

STP Analysis

Segmentation-

Using this technique it will help the business to identify the pros and cons, specific needs and nature of the market to find customers and deliver more goods and services. Different ways to segment the audience are-

Demographics- It means the customer segment is broken into different categories like age, gender, education, income and other factors.

Psychographics- This technique refers to emotion and personality based behaviors which are linked to purchase opinions and attitudes (Wang 2023). There are different ways in which the data can be gathered are-

Interviews- Talking with people physically help to segment the target audience and conducting in depth interviews will help to gather useful data to understand the customer’s point of view.

Surveys- This technique helps to reach more people as compared to interviews but it may be hard to get appropriate answers.

Customer data- The data of customers show the tendency of purchasing power of the customers.

Targeting

This is based on the different segmented customers who are targeted for sales. It is done on some criteria which are as follows-

Size- In order to justify the segmentation process the market should be large and if it is smaller than the segmentation might get smaller.

Difference- To justify this point there should be measurable differences in between segments.

Money- The profit should not cross the cost of marketing plans.

Accessible- Each segment which is made should be team accessible and they should receive the marketing messages.

Positioning

It is the last step of the STP analysis which focuses on the goal of audience connection in a personal level and make apart from the competition. It can be done in different ways like-

Symbolic positioning- It shows the style of projected image where the symbols are used.

Functional positioning- It shows the problems which affect the product of Gymshark and make them easier to handle.

Experiential positioning- It shows the emotions and experience of the products and services.

Push, Pull and Profile Strategies

Push- This strategy is used to promote the product to distributor and retailer to bring down into distribution channel (Ozuem 2022). It is used to make the product available in the hands of buyers with no advertising.

Pull- Here the marketing efforts are directed at the end users and consumer parts which are full of promotions to support the campaigns like contest, coupons. Here the cost of pull strategy is high in operating.

Profile- This technique is used by Gymshark to build perception, awareness and reputation using sponsorship, corporate advertising and public relations.

Professionals who know IMC might go for different employment opportunities in social media, digital media marketing. IMC helps to combine traditional and new practices of Medias. It is termed as a holistic concept which takes into account marketing strategies in a larger perspective of the organization (Zhang et al. 2019). It also focuses on retailers such as displays and merchandising of products with pay performances. It draws the attention of customers and engages them by offering them invitation of various incentives.  It can only be achieved when the company will keep trusted bonds with the customers even after product or service delivery.

ATL/BTL/TTL Strategies of the Gymshark Company 

Analysis
ATL and TTL are the key line strategies adapted by the Gymshark brands while dealing with consumers in fitness and sports segments.  ATL’s Marketing Strategy of Gymshark Company only ensures partnerships with print media and television for positioning its products to wider and more diversified consumer segments (Apaza and Jahan,  2021).  ATL Strategy is the principal strategy used by brands to position products to all possible consumers through print media. Moreover, this strategy only helps brands position key USPs on continual scales through its publication houses.   Television is the next major form of communications channels that is emphasized by this Gymshark Company while targeting those segments who are working sections people through ATL strategy (Ozuem and Willi, 2022). This channel helps position their casual clothing and apparel that are produced by the use of cashmere, fleece cotton, acrylic and acetate for middle-class segments.  Through-the-line marketing is another strategy used by the brand that seems effective in communing better relationships with all consumer segments.

Content-based marketing is another strategy which ensures the brand updates its product specifications and blogs each service day while serving consumers with fitness products. This strategy moreover ensures the position of their discounts at each phase of their business years by updating their pricing on their websites and blogs (Morales, 2022). Moreover, TTL’s strategy enables this brand to position newer launches by Henry, Apollo, and Arrival Marl T-shirts that are produced for children by their websites through catchy and animated content that directly depicts company values. This strategy seems applicable moreover for scheduling emails each day to its regular customers through the development of better content (Pekkanen, 2022). This is regarding newer launches and the way they seek preference over other brands. 360-degree marketing creates awareness about newer women’s, children’s and men’s apparel that seems to be built by applications of eyelet cotton and bamboo rayon’s under crests t-shirt segments for fitness aspiring women (Vitulano, 2022). This strategy generally adheres to preparations of campaigns and stage shows that highlight new launches and the way they can add value to the life of consumers.

Evaluation 

ATL’s marketing strategy helps this company states the way print media marketing channels are used for positioning lawn cotton, batiste, and Satin usage on child clothing. As opined by (), This strategy moreover directs Gymshark company to position organic cotton usage in its product by the Gymshark company through applications of print media. TV channel on the other hand helps this company position way specific fabrics can help enrich skin health (Mingtao, 2021). The overall aim behind this strategic application is to ensure that its product knowledge and uniqueness are known to all consumers starting children to older adults while dealing in UK fitness segments. This is because televisions and newspapers are key elements that are accessible to all consumer segments at present business days.

