Free Marketing Dissertations - . ‘gap’s Kids’ In These Factories Were Expected To Work Long, Punishing
. ‘Gap’s Kids’ in these factories were expected to work long, punishing hours, tied to restrictive contracts and paid incredibly low wages.much like their adult co-workers. Gap Inc has truly embraced the power of the child market in every sense.
GAP ENVIRONMENT
Willy Nelson recently fronted a Gap advertising campaign. You know Willie Nelson, the Country and Western Singer? The guy with Native American style pig-tails? The guy who believes passionately in saving the environment amongst other hippy-based ‘green’ values? What better way to say that Gap cares about the environment then to have Willy Nelson, dressed from head to toe in Gap attire, playing his guitar singing wholesome songswhilst the CEO and Chair of Gap Inc oversees the deforestation and toxic herbicide spraying of 256,000 acres of Louisiana woodland. John Fisher (son of Gap CEO and Chair Don Fisher) purchased the Louisiana land under the company Sansome Forest Partners. This company is part of the Fisher group of which Gap is a member. The interests and ethical practices of these businesses are therefore inextricably linked to each other.
This close relationship was reflected by the actions of both local and national environmental groups who launched public campaigns against Gap for what was seen as their actions in Mendocino country, Louisiana home of the last remaining unprotected Redwood trees in the state. Although gap CEO Don Fisher tried to divorce Gap from the actions of Sansome Forest Partners he felt compelled nonetheless to reassure us that Gap was our environmental friend. After all Gap are a self-proclaimed leader in environmental responsibility (even Willie Nelson shops there for heaven’s sake!). So Gap reassured us with these two promises:
1. We will operate with respect and sensitivity to the environment wherever we do business.
2. We will encourage our employees to take individual steps to protect and restore the environment, and empower them to ensure that company activity is consistent with our environmental policies.(Source, www.stanford.edu)
Remember that Gap had nothing to do with this environmental scandal, they just felt compelled to remind us how environmentally aware they are.
The theory behind the Gap’s advertising campaigns
Audience theories
In their 1974 theory, Blumler and Katz put forward the assertion that individuals actively consume and use the media to meet certain needs. There are four basic audience needs; diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance. Of these four needs Gap cleverly exploits the personal relationship and personal identity of the consumer with their products.
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