Even though I live right next to a Starbucks, I never realized how huge it is. Yes, it’s true that once you leave your house you will run into at two or three Starbucks, but after having the best group I could possibly have had for the semester, I could say I have started to love Starbucks a little more.

We all learned large amounts of information about Starbucks, and every time I researched this company I was more and more interested in going in deeper. But I also learned about each person’s abilities (including my own) when it comes to working in a team where everyone wants to put in their best effort and have an outstanding result. It’s natural that some people will be more quiet than others, as others try to take a more dominant role within the team. But the most important thing I realized is whether you are taking on a ‘bossy’ role or a silent one, respect predominates all. I found myself a few times discussing ideas which I did not agree with completely, but what helped our team maintain a friendly and stress free environment was such respect and a constant, effective communication.

In my opinion, we handled everything exceptionally well – from guidelines, to time commitments and meetings – and we did see a positive result