Tom Brady Endorcing Ugg Boots!?

According to the UGG Australia press release, Tom Brady will be the face for the 2011 fall line of UGG boots.

"Tom Brady is the ideal UGG® Australia endorser," said Deckers Outdoor Corporation Chairman and CEO Angel Martinez. "He embodies the stylish casual attitude that is at the foundation of every product we make, and is as much a style icon off the field as he is a playmaker on it."

To understand why UGGs are what they are, it is helpful to understand where they came from.  UGGs are a type of boot that was originally made by sheep shearers in the Outback of Australia.  These sheep shearers tended the flocks of Merino sheep, some of the softest and highest quality wool available.  To combat the coldness of early mornings and late nights in the Outback, sheep shearers began making a type of slip-on boot that was double sided - incredibly soft, fluffy Merino wool on the inside and soft yet sturdy sheepskin on the outside.  During World War II, Australian pilots wore the boots in their cold cockpits (long before airplanes were pressurized). With ice-cold cockpits, these boots kept the pilot's feet warm.  The name UGGs, was actually just short for "ugly."

However, despite - or perhaps because of the name, UGGs gained popularity all over the world.  Beginning with celebrities in the United States, UGGs can be seen worn in all states, cold and warm.

UGG® Australia has expanded its product offerings to include a full range of men's cold weather boots, slippers and casual shoes, as well as outerwear and men's accessories.  In recent years, the brand history has been eclipsed by the phenomenal success of its women's business.  However, Tom Brady says that he already wears and loves UGG boots.  So using Tom Brady, UGG Australia is hoping that they can attract a male audience.

A few articles online seem to be unimpressed with Tom Brady for agreeing to this deal.  Honestly, I think it's cool that he is confident enough in himself to wear the boots.  Anyone who has ever tried these boots on, knows that the boots are VERY comfortable, and warm.  Since it's a unisex boot, why wouldn't Tom Brady wear them? And in my opinion, there is no better choice than Tom Brady (a laid back New England sports super star) to endorse boots that are intended for a laid back, lifestyle.

Do you think that Tom Brady is the right choice for endorsement?  Since Tom Brady is going to be making a large sum of money doing this, do you think the cost will be worth the benefits to UGG Australia?

In Response to Aubrey Menegus....

Women control 80% of the consumer market, so why wouldn’t you market the media to the majority of the consumers? Do you think it is smart for VH1 to market more towards women? Will that be more effective to gain more of an audience?

     I think that marketers are starting to market more to women.  Which is definitely a good move in the right direction for all companies, including VH1.  As Aubry mentioned in her blog, TV stations don't want to grow old with their viewers because eventually those viewers are not going to be there anymore, and if they are not attracted new audiences, than they are going to be forced to close down.

According to a book called The She Spot "Women are not a niche audience, women are the audience."

     The book focuses on why marketing to women is such an effective marketing decision (they focus on non-profit marketing/political marketing however, a majority of the information applies generally as well).  Here are some of the points that are mentioned:

• As philanthropists and donors, women take more risks than men. They’re more likely to give to a new or less well-known organization they believe is truly making a difference than.
•  Women do not use a gender lens when choosing their favorite candidate. They won’t favor a female candidate over a male one just because she’s a woman.
• More women are online today, than men, and more women are blogging.

 
     The book goes on to discuss Stonyfield Farms yogurt company being one of the first companies to successfully market it's product to women, particularly moms: 

"Stonyfield Farm grew from being a seven-cow organic farming school in the early 80s into a company with $250 million in annual sales.  Every cup of Stonyfield yogurt bears a personal message from the CEO and founder Gary Hirshberg. Turn the lid over and you’ll find tips on how to make the world a better place. Stonyfield was ahead of the curve when it came to products that had special appeal to moms, like Yo-Baby yogurt and calcium-fortified yogurt.  All of this has been critical to the company’s surge as the fastest-growing yogurt company in the world."

     I am not certain that VH1 will see a great response from the shows that they are thinking of putting out, because honestly, none sound very appealing to me, but I am interested in seeing how it works out for them.  Can you think for any other companies that market specifically to women?  Have they been successful in doing so?

Supreme Court ZIP Code Ruling

     According to an article in Direct Marketing News, the Supreme Court recently ruled that it was unethical for marketers to collect ZIP codes during credit card transactions. 

"We're shocked — we never expected a ruling that ZIP codes were personal information," said Bill Dombrowski, president of the California 
Retailers Association, a trade group that represents about 9,000 stores in the state.

     Jessica Pineda's argument was that the company Williams-Sonoma was using the credit card information to find home addresses and other customer information and selling it to other companies.  The ruling was that the company had violated the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act of 1971, which prohibits retailers from gathering customers' personal identification information during a credit card transaction.
  Since this ruling was made, similar lawsuits were made against other companies such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Lowe's, Office Depot, and Walmart.  The ruling originally only seemed to be affecting California retailers (where the ruling was made) but has since spread to other states.

     When I am checking out with my credit card I have always assumed that all of my information was safe.  Honestly, I do not think that the use of a ZIP code is a big deal as long as they stay away from my personal information.  Everyone in my town has the same ZIP code, it's a very general piece of information and I do not think that it is unethical to collect it.

