Analyzing and recommending solutions for a conglomerate the likes of Zara, in a video setting, was a great learning experience. As a student aspiring to specialize in finance, marketing was always an after-thought. However, the marketing plan assignments have made me realize what an impact marketing has on the success, and terminal value of an enterprise, which has everything to do with finance. Namely, recommending solutions to cloud out competitors in a competitive retail clothing industry has made me realize what a difficult task implementing an effective marketing plan really is. Conceiving a promising marketing plan is not enough, as there are always the external factors that a company must consider – for example, if the marketing plan can be easily imitated by competition. As well, the marketing assignments have reiterated my initial misunderstanding that marketing was merely advertising, because it is so much more than that. While all firms can create elaborate advertisements in the form of commercials and billboards, not all firms are able to bestow the kind of value that consumers may be seeking. In Zara’s case, the value that younger, time-sensitive consumers seek is convenience and up-to-date products; yet, it is only Zara that can provide this value due to its strong, vertical integration.

This project has also reiterated the notion to always stay positive. While my team encountered difficulties in submitting our assignment #2 on time, we did not put the blame on any single member, but instead, agreed that we would compensate for our misstep by submitting our best work for assignment #3. With that in mind, we were able to create a video that was a complete group effort, and one that we are very proud of. Learning from experience, I will triple-check that the right file is attached when submitting assignments in the future.

I’m also very appreciative that assignment 3 gave me a chance to develop my video editing skills. I always believed that video-making would be a complicated task, and while it is by no means a-walk-in-the-park, it was something that my group was able to tackle despite our video-making novelty, and is definitely a field that I look to improve in in the years to come.

For anyone looking to delve into video-making with iMovie, below are very helpful tutorials:

http://www.apple.com/ca/findouthow/movies/#enjoy

A teenager’s first car, or any big-ticket item really, is often chosen at the discretion of his parents. It appears ludicrous for any big-brand manufacturer to promote its luxurious products through mediums that pertains to primarily a teenage audience; yet, Toyota has done just that, in recently buying coveted advertising space in Teen Vogue magazine. The audience has been responsive, and the story has earned front page on “The New York Times.” The story can be read at the following:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/business/media/automotive-industry-ad-campaign-focuses-on-young-drivers.html?_r=0

This advertisement is unconventional to begin with. The ads bear the Toyota logo, yet it is not merely promoting Toyota’s “entry-price cars like the Toyota Yaris or the Prius C.” Rather, the ads encourage teenagers to be safe drivers, and appear to be much more of an institutional ad that benefits the entire automobile industry. During a time of economic inactivity, it is surprising that Toyota is not focusing its efforts in further promoting its products in an already saturated market. However, further analysis determines that Toyota’s latest strategic move is not simply for the goodwill of its consumers.

The advertisement strengthens Toyota’s proposition of providing safety in its products, and emphasizes the company’s concern of driver education and safe teen driving. In fact, Toyota has devoted an entire website to safe-teen-driving. In effect, Toyota is establishing a brand image of providing safe, entry-level cars for teenagers that families will remember and consider when making inevitable automobile purchasing decisions for a maturing generation Z. This ad serves as a public relations tool in promoting the Toyota brand and associating it as the solution to a concern that is almost unavoidable in every teenage parent. This strategic move is surely to benefit the company’s brand image now, and in the future.

A Traditional Toyota Mass Media Advertisement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymBRSUfz9U