Visual case study: Target ‘Do 5% Good’ campaign

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Visual case study: Target ‘Do 5% Good’ campaign

By Meg Asaro & Karen D’Silva November 08, 2007

One of the major success stories that marketers have clung to in recent years is the worlds second largest discount retailer Target Corporation. This is a classic David and Goliath story with Target ($52 billion in 2006) Vs Walmart ($315 billion in 2006). Against such a foe many others have been crushed (Kmart, Montgomery Ward, and others) but Target not only survived but thrived by changing the rules and focusing not just on the lowest price but also on designer merchandise creating a new market for ‘value-priced cool’. Meg Asaro and Karen D’Silva from Spark Visual Research take a closer look at the images used by Target in one of its most recent campaigns called “Do-gooder” or “Do 5% Good” where customers are rewarded with the knowledge that 5% of all income is re-invested back into their community as a charitable contribution.

November 07 Case Study: Target 'Do 5% Good' Campaign

Karen D’Silva
Just the sight of the red bull’s eye instantly triggers an image of high end models flaunting trendy merchandise. Target, or TAR-ZH-A for us card carrying shabby chic enthusiasts, is the discounter who brought an appreciation for design and beauty to the budget conscious. From the first NYC Target ads appearing on Houston Street, it became obvious that they were trying to appeal to a specific audience. Target wasn’t just selling a discounted toaster or box of cereal, they were selling an experience. Through the years, they have succeeded by identifying to a community of customers who share their passion of form and function at reasonable prices.

Who is this audience they’ve won over? One large demographic perfectly suited for Target is Generation X. If 50 is the new 40, then 40 is the new 30. Generation X might be closely rounding 40, but we’re all just turning 30 in our heads. “Cool” still factors into so much of our purchasing decisions. We are individual and have an urban edginess. It’s no wonder Target enlisted designers Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Graves, Todd Oldham, Stephen Sprouse and Phillipe Starck to communicate the brand. But more importantly, what gives Target staying power is they’ve also incorporated Generation X’s ideals and belief system into their brand. They’ve made the brand of Target authentic.

If we pause for just a minute, we can gain valuable insight into how to visualize Generation X in today’s marketplace. Target paints an accurate picture that can be translated into casting, propping and storytelling pointers for image makers. Here we see a Generation X Mom with her daughter, not your average family portrait from 10 years ago. Our mom is in her middle to late 30s. She can be described as multi-culti because her ethnicity isn’t clear. There’s a fashionable element evident in her personal style, and she has further self branded her identity by outfitting her daughter with fabulous pink cowboy boots. As Generation X grows up, a child seems to be one of our favorite fashion accessories. Our Mom’s eco friendly attitude is also represented. She seems harmonious with nature by merely placing our Mom in a green environment.

Meg Asaro
10 years ago when I worked at nickandpaul, a boutique branding agency, we utilized a notion we called Mass Class. Target seems so normal today but back then, Martha Stewart was just re-defining modern lifestyle. Mass Class - high end design for the masses at a low price point - is an accessible inexpensive aspiration. Target has successfully gone with this retail strategy in tandem with other Mass Class brands like The Container Store, Starbucks and Method.

This image also points out something I heard in Chicago last week for PDN on the Road. Art buyers talked about how the need for product shooters has declined while lifestyle continues to grow. Last weekend, my poor husband was searching for shin guards to play soccer and came up empty handed at both the Adidas and Puma stores. They both have re-positioned their brands as lifestyle providers, not straight forward sporting goods stores. Target is doing the same type of repositioning here but still remains relevant by providing home items, stylish fashion and general consumer goods at affordable prices.

This new Do Gooder campaign illustrates how their strong ethical side fits into this new lifestyle positioning. Who doesn’t want to do good and make a difference? Everybody wants to but few have the time to dedicate to such lofty heights. By positioning their brand as a means to better the planet on a local level, Target elevates their status. Visit http://www.target.com/community for more information. According to a PRWeek/Barkley Cause Branding Survey, 69% of skeptical Gen X’ers purchase a product because the company supports a cause and 74% of Gen Y’ers (the most of any group) want to even see company leaders actively participating in a company’s cause efforts. This is a paradoxical marketplace shift with lasting visual effects.

This ‘do good attitude’ is part of another juggernaut notion - GREEN. As image makers, we have all heard of GREEN and are probably board of it, don’t be. This is a deep rooted notion that boasts high aspirations. Folding such a multidimensional idea into your image building process is a complicated task. We research GREEN in the premiere issue of Spark*y Pro, a production guide for photographers. It speaks to casting, location, styling and moment defining. Visit http://www.sparkvisualresearch.com for more info. Spark*y Pro launches November 12th.

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Meg Asaro & Karen D’Silva are the Principals of Spark Visual Research. For more information about the authors visit the bios for Meg Asaro, Karen D’Silva, or www .sparkvisualresearch.com. D’Silva and Asaro also publish their own newsletter for professional photographers seeking highly applicable market research presented specifically for use in conceptual planning for commercial photography productions.

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