Hitwise Tour

Top Five Observations

1. Hugely appreciated having the option to turn audio on or off before the tour began!!
2. I'm a bit unclear from the graphics and sample menu what Hitwise is expecting me to do on or get out of the tour--is there a linear process involved? Do they want me to just explore? What should I be doing in their opinion?
3. The concept of determining numbers on google or yahoo searches is appealing, but again I'm not sure what exact data set I would be gathering by using hitwise.
4. Overall, for my eyes, there's too much visual stimulation on the tour to drive product usage (the product being Hitwise itself)
5. I'm intrigued by the product, but I wouldn't send the demo to a friend as suggested at the end!

Lyris Site

Lyris Top Five Observations --I'm commenting on the site in general as I did not find the movies in the page that came up.

1. Words like "deliverability" seem so instantly silly that I was in danger of missing the serviceable message of the "deliverability tools" link: technology that helps get more emails into the inbox with fewer spam results.
2. Even though client testimonials could be non-representative of general client interactions or even fabricated, I tend to be impressed by them and like reading them.
3. The customer profiles section is very innovative--an improvement on the general customer feedback section.
4. If a business were really to engage with some of these search marketing processes, it could create a full-time staff position!
5. Lyris is making use of Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

Chapter 19: 4.1

The Hard Rock could be gathering customer data based on link clicks on the site--meaning tracking what pages are visited on the site and in what order, how much time is spent per page, etc.

It's possible that searches on the site are also tracked, storing what words are typed in the search. Entries into the online sweepstakes may also be tracked.

The various membership types would definitely be used to gather customer data, as would the contact form.

Chapter 19: 1.1

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Process works in a cyclical fashion between the following elements:

1. Identify customer relationships--learning who/where the customers are, their product usage, etc.
2. understand interactions with current customer base--collecting data on customer interactions with the company including purchases and store visits, returns, etc.
3. capture customer data based on interactions--the above data set is sorted for useful information such as online coupons redeemed, date of last purchase, etc.
4. store and integrate data based on information technology--data such as questionnaires is used to get to know customer and leads to the next step of identifying profitable customers
5. identify best customers
6. leverage customer information--getting the right info to the right person at the right time.

Chapter 18: 5.1

During a recession, one could gain or maintain market share by the following means:

1. Value-based pricing will stimulate desire in the customer who has savings on the mind: offering specials, sliding scale rates, or rebates would be especially appealing. Reminding the customer that s/he is getting a lot of value for the money is important during a recession when customers can take offense at being asked to pay higher rates--or may simply not have the funds available.
2. Bundling will also stimulate purchasing by offering more items for the same price or for a lesser price per item. For example, I recently purchased a tooth kit that contained toothpaste and several related products bundled at the same price as a competitor whose toothpaste alone cost the same amount.
3. Unbundling can help a customer purchase only wanted items at a lower price--in the above example, if I had been charged per item for the tooth kit above, I would actually have been appreciative of the ability to unbundle the package and select only the items I most needed.

Chapter 18: 3.5

The information age is changing the nature of pricing in several ways.

1. It's easier for consumers to compare prices using electronic/web-based informational searches, making consumer knowledge of price and market more substantive

2. It's also much more possible for consumers to obtain product from non-local suppliers via similar channels, making pricing competition much broader

3. Suppliers can benefit from pricing in the information age through such tactics as automatic renewals of subscriptions or memberships such as airport-kiosk web fees--these services might be purchased once by a harried consumer, who failed to read the renewal clause in the terms of agreement. This could allow the supplier to set a very low price for the initial purchase in expectation that the purchase would be automatically and unintentionally repeated.

Chapter 18: 2.1

The seller has three defenses if charged with price discrimination under the Robinson-Patman act:

1. Cost--it's acceptable to charge different prices to different customers if manufacturing or quantity discount savings are involved.

2. Market conditions--price changes that are responses to fluid product or market changes are acceptable (for example goods that will spoil over time, a store-closing sale, etc.).

3. Competition--it's acceptable to adjust prices in response to undercutting from competition.

Chapter 18: 1.1

The missing elements from the marketing manager's assessment are an estimation of demand and costs to produce the product. If demand is low and/or if costs to produce are high relative to market cost, the profit margin will not be substantial.

If, however, the cost to produce is low and demand is high, the marketing manager is correct that charging a low price and anticipating high sales will produce a strong profit margin.

It would also be a good idea to consider strategies/channels for introducing the product to the consumer, and related costs.

Constant Contact

Top Five Observations:

I'm very glad to have this link offered, since my assistant has been encouraging me to use Constant Contact for our promotional emails.

I find websites that offer unsolicited speech/audio extremely off-putting. The sound is usually cranked painfully loud and makes me navigate away from the site. An exception to this would be Prof. Moua's gentle chimes on her business website.

I appreciate the site's assistance in choosing an appropriate template--this visual language speaks highly to me.

I signed up for a free trial and am looking forward to importing contact information and getting started.

I am thrilled that the program will allow me to have clients unsubscribe themselves, since it usually takes me longer than I'd like to get around to this!

Chapter 17: 3.3

Elasticity in demand means that customers are sensitive to changes in price, and that if the price is increased, sales will lower.

Inelasticity in demand means that customers are NOT sensitive to price changes, and that if the price is increased, sales will remain consistent.

It's important for managers to understand this concept so that they know which items in their stock of goods/services can withstand price fluctuation without undergoing sales dips.

Chapter 17: 3.2

A firm can increase revenue by raising price, but only to a point. At a certain point, the market's tolerance for price increase will be saturated and both sales and revenue will start to drop. The target market may at that point also start to explore competitors.