When I shop at Victoria Secret they ask for my ZIP code at check out, it is up to the customer to volunteer that information if they choose.  Do you think that that is a more ethical way of collecting the ZIP codes?  Would you volunteer that information if you were asked?

In Response to CJ Wyllie....

"How would you market for a very small company?  When you’re the only employee of a company you need to make every decision and it’s typically one of the hardest things to do.  Everything rests on your shoulders and every decision you make or break the company.  So with these limited resources how to get your name out to the public to buy your product?"

CJ's friend is trying to start a company that makes custom surfboards.  Honestly, I think it's a great idea for the New England area, however I am not sure that this area is the best place to be trying to sell surfboards.  I come from Maine, where there are beaches all over, and is certainly a larger market for surfboards than there is here in Keene, New Hampshire.
I definitely agree that it is hard to do all the marketing for a product on your own, especially when you're just getting your company off the ground, but I think that you could see being the only employee making decisions as a strength.  You have the ability to make choices, and if it doesn't work, you only have yourself to blame.  You also do not have to worry about paying someone when you don't have the money.
So how do you get your name out?
You need to start by creating a target market.  While making custom surfboards I would assume that the target is a reasonably experienced surfer, or perhaps someone who is shopping for a surfboard to give as a gift.  You should definitely differentiate between the two potential markets.  Perhaps T-shirts would work for experienced surfers, but not for someone who doesn't know so much about surfboards.  I also think it is important for you to advertise the aspects of your product that are different from any other custom surfboard company.

Product: Custom Surfboards

Price: Higher or Lower than other custom companies?

Promotion: Differentiate between markets.

Why buy YOUR custom surfboards: educate your consumers.

Place: Sell in a location that will have a high demand for your product.  Keene, NH does not.

Do you think that CJ's friend could sell surfboards to Keene residents?

In Response to Cristy Senersen....

Do you think this marketing approach will work? Will people even be inclined to watch the show let alone be inclined to buy a Ford?

Based on what Cristy said about the show, It definitely sounds like something that I think people are going to be interested in watching/participating in.  Shows like American Idol have received great ratings.  I personally do not watch a lot of TV, but I think that the general TV watching audience likes to feel like they are part of the action.

Since this show takes the participation beyond voting to actually being part of the show, I think viewers will be excited. As far as actually buying a Ford because of watching the show, maybe, and maybe not.  I think the show is a great idea, but I think that it could go either way.  For example, what if the cars break down on the show, or get poor gas mileage?

I think it's a creative marketing idea, and I'm definitely interested to see how it goes for them.

If it ends up going well, what other products do you think this marketing idea could be effective for?

Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral

Although Webster describes “viral” as something caused by a virus, such as a viral infection; the 20^th Century has given viral a whole new meaning.  People post videos on the internet (particularly YouTube) in the hopes of seeing the video “Go Viral.”  From this occurrence has come Viral Marketing.  Viral Marketing is defined as:  a strategy by which a marketer creates a campaign focused around the goal of causing viewers of that promotion to spontaneously spread it by sending it to friends.

The first Viral Marketing strategy was done by sending out a large number of e-mails, in the hopes that those e-mails would be forwarded to the friends of the receiver.  Recently, Viral Marketing seems to have taken a different route.  Marketers are posting videos in the hopes of getting “hits” or views.

The video at the end of the post is a video that was posted in the hopes of having it go “viral” as stated clearly by Jennifer Anniston in the video itself.  The video actually discusses its hopes to go viral, and how it is going to go about doing so.  On YouTube the video has been tagged with the most highly-searched words, including misspellings, and different spacing:

[Jen Aniston, Jennifer, Jennifer Aniston, Jenifer Aniston, Jennnifer Aniston, smartwater, smart water, glaceau, electrolytes, viral video, funny, double rainbow, puppies, parrot, dancing babies, babies, sex tape, internet nerds, keenan cahill, G6, brad wollack, and chelsea lately]

The video is enjoying 8.7 million views and counting.

Brian Quinton posted on The Big Fat Marketing Blog: “Is it worth the extensive CG effects budgets, a salary fit for an Aniston, and even a ‘trailer’ to the video posted last December to rack up 8 million-plus views plus uncounted shares in social media? If you’re a social branding skeptic, probably not. As for me, the next time I’m in the market for an energy drink, I might just remember those babies…”

I disagree with Brian.  I think that Viral Marketing is an up-and-coming way to market to consumers and 8.7 million (counted) views – sounds like it is well worth it to me.  Isn’t the point of marketing to reach an audience to make them aware of your product and want to purchase it?  I think that we will be seeing a lot more Viral Marketing in the future.

What do you think about Viral Marketing?  Do you think that this video was a good marketing decision for Smart Water?

Thinking without Thinking

An article in Marketing Today Daryl Travis assesses Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink.  Gladwell's book suggests that all consumers "think without thinking."

Gladwell's arguments are very similar to the concepts that are covered in our Marketing Express Textbook.  That people make decisions about products before they even think about it.  Gladwell says that we go through two processes.
1)Rapid Cognition: Rapid thought that happens outside of conscious awareness, commonly called intuition: The act or process of coming to direct knowledge or certainty without reasoning or inferring.
2)Thin-Slicing: The ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience.

