3.
Background:
In 2005, ALINE Systems, Inc. created a revolutionary foot suspension technology
insole with the intention to improve the way the body moves. With a sophisticated insole
design, ALINE markets themselves as a performance enhancing product for both
professional and everyday athletes.
ALINE’s technology evolved from over 2 decades of research, with the company’s
primary goal to align one’s body and to enhance the performance of every day athletes
and professionals. ALINE’s products are used as a method for injury prevention rather
than an injury cure. Overall, these products help people move and feel better while
simultaneously improving the body’s kinetic potential.
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4.
Research Objectives:
ALINE is faced with the following challenges:
● ALINE initially directed its products toward extreme and amateur athletes at
sport expos and other athletic events. The client now desires to broaden ALINE’s
target to all young, active people ages 20-35.
● ALINE’s main challenge is to inform and convince young people that the product
truly works without the assistance of a sales associate.
● There is currently a lack of branding and company awareness among the target
audience. The client wants to create brand awareness through unified branding
effort and a bold video campaign.
In order to find a solution to these problems, this research plan is
developed:
● Gain insight in the target audience’s lifestyle and media consumption habits.
● Get feedback from the target audience about their knowledge of athletic insoles
and how they perceive ALINE’s competitors.
● Get feedback on how necessary and effective the target believes athletic products
are to heighten their physical performance.
● Determine what benefits people are looking for when purchasing sports
enhancing products.
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5.
Research Methodology:
Qualitative Research
● The Account Planner conducted four in-depth interviews between November 10,
2014 and November 16, 2014
o Three interviews with men and women age 21-30
▪ The first interviewee was interviewed on November 10, 2014. She is
24 years old, lives in Millis, MA, and is an Administrative Assistant.
The interviewee is currently training for a half marathon.
▪ The second interviewee was interviewed on November 11, 2014. She
is 21 years old, lives in Boston, MA, and is currently a student at
Boston University. The interviewee is not consistently active, but as
a sales associate, she is always up on her feet.
▪ The third interviewee was interviewed on November 16, 2014. He is
30 years old, lives in Boston, MA, and works at a local cycling
studio. Because of the interviewee’s job, he is consistently active
almost every day of the week.
o Questions were asked based around their physical activities, what kinds of
foot products they purchase, and if they believe insoles can heighten their
physical performance and provide them overall comfort.
o The interviewees did not receive any incentives.
Quantitative Research
● The Account Planner conducted a survey via www.qualtrics.com.
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o The survey was distributed via Facebook to men and women 20-35 and
received 57 completed responses.
o The survey was developed to discover their knowledge and awareness level
of athletic insoles and how advertising influences them.
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7.
Target Audience Description:
ALINE Inc.’s target audience is Millennials, specifically between the ages of 20-35.
● The target audience is active, meaning they normally work out for 60 minutes,
three or more times a week.
● The target audience is a diverse, intelligent group of people who have a
new-found buying power. They have a disposable income, but are still
budget-conscious because they are most likely students or in entry-level jobs.
● The target audience would prefer to buy an expensive product that proves to be
effective instead of buying the bargain brand at their local convenience store.
● The target audience values the opinions of their friends and peers and will take
into considerations the judgments of their friends, outside reviews and conduct
online research before purchasing a specialty product.
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Key Findings:
1. ALINE Inc. is not considered a competitive product in the shoe insole
market.
● ALINE is not heavily recognized by consumers.
o Based on the survey results, only 3 people were familiar with the ALINE
brand.
o When asked during the interviews, none of the interviewees were familiar
with the brand as well.
● Dr. Scholl’s dominates the market.
o According to a MINTEL report, Dr. Scholl’s foot care products reached
$186 million in 2011 alone.
2. ALINE maintains little to no store presence in retail stores where
other competitive insole products are sold.
