In Response To Tammy Chou

What type of media do you think is the most beneficial and effective? Do you think that one has a stronger strength than the other?

Tammy had talked about how she thought that social media was, if not the most, beneficial and effective form or marketing. The internet, with technological advances as well, as become part of the average person's everyday lifestyle. On a daily basis, people are constantly held in touch through various sources: cell phones, email, social media networks, etc. Its hard to not be prone to use a one of these methods to stay in contact with people. It also appears that this phenomenon is appearing to become a trend in younger generations. They are now relying on social media as well and there are numerous networks that they become a part of. It's truly remarkable on how much people have become to rely on social media, and technology to get by in day to day activities. This is very good for marketing because by using these social media network sites they are able to appeal to larger demographics. It could also be used as a consensus as to what their target demographic is interested in currently, and they could develop or enhance their products around this data. It appeals and works for all age groups.

Do you agree that social media networking can be beneficial for marketers?

To Sell Or Not To Sell

With the case of John Smith, provided by Professor Johnson, it focuses on Smith selling names of prospective car buyers from the marketing survey he had created. After reading through this case, I think that from a financial standpoint it was wise for him to sell the names because it would make him a profit of $8,000. Smith could use this money wisely as well, by putting it towards developing his business more and giving it to his employees through their paychecks. Although the selling of the names would cause Smith to have a financial gain I feel that this is not ethical in any way. When marketing anything it is important to comply with the American Marketing Association. On their website there is a section that is dedicated to explaining their ethical norms which should be followed. "Do no harm", "Foster trust in the marketing system", and "Embrace ethical values" are listed as the first three. The Association is based on providing customers with the honesty and respect that they deserve and that the marketing of these products is done ethically. However, if John Smith were to sell the names of prospective car buyers, without their consent, then he is performing unethically. If John Smith were to not gain the consent from these car buyers and sold them anyways, he would lose customers because of the loss of respect towards Smith and his company. It may be a good move in order to gain a profit, but there are other ways to do so. I feel that Smith needs to evaluate his actions and focus on his customers because it is ultimately them who determine if the business is going to be successful or not. If he were to sell the names, he would lose customers and that could result in him losing his entire business over time. He could even face legal issues.

Would you, if you were John Smith, sell the names of the prospective car buyers?

In Response To Jade Brulotte

Would you agree that this is a great way to market to women? Why or why not?

I have seen this ad before and absolutely loved it. With images of the "perfect" body in magazines or on television women are confronted with an issue of body image and this determines how they perceive themselves, which is not right. As the Dove Ad aired, it illustrated that although women are beautiful in their unique ways, they are unaware of it themselves. They are drained from the exhaustive amounts of images of what it is like to be perfect, even though these are more than often photoshopped images, that they are insecure about themselves. They way we perceive ourselves corresponds with how we carry ourselves and if its negative then it shows greatly. When the artist revealed the sketches to the participants you can see it clearly in their faces the realization that they don't appear to others the same way they think they appear in their own eyes. This resulted in many tears. I think its sad that women place so much pressure on themselves that they fail to see themselves as they should, and instead looked down upon themselves.

"Its emotion that drives brands you feel like you can trust and brand you want to bring close to you and your family"

I feel companies use the emotional aspect to appeal to consumers. If they can grab the consumers attention through emotion then they are usually more successful than those who use other tactics. However, this could also fail due to the content of the emotion trying to be grasped or the marketing of the product. In the case of Dove, I feel as though they completely hit the target when using the emotional aspect to draw in consumers with this particular ad. Perception is a driving factor in every day life and by showing the truth many women face, they will "touch" more consumers; which will draw them into choosing this product over other competitive products.

Do you think women place too much pressure on themselves and are blinded by their own perceptions?

