Looking back on the team assignment from this past term, I have learned a great deal. Not only have I further enhanced and solidified my knowledge in marketing, but  I have also gained invaluable experience in working collaboratively in a team environment.

First off,  my team was very well balanced: we had a very diverse skill set. For example, I excelled in certain areas of the project such as producing the content ideas; however, I had no idea how to compile and present it visually. Where my skills lacked, my team members were able to pick up. As a result, we were able to work as a group not only very efficiently, but also very effectively.

Also, we had very positive group dynamics. Often times when working on group projects, I usually find that certain members display a much higher level of commitment than others. However, in regards to this team, we all worked very hard and were very committed in producing top quality results! This effectively allowed us to complete each of the three parts well in advance and gave us an abundance of time to review and edit the assignment.

Lastly, our team did experience a few minor conflicts. With that being said, these were very constructive in helping us refine our ideas. Also, through effectively, we were also able to quickly resolve these disputes.

In summary, I had a thoroughly positive experience in working through this assignment with my teammates!

Addicted: Starbucks

As I was scrolling through some different blogs, I stumbled upon Linette’s post on Starbucks and her attempt to unhash the addiction and the army of loyal followers. Like Linette, I am also a very loyal Starbucks consumer. Undoubtedly, Starbucks has very leading edged marketing. Though, to me, I noticed that some of the things that appealed to Starbucks to me was different than what appealed to Linette. Here are a few reasons I believe that I drink the amount of Starbucks that I do:

1) Convenient locations: It is absolutely everywhere. I never find myself having to go very far out of my way to grab a cup of coffee.

2)Perceived quality: Whether or not the quality of the coffee at Starbucks is truly superior to other similar coffee merchants, I do not know. However, I perceive that the coffee at Starbucks is of better quality than at other coffee shops.

3)Innovation and rewards: To me, I am absolutely ecstatic about the phone app and the rewards system that they provide. Being able to pay by the phone is very convenient, receiving a gold card is very exciting, and getting a free item every twelve purchases is awesome!

4)Social perception: Although I am slightly reluctant to admit, I do believe that social perception does factor into me carrying a cup of Starbucks coffee around with me everywhere I go. Although it probably is notvery true, when I have my Starbucks in hand, I feel almost as if I am more sophisticated than someone with a cup from Tim Hortons.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mcdonalds-ad-bravely-takes-on-the-spectre-of-pink-slime/article16716310/

http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/questions/4420?gclid=CNjd6quIir0CFchFMgoduzsAtg

Over the past decade, the fast food industry has been finding itself under more and more pressure and higher and higher levels of scrutiny from the public consumers on everything from the ingredients of their products to the way the products are made. McDonald’s in particular is one of the companies facing this issue. Many things are said and statements are made about food served at McDonalds: some are facts, though, some are also myths. Recently in 2012, marketers at McDonald’s Canada have bravely launched a campaign where they candidly answer any questions the general public may have, no matter what it is. And, what is even more shocking is that McDonald’s has actually turned made this campaign the center of many Canadian advertisements.

For example, one myth that has been circulating for years about the McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets was that they are actually made out of “pink goop”. With that being said, when this question was asked on the site, McDonald’s quickly responded with a video posting of how Chicken McNuggets are actually made to disprove the myth. Some other issues that the campaign has addressed include the issue of how McDonald’s photoshops its advertisements, the quality of beef patties, and also the ingredients in the secret “Mac Sauce”. Personally, I truly believe that this is a very smart marketing strategy: instead of letting the rumors and myths about McDonald’s spread, the company has tackled the issue head on. This effectively has ended the rumors and questions about the quality and ingredients of the company’s products.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/big-olympic-sponsors-tread-softly-around-russia-s-anti-gay-law-1.2526092

Often in the Olympics, hundreds of millions of dollars are poured into marketing and sponsorship by large, multi-national corporations. Though, this year in Sochi, quite an interesting ethical dilemma came up.  Recently, Russia passed a law making it illegal to spread propaganda of non-traditional forms of sex to minors. On the surface, this may seem harmless– but, in reality, it is quite the contrary. This law further perpetuates the homophobic mentality in Russia. Since the passing of this law, the amount of homophobic-induced has both escalated in numbers and in severity.

So, how does this tie back into marketing? This matter leads directly back to company vision, mission, ethics,  philosophy, brand image, and cultural differences in marketing. Gay rights activists from across the world have lobbied large corporations to use their power to condemn the passing of this law and against the unfair treatment of homosexuals in Russia. So, what should these large corporations such as Coca Cola and McDonalds do? On one hand,  these corporations can speak up in opposition of these discriminative laws; on the other hand, these corporations can choose remain silent. Though, before the best course of action may be deduced, many factors must be considered. For one thing, the company’s set of values is very important: companies should act in accordance with the company philosophy and vision. Another important consideration is how will a company’s actions(or lack thereof) effect their consumers in the varying parts of the world, as each country has a very different cultural and social background. And, lastly, do these large corporations have any obligation to use their power and leverage to drive social change?

The Super Bowl, traditionally known as the annual championship football game which pulls in millions and millions viewers from all across the world, has evolved into something very different in the recent years. Not only is it a battleground for two of the top opposing football teams in the US, but it is also a grand stage for multi-billion dollar corporations to showcase their advertisements.

It is reported to cost in excess of 4 million dollars for a 30 second time slot on the Superbowl commercial lineup– oh, and this doesn’t even include the costs for production yet! It is expected that the superbowl will attract 108 million viewers in the US this coming yeah; however, this number does not include the international presence, nor does it include the million of views expected online either. Through a new poll by Harris/Decima, it has been reported that Canadians have more interest in the advertisements than the football game itself, and that a large proportion of Canadians will be going online after the show to watch the advertisements.

Interestingly enough, TV advertisements are usually considered to be a nuisance that viewers would tune out, or flip the channel to avoid– but, in the case of the Superbowl, not only do the advertisements have the full attention of the viewers, people are willing to go out of their ways to watch these advertisements. With the takeoff of social media in the recent years, these Superbowl ads are bound to be shared, which will give it a even longer, lasting impact. Pretty soon enough, it seems that the 40 million dollar investment to have an advertisement aired during the Superbowl seems  like a small sum of money for the profound, rippling effects.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/02/02/super-bowl-2014-canadians-prefer-ads-to-game-survey-suggests/

“Out vision is that all business operations shall be run in a way that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable”

Being ethical, as described in the dictionary, is described as “being in accordance with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a profession.” With that being said, it seems that the clothing giant, H&M, seem to be continually trending on the accepted principles of what is right.

For the year of 2013 H&M was dubbed one of the two most ethical apparel retailers in the world by the world-wide business ethics website called the Etisphere. Some recent ethical initiatives that have been launched by H&M are as follows:

1. The increased usage of organic cotton in garments
2. The increased usage of recycled polyester in clothing
3. A conscious effort to promote diversity in the workplace and to combat corruption
4. The active ensuring of a safe workplace
5. A strong awareness in marketing to prevent misadvertisment

Employing over 100,000 employees across the globe, H&M sets a global example in the running of a ethical business. Despite the minor increase in costs due to more ethical practices, I am thoroughly convinced that these practices bring good karma back, time and time again. For one thing, consumers now a days are a lot more conscious and sensitive about where they shop– it’s not only about the price of the article of clothing any more. Should another company repeat the Nike incident of mass-employing underpaid child labourers, consumers would be infuriated and boycott the company, which in turn would cause the company’s overall sales to take a nosedive. It is interesting because the investment H&M is taking in making the company a more ethical can also be seen as a smart marketing strategy as it can increase customer loyalty through positive brand imaging.

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