Low Prices, Great Products, One Place: TARGET

Not only does the red bulls-eye remind people of Target; it reminds people of the low prices and high quality products they expect from Target stores! When walking into Target there are red bulls-eyes all around and even on certain Target products.

Target's brand image is Up &Up which consists of high quality products at affordable prices. With a arrow pointing upward people can tell which products are Target brand and which are not. Up&Up was re-imaged in 2009 and has products ranging from baby foods to laundry detergents. Target wants their customers to feel that they are getting great products for the fraction of the cost; and that's exactly what Up&Up allows people to do! There are over 800 products that are featured in the Up&Up brand and the brand will continue to grow. Targets owned brands helps to build loyalty among customers. Customers save money and leave Target feeling confident about what they have bought.

Target continues to reevaluate their brands to make sure they are meeting their customers expectations. Before re-imaging the brand in 2009, Target reviewed over 4,000 guests comments on Target owned products. This resulted in changing over 130 products to meet customers needs. The "expect more, pay less" motto featured by Target is evident in their products!

Advertisements on television and in magazines features the red bulls-eye and the "expect more, pay less" motto. Public relations efforts help customers and stakeholders to get this feel good attitude about Target's brand image.

Target is known for offering "exceptional design for all" and in doing so they launched a a student design edition of Herbal Essences products at Target stores. The Herbal Essence Loves products were created and designed to feature new designers and innovative ideas. The campaign was important to not only represent the brand but to build a new design for the product based on Target's "expect more, pay less" attitude. The Herbal Essence Loves products were placed in stores and online in July 2010. Shampoo's and conditioners were sold for the low price of $2.99!

Target wants their customers to know that "Their here for good" and in doing so they need their customers to feel good about their products and their company. Target's involvement in the community and their emphasis on diversity and equality in the workforce and in the community helps make customers feel confident about Target.

Target was listed on the 2010 Human Rights Campaign, Corporate Equality, and Best Places to Work Survey! They are committed to their customers and communities. Giving back 5 percent of their profits weekly to the community gives people a feel good attitude about Target!

Handling A Corporate Crisis; Big or Small

What exactly is the right way to handle a corporate crisis? Well Target seems to know exactly what to do when it comes to handling a crisis! Girls and boys belts were recalled due to high levels of lead in the belt buckles. From December 2008 until December 2009 the belts were sold in Target stores and online for $7-$9.

The belts were made in China but the buckles contained high levels of lead paint that were deemed unsafe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The two belts were recalled on June 17th, 2010. The boys Cherokee belt and the girls Circo belt which came in a packs of two. The girls belts were pink and white with heart shaped buckles and the boys belts were black and brown and reversible. Target announced the recall of these belts and told consumers to stop using the belts and that if returned they would receive a full refund for the product.

There were no announced injuries from the product; yet the final decision was to recall the product for the safety of consumers. Consumers and stakeholders were given an 800 number to contact Target for any questions involving this matter along with the suggestion to go online at Target to find out any further information regarding the recall of the children's belts.

A news release was sent out by Target and CPSC to inform consumers and stakeholders about the product recall. Overall Target handled this crisis well. They got the message out and refunded customers. The belts were manufactured in China and therefore it was not the direct fault of Target, yet Target still took responsibility of selling the belts and in turn took them off the shelves.

Target took the leadership role, fixed the problem, and showed that they were more concerned about the public than the money aspect of the crisis. Target stuck to the facts of the crisis and made themselves accessible for questions by giving an 800 number out in the news release.

On another note, Target handled another crisis involving their support of a conservative politician. Target has been supportive of the gay community over the years yet they had a misstep when they donated $150,000 to an election campaign for anti-gay marriages. Tom Emmer was the politician in the matter and he is non-supportive of gay marriages and is all for the traditional marriages. The money was given to PAC called MN Forward yet it was used for anti-gay marriage ads.

A Target Rep said: "Target supports causes and candidates based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business interests. In fact, Target's Federal PAC contributions year-to-date are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats, and we work collaboratively with legislators and officials at all points on the political spectrum."

This crisis tweeted and re-tweeted on Twitter and liked on Facebook by thousands of users. Target faced boycotts and backlash from the gay community and the public relations people of Target had to handle the situation and fast! Target's CEO Gregg Steinhafel released a statement on the issue. Target is committed to their communities including domestic partner benefits, sponsorship of twin cities pride, and sponsorship of out and equal workplace summit.

