Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

BIGBOIDRE Productions will be hosting a charity! All collections will be donated to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission for the homeless. Las Vegas rescue mission provides redemption, recovery, and re-entry to the homeless, addicted, and those in need. http://vegasrescue.org/

This event will be held at a local bar. Local bands and artists of all genres will be performing for a good cause. There will be a $5 entry fee. All attendants will have their chance to enjoy a discounted specialty drink that will be offered the whole night. All collections from entry fees and drink specials will be donated to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.

This event would bring attention to the local bar. The artists and bands performing will benefit from the charity by having their music locally exposed. This will be a way to network and bring attention to my company within the community. I will be building relationships with possible clients. Last but not least, it will be an event that will help towards a good cause.

This event will take six weeks to plan. An audio commercial will be recorded, mixed, and mastered by me. The audio commercial will inform the community about the charity, its purpose, and where the event will take place. My marketing strategy consists of reaching out to local radio stations that will provide a 30-second spot for the audio commercial. I will also reach out to various local businesses through social media such as Twitter and Facebook. I will also create a short video with information about the charity. This video can be edited and uploaded to YouTube; this will provide visual attention toward the charity. The purpose of using these multiple forms of communication is to provide mass-awareness and inform the community about the poverty crisis.

The charity event will be titled and sponsored as "ONE NIGHT OF MUSIC. ONE NIGHT OF SHELTER"

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

"...the products people buy reflect their lifestyles. As a result, marketers often segment their markets by consumer lifestyles and base their marketing strategies on lifestyle appeals." - (Armstrong & Kotler (2001) Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. pg. 179). 

With that stated, Apple is one of the companies that define some aspects of my life. Apple products fit my lifestyle because I am in an industry that is 80 percent digital. In the audio and video industry, half of your life is spent in front of a computer; networking, reaching out to clients, doing research, and putting projects together. Having the best technology is essential to me. It facilitates my tasks, helps me manage my busy schedule, and helps me live my life. With Apple, I know I will always have a quality product.

Levi's is another brand that defines me as a person. The music industry is one of the factors that defines the clothing I wear. Levi's 501 jeans give me a sense of style and comfort. They are affordable, and they maintain the original style that I wear. These are some of the reasons I benefit as a costumer of Levi's. "Benefit segmentation requires finding the major benefits people look for in the product class, the kinds of people who look for each benefit, and the major brands that deliver each benefit." - (Armstrong & Kotler (2001) Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. pg. 182).

Nike is a brand that also defines my personality. I am a fan of their fashionable sneakers and apparel. Over 80 percent of my shoes are manufactured by Nike. I am a loyal Nike customer because I know I can always find something I like. "Marketers rarely limit their segmentation analysis to only one or a few variables. Rather, they often use multiple segmentation bases in an effort to identify smaller, better-defined target groups." - (Armstrong & Kotler (2001) Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. pg. 183). Nike is a company that is expert at multiple segmentation. Nike's customer base ranges from consumers that look for comfort, performance, and fashion. Another reason for Nike's success is the price range of their products. Nike markets in a broad basis, which means they have something for every consumer, whether they spend large, moderate, or short amounts of money.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Week 4 EOC: Impacting Super Bowl Commercials



In this commercial, Chrysler uses marketing to communicate a very direct message to their targeted audience. Chrysler is saying that there is no need to buy a luxury foreign car. Chrysler is telling us that an American-made luxury car is better than a foreign luxury car.

Older Americans are the targeted audience in this case. This is of course because of their competition with companies such as BMW and Mercedes Benz. Chrysler is trying to gain potential customers by adding a little background story of Detroit and the pride that comes along with being an American manufacturer. The phrase, "Imported from Detroit" shows that Chrysler is taking an aggressive approach towards their competitors.

This is a very strong marketing approach. Chrysler knows that most people who buy luxury cars are going to be older men that are looking for some excitement in their ordinary lives. Older men also tend to be very patriotic, and prefer items "Made in U.S.A.".

Putting out a commercial like this during Super Bowl Sunday can give Chrysler some serious attention. The Super Bowl is the most watched televised sporting event in the United States. This commercial helped put Chrysler back in the market, and it also provided an opportunity to expand their customer base.

Week 4 EOC: Building B-to-B Customer Partnerships

At a general level, a major factor that influences consumer buying behavior is the emotional connection they have with the product. The other major factor is how the product is marketed toward a targeted audience. 

The business buyer decision process is highly complex. Complicated factors such as handling large amounts of money, conducting with fellow business buyers, expecting of economical revenue. This and other criteria will be researched and studied to ensure the buying decision is successful in the long run.

In business-to-business buying relations, the buyer and seller highly depend on each other to make sure both partners succeed. Many companies have supplier-partners; these ensures that a dependable supply of product is always available. The businesses have a close partner-relationship where they involve each other in their marketing strategies expanding their customer base.

The business buying process starts with finding a problem within the company. Problem recognition  happens when there is a need to improve the business. Meaning, that some kind of service is needed to enhance the company either internally or externally. The general need description happens when the company figures out what type, and amount of items are needed for the improvement. The value analysis step consists of examining the product/company to see if changes can be made to impact the market positively, and increase the value of that product/company. The value analysis process can also be used when the company needs to provide greater solutions for the consumers. This way the business is perceived as loyal and dependable.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

After reading about the three major demographics, I came to find out I am part of the millennial generation, or Generation Y.  The book speaks on generation Y's fluency with technology, which I would definitely agree with. I would also agree that I am the kind of person that prefers to reach out for information, and then sharing that information socially.

