Chapter 4 The Marketing Environment: Target Market

         
     For forty years, The Hard Rock Brand has been the prototype for theme restaurants. It had little competition until Planet Hollywood which is a movie themed restaurant with authentic movie memorabilia directly from the sets of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. The competition for tourist dollars is obvious here in New York's own time Square where the Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) and Planet Hollywood sit directly across the street from each other.
      After going to Times Square, just based on curb appeal, The Hard Rock is a sstrong brand name and a target market of Generation X and Yers. From my observations, the majority of people going into Planet Hollywood were families with tween children or younger. Adults without children and large groups of adults opted for the Hard Rock.This could be a strategy from Planet Hollywood to direct their marketing to families with young children since they understand Hard Rock is courting the Gen X and Y market.
       Another observation based on curb appeal, was the design of the restaurants. The HRC has a darker theme, almost Gothic, with dark steel signs and minimal neon lighting. Planet Hollywood has big bright neon letterings that fit in well with the rest of the lights in Times Square. Along with the lighting, one can determine if the restaurant is the right fit by the drink menu. HRC had much larger alcohol menu with interesting signature cocktails including the 'Hurricane' which has its own glass named after it.
    The Hard Rock's understands who their target market is and why they are in Times Square. HRC understands the traveler's disire for a mature crowd thats wants to let loose with some rock and roll and alcohol.