Chapter 17: 3.1

Supply and demand can affect price because low demand and high supply would create lower prices (cf. the current real estate market), and the reverse can also occur: high demand and low supply can drive prices up (cf. Jolly Rancher candies are very cheap per item when sold in high supply in the grocery store but are comparatively costly when sold at recess in a low-supply environment by an enterprising young man I know!).

Fluctuating demand creates unstable prices, for example seasonal items such as school supplies which will be more expensive the week before school starts and cheaper the week after.

Chapter 17: 2.1

Examples of pricing objectives:

1. Profit-oriented pricing can occur when a company retains accurate data on what prices the market can sustain, customer satisfaction, and efficiency. An example of this would be pricing that seeks to gain a return on investment based on a specific asset of the company, cf. a company that spends money to educate an employee whose new degree/increased reputation then brings new clients/money to the firm.

2. Sales-oriented pricing seeks to maximize sales. This can be done with a post-holiday sale to rid the company of merchandise with lesser regard for profit margin per item.

3. Status quo pricing matches competitors' prices. This could happen when a company offers to match any other company's price on a similar item.

Chapter 14: 5.2

Kohler site:

Attention is stimulated through the slick design of the site, which communicates the aesthetic of the brand to clients who would be motivated by Kohler's design concept in kitchen/bath appliances.

Interest is stimulated through learning opportunities such as the "what's new" and "about Kohler" links.

Desire is stimulated by the personalization of the design your own custom kitchen or bathroom link that encourages the client step by step to "dream, plan, choose, share."

Action is stimulated by the "where to buy" and shopping cart links.

Chapter 14: 5.1

AIDA: How phases of customer involvement affect the marketing mix

Attention: the consumer/target market's attention may be gained by television, print, radio, etc. ads that mention and describe the product/service

Interest: is developed through trainings and trials that involve the product and informed sales people who can demo the product

Desire: is stimulated by convincing the consumer that this is the best possible product or sales-related decision, perhaps by offering unique features related to the product

Action: can be induced through price discounts and special offers

Chapter 14: 4.1

A marketing manager might choose to promote through persuasion in order to stimulate a purchase or entice the customer to act, which is critical during times of growth and competition.

Current examples of persuasive promotion:

• Any TV ad saying "act now--this is a limited-time offer"
• QVC displaying how many items of a lot have sold against how many remain (and noting which items have already sold out)
• Early registration discounts for classes with use-by dates

Chapter 14: 3.1

Understanding the target market is essential for the communication process because an organization needs to know the symbols, channels, and language that would be understood and used by the users of its product or service. For example, a jean for teens promoted using spokesperson Bea Arthur talking about their nifty value in Mature magazine would be much less likely to succeed than if promoted using spokesperson Miley Mae Cyrus talking about their killer fit in Teen People.

Chapter 12: 3.1

Likely marketing channel structure for the following products:

• Candy bar: wholesaler channel
• Tupperware: agent/broker channel in the industrial model (if a Tupperware party is involved!)
• Non-fiction book: wholesaler
• New car: agent/broker channel or retailer
• Farmer's market produce: direct channel
• Stereo equipment: retailer

Alternative strategies:

• Candy bar: if sold by a kid making money for school, this would follow the model of the Tupperware party above
• Tupperware: wholesaler, if inexpensive units were distributed in bulk to a retailer direct from the company
• Non-fiction book: if self-published, through a direct channel
• New car: I've heard of newly purchased cars being resold on ebay through a direct channel model!
• Farmer's market produce: some farmer's markets follow the business/industrial model of an industrial distributor
• Stereo equipment: if purchased by a wholesaler and resold on the internet, could follow wholesaler model

Chapter 12: 2.1

Types of marketing channel functions that can be performed over the Internet:

Transactional functions:

• Contacting and promoting--yes, the Internet would be a potential venue for contacting potential customers, promoting products and soliciting orders if the website had forms for orders and contact links. Auto contact/promotions could also be issued through the web.
• Negotiating--not as easy to perform over the Internet, though Internet-based functions like skype and email could be easily used for negotiation.
• Risk-taking--assuming the risk of owning inventory could be performed over the Internet only if Internet-based purchasing were involved, and not for in-person sales.

Logistical functions:

• Physically distributing--transporting and sorting goods could be arranged through the Internet but obviously not physically completed over the Internet, unless the good was a down-loadable Mp3 file, PDF, or something of that nature.
• Storing--physical inventories and storing of goods would not be doable over the Internet
• Sorting--see storing

Facilitating functions:

• Researching--this would be a natural fit for Internet function
• Financing--credit checks and other financial services could be performed over the Internet and often are

11: Application Exercise 3

Per answer to item 2, it's easier to assess quality of goods--and for that matter, for goods with shorter lifespan. Some examples:

A pair of jeans that might last a season or a couple years would have a quick, comparable assessment modality, simpler even than a car that might last a decade or more and would have to be assessed over time.

Services, because less tangible, are generally harder to assess than products because they are less containable and less sensate-connected.

Similar to a product, though, a service with a shorter lifespan would be easier to assess than a service with a longer lifespan. An interaction with a bank teller that lasted 10 minutes would be easier to assess as good, bad, productive, pleasant, something you would/not desire to repeat, etc., than a college education that lasted 4 years.

11: Application Exercise 2

It's probably easier to assess quality of items (by comparison to other goods especially) that are closer to the product end on the spectrum. The less tangible the item, the easier to assess quality.