Steinhafel released a statement which stated that the money was for economic purposes, no social issues. He also stated that he was "genuinely sorry" and how important diversity is to Target and to Target's communities. For future political donations a review process will be used in order to avoid problems such as this one. The four R's were used by Target. Regret, reform, restitution, and responsibility all of which Target used. A statement was put fourth that showed they were sorry, they took responsibility for their donation, they expressed the steps they will take for future political donations, and they expressed their apologies to the people they had offended. Since then Target has participated in Diversity Month and has a whole page on their website designated to diversity.

The CEO put out a statement immediately and the crisis was handled effectively. Next time they will look into their political donations!

Committed to Investors

In order for a company to succeed they must have a good relationship with the public. Target has built a strong and trusted relationship with their public's. Each year they produce an annual report. The report includes features such as the years financial highlights, a letter to their shareholders, what was new for the year, strategy updates, the years sales per capita, a financial summary, shareholder information, and a list of the directors and management. Target's annual report is more of an economic piece with a bit of marketing included.

Target included their Securities and Exchange Commission 10-K filing which can be found online or in the actual paperback annual report. In the 2009 annual report Target made it clear to their investors what the value of Target's stocks and bonds were for the year and what they are looking forward to in 2010. They provided accurate and timely information for their shareholders. Even with the rough economic year Target delivered stronger than expected financial results according to their CEO Gregg Steinhafel.

Inside Target's annual report their shareholders can see what the 2009 year brought and what investors can expect for the upcoming year. Its an opportunity for Target to express their gratitude toward there customers and shareholders. Even with the economic difficulties in 2009 Target was still able to perform to the best of their abilities.

Inside the letter to our shareholders Target expresses their unwavering commitment to innovation and discipline ensured continued relevance with our guests. Target is committed to their customers and they will continue to do everything they can to meet the expectations of their customers and shareholders. Improvement of their expenses, investment in capital productivity, enhance their profits, and gross margin are all factors mentioned. Examples of how this will and is being done is addressed within the letter. The 2009 performance is looked at and explained in a reader-friendly way and then the 2010 goals are mentioned. Overall it is a credible and believable letter highlighting Target's commitment to their public's! As an investor reading the letter overall appreciation would be felt toward Target. Target's Here For Good motto shines through.

The latest press release, released on October 7th, 2010 reported September sales. It is reader friendly and a September, Quarter-to-Date, and Year-to-Date sales results are charted to allow for maximum reader understanding. A date for the next sales recording is even given.

Gregg Steinhafel, Targets CEO expresses that their September sales were not where they thought they would be; but there was a good result in other areas of their stores, including the back-to-school and back-to-college. The quote from Steinhafel is well-written and sincere. Although they had low sales results the upcoming months are going to bring about new programs (REDcard Rewards) along with the holiday seasons. At the end of October they will have no stores under construction and the new PFresh layout will be in 462 Target stores.

At the end of the news release a little segment is given about Target which enforces the feel good attitude they want their customers and shareholders to feel about their stores. Including a sentence on the $3 million they give away weekly to their communities. Any bad news was addressed, good news was given, and what shareholders have to look forward to in the upcoming months. 

Target manages their relationships with their various public's and it shows in the 2009 annual report, letter to the shareholder, and the latest press October press release. 

"Here for Good"

What do you think when you see the red bullseye? Automatically Target comes to mind, right!? Well that's exactly what they want. Target's commitment to you is: Expect More. Pay Less.

Target is "Here for Good"! Committed to strengthening, supporting, and inspiring over 1,700 communities in the United States alone and over 30 other countries around the world. Target plays an active role in the communities they serve both big and small. Each week Target provides 5 percent of their income, $3 million, to support education , the arts, social services, healthy communities, and volunteer efforts. By involving themselves in the various communities they serve they are building their reputation and relationships. Endless donating, volunteering, and supporting towards education, safe communities, healthy living, and sustainable practices shows how strongly committed Target is to their customers.