Gladwell believes that these two processes make it difficult to actually answer honestly about why we like or do not like something.  Gladwell says, "while people are very willing and very good at volunteering information explaining their actions, those explanations, particularly when it comes to the kinds of spontaneous opinions and decisions that arise out of the unconscious, aren’t necessarily correct. Finding out what people think of a rock song sounds as if it should be easy. But the truth is that it isn’t, and the people who run focus groups and opinion polls haven’t always been sensitive to this fact."

Have you ever experienced a smell, sound, or image that caused a different image to show up in your mind?  For my entire childhood the word "stupid" always triggered a weird image in my mind of an Indian Chief sitting on a basketball court.  Obviously, this image has nothing to do with that word.  If anything, the feeling the image gave me was fear, and perhaps the image was a reaction of knowing that it was a "bad word" but who knows?  The mind thinks in a series of subconscious images that are linked to our emotions, and this is something that marketers need to take into consideration.

Daryl Travis is the CEO of Bandtrust, and discusses how his company goes about "finding the blink."

They do emotional research to find out what elements create a "blink" experience.  They discover specific triggers that draw out the "blink" experience like: familiar sounds, aromas of your favorite food, or a lost loved one.  According to the article they also "...explore the deeper feelings of the emotion and how they invoke behaviors that make up the landscape of all of our psychological experiences. Revealing these emotional responses, common to most people, provides the insights into what a brand must say and do to succeed."

Can you think of something (word, phrase, image) that triggers an image or an emotion for you?

Has a product (that you can consciously think of) ever triggered good or bad emotion for you?

In Response to Brittany Maheris...

Do more people buy Gatorade or Powerade? And what makes them buy which one…. is it the flavors, taste or the advertisement?

Brittany's blog was very interesting, because it brought up 2 things that I didn't realize.

1. Gatorade is a Pepsi product and Powerade is a Coke product.
2. The ingredients are (almost) identical.

Since Gatorade was the first of the two beverages that I had ever heard of I had actually always assumed that it was the higher-quality/better brand.  I thought Powerade was just a knock-off effort towards a similar drink.  Honestly, I think both drinks taste very similar in their main thirst quencher products, but I think that Gatorade's new G2 brand has taken the drink to a whole new level.

As stated on the Gatorade website: G2 offers the same advanced hydration benefits as Gatorade, but with less than half the carbohydrate energy (and calories) and is a great option for shorter duration or lower intensity workouts or for those athletes with high sweat rates consuming high volumes of fluid (greater than a liter (34 ounces) of fluid per hour). 

In addition to the G2 being an option for lower intensity workouts, it's also a great option if you like to drink Gatorade casually.  It has a similar taste (although, I think better) to the regular Gatorade, with fewer calories.  Therefore, a perfect option to bring to class.

One great feature of both of these drinks, and Powerade is that they boost electrolytes.  Although that seems to be widely known, neither company seems to have taken advantage of the effectiveness of these beverages in making you feel better when you're ill.  When you have a cold or flu your electrolytes are much lower than normal, and Gatorade, G2, and Powerade are all great for that aspect of a cold.  Plus, they are also great for hydration.

The cold/flu effectiveness seems to be a niche that has been untouched by any of these products - do you think it would be beneficial to the companies to take advantage of this marketing niche?  Why or why not?

In Response to Erica Murray....

AT&T released a new marketing service this week in select cities. Beginning in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Franciso, and to go national this summer; a new marketing service allows brands to send customized coupon or sales notices to opt-ed customers. Would you be willing to try this new marketing service?

     As of right now I am subscribed to two marketers via text message.  Victoria Secret PINK sends me coupons and updates on new merchandise as well as "member only" sneak previews into new collections.  I also receive promotional text messages from Allure magazine about new contests and special products.  As far as signing up to have random companies market to me based on my "geo-fencing" profile, no thank you.

     Many companies already offer a text option to receive offers and discounts, that you can sign up for at your own will.  I understand what AT&T is trying to accomplish with their marketing idea, however, if it's the consumer's choice I don't think that many people are going to be interested in this service.  For phones like the iphone, and android "there's an AP for that!"  Applications like Groupons, Livingsocial and many more that offer the exact same service at no cost to the consumer.  The consumer also wont be bombarded by text messages unless they choose to be.

     So, for me, I don't think that this service is something that I am interested in.  I know what I like and what I want, so when I decide that I want to get promotional material from a company, I'll sign up for their individual text option.

Are there other cellphone companies that are doing this as well?

Is anyone else signed up for text promotions from specific companies?

Air Canada Marketing Decision

     This video is a clip from the Bruins (vs) Canadians hockey game on March 8, 2011.  Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was hit into the boards by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara - which resulted in Pacioretty having both a severe concussion and a fractured vertebrae.  After review of the hit by the NHL league disciplinarian and commissioner they concluded that although it was a "late" hit - it was a fair hit and Chara would not be suspended despite the injuries that were sustained by Pacioretty.  Many fans were outraged by the lack of suspension and discussion arose about whether or not this league is too dangerous, and the rules too lenient.  An article from the OttowaSUN discusses Air Canada's feelings about the situation.