11: Application Exercise 1

100% physical good
Jeans
Car
Hair cut
Oil change
Dry cleaning
Education
100% service

11:3.1

I recently had my hair colored and "blown out" in New York in an uptown salon. The following is an assessment of my experience of the five elements of customer satisfaction.

Gap 1. Customer's expectations and management perceptions of those expectations. A NY client would have expected to pay an additional charge for a blow out (oy!) and to tip the shampoo girl separately (two oys!), and NY management would expect the customer to expect these charges. As a MN customer, I expected to have shampoo and blow out included in the color cost and found the additional charges a deterrent to returning.

Gap 2. Management's perception of what the customer wants and specifications for service quality. I was greeted at the salon by a woman who checked my coat and guided me through the salon. This service, I found, fit and addressed a traditional customer desire in an uptown salon. The customer desire drives the existence of this additional employee's job.

Gap 3. Service quality specifications and delivery of service. The colorist did an amazing job of working with a very narrowly specified service process called balliage--with excellent, accurate delivery of service.

Gap 4. Service delivery and what is promised through external communication. I found out later that the additional blow-out charge was accurately advertised on the external website. If I had read the website, I would have had more accurate expectations of pricing of service delivery and what was packaged with each service.

Gap 5. Customer service expectations and perception of service performance. I expected and received outstanding color service.

11: 2.2

The Zagat Guide is a product--it is clearly a tangible good that can be picked up, held, and physically compared to other goods on the bookshelf at B&N or on the page at Amazon. (And interestingly, the Zagat Guide might be more likely ordered at Amazon if it had consumer reviews--funny to me, since it is a book of reviews!)

11: 2.1

The intangibility of services means that, different from the tangible good, service, or idea of a product, a service cannot be clearly physically identified, and cannot be stored or saved.

A bank branch manager might deal with intangibility in that the customer service and reliability associated with bank employees both behind the counter (deposits/withdrawals) and behind the desk (investments/planning) can be extremely important to the consumer but are intangible and thus hard to gather accurate data assessing how well they are functioning and how best they should be functioning.

11: 1.1

The link as printed did not work, but in looking at the www.bls.gov general site, there is significant info on benefits, employment/unemployment, spending and time use, productivity, etc.

Under the tab "Major Economic Indicators," which may help address the question posed by the book. one can find numerous articles on productivity and cost and employment cost, and a far less significant amount of information on export products. This could support the book's information on the service sector being 80% of the GNP.

10: 6.2

Cheerios, in its maturity stage, is promoting off-shoot products under the Cheerios brand (such as Banana Nut Cheerios), segmenting its market (kids, adults, families, new parents), and focusing on health benefits.

10: 5.2

As a kinesthetic learner, I prefer trialability, since I can touch, feel, and directly experience the product to get a sense if I prefer it.

10: 5.1

Products whose adoption rates have been affected by the following:

1. Complexity: digital cameras were slowly adopted in the market because of perceptions of complexity of use and understanding the product.
2. Compatibility: shorts for women are an incompatible product in most of India, where women’s legs are expected to be covered in public.
3. Relative advantage: The electric car, introduced in the 1980s, was at a relative disadvantage because of low speed and high frequency of charging the battery. It never took off. The hybrid, as an ecological alternative to a conventional motor, is at a relative advantage to the electric due to capacity to run at normal highway speeds off regular fuel.
4. Observability: a new brand of skateboard, highly visible to other boarders, is more visible than a new brand of skateboard repair kit, which usually does not travel outside the home.
5. Trialability: a new snackfood that can be passed out to shoppers in the grocery store has high trialability.

7: 4.3

Propel water could also be a target market for alternative music: young, health-conscious, seeking alternatives in both beverage and music.

Proactiv Solution could also be a target market for Jessica Simpson fragrance: she was a former spokesperson, and both are beauty industry products.

Alienware computers could also be a target market for eyedrops: up late, not body conscious, hard working target market wants relief from work-related stress or all-night computer gaming.

Specialty luggage tags could also be a target market for that ridiculous Evian Face mist: consumer wants to stand out from the pack through luxury purchases, use/display products that are distinctive for label reasons, and feel special/pampered.

9: 6.1

Levi's website markets to the US, 21 European countries, 11 Latin American countries, 13 locations in the Asian Pacific market, and Canada.

The Swedish site, for example, differed from the US website. The US site featured a men's and women's section, and strong emphasis on non-jean wear such as shirts. The Swedish site, with its English text, featured only jeans, men's/women's-wear combined, and a smaller selection of jeans.

They also offered a bleached jean called the Levi's Collectible that seemed very unlikely ever to make it in the US. This is where words fail me and I can only reflect on the jeans on the Swedish exchange student in my high school. Stephan was a popular, good-looking hockey player who never lacked for girlfriends or invitations...and yet, we always used to call his jeans, "just wrong." The look, cut, and color of a Levi's Collectible is different from US brands and, like Stephan's pantwear and in some nearly undefinable way, does not fulfil our standard of what a jean "should" be.

9: 4.2

Hormel uses its website to promote its brands over the company, and promotes its store brands through positioning itself as an assistant to the meal-maker and shopper in the family. The site contains recipes featuring Hormel products, discounts and specials on products, and product ideas such as “create something great” and “protein made easy.”

Hormel is able to sustain SPAM for two reasons. First, to many consumers, SPAM is not a joke, but rather a cheap staple food. Second, Hormel probably capitalizes on the idea that no name mention is bad name mention, and uses the jokes about SPAM to keep its product in the public eye and mind. I in fact have known several people who have purchased SPAM tinned meat or a SPAM t-shirt as gag present—with no intention ever of eating SPAM and no thought of the receiver of the gift eating SPAM. Even people who would refuse to eat it buy it, and vegetarians, no less!

