CASE ASSIGNMENT: Axe Though it has been in production since 1983, Unilever's Axe body fragrance skyrocketed from a small European brand to a $2.5 billion global enterprise in recent years. Axe holds 76 percent of the body fragrance market, and grew 13.6 percent in 2012 alone. Without question, the key to Axe's success has been its excellence in marketing. As other companies do, Axe sponsors events and places advertisements that are aimed at connecting with young men. Axe, however, takes things a step further by tying all of its marketing efforts to an incredible level of research Axe's core target demographic is men aged 20 to 25. It does not try to "age with the group, meaning that it does not chase its customers as they age. The company operates a relentless research system that focuses squarely on this segment, tracking fads, trends, likes and dislikes, interests, and relationship patterns. Axe marketers know that what appealed to the 20 to 25 demographic five years ago will not appeal to the current 20 to 25 group, and that whatever is popular now will likely be out of style in another five years. Axe's research skills have led to a significant shift in its advertising strategy. Early on, marketers found that males and females would often spend time in separate groups. This knowledge led to advertising that focused on how guys could use Axe to get close to girls. In one commercial, a cheerleader, driven insane by Axe, tackles a football player wearing the fragrance. Recently, however, researchers found that males and females are spending more time together. Axe shifted its advertising strategy, playing to both men and women. The newer commercials show women being more demanding, telling males to groom themselves better and females to take charge of the budding romance. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. Axe gathered eight 23-year-old males together for a focus group to discuss what they liked and disliked about the new Axe body spray fragrance. What is a focus group? 2. Measuring changes in consumers' heart rates as they watch Axe television commercials is an example of neuromarketing. Define neuromarketing and explain how companies can benefit from its use. NOTE: Questions should be answered in short paragraphs (3-5 sentences). There should be at least one paragraph per question. Please spell and grammar check your work prior to submission NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED