This is where the fundamental disconnect is in the purchasing process and why despite the heavy investments in catalogs and games the company is still struggling. It is not reaching the most profitable customers on a consistent basis.
4. Using the appropriate t-test, determine if those who purchased from Gucci and those who did not (q11), are different in terms of a. Their evaluations of catalogs (q7_a - q7_f), b. Their perceptions of Gucci (q12_a - q12_d), and c. Their evaluations of the demonstration catalog (q13_a - q13_f)?
Interpret the results, provide marketing implications.
The result of completing the t-tests further supports the observation that catalogs are seen as informative, yet not useful enough based on top-of-mind awareness of respondents alone. Respondents varied significantly however in their evaluations of catalogs in general and the demonstration catalog provided by Gucci for the research project. According to the t-test completed comparing means of those that had purchased from Gucci catalogs by their overall evaluation of catalogs, respondents found them at to be informative yet not useful enough, and also having a higher price than other channels to purchase through (.936). Perceptions of Gucci based on those who purchased from the catalogs showed no statistical significance between branding factors, further supporting the finding that the company's branding has become less memorable and differentiated. Again this supports the finding that the Gucci brand...
Contrasting these findings however was the significance of the demonstration blow, with the attribute of being Fun to Look at and Shows Quality products having statistical significance at the.01 level of confidence. Also noteworthy from this
analysis is that the lowest level of statistical significance relates to the matching of the catalog to the Gucci image, with no statistical significant attributed to this finding.
The implications of these findings from a marketing standpoint need to first begin with an assessment of the Gucci brand specifically, and second, the apparent failure of its multi-channel retailing strategies to connect with each other further supporting the brand. From the series of t-tests completed, the Gucci brand is clearly becoming more lacking in differentiation and uniqueness, in addition to lacking in a clear price/quality relationship of products that can pervade existing catalogs. The existing catalogs are seen as also undifferentiated, difficult to use yet fun to read and review. The parallels of the Gucci brand and the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the existing catalogs is abundantly clear from the analysis. Contrasting these findings however are the statistically significant findings for the demonstration catalog which successfully conveys a Fun to Look at and Shows Quality Product attributes at the.01 level of significance based on t-test analysis. Again this show how Gucci has the ability to execute well from a marketing standpoint on a project-by-product basis yet lacks the coordination of brand building, marketing, purchase decision process management, and multi-channel management to capture significant new
business. The catalog is actually just an indicator of the broader lack of sustained coordination and synchronization of the entire Gucci branding and
marketing strategy. Gucci needs to