VALS

On the VALS survey, I scored as an innovator/achiever.

This information could be useful to a marketer because different types on the VALS survey will be looking for different value in product, and different type of product.

For example:

As an "Innovator" type, I am likely to be interested in visual trends and in keeping current with fashion, which might be of no interest whatsoever to a "Believer" type, who might have strict ideas about what to wear that are unrelated to trends.

Also, an "Innovator" type, I tend to be an active consumer, interested in unique products that express who I am. Thus, I would be less likely to purchase a standard item that everyone would have, and more likely to purchase an item that is in style but singular and personally relevant in some way. I want purchases to reflect who I am.

As an "Achiever," I want quality goods that are time tested--this shows up more in car purchase rather than clothing. I drive a Camry and couldn't care less that everyone has one. I am more impressed that this is a solid, reliable brand.

Also, both of my preferences are "doer" types. I am unlikely to purchase mechanical equipment, which might more likely be purchased by a "Maker" type.

Claritas observations

There was no "free stuff" button on the site http://www.claritas.com/Default.jsp, but
I found a demographic browser and went with that.

For Hennipen County, I discovered that I am exactly the median age and median income.

I have the education level of about 1/4 of the population

I am in a smaller-than-average household, as most households have slightly over 2 members.

Demographics can help "pinpoint a population and establish economic growth," per the website.

To know how to sell a product in a given area, it would be helpful first to know who is in the area.

For example, if you were selling to a population with a low literacy rate/level of education, you might need to use audio ads and strong, recognizible visual ads.

Or, if you were selling a child-friendly product in an area strong on retirees, you might need to target the buyer as a grandparent rather than a parent, which could change the marketing strategy.

9: 5.1

Make-up from Fresh that my friend Liz and I just purchased this weekend in NY has gorgeous and distinctive packaging. This packaging works as follows in the four packaging functions:

1. Contain and protect the product: in this capacity, the make-up package is a standard, functional cardboard box containing a standard, functional plastic tube with applicator containing a set and measured amount of lip gloss. Nothing extraordinary here.

2. Promoting the product: in terms of differentiating the product from others in the market, this packaging does a stellar job. Its artful mosaic of abstract, plant-based design reminded me of the brilliant clothing designs from Oilily and prompted me to keep the cardboard box to show the retail manager at our center's store! Moreover, although each product type (lip gloss versus shampoo) and each product sub-species (soy shampoo versus rose shampoo) has a different mosaic on the box, which is fun, all the boxes are recognizable as Fresh products, which is smart.

3. Facilitating storage, use, and convenience: Again nothing remarkable, but the lip gloss is easy to apply and store in a handbag or makeup bag, and is a standard size that is recognizable by touch when digging blindly in one’s purse. This is a huge plus for me, since I have probably spent the equivalent of another Master’s degree of time digging in my purse.

4. Facilitating recycling and reducing environmental damage: a minimum of safety sealed plastic was used in Fresh boxing. The cardboard was recyclable, and I may have recycled it had I not been travelling. I can’t say that I have ever recycled a lip-gloss tube, however, unless you could count passing on a shade that did not work for me to a friend. So I do not know if this tube is recyclable, and I doubt that I would recycle it if it were, unless the company did a very eye-catching job of promoting recyclability and strategies for recycling that particular item.

9: 2.1

The following is a breakdown of product by category based on my preferences:

Coke, shampoo, canned veggies: convenience

Car stereo, curtains: specialty

Winter coat, shoes, jeans: shopping

Life insurance: unsought.

Viva Las Vegas 1--4

1. The LVCVA segments its target market based on geographic residence, race, primary language, age, gender, marital status, and income.

2. The LVCVA uses a multi-segment target strategy because it has such a richly segmented target market. This is the strategy that makes the most sense. If I were the LVCVA, I would not be overly concerned with cannibalization unless I saw clear evidence that one segment of the target market was making frequenting Las Vegas less likely for another segment: to whit, if senior citizens were complaining about frat boys partying on their hotel floor, causing the hotel to lose business and suffer financially.

3. For citizens 18—75 visiting Las Vegas, I would employ the segments of the target market mentioned above. I might also reach out to business travelers, honeymooners/second honeymooners, and families with children who might be interested in the natural wonders of the area that can be found off the strip.

4. The LVCVA is successful because it realized and responded to the reality of its target market: a highly segmented, diverse market with different goals, budgets, and values.

7: 9.2

As a product category, I chose pain reliever. Three brands and their positioning strategies are:

Alleve: positioned as all-day pain relief to the target audience of active people who just don’t have time to re-dose through commercials featuring professionals working with their hands, moms picking up kids, and retirees gardening.

Excedrin Migraine (which contains exactly the same ingredients and dosage per pill as Excedrin Extra Strength): positioned as a pain reliever for migraine sufferers through commercials discussing the particular pain symptoms associated with that diagnosis.

Midol: positioned as a pre-menstrual and menstrual pain reliever to the target audience of women in the reproductive years through commercials showing harried women under 50 in that special kind of pain.

7: 7.2

Speaking as a former 25-35-year-old woman, I would not have darkened the door of J.C. Penny during that critical decade unless dragged by a boyfriend buying power tools or flannel shirts. I associated J.C. Penny, as assertion I could support with the current website, with brands that I found staid and visually uninteresting: perhaps a place to buy a phone but never a place to buy cute clothing for myself. Moreover, during that time, I was a regular Target shopper for everything from toiletries to clothing basics to indulgence clothing to household décor.