     Because of popular disgust with the league Air Canada (a huge financial contributor to the NHL) threatened to discontinue it's work with the league if proper action was not taken in accordance with the recent hit.  Dennis Vandal (Directer of marketing/communications for Air Canada) wrote the league commissioner a letter about his concerns with associating their brand with such a dangerous league.

"We are contacting you (Wednesday) to voice our concern over (Tuesday night's) incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal.  This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-threatening head-shots in the NHL recently...... From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality."

     Despite this letter, the decision made by the commissioner and league disciplinarian stood, and as of right now Air Canada has continued to associate/market it's brand with the NHL.  However, I believe that if something else of this magnitude happens again there is a good chance that Air Canada will make an executive decision to cut ties with the NHL. 

Does anyone know of any companies that have cut ties because of a similar situation?

In Response to Ashley Guidi...

"How often do you go into a supermarket and buy exactly what you need?"

     As the oldest of five children, having snacks at home was always a rare occasion, not because no one bought them but because they disappear so quickly.  Because of this issue, I always find myself buying extra when I am out.  In addition to that, effective grocery marketing certainly has quite a bit of influence on my impulse purchases.  I had never really thought about how all the best snacks are on shelves that children see, but now that Ashley has pointed that out I agree completely.  Gushers are one of my favorite fruit snacks and they're always on the 2nd or 3rd row from the bottom.

     So to answer the question more directly, no.  Unless my boyfriend comes into the store with me to make sure I only buy what is on my list, I buy much much more.  Like we discussed in class today, the word SALE really gets me to buy.  90% of my clothing was purchased on sale racks, and about 50% of the things I buy at the grocery store are things that were on sale.

     Touching on what Ashley mentions about how stores put gum and candy right by the check out, I think that I always purchase something from that area.  If it's not gum, it's a chocolate bar.  I don't think that I am the only person who get's sucked into these traps, but I am curious to know if it's more common for females than males?  I feel as though my Boyfriend, and Father always make it in and out of the store - buying less than they intended more often than buying more.  So boys, do the grocery marketing tactics suck you in too?

Um...Winning!

    It's hard to imagine that anyone has been able to shield themselves from the recent television appearances that Charlie Sheen has been in.  From 20/20 to the national and local news stations, everyone seems to be talking about this one of the Two and a Half Men.  In case you haven't heard, the show Two and a Half Men (a popular sitcom that airs on CBS - well, used to).  CBS decided to cancel the show before the most recent season ended, putting Sheen and his co-workers out of work.  They canceled the show when Sheen failed to show up for work on multiple occasions because he was on drugs.  He was taking depressants and hallucination drugs regularly, and didn't stop until one overdose almost killed him.  Sheen has passed drug tests on TV, and seems to be clean but fans are beginning to worry if Sheen is mentally stable.  He has aired an internet TV show about himself which has been looked at by many psychologists whom are now also very concerned about his mental health.

     However, despite his drug use and questionable ethics people still seem to think that he is winning, and according to Sheen, he most certainly is.  He is currently working on suing CBS for canceling the sitcom, living with his girlfriends (he refers to as "the goddesses"), and reviewing applications for his new "Internship;" for which there were over 70,000 applicants.  He is now in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest person to get 1,000,000 followers on twitter.

     From a marketing perspective, despite Charlie Sheen's popularity, I still feel as though I wouldn't want this person to represent my product, or television station.  I just can't help but wonder if negative marketing is just as good as positive marketing.  Based on Sheen's success in marketing himself, I absolutely agree with him, he is winning; but are consumers?  Is it a good thing that consumers are paying attention to what Sheen is doing and enjoying it?  Could it be possible that negative marketing is actually effective marketing?

In Response to Stephen Rolfe...

"In today's media, we (this generation) seem to be drawn to those who act a fool and demonstrate less than responsible ways of life....... Do you feel that other generations role models acted this way or are we the beginning of a new look on our figure heads?"

      Although I agree with Stephen when it comes to marketing illegal activities to teens seem to be more widely accepted and portrayed on television, I don't think it was absent from television before our generation.  TV shows in the 70's-80's like Roseanne, Baywatch, Three's Company, etc. also used sex and drug experiences to gain the viewer's interest in the programs.  However, I think that in today's television it is much more glorified.

     As someone who has never really taken part in the "party" scene I still find myself interested in watching other people do it.  I've never been a fan of Jersey Shore, and I honestly don't see the appeal.  Perhaps it's my lack of interest in seeing what 6 unattractive people a few years older than me (that act many years younger) are up to this weekend.  My hope is that people don't really look to these people as role models, but the opposite.
     Shows like 16 and Pregnant however, pose more of a concern for me.  If you have ever seen the show, it tends not to show the true hardships of having a child young.  When my close friend's six year old daughter said "I can't wait until I'm 16 so I can be on this show," my concerns about what is being shown on television began.  I think that without television there will still be an interest in drugs, parties, and sex, but to have teens actually thinking it would be a good idea to get pregnant...we need to begin to worry.  Should television marketing be held to the same standards as product and service marketing?

