response to Nick's post on eco friendly products

Is it right environmentally friendly pens are more expensive than regular pens?

It does not seem like the most ethical way to go about it. Charging more because they know people will want to buy them more than regular pens seems to me like the wrong way to go about it. If that is their marketing plan then the best way for them to get away with it, would be to not make it known. If a company is making it known that they are charging more just because they can, then I do not see that giving them a good image. I would not buy from a company that would take advantage of consumers like that, even if the product is good for the environment.

When it comes to how you view a company, what is the more important factor; the benefits of their product, or the image and ethics of the company?

Response to Cody's blog on Bundling products for sale

Why do so many consumers fall into the trap of bundling?

When consumers go shopping a common habit is want to get more for their dollar. People enter the grocery store with lists at times with only the need to pick up what is on it, but their are times where they come across deals that they were not expecting. This is where the bundling happens. People see something that they feel they could use and also see that is on sale. They end up not being able pass up the opportunity. Its not the worst thing either though, as long as the food they buy is being used.

Would identifying sales before going to the grocery be a good option in avoiding bundling?

HTC marketing blitz to squeeze 2013 margins

This article that i found discusses how Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC will struggle its margins this year as it increases its marketing spending in order to catch up to rivals Samsung and Apple.

They are attempting to improve their marketing execution. They want to integrate the product, brand, and marketing all together for the first time. The digital media marketing budget will be expanding 250 percent year-on-year for the first half of this year, while the traditional media budget will double. Investors, however, have been cautious about the HTC One's longer term prospects as both Apple and Samsung have more money to spend and more established brands. 

What brand do you prefer out of the three? (HTC, Apple, or Samsung) Have you had any bad experiences with HTC that has caused to to lose interest in their products?

G.M. and Mountain Dew Pull Ads after Criticism for Racial Insensitivity

I found this article on the New York Times website, and it shows that you have to be careful when putting together ad that may be insensitive to certain audiences. G.M. just pulled back an ad for the Chevrolet Trax, a small utility vehicle that is sold in countries including Canada, that takes place in the 1930s and features a modern remix from a song of that era that included references to Chinese people using phrases like "ching ching, chop-suey."Advertising standards  Canada advised GM to remove the lyrics from the song and just keep the melody. GM decided that the best decision would be to remove it from the canada TV completely and from the online websites in Europe where it was also airing.

Mountain Dew's ad featured a battered waitress, bandaged and on crutches, trying to identify the suspect who had hurt her when she ran out of Mountain Dew to serve. The lineup included African-American men, with names like LBoy, Tiny and Beyonte,  and a goat. The waitress, who happens to be white, struggles with the decision while a menacing voice over for the goat claims that he did it. The goat threatens her and she backs out of the identification process too scared to make a choice. 

Its easy to see how these two ads can be perceived as insensitive or hurtful to people. Race is not something that can be taken lightly at this present time. 

Why would a company even take a risk at developing an ad that could be insensitive to race? How could they view that as a good risk to take?

Response to Melissa's post on Dunkin Donuts

How do you think this will effect doughnut customers? Will they still think of Dunkin Donuts when looking to find a doughnut if DD's isn't marketing towards doughnut eaters anymore? How will this effect Dunkin Donuts?

I don't see the discontinuation of the marking of doughnuts hurting DD's that much. People do not need to be reminded that they Dunkin Donuts sells Doughnuts. They will always know that they are their even if they are not constantly reminded of it. The marketing their other breakfast foods is what will bring new customers in. People who want their doughnuts will always come in, but people looking for a different kind of breakfast can be drawn in by the new sandwiches, frozen drinks, and coffees.

Do you think DD's would ever consider to stop selling doughnuts all together? Or even just cut back on the varieties that they offer? If so, Wouldn't they have to change their name then?

Lionsgate's New Logo

Lionsgate unveiled a radically different logo recently, disregarding its gates and looking to underscore its new growth. This new logo starts with a big bang-type moment in space revealing the constellation Leo and ends with the Lions gate name breaking through clouds during an eclipse of the sun.

The goal is to make the point that they are now part of a bigger and more exciting universe. I believe this is more intestering logo then their previous one. Its a good change and has the potential attract the attention of more fans, but what it will come down to is whether or not Lionsgate will continue to produce successful movie franchises.

What do you think of the new logo? Is it better than the old one? Will it give them a competitive advantage over the other movie studios?

Response to Jade's post on the Dollar Shave Club

"Would you invest your life savings in an idea that you were fairly confident in? Or would you have to be completely confident?"

I would have to be completely confident, or very close to it. To risk it all like that, I would need a guarantee that I would be making money and not throwing away all the money that I worked so hard to earn. I believe that there are some risks that are worth taking, but then there are risks like putting all of your savings on the line that take a great deal of thought and time to consider the consequences. Which is why I could not do it if I was only fairly confident.

Do you have to be a person with a general high level of confidence to take risks like these?

Brittney Griner a Game Changer for the WNBA?

