Steven Greenhouse Going For The Look Analysis
Ladaija McCockran
English 12 1-P
Unit 2 Essay
“Going for the Look” Essay
Marketing strategies have been taken farther than ever before. Companies are now making money by using their employees as walking billboards. In the article Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination, Steven Greenhouse discusses how this new technique could be a form of discrimination, and why industry analyst, like Marshall Cohen, think the strategy is necessary. The definition of discrimination is the showing of unjust favor, and by companies declining employment to those who do not fit their “image” definitely appears to be unjust. In the article Mr. Greenhouse gives countless examples of how hiring based off looks could be seen as discriminatory, which is why …show more content…
Greenhouse’s first example is the popular store Abercrombie and Fitch, who has created a hiring policy based on the new marketing strategy. A former manager Mr. Serrano stated, ‘‘if someone came in with a pretty face, we were told to approach them and ask them if they wanted a job,''1. Major stores like this one feel that having an attractive staff that represents the image they are trying to sell will bring in new customers. His second example is the cosmetic company L’Oreal who’s former west coast sales manager said she felt, “intense pressure to hire attractive saleswomen, even if they were incompetent,”2. Cosmetics companies feel that their employees should have the “model look” that they sell to their customers. His third example is Gap and Benetton who “pride themselves on hiring attractive people from many backgrounds and races,”3. Gap believes in the hiring of people based off looks, but separate themselves from other companies by hiring people from different backgrounds to help project their …show more content…
Abercrombie and Fitch have a reason for hiring based on looks. “If we had the best looking college kids working here, everyone will want to shop here,”7 stated by a former Abercrombie and Fitch manager. This strategy is very aggressive but companies believe that it will put them ahead in the retail world. Marshall Cohen also has a reason why retailers should hire based on looks, “It's really important to create an environment that's enticing to the community, particularly with the younger, fashionable market. A guy wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good-looking gals,”8. According to Mr. Cohen’s market research hiring based on looks is necessary for retailers to beat the competition and maximize their profits. Certain customers, like Mathew Sheehey, believe that this is a good practice. “If you see an attractive person working in the store wearing Abercrombie clothes, it makes you want to wear it, too,”9 said Matthew Sheehey. According to customers seeing attractive salespeople wearing the styles featured in a particular store increases their desire to wear those same types of
English 12 1-P
Unit 2 Essay
“Going for the Look” Essay
Marketing strategies have been taken farther than ever before. Companies are now making money by using their employees as walking billboards. In the article Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination, Steven Greenhouse discusses how this new technique could be a form of discrimination, and why industry analyst, like Marshall Cohen, think the strategy is necessary. The definition of discrimination is the showing of unjust favor, and by companies declining employment to those who do not fit their “image” definitely appears to be unjust. In the article Mr. Greenhouse gives countless examples of how hiring based off looks could be seen as discriminatory, which is why …show more content…
Greenhouse’s first example is the popular store Abercrombie and Fitch, who has created a hiring policy based on the new marketing strategy. A former manager Mr. Serrano stated, ‘‘if someone came in with a pretty face, we were told to approach them and ask them if they wanted a job,''1. Major stores like this one feel that having an attractive staff that represents the image they are trying to sell will bring in new customers. His second example is the cosmetic company L’Oreal who’s former west coast sales manager said she felt, “intense pressure to hire attractive saleswomen, even if they were incompetent,”2. Cosmetics companies feel that their employees should have the “model look” that they sell to their customers. His third example is Gap and Benetton who “pride themselves on hiring attractive people from many backgrounds and races,”3. Gap believes in the hiring of people based off looks, but separate themselves from other companies by hiring people from different backgrounds to help project their …show more content…
Abercrombie and Fitch have a reason for hiring based on looks. “If we had the best looking college kids working here, everyone will want to shop here,”7 stated by a former Abercrombie and Fitch manager. This strategy is very aggressive but companies believe that it will put them ahead in the retail world. Marshall Cohen also has a reason why retailers should hire based on looks, “It's really important to create an environment that's enticing to the community, particularly with the younger, fashionable market. A guy wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good-looking gals,”8. According to Mr. Cohen’s market research hiring based on looks is necessary for retailers to beat the competition and maximize their profits. Certain customers, like Mathew Sheehey, believe that this is a good practice. “If you see an attractive person working in the store wearing Abercrombie clothes, it makes you want to wear it, too,”9 said Matthew Sheehey. According to customers seeing attractive salespeople wearing the styles featured in a particular store increases their desire to wear those same types of