Lane Bryant:The
Full-figured Woman Should Have Full-figured Ads
Kristin Fuller
Ms. Robin Seaton
English 12Z/002
March 27, 2000
Introduction
Current
Advertising Problems
Reason
for Change
Possible
Solutions
How
would this improved business?
Conclusion
Lane Bryant:The
Full-figured Woman Should Have Full-figured Ads
Introduction
In the advertising world it has become necessary to use ads that appeal
to your target audience.Effective
ads lure potential consumers into a store to purchase the goods for sale.As
with Lane Bryant, many look at advertising, and the ads very well could
be, the deciding factor in their decision to purchase clothing.The
Lane Bryant Corporation attempts to attract the full-figured, plus-size
woman but seems to fall short with the current advertising practices.Through
these shortcomings, the need for improvement prevails. Lane Bryant advertising
hinders possible buyers from purchasing the clothing line due to the fictitious
representation of clothing by the models used.I
plan to convince you to change your current practices and consider some
of the other possibilities available.Lane
Bryant Inc. needs to revise the current advertising practices, by using
a larger variety of models, so that they appeal to the targeted audience.
Current
Advertising Problems
Lane Bryant stores are directed toward the full-figured or plus sized woman.Women
who shop in Lane Bryant stores tend to be looking for trendy, modern clothing.Generally,
sizes range from 14 to 28.However,
Lane Bryant advertising seems to vary from the intended audience.The
current ads that Lane Bryant uses to promote their line of clothing do
not target the consumer base.In
general, the majority of the models that Lane Bryant employs do not fit
the “full-figured” description.The
models appear to be much thinner than the plus size wardrobe they are supposedly
wearing.This creates problems with
the intentional consumer base Lane Bryant should be targeting.Using
models that are not the actual 14-28 size is disturbing to potential consumers.Society
constructs gender roles and mass media has a large role in this, thus advertising
is a form of proganada.2Using
thin models is the “norm” that media has portrayed in our society, and
Lane Bryant continues to support the image of the “perfect female body.”
Currently, when a woman sees these ads that Lane Bryant promotes, she may
get the idea that if she purchases these clothes that she will look as
thin as the models in the advertisements.However,
when she actually goes to the store to purchase this apparel, she is left
with a sense of falsity.Potentially,
she may leave the store with a lower self-esteem, thus creating a complex
about her weight.From personal experience
I know that women are extremely self-conscious about their weight already,
and these advertisements add to the reasons a woman may feel bad about
her self.Instead of appealing to
the audience that Lane Bryant should be targeting, the ads are more alluring
to a thinner person.If one had to
go on the looks of the ads alone, not knowing anything else about the store,
they would perceive that Lane Bryant was a store for the average size woman.Using
this type of advertising not only does not target the intended consumer
base, moreover, it creates a false sense of advertising.
Reason
for change
One
hundred billion dollars is spent each year on ads that are trying to appeal
to women2.Knowing this
naturally we should be targeting our audience and try to correct any problems
with the current campaign.Also,
one million dollars per hour is spent on beauty products in advertising,
trying to make the ads look more appealing.2 Knowing
that this much money is spent on advertising each hour to try to glorify
the woman in an ad, shouldn’t we be trying to target and appeal to our
own audience base?What could be
the harmful effects of continuing to use current advertising practices
that Lane Bryant uses now?Looking
at the potential affects of the advertising, the ads may lead to a decrease
in sales in the future.Using unappealing
advertising will not only lower the consumer base, but it could eventually
lead to a bad reputation for the company itself.Lane
Bryant should ask itself what kind of image and reputation it wants to
portray to the audience with their advertising campaigns, furthermore,
concentrating on what will lead to an increase in the consumer base.
Possible
Solutions
Several
possible options are available.One
option could be using a larger variety of models, especially the plus-size
or full-figured woman.We could
do this by using the correct size models and making them look attractive,
thus, appealing to our intended consumer base.Looking
at the web site of Lane Bryant, one of the seven models on the spring line
is African-American.What image is
that portraying to the target audience?Should
not we be trying to target all full-figured women?We
claim to carry trendy, modern clothing to appeal to our consumer base,
but whom are we trying to get to wear them?A
more diverse variety of models will attract the minorities and other women
who are not part of the target audience under current advertising practices.As
in the web advertisements, only one African-American model was used.Why
should we limit our ads to the white population, when we could be drawing
a more diverse consumer base?Revising
practices we potentially could have more diversity and possibly create
more sales for our stores.
Another option could be having a steady spokesperson. Such a spokesperson
could be Kate Winslet.Using a persons
popularity could help publicize the store itself.Not
only is she a full-figured woman herself, but also she is well know and
could bring awareness to Lane Bryant stores.In
addition to this, perhaps Kate would be willing to promote Lane Bryant
Inc. to the Vanity Fair magazine, which she is a big part of.Using
a steady spokes person coincides with the need to advertise in more well
read woman’s magazines as well.The
more awareness that we can bring to our store through advertising will
only increase the popularity and sales for the corporation.
Furthermore, using bright, neat displays in the store windows may help
attract women into the store. When a person walks by a store window, they
are drawn in by the displays they see outside. How many times have you
walked through the mall and saw a shirt or pair of shoes in a window that
you simply had to go in and take a look at?Well,
the same should go for Lane Bryant stores, when a full-figured woman walks
past our store, do we not want her to be drawn in?
Another option could include using confidence-boosting tools in ads, such
as words like “sexy”, “beautiful”, “proud” etc.Using
such words can boost confidence, making a person feel that if they come
into the store and purchase the clothing, they can feel like the possess
the qualities, which could possibly lead to further returns for more purchases.
How would this improve business?
Such
improvements could show women that Lane Bryant is a store directed for
the plus-size woman.It can also
help build confidence in the woman.This
can lure them back into the store.Moreover,
it can lead to an increase in sales as well.In
addition, this could be a confirmation that we will not have to worry about
getting the reputation of a business with “false advertising.”
Conclusion
You may be still be asking why should Lane Bryant revise current ads.Well,
the facts are out and the change is necessary.Ultimately,
it could lead to an increase in sales, which means more money for the company,
increased pay, increased benefits for employees, increase in production
and stores.The cycle continues
and the company will continue to grow as well.Is
not our job to attract our target audience?Well,
with the current practices many women are discouraged and I believe that
new campaigns will increase our consumer base.One
change at a time is all it takes to make a difference.It
is up to you to make the change now.
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