Narcissistic Websites

     Peter DeLegge wrote an article, which can be found on the Marketing Today website about company websites that are more concerned about promoting themselves than helping the consumer.  He states that it tends to be found more commonly in small to mid sized companies than larger ones, however, I doubt that there are not large companies with similarly poor websites.  Narcissistic websites are those websites that you go to in order to find help with an issue and all that you find are boastful stories and raves about the company.  From a marketing perspective this type of issue on a website could cause huge problems for a company.

     When a consumer is looking for information, or help with a problem, if they don't find it quickly and efficiently they may get the wrong idea about a company.  Of course it is important to talk about the company on the website, especially it's success; but there is a place for that, and it should not be the main focus of a website.  For example, I was recently looking for a screen printing shop to send in a T-shirt order.  The information that I wanted from the companies were options, prices, packages, specials, etc.  I went to a number of websites and had such a hard time finding all of these things in one place that I gave up and am now planning on waiting until I get home over break to use a company that I already know has what I need.  This means, that all of those companies that I reviewed lost a potential customer, and I doubt that I am the first.

     Today, it is easy to find other options when you are unhappy with what you are already using.  Can you think of a time that you have been unimpressed with a Narcissistic website?  If yes, has this ever caused you to take your business elsewhere?  If no, take a look at this website, and see how easy or difficult it is for you to find out how to contact the company for help.

In Response to Laurie Whalen...

" Do you think companies should think twice before signing an endorsement deal with celebrities? "

    I think that celebrity advertisements can be appropriate, but in most cases should be avoided.  For example, if a well known NHL Hockey player like Alex Ovechkin was to advertise a CCM brand hockey stick that he actually plays with, the advertisement would be honest and effective.  However, if there is an advertisement that uses a celebrity that clearly isn't using the product it makes me question the honesty and integrity of the company.  An example of this is Justin Bieber (new young artist) who advertises for Pro Active.  Not only is Bieber about the 5th celebrity that Pro Active has signed to do their commercials, but it is highly unlikely that with a celebrity income, they are using Pro Active to wash their face.  Pro Active is targeted at middle class families who need a product to help them clear up acne.  Celebrities are much more likely to use more expensive products.
   I agree with Laurie when it comes to potentially taking a hit on your profits when celebrities get a bad reputation.  However, I don't think this would necessarily devastate any company that is able to afford a celebrity endorsement in the first place.  All in all, I think it's great if celebrities want to advertise products that they actually use, but I don't like to see celebrities advertising products that they do not use.

Social Responsibility

If Wal*Mart is selling milk for $3.00 per gallon and your local farm is selling milk for $5.00 per gallon, which milk do you purchase?  The less expensive milk would make the most sense, if all other things are equal.  Now, take some other factors into consideration.  Wal*Mart's cows are living in conditions shown by picture 1.  The local farm however, has free-range cows, represented in picture 2.

<------- PICTURE 1

             PICTURE 2  ------->





Does that make you feel differently about the extra $2.00 you would need to spend?
I am a very big supporter of businesses that are ethical, and socially responsible.  Social Responsibility to me, is the biggest piece of becoming a successful business owner.  I have been [broadly] planning out the business that I want to eventually own around commitment to fairness, ethics, and giving back to the community.  As an animal lover, the above question is very easy for me to answer.  Of course I would pay the extra money to get the free-range cow milk, and I truly believe that educated consumers tend to feel the same way.  I think that as consumers it is our responsibility to be educated about the products we're buying, and the businesses we are buying them from in order to make good decisions about which companies/products to support; and paying attention to marketing can help us make those decisions.  Many companies like Walgreens, and Yoplait (as we discussed in class) use their socially responsible actions to market their companies.  My hopes are that as consumers become more educated about social responsibility, they will learn to support more socially responsible companies even if it means paying a few dollars more for similar products.

Do you think paying a little bit extra to consume products and services from socially responsible companies is worth it?  Why do you think Wal*Mart has been so successful when they have been criticized about so many socially irresponsible aspects of their company (paying women lower wages, sweatshops over seas, child labor over seas, poor animal conditions, etc)?

In Response to Aubrey Menegus...

"The CEO of Yahoo called Facebook its top competitor. They do not feel that they can 'beat' Facebook, so they are using Facebook as a way to get more promotion. Do you think that this is a good idea? Will this encourage more Yahoo users?"

       (vs)    

   Advertising through your competitors may seem like a backwards way to market your product or service, but Yahoo isn't the only company doing so.  Many of Google's competitors advertise through Google.  Bing, a Microsoft owned search engine advertises through Google/Google's sources.  I think that this kind of advertisement is a very smart way for companies to advertise.  Yahoo for example, isn't a direct competitor of Facebook.  Yahoo offers services that Facebook doesn't, and likewise, Facebook offers services that Yahoo doesn't.

   Right now, Facebook is the single largest social-networking service online.  Although Yahoo was around first, Facebook has managed to tap into a whole new network of consumers that may not have been online before.  If Yahoo can get just a few of those new consumers to join their service too - than the advertisement is successful and it will be.  My Nana never had a computer until Facebook came out.  She wanted a way to see what her children and grandchildren were up to, and Facebook was a very easy way for her to do that.  Now that she has a computer she has been learning how to surf the web and use things like e-mail and follow the stock exchange online.  Her e-mail is through Yahoo's free e-mail service.  I have no way to prove that Facebook is how she found out about Yahoo, but I can be sure that Facebook is the reason she was interested in getting an e-mail at all.

