Kelli Martin

The top challenge facing Limited Brands is a challenge that is facing many businesses and individuals right now: the current financial market. This directly and drastically affects Limited Brands because they are in a consumer market that relies on the spending of people. Limited Brands is not in the business of making necessities and clothing, accessories, and beauty products often suffer cut backs when people are experiencing financial stress.

The difference between Limited Brands and any other company, is the fact that they keep their audience in mind at all times. Some of the companies under Limited Brands are more affordable than others, and those stores are successful at offering quality products at low to moderate prices. From my experience, it seems that every time I walk into a Victoria’s Secret or Bath and Body Works, the store has several sale and clearance items. They also offer incentives to their loyal customers by offering percentages off when they shop in the store. This keeps there consumers faithful and coming back for more. When times get tough, shopping doesn’t have to with a corporation like Limited Brands.

Photo Adapted from: Victoria’s Secret

Add comment December 3, 2008

My Social Media Policy

MY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

1. Connecting:

I am a senior at Georgia Southern University with a major in public relations and a minor in fashion merchandising and apparel design. I mainly want to connect with others for networking purposes. I believe that there are so many people that are much more educated and experienced than I, and I know I can learn so much from these people. Connecting to these people gives me that opportunity. It also gives me the chance to connect with people that I am similar to and can talk to about what we are experiencing as graduating seniors and young professionals.

2. Follow, add, friend: The more friends you have, the more fun you have

I am somewhat particular about people I befriend on the Internet. I only friend, follow or add those people that are in the public relations or fashion field, those working for companies I would like to inquire information about, fellow students, etc. For sites such as Facebook, I only accept friend requests from people I know in person. On sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter, I follow people that I feel I can learn from or that I can help or be helped by. I do not automatically reciprocate a follow notifcation until I check out that person’s page.

3. Privacy, boundaries and safety: Beware of predators

Like I stated before, I am particalur about those I befriend. It is important that I do not add random people that are not on sites for the same reasons I am. I am careful about what information I put about myself, but the information may differ by social network. On Facebook, I include some of my favorite things, whereas LinkedIn is strictly things I am professionally involved with. I also take advantage of limited profile capabilities depending on the network and the person.

4. Signal to noise: Have a point

I do not have strong opinions about my social media experience as far as what others are doing. I am fine with RSS and multiple status updates as long as they are meaningful. If a person gets out of hand with pointless updates, I am likely to stop following them on Twitter. If the person is consistantly providing me with useful links and information, then I continue to follow that person.

5. Personal data and sharing

If someone asks me questions, I do not mind sharing information about something I feel qualified to talk about. I think part of connecting means that you are sharing a bit of yourself with other. With sharing a bit of personal data, then I would not truly get the networking experience I want. It is fun to talk with people that share similar interests, and interesting to talk with those who I have only one or two things in common with. I am not looking for deep, meaningful connections on any social network I am involved with, but if fun conversations evolve, I am fine with that.

6. My networking needs and uses: Personal v. Professional

I use Facebook strictly for connecting with my friends. If I have friended someone on there, they are someone I have met in person and went to school with, know through friends, or am related to. LinkedIn is a network I use to meet people professionally. People I connect to on there are people I can ask questions and talk to about life after college.

Add comment December 1, 2008

Target Publics of Limited Brands

Limited Brands has a saying that has been incorporated in its values: “The customer rules!” By this they mean, ”everything we do must begin and end with an insatiable drive to anticipate and fulfill our customers’ desires.”

While some lines under the Limited Brands name offer products for men, their target audience is definitely women. All six lines offer products that women use all day, everyday. They try to attract men by proving they are a great place to get gifts for girlfriends and wives. Women, though, know they can go into any Limited Brand-owned store and find something for themselves, their mothers, their sisters, their friends, etc.

Some Limited Brands stores are more high-end than others, i.e. Henri Bendel (LOVE this store). This target public is going to be a more wealthy one than the affordable Victoria’s Secret. Limited Brands does a good job of offering products to all income ranges and this is another reason why the company is so successful.

Add comment December 1, 2008

Limited Brands and Grunig and Hunt

James Grunig and Todd Hunt felt it was important for companies to know and understand which model(s) of PR they followed. According to these two, there are four models. There is the Press Agentry/ Publicity Model, Public Information Model, Two-Way Asymmetric Model and Two-Way Symmetric Model. Based on the definitions of these models, I believe that Limited Brands best follows the Two-Way Symmetric Model. This means “the PR practitioner conducts research to determine the views of a particular constituency and then uses that information to help achieve the objectives of both the client organization and the constituency” (Doorley and Garcia, 2007).The basis of my belief is the fact that Limited Brands finds receiving feedback from consumers just has important as sending information out to those consumers, so that rules out the Two-Way Asymmetric Model. While Limited Brands wants to get as much publicity as possible, the company cares about its perception and does not want its name out there just for the sake of being out there, so that rules out Press Agentry Publicity Model. The Public Information Model tends to apply to government agencies and nonprofits, so that does not pertain to Limited Brands.

Doorley, J, & Garcia, H (2007). Reputation Management. New York, NY: Routledge.

Add comment December 1, 2008

Limited Brands and the Weather Crisis

Limited Brands provides hotlines that associates can call to find out about how the weather and criseswill effect the work day, which is pretty impressive to me. Through a connection on LinkedIn, I spoke with a former employee of Limited Brands who happened to work there during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. This is what he had to say:

“[Limited Brands] was on it immediately. They sent an email to all employees alerting us that many of the [Limited Brands] associates would be effected and telling us to stay tuned for any developments. Then they updated us as necessary. They worked hard to identify all of the associates that were going to be impacted and prepared to assist them. They also let us know what they were preparing and ready to do for those associates including finding places for them to work and letting us know where and how to donate money. They also made us aware of the volunteer organizations that were involved and how we could get involved with them.”

He went on to say he “was impressed as an employee at how quickly [Limited Brands] was on top of this and how quickly they formulated a plan to help all of those involved.”

I was really impressed with Limited Brands after reading what this former employee had to say. They even tried to accommodate those who wanted to take time off to volunteer in the recovery efforts. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in a company like that? At least you know you’d be taken care of in case of an emergency!

Add comment November 30, 2008

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