● Because insoles are considered a specialty product, most people are hesitant to
purchase ALINE insoles online.
o When asked about purchasing insoles online, one interviewee said, “I most
likely would purchase insoles that I already knew about. I would not
purchase something online that I was not already familiar with.”
o Only 4% of the respondents said that they would buy insoles online,
further establishing the belief that shoe insoles need to be wider present in
stores.
o However, the target market is concerned with price, and would be more
persuaded to buy insoles online if there were specials and discounts they
could receive.
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9.
● The top two places people purchase shoe insoles are at convenience stores and
retail stores.
o One interviewee wears Dr. Scholl’s and buys her insoles at her local CVS
Pharmacy.
▪ When asked why she purchases Dr. Scholl’s over other brands the
she said, “They are the only brand that fits inside my shoe. But now
that I think about it, they are the only brand that I see when I go
shopping.”
o Another interviewee shops mainly at brand name stores when shopping
for her footwear products.
▪ She does not wear shoe insoles, but she also said that she does not
see insoles for sale when she is at the store.
o ALINE needs to be more present inside the stores in order for people to
consider the value of purchasing them.
3. No advertising currently exists that speaks to the benefits the target
market seeks.
● The target audience is not concerned about injury prevention.
o As demonstrated by survey results, injury prevention was always ranked
last in consideration to the importance of footwear products.
o Two interviewees said that they only would consider wearing insoles after
they experienced pain in their feet.
o Based on a MINTEL study, the millennial population has a “super hero”
mindset. They do not foresee becoming weak or injured, and therefore do
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not understand the importance of purchasing a product they do not think
they need in that moment of their life.
● Conversely, comfort, style and price are the three features that excite the target
audience the most.
o As demonstrated by survey results, comfort, style, and price are the three
features that the respondents valued the most.
o One interviewee who is a loyal customer to Nike said, “The reason why I
have become such a loyal fan to Nike is because most of my friends wear
their shoes as well and because I love their style. I have also never
experienced foot pain while wearing my sneakers.”
o Another interviewee purchases her footwear products at convenience and
outlet stores because of price. However, she admitted that she would be
better influenced to purchase one insole brand over the other based on
“style, color, and how comfortable the product was.”
4. Young people tend not to understand the distinct benefits that insoles
can bring to their athletic performance and every day life.
● People tend to view all insoles being the same.
o According to a MINTEL study, “many consumers do not perceive clear
differences between the quality of branded and private label products such
as gel insoles.”
o Based on survey results, some respondents did not even know what insole
brand they have worn before.
o In reference to findings above, consumers generally only see Dr. Scholl’s
being the only brand represented under this category.
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● The target market only views insoles as a comfort device and does not think about
what else insoles can do for them.
o Based on the survey results, athletic performance was overall ranked
second to last in regards to importance of footwear products.
o Even the interviewee who works at a spinning studio believes he only
needs to wear insoles to relieve pain in his feet.
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12.
Creative Brief:
What is the purpose of this communication effort?
The purpose of this communication effort is to raise consumer awareness that ALINE provides products
that will improve the way the body moves, increasing the consumer’s athletic potential and comfort.
ALINE products are specially designed to improve body movement which results in enhanced athletic
performance and prevention rather than treatment of injuries. ALINE may be used by all people to help
them move and feel better while simultaneously improving the body’s kinetic potential.
Who are we talking to, and what is their mindset?
The target audience is both men and women age 20-35. These people are considered athletic (athletic
being defined as anyone who works out for 60 minutes, three or more times a week.) They are also
intelligent, successful individuals that understand the importance of taking care of their bodies.
Therefore, they will do extensive research and take into consideration the reviews of their peers before
investing in a specialty product. Furthermore, because the target places high value on their bodies and
their physical potential, they would rather buy an expensive product that proves to be effective instead of
buying the bargain brand at their local convenience store.
What problem, need, or desire does this communication effort need to address?
ALINE has only touched a small portion of its target market. They put a strong focus on selling to athletes,
and now want to broaden their target to reach an all–around active audience.
What is the essential point the audience is supposed to take away from the
communication?