Boston Marathon

Recently there has been a bombing that took place during the Boston Marathon. With the marathon bringing in crowds from all over the world, this incident not only affected Americans but also many other countries and people around the world. Living in Massachusetts I have visited Boston several times a year since I can remember, its like a second home. My brother, who currently lives in Boston, has been keeping me updated on how the city seems so dead, compared to the liveliness it usually has. Up until that Friday night, when the second suspect was captured, the residents of Boston were afraid to leave their homes; a fear they never had before. Many businesses had resorted to closing temporarily during this time and placed signs in their front windows which stated the re-open of their business will happen when all suspects are found. These businesses did not have to shut down, especially seeing how this would cause them to lose profit until the capture, but they did to show their support for the city of Boston. This included that of small and large businesses.

Do you think it was a good idea for businesses to close until the capture of the suspects?

In Response To Cody Crawford

Why do you think psychological pricing is so successful in todays market?

In present day I feel that people fall more for psychological pricing because of the way the economy is. Since we are currently, and slowly, coming out of a recession families and others are looking for ways to spend less but gain the same quality they have been accustomed to their whole lives. Everything is priced so much higher than those prices from the past and this puts a strain on people financially. When people see $4.95 instead of $5.00 they immediately think that they are saving money, even though we know that they are in fact not. However, I feel that people are convinced they're saving because companies have found the trend in people wanted cheaper goods. With companies still trying to gain a profit, one method is to use psychological pricing to trick that of their consumers, and they still maintain their revenue goals. Yes, I find this to be cheating the consumer but it is a good pricing technique for companies to use. However, the consumer should also have enough knowledge to understand what they are about to purchase and that the price is not that much cheaper than they originally think.

Have you ever fallen for a slightly lower price by how it appeared originally?

On-Demand Movies

Movies have been a part of history for well over a hundred years. Varying in different genres, languages, etc., movies have captured audiences of all kinds with this form of entertainment. With technology advancing, they have become more readily available to the average person. Companies like Red Box and Netflix specialize in delivering a movie to the hand of the consumer instantly. However, what makes us choose the movie we choose? I know for me the decision isn't always an easy one. With the options seemingly endless, its hard for me to narrow down which ones I think will be good, and then deciding on just one is nearly impossible. From the cover of the dvd, the summary of what the movie is about to the commercial previews I could have seen before even approaching this situation, there are many factors that go into deciding which movie to watch or stream. Personally I choose a movie that I was not able to see in theaters or one that looks the most interesting. However, this decision was partially already made for me. There are people whose job it is to "sell" a movie even after it has already been marketed for the theaters. Sell is in quotations because yes their job is to make money from consumers purchasing their movies, however these people's jobs revolves around persuading a consumer to purchase the movie, even after all the excitement from the movie originally coming out. If this job is not done well, the consumers will become disinterested in a movie due to the bad quality in the cover and the previews that are shown.

When choosing a movie to watch from Red Box or Netflix, have you been persuaded one way or another by how the movie appears, or more by what you've heard about that movie?

In Response To Nicholas Vita

What is your take on informercials? Are they a good marketing tactic for a company?

Honestly, I find informercials to be annoying and tend to mute the television whenever one comes on. For this, I would have to say that informercials are not a good marketing tactic for a company to use. It in a way makes them appear desperate because usually informercials are goofy, exaggerated, cheesy and consists of a spokesperson who always tends to be doing the same thing; standing behind a table and speaking loudly into a microphone. I've recently have learned that the spokesperson speaks loud in order to grasp the attention of the viewer because the change in volume from the television show to the informercial alerts the viewer. Although this does not seem affective. Most informercials also appear on late night television which I don't understand because no one is really up during the hours they air. Another thing that seems to be a theme amongst infomercials is the pricing. Why is it always set at $19.95? Clearly not everything being sold in today's society is less than $20. I guess my point is that I feel informercials shouldn't even exist.

Im interested in seeing if anyone has every fallen for one of these informercials, have you personally ever bought something from an informercial?

Name Brand vs. Store Brand

With economy suffering and the middle-class shrinking it is hard to find products that are good for "your buck", especially when trying to provide for a family or even just yourself. It is becoming more popular for brand name products to become store brand instead. Although the store brand is not the same exact thing as the brand name, it follows the same principle in supplying that product to the consumer. Major grocery store such as Big Y Supermarket, Market Basket, and Shaws have been implementing products that are originally brand name like cereal, milk, bread, or chips and turning them into a type of store brand. This is to appeal to the consumer who needs to spend less money for what they purchase in order to survive. By providing store brands, the company is able to bring in more consumers and revenues because they will be creating a product that people already love yet can't spend that amount of money on. I grew up in a family of 7 and that means we had times where store brand products were chosen over brand name because it would benefit us in the long run with money. By saving money on groceries we were able to spend the saved money on other things.

