Month: November 2010

Sorry for not updating my blog for so long. This is due to the stomach pain I was experiencing. No one will know how it feels without having to vomit every time you try to eat or drink and there for deprived from food for 2 days and lacked energy for even walking. Anyway, it was a horrible experience and I have noticed something after I got home from the emergency center of UBC hospital.

At the time when I was suffering, the price of treatment and medicine mean little and unimportant to me. I know exactly what I wanted, which were intravenous dripping of antibiotic and glucose, when I was waiting in the hall. I trusted the doctors very much and believed that they will help me so that I can recover, but I after I waited for 2 hours, all I got was Maalox (which is a product you can get everywhere without doctor’s prescription). I am very disappointed in the health system here since I trusted them so much, but the Maalox irritates me even more and made me condition even worst.

By that time, I was willing to pay any price to get the medicine I needed since I haven’t eat for so long that I can’t afford to go to another hospital. I was hoping that there is a place that I can go and get the treatment I wanted as long as I pay for it. Think about it, it is very inhumane to make an urgent patient wait for so long and then send he/she home after just giving them basic advices. I am very upset about Canada’s health system because what I have gone through is a common situation shared by everyone in the country. What upsets me even more is that the average income of an emergency doctor is around $35,000/month. I have heard stories from my friend that last time a fire spark went into his eye, but he waited for 3 hours in the emergency centre and got sent home for it to self-heal.

Now I am sure that private hospital and health related insurance has quite  a big market in Canada since all the government does is take money from pocket of the rich and spread them evenly among all people, which will not provide anyone with satisfactory health treatment since there isn’t enough money or doctors. I am totally not satisfied with the health care system for the amount of taxes I pay. Maybe this is the best example showing how one of the macro-environment factor (politic/regulation) can affect an industry, therefore lowering standard of living.

This weekend, I got myself the new 13inch Macbook Air. I am sure that all of you have heard about it and have seen one somewhere, so  I am not going to introduce it here. It was a major purchase that I made and I want to share my experience and apply the marketing theory upon factors that I think has influenced my Consumer Decision Process when I still remember how it feels.  ps. I am not advertising here but the Macbook Air is extremely cool!

Well, it is a long story, but first I recognized my need for a new notepad because my old one has got a fragile hard drive that’s not durable for take out anymore. It is both a functional and psychological need because I need it for schoolwork and I want to look cool to my friends by getting the latest product. I think here there are Marketing Mix as well as Social Factors. I was thinking of what I am looking for and comparing that with what I can afford and where can I get it. That was where all the research of information begins.  At the same time, the direction of my research was influenced by my social reference group including my friends, peers, and groupmates. I remember how it seemed surprised to me at first that all my marketing group members are using Macbook Pro when I was the only one using hp (not a bad comment, I am using hp, but mine is too heavy b/c it’s not a notepad), but later it just doesn’t feel right if I don’t start using Mac as everyone else does. lol

I remembered two years ago when I saw the Mac vs. PC commercial series, and I think that was hilariously funny. If you don’t know what I am talking about, go to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z0Ia5jDt4&feature=related. Sorry about not posting the video directly, but I can’t figure out a way to put a video in the middle of my paragraph. I am not saying that I agree with the ad, nor do I think it is ethical, but it was powerful. Since then, my perception about Mac has changed. I used to think that it’s incompatible and hard to use, but since I saw the commercial, I think of it as youthful, clean and simple, no virus, and fun. It is hard to describe but I think the effect is due to the comparison with a PC, the white and clean background, and the my perception of the two guys representing PC and Mac in the commercial. This is one of the Psychological Factors.

 I am also influenced by the Situational Factors such as store atmosphere, salespeople, and in-store demonstration. I feel a sense of belonging when I am in the Apple store because there are a lot of young people like me who are also interested in the product. One big surprise was that I also see some older customers around who are serious about trying out Apple products. Once again this is a powerful message to me saying that Apple is so popular that even aging population want to try them hands-on. The in-store trial is very important because switching cost is high for me to go from a PC to a Mac so I want as much information as possible before I make my final decision, and I wouldn’t be making the decision as fast as I did if I don’t get to try the Macbook Air several times . The way the salesperson addresses my questions and concerns makes me feel that I am understood and am actually getting help. I will also give them credit for that. It was just that the store is crowded due to the launch of iPhone 4, but overall the shopping experience is pleasant.

According to my own experience, the theory taught in class does work. I think all 4 factors has influenced my decision process, but the product itself and its promotion has influenced me the most.