The WNBA  is attempting to rebrand itself in its seventeenth season, and Brittney Griner has the chance to become the face of the campaign. Its Draft will air in prime time for the first time and the college star Griner is more than likely to be the first player taken. The league has a new logo, an extended television deal with ESPN, and an orchestrated drive to promote three highly visible rookies who will be selected in the upcoming draft; Griner, Skylar Diggins, and Elena Delle Donne.

The campaign to spotlight Griner, Diggins, and Delle Donne is a continuation of ESPN's "3 to See" promotion during the recent college season. It calls for a realization that women's basketball must provide a united front to succeed. 

Griner is so significant because at Baylor she may have had the greatest impact of any player in the women's game; setting an NCAA record for blocked shots, finishing second on the career scoring list, and miking highlight reels with her dunks. The WNBA is hoping she creates a similar buzz at the pro level and thus Phoenix, the team that is expected to pick her in the draft, is scheduled to appear in 6 of the 14 games that air on ESPN and ABC. 

I belive the WNBA has a good plan in place and is heading in the right direction to gaining more interest in the league. Talented players, like the three they have coming into the league, can easily fill the seats in the stands. When you look at the NBA, people will just come to games to see the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony. The WNBA has a chance achieve this as well, as long as these new players live up to their potential and are able to land new sponsors and marketing deals. 

What do you think of the WNBA's chances of drawing more interest with this current plan in place?

Response to Nick's post on Infomercials

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

I do not see infomercials being a very successful marketing tactic. I find them more annoying than useful. They all try to push across the same message, about how great their product is in the most obnoxious way possible. They can be very difficult to take seriously at times. I never end up paying any attention to them, because they can be so repetitive. The prices are always the same too. No matter what the product, it always seems cost $19.95; plus you get a second one free or some other related product free. I just don't understand how anyone can really fall for these ads.

Have you ever bought a product from an infomercial, or know anyone who has?

Adidas's Kevin Ware T-shirts

Adidas has stopped selling T-shirts featuring the jersey number of injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware, calling it a "logo issue." The shirts read "Rise to the Occasion" with Ware's number 5 substituted for the "s" in "Rise.

Louisville had stated that they waived the royalties for the shirt so it would not be profiting from Ware's injury. Adidas agreed to make donations to the schools scholarship fund. 

The bigger element of this story is that an on-going lawsuit against the NCAA and Electronic Arts over the rights to use player's images without compensation claims that Louisville should not be able to sell the shirt. The money from the T-shirt sales going to the scholarship fund does not change things. If they did not ask Kevin's permission, then they can not sell the shirt. If they did ask Kevin permission and he said yes, then Kevin would be ineligible. The whole thing seems a little bit out of hand and more complicated that it actually should be. Louisville should be able to sell the shirt with the profits going to charity or their scholarship fund in my opinion. However, with that lawsuit going on and the debate on whether college athletes deserve to be paid for their efforts, situations like this will remain complicated. 

Who do you think has more right to sell the Kevin Ware T-shirts, Adidas or Louisville?

Response to Kaley's post on Channels of Distribution

'Do you feel one channel of distribution could be more beneficial to a company or will it always vary depending on the product, service, or company?'

I believe that it can always vary based on the product, service, or company; but also I believe their will always be those companies where one channel of distribution works the best for them. Companies with that one channel have found enough success using it, would not have to worry about adding another channel to improve the business.  Also they may not have the means to create another channel another either. Telemarketing, mail-order and catalog shopping, shop-at-home television networks, and online shopping are examples of direct channel distribution. These are usually successful companies employing just one channel and managing to stay relevant. It proves that utilizing just one marking channel can be successful.

Can you think of a company that successfully utilizes all four marketing channels? (direct, retailer, wholesaler, and agent/broker)

Marketing Channel Discrepancies

Marketing channels aid in overcoming discrepancies which concern quantity, assortment, time, and space created by economies of scale in production. A discrepancy of quantity is the difference between the amount of product produced and the amount an end user wants to purchase. This is countered by storing and distributing the product in the appropriate amounts that the consumers desire. A discrepancy of assortment occurs when a consumer does not have all the items required to receive full satisfaction from a product. To overcome this, marketing channels must assemble many of the products necessary to complete a consumer's needed assortment in one place. Temporal discrepancies occur when a product is produced but a consumer is not ready to buy it. Inventories must be maintained in anticipitation of demand in order to prevent this. A spatial discrepancy is the difference between the location of a producer and the location of widely scattered markets. Marketing channels overcome this by making products available in locations convenient to customers.
To me it seems like the discrepancy of quantity would be the hardest one to manage and would be the one to occur most often. I feel like companies tend to overstock their inventories, especially when they may be first starting up. When a company first opens a new store or introduces a new product it could have a difficult time in determine how well to stock products. This would easily result in the company having more product than is desired by the consumers.

What do you think is the most difficult marketing channel discrepancy to overcome?

Response to Tammy's post on multi-segment targeting strategy

Tammy poses this question at the end of her post: Do you think multi-segment targeting strategy can have disadvantages? What do you think they are? 

