Shark Home

 A Clean Home is a Happy Home

Shark

The saying goes that a clean home is a happy home. Maintaining and cleaning the floors and ground surfaces of your home is essential to maintaining a clean, and happy, home. 

Shark is a well-known brand that is famous for its home appliances, especially its vacuum cleaners, and has become a household name. Customers generally praise Shark upright vacuum cleaners for their powerful suction and compare it to the upscale Dyson models. I chose to write about Shark because it is a brand that offers a variety of vacuum cleaners for every cleaning scenario.

Shark’s value proposition lies in its commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative, and affordable home cleaning solutions that simplify everyday chores. The brand’s upright vacuum cleaners are particularly renowned for their powerful suction, lightweight, and easy-to-clean design. Additionally, their budget-friendly nature makes them accessible to a broader audience. Shark also places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction and reliability. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is evident in their durable product design and the offering of extended warranties, ensuring long-term reliability and trust.

Shark is very active on social media to promote their vacuum cleaners and other home appliances. Their active and engaging presence on social media platforms helps them connect with their audience and showcase the benefits of their products effectively through product demonstration videos, customer testimonials, special offers and promotions, and educational content. 

By maintaining a consistent brand name called “Shark Home” while tailoring their slogans to suit the unique audience and style of each platform, Shark has established a strong cohesive brand identity. The following are slogans from their various social media platforms:

·       X: “The freaks called. They’re obsessed. Shop our products.”

·       Instagram: “Making your house a (Shark) home.”

·       Pinterest: “Confidence goes beyond your floors. From clean air to healthy hair, Shark has a powerful answer for every home.”

·       Facebook: “… a pioneer in small household appliances and cleaning solutions that fit the lifestyles of busy people.”

·       TikTok: “Proficient in #cleantok.”

Shark has truly embraced the digital age with their social media presence which is geared towards brand recognition and engaging with their audience. They use a mix of storytelling and social media best practices through the posting of videos, and they maintain an active presence throughout their social media platforms by regularly interacting with followers and using targeted advertising to expand their reach.

Companies like Shark are navigating through a complex mix of marketing challenges. According to yahoo!finance, rising freight costs and potential tariff escalations, specifically tariffs related to surface cleaning devices and components, loom over the horizon. These challenges are fueled by shifting trade policies and international tensions. Like other sectors, the industry faces the challenge of rising operating costs. “The macroeconomic environment remains challenging, with potential impacts on consumer spending and retail demand.”

Shark's approach to customer service on social media is a shining example of social listening. By actively listening and quickly responding to customer inquiries, they not only solve issues but also build a positive brand image. By staying vigilant and addressing customer mentions swiftly, they ensure that customers feel heard and valued. Staying alert and responding quickly to customer interactions is crucial to engage with audiences more intimately. It's a practice that not only makes customers feel appreciated but also aligns perfectly with the principles outlined in "The New Rules of Marketing and PR." 

If I were the brand manager of Shark, what I would do differently is that I would eliminate cookie-cutter posts that are used from one social media platform to another. Tailoring content to be platform-specific, while maintaining a consistent brand voice, could lead to more meaningful interactions and a stronger brand identity. 

As a former brand ambassador, I found researching this blog assignment enlightening and discovered the crucial importance of ensuring a brand's social media presence is engaging, authentic, and supportive. 

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🐶Milk-Bone x Jif🦴

"Introducing a collab like no other collab that has collabed before. A collab so collaborative it’s almost unimaginable that prior to this they had not collaborated."

Marketing in the News

Get ready for the ultimate treat for your furry friend! Milk-Bone dog snacks and Jif peanut butter have joined forces to bring you ‘Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Peanut Buttery Bites’, the first-ever dog treat made with real Jif peanut butter. Your pooch is in for a delicious surprise! 

