Final Reflection on Marketing

Fellows from the COMM 291 course of Marketing, more close to the end of the term now, will follow my reflective post and probably my concluding one. For now.

So, after all this semester of blogging and posting, something I don’t usually do, now turns out I kind of like it.

Blogging makes you interactive and informed about what is happening today, especially in this marketing blog where you have to look out and search for information. I usually try to search a lot, to find interesting stuff that you don’t just see on the newspaper, things that are entertaining to read and know about.

Another thing I learned in the Marketing course with Professor Tamar is how teamwork is really important. I think that all real life situations have to do with collaboration and mutual effort. If you think about it, none of these posts or my fellow classmates’ posts talks about one person by themselves and their marketing situation. But they talk about companies, groups, organizations, or anything that involves teamwork and fellowship. So, I think learning to deal with it and learning to work with others in harmony is one of the most important aspects in life to be able to succeed.

I learned that marketing is not just advertisement but is a whole huge subject with different breadths you couldn’t even imagine before taking this course.

I have to say I definitely improved my blogging skills as well. It was a great term and really good time spent. I would be pleased to be in more Tamar courses, if I had the opportunity. The sad thing is I am an exchange student so this will probably not be my case.

I shall thank my fellow readers, UBC, and especially Professor Tamar for everything she taught us, and for giving me the opportunity to learn about marketing and blogging.

– M

Companies fooling on April Fools Day?

As we all know, April Fools Day has just gone by. I have to say it’s amazing how companies are willing to do anything to get people’s attention. As they all say, you better do what you love, and I bet it can get really entertaining to form part of a marketing team. This April Fools Day companies came up with several creative jokes!

The reason for this front-running in such a day as well as other big calendar events like Christmas or the famous Superbowl, is to access people by the social media like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, and convey their marketing messages.

Some fun April Fools Day pranks that companies came up with this year:

Procter & Gamble introduces a YouTube video clip on their website, and even twitted about a new variety of Scope mouthwash called Scope Bacon, promoted as the mouthwash “for breath that sizzles.” All I can say is…Ew? I hope it actually IS a prank, for their and our sake. Please watch:
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American Eagle Outfitters retail chain, has introduced some line of “Skinny Skinny jeans” for young people, promoted as “our skinniest fit yet.” They made it official by promoting these supposed jeans by models wearing body paint, not pants.

Munchkin is a company that makes products for children and babies, and they announced on Facebook this April fools day, a product named Naughty Mouth soap, which was promoted “to make your point when baby’s language isn’t the cleanest.” I can’t forget to mention, that flavors include “lying liver” and “whining wasabi”.

Last but not least, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors announced scuba diving certification for dogs and cats. This company could actually be serious about it.

Did you fall?

So now you get why I mentioned that “companies are willing to do anything to get people’s attention” and I really do hope all of these ideas actually expired at midnight on April Fools.