Lana Lauriente's Blog

For lack of something better to talk about, earlier this week I realized I can pick out a pair of yoga pants faster than I can cough medicine. No doubt, Lululemon makes finding what you’re looking for easier than finding the back of your hand, but finding the right cough medicine took longer than anticipated.

I needed something to get me through the day (non drowsy) and something to knock me out at night. I stupidly turned to sleeping supplements after countless nights of watching the clock till 3am. My time was mostly spent ensuring I could safely mix sleeping pills with non drowsy cough syrups.

Little did I know that ‘Nytol’ would not put me to sleep but instead keep me asleep. Another, frustrating, 3am, night. I nearly cried when my alarm went off at 8. But I didn’t, I just skipped class.. Problem solved? not quite.

Buyer’s remorse right there and back to the drug store I went. Why I didn’t go with Buckleys in the first place, I will never know. It’s a brand I trust, one that I am familiar with and have never been disappointed by. It tastes awful, but it works, and that is now enough to keep me loyal.

I recently gave my room some attention,  a deeper clean rather, and came across a stack of cards for a considerable range of stores; gift cards, membership cards, points cards etc. I remember putting them there a few months back. I was getting sick of carrying around this insidiously sized wallet and decided it was no longer tolerable. But I couldn’t just throw these cards away. No, I must keep them because one day, I will return to that store and that card must be readily retrievable when needed. Except, it wasn’t as I’d thoughtlessly left it at home sitting in that same stack on top of my desk.

These subtle in store promotions are of course to build and retain loyalty but do they actually work? I sincerely doubt anyone shops in a store just because they’re already a card holder. It doesn’t even cross their mind. They shop in stores that have already gained their trust by providing consistent value to their customers.

After proving to be completely useless, that stack of plastic has been relocated to the trash can. There needs to be a greater incentive to sign up and carry around these membership cards as faithful as you would your driver’s license. People want immediate gratification, our generation is impatient, and most people don’t shop enough to reap the benefits of these cards in such a short time frame.

Artists write their lyrics as their own way of expressing themselves and they appeal to those who share the same feelings. People tend to listen to music they can relate to. They like their music to be almost personalized to them, even if it’s only one verse or even a line.

Google and Arcade Fire released an interactive music video (directed and written by Chris Milk) in 2010 that is geo-personalised to your specific city. You enter your information and in seconds it generates a video to the band’s song “We Used To Wait” with images tailored to where you grew up.

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

Personalizing a video in such a way can be extremely beneficial as now almost anyone can feel connected and relate to, not just the video but, the song as well. Connecting with you audience is everything and Chris Milk has found a unique way to do so.

Arcade Fire is a band I have recently come to appreciated (I may have been a little behind on that one) and I have been blown away by their distinct sound and thoughtful lyrics. Admittedly, it was not until they earned Album of the Year that I had even heard of them. But after going through their old music and finally giving their new album a listen, I find myself disappointed that I have been deprived of such wonderful music for so long. How is it that every single student at UBC can tell me who Justin Beiber is but maybe only half could say they’ve heard of Arcade Fire? I would say Arcade Fire needs to step up their marketing but I am sure their new title as Album of the Year will do that all on its own.

Watching your favourite tv programs online has become a trend in our tech savvy generation. Despite the smaller screen and often lower quality image, there are significant benefits. One being that you no longer need to arrange your schedule to make time for your favourite program; you can watch online whenever you have the time. This is extremely valuable if you don’t already have a pvr.

The second major benefit to streaming online is that you save a significant amount of time as you are not forced to sit through tiresome advertisements. Granted, there are some sites that slip in commercials like ctv or youtube but most don’t (usually the ones that are illegal).

Commercials have proven to be the number one form of advertisement as they result in the greatest response from the public. However, the long term effects of this new trend may be that the value of commercial advertisements will decrease. Time slots for ads may go down, more sites may cave into including ads and reap the cash benefits, or these sites will be shut down one at a time by government regulation (as they have already started by shutting down the popular site, tvshack).

This situation is similar to that of the music industry. Pirating music is illegal and the government does its best to shut down illegal sites (eg. Limewire), but there is no end. It takes too long for officials to go through formalities while setting up a site to share music takes less than an hour. The artists suffered a great loss in profits and now must find other ways to compensate.