ALINE produces products that improve the way the body moves. This results in improved athletic
performance, and comfort.
What makes this believable?
The proof is in ALINE’s craftsmanship and advanced technology. The founders of ALINE spent over two
decades developing and perfecting the product technology before releasing the ALINE product, and as a
result the ALINE product has proven to align people’s bodies into the most efficient and powerful form
possible.
What is the desired personality of the brand?
ALINE’s life revolves around leading an active, healthy lifestyle. It spends the majority of its free time
outside being active. Whether ALINE is training for a triathlon or experiencing with a new sport, ALINE is
always up on its feet. Alongside being extremely active, ALINE is a person who dares to be different. It is
willing to stand out amongst the crowd in order to achieve great success. Great success brings respect and
leadership and ALINE strives to become a leader in its community.
What are the execution considerations?
We will need to focus on creating appealing and captivating visuals that will capture the tone of ALINE’s
new brand identity we are working to establishing. The creative direction needs to be one that young
active people can relate to.
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Limitations:
● Survey sample was smaller than intended.
o Even though the survey was distributed to a significant amount of people
for a long period of time, not as many people responded. The majority of
the sample came from woman between the ages of 20-25. It would have
been more beneficial if more men responded at a higher age range.
● The in-depth interviewees were limited to those in the Boston area.
o Due to lack of time and resources, the Account Planner was only able to
conduct interviews with those who live locally.
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14.
Recommendations:
1. Expand brand from only producing insoles to fashionable gym wear
● The ALINE brand will become more recognizable if the company offers a
wider range of merchandise to the consumers. The mindset of the target
audience is that gym clothes are necessary for their performance and insoles
are not. However, if a person becomes loyal to the ALINE brand, they will
take notice that ALINE specializes in athletic insoles, and therefore will be
more optimistic to purchase ALINE insoles.
o Based on MINTEL research, men are most likely to put an importance on
brands and become loyal to them, while women emphasize on style. Both
genders are willing to pay more for these qualities. If ALINE could find a
marriage between these two benefits like other brands have done such as
Nike and New Balance, the company would see a profit.
2. Have an engaging social media presence.
● The Millennial generation is constantly on their phones, and creates
online, loyal relationships with their favorite companies and brands.
● Key insights revealed that the target audience believes that companies
need social media pages and companies that do not communicate with
their customers using technology are outdated.
● It is 2014, having a Facebook page or Twitter page set up is not enough. It
is what companies do with their social media platforms that make a
difference. This younger generation wants to feel like brands understand
who they are, almost like being a friend. Generating content, such as the
viral video the AdLab team created, or creating a hashtag that defines the
ALINE brand will make the company stand out in a positive way.
● ALINE should strongly take into consideration hiring a Digital Specialist
to help establish which social media platforms the brand needs and in
what ways to use them.
3. Continue to establish a brand identity and personality.
● ALINE is currently undergoing a complete brand transformation. Now
that the company is focusing on the young, athletic market, it is imperative
that the brand has memorable characteristics that will set it apart from its
competitors.
● It is vital to pay attention to the small details. With the logo all the way
down to the colors and font, every aspect needs to be consistent and
cohesive.
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● Social media must mirror the personality of the brand as well.
4. Strive to establish ALINE as owning a competitive position to Dr.
Scholl’s.
● Dr. Scholl’s dominates the entire shoe insole market, with no other brand
coming close to competing with them. This is mainly because no other
brand has stepped up their marketing game to the quality of Dr. Scholl’s.
● Dr. Scholl’s is highly successful because it is the only insole brand that has
made itself easy to acquire to the mass market. Therefore, it is the only
insole brand that most consumers know of.
● Based on the survey results, 94% of respondents are familiar with Dr.
Scholl’s, 50% of the respondents are influenced by word of mouth, and
58% buy their insoles at convenience stores.
● There is an immense amount of room in this market for ALINE to rise up
and become an equal competitor with Dr. Scholl’s.
