Case Study - "Life Style Advertising - The Evolution of Orville's Home Appliances"

Orville's Home Appliances has been operating in Western New York since 1965.Orville's is a family-owned and operated business that has grown from a small single store operation to the largest independent major home appliance dealer in Western New York State.

Orville's has successfully evolved over the years by conducting periodic evaluations of their strengths and weaknesses.This is always a difficult process; however, Orville'smarket position has improved as a consequence of this type of self-analysis.Prior to their present advertising and promotion strategy, Orville's Home Appliances hadidentified their strengths and weaknesses as follows:

Strengths:

• Name recognition
• Products at every price point
• Widest selection of brands
• Dedication to service

Weaknesses:

• Smaller footprint in the marketplace than competitors
• Outdated retail store environment
• Not attracting younger customers
• Marketing in need of a contemporary look

After Orville's self-analysis, they employed the services of The Martin Group, a marketing communications consulting group, who conducted a brand research and marketing evolution study for Orville's Home Appliances.

Video Case Study Questions:

1. What did the Martin Group research find out about Orville's Home Appliances brand position?
2. What action did the Martin Group recommend with regard to Orville's Home Appliances brand position and evolution?
3. What promotional actions did Orville's HomeAppliances take to increase their strength in the marketplace?List them.