This fascinates me, since my mother and I lived in a low-income housing neighborhood during the years she was a single mom and I was a preteen, and we frequented the local Target, then known as Targhetto. “Frequented” meaning “she dragged me there against my will with a tractor pull.” As a child, I found Target and in particular Targhetto to be incredibly depressing and associated the store and its wares with hard people in hard times.

Yet Target so successfully redid their image—and individual store—that I ended up a loyal shopper as an adult at the very same Targhetto. Like its website, Targhetto now focuses much more on designers, and seems to be lifting visuals from magazines like Glamour and Vogue.

Chapter 6, 2.1

The B2B website might be useful in creating a marketing plan and identifying a target market in a number of ways.

The website offers Marketing Stories, which one could peruse for inspiration and guidance. It also provides a Marketing Research Guide and an Interactive Marketing Guide, which address both of the above issues. The site offers a media kit and a "contact us" feature for further business development and questions.

American FactFinder

Top Five observations after visiting American FactFinder website: Your source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data.

How fun to look up data about my neighborhood of Highland Park!

I discovered that the Latino population of 4.8% is higher than I would have expected. I wonder if there is some self-segregation is the neighborhood related to what restaurants and grocery stores are selected by people of different races.

I was impressed that the number of white denizens at approx. 23,000 is about equal to that of our black denizens, at approx. 20,000. The neighborhood seems mighty white to me, and I'm glad to know that it is more diverse than it appears. See comment above re. self-segregation.

I was also surprised that our neighborhood only has 5.7% of the population under 5 years of age, since the 'hood is swarming with kids--seemingly so, at least.

Also surprising to me that the average family size is 2.06 members, again since so many of the visible families seem to have two or more children. This might be related to single people or elderly couples socializing less in the neighborhood than the more visible families with young children. Apparently, I have been hanging out in the neighborhood joints frequented by white families with lots of kids!

My thought about race self-segregation may be apropos, as only 1.9% of the population identified as biracial.

Chapter 6, 5.2

When I attempted a product/NAICS code search for my business, I was directed to a site that would have me purchase a $59 reference book or $79 software. So I am going to say it was not that easy to use the site!

Chapter 6, 5.1

A marketer may not be able to convert SIC data to current NAICS data on the website given, if I am interpreting this quotation correctly:

A detailed conversion (concordance) between the SIC and 2002 NAICS is available in Excel format for download at the "Concordances" link on this website. There are no plans to develop a concordance between the SIC and 2007 NAICS.

Chapter 6, 3.1

Relationship marketing is the best way to promote because it creates loyalty and customer satisfaction, and creates return customers (less expensive to maintain a customer than to gain a new one).

I also think this is a great way to market because human beings are inherently social and relationship based.

Chapter 5, 8.1

Beliefs and attitudes influence consumer behavior by directly or indirectly shaping the consumer's purchasing decisions. What the consumer believes about the product line/company and his attitude of response to the product can be key in the decision making process.

A negative attitude toward a product can be changed by a marketing campaign designed to overhaul the company's image. The tobacco company website we visited last week certainly seems to be attempting a consumer attitude change.

Changing beliefs about a product can be attempted through marketing that is designed to educate the consumer. Commercials that begin, "Did you know that..." could be considered an attempt at product education to change belief.

Chapter 5, 6.1

Considering the decision-making roles of my two nuclear families (with the step parents), here's how the following decisions might play out:

Pizza Hut: When my father and stepmother want to have dinner with me, they are generally the initiators, suggesting that we go out to dinner. Since I am a vegetarian and they are not, they would ask me to influence where we go to eat. I usually give them two or three options, and they are the final decision makers, and, God bless 'em, the purchasers. We all would be the consumers.

Summer vacation: We tend to travel separately these days, so each family member or couple would go through the decision making process independently.

Fruit Loops: My family tends to be health conscious, so Fruit Loops probably wouldn't be a chosen cereal. That said, my stepfather will on occasion drive my mom "off the wagon" with regard to healthy food choices, so he would probably be the initiator. My stepsister, who also enjoys treat foods, might be an influencer. Mom, as the grocery shopper, would be both the final decision maker and the purchaser. Stepfather and stepsister would be the consumers.

Abercrombie sweater: I'd run the whole decision making gambit independently. I might act as an influencer for my stepsister if she were buying the sweater.

Gold clubs: Believe me when I tell you that with the low level of athleticism in my gene pool, no one will be making a decision about golf clubs.

Internet service provider: If my parents needed this service, they would initiate the purchase and ask me to be an influencer. They would be the final decision makers, purchasers, and consumers.

New car:

Chapter 5, 4.2

Purchasing a computer would probably be an extensive decision making process, involving time and involvement on the part of the consumer, who would be protective of the funds for this larger investment.

Given this style of decision making, the apple.com website addresses the consumer appropriately. The site is very information driver, which an extensive decision would require, and even offers a virtual tour of the site, which reminded me of what a real estate agent might offer clients looking at a new home (another extensive decision making process)!

Chapter 5, 4.1

The three types of consumer decision-making behavior are: routine response, limited, and extensive.

Routine response would cover low-cost essentials that are frequently purchased, such as toiletries and household cleaning products, and is a low-effort, low-risk endeavor.

Limited decision making would occur when a consumer knows the product type but is unfamiliar with the brands available, and involves moderate time investment. I often experience this type of decision making when I am travelling abroad and in need of a small item such as laundry soap or hair spray. Choosing laundry soap in France took me about 20 minutes longer than choosing soap in the US (i.e., about 19 minutes!).

Extensive decision making involves the purchase of unfamiliar, expensive equipment such as a new computer, car, or household appliance. This process is complex and takes more time and involvement.

