Kate Spade: Colorful and Classy Advertising
Brand: Kate Spade New York
Website: https://www.katespade.com
Images and Language: Kate Spade uses the technique of simplicity while advertising on their website. There are simple colors used throughout the website such as black and white. The “spade” symbol is used throughout the website as well. The language used on the Kate Spade website symbolizes intelligence. In the “about us” section of the Kate Spade website, words such as “sophisticated”, “exuberant”, and “incandescent” are used and give Kate Spade a classy and clever aura. In the reading “Made to Stick SUCCESS Model”, it is clear that principal one (simplicity) is used most thoroughly throughout Kate Spade’s websites. Kate Spade is also connected to the customers that they cater to. They care about their customers and this is clear while browsing through their website. They have opportunities for grants and scholarships and also offer jobs for women in Rwanda. This also covers one of the 10 C’s in the subject of “being concerned”. Kate Spade cares about their customers, their employees, and the environment and is taking steps to be corporately responsible. It is stated on their website “Kate Spade & Company is committed to responsible corporate citizenship and giving back to the communities in which we work and live through a variety of avenues”
Social Media Channels:
- Twitter: “kate spade new york” @katespadeny https://twitter.com/katespadeny?lang=en
- Instagram: @katespadeny https://www.instagram.com/katespadeny/
- Linkedin: “Kate Spade New York” https://www.linkedin.com/company/29160?trk=vsrp_companies_cluster_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A5229268381473903928833%2CVSRPtargetId%3A29160%2CVSRPcmpt%3Acompanies_cluster
- Email List: katespade@em.katespade.com : The only email I have received from Kate Spade was an emailing letting me know that I was added to their email list. By signing up for the email list I am eligible for 15% off my first purchase. It is stated in the email “You’ve been added to our mailing list and will now be among the first to hear about new arrivals, big events and special offers”
What are the key messages your brand is trying to communicate online?
- Kate Spade is trying to communicate a unique and quirky image for their company. They use simplicity on their website so that no attention is taken away from the beautiful and distinctive items they have to offer. Their main message is that they offer classy and unique items that are both functional and adorable. I would recommend Kate Spade to use more advertisements on their homepage to show that they care about both functionality and fashion at an appropriate price. In the article “Why a Solid PR Message starts with “Why” and “How” – Not “What”” it focuses on the idea that companies must analyze more deeply to find valuable messaging. Kate Spade does this by being clear in their approach for the inspirations behind their design. On the “about us” section on the website it is stated, “our exuberant approach to the everyday encourages personal style with a dash of incandescent charm. We call it living colorfully.”
Is your brand’s key messaging simple and understandable?
- Just by looking at Kate Spade’s website it is easy to see the simplicity in the messages the company is trying to portray. In an advertisement on their home screen they are trying to sell “puffer jackets” which are known to be ugly but warm for the cold weather. In their advertisement they are trying to show their customers that their puffer jackets are not only warm, but also they are pretty. They can make their key messaging about functionality and fashion more simple by adding more advertisements on the home page that show what their message is.
What audiences do you think your brand is trying to communicate to?
- Kate Spade is communicating and advertising to women, more specifically middle class women. This brand specifically is targeted to women who desire to appear as put together but are unique in style versus other women. The website communicates to women by using simple yet fun designs throughout their website and has reasonable pricing for the middle class women. They did a great job showing that their designs are made for unique and fun professional women, however it was not clear that the brand was for middle class women until I clicked on different items and saw the pricing. There should be some kind of message on the main home page that allows customers to know they are reasonably priced.
How does your brand communicate benefits to the audiences it reaches out to? (What is your brand’s “unique selling proposition”?)
- Kate Spade communicates the idea of having lively designs that are classy and functional by offering items that are appropriate for women in the professional world but also fun and unique for women who want to be different. They reach out to their audience on different social media outlets The unique selling proposition that Kate Spade possesses is that the brand is fun yet professional and functional for everyday life.
How does your brand communicate the same or similar messages across multiple media platforms?
- On the website, Kate Spade does a good job of communicating the message that their brand is fun yet professional and functional and continues this message throughout other media platforms. On Twitter and Instagram, Kate Spade uses a hash tag that reads #missadventure. A photo was posted both on Instagram and Twitter of a tweed jacket with a caption that says “tweed: just buttoned-up enough to make people think you’re not #missadventure-ing. (You’ll show them.) This caption shows that this jacket is professional but for women who are adventurous and fun.
Screen shot of website: www.katespade.com
External links:
- Kate Spade’s Social Corporate Responsibility:
- Kate Spade “Product with a Purpose”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renata-m-black/sydney-price-products-wit_b_5760108.html
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