I believe any strategy that is employed will always have the potential for disadvantages, and multi-segment targeting is no exception. Tammy mentions the the main disadvantage being cannibalization, thus creating competition between the company's own products. This competition can be good or bad for the company, as she also says. I do not see it being that much of a disadvantage though. Competition between their own products can be more manageable than with other companies. They would have more control over what was happening, and they would still be making money. Worse case scenario, focusing on what product, could potentially end up wiping out another product that was very successful in the past. 

Can you think of a company where cannibalization has come into play with their products?

Southwest Airlines Ad

This is a new spring ad for Southwest Airlines, in which they are trying to sell the idea that they work really hard to be the greatest airline. Illustrating how different individuals follow different paths as they move through life.  The message that they are wanting to get across is basically that the people who work at Southwest chart their own path, never stop moving forward, and never give up. Not only are the employees like this according to the ad, but it's what the airline is all about.
In my opinion, I think Southwest presents this message very well. I liked how they incorporated the chorus of "Some Nights" into the ad. It gave the commercial some life and change the tone of it. It kept me interested in it, I am sure it has had the effect on several others.

What do you think of this ad? Does it change the way you view Southwest Airlines?

Response to Will's post on the marketing of spring break

Do you think the idea of spring break is marketed to students?

I would say yes, it sure can seem that way. When you think of spring break, you can see how it is directly associated with the idea of going somewhere warm and partying for a college student. Students are always wanting to get away from their studies and enjoy warm weather. I think how it is referred to as "spring" break has a great deal with that. Students hear spring, and think of the snow melting and the weather warming up. It puts the idea in their head that winter is over, and makes them want to spend time outside in the sun. However, spring break at school does not always bring with it warm weather. This is where the traveling comes in. People realize that if they really want to get the spring break experience they want, they must go somewhere such as Florida. 

If Spring break was labeled under a different name, that didn't bring up the idea of warm weather, would it have a different effect on college students? 

To buy or not to buy?

Our text suggests that their are four factors that influence consumers on whether or not to buy a product. These include social factors, individual factors, cultural factors, and psychological factors. The factors that I believe influence me to purchase a product or service the most would be psychological. My beliefs, attitudes, and perception of the potential purchase will usually determine my motivation to buy the product or service. The other factors do add some influence as well but ultimately it comes down to whether or not I perceive it as the right option. I am not saying, however, that I  have never made a purchase based on individual factors (gender, age and family life cycle stage, or personality) or social factors (reference groups or opinion leaders). Different product or services call for different consumer decision-making process factors. 

What was your last purchase, and what were some influencing factors that helped you make the decision?

Response to Arthur's post on logos

Companies dialing back on logos or branding would be a smart approach in marketing. Many companies go way over the top with one or the other and end up losing interest of potential customers. Too many companies spend too much time working on the perfect  logo or brand and not enough time maintaining the product. All that is needed is a simple design, such as the Nike swoosh, which has been more than effective. A brand or logo may get a customer's attention, but what will get their loyalty is the quality of the product.

Have you ever have bought a product without any knowledge of it; only buying it because you were drawn in by the logo?

Branded for Life

Do you know Andrew Olcott? You may not know him by name, but if you have cable or internet chances are you have probably seen his face. He was the smiling face of Enzyte, a natural male enhancement product, for some time. Whenever people saw his face they would immediatly associate it with Enzyte and still do. In fact, he will most like be forever linked to the product. The company used his signature smile to show the satisfaction that they believe their product offers. The obviously exaggerated smile was the reason that everyone remembers the face of Andrew. The smile is the main takeaway from the ad, which is exactly what Enzyte wanted to achieve. They simply just wanted to display a happy customer, and Andrew was the perfect fit.

Response to Kaley's post on the Jack Links beef jerky commercial

Humor is always a good element in a successful commercial as long as it is used right. This  Jack Links commercial is a perfect example. If a person gets a good laugh out of a commercial, then they are likely to remember it. Then they will associate it with the product and may even be influenced to become a potential buyer of the product. Most of their Sasquatch commercials are capable of providing veiwers with a good laugh; like all the ones in this video:

 

They never really seem to take it too far either. you know what to expect when watching them; a prank being played on Sasquatch, followed by the creature getting angry and punishing them. However, even though they have become quite predictable, they still get people laughing. For a company to be able to maintain a certain level of predictability and still run successful ads, shows that they are taking the right marketing approach.

Is it better for a company to base all their commercials on the same theme, or would running a series of entirely different themed  commercials be more effective? Does it depend on the company?

Global Marketing

With businesses employing global marketing to target markets throughout the world, an individual can wonder whether or not what that business does overseas affects them. They may see it as, well its not happening in my area, therefore it has no impact on my business with the company. This is a valid way of looking at it, but not the way I view global marketing. It will not just affect you directly or indirectly, but the people around you, and the world you live in. We can be dependent on our environment and surroundings, and those can be significantly impacted by globalization. Globalization expands economic freedom, ignites competition, and increases the productivity and living standards of people in countries that open themselves to the global marketplace. It has even lifted many millions out of poverty and improved the standards of living of low-wage families. You may have had the chance to find a job because of global marketing, and the same is true for many of your friends and family. It may be happening overseas, but it still has its impact on the people at home.

Does anyone have a way that global marketing has affected yourself, or someone else you may know?