Can-Spam Act

Note: I am under the assumption that I am to note my personal top five observations about this website article, and that we are not assessing the Look-Look site for this assignment. If I've misconstrued anything, though, just let me know and I will gladly redo. Thanks.

Top 5 Observations:

1. As a consumer, I am delighted that there is a bill that regulates text spam. I am too old for texting and view it as a nuisance, and am already grouchy about the ATT promotional emails that are legally shoveled into my text inbox.

2. As a business owner who relies heavily on email for promotion, I can understand that a business that relies on text promotions may consider this bill a hindrance to its marketing plan.

3. Given that some phone plans assess a per-text charge including texts received--and that this differs greatly from the way a consumer pays to access email--this does seem a legitimate consumer protection issue from a financial standpoint.

4. Unfortunately, the steps necessary to report and identify a spam email are probably substantial enough to deter reporting.

5. To that end, again speaking as a consumer, I wish that there were more public information readily available on how to stop unnecessary receipt of marketing information (both spam and physical junk mail, though the latter is decreasing on its own due to being a less popular marketing devise)...and that the process were simpler.

Vermont Teddy Bear 2

Was the controversy a positive or a negative for the company? For Robert?

Initially, as per the maxim "there's no such thing as bad publicity," the controversy was a positive for the company, boosting sales and upping its public exposure/name recognition.

Over the long haul, however, the controversy may have produced negative or undesirable connotations for the company, dealing as it does with cuddly products.

For Robert, the assessment of positive or negative seems more a personal question based on her priorities. She kept her high-paying job and gained personal name recognition, so if she wants to be perceived as a big, tough player in corporate America, then this was a positive for her as well. If she wants to be perceived as a family-oriented, compassionate teddy bear herself, then it was a negative.

Vermont Teddy Bear 1

Did the VTB company violate the requirements of corporate social responsibility (defined by the text as a business' concern for society's welfare)?

That is a weighty question. Certainly, the "Crazy for You" bear was tasteless. And, as a health care provider who deals with clients with mental challenges such as depression, suicidal tendencies, and anxiety, I feel and have experienced evidence that US culture is backward with regard to its understanding of mental health and extremely stingy with regard to its compassion for people experiencing mental health disorders.

I am not surprised that the "Crazy for You" bear was produced in the US, because we are not a society that has extensive concern for the welfare of our denizens' mental health. Thus, I do not believe that the bear was a violation of the requirements of corporate social responsibility for this culture, but rather a sad reflection of our cultural priorities.

Chapter 5, 5.3

Exchange rates can affect a firm's global sales because a variance in exchange rate can affect the international viability of a nation's currency. When a currency is weak with regard to international standard or with regard to the currency of a competitive market, sales may be significantly affected. Both individual consumers and large wholesalers may be more or less likely to purchase based on the relative strength of their currency in the global market.

Chapter 4, 4.4

Direct investment is considered risky because through active investment in/ownership of a foreign company, the direct investors have both the greatest potential reward if the company succeeds and the greatest potential risk if the company does not turn profit. The US firm owning the foreign firm may face significant challenges in understanding how to translate its policies and procedures to create a successful business environment in the foreign culture.

Chapter 4, 4.3

The advantages of entering a joint venture are that it is typically a quick and less expensive way to go global.

The disadvantages are that a joint venture is a high-risk undertaking due to potential failure, takeover, or lack of agreement between partners.

Chapter 4, 4.2

The US Commercial Service can help companies wanting to enter the global market by helping companies understand the risks, challenges, and options of global commercial activity. By helping a company to assess realistically if it is ready to market abroad, if its products/services could be successful, and if it has translated policies and procedures successfully for an international staff, the US Commercial Service could prepare a company to make a sound decision about the global market.

The US Commercial service currently offers services in marketing research, locating buyers, trade events, and business consulting.

Chapter 4, 2.1

Per the text, global marketing standardization is production of uniform products that can be sold the same way all over the world.

The cons of this strategy may arise because international concepts of kitchen necessities may vary tremendously. European kitchens, for example, tend to be much smaller than those in the US, with much less storage. European customers for Rubbermaid may want smaller items and may be much less likely to spend on purchases that are used only once or twice a season or for very specific applications (for example, a kitchen with tremendous storage could easily accommodate a waffle maker, two kinds of garlic presses, etc., but in a tight space, one would want to focus on multi-tasking essentials such as reliable knives, bowls that could be for serving or mixing, etc.).

The pros of this strategy could be a tremendously expanded market, and if the same items are being sold around the world, centralized/standardized production and shipping could cut production costs per item.

Chapter 3, 9.3

Per the text, a market share is a company's product sales as a percentage of total sales for that industry.

Topics currently receiving attention in the FDA News include:

• Transitioning to electronic labelling for instructions for use on medications, encouraging companies to go green and reduce paper costs and wastes when producing medication packaging.
• Oxycodone, an opioid pain reliever, is in shortage due to recalls and production delays.

These news stories could affect market share as follows:

Electronic labelling, if it becomes a standard in the enormous pharmaceutical industry, could greatly increase market share for software that would be label-compatible, both for end-users and manufacturers.

Oxycodone alternative pain relievers could experience an increase in sales and market share.

Chapter 3, 5.1

A marketing mix, per the text, deals with the product, place, promotion, and pricing strategies related to the target market.

