Online Communication, Business Assessment: Target

 Target is one of my favorite stores ever, and I learned a lot about their company just from browsing their website. In my opinion, I think they have a good social media presence. At the bottom left of their website they list all of their social media accounts; they're connected on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Tik Tok, which basically hits all the relevant social media platforms that are most used today.

Screenshot of Target's Instagram page.

They do a good job at highlighting their new collections. For example, it's Halloween/Fall season, so a lot of their posts have been highlighting their Halloween decor and how it's all set up in their stores. They also have two hashtags that you can add to your own posts when you shop there. I imagine whoever manages their Instagram account actively look through the posts that have included the tags, and I've seen that they ask user permission to share their Target posts onto their own pages. That is a great way to engage users and makes it exciting to be featured on Target's social media.

The top of Target's home page.

At the top of Target's website right now they have their Halloween costumes sales in a large ad. Right underneath they follow with Halloween costumes, candy, and more Halloween finds. I believe this focus on Halloween items is intentional given that Halloween is approaching, so it makes sense to highlight items they want to sell. In the middle they have their Black Friday sales. Thanksgiving is next month, so they have "Black Friday" deals from now until the end of the holiday season. Then towards the bottom they have ads for their Christmas and Hannukah merchandise. I think once Halloween and Thanksigivng pass that they'll start highlighting their Christmas decor a lot more the same way they have for Halloween/Fall.

Target's identity as a home decor and home essentials store is very obvious. They highlight ways to make your home cozy, they place emphasis on their collaborations with Hearth & Hand with Magnolia or Studio McGee, for example, and show different home "looks" that you can do with their products. Target also sells groceries, clothing, hygiene products and cleaning supplies, but I'd say overall they put emphasis on home essentials like decor, kitchen items, and furniture. They want customers to feel "joy" and bring that into their own home by buying their products.

Links to Target's corporate commitments on their home page.

Overall, I think Target does a good job with their online communication and social media presence. They hit different elements of social media by being available on multiple platforms and sharing relevant content. They have "corporate commitments" listed on their home page as well, so I guess that would give people an idea of their ethics and values as a company. The only thing I feel that they leave in the dark is making known the other services they provide such as a the pharmacy, optics, and clinic, but I think that varies by store location, so that may be why.