TTL’s strategy seems applicable for scheduling emails each day to its regular customers through the development of better content which states about newer launches and the way they seek preference over other brands. Further as stated by Foos (2021), digital marketing concentrates on contacting the target consumers from multiple platforms such as Instagram business, Facebook business and Twitter to all sets of consumers. Moreover, TTL ensures applications of 360-degree marketing that combine both traditional marketing and digital commerce media for the enrichment of consumer experiences.

Task 3

Keller’s Brand Equity Model seems applicable in detecting brand value and its impact on consumer retention and growth by Gymsharek Company.

Salience: Gymshark primarily perforates on creating a global neighborhood within the fitness industry by uniting its consumers. The company’s vision for the upcoming days is to provide consumers with such clothing that seems flexible in any form of fitness exercise (Tschirpig, 2020). Moreover, this company ensures that products are primarily built with organic cotton and fleece cotton which seems to impart no negative effect on body health.

Performance 

Gymshark is a brand that provides tenders to distinctive manufacturers to create their own specialized fabrics, and newer styles, within their product lines for the growth of their consumers by 6% in the year 2022. Moreover, they ensure partners with renowned fashion designers and innovators for retracting all their regular consumers intact to brands (Shin and Rothenberg, 2020). Further, they only keep transparency regarding their production process by arranging brand elevation shows that live telecast their productions

Imagery 

Gymsharks brand meaning helps derivate the idea that its major motivation is to provide with best quality sports premium vests, shorts and t-shirts for both men and women. The shark on the logo depicts its “shark-like” approach to marketing all types of consumer segments in the UK business segments. On other hand Ali and Khan (2023), the Gym keyword is used to attract all sports and fitness aspirants who are in search of clothes that provide them with the best comfort and elasticity. Moreover, Shark keywords depict target all types of audiences at a faster pace through digital channels and the internet. These are key concepts adhered to by the brand while it started its business operations in the UK segments.

Judgment 

Gyms hark company pays stringent focus on the lifecycle of the products by extended use of quality fibers and production strategy for better quality clothing to consumers. As opined by Johansson and Hiltula (2021), this only makes this brand use Hemp one of the best fabrics for the prevention of bacterial afflictions and other skin-related issues for children, men and women segments. Moreover, this type of fabric does not shrink as it is washed in any type of washing powder. Furthermore, this type of fabric helps keep skin protects from UV rays and other harmful substances that can cause problems to the body. Moreover as stated by McCaffrey and Bednar (2022), this brand only ensures applications of rayon cotton which have longer lifecycles and higher elasticity. This type of cotton moreover ensures people do not feel much warmers and cold in any climate as this seems to absorb temperatures. Moreover, this brand ensures applications of our Bamboo cotton and coverlets in sportswear to ensure they sustain for longer times without defects (O’Leary, 2020). This only makes the Gymshark brand the favorite choice of consumers at present business days.

Feelings

Gym Shark is a young organization that always aims to become consumers’ best choices by stretching boundaries, honoring all and always seems to be caring while dealing with sports products. Further as stated by McCaffrey (2022), this company only ensures the adoption of 5 stage check process of product quality before making them avail to consumers. These stages are consumer requirement identification, preparing design variety, and checking product suitability before making them avail to consumers.

Resonance

Gymshark is a brand that strictly adheres to appropriate to its intent and context for the exhibition of its sports clothing allied with Clause 5.2 ISO 14001:2015. Moreover, this brand applies Industry Act 4.0 to ensure corporate satisfaction of the “legal, ethical and equitable values” perforating on stakeholder interest and conditions (Haverila, 2019). Moreover, they only ensure to keep 8% lower prices than their consumers to become an apparel brand that seems preferable to most consumers in sports segments. Moreover, they are brands that always adhere to Zero discharge of hazardous chemicals to ensure their product is eco-friendly.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Enrich the “culture of diversity, inclusivity and honesty” parameters for better relationship management 

This company needs to perforate on the “culture of diversity, inclusivity and honesty” parameters while dealing with its consumer segments and growing at a rapid rate. This organization needs to ensure that it perforates on manifold set of perspectives and life experiences with religious and artistic disparities (Apaza and Jahan, 2021). The administration of diversity can be unleashed and its advantages are feasible when one recognizes these differences and understand to respect and appreciate each respective irrelevant of the background.

Recommendation 2: This Company must deploy analytics software for getting aware of child, adult and older people populations 

Deploying advanced analytics can seem to be helpful for Gymshark’s specific consumer group targeting and being aware of newer product trends portraying the opinions of diverse textile designers. Moreover, the use of advanced analytics is helpful to ensure this company produces goods as per the demands not any more or less operating on UK business segments (Morales, 2022). This can only help them add newer investors to their firms to boost their investments and market scope. They also need to ensure they discover newer fabrics that seem can gains consumer interests.