Target partners with various organizations to help participate actively in the communities they serve. Education is important and Target supports education inside their communities. Target's volunteer efforts and partnerships with various organizations help promote their commitment to education. One program called Meals For Minds provides the food that children need to succeed in school. This program was made possible with Target's sponsorship with Feeding America. Target Field Trip Grants allow schools to provide their students with hands on learning experiences. Take Charge of Education is another program featured by Target that allows the community to get involved with the support of education. Target REDcard members are able to donate a portion of their purchases to schools of their choice. Since 1997 there have been over $273 million donations in grades K-12. School Library Makeovers and the partnership with The Salvation Army have provided schools with renovated libraries by the volunteer efforts of Target's team members. 500 stores in 2010 participated in School Sprees to support children going back to school. Team members of Target have hosted in-store readings called Read Across America, supported by their partnership with Random House and The National Education Association. Making education accessible to all, Free Days are hosted by Target to attend museums and art events. Last year Target also donated over 400,000 books to various schools in their communities. Target is committed to their communities and helping inspire education.

Making sure the communities they serve are safe is another commitment Target stands by. Providing their volunteer efforts during times of disaster and promoting community safety programs helps Targets reputation. Disaster Preparedness Relief Kits are provided b Target to help communities affected by disasters. Target works with the American Red Cross, Feeding America, and The Salvation Army to make donations and contributions. They are committed to helping communities recover from disaster. This can be shown from their 2010 Haiti Relief Efforts where team members and students shipped over 1 million meals and donated over $500,000.

"We listen. We act. Before and after a crisis, communities can count on Target." Target&BLUE ensure that communities are strong, safe, and connected. Target teams up with local public safety leaders to help provide safety to their communities. Events such as Shop with a Cop, pairs children with an officer who need to buy holiday presents for their families. This builds a relationship between children and local safety figures.

Health and well-being is important in communities and Target makes sure they do everything they can to support the well-being of their customers. Target pharmacies provide over 300 generic prescriptions to make medicine more affordable. For eleven years Target House has provided families with apartments and housing during times of need when their child is receiving treatment or care at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

In store efforts for health and well-being can be recognized by the products sold. Archer Farms Simply Balanced Foods provide nutritional information on the front of the package for easy reading. Alliance to Make US Healthiest founded by Target helps promote individual health in communities. Team members are also urged to practice healthy lifestyles.

Eco friendly products are also sold at Target and recycling stations are provided at all stores to make it easy for customers to recycle.  All stores have low flow faucets to help the environment. Target also gives 5 cents back to their customers who participate in using reusable bags. Since the 1970's when Target sponsored the first Earth Day and recycling program they have since been standing by their commitment to serve the community and its well-being!

With over 450,000 hours in volunteer work since 2009 Target is committed to their communities. Targets reputation is built on their service and outstanding legacy to their customers. They are one of the largest corporate philanthropists in the United States! Committed to making communities safer, healthier, environmentally friendly, and educated. They represent their commitment in stores, in advertisements, on Facebook, and Twitter. It is excellent public relations practices for Target. Target's name is everywhere from The Salvation Army to the billboard on top of Times Square in NYC. Their volunteer efforts, partnerships, sponsorships, and organizations help show how committed Target is to their communities. They are nationwide. Personally I think Target is doing a fabulous job!

Party For Good!!!

Helping out the community? That's one of Targets top priorities! 

Target hosted "Party for Good: Making Meals to Feed Young Minds" on June 29, 2010. The event was located at the NYC Food Bank at Basketball City (Pier 36 at South Street).Six days were utilized to get ready for this event. Target teamed up with the National Conference on Volunteering and Service along with The Food Bank for NYC to provide over 150,000 meals to families in need! More than 5,000 volunteers from the 2010 National Conference gave a helping hand and many celebrities such as Gavin DeGraw!

With a motto like making meals to feed young minds Target was able to gain the support of thousands through this event. A press release describing the nature and purpose of the event was sent out not only by Target but by both organizations it had teamed up with! Celebrities also promoted the event on their Facebook and Twitter pages. PR Newswire published the news release. The published news release found on sites such as PR Newswire, Forbes, and The Street could be tweeted and liked by Twitter and Facebook users, which helped the event gain more attention.

All this publicity made it possible to have enough helping hands to make enough meal kits for families of four to feed each family member for three days, with three meals each per day. Not only did Target team members come out for the event but celebrities did too!

