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.