Would you choose store brand over brand name to save money? or do you prefer brand name because of the quality and familiarity?

In Response To Jade Brulotte

Do you agree with his statement? Why or why not?

Personally, I disagree with his statement. In my family I have 3 older brothers who, at some point in their life, have played a video game that involved guns. Although they use real weapons, I feel that its purpose is not to create more violence in the world by providing how to cause death with a real life weapon. It's simply a way to make the gaming experience more realistic so that the gamer doesn't lose interest, and also to keep them coming back for the newest products they produce. There is also an army gaming center that encourages kids to come play the games and then hopefully in the future become interested in serving for our country. If placing real guns into games was a bad idea I feel that the army would not use games to reach out to kids because they wouldn't want to send out the wrong message.

In the case of "the Army Experience" do you agree with their techniques to reaching out to the youth?

Celebrity Endorsements

Chances are, you own something that was endorsed by a celebrity; whether you bought it for that reason or not. In today's society, celebrity endorsements are becoming more and more popular. Currently, nearly every celebrity endorses at least one product which is seen by the average person. This could include the Jordan brand from Michael Jordan, UGGs for men by Tom Brady, Diet Pills by Kim Kardashian and Gatorade through Robert Griffin III. In some of these cases, these celebrities endorse more than one brand. Celebrities pose as a figure of what to aspire to for some people, and many times their fans will buy the product simply because they have seen their favorite celebrity endorsing it. This however, does not mean that the product is supported by that celebrity or that the product is better than others. There are cases when the celebrity simply endorses a product to gain their own personal benefit, a fat paycheck. This is the company's way of selling their product to a larger demographic by having the product endorsed by a popular celebrity.

Do you think that celebrity endorsements are a proper way of selling a product? Do you agree with celebrities endorsing products?

In Response To Tammy Chou

Do you think multi-segment targeting strategy can have disadvantages? What do you think they are?

With any strategy that a company implements there is always a risk that they are taking, and this risk most definitely includes both advantages and disadvantages. I feel that the multi-segment targeting strategy is no exception to this. Tammy had mentioned that she believes cannibalization is the main disadvantage because it will create competition between the company's own products. However, I feel that when company's have competition in-house compared to with other company's it is actually an advantage. This is because when you compete against yourself it will only make the company stronger, due to the fact that the company only wants to produce the best of the best. When a company is able to stand back and see that one product may be better than the other, it gives the company a chance to improve the lesser product and make it equally as good, providing customers with the best products possible. They would have more control over what is being sold into the market, and still make a profit. The only down side I do see however, is if the company were to focus more on one product and less on the other. If the company is able to keep focus on all their products, the company should be successful.

Is there any specific company that cannibalization played a large role in producing their products?

Gender Specific Products

Gender has always played a role in how companies market or view their selling demographic. Certain products, present and in the past, have been geared towards one gender or another in order to satisfy the most customers possible. However, it most cases it really doesn't matter which gender you are when it comes to purchasing or using the product. There are products such as Dr. Pepper sodas or Keystone Beer that are not necessarily gender specific but yet are sold in such a way. Dr. Pepper had recently developed a soda that was ten calories but the slogan is "Not for women." It feels that Dr. Pepper was trying to appeal more to men and selling the "diet" type of soda, however how can women not drink it to? This is the same for Keystone Beer. The main character presented in the commercials is a around 30-year-old male named Keith Stone and he talks about how when a male drinks the beer, women will come to them. Although these commercials are ridiculous and not completely true, it still gears towards selling to men.

Do you think that it is right or even ethical for companies to sell products to just one gender, when in fact both genders could easily purchase the product as well?

