What? School’s over?! But it just started..!

As unbelievable as it sounds, term 1 is over, and it is time to count the number of mistakes I’ve made throughout the semester! Seriously though, there are so many things I wish I could change in the term, and, as I regretfully realize, of them are things that could have been easily changed if only I put in a little more effort.

So, here is my list of should’ve, would’ve, could’ve-s for the marketing group project:

1. If I were to go back to the very beginning, I would have planned everything ahead so there is little confusion of what to do.
2. I should have contributed more to the group, whether by suggesting more ideas or really doing the work (such as writing the script or editing the video), instead of leaving everything up to certain teammates.
3. I could have definitely spent more time with my group and really get to know each other better, because they are really awesome! (You guys are really awesome!)
4. And lastly, I can’t believe I am saying this, for I am not a huge fan of Apple, but I would have rather used an iPhone than a camcorder to film the video. The video camera our group borrowed was difficult to handle, of lesser quality than that of a iPhone, and always uncharged which always added to our time issue.

Above all, finding the right time that works for everyone in the group was definitely the hardest part of the group project, and I believe everyone could have done better if it weren’t for the time constraint.

There were definitely some frustration and hardship throughout the group project (like when we had to group-call on Skype for literally 12 hours), but we overcame these difficulties not as a group but as a team. For this reason, I can’t say I put in only the bestest of me into the project, but I can say with confidence that there is no regret or shame in the final outcome of the project or the team I could take part in.

As a loyal customer of Holt Renfrew, I found in Xiuqui’s blog post an interesting story about its new promotional acts in response to the emergence of a new competitor, Nordstrom. While Holt Renfrew has been the store to go to for customers in search for high-end luxury goods, the dominance it has held in the market is about to end as Nordstrom is about to open its new store in downtown Vancouver.

In an attempt to retain its loyal customers Holt Renfrew has started taking steps to actively promote its brand. There are more sales and promotions to attract new customers and possibly target new segments with lower budgets. Holt Renfrew has also signed new contracts with a number of different fashion brands that are already held by Nordstrom.

While the appearance of this strong competitor might be a threat to Holt Renfrew, I believe it could as well change this “threat” to an opportunity by positioning itself in the way that is clearly distinguished from that of Nordstrom. Holt Renfrew, a purely Canadian brand, certainly has many business aspects that would appeal to its Canadian customers residing in Vancouver. A personal recommendation for Holt Renfrew is that it develops customer excellence to make itself compatible with that of Nordstrom, for Nordstrom is already very well known for its excellent customer relations.

Nonetheless, the coming of Nordstrom sounds like a good news for a customer like myself. After all, more competition means better quality to provide for the customer, does it not?

When the video titled “Worst Trek Fail Ever” was first released on youtube, it instantly received more than a million views. News outlets reported on the video, and there was an online craze to figure out what happened to the girl afterwards. Then in the following week Jimmy Kimmel Live, an American late-night talk show, released the original form of the video featuring Jimmy Kimmel indicating the clip was a prank for youtube viewers.

While this incident ended as a fun happening, the talk show did receive a lot of attention from all over the world that had watched the video through different online media channels, such as youtube, facebook and twitter. This was a mere example that showed how much power social networking service, abbreviated as SNS, holds in today’s world of marketing. Having more views on youtube means having more ‘power’ in the sense that it could instantly spread throughout the world; and for this reason viral youtube videos are popularized by today’s marketers as a means of drawing attention and advertising different products, services and ideas.

I personally enjoy watching viral youtube videos because they are almost always funny, disregarding the fact that it could contain some form of advertisement to which I might be unconsciously exposed to. Yet, it is important to be aware that any online website can be viewed by anyone, including those who are vulnerable to and should be protected against marketing of any products. If a child watched one of RedBull’s viral videos and felt the desire to buy its high-caffeine energy drink, I would easily classify this marketing strategy as being unethical. That is, there must be restrictions on the extent to which these public videos could be used as a means to reaching the customer.

