Target Does Community Relations Right

Today’s consumers want more than quality products; they want to buy from companies who care about giving back and engaging in ethically and socially responsible business practices. Target claims that it is committed to providing individuals with exceptional customer service and savings on their favorite products, celebrating workplace diversity and inclusion, and engaging in corporate social responsibility. Target has shown its commitment to customers through the following social initiatives.

- Target’s educational program is one of its largest CSR projects. The corporation plans to donate $1 billion dollars to fund education by 2015. Target has developed literacy pilots, donated books to local communities, and funded school library makeovers. The Target International Giving Program was established in 2002 to assist in providing children with quality accessible education throughout the world. 

-Target has also been committed to protecting the environment since its doors opened in 1962. It supported urban renewal programs and river and waterway cleanups in the 1960s before CSR was popular. Today, Target has devoted itself to numerous sustainability practices, such as providing customers with a wide selection of sustainable products (e.g. Seventh Generation Cleaning Supplies) and giving away millions of reusable bags each year. Target also uses energy efficient lighting in its stores, as well as sustainable packaging for its products. There are recycling kiosks in each store to encourage customers to be “green”. 

-Target is one of the founding members for the Alliance to Make US Healthiest, which is “A coalition that helps people nationwide become more physically and emotionally healthy, and aims to help the U.S. become the healthiest nation in a healthier world.” Target has also taken steps to provide opportunities for its employees. The corporation offers career and mentoring opportunities that can help employees prepare for management positions. Employees are also encouraged to engage in volunteer work with organizations like United Way. Employee and consumer safety are highly valued, and all employees are trained in disaster preparedness.

                                                                

Corporate social responsibility goes beyond the scope of helping local communities and consumers. In recent years the public has demanded safer working conditions for foreign laborers in developing countries. Target is committed to responsible and ethical sourcing. It was one of the key contributors to the launch of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. 
      

    

With a large company that caters to millions of diverse consumers each year, it makes sense to have multiple social initiatives. It makes sense for companies to contribute to the communities they serve, and Target certainly puts its money where its mouth is in that respect. Target should definitely continue expanding and developing new social outreach programs. I think that a more extensive program that encourages healthy eating and living would be a great idea. So many Americans are choosing organic and becoming more selective about the food they feed their families. Target is certainly a model for other companies who plan to integrate CSR into their business operations.

Social Media: How Target Sets Itself Apart

Social media is an essential tool for a corporation’s success. It is a low cost way to engage with customers and promote new deals and products. Target has a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter, and it is increasing its visibility on Instagram, Youtube, as well as within the blogging community. 

Target has more than 800,000 followers on Twitter. A quick scroll through the company’s Twitter page reveals a lot about Target. Tweets cover topics ranging from daily sales and promotions to corporate social responsibility.

Pros:    -Target’s Twitter page is bright, colorful, and up-to-date

-Target responds to individuals’ comments and complaints in a timely manner

-Target retweets its followers, which is important because it shows that Target values its customers

-Target had celebrity, Demi Lovato, tweet about the current “Give with Target” contest to help kids and teens earn money for their school http://givewith.target.com/?v=0

Cons:  -Target recently used Twitter as an outlet to promote its new clothing line by designer PhillipLim.

It linked to the online site where you could purchase items from the collection, gaining attention with the #PhillipLimforTarget .The other day I visited a Target store location in Connecticut and did not find any items from the Phillip Lim Collection in the store. I think Target should be clearer regarding where and when the clothing line will be available in stores.

Target also utilizes Facebook to reinforce the information on Twitter. It is important that brands are consistent in reinforcing the same key messages across social media platforms. The majority of the page’s content covers new product releases and sales, yet in an attempt to stay current, Target also comments on pop culture and events like the Emmys, as they are happening.Target’s Facebook page has more than 22 million likes https://www.facebook.com/target

Target’s Blog- Pulse- is one of the most interesting corporate blogs that I’ve seen. Various employees use the blog to shed light on what it is like to work at Target. The writing is very personal and upbeat. The blogs appear genuine because they are written from employee perspectives and they provide insight on what it is like to work in “fun” positions like Target buyer or product manager.

Instagram: Target’s main Instagram focus is brand awareness. Photos show Target’s creative side while advertising products and promotions for its 113,000 followers.

Target’s  YouTube pages contains a variety of content from make-up tutorials,  to commercials, to contests. It has roughly 17,000 followers. http://www.youtube.com/user/Target

Target has been doing an excellent job in reaching its customers on a variety of social media platforms. People want to know, “What can you do for me?” and it can be challenging for companies to show them. By utilizing celebrities to promote CSR, announcing deals and promotions, and facilitating two-way communication with the public, Target shows people that it does in fact have a lot to offer them.  The biggest challenge looking forward will be setting Target apart from large competitors, like Amazon and Walmart, which also have strong brands. Target will need to keep ahead of the pack in terms of innovation, new marketing tactics, and exceeding customer expectations.

Examining the Bull's-eye Brand

My name is Patty Smith and I am a current college student. I have created this blog for one of my public relations classes. In my blog, I will examine and offer insight on Target’s public relations practices. I chose to make Target the subject of my blog posts because I wanted to investigate how well the corporation has been fulfilling its brand promise, “Expect More. Pay Less ®.” Target has positioned itself as an upscale retailer that aims to provide customers with “outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences.”

Target sells everything from groceries, to patio furniture, to electronics.  Its stores were designed to be a destination for one-stop shopping. Coupons and daily deals are easily accessible to customers, both online and in stores. The universal store layout is very organized and customer friendly.

Target has had its fair share of controversy over the past few years. Previous incidents have caused the public to view Target as an “anti-gay” corporation.  Three years ago Target gave a donation to a political candidate who was very vocal about his opposition to gay marriage. Shortly after, Target refused to sell R&B singer, Frank Ocean’s album Channel Orange. The musician had recently opened up about being gay, and although Target claimed that this fact had nothing to do with their decision, the public saw it a political attempt for Target to express its “anti-gay” viewpoint. 

Target has taken great strides to reverse this negative publicity. In 2012 the corporation began selling T-shirts in support of gay pride. All the profits from T-shirt sales go to the Family Equality Council, an organization working to reverse a same-sex marriage ban in Minnesota. This step shows that Target is learning from its mistakes. It is risky for corporations to involve themselves in controversies.  Although Target officials believed their political donation was something that they had the right to do, they cannot forget that as a corporation they are always under public scrutiny. 

Customers expect corporations to act responsibly and support the people they serve. Looking toward the future, Target will be faced with many other opportunities to show consumers they care. Target is currently awarding a variety of grants to educational and environmental programs. Rather than engage controversies that are unrelated to their business, Target should focus on fulfilling its corporate responsibility. Target’s public relations professionals should continue to fund programs that align with their mission and values. Customers support brands that are trustworthy; if a brand is not being sincere, people will know it.