Brand Audit & Market Ananlysis
LIVE WELL Alanna Jamieson Wiggins ART 329 Graphic Design III For questions regarding this brand audit please contact Alanna Jamieson Wiggins. a.jamiesonwiggins@spartans.ut.edu
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Company Overview History Vision, Mission, & Core Values Corporate Culture Press Releases Stakeholders Products Marketing Audit Touchpoints Brand Ideals Attributes Demographics & Ethnographics Personas Public Perception Competitors SWOT Assessment Positioning Problem Statement Brand Strategy Referneces Contents • 3
COMPANY OVERVIEW Organization GNC Holdings, Inc. Type of Organiza- Global Retailer of Health and Wellness Key Employees Josh Burris
Chief Executive Officer Cameron Lawrence Chief Financial Officer
Affiliated Corporation Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co. Ltd GNC Parent LLC GNC Corporation GNC Funding, Inc Lucky Vitamin Corporation Nutra Insurance Company Discount Supplements, Ltd Gustine Sixth Avenue Associates, Ltd.
Description GNC Holdings, Inc. (GNC) is a global
specialty retailer of health and wellness. GNC is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently sells vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, sports nutritions products and diet products through e-commerce and retail stores.
4 • Overview
HISTORY Formed 1935 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Founder David Shakarian
Description David Shakarian established his dream
with a small health food store called, Lackzoom, in Pittsburgh, PA. Specializing in yogurt (introduced to the US by his father) and other healthy foods such as honey, grains, and sandwiches. Disaster struck in 1936 with the St. Patrick’s Day flood, wiping out the Lackzoom stores; but within five years Shakarian was able to reopen along with six other locations. The name of the chain changed to General Nutrition Centrers in the 60s after people began to embrace the concept of natural food and better nutrition; the growing demand also allowed for out of state store openings. As the store count grew to 1,000 in the early 80s, GNC began producing their own vitamins, mineral supplements, as well as foods, beverages and cosmetics. Overview • 5
VISION, MISSION, & CORE VALUES Mission Statement
Vision Statement
“ At GNC, our mission is to motivate & support the desire to live well. ”
“ Living mighty. Living long. Living fit. Every person has a different definition of what it means to live well - and at GNC we see that as something worth celebrating. “
Core Values INNOVATION PERSONALIZATION CONVENIENCE
6 • Overview
CORPORATE CULTURE Employee Perspective Employee reviews rank GNC as an average work enviornment. Some find it to be a decent part time workplace, while others find the upper management to be “atrocious”, being forced to sell products or paid memberships “that are not beneficial to 90% of the customers or risk getting fired.” Some employees being told “associates should not think when trying to pass along ideas that could benefit the company”.
“ Above all else, GNC aims to inspire people to live well. Whether someone is an athlete or just starting to focus on their health, we want to deliver the cutting-edge, efficacious ingredients and products they deserve. “
“ Job always used as a threat if goals not met. “
Former Employee Regional Sales Director
“ Forced to sell bad products to good people for an extra buck. No help all bad, they hold my paycheck for four months. “
Former Employee
Rachel Jones Vice President, Global Brand Overview • 7
PRESS RELEASES GNC files for bankruptcy and will close up to 1,200 stores Leada Gore | AL.com
“ GNC said the business had been ‘under financial pressure for the past several years’ but the COVID-19 pandemic ‘created a situation Jordan Valinsky | CNN Business
“ The 85-year-old vitamin and dietary supplement company has been saddled with nearly $1 billion of debt and has faced declining sales
Gene J. Puskar | AP Photo
“ GNC Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is looking to close at least 800 to 1,200
8 • Overview
PRESS RELEASES GNC Names New CEO and CFO
Restructuring GNC has often been in the news about the companies debt and bankruptcy. With a new parent company and newly appointed CEO and CFO, the company plans to reconstruct to allow GNC to become a more profitable business.
Ben Unglesbee | Retail Dive
“ New CFO, Cameron Lawrence, said GNC is ‘now a stronger, leaner, and more nimble business, and with the right strategies in place, we are extremely well-positioned Ben Unglesbee | Retail Dive
“ Now under Harbin, GNC could have access to new capital and opportunities, after restructuring and shrinking
Overview • 9
STAKEHOLDERS
Gyms
Nutrition Experts
Venders
Gym owners, could sell GNC
Nutritionalists could advise
Venders/Store owners could sell
products to their members at the
their clients to use GNC
GNC at their retail locations and
gym.
products due to its results
online platforms, customers will
and promoted lifestyle goals.
be able to access GNC products in a variety of palces.
