Staples, the inventor of the oce supply superstore category, opened its rst store in 1986 in Framington, Massachusetts. The company targeted small to medium-size businesses selling everything fortheoceunderonelargeroof. Between1986 and1996 Staplesexpandedrapidly bytheadditionof new stores, acquisition of existing oce supply companies by region, and international expansion throughjointventures.In1996,itstenthanniversary,salesexceeded$3billiononlythesixthcompany in U.S. history to achieve this level of sales within the rst 10 years of operation.

In May 2023, Staples ocially launched a new brand campaign with the theme: Business is Human. Thecampaignreinforcesthecompanysbeliefthatwhilearticialintelligence(AI)isandwillcontinueto be a powerful tool, it is most eective when combined with human insights and expertise (Tjaden, 2023, para. 1).Tjaden continues:

Artificialintelligenceandtechnologyarebeinghighlightedasthefuture,butweknowfromthe millions of businesses Staples serves that these alone arent enough, said John Lederer, CEO, Staples,Inc.Whenmakingbigbuyingdecisions,businessesdemandmorethaninteractionwith an algorithm or a bot. To best deliver for those customers, human intelligence is a must. At Staples we believe that human expertise, combined with artificial intelligence, is the winning formula for business customers.

ThecampaignshowcasescurrentStaplesemployeeswhorepresentthousandsofStaplesteam members, each offering dedicated expertise to benefit business customers enrolled in the companys Staples Business Advantage (SBA) program. Featured representatives include a Staples delivery expert, a customer service representative, facilities solutions and furniture experts, and a digital experience expert, among others.

Our business customers have told us that they seek human connections with experts who can help them make informed buying choices and then exceed their expectations for speed of delivery, product quality, and competitive pricing, said Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel, Chief Marketing Officer, Staples, Inc. Thats why Staples is so proud of our team of experts from sellers ready to provide expert advice to drivers who go the extra mile to deliver products quicklyandreliablytoover98%oftheU.S.Withover35yearsofexperience,wevelearnedthat its this human intuition and expertise that work alongside AI to best serve our customers. (Tjaden, 2023, para. 2).

Pleaseresearchifyouneedfurtherinformationregardingthequestionsyouwillanswer:

1. HowwouldyoudeneStaplestargetedmarket(s)?Describeitsdemographics.

1. DoyouthinkStapleshascreatedastrategythatwillresonatewithcustomers?Explain.

1. Isthemessagerelevanttotheirtargetmarket?Explain.