Week 4 Part A: Defining Target Markets

 Subway vs Hungry Bear

    Subway and Hungry Bear both sell sandwiches and salads. That seems to be where most of their similarities end.

    Subway is an international restaurant chain with over 40,000 location worldwide and over 20,000 in the United States alone (pre-Covid numbers). Subway is trying to reach a very large audience. They do tend to prioritize healthy, environmental, and convenient.

    Hungry Bear is a local sandwich shop that has had up to 3 locations (pre-Covid) and currently has 1. They focus locally. Their logo is a take on the California state flag. They are trying to reach hungry people with a macho feel.

    Subway is trying to reach healthy eaters. Subway portrays itself as being health conscious. Their website talks about having “real wild caught tuna” and “double up on protein”. Their ad photos at the top feature large amounts of vegetables. The Subway website features grilled chicken, lean meats, and colorful vegetables.

    Hungry Bear is delicious. Their photos are of sandwiches piled high with meat, cheese, and grease. Vegetables are secondary, purely to complement the meat in the sandwich. Hungry Bear shows off its variety of breads. The headline under the main logo proudly boasts that they have “the best subs and sandwiches in San Diego”.

    Subway is targeting customers that care about the environment. Subway is taking proper health precautions for their employees and communities. Subway is working to include more sustainability in their business processes. Subway is “making change for good”. Their targeting is nuanced. They are targeting people that need to eat but want something more from their dining experience.

    Hungry Bear is targeting a more macho segment. Their food is meaty and delicious. Their portions are large. They don’t mention the environment or health. They are targeting hungry people that enjoy eating.

    Subway even has a fairly nuanced and natural leaning color choice. Green and yellow don’t create a great deal of contrast, but they do feel natural. That simple color palette follows the entire page. Every section and every image are related to it. Even each sandwich photo includes that very specific yellow and green color theme, that’s no accident.

    Hungry Bear’s color scheme is simple and vibrant, bright red and bright green. Nothing should interfere with the food itself. The opening viewable window barely has words at all. The top banner largely collapses so that very little other than the logo gets in the way of showing the food. There is little nuance in their theme. Even the photos are designed to appear as delicious as possible, nuance be damned.

    Both websites sell similar products. Both websites have similar calls to action; order here, catering menus, and email signup. That is where the similarities seem to end. Both seem to have a clear target market. Both websites are clean and clear. Both have clear calls to action. After that they are extremely different.

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