Competitive Analyses

   One has the fun prints, colors, and shapes and the other has the reputable history and strong advertising. So which brand has the cornerstone on the foot inserts and cushioning market?

   Foot Petals was created in 2001 by podiatrist Lisa Aldatz (http://tinaaldatz.com/about-2/). Their strength as a company comes from the design of their product, the website, and the strong social media presence. The design of the foot cushions are solely aimed at women. There are more than 10 different cushions that range in a variety of colors, prints, and shapes. In addition to the design of their product, Foot petals has created a lifestyle image for the brand based on the design and content of their website. The site includes blogs by writers on everything from fashion to lifestyle. Another great marketing tool they use is the creator herself, Lisa Aldatz. She provides her insight on the best products to use based on the needs of the consumer in her “Tina’s Tips” section. Along with a well-designed website, Foot Petals is active in social media with a Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube account. Through this word of mouth, they have appeared in many magazines and press outlets, and while their advertisements might not be widely creative, they have a strong customer base and attractive design.

   On the other hand, where Dr. Scholl’s For Her shoe inserts excels, is their imaginative and strong advertisements. “…Everyone wants to create imaginative, effective advertising—fresh work that hasn't been done before, ads that make people watch and then act, solutions that make other creative professionals say, “I wish I had thought of that!” Creating the “same old” won't grab anyone's attention.”(Landa, R. (2010). Advertising By Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Page 107.) Dr. Scholl’s already has a long history of offering comfortable products, so when they created Dr. Scholl’s for Her, they had a customer base that was vast. However, they only have about 9 actual different cushions and only one product came in several colors and with one print. The reputation of the brand and the ads are what get people talking about them. One such series of ads revolved around the idea of fairytales women grew up with. Cinderella’s carriage is pictured at the ball and the copy write states, “Dancing ‘Til Midnight In Glass Stilettos. No Wonder She Left a Shoe” (http://www.ormadesign.com/drscholls_ad.html). A simple yet powerful slogan appears on the bottom left of the ad- “Fashion is Fantasy. Pain is Not” (http://www.ormadesign.com/drscholls_ad.html).

   A compelling and powerful ad campaign is what I will offer Dr. Scholl’s For Her shoe inserts. Where they might lack in design, I will provide in a creative and thought provoking advertisement. I intend on tapping in on women’s insecurities and providing a solution: Dr. Scholl’s for Her. “A critical component is learning about the audience—the targeted, specified group of people at whom you are aiming your message, design, and solution. The audience is the main group who would purchase this product, utilize this information or service, or patronize this entity or brand.”(Landa, R. (2010). Advertising By Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Page 16.) The fantasy series of ads were well designed and I intend on making a just as compelling ad campaign, if not bigger and better. Because in the end, women should “CREATE A SENSATION. NOT A COMMOTION”.