Recent Posts

Archives

Topics

Meta

Marketing Assignment Reflection

Posted: April 8th, 2013, by madimcd

Throughout this term, I have enjoyed working in COMM 296 on our Marketing Plan assignments. Despite the difficult that can arise from working in a team, I greatly enjoyed our freedom within the assignment and how it was structured to encourage us to teach ourselves about the information. Group work is an inevitable part of business and it is good practice for our skills in communication and problem solving while in the classroom setting.

Most of my ideas for the group work such as the video was inspired from the classes, however I was still required to read the text and other self learning material to correctly address the questions given. This provided a very comprehensive learning experience.

One of my realizations going through this year in university has been the need for hands on assignments that provide us with somewhat practical experience. This course, and assignment set has mastered that. This is one of the reasons that has directed me to specialize in marketing. I feel that I was able to get a good taste of what the ” real world ” of marketing will be like and how my passions and working style is able to fit into the industry.

Giving the Consumer What They Want

Posted: April 1st, 2013, by madimcd

This blog post I wanted to discuss an external marketing blog. This one is particularly important to me because of its content. I spend a majority of my free time fundraising for various initiatives that I run or am a part of. I soon came to the realization that you cannot just tell people about the cause and expect to get a lot of money. Every day we are bombarded with charitable ventures that may have equally as important missions but the fact is, we just do not have the money or time to contribute to all of them. So how do you choose?

Well in the marketing blog “Drew’s Marketing Minute” he discusses in one of his posts the need to focus on the wants of the consumer. He states that too many companies focus only on what the perks are of their product and its function and too little on what it can DO for the consumer.

Planning and running fundraisers I very quickly learned that people want an exchange for their money. On the most basic level someone might feel good about making a difference and therefore have received something in exchange for their donation. However most of the time, someone will need more. A silent auction or even a competition of some kind with an entry fee to go to charity can provide the consumer with a product or experience in return for their donation.

I have related this external blog post to non profit, however in any kind of marketing it is key that advertisements recognize the needs of the consumer and are shown to be of concern to the company in question.

The charitable organization that I represent in Western Canada

A New Way to Reach Your Target Market?

Posted: March 26th, 2013, by madimcd

Marketing Magazine discusses in its article the WelcomePack, a marketing tool aimed to new immigrants. WelcomePack Canada Inc. pairs with companies that are looking to brand their products to new residents. For example, a car company might include an offer for a large discount on their first vehicle. The incoming individuals will then receive the WelcomePack with around $1000 of promotional items and discount coupons.

Marketers are always looking for competitive and innovative ways to reach their target market. This is an example of an idea that is slowly gaining momentum and could become a very beneficial system for all parties involved; WelcomePack Canada, the immigrants and the marketers!

I believe that this idea is an ideal way to affirm brand image in the minds of incoming residents. These newcomers might have no pre conceived ideas about local brands and therefore they are very impressionable. By taking advantage of this niche target market, a brand with an exclusive deal might be able to secure business from hundreds of new residents.

Bringing Back the “Dead”

Posted: March 19th, 2013, by madimcd

As of late, there have been campaigns featuring the deceased rich and famous. Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly for Dior and Audrey Hepburn for Galaxy Chocolate immediately spring to mind. The technology is becoming more readily available with holograms and moving media being things of the present and deceased appearing in what seems like real time for all to see.

What are the possible positive and negative effects as well as moral dilemmas that may be associated with these promotional materials?

First off, I feel that for the promotions to be well received, the stars of the past must be displayed in a way that is in line with their previous image. For example, the classiness of the Dior No. 5 ad is effective because it is immediately associated with the image of Marilyn Monroe that has been solidified for years. A marketer must be careful about the context and target market of these ads for them to be successful and not offensive.

It may be less expensive for a firm to pay an estate rather than a live star however some debate arises when discussing what the consent would have been from the deceased. It is impossible to say for certain without documentation from the deceased, about what they would decide. For many, this technology would not have even been fathomable when wills were written and executed. Who decides what is okay and what is not? Would this have been a violation in the eyes of the passed stars? This is something that is evaluated on a case by case basis, however a marketing firm may deem it necessary to asses its moral values before pursuing this kind of promotional material.

See article:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/a-marketers-chocolate-charade-brings-back-audrey-hepburn/article9189654/

 

 

Green Marketers and their Seven Sins

Posted: January 21st, 2013, by madimcd

Green products and services and the resulting marketing campaigns are increasing exponentially in our every day lives. As a result, marketers slop beginning down a slippery slope of displaying inaccurate data on this labels or within their claims. It is not so much that these claims are lies, however it is clear that they may be misleading to the consumer. The article by Andrew Winston from the Harvard Business Review, examines a popular review of Green Marketers and their tactics. The review looks atproducts claiming green initiative and looks for any of seven predetermined “sins”.

These sins include mistakes from false seals of approval to displaying “free-of” chemicals that have already been banned. The objective of the study is to educate companies on their mistakes and the potential risks of making them.

Check out the full Greenwashing Report

The Impossible Problem

Posted: November 25th, 2011, by madimcd

For my last blog post of the term, I have decided that I would look at the Eurozone crisis. There are endless amount of articles, literature, and media coverage on the subject the most recent on which I will be looking it is an article from the Globe and Mail this morning.