In Response To Jade Brulotte

Do you think this is a good way to capture audiences? Do you ever "like" a brand on a social network?

I feel that this is definitely a good strategy for companies to use because of how technology is playing a larger role in today's society. People use the internet and social media networks to connect to those who are not relatively near them in location; a way to stay connected. When companies begin to advertise their company or product(s) on social media networks it gives them an "up" in the marketing aspect because they are reaching a larger demographic. However, when it comes to me personally "liking" these companies pages on social media networks I would have to say I never have done so. Not because I don't like their company and/or products but because I feel I don't have to "like" something to prove that I would buy or support that company. I do however like that companies are reaching out to larger demographics to make themselves known. I feel that this is a really good strategy to market their product.

Customer Service

Customer service, from both ends, is difficult in a sense. From the employee within customer service point of view, they are simply trying to help the customer be satisfied with what that company is selling, and this can include helping them in all aspects. From the customer point of view they go to customer service to either exchange a product, complain, or to gain guidance on what the company has to offer. In either case, customer service can be seen as positive and negative. I used to work at the customer service desk at Target and from my experience I've seen both the positive and negative sides of customer service. Although it is designed to help the customers achieve that satisfaction it was difficult for me at times to do so. This is because at times the customer would not corporate for what I was trying to do for them. In most cases I had experienced customers that resorted to yelling at me in order to get what they want. It seems that customers won't always give customer service employees the right state of mind and resort to other methods to get what they want, more than often it was given to them for free because the manager wants to keep the customers coming back. I find that this is a flaw in customer service. People sometimes manipulate their position in order to be viewed as a victim even if that employee is doing everything in their power to get you to that state of satisfaction. 

Do you think that customer service is flawed in some senses and/or that people abuse customer service?

CoachUp: Achieve Your Potential

While searching the internet for a project, I came across this ad for a personal coach. The coach is provided by through a website called CoachUp. This is meant for the common athlete who wants to improve their skills. I found the commercial to be well-made because it made clear as to what their product truly was, not many companies are successful in doing so. The commercial is consisted of black and white images, scattered captions and an announcer, simple enough. However, when watching the commercial you can see that it appeals to a large demographic and is not narrowed down by any specifications/classifications. Meaning it doesn't appeal to just one race, societal-class or anything like that. The company is focused on providing athletes with the help they need to become a great athlete. "Behind every great athlete is a private coach" is their motto. 

Do you think that this company will be successful if it continues to stay as a strictly online-based company?

In Response to Tammy Chou

Is there a certain percentage of sale that would influence you to change your mind in purchasing an item? For example, if the product was 25% off as opposed to 50% off? Which one would you end up picking?

This is a tricky question to answer in my opinion. When looking at simply the percentages that would be taken off I would clearly go with that of the 50% off because I would be saving the most money. However, when looking at the grand scheme of things, it really depends on what the product is and how much I would be spending if I chose the 50% off over the 25% off. For example: say I am in the market to buy a new laptop. I know there are endless amounts of laptops out there, so not looking for anything specific, just one that works properly. Therefore I have two, almost identical, laptops in my hands one marked "Original Price: $750, 25% off" and the other is marked "Original Price: $1199, 50% off." Although normally I would go for the one that is 50% off, in this case it would actually cost me more to get that laptop compared to the one that is 25% off. In terms of this particular question, I believe that it solely relies on what you are willing to pay as a consumer.

In Response to Will Ferguson

Do you think music gets marketing to consumers the same way products do?

I agree that music can get marketing to consumers in the same way that products do. From just looking on various websites, you can see that music is everywhere. Music is used in almost everything we are exposed to on a daily basis; such as background music in movies/television, commercials, internet, and those are just to name a few. It is hard to go a day without hearing some sort of music in some form. This is why I believe music can be a great marketing tool, just like that of products; you can't escaped music.

When musicians and bands sell shirts, they more than always have lyrics on some part of that shirt. As the consumers of said shirts wear them publicly, they are advertising that band or musician; which in a way is marketing within itself. This way of marketing is all about exposure because if someone were to see a person wearing a shirt with lyrics they know, they would be more likely to want that shirt.