By coming together to reduce the amount of hungry families in NYC, Target stands by their commitment to their communities! The food was supplied and packed by Target employees and other volunteers that attended the event. Drinks and sanitation needs were provided by Coke and Proctor & Gamble. It just goes to show you that people will and do come together for a good cause! In this case it was to help feed the starving families of NYC.

Donating to The Food Bank of New York City is just one way that Target gives back to the community. Party For Good was part of their Meals for Minds project that started last May that actually gave schools food to help out students in need! By providing and donating food to schools hunger will be reduced and students will have a better chance at exceeding academically.

Party for Good  provided an atmosphere where people were able to have fun by giving back to their community. A free buffet was provided by Target, open bar, and music! Even the entrance to the event was modeled as if you were walking into an event such as the MTV Awards, complete with red carpet and camera crews! Target is known as one of the largest corporate philanthropists and they love to give back! This event was a perfect way to give back to the community and involve others to help out too! The ending results were fantastic!

Their goal of meals was met and over 5,000 people came and contributed. What more could Target have asked for? By working with volunteers from the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and the Food Bank of NYC, Target was able to promote the event to get enough press at the event and enough people too! By working with other programs Target was able to use their own team members but others too. Celebrities who take time to volunteer also came out to support the event. American Idol star Katharine McPhee's performance was a hit that night.

The only thing that I personally would have done differently for this event was allow outsiders to help out. Instead of just opening the event to members of each organization and celebrity volunteers I would have allowed for the residents of NYC to contribute too. Target should have tweeted the event and posted a status on Facebook stating that people could donate money to the event to help out NYC families in need.

Yet Target was able to communicate with other organizations to plan an event that helped families across NYC! With great employee communication, their previous efforts of giving back to the community, and their pitch line was able to hook and string in enough support! Targets news release was sent out and published online by many media outlets. Celebrities even tweeted they were coming to the event which helped bring in more! Timeliness is key and the story was published the morning of the event on many different PR sites. Along with extensive planning beforehand to ensure a great event.

Overall Targets Party for Good event was a success!

Targets on Facebook?!

Have you been on Facebook today? I’m sure you logged in either from your BlackBerry or IPhone at least once this morning on your way to work and again on your lunch break. Am I right?

I bet if you’re a fan of Target you know they have a Facebook page along with a Twitter account! Therefore you’re well aware that they tweet and update their status hourly to benefit their customers! 

We live in a world of electronics and the best way to reach us is through the social media! Target uses Facebook and Twitter to get in touch with their customers. Any sale, special, new item, or special event is tweeted and updated immediately online. Currently Target’s Twitter account has over 35,000 followers. If that’s not a lot, Facebook users have pressed the Like button over 1,783,179 times! That’s almost over 2 million people! Comments can be posted on Target’s Facebook page and other users can comment back and suggest their friends to Like Target too! Twitter allows you to retweet and receive Target tweets right on your mobile phone. You’ll never miss a sale!

So you know that little thing plastic card in your wallet that you hand to the cashier for everything? Well, Target developed a new idea that doesn’t involve any actual card. Instead customers can use Target Mobile Gift Cards that allows them to scan barcodes from their cell phones in the store. As if that’s not tech savy enough, they also have Facebook Credits that allows Facebook users to purchase virtual items for all the games they love to play. Including favorites like FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

Did you know that you can actually shop Target from your phone!? Target mobile and Target IPhone allows you to shop directly from your cell phones. With the IPhone you can download the free Target App. You can also sign up for text and email alerts online or in stores where you can receive weekly updates of ads, coupons, and great deals. Not only can you shop from your phone but you can also access Targets YouTube page! From here you can be directed to Target.com or a store locater. Or you can watch numerous videos from what’s hot to what’s not and all those Target commercials you love!

Targets PR personnel know that social media is a key component in reaching their customers. It’s a way to share information quickly and effectively. They are able to build brands, network, share information, and look after customer service online. Targets own website has links to their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts; along with a link to their RSS feeds. Customers can ask questions and search their pressroom online by searching just one key word. On the Target website alone you can shop, find a store near you, contact a representative, and even watch clips of how committed they are to the communities they serve!

New media efforts are also used which include podcasts and webisodes.Target teamed up with ConverseTarget teamed up with Converse to produce a webisode featured in 2008-2009. 