Having been a long fan of the South Korean legendary defender, Y.P. Lee, the last night’s retirement match against the Colorado Rapids was an absolutely stunning experience.  After 13 years of his illustrious playing career, Lee retired with the Vancouver Whitecaps – “a great team,” as remarked by the player – which had seemingly put in an enormous amount of effort to recognize and appreciate Lee’s remarkable career path.

Putting aside all the honorary respect he received from his teammates and fans, Y.P. Lee was recognized by the Vancouver Whitecaps through its various marketing efforts. Lee’s face was printed on the ticket and the official pamphlet. The Vancouver Whitecaps’ official website was filled with articles related to the player’s career life. Posts about Lee’s retirement game covered the Whitecaps’ facebook page. Videos related to his contributions were uploaded to youtube. Throughout the match were shown videos of the player, with captions in Korean in appreciation of his Korean fans.

The Vancouver Whitecaps’ marketing effort was truly amazing. It attracted so many new fans to the season’s last match. Many South Korean soccer fans who had little interest in the Whitecaps before attended to fill up the stadium, and many of them really appreciated the Whitecaps’ recognition of their favourite player. That is, the team has successfully targeted a new market segment.

Personally, it was my first time ever visiting a Whitecaps game. My ticket was definitely more than what I was initially willing to pay, but I did not want to miss Lee’s retirement game. When I went to watch the match, I really enjoyed the environment as well as the team’s effort to appreciate who I believed really deserved it. Simply put, it was a great experience and I returned home a fan of the Vancouver Whitecaps. I obviously have been a target of the team’s marketing efforts, and truthfully it has done a remarkable job.

Scott Stratten posted on his famous business blog, UnMarketing, about the 5 worst practices one could exercise on LinkedIn. From what he says in his blog post, LinkedIn does not sound like the best way to connect with others – that is, if not used properly as exemplified in the article.

According to Stratten, one could “stink” on LinkedIn through:

1. spamming (or “warm spam,” as he put it),
2. blank-requesting,
3. being everywhere (that is, posting the same status on five different social media websites),
4. posting “drive-by group articles”
5.  and endorsing strangers.

While there seems to exist a craze about LinkedIn among businesspeople, one should always keep in mind that misusing this social media channel could seriously harm one’s reputation online which directly connects to the offline status. While the list above may sound rather funny, there have been numerous reports by the HR department of today’s world of business on misuses of LinkedIn which led to more serious grounds.

What one should really keep in mind while using LinkedIn is that in today’s society anything one does online holds direct connections with how one is viewed offline. I think there tends to be a tendency where people think of themselves online apart from who they are in real life, which is no longer the truth in a world like today where everything – whether it be on the Internet or just with a group of friends at a local Starbucks – is literally “linked-in” together.

So be aware not to “stink” at LinkedIn! You never know what consequences you are bringing about with a post of a stinky status.

While it may have grabbed the consumer’s attention, the ad recently released by Reebok has been pulled out in response to the public’s outrageous reaction toward it. The slogan of the ad reads: “cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout.” This phrase makes Reebok seem as though it is encouraging people not only to buy its products but also to literally “cheat on your girlfriend.” Undoubtedly, advertisement is an important channel through which companies can promote their brand to the targeted market. Yet in the case of Reebok and its new ad campaign, Reebok did not only let itself better known to the people but also gained a disgrace of endorsing unethical behaviour in its potential customers.

Personally, I find that this “cheat on your girlfriend” campaign was not an absolute failure for Reebok, in that the slogan, after all, has succeeded in catching the people’s attention. Yet I too find it hard to argue that Reebok should have been more careful in choosing what to say to and promote among the potential buyers of its products. Regardless of how successful an ad is in terms of making the brand better known, companies should never disregard the importance of ethics when choosing their marketing tools. That is, it is through these marketing channels that the consumer perceives a brand and develops its overall image. If a company chooses to use a marketing method that is rather controversial, it is almost impossible to avoid negative feedback and moreover a negative effect on the corporate image that is directly related to the amounts of sales and revenues. I am certain that Reebok has gained as much as it has lost through this incident and will make better choices in the future by focusing not only on its sales but also on promoting ethical behaviours on its customers.

Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!