Was the marketing plan too much work? Possibly. But was it worth it? Definitely.

The business we chose: Research in Motion (RIM). Aka Blackberry. This was a great company to analyze, as people seem to believe that Blackberry is on the verge of an early funeral. However, it is not entirely the case. Contrary to popular belief, it was really interesting to learn that Blackberry is actually thriving in other areas of the world, specifically emerging markets and corporate environments. Moreover, it is really inspiring that Blackberry is a Canadian company, and was arguably at the pinnacle of the mobile phone market only a few years ago.

Going into the project, I wasn’t expecting to learn all too much. But oh how I was wrong. I learned a lot of relevant skills, such as,

• Analyzing a company
• Performing thorough research to learn about a company from the ground up
• Video editing skills – Adobe Premiere and iMovie
• Creating a marketing plan, and researching the different environments
• The importance of being thorough and displaying the information in an appealing and easy to read manner

All of these skills I will be able to utilise moving forward and apply them to real life situations that I encounter.

Aside from the technical aspects of the project, it was a really fun overall experience. I got to meet some great people and had a good time filming some scenes for the video. I feel that our team came together as a group, which made it easy to work in a team and collaborate, and made it all the more worthwhile.

3D Printing is a seemingly futuristic technology in which awareness is slowly increasing. People think it is something out of movies and is only fictional, such as in the new Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol movie, Tom Cruise wears a 3D printed face mask to imitate someone and sneak into the enemy’s headquarters. Similar to this:

However, this technology is very real. As Olivia Joe has written in her blog, it is in the introductory phase of its product life cycle. For the most part, awareness is only in the corporate world, but within the next few years, it should increase dramatically for consumers. Prices have decreased significantly and 3D printers can now be bought for $500.

I think 3D printing is on the verge of penetrating the growth stage in a BIG way. I agree with Olivia that there is a huge potential to expand the target market by communicating and advertising to average consumers. With an effective ad-campaign, it could push the product over the edge and revolutionize the market.

The possibilities are truly ENDLESS. From mimicking a face, to fixing a fence post, to building toys, to building a trophy for a competition… the 3D printer is capable of anything.

Although Olivia talked about the beneficial products that can be made, there is “another side of the coin.”

In recent months, a 3D-printed gun – capable of firing real bullets – was created by printing parts and assembling them together. This is a serious safety concern, as gun control will be near impossible. This period in time is especially crucial, as there have been numerous tragedies involving shootings in the past few years. This video displays how the gun was assembled:

Consumers may not be ready for 3D printing, but the technology is already upon us.

As I remember, “honesty is the best policy” was drilled into my head by my mother when I was very young. It is a simple guideline on how to behave that has stuck with me for my whole life.

Now why is it so difficult for some companies to follow this childish guideline?

The answer is: profits. The growing trend of money-hungry corporations is consuming the Americas. The line between “doing business” and deceiving consumers is becoming blurred, and the question of where to draw the line needs to be taken into consideration.

The general rule is that advertising cannot be deceptive. It should be fair and consist of only the whole truth. According to the FTC’s Deception Policy Statement, it is considered deceptive “if there is representation, omission, or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer…”

In recent news is the Johnson & Johnson drug-marketing scandal. It is a prime example of marketing campaigns that mislead consumers.

Johnson & Johnson sold several drugs – which they paid pharmacies & physicians to recommend and prescribe – that were marketed for uses/ disorders that were not FDA approved and could be harmful to consumers. Their marketing targeted vulnerable consumer demographics, including young children, the elderly, and the disabled.

It is evident that Johnson & Johnson have placed profits above consumers’ health and well-being. These types of marketing/ company behaviours corrupt medical decisions made by health care providers, jeopardize public health, and ruin the brand image and consumer perception of the company.

In today’s society, the rising trend of being ethical is becoming increasingly important. Engaging in deceptive marketing not only ruins the brand image, but is also a monetary detriment to the company. It is important for companies to acknowledge and take this into consideration for future decisions.