The major project that we did in Comm296 was a creative project that was different from all the other projects that I have done for past of my commerce courses. First of all, it is a project about a brand that is chosen by every individual group rather the whole class is assigned to focus on the same brand. Second, the way how the project conduct is not by giving a verbal presentation in class. Instead, it is required to be a video. The advantage of a making a video is that it gives more flexibility for a group to develop the project with their creativity. Last but not least, it is a memorable video that can be saved and can be taken out of the classroom to share with other people. Our group did an animation video like a cartoon rather than having real people presenting in front of the camera. By doing in this way, it is more vivid and can catch more attentions from others.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with a group of people with diversity background, and I gained more knowledge through all the discussions. During our conversations, I learnt to be patient and be respectful to my teammates during the meetings even when I had a fantastic idea. The biggest thing that I learnt was to make a decision by myself. I was an indecisive person before, and I tend to ask other people’s suggestions when it comes to a situation where I need to make a decision. Basically, I overcame this problem by several steps throughout the project. I generate self-confidence by trying to speak up more during the meetings because I knew that expressing a wrong opinion is better than expressing nothing. The next thing that I tried to do was not to care too much about what others think about my opinion. Specifically, I took more time to research what forms we can use for the video. I realized that I would gain more authority by doing research. I did research on which brand had the best review for business animation video software. Finally, I suggested using “Go Animate” to make the video, and our group made an agreement in this decision.

Overall, our group had a great time working together. This marketing project on “Zara” really made me learn a lot, I learnt to make a decision by doing research. Also, I have strengthened my communication skill with this opportunity. I will take this as an enjoyable experience and apply the stuff that I have learnt into my future projects.

Referred to the marketing analysis that was written on Forbes about a popular Facebook game called Candy Crush Saga, the author Roger Dooley thoroughly analysis about this Candy Crush game by interpreting some of the principles that we learnt in class. In fact, there are some reasonable factors that why Candy Crush Saga is so successful that it can generate close to a million dollars of revenue per day for its developer (Forbes, 2013).

First of all, the connotations of candy are pleasure, joy and sweet. People can associate this game with a positive attitude since Facebook is a platform that intends to convey a sense of relaxes and that allows you to have friendly interactions with one and another. The role of candy displays a liking principle because the creation of this likable image attracts lots of people to play around with it.

Second, the game is downloaded for free. However, this is where it applies the reciprocity principle into this game. When people are not willing to pay for the games and enjoy playing it for free at first, and later on people might get addicted to it and might not be able to reject the paid items at higher difficult levels. People who consistently play the game from the first level put a lot of effort into the game, so the devoted consumers are more likely to pay for the paid items just because they have stick to this game for very long already.

Last but not least, the limited chance of playing every day increases one’s desires to play this game due to the “scarcity” principle.

Indeed, the overall design of the game is very smart. After analyzing about the secret sauce of Candy Crush Saga, it is understandable that why people nowadays are so addicted into it.

Reference: http://www.langara.bc.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/business-management/program-curriculum.html

While Apple is attracting its customers with their new IPhones, what Apple is actually focusing on is how to design a more efficient MacBook. While Samsung is competing its Galaxy phone and tablets with Apple’s IPhone and IPad, Samsung is distracting itself with home appliances by creating a series of “digital home appliances” on the other side. According to the news on Frobes.com, the lately Samsung Wifi-equipped washing machines come with the app that allows people to control the machine and will be buzzing their phones to inform people while the clothes are dry. Furthermore, Samsung conveys the idea of having a Samsung T.V hanging on the wall and a Galaxy 4S in your pocket; you will want a Samsung dishwasher under your counter. Samsung Digital home appliance has also created the Samsung vacuum robots that can vacuum the house automatically and can design a house map and designing a convenient route in advance. Also, Samsung captures the tremendous growth in U.S housing market and Chinese market. Since the pollution in China has been a severe problem, Samsung had designed the kind of

air sterilizers that can effectively purify the air at home, and it can even sterilize bacteria and viruses like SARS, bird flu, and other deadly viruses. By capturing the social and economic changes in different countries, Samsung had done an excellent job in creating “smart” housing appliances to satisfy customers’ needs. Therefore, Samsung is so firm that is willing to increase its breadth with housing appliances. Samsung is able to greatly provide this economic of scale based on the successfully platform that Samsung has already built for itself. Since many of the home appliances are shopping goods, Samsung will have to do a lot of marketing to let its home appliances be more outstanding. Since Samsung has differentiated its home appliances with digital features, people will not be surprised that the particular increase of breadth with Samsung housing appliances will certainly boost its net profit and sales.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2013/06/14/forget-smartphones-samsung-wants-to-dominate-your-whole-house/

Referring to Paula Luo’s blog post on Nu skin, it is a company that sells health care products, cosmetics products and dietary products. According to the news reported on Ecns.com, “As for Nu Skin Enterprises, a United States-based direct-selling company, its revenue in Greater China amounted to $269.1 million in the second quarter of 2013, up 35 percent compared with the same period last year”(Esc.cn 2013).