Even though I would generally fall under the Generation Y demographic, I also embody attributes that Generation X-ers have. I contain some of these qualities because the way I was raised. As a child, I was brought up by older people, and I rarely associated with children my age or younger. I was also taught to reach for success, and I prize all experiences.

I would say that I fall under both demographics. I am a mix of Generation X and Generation Y. I am a true believer of 'quality over quantity', regardless of the fact that I tend to spend more money than expected. I wasn't brought up with many electronics, and I wasn't truly introduced to technology until I arrived to the United States. Once I adjusted to the way of life, I became tech savvy as I got the first taste of technology during my teen years.

(Armstrong & Kotler (2001) Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. pg. 71-74.)

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

Many companies in this economy are solely focused on revenue. This is completely fine, but not too many companies share their earnings with non-profit organizations that focus on good causes. This tactic can be extremely rewarding to a company. It exposes integrity and it shows the market that the company is not solely focused on sales. What some companies don't realize is that clientele can seriously increase by sharing earnings with outside organizations that serve for a greater good.

Take Oakley as an example. Oakley sells eye-wear and accessories with innovative designs. Oakley displayed a different image of the company with their Young Survival Coalition (YSC) series . YSC is a non-profit organization that focuses their concerns and issues towards women affected by breast cancer. "Oakley provides $20 from each sale of special edition sunglass and 10% from each sale of special edition apparel."http://www.oakley.com/women/ysc/pages/2

WeWOOD is another illustration of a company that makes money for good. WeWOOD creates eco-luxury time pieces made out of 100% natural wood. 'Buy a watch, We'll plant a tree', this is WeWOOD's selling strategy. This company not only cares about trendy watch fashion, but also in the ecosystem. "A philosophy not implemented is only a dream. Conversely, when you get your WeWOOD Timepiece, you can feel confident you’re making a difference. One Timepiece plants one tree, and together we help to ensure the health and survival of the natural world.
One Watch  – One Tree – One Planet" - http://we-wood.us/

Kayu is a clothing company that I ran across while doing research. Kayu designs accessories out of natural materials such as wood, straw, bamboo and recycled leather. These accessories are manufactured by native artisans of Cambodia and Philippines. Kayu provides employment for these artisans and works with a number of non-profit organizations like 'Unite for Sight' and 'Awareness Cambodia'. 'Unite for Site' provides sight-restoring surgeries to people in developing countries, while 'Awareness Cambodia' provides school supplies for Cambodian children.- http://kayudesign.com/

Nike is a big company that also contributes to good causes. Nike started the (NIKE)RED movement back in 2009. The idea is to purchase (NIKE)RED products (particularly shoe-laces) to help with Africa's AIDS crisis. Nike contributes 100% of its profits from those sales to the Global Fund that help fight AIDS in Africa. -  http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/red/en_US/

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The video gaming industry was a huge craze as new technology introduced gaming consoles such as PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii. Unfortunately, this is not the case now. Sales in the video gaming industry have been declining rapidly. "Its PlayStation games business also saw revenue decline 14% to $1.5 billion due to lower sales of its consoles and game software. As a result, the unit swung to a loss of $45 million from a profit of $52 million a year earlier." - www.latimes.com

With that stated, PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles are the dogs in my BCG analysis. These consoles are not growing rapidly. Even with the addition of Kinnect to the Xbox. Sales didn't raise exponentially. The additional products that are being manufactured for these consoles are not impacting customers enough to make them cash cows, as they once were.

At the moment, I would say that the stars are the video games being made for smartphones and tablets such as iPhone and iPad. This is mostly because of the tablet trend that has been dominating the market this past year. Society has been turning for entertainment in handheld devices for quite a while. With better graphics and faster processing on these newer electronics, it was certain that this market would generate lots of revenue at a fast pace.

The question marks are the handheld video game consoles such as the Playstation Vita and Nintendo Gameboy. These were cash cows when they were first introduced into the market. Sales didn't quite improved after Nintendo's 3D feature on their newer Gameboy model. The Playstation Vita was not able to produce enough to make it a star or cash cow.

"Nintendo Co. says it sold 710,000 Wii units in the April-June quarter, down from 1.56 million a year ago. Nintendo is coming out with a successor, the Wii U, this year. It is forecasting 10.5 million units for the full fiscal year, which ends in March 2013." - www.washingtonpost.com.

Regardless of Nintendo's sales decline, I believe the Nintendo Wii is the cash cow at this time. This console lets the consumer interact physically in the game and is also a lot more family oriented. This is a great selling point. It also seems like the Wii U will be a hit once it hits the market. Wii U has the potential of becoming a star, depending on the consumer's reaction to the product. The Wii maintains its status as cash cow because of the type of games that are being produced for the console. 

"After a 45-year career writing some of the most successful musicals of all time, Andrew Lloyd Webber is set to make his mark on a perhaps less familiar format.
The legendary composer will star in a new video game to be released Sept. 14. The Nintendo Wii game features (what else?) singing and dancing competitions in which up to four players can square off against each other, as well as a "career" mode where players can sing and dance their way to the top of the musical theater chain."- www.latimes.com