Will companies suffer as great a loss with fewer viewers to see their ads? Only time will tell.

Old spice is capitalizing on their brand name by extending their product line from deodorants and antiperspirants to include body wash, body spray, and fragrances. They have added value to their products by building brand equity and they have increased their brand awareness with their unforgettable commercials:

People buy things to represent who they are and who they aspire to be. This is why celebrities or athletes are often used to promote products. While their spokes person may not be a celebrity, he has the same affect. These commercials have also built brand associations and developed the brands personality. These adds are fun, entertaining, and you now associate the product with the spokesman. Men are the target market. However, these commercials are directed to women as the spokes person is “the man your man could smell like”. The idea behind this is that the scent has benefit for everyone. Of course the individual wants to smell good but women want their men to smell good as well. Also, in many households, women do the shopping and they will be the actual purchasers, so appealing to them is advantageous.

This equity has added value for both the consumers and the marketers. For the consumers, it reduces the risk and search cost in purchasing as Old Spice becomes a brand you can trust. It results in loyalty and Identification. Therefore, consumers are more willing to try their new products from their line. As for the marketers, it will eventually decrease their marketing costs because as they become better known, Old Spice won’t have to work as hard for your attention.

Lugging around a huge laptop along with everything else can be a nuisance not to mention attribute to back problems. Not only this, but some laptops are quite expensive and not everyone wants to carry them around where they are at risk of being damaged or stolen. Students are in need of a substitute.

I recently looked into buying a smaller laptop or a notebook. They are lighter and fit into your back at greater ease. But note taking on a computer has its downfall; math, equations, diagrams etc. It is possible but takes far too long to do. It’s much simpler to write this type of thing by hand.

E ink has recently come out with epaper displays that allow you to take your notes with a ‘pen’ on and electronic pad. You can then transfer your notes onto your computer. I would classify this product in the ‘growth phase’ as product improvements are still underway.

For over a decade, epaper has been on the market but has received little recognition. The ereaders (an application) have proven useful and the product is slowly growing.

Epaper would be of great use to the everyday student. They are light weight, efficient, and easy to use. But there is a far greater benefit in hand with this product. It can dramatically reduce the amount of paper consumed by people.

Trees are one of the earth’s greatest assets. Just one tree can remove one metric ton of CO2 from the air every year so each one is worth fighting for. I would strongly encourage people to reduce their paper consumption and use E Ink products for their reading, note taking and other writing.

My group and I have chosen to research Lululemon in the marketing project, as have many others I’ve come to realize. Although information has been easy to find and abundant, I have struggled to find their weaknesses and am beginning to wonder if they have any.

Prices; my initial thought. Lulu charges extensive amounts for materials that do not cost a tenth of what they sell for. Evidently cost based pricing was never a thought. Lulu’s prices are value based and do people ever value their products highly. Their prices are strategic because people are still willing to pay such amounts. Therefore, these prices could hardly make for a weakness.

I am still in search of Lulu’s shortcomings but probably will not share much more on this subject as, well, it’s an assignment. Good luck to everyone else who shares the same difficulties.

Pepsi or Coke? Can you really taste a difference? Many say it’s impossible while others insist they can. I am one of those others. When given the option between the two, I always choose Pepsi and my friends are the same. I simply enjoy the taste of Pepsi more but maybe it’s in my head. Maybe I can only taste a difference because Pepsi tells you that the difference is obvious.

To be completely honest, the only time I recall buying coke was in Mexico. I was so happy that I had finally found them in class bottles, I had to buy them. The glass Coke bottles are unfortunately scarcer in Canada which was a shame as I had always searched for them as a kid. Standing in the store, I could just visualize myself reliving the commercials. Coca Cola always uses glass bottles in their advertisements so it’s strange that they would be so hard to come by.

I feel as though Pepsi did a better job in regards to the marketing aspect in appealing to a younger demographic. Pepsi broke in to this market almost 20 years after Coke started, and they have given Coke a run for their money. While Coke advertises the classic beverage, Pepsi tries to emphasize youth with their catch phrase, “taste the one that’s forever young”.

In the end, with products that are so similar, advertising will be the determinant on which brand will prevail.