The significant reason behind the huge market share pulling from China was because Nu skin had realized the consumer behaviors of people were changing. In the rising economic society, people are more sensitive about their appearances. Particularly, young girls are willing to spend more money on cosmetics products and dietary products that as long as can help them to keep fit and stay young. With the save-after-spend consumer lifestyle, young people who want to lose weight believe that without having to do a lot of exercises why don’t we paying a little bit more money for the same effect. In the other aspect, people desire to earn easy money without having to do a lot of work. Nu skin employees their sales by saying they offer a flexible work and a high salary for young people who have zero experience but desire to earn money. The sales manager organizes several SPA parties at private houses in different area to invite young people to middle-aged woman which are their main targeting segments to join the party for free and to try out Nu skin’s products like SPA machine by applying the reciprocity principle. More and more people get attracted by the products themselves and by the opportunity to earn money. Therefore, they join the team of Nu skin and keep passionately promoting their products to their friends and even to their friends of friends by using social media, which results in the forming of the huge pyramid scheme works.

Reference:

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2013/10-03/83056.shtml

https://blogs.ubc.ca/paulaluo/2013/10/09/nu-skin-enterprises-targeting-direct-consumers/

Advertisements are playing a pivotal role in terms of marketing for every company. Advertisements can attract their target customers and can create brand awareness for their potential customers.

Facebook had put a lot of effort in display ads since it generates a great amount of income. Facebook has taken a huge share of the display ad market in the U.S. which has been estimated as high as 25% (7/24 Wallst, 2013). Recently, Facebook released a new ad policy and the goal is to “deliver the right content to the right people at the right time” just like their News Feeds (7/24 Wallst, 2013). Facebook is trying to understand people’s different customer behaviors better in order to select the right ad that might interest their customers. In the distributions of ads, Facebook is currently attempt to deliver the ads and to reach the right audiences. For instance, if a marketer of a fashion retailer tells Facebook that they mainly target girl ages from 18-30 in a specific region, Facebook will show this particular ad for this group of people. If some people always hide the same type of ads such as fashion or business ads, Facebook might eliminate these displayed ads that an individual hided before. However, if an individual always likes for the type of ads they are interested in, Facebook will learn which type of ads can be more relevant to this individual. According the author of this report believed “…, if advertising is more relevant, users will be more accepting”.

I personally think that improving on the relevance of the ads can lead to an increase in the sales of those companies display their ads on Facebook. The new policy can help these companies deliver their messages more efficiently and help their marketing strategic planning be more successful.

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Reference: http://247wallst.com/media/2013/09/28/facebook-to-relevance-of-advertisers-for-users/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2FRyNm+%2824%2F7+Wall+St.%29

Dumex was originally a southeast branded Company; it mainly sales milk powder and growing-milk to households. The company mainly targets South-East Asia and China. Until now, Dumex is being a part of another large French organization called Group Danone, which is one of the 500 fortune companies and is well known for its healthy food.

However, there is an emerging issue arising from Demux Company in a particular target region in China- Tianjin. Recently, CCTV (China Central Television) news reveals that Demux sales departments in some areas had adopted a marketing strategy in order to gain greater market share in an unethical way. Specifically, the Chinese media has exposed the secret contract progressed between some hospitals and Demux’s Company.  The nurses and doctors work in those negotiated hospitals accepted bribes from Demux Company by making the newborn infants to drink Demux powdered milk for their “first tastes of milk” when they first born. Therefore, some infants will continue relying on this particular brand of milk product, and some infants even resist to drink breast milk later on. The news in CCTV also reveals that a sales department in Tianjin area has spent about $500,000 per year to offer bribes to some TianJin hospitals to promote their products indirectly by providing the nurses and doctors secret commissions- approximately about $10-$20 for each can of milk powder they sold.

On one hand, Demux offers bribes to hospitals are illegal activities. On the other hand, it violates the original mission of being a doctor or a nurse of helping people. It is understandable for a company to market themselves strategically to boost its sales, but is it ethical for hospitals to take the rights of these innocent infants and feed their “first taste of milk” with appointed milk products compulsorily without considering any consequences?

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