Blog 4.1 – Beats by Dre promotional photo

If it’s an advertisement:

1. Describe in detail how the business implemented the four P’s to add value and/or promote the product or service. 

This is a promotional photo made by famous headphone company Beats by Dre. Beats is attempting to add value to their products and promote their brand by using famous influencers to represent and promote their line of wireless headphones. Beats headphones have almost become just as fashionable as they are functional, and Beats knows this fact. The ad is almost attempting to make their headphones look like fashion accessories rather than simply your everyday headphones. Something important to note is that all the “models” promoting the headphones are very famous influencers within pop culture (Karlie Kloss, Liza Koshy, Pharrell Williams). By using these famous influencers, Beats is able to best reach their target market of people who want to be seen with the latest and most trendy fashion accessories and technology. This advertisement focuses almost entirely “promotion” of the four Ps. This is evident as the ad shows no information on why the headphones are a great product, where to buy them, or even how much they cost. The ad strictly is focusing on promoting their product by using celebrity influencers in order to cause people to view their product as more desirable.

A quick comparison to their competitors ads show that Bose in particular takes a different approach with this headphone promotion. This ad, also for wireless headphones, is sure to give information on why the headphone quality is good and includes the price. For this reasons, the Bose ad focuses on the product and price sections of the four Ps.

1. Describe the target market (ie. what segments are being targeted)?  How do you know this is the target market? Did the company make good decisions to reach the target market?

The target market of the Beats ad is people who are in the market for wireless headphones, but also value fashion and almost a social status. I believe this is the target market because the ad displays no information as to why the products themself are valuable, the price, or where to buy them. However, the ad does attempt to ad value by using influencers to promote the headphones and subsequently people who admire these celebrities will feel more inclined to purchase these. I believe the company did make a good decision by creating this promotional image. Beats knows their target market very well, and they were sure to create an ad that is aimed directly at their target market. In today’s age, many people, particularly the millennial generation, are obsessed with becoming their own “celebrity”. Millennials follow hundreds of influences on social media and are constantly aiming to replicate what they see. By using these same famous influencers in a promotional ad, Beats is able to get their target market to view their product as desirable and trendy within pop culture.

1. Does it work? Why or why not? Any general observations?

Personally, I believe that this is an effective promotional image. It is simple yet straight forward. There is really only one message trying to be conveyed, and that is that Beats headphones are cool. The ad has influencers with beautiful lighting and carefully selected clothes that show that Beats headphones are more than just technology, they are a fashion accessory.