   Does anyone else know of companies who have succeeded in advertisement through competitors?

International Marketing

   International marketing for ESPN actually began accidentally, according to a novel called International Marketing by Michael R. Czinkota, Ilkka A. Ronkainen. A sports broadcaster purchased satellite time and a building in order to broadcast Connecticut area sports.  Later, the broadcaster came to find out that the satellite coverage was national and his idea to broadcast to New England began to grow.

   Eventually, ESPN sports was born.  Today, ESPN covers sports in countries all over the world, and broadcasts to them as well.  However, global/international marketing isn't as easy as accidentally  purchasing a global coverage satellite.  Although ESPN wants to reach as many global households as possible, there are two huge obstacles that are stopping them.  First, competition.  ESPN is still currently the biggest international sports broadcaster.  However, other broadcasters are beginning to tap into the market as well, which gives consumers more options and may cause ESPN to be in less households than it previously could have been based on what sports they are covering, and consumer's personal preference.  The second big obstacle is creating a market for the broadcasting service in less developed parts of the world.  For example, India has a very large middle-class population, but India's middle-class population makes significantly less than the American middle-class.  Many other under-developed countries also have multiple languages within the country.  This type of issue is tough to overcome, ESPN would need to own many channels and broadcast the same thing, in all sorts of different languages.  Even though they would like to reach every household, it will not be financially realistic to broadcast in too many languages.

 

 

    McDonald's Restaurant markets it's products in countries all over the world as well.  The video to the right talks about the Price, Product, Place, and Promotion of McDonald's Restaurants in 7 different countries.  Why do you think that McDonald's has been so successful in it's International Marketing?  How do they adapt to the cultural differences in all the different countries?

In Response to Kayle Crowley...

"Would you rather see a specialist of some sort who is a published author?"

 

   Unfortunately, some self-published books are like a more formal looking version of the National Enquirer, but from my personal experience it's easy to tell the difference.  Henry Baum, the editor of Self-Publisher Review is a great supporter of self-publishing and thinks that many of best self-published authors are aiming their books towards marketing a product or service.  To me, that makes perfect sense.  Marketing Managers are experts in the marketing field, as well as the field of the product or the service that they are trying to sell.  As experienced Marketers they probably have very impressive written communication skills, which makes for an interesting read.  I think that marketing by means of books is a really exciting new phenomena.  If you're curious about services that a company offers in a more detailed complex fashion, a book could supply that information for you.

 

   As a student having these books available is also a great resource to read and see what other services companies are doing, and a chance to see what their outlooks are on certain situations.  Robert Skrob, President of the Information Marketing Association talks about his opinions on the benefits to a business writing a book in an article on the About.com website.  He thinks that it is a great tool to advertise for all different kinds of businesses.  All in all I don't think that non-fiction self-published books will really sell unless the author is somewhat specialized in the book's topic.  For authors writing about their product, service or business, whom are obviously specialists in their own  self-publishing opens a lot of doors when it comes to marketing.

Myers-Briggs Personality Profiling

   After reading an article by Malcolm Gladwell from Annals of Psychology called 'Personality Plus' I could not get it off my mind.  Today, many companies screen their applicants by use of a very popular test called M.B.T.I. (Myers and Briggs Type Indicator).  In fact, eighty-nine of the Fortune 100 companies use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This test has a total of eight variable outcomes - Extroverted/Introverted, Intuition/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Feeling.  The final personality profile will be determined based on the percent of the major variable that person taking the test supposedly is.  The real M.B.T.I. is $10.00+ to take, however there are similar tests online that use the same typology that you can take for free.

     To the left is a table of the potential M.B.T.I. outcomes.  I have not had the opportunity to take the real test, however I took a mock-test online at humanmetrics for free, and my results said that I was ENFJ.  Intrigued, I had to look up my personality profile and what I found was actually very shocking.  From top to bottom I felt as though the profile was written about me personally.  There are of course, a few things that I disagreed with a little bit, but that is where the percentages come in.  I am only 33% extroverted, which means that to some extent the E aspects of the personality profile will not apply to me.  However, I was 100% Judging, and 62% iNtuitive, and 38% Feeling. As you can imagine, I was able to relate a lot more to the Judging aspects of the personality profile.  Almost all of what I did read I was able to relate to myself, and personal situations in which the different parts of the personality proved very true, right down to my interests.  One specific way the ENFJ is described is as a smooth talker.  I think that this along with many of the other parts of the description would be beneficial in a marketing career.  This is a very good way to screen applicants, but absolutely should not be used as the only indicator of who would be suitable in a particular position. It is a great tool that allows you to learn more about yourself, and what careers might best suit your particular personality.  The results are a little bit broad, but I personally felt that it was true of myself.

    Take the test, look at the profile, and let me know what you think.  Were the results true to you?  Do you think that this is an accurate way for companies to screen their applicants?  Were any of the attributes in your profile things that would be helpful in a Marketing career?

In Response To Lia Moreggi...