10 • Audit
PRODUCTS
Departments
Brands
Vitamins & Supplements
GNC
GNC has a very large product inventory,
Protein
GNC AMP
with over 350 brands the company offers
Performance
GNC Total Lean
a wide variety of nutritional products.
Herbs & Natural Solutions
Beyond Raw
Products are sold both instore and online,
Digestion
BodyDynamix
and with the companies new plans to
Superfoods & Green Foods
Nugenix
reconstruct, GNC is widening their
Weight Management
GHOST
inventory with a new collaboration with
Beauty & Skin Care
Alani Nu
celebrity Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Food & Drink
Optimum Nutrition
Equipment & Accessories
Girl Scouts
Audit • 11
MARKETING AUDIT GNC’s marketing materials include online and paper discounts to promote business instore and online. In addition GNC also is marketing the brand through celebrity collaborations, specifically a current collaboration with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi & John Shulman, and their ZOA energy drinks, “made for everyday warriors. “
12 • Audit
TOUCHPOINTS Users experience GNC through online
While GNC continues to use the bright
platforms and instore. GNC is not using
red color in their logo throughout their
its social media online platforms as well
store and employees uniform, customers
as they could. The content could be more
are able to recognize GNC in any situa-
engaging to the younger 18 - 45 year old
tion. While GNC’s social presence could
audience. The marketing collateral, using
be stronger, its symbolism to the color
coupons, discounts, and celebrity collab-
red, with bold and dynamic typography
orations is useful, but allowing a custom-
will always be iconic to the company.
er to engage with the lifestly GNC is pro-
GNC was able to establish a relationship
moting through the visual use of social
to a style and color, allowing for a cre-
media could broaden a users interest on
ative and visual seperation from other
following GNC and participating in their
companys.
recommended routines, product use, and concultations.
Audit • 13
BRAND IDEALS Voice & Tone
Logo
GNC’s general tone is encouraging and supportive, wanting to encourage their customers to try their products to be able to achieve their fitness and nutritional goals. Most social media communications are uplifting and encouraging, while a majority promote discounts and product.
Tagline “Live Well” ‘GNC knows every person has a different definition of what it means to live well - and at GNC - it is seen as something worth celebrating.‘
Color Scheme # ef3e3b C: 0 M: 91 Y: 81 K: 0 # a1a1a4 C: 0 M: 1 Y: 0 K: 43
Description The typeface used to create the GNC logo is a strong custom font composed of a bold futuristic sans-serif typeface. The powerful and dynamic nameplate corrolates well to the live well tagline, and the vissionary statement of living mighty, living long, and living fit, while engaging with a customers fitness and
14 • Analysis
lifestyle preferences.
ATTRIBUTES
HEALTHY FITNESS POWERFUL
NUTRICIOUS LIFESTYLE MOTIVATIONAL
STRONG
NATURAL
SUPPLEMENT
PHYSICAL
Analysis • 15
DEMOGRAPHICS & ETHNOGRAPHICS
Gender Age Range Income
Psychographics Healthy lifestyle
Female & Male
Diverse
18 - 45 years old
Young
Higher income
Overview The average GNC customer is young, an estimated 35 percent of GNC’s customers are under the age of 35. “We really have a core concentration between 18 and 45 years of age” (Schwartz). “That is where a lot of our customer base is. It’s very evenly balanced between men and women. They tend to be higher income. The customer that is coming to our stores is going to be more engaged in fitness and exercise than the average consumer” (Schwartz).
16 • Analysis
Physically fit
PERSONAS Name Gender Age Occupation Income Education Level Overview
Jessica
Name Gender Age Occupation Income Education Level Overview
Toby
Female 31 years old Nutritionist $58,000 Bachelor’s Degree Jessica is a single mother of one. In her free time she enjoys at home workouts and living a healthy lifestyle through the intake of natural vitamins.