The aspect that I would like to discuss for this common topic of debate, is that it is a seemingly unmanagable problem. What I mean by that phrase is that for every suggested plan of action, there are parties that suffer. High debts, economic failure and civil uproar are just some on the causing factors in countries such as Egypt, Greece, and France to name a few. Not only are their debts substantially high, they are increasing exponentially as they are borrowing more money. In Italy and Spain, borrowing costs spiked again today, with Italian 10-year bonds well above 7 per cent.

Recent unsuccessful meetings between Strasbourg, German Chancellor Merkel, French President Sarkozy and Italian PM Monti sent the wrong message to markets and are causing growing concern around the issue and how it will be resolved.

The most concerning of all is that Germany is now becoming a forefront part of the crisis, increased exposure stemming from a failed bond auction. The concern worldwide is that this type of collapse is starting to affect core economies.

As I previously mentioned, some problems in the world and on a daily basis are somewhat unmanageable in the sense of making everybody happy. This situation in particular is one where it is impossible that everyone is kept happy and/or wealthy. So something must change and soon, but the question is: who will lose out?

Afghanistan Tim Hortons Scheduled to Close

Posted: November 24th, 2011, by madimcd

 

 

CBC Business News covered the story of the Kandahar location of Tim Hortons serving military troops in Afghansitan. Now that Canadian troops are withdrawing from th area, Tim Hortons believes that it’s time has been served and the location is scheduled to close. This has been a very successful endeavor for the corporation, with all profits going to support the troops.

I think this wash a smart move for Tim Hortons as it boosted their brand image surrounding company morals and ethics. This is a move to support troops that it would be unlikely to see from Starbucks or The Coffee Bean in the United States. As a consumer, I appreciate what they are doing and this makes me more likely to buy their product. Although I may not be supporting the Troops with my own money, by buying a coffee from Tim Hortons and knowing what they are doing, it makes me feel good about myself.

I believe that it was a morally responsible and smart marketing strategy for Tim Hortons to run the Afghanistan location.

Japan: How is it different?

Posted: November 23rd, 2011, by madimcd

With the recent collapses of major European economies and trouble brewing in the US, it is interesting to examine other countries and their points of difference. Here I will be looking at Japan. With reference to a BNN blog post, I will be outlining the structure of the Japan economy and how it differs from those in trouble.

The common theme within it’s structure is that it stands alone. Only 20% of the countries GDP comes from exportation of products and materials. This is a small percentage compared to that of China, the United States or Canada. When looking at department stores or malls in Japan it is noticed that an astonishing amount of their products are produced within the country. This brings me to my second point; they are more or less, self sufficient.

This point carries on when examining their debt. Although the country (like many others), has high debt, it is owned by the Japanese themselves instead of carrying debt that is borrowed from other country’s economies. The pressure from these external forces can be a factor causing of some of the collapses.

This idea of an internalist structure leads us back to the main idea that Japan is internally self sufficient and stands alone from the interconnected features of many other nation’s economies.

 

 

The Fit EV – just like every other electric car?

Posted: November 23rd, 2011, by madimcd

 

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda revealed its newest addition to its line of fuel alternative vehicles: the 2013 Fit EV. The first question that came to mind was “is this just another short-ranged, battery failing, attempt at an electric vehicle?”  The answer? Well… we don’t know. It boasts a 123 mile per charge range for its one and only battery. Although the article does not define this in highway versus city driving, we know from previous releases that range isn’t always what it is cracked up to be. Also, having only one battery, how does the cost of replacing this one compare to other vehicles in the same class?

Honda is trying to conform to a new age of demand for highly efficient and sustainable forms of transportation. This new release may be a step up from previous vehicles but it still boasts the question: are battery powered vehicles truly better for our environment?Something that has come to my attention is the process of making the batteries and how it is in fact detrimental very to the environment. Copper mining in Canada, the product of this then shipped to Europe for refinement, eventually reaching Japan to be manufactured into the vehicles. How does this type of transportation for one battery compare to say… a lifetime of emissions from a Range Rover? This is something that needs to be examined when looking at the future of personal transportation. Honda did however, discuss their innovative strategies for creating natural gas and fuel cell models to develop further into this market.

The main point is when Cameron Diaz replaces her Toyota Prius with the new Honda Fit EV, boasting her environmental consciousness, is she really making a difference?

Wal-Mart’s Money Center: is it getting to be too much?

Posted: November 7th, 2011, by madimcd

A New York Times article, reveals the new venture into the money market being made by consumer giant Wal-Mart. The bank’s customers are complaining of high costs and nickel and diming fees that are no longer making it worthwhile to have a bank account. Ans who is providing the alternative? Wal-Mart. Offering cheque cashing and other banking transfers at a lower cost, Wal-Mart is begin to gain on the market previously controlled by cheque cashing stores.

“We’re not a bank, but we can serve a lot of types of functions you would see someone go into a bank for.” says Daniel Eckert, the head of Wal-Mart Financial Services. Here Wal-Mart is essentially doing what it has done and will continue to do with every other product: offer them at lower prices than its competitors. This will cause them to increase their portion of the market share by making it impossible for others to compete.

Wal-Mart has become the “everything for cheaper” store. From diapers, to tires, and now financial services, you can expect to find it at Wal-Mart for less. What’s next?

 

Spam prevention powered by Akismet