The article for the Milk-Bone and Jif collaboration is indeed a humorous example of creative brand partnerships. It describes the blend of quirky and strategic marketing that captures the essence of "collab culture" while also promoting a popular product loved by two-legged consumers that four-legged consumers can also enjoy. 

The short film, which satirizes the concept of a sexy perfume collaboration, ultimately reveals the real product – doggy treats made with Jif peanut butter. This approach not only entertains but also resonates with the audience by acknowledging the sometimes-over-the-top nature of brand collaborations. It's a smart move that leverages self-aware humor to highlight the product's appeal without taking itself too seriously. Overall, it’s a memorable brand experience even if it ventures out into the realm of absurdity.

Milk-Bone's value proposition is a testament to their commitment to enhancing the lives of dogs and their owners. They provide a way to enhance the special connection we share with our furry friends. 

By focusing on high-quality ingredients such as Jif, they ensure that each treat is not only delicious but also nutritious. It's about enriching the shared moments between dogs and their humans, fostering a deeper connection – a token of affection - through the joy of a simple treat. 

One of the challenges Milk-Bone be addressing with their Soft & Chewy Peanut Buttery Bites is the tendency of pet owners to believe they are feeding their dogs “people food,” which can sometimes be unhealthy or even harmful for pets. Many human foods, including some types of peanut butter, can contain ingredients that are not safe for dogs, such as xylitol. By creating a dog treat recipe made with real Jif peanut butter, Milk-Bone has provided a safe and healthy alternative that satisfies dogs’ cravings for peanut butter without the risks associated with “people food”.

This partnership taps into the powerful and familiar scent of peanut butter, which is not only a treat dogs love but also the second most recognizable scent in the world. The campaign humorously plays on the concept of collaboration culture, using a fictional 'Milk-Bone X Jif scented fragrance' in the short film to draw attention to the actual product. It's a super clever twist! The buyer persona for this product likely includes dog owners who have a sense of humor about the products they purchase. This buyer persona might also be drawn to Milk-Bone because of their pre-established brand loyalty to Jif peanut butter. 

The short film was creative. However, if I was the brand manager, I would not use the fountain of stone dogs. An aspect of the short film I found unappealing and unappetizing was the running water turning into running peanut butter. Visuals are everything!

I have learned leading up to this assignment and by completing it that by incorporating humor you can create a campaign that’s not only memorable but also highly engaging. Embracing a playful and sometimes sarcastic tone can make marketing campaigns stand out and resonate more with audiences. It adds a layer of personality and relatability that can be very effective. The key is to balance humor with the message.

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/09/26/tail-wagging-brand-collab-milk-bone-jif-introduce-new-peanut-butter-dog-treats

Life is a Journey

My name is Sunnie and I’m back in school after a substantial break. I started at Linn-Benton Community College back in January of this year. Initially, my intention was simply to attend part-time, enhance my skills and reenter the workforce with an Accounting Clerk One Year Certificate. Well, my educational plans have changed over the last 10 months. Why settle for less when I'm capable of so much more? I had my college transcripts evaluated over the summer, and I am now a full-time student dually enrolled at Linn-Benton Community College and at Oregon State University’s College of Business where I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

 

The decision to complete my education is about more than just obtaining a bachelor’s degree; it's about fulfilling a personal goal, opening doors and enhancing my career opportunities. The experiences I have gained from my journey outside the classroom are invaluable and will undoubtedly serve as a strong foundation for my academic success going forward.

 

I enrolled in this marketing class because it is a requirement for my degree. I am, however, interested in learning about the following:

• Effective communication
• Understanding customer behavior
• Data analysis 
• AI 
• How knowledge in marketing can enhance and open doors to other career opportunities
• Learning about new social media platforms and applications used in marketing

At this point in my life, I am passionate about changing my outcomes and believe that upgrading my level of education is a step in the right direction. 

 

Meet my cat 😸

 Meet my cat. His name is Atlas. 

He's 3 years old and is pretty chill.