Introduction
Gap Inc. is a world-famous American brand that produces clothes, footwear, underwear, and accessories in various styles and tastes and from several fabrics, colors, and cuts. Gap Inc. achieved unprecedented success and prosperity due to competent business management, clearly put forward brand promotion strategies, and well-established customer communication. In this paper, a review of Gap Inc.’s general segmentation, targeting, and positioning practices and the relationship of Maslow’s Theory with these concepts are the main topics that will be examined.
The Assignment
Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Practices
Gap Inc.’s segmentation, targeting, and positioning are the strategies used by the giant retailer to identify the target audience and increase the importance and attractiveness of the brand for a particular group of customers. For instance, the general segmentation method for the company is the division of the market into segments or groups of buyers with common characteristics, traits, desires, and needs (De Villiers et al., 2020). Gap Inc. uses differentiation in its practice following geographical, demographic, behavioral, and psychographic features (Sun, 2017). This approach includes income, class, location, age, gender, personality, and customer expectations (Evans, 2016). Today, the role of stores is shifted to customers to strengthen and deepen ties with them and improve the quality of the brand in the eyes of buyers (Danziger, 2020). Such tactics, like segmentation, allowed Gap to build a successful business by focusing in-depth on many clients and identifying more accurate approaches in communication and interaction with consumers.
The concepts of targeting within the company are expressed as follows. Hence, having determined the market segments, the firm introduced specific marketing mechanisms that allowed the selection of a target audience from all users on the Internet according to particular criteria (De Villiers et al., 2020). For instance, the company’s audience is usually people of all ages, living in urban and rural areas and having middle incomes (Evans, 2016). Basically, brand lovers are managers who understand modern fashion and educated people who have enough time and money for shopping (Evans, 2016). The company skillfully uses this approach and focuses not only on retail points of sale of products but sees broader, further, and deeper entering the Internet space. In addition, identifying the necessary category of potential buyers is the key to success and high sales.
Moreover, Gap Inc.’s positioning is expressed in a set of measures and impacts aimed at people’s perceptions of the brand. For example, most consumers perceive clothing by the company as versatile, comfortable, and high-quality, suitable for almost any person, occasion, and wardrobe (Sun, 2017). The products referred to under different brands have a fairly wide range and are aimed at both the mass consumer and those who dress in premium models (MBA Skool Team, 2017). In brief, the company occupies a high position among competitors because it is designed for entirely different people.
Application of Maslow’s Theory
It is worth noting that Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs can be applied to the above aspects. In marketing, Maslow’s pyramid is often used for market analysis and audience segmentation by hierarchy (Andrews, 2019). Hence, knowing which needs and desires to underlie the individual aspirations of customers, Gap Inc. will easily be able to find levers of influence on buyers. Theory can also be helpful in long-term planning. For example, Gap Inc. can investigate the degree of satisfaction with the audience’s needs and track the dynamics of changes. Generally, Maslow’s Theory in marketing allows one to understand customers’ desires, needs, goals, and motivations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, GAP Inc. is a famous clothing, shoes, and accessories brand with fans in almost every corner of the world. The company has a fairly broad target audience and offers various colors, cut, styles, and fashion products. Moreover, GAP Inc. skillfully uses marketing tools that allow the firm to conduct a competent business both in retail outlets and in the Internet space. In addition, the company can also apply Maslow’s theory in its practice to determine and develop the best offers at the moment and with prospects for the future.
References
Andrews, S. (2019). Are you using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for your marketing? Forbes. Web.
Danziger, P. (2020). What’s needed to turnaround Gap? Unity Marketing. Web.
De Villiers, R., Tipgomut, P., & Franklin, A. (2020). Chapter 1: International market segmentation across consumption and communication categories: Identity, demographics, and consumer decisions and online habits. In U. Ayman & A. K. Kaya (Eds.), Promotion and marketing communications (pp. 3-44). IntechOpen. Web.
Evans, E. (2016). Segmentation, targeting, and positioning within Gap Inc [Video]. YouTube. Web.
MBA Skool Team. (2017). GAP marketing strategy & marketing mix (4Ps). MBA Skool. Web.
Sun, E. (2017). Positioning GAP. Marketing Blog. Web.