 Lately all I seem to notice is how poor customer service is. What happened to lollipops at the bank window, or a free piece of cheese at the deli counter? Am I being irrational or has customer service taken a nose dive?

    This is an interesting question to raise, and in particular it's funny that you bring up lollipops at the bank.  I am actually a credit union member and not only do they still give out lollipops but they also give dog treats if they see my dog with me.  Little things like that matter to customers more than some companies realize.  I know that I will not be leaving my credit union to join elsewhere because I have always received wonderful service.  So, knowing that there are still banks/credit unions that still do consider the small things like that, will you consider switching from your bank that doesn't? 

   The fact of the matter is that the hassle of switching from the current company wont be worth it to some consumers.  As far as your issues with Forever 21, do you think that you will continue shopping there after your bad experience?  I don't think that enough people care about Forever 21's unique return policy to cause them to change it.  Like you said - you love the product(s) - and a lot of teen-young adult girls do too.

   I have been a server for 5 years in a small family owned restaurant in Maine.  Our restaurant is constantly being complimented for wonderful service and cleanliness, but some customers are hard to please.  My managers feel that sometimes it is best to hold their ground.  For example, our breakfasts are some of the least expensive in the area (3.99 for eggs, toast, homefries, & meat) but we do charge extra for things like cream cheese, sauteed vegetables, peanut butter, etc.  As servers we are required to let our customers know that their will be additional charges for these things; and some customers don't react so kindly.  However, even though some customers complain about these minute charges - the prices stand - and it is up to the consumer whether or not it is worth it to them.

   As a server, customer service is a huge part of my decision making when it comes to staying with a company or not.  Unfortunately, consistently great customer service is hard to find.  Like I stated earlier, I plan to stay with my credit union because of the great service I receive.  I always give good service to my customers because the best means of marketing (in my opinion) is word of mouth.  People come in all the time because their friends tell them about the service, and 98% of the time the customers are pleased and continue to come back.

Marketing Career

   If you're thinking about beginning a career in any field, there are a lot of things to think about.  I am sure that a large majority of the students in this marketing course are "Management" majors.  There are a lot of different aspects of management and a variety of different directions to take with that degree.  According to the Keene State Website a Keene State graduate with a management degree could go on to be a Bank Manager, Human Resources Manager, Sales Manager, Marketing Manager, Insurance Agent, etc.  These are are similar in the sense that they are "Management" positions, but the expectations, qualifications, and duties differ quite drastically between each of the career paths. 

     I would now like to focus in on a career in Marketing.  As a Marketing Manager you could expect to make a salary between $62,000 and $115,000 per year depending on company and location.  If you're interested in seeing what the median salary is for your location, just enter your zip code in the search bar at this Salary website.  As shown above , the median salary for Keene, NH is $89,712.  I don't know about you, but I think that is a lot of money.  However, these estimates are for a Marketing Management position, which certainly is not an entry level position.  If you're interested in eventually becoming a Marketing Manager you need to work your way up.

   Most likely, your first marketing job will be a sales position.  In a sales position you will strengthen your abilities to communicate with the public and learn more about consumers.  This  Career Rookie link will bring you to a page of entry-level marketing job listings.  As you can see, most of them are Sales, and Marketing Trainee positions.  According to the Salary website I am using, the median salary for a Marketing Trainee position is just below $40,000 a year.  Once again, this will differ depending on location and company.  According to Sample Jobs the duties that you can expect in a Marketing Trainee position include:

• Marketing trainees must have the basic knowledge of the different advertising techniques and strategies to be used
• They must undertake market research in order to find out their target consumer, their needs and requirements and connect it to the company’s objectives
• They must analyze the demographic details of the consumers and accordingly form marketing strategies
• Trainees must make a complete list of targeted resellers and be in constant touch with them, either through phone calls, mails or personal visits
• They must keep proper records of sales and other numbers
• They have to meet potential clients and explain to them the different aspects of the product or services, in order to get more customers
• They need to have a good contact with ad agencies and public relations firms
• They also have help with the marketing campaign by copywriting, customer follow up and so on

    Marketing is certainly a career in which there is a lot of opportunity for advancement.  So, if you are interested in someday becoming a Marketing Manager it is important that you take the appropriate steps towards becoming one.  Chances are, you will not be hired as a Marketing Manager right out of college, but if you excel in a Marketing Trainee/Sales position there is definitely a possibility for promotion in most companies.  Internships are a great way to gain experience while you're still in school, and can increase your potential starting salary.
   Are you thinking of a career in marketing? why or why not?

Marketing Myself - with the 4 P's

     Picture this, you've just graduated from college and you need to start working in the real world.  Now what?  You need to sell yourself to an employer.  One simple way to think about this is by using the 4 P's of marketing (Price, Promotion, Product, and Place).
     Since you know yourself better than anyone else in the world, it should be pretty easy to be an expert on the product.  You will know all about the great features, quality, support services, and all of the other important variables of the product.  For example, if I was trying to market myself to a desired employer I would start by explaining my most attractive features:

• I learn quickly
• I have experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Power Point.
• I am punctual and positive
• I am determined and hard working
• I have 5 years of customer service experience
• I am a good team player, but always willing to lead when necessary

     Your most attractive features may depend on what type of job you're actually applying for.  Meaning, that if I was applying for a management job, my experience in waiting tables isn't exactly a strong point.  However, my B.S. in management and above average G.P.A. would be very substantial.