Fat Loss Factor

Earlier today my friend had come to me explaining that she had found this new way of losing weight. She went on to state that this new product, the Fat Loss Factor, has been proven to reduce your weight by 10 pounds within the first week of using said product. The Fat Loss Factor focuses on cleaning on one's liver in order to re-gain the fat burning enzymes that should reside in the liver, only do not because it is currently filled with fatty cells. Once the liver is cleaned out properly, then the weight losing can start. The product originated in a clinic in the U.S and originally cost $782, but with the online offering you would only have to pay $47. This is where I lost confidence in the product. It didn't make sense to me that the product, which was originally so high, is so low in price.

I watched the video my friend watched and by the end of it I couldn't help but to want to buy the product as well. Not because I am looking for a weight loss product, but because of the way the product was presented. You couldn't help but to want the Fat Loss Factor. The video does not show real people, or the "doctor" that is supposedly speaking. However, the video simply shows a hand as "it draws" pictures that illustrate what is being said. I focused on the words. Each sentence was cleverly written in a way that made you want to hear more. The video didn't show how long the video was, or what point in the video you were at. You simply just watch the images unfold and listen. Here is the link to the video:

http://www.fatlossfactor.com/new/

Do you think that this is an effective way of promoting a product?

In Response to Will Ferguson

So, what was your favorite commercial and why?

I personally love commercials that do a good job at balancing selling their product(s) and grabbing the attention of the viewers. Recently I have been enjoying the AT&T commercials. In each commercial it starts off by a man in a suit asking a question, one that relates to their product, only a group of kids answer. I like these commercials because they are all completely random, you never know what to expect. Although they do little advertising their product, the overall commercial draws you in right until the end. By drawing you in, you are inevitably being introduced to their product without ever truly realizing it. Here's an example of one of their commercials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l61LjTwME7w

Is it a good way of advertising a product, if the product never truly gets mentioned until the end?

The Clydesdales: "Brotherhood"

The Super Bowl time slots for commercials might has well be an industry itself. Companies strive to get their commercial(s) on at a good time during the game. They spend time on making sure their commercial(s) will "grab" people's attention and present their product(s) in a way that will make people want to buy their product(s). This one particular Budweiser commercial stood out to me: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPG7PcI67dE

The commercial tells a story about a man and his horse. Budweiser provided a commercial that was unlike other commercials because it didn't aim to capture potential consumers through comedy, romance or any of the other "normal" ways of gaining attention from their viewers. In this case, Budweiser used emotion to grab attention. While watching the commercial you can't help but to feel for the owner when the horse seems to not remember him; until the end when the horse runs after the owners car. It had all the elements to drawing you into the story. It's amazing, to me, that some companies can create advertising that shares a story rather than continuously explaining their product(s). This commercial only shared glimpses of the well-known beer of Budweiser, but was still effective in my mind. 

Do you think that this is a good way for companies to draw people in to their commercials? Is the emotional state a good way to advertise products?

In Response to Melissa Moriwaki

Do you think the best kind of social media to use depends on what industry you are in?

Yes, I definitely think it matters what industry you are in in order to use a social media properly. Although most social media are the same, some vary amongst gender, age, etc. Therefore in order to be able to have a social media work in favor of your company/industry there needs to be knowledge as to what the social media will offer and how that can be used to help your company/industry. Social media like Pinterest or Tumbler are generally stirred to women; as it appeals to various aspects like clothing, the home, cooking, etc. If you are trying to appeal to both women and men these may not be the way to go. However, Facebook and Twitter are both social medias that don't appeal to just one type of person. These sites are made for the general population to use. Due to this fact, these two sites would be best to use if you are trying to get "the word" out about an event, promotions and other various things.

Have you been drawn to look at certain companies purely from their exposure on social media sites?

Can a T-Shirt Save the World?

Do you think a partnership with Product (RED) can improve Gap's image? Is it a sign that they are making a commitment to corporate social responsibility or do you agree with critics who say their involvement is an attempt to spit-shine the company's image while continuing to do business as usual?