An aging boomer market may affect the marketing mix for the following companies as follows:

1. Bally's Health Clubs could focus more on products and services for health maintenance and longevity rather than "meat market" environments. Bally's might research what Target is doing in their health and wellness section to reach older populations, for example bringing in Jack Lelanne as a product spokesperson--someone who would probably be totally unknown to Gen Y, but who is synonymous with fitness for many people in the boomer generation. Bally's might also focus on different benefits for its services in promotion. For example, yoga can be marketed as diversely as ancient secrets to retain youthfulness or as a way to get "yoga butt" (an actual marketing term for yoga in Los Angeles!). Bally's might also work with cheap classes at times when the boomer retirees could attend, similar to what a Denny's does with discounted early dinners. People working a 9--5 job would not have dinner or an aerobics class at 4 PM...but a boomer might, and might be motivated by a low price.

2. McDonald's might take advantage of the above-mentioned discount strategy at times when retirees might eat. They could also offer heart-healthy or cholesterol reduction meal plans, perhaps having those items marked with a special symbol for easy recognition. They might as well make use of an elderly spokesperson in commercials, in addition to their kid-friendly clown-centric advertising (Morgan Freedman would be fabulous, I think, since he plays God in so many movies--God wants you to eat at McDonald's).

3. The Whirlpool corporation, in my opinion, has a great ticket for boomers: use Whirlpool to ease your aches and pains. Whirlpool could also mention if/how their products are used in a medical setting. They could as well advertise the historical benefits of hydrotherapy. For example, hot wax/paraffin dips were used in rehabilitation medicine for years as an arthritis treatment before they became a spa service. If Whirlpool could do some research into how hot water has been a centuries-old method of relieving stress and healing the body, referencing Roman hot springs, etc., they might also gain more boomer clients interested in health care benefits and sensible, proven alternatives.

4. The state of Florida is another marketer that has a perfect match in the boomer retirees. To gain boomer business, Florida would simply need to take focus away from Spring Break Madness and Miami Latin Fusion and put focus instead on Florida's many accessible retirement communities and alternatives. Florida probably has many businesses that cater to retirees and their schedules (I am thinking of the IHOP I visited on a recent business trip to Florida in which literally every person, including the wait staff, was well over 60), and could spotlight the boomer-positive business climate of Florida communities.

5. Target stores, as mentioned above, are already targeting boomers by bringing in Jack Lalanne and focusing on home health care in their Homedics line. Since they do a booming pharmacy business, they could also offer specials on OTC medications for 55+ patrons, and/or market the ease of use of their pharmacy services.

Chapter 3, 2.4

Code of Ethics

Yes, I think a code of ethics has the potential to shape an employee's behavior in a number of ways. First, for an employee with an inner desire to conform to ethical standards (perhaps a "J" type on the Myers-Briggs preference indicator, who has a preference for order and knowing/adhering to standards), a code of ethics would give an external marker on which to evaluate behavior. That type of employee would then know what was expected of him/her ethically, and would take steps to comply.

I can think of an example of this in my own business. We have a strongly stated ethics policy that teachers at our center do not date students. A teacher and a student became interested in each other, since the teacher knew about and cared about the policy, the two of them approached me as the center director to ask how to handle it. We created a "cooling off" period in which that student would stop being her particular student and would transfer to other classes, and in which the two of them would get to know each other without dating. Remarkably and maturely, they completely adhered to these guidelines out of respect for the code of ethics (and are now married!).

A code of ethics could also influence employees who are not internally motivated by ethical concerns by giving them guidelines of consequences. Even if the employee did not care about an ethical breech in and of itself, s/he might be motivated by the negative consequences stated in the policy that would follow the ethical deviation.

Cirque du Soleil 3

Implementation of CDS's marketing plan would involve an agreement on all staff levels that a show is to be produced and to open on a specific timeline, and employees who are empowered and inspired to deliver on that timeline.

A product that is theater-based can implement a marketing plan evaluation based on the questions were we ready to open and did we get a sufficient audience? CDS can consistently answer yes to these evaluative questions.

CDS seems light on marketing plan control because of its budgetary freedom for creative artists. In general, CDS has a high profit margin, and management views giving the artists budget freedom essential for success. The element of specific control is low provided that the general control achieved by this formula is functioning well.

Cirque du Soleil 2

Points of CDS's competitive advantage:

1. Performers who are highly invested in the creative and spiritual content of their work, passionate about delivering that content in a superior form, and empowered by management to produce high-end content in an "artist-first" work culture.

2. A production staff sufficient to support the remarkable creative vision of the artists (artists in less resourceful companies may have creative vision but lack the resources/production capacity necessary to manifest an inspirational idea).

3. An large international work force selected by knowledgeable talent scouts; many members of the work force are in a database and on standby, should a specific talent be required to make a project a success.

Cirque du Soleil 1

SWOT Analysis:

Strength: a truly distinctive product, powered by creative innovation, offering top physical and entertainment talent with a spiritual or mystic focus that is rare in the show circuit.

Weakness: a business run by creative people who are allowed to develop their ideas without business interference could fail to manage/prioritize practical details such as budget and time deadlines--though this seems to be a largely theoretical point given CDS's success and profit margin.

Opportunities: given the growing interest and capacity for special effects in the movie business, an industry that employs visual artistry and drama combined with the skill of athletic stunt doubles, CDS could conceivably assert its brand in the areas of SFX.

Threats: if the current economic client results in less travel/vacationing, CDS could see a decline in its revenues in the resort culture in which it operates. It may thus wish to develop products that could be enjoyed at home (website, DVDs, CDS proprietary exercise programs, etc.).

Netflix 3

Netflix's approach to relationship marketing may increase customer satisfaction because a selection of Netflix customer service reps are empowered to communicate with clients directly to discuss how problems could have been avoided.