Conclusion

This report highlights the way Gymshark stick to opportunities to improve even if they are not perfect in certain segments. Moreover, this study helps derivate an idea regarding the integrated marketing channels and marketing strategies of the company. Integrated marketing channels only ensure perforations on TV show advertising, TTL & ATL marketing, content marketing, and banner-based sales promotion that seem to be followed by the company while regulating on UK business scales. Moreover, this study only focuses on public information and persuasive communication approach for better relationship management.

This report also ensures discussing in detail about the main drivers that lead this brand to success in present business days. This report only perforates an idea regarding the check of technology each week through applications of Leaning Business strategy by this company. This study states the way organizations carry out their business operations by providing power to gym trainers and fitness aspirants to promote their products and gym instruments. Moreover this report states regarding the business performance derivatives and measures applicable by this company while operating on globes. This report helps derivate an idea regarding the brand value of a company in terms of salience management on additions. This study helps moreover in defining the brand feature, and brand quality parameters while preparing this business report.

 

References

Ali, S.A. and Khan, R., 2023. Metaverse Marketing vs Digital Marketing. Inter-national Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 8(1), pp.385-388.

Apaza, W. and Jahan, T., 2021. Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A netnographic study on Gymshark’s Facebook brand page.

Foos, A., 2021. Adversity as Authenticity: How Influencers Use Personal Struggles to Build their Brands. The BRC Academy Journal of Business, 11(1), pp.117-141.

Haverila, M.J., Haverila, K., McLaughlin, C. and Arora, M., 2022. The influence of the number of brand community memberships on customer centric measures. Journal of Marketing Analytics, pp.1-16.

Johansson, F. and Hiltula, M., 2021. The effect of social media marketing activities on brand image and brand loyalty: A quantitative study within the sportswear industry.

Kuang, J., 2022, April. Research on the Marketing Strategy of Pinduoduo—Based on the STP and 4Ps Methods. In 2022 7th International Conference on Social Sciences and Economic Development (ICSSED 2022) (pp. 2128-2133). Atlantis Press. DOI: 10.26944/d.cnki.gbfju.2019.001331

McCaffrey, K. and Bednar, B., 2022. Who “Fits” the Template?: Unveiling the Restrictions of Inclusivity on Gymshark’s Website.

McCaffrey, K., 2022. Capstone in Communication Studies Bob Bednar March 1, 2022 Analysis Paper

McCaffrey, K., 2022. Capstone in Communication Studies Dr. Bob Bednar February 15, 2022.

Mingtao, G., 2021. The Role of Channel Characteristics on Brand-Related User Generated Content

Morales, J., 2022. Abbey Davis Anjali Parekh David Eichenberger Junaid Tahir.

O’Leary, S., 2020. Influencer marketing for growing sports clothing brands

Ozuem, W. and Willis, M., 2022. Brand and Customer Loyalty in Online Brand Communities. In Digital Marketing Strategies for Value Co-creation: Models and Approaches for Online Brand Communities (pp. 105-130). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94444-5

Ozuem, W. and Willis, M., 2022. Brand and Customer Loyalty in Online Brand Communities. In Digital Marketing Strategies for Value Co-creation: Models and Approaches for Online Brand Communities (pp. 105-130). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Pekkanen, E., 2022. Influencer Marketing and Its Impact on Consumer Behavior-Instagram Influencers in the Context of Fitness Industry.

Shahriar, F. and Fan, J., 2020, May. Performance Analysis of FHRP in a VLAN Network with STP. In 2020 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET) (pp. 814-818). IEEE. doi: 10.1109/ICSGEA.2018.00088

Shin, D.C. and Rothenberg, L., 2020, December. A Brand’s Referral of Another Brand: Does it Work?. In International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings (Vol. 77, No. 1). Iowa State University Digital Press.

Tschirpig, C., 2020. Influencer Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Behavior: Instagram Influencer in the Fitness Industry.

van de Sande, A., 2019. B. Sc. thesis in Business Administration..

Vitulano, A.M., 2022. The evolution of digital marketing in sportswear brands.

Wang, J., 2023, February. Research on the Market Positioning Analysis and STP Strategy of Marvel Enterprises. In 2022 4th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2022) (pp. 647-654). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_82

Yan, F., Reddy, P.D., Isaac, M.J., Nguyen, S.A., McRackan, T.R. and Meyer, T.A., 2021. Subtotal petrosectomy and cochlear implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 147(1), pp.23-33. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.3380

Zhang, W., Wang, S., Yu, F., Tang, J., Yu, L., Wang, H. and Li, J., 2019. Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of sugar transporter protein (STP) family genes in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) reveals their involvement in clubroot disease responses. Genes, 10(1), p.71. doi:10.3390/genes10010071

 

Know more about UniqueSubmission’s other writing services:

Assignment Writing Help

Essay Writing Help

Dissertation Writing Help

Case Studies Writing Help

MYOB Perdisco Assignment Help

Presentation Assignment Help

Proofreading & Editing Help