When I first thought about this, I thought of course Gap's image will improve with this newly found partnership. However, after looking into this partnership it seems as though only a portion of the proceeds from the shirts go to The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. By having a variety of celebrities promoting the shirt, Product (RED) is able to get the word out through a large demographic. People will be willing to buy the shirt if one of their 'idols' is promoting it; which is not a bad marketing outlook. However, when people are willing to buy a product that benefits those in need they want to know that their money will go to where it rightfully deserves to go to. When Gap takes a portion of those proceeds to benefit that of their own company, it proves that they are trying to spit-shine their company. Cutting a portion for the sake of the company will cause people to be reluctant to buy the shirt and therefore these people will look elsewhere to benefit those in need where they know their money will be put to good use.
It seems as though if Gap truly wanted to help those in need and to improve their company, they need to re-evaluate their corporate social responsibility. Gap needs to show that when supporting a cause its for the cause and not a promotional technique to bring in a larger profit for the company.

What do you think Gap could do to improve their company's image and how could they generate a profit without taking a portion from a good cause?

Relationship Marketing

Relationship marketing in our book is defined as "a strategy that focuses on keeping and improving relationships with current customers."

This term is introduced in Chapter One of our book, as it refers to Customer Satisfaction. It assumes that many consumers and business customers would rather have an on-going relationship with one company than to continuously switching between companies. I found that All-State Insurance is a prime example of a company that thrives on relationship marketing. They have developed a plan in which states that if you go a year without getting into a car accident then they will give you $100 for that year and the ones that follows.

Unconventional to other companies, this plan seemed to be directly relating to Relationship Marketing because it is a way of rewarding their customers if they have been accident free for an entire year. By providing a reward system of some sorts to their customers, they are more likely to keep said customers.

Should a company rely heavily on relationship marketing, or should the company focus more on other aspects?

In Response to Joe Maturo

Do you like variety and options when buying something?

I most definitely like when there is a variety or options when buying products. Of course it depends on what I am buying. For instance: if I were shopping for a new pair of soccer cleats I would go to a store that was specialized in making such product. Although I could find soccer cleats in various places, like that of Target or Walmart, I would not go there. This is because I would be looking for quality in the product, one that will last for a relatively long time. Companies like Target or Walmart specialize in providing consumers with anything they need all in one store; not worried so much on the quality of the product. In certain situations Target and Walmart stores are good to go to when you need something, however in other cases I would have to choose a company that was more specialized in certain products.

In Response to Jade Brulotte

If I believed that the good or service met my needs and expectations then yes, I would be willing to pay the extra amount. However, it also depends on what the product is and whether or not the extra money is actually worth it. Companies such as Apple provide high-end products at a relatively high price. However with their products you know that your money will be well spent, and that with the product you gain technical help with technicians who are trained to make sure your product will work properly. In cases like this, I know that my money won't go to waste.

You also have to weigh in whether the product is worth it in the long run. People are not willing to buy a product if it won't last overall. Will the product hold up over time? The L.L Bean company understood this need of their consumers and provide life-time guarantee on all of their products. With this the consumer has the knowledge that no matter what they purchase, it will last for forever. Deciding whether or not to purchase a good at a higher price depends on the benefits one will experience and the quality of that good or service.

Do you think that consumers are more likely to purchase a good or service at a higher price due to the advertising of that product? 

Customer Satisfaction and Customer Value

Are customer satisfaction and customer value interdependent or mutually exclusive? Can satisfaction occur simultaneously with low customer value?

According to the customer satisfaction and customer value's definitions it appears that the two are mutually exclusive. They survive by the other. If the value of the product is high there is no guarentee that it will sell due to the consumers. Due to some being price sensitive, the product would have to deliver a benefit that is worth the money; or there won't be a sale. By providing the product with a good value to consumers, customer satisfaction would correspond directly to that value. This would mean that the product has met the needs and expectations of the consumers. This also allows the leeway for satisfaction to occur simultaneously with low customer value. Companies such as Walmart, strive to provide the consumers with low costing products that will meet the needs and expectations of the consumers. In fact that is what the company has always focused on.