Apr 25, 2012
Complicating Simple
Branding Insights
One of a series by John Paulo Cardoso, Spyder Works Chief Creative Officer & Founder
Today, JCP’s biggest challenge is to differentiate their brand from Walmart and Target who offer a unique, well defined value proposition. For JCP, providing simple shopping solutions to the daily schedules and financial pressures of family life, strikes me as both a strong and relevant brand platform to build on.
JC Penney CEO, Ron Johnson, has done this before — making retail success look simple during his time at Target and leading the wildly successful Apple store launch. Johnson is now behind the recent introduction of the JC Penney (JCP) “Fair and Square” pricing strategy. By offering fewer sales and simplified pricing, JCP is striving to make the shopping experience simpler and more predictable for its customers.
While good brands should simplify the purchasing decision for the customer, if they can’t find their way through JCP’s three different pricing offers ‘Everyday’ low, ‘Monthly Value’ discounts and ‘Best Price’ clearance deals, simple may turn out to be just too complicated.
“No games. No gimmicks” just remember to shop the first Friday of April? I think.