Male 23 years old Personal Trainer $40,000 High School Toby is a single dog dad; in his free time he likes to study different vitamins and protiens supplements and how they effect energy levels. Analysis • 17
PUBLIC PERCEPTION GNC is known as a for its customers who follow a fitness and nutritional lifestyle. GNC’s social media portrays discounts and collaborations, along with motivational feed. The cutomers percieve GNC as a straight forward and direct company, while its employees are supposed to promote it as a lifestly. Remembering to express the vision of living mighty, living long, and living fit.
18 • Analysis
COMPETITORS
The Vitamin Shoppe
Herbalife
The Vitamin Shoppe is dedicated in helping customers to becoming better versions of theirselves. Through high quality supplements, protiens, herbs, superfoods, aromatherapy, and more.
Herbalife Nutrition’s mission is to improve nutritional habits across the globe, with science-based nutrtion products that allow people to create a balanced and healthy diet and nutrition.
Products are sold online and instores, with a variety of brands.
Products are sold exclusivly througb distributors, Herbalife products are exclusivly sold.
Revenue: $1.1B (FY,2018) Net Income: $3.8M (FY,2018) Gross Profit: $354.8M (FY,2018) Market Cap: ~$100.75M (2020)
Revenue: $4.9B (FY,2019) Net Income: $308.3M (FY,2019) Market Cap: ~$6.25B (2021)
Analysis • 19
SWOT ASSESMENT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
- Large variety of brands and products
- Poor online presence
- New plans to restructure
- Poor employee treatment
OPPORTUNITIES
20 • Analysis
THREATS
- COVID-19 Quarintine hobbies
- COVID-19 Quarintine financial impacts
- Creating an engaging lifestyle
- Restructuring failure
POSITIONING Product Positioning High Price
Product Variety High Variety of Brands
High Quality
Low Quality
High Quantity
Low Quantity
Low Price GNC
Herbalife
Vitamin Shoppe
Low Variety of Brands
Analysis • 21
PROBLEM STATEMENT
GNC recently, and in the past, has come
GNC also has a poor social media pres-
across negative reviews from current and ence. With the social media being mainly former employees. With statements
focused on product photography, the
refering to the poor treatment and threats younger audience that GNC is trying to the associates recieved from upper
engage are not responding well to their
management, and the lack of actions
platforms.
toward employees dedication to improving not only their workplace, but GNC’s overall experience for customers as well.
22 • Analysis
BRAND STRATEGY
By improving interanal treatment of
Being able to distinguish the vision s
employees, and giving them a platform to
tatement of living mighty, living long,
not only voice concerns, but also allowing
and living fit through a more lifestyle and
them to help improve customers
engaging social media platform can not
experience and the overall meaning of
only fascinate and encapture the younger
GNC’s promoted lifestyle.
audince GNC is targeting, but can also create a more meaningful image behind the statement live well and GNC’s vision.
Analysis • 23
REFERENCES https://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/efxapi/EFX_dll/EDGARpro.dll?FetchFilingHtmlSection1?SectionID=10487706-489086-491721&SessionID=kzcieF6350Tvll7 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/24/gnc-bankruptcy-store-closings-coronavirus-pandemic/3248499001/ https://www.gnc.com/company-history.html https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1502034/000162828020004053/gnc-20191231x10kspread.htm https://www.gnc.com https://pittsburghorbit.com/2015/05/03/lackzoom-acidophilus/ https://www1.salary.com/GNC-HOLDINGS-INC-Executive-Salaries.html https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2021/02/15/GNC-announces-new-leadership-reveals-plans-for-2021 https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/business/gnc-bankruptcy/index.html https://www.al.com/news/2020/06/gnc-declares-bankruptcy-closing-800-stores-complete-list-of-closing-locations.html https://www.comparably.com/companies/gnc/mission https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.gnc_corporation.f1c35b81c1695df7852b9838441c1744.html#contact-anchor https://www.retaildive.com/news/gnc-names-new-ceo-and-cfo/595015/ https://www.nordicnaturals.com/images/GNC/Logo%20Requirements/NEW%20GNC%20logo%20standards.pdf https://1000logos.net/gnc-logo/ https://www.similarweb.com/website/gnc.com/#alsoVisited https://www.instagram.com/gnclivewell/ https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Gnc/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Tallahassee%2C+FL https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Gnc/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Tampa%2C+FL
24 • Analysis