According to the looks of it Target is doing a fabulous job using new media. Everything is available to their customers with the click of a mouse or the touch of a button. From phones to laptops people can access all the information they want and need from Target. Customer service isn’t just available in stores anymore, it’s online too! Commercials can be watched over and over again on YouTube and sales/coupons aren’t just found in magazines. Updating customers daily with tweets only benefits sales. You can even download the Target logo as a screensaver or background to your phone.

What else could Target do to get their consumers attention? I personally think that they are doing a great job! But maybe to get more followers on social media accounts they should tell customers to visit and follow them at the bottom of each receipt at check-out.

So who’s going to Target today? 

Target In The Public Relations World!

TARGET! With a motto like: Expect More. Pay Less, who doesn’t shop at Target?! Target has everything from electronics to home goods, including groceries. Target wants to make their customers feel at home when they walk through the doors and with a corporate responsibility “Here for Good” that’s exactly what they do!

Out of all the Fortune 500 companies to choose from, Target seemed the best fit for my blog. I shop at Target because the staff is friendly, I love to watch their commercials, their advertisements are eye catching, they have various products and brands for the perfect price, and they do a lot for various communities. Target has built a corporation that not only sells products but helps out communities in the process.

Following ethical business practices, getting support from communities, and giving back to communities makes Target the thriving company it is. As a corporation Target focuses on diversity, social, environmental, and economic responsibilities.

Since it is Hispanic Heritage Month, Target has created a campaign: Dare. Dream. Do. Diversity is a large part of Targets core values. Team members come from all different backgrounds and many of their vendors and suppliers are minority groups. They have many diverse partners including United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and The United Negro College Fund.

As a team Target promotes health and wellness in communities. Good health promotes a better life. Inside each store there are over 700 organic food selections to choose from. Five percent of Targets income goes to education, volunteer work, the arts, and other services ($3 Million Weekly). Not only do they want to help the community by giving back, but they also founded the Alliance to Make US Healthiest. This helps to promote a better lifestyle inside communities. Not only does Target support health and wellness but also education.

In 2009 Target donated 400,000 books to local schools. They also teamed up with the Salvation Army to create a better learning experience inside schools through renovating their libraries. Since 2003 Target has sponsored Read-Across America In-Store Readings where over 3 million people have attended.

Target not only wants to help educate communities but make sure they are safe! Target and BLUE is a partnership with the law enforcement. Target has partnered with the law in order to make sure that communities are safe. They sponsor events such as Shop with a Cop that was hosted in over 35 stores. Children feel safe next to a police officer, so why not shop with one?

Being environmentally friendly is also important! LED lights have been placed in all new stores and Target has been taking giant steps towards reducing their carbon usage; along with saving water by using low flow faucets inside their stores.

Overall Target as a corporation has created a persona for their company based on trust not only inside the walls of their business but outside in the community. Promoting safe communities, healthy lifestyles, safe environments, and education Target is making their reputation a distinguished one, for all the right reasons!

By communicating through billboards, Facebook, Twitter, magazine advertisements, and television advertisements, along with their extensive internet site, Target is able to reach all different audiences in various demographics. From the looks of it whatever their doing seems to be working since they have be recognized for various awards including: Number 40 in DiversityInc.’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and Fortune ranked Target as number 22 in “World’s Most Admired Companies”.

With their internet site being very customer friendly, various ages can easily access their site and see everything that Target has been doing from today to years ago. You can even see what new stores have opened up around the USA including stores located in Alaska and Hawaii. The site itself even has a pressroom where all press releases can be searched and located. With the most recent stories on the pressroom homepage, users have easy access to all breaking news in the Target world.

Target even has a YouTube  account! People can subscribe to, comment, and watch various videos featuring target products and efforts in various communities. As a company Target works for their spot in the world. They want to be recognized for doing good in the community, they want to be a part of the community.

Target isn’t just a store, it’s a committed corporation willing to do everything it can to help! Targets reputation is a great one! With competitors like Wal-Mart, Target has to keep their prices right, and they do. Public relations experts who manage Targets reputation should look to Twitter and Facebook to see what the consumers are thinking. Seeing how many hits and likes Target gets could show where the store needs improving and where it’s doing well. Target shows their positive reputation through all their philanthropy and community efforts. Target has mainly a good reputation and any negative feedback given from consumers is addressed right away. Press releases or Tweets are ways to address negativity and bring about a positive message.