     Next up after product is promotion.  Once you have a full grasp on the product it's time to promote yourself.  If you are like most recent graduates in this economy it is not that easy to just send a few e-mails and land a desirable job.  You need to promote yourself.  First you need to decide how you want to go about doing that.  Today, we have online engines (Monster, Southern Maine Help Wanted, etc.) on which, you can post a complete profile, attach your resume and post it up for employers to look over when they come to the site.  This would sort of be an example of advertising.  This is a great idea if you know that a company of interest uses the engine that you've posted on, but a lot of people use those sites and your application may not even be noticed.  If you're not interested in posting your resume and profile to an online engine there is the option of personal selling.  If this is your chosen course of action, you will need to be persistent.

     You will initially need to decide how you plan to promote, whether it be through mail, e-mail, or in person.  You will need to send out your resume/cover letter to companies that are hiring.  There is no harm in sending a resume to a company that is not currently hiring, because sometimes you may get lucky.  Personal selling as a promotion variable is my choice, because I think that it is much more intimate approach.  I think that it is best to bring resumes in person, and make phone calls over sending e-mails.  Although technology is a very helpful way of communication, I believe that the more formal/old fashioned means of communication can sometimes be rewarding.

     Once you know how you want to promote yourself.  It's time to decide where you want to work.  If you don't already have a place in mind there are a lot of variables to consider.

• Do you want to work close to where you're currently living, or are you willing to relocate?
• Do you have your own transportation, or will you be needing to use channels to get from home to work?
• Does it matter if the location is rural or urban?
• Would you rather work from home, or an office?

     Since responses to these would differ quite a bit from person to person, I will use myself as an example.  When I am applying for full time work I will be willing to relocate within reason.  I don't want to leave New England, but I would be willing to go a little bit further for the right job.  I do have my own transportation, because I don't like to have to rely on channel members to get me places, and I would prefer to work outside of my home.  These are all pretty important factors to me, but none of them are truly deal breakers.  If you have a spouse who is already working, or children that are enrolled in school, 'Place' could play a much larger role in your consideration.  Since my 'Place' restrictions are reasonably broad, I will be able to promote my product (myself) to a wide variety of companies in different places in New England.

     Finally, I will bring up price.  Depending on your limitations, price may not be a factor that you have a whole lot of control over when applying for jobs.  However, I know that once I graduate I will have higher expectations than I do now.  Without my degree I would be willing to work an hourly wage with no benefits.  Once I have graduated I will expect to make a salary with health benefits and retirement options.  There are certainly price variables when it comes to applying for jobs.  For example, if a job lists a salary at a certain price, sometimes there is room for negotiation; if there is not a lot of competition for the position.  Unfortunately, with such high unemployment rates in the United States there seems to be a lot of competition, even for some of the less desirable jobs, and not a whole lot of room for negotiation.  With that in mind, I may settle for a job that would pay less than I feel my skills are worth at first (discounted rate) if there was the possibility for advancement within the company.

Marketing...Advertising...Propaganda...

   To the left is an example of propaganda as I envision it.  To me, propaganda is almost always a way of advertising a negative opinion about a person, place, company, etc.  The animated t-shirt on the left is using a Wal*Mart advertisement "always low prices. always" and changing the words to represent a negative view on the Wal*Mart corporation.
   Wal*Mart is not a company that is going to go out of business because a couple of people shared negative stories about their wages, or opinions of that company's moral.  However, when it comes to rumors about an actual person, propaganda can certainly do more harm.  Propaganda is surrounding us when it comes time to vote for political figures.  For example, I saw a few commercials about a New Hampshire woman who was running for congress, comparing her to Nancy Pelosi.  With such a huge discrepancy surrounding the Healthcare Reform, Nancy Pelosi was not very popular with a lot of the general public.  Therefore, comparing the political views of the two woman is an example of propaganda; a negative advertisement, spread with intent to hinder the runner's chances of winning.

   Above I talked about "negative advertisement."  Advertisement, to me is the actual attempt to sell products/services by means of making those things look enjoyable, necessary, or useful.  To the right is an advertisement for the Apple Ipod. The advertisement does not say anything about the Ipod. However, looking at the billboard you can clearly see that the silhouette of the girl dancing is holding on to an Apple Ipod.  The Apple logo on the top left of the billboard is how you can be sure that it is for that particular multimedia player, but I guarantee that without that small addition to the billboard a very high percentage of the public would have been able to figure out what it was.  This billboard in particular looks as though it is targeting a young-young adult audience because of the bright green background, as well as the clothing on the silhouette.  However, the "Old Time Music" in the test of the ad may even attract an older audience as well.

    The marketing mix table to the left is exactly how I view "marketing."  To me, marketing is the beginning, middle, and end of all the pieces of business and the sale/advertisement of goods and services.  Although propaganda is a form of marketing an idea, I tend to separate the idea of marketing and propaganda.  I think of marketing as a company's way of promoting a product that they believe people are going to buy, in a place where it will be useful to the consumers, at a price where the seller can make a profit and the consumers can afford to buy the product.