Netflix also uses a software system that might be considered virtual relationship marketing: its Cinematch database works with the customer's preferences to suggest new titles that the customer may find enjoyable. Netflix also invites friends to serve as one another's relationship marketing, in a sense, by sharing preferences with a selected network of users.

Netflix 2

I would suggest that Netflix has a market orientation as a marketing management philosophy.

Netflix utilizes a superior awareness of client needs and perception of value in the movie rental business to create its marketing plan and business strategies. Netflix is organized around the concept of satisfying the client's needs for entertainment and desires for a streamlined, online, immediate and at-home movie/television experience.

Netflix 1

The text presents the concept of exchange as people giving up something they have to get something they want more.

A Netflix membership involves the consumer exchanging a monthly fee for ongoing access to the Netflix "watch instantly" database; the capacity to create a queue of movies that will be sent to the client (hardcopy) when other movies are returned to Netflix (Netflix stores and automatically activates this queue for the client); and access to Netflix's interactive web features.

The client might view the exchange as valuable for convenience, saving of late fees, and capacity to shop online rather than onsite.

Netflix may benefit tremendously from this exchange as well, since monthly membership benefits are not maximized by a large number of clients. Much like a gym membership, the organization will quickly find that many clients are automatically paying a fee for a service that they do not use--or that they do not regularly use.

Chapter 2, 4.1

USPS SWOT Analysis:

1. Strength: Government organization, can rely on federally mandated support for policies, fee collection, enforcement of regulations against interference, etc.

2. Weakness: Same as strength. Governmental organizations may pay less and thus draw a smaller talent pool of creative/motivated employees than private sector companies.

3. Opportunity: May be motivated to create improvements and reduce stagnation due to comparisons with private companies such as FedEx and UPS rather than existing as a monopoly.

4. Threat: Private companies may have willingness to operate longer hours and may be able to hire non-union employees more readily.

Chapter 2, 2.1

Per the text, a company's mission statement answer's the question, "What business are we in?", and should focus on market/s served rather than goods/services.

I like the mission statement for the non-profit organization The Dwelling in the Woods, with which I am involved as a consultant: Our Mission is to nurture the healing, growth and transformation of the human spirit. (www.thedwellinginthewoods.org) Although this says nothing of what the organization does, it speaks to the multi-faith, supportive environment the Dwelling seeks to create and its market role as a place of spiritual retreat.

I like the mission statement of my business, actually, for similar reasons: The Center for Happiness provides a nourishing and challenging environment to promote physical health, emotional happiness, and spiritual awareness. (www.centerforhappiness.com).

I googled "bad mission statements" and came up with some amusing ones. For example:
To maintain Playboy enterprise with many windows of opportunity to expand the Playboy franchise and develop other related entertainment franchise globally by leveraging Playboy’s strengths of publishing, brand management, and marketing. (Playboy) Obviously, some mention of the market itself would be helpful here!

Another company that seems reluctant actually to comment in its mission statement on its actual market is Victoria's Secret: Committed to building a family of the world’s best fashion brands offering captivating customer experiences that drive long-term loyalty and deliver sustained growth for our shareholders. Again, a tighter description of "What business are we in?" would be useful, and the mention of shareholders should be omitted from the mission statement.

And lest we think that the hot-and-steamy markets are the only mission-statement crashers, there's always, Providing solutions in real time to meet our customers’ needs (Halliburton). It's difficult to improve the mission of a company that has become a pop-culture joke, but it is nonetheless funny.

Chapter 1, 3.3

Phillip Morris handles the sensitive issues re. smoking by creating a website that almost looks like an anti-tobacco campaign. Versus the sexy/sporty/full of life smokers in ads of the 1970s, the current website presents a soft blue background reminiscent of a hospital site; simple, gentle graphics; and more topics on the front page that oppose smoking than topics that promote its pleasures.

On the website, PM gives information about quitting smoking, stopping underage smoking, and health issues such as pregnancy and smoking, smoking addiction, and the dangers of chewing tobacco (mouth cancer, etc.). I think that the company can justify this as a marketing approach because of the decades of attempted lawsuits against the tobacco industry. But personally, if I have a company that seems primarily to want to tell me how dangerous its products are, something smells like second-hand smoke.

Chapter 1, 2.3

Give an example of a company that might be successfully following a production orientation. Why might a firm in this industry be successful following such an orientation?

3M is a company following a production orientation with great success. As one example of this orientation, consider 3M in the 70s. At the time, a friend's father worked as an inventor at 3M developing non-stick tape. The initial application of the non-stick tape was for hospital use, a large market but not a generally public one. My friend's father would come home with tape pieces attached all over his arms and face so that he could test the wear and comfort of different tape formulas, using his skills to find the best possible tape/skin fit. The orientation of his project was definitely geared to using the talents of the engineers/inventors to find the best possible adhesive. This tape transformed the hospital environment, as my father, a physician in the 70s, can attest--without tape ripping and tearing skin, wounds were more easily dressed and healed, and pain experienced by patients dramatically decreased. Yet most of us are more familiar with non-stick tape in applications not originally addressed by this production-oriented team of engineers, e.g. post-its and other office supplies, which soon outsold the original application of the product! 3M used the talents of the engineers in a production orientation to succeed far beyond the original scope of the project.

Chapter 1, 1.1

What is the AMA? What does it do? How do its services benefit marketers?

The AMA is the American Marketing Association, self-described as the "largest marketing association in North America" per the AMA website. The AMA is a professional organization offering networking, resources, training/workshops, job connections, etc. AMA members may benefit through training, networking, gaining relevant experience, generating career options, and creating better results in their marketing goals.

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