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Summary:
ALINE Inc. is a developing brand with an innovative, new idea that is not already
seen in the market place. The fact that consumers do not have a lot of knowledge or
strong opinion around athletic insoles provides ALINE with a great opportunity to
become a leading player in this market. Carefully constructed advertisements paired
with a larger in-store availability will help position ALINE as the leading insole brand in
the minds of the consumers.
The main challenge ALINE faces is that this new target audience does not
recognize how insoles can heighten their physical and every day performance. Injury
prevention is not something they consider, and they believe that sneakers give enough
support as is. ALINE must focus on changing this mindset and demonstrate how vital
ALINE is a product that people need in order to change the way the body moves.
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References:
Primary Research
● Four in-depth interviews with men and women ages 21-30 from November 10,
2014 to November 16, 2014.
● One survey with a total of 57 responses.
Secondary Research
● “Fitness Clothing-- US” October 2014. Mintel. Mintel. Mugar Memorial Library,
Boston MA. 13 November 2014.
<http://academic.mintel.com>.
● “Foot Care – US” January 2012. Mintel. Mugar Memorial Library, Boston MA. 13
November 2014. <http://academic.mintel.com>.
● "Marketing to Millennials -- U.S." February 2014. Mintel. Mugar Memorial
Library, Boston, MA. 27 February 2011. <http://academic.mintel.com>.
● “Men’s and Women’s Footwear—US” September 2014. Mintel. Mugar Memorial
Library, Boston, MA. 13 November 2014.
<http://academic.mintel.com>.
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Appendix A: Survey
Questionnaire.
1. What is your gender?
Male
Female
I choose to not respond
2. What is your age?
Under 18
19-21
22-25
26-29
30-35
Over 35
3. Please rank the following in order of importance when purchasing a footwear item. 1
is the most important and 6 is the least important.
1. Comfort
2. Athletic Performance
3. Price
4. Injury Prevention
5. Style
6. Brand Name
4. From which of the following sources best influences your footwear product
knowledge?
Word of Mouth
Advertisements
Customer Service
Online Ratings
Online Blogs
Brand Websites
5. What is the biggest inconvenience you find in your current footwear?
Discomfort
Poor Quality
Causes Blister or Calluses
Arch Pain
Other
6. What do you think helps ease footwear problems?
Shoe Insoles
Better Quality Shoes
Medical Attention
Other
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7. What shoe insole brands are you familiar with? Please check all that apply.
ALINE
Dr. Scholl's
Superfeet
Powerstep
NBRX by New Balance
Spenco
8. Have you ever worn an insole?
Yes
No
IF YES: Go to question 9
IF NO: End survey
9. What brand do you wear?
19. Where do you buy your insole?
Local Store Pharmacy
Brand Name's Store
Department Store
Online
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Appendix B: Survey Key Graphs
and Charts and Graphs.
What shoe insole brands are you familiar
with?
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21.
Where do you buy your insoles?
From which of the following sources best
influences your footwear product
knowledge?
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Appendix C: Interview Questions:
Name:
Age:
Occupation:
What kinds of physical activates do you participate in on a weekly basis and why?
How often do you participate in these activities?
What kind of athletic shoes do you buy?
Where do you buy your shoes? Do you buy them all from one brand or store?
What are the features you are looking for when purchasing your shoes?
Do you believe that the shoes and other athletic accessories you use impact your
physical performance? If so, what ways do they benefit you?
Do you wear any of your athletic footwear outside of your physical activities? If so where
do you wear them?
Have you had a foot injury in relation to physical activity? If so, how did you treat your
injury?
Do you wear shoe insoles? If so, which brand do you wear?
What benefits do you think shoe insoles bring to physical performance?
Do you believe that shoe insoles should be worn daily or only when you start to feel
discomfort in your feet?
Do you think that the technology that goes into producing a shoe insole is an important
factor to consider?
What would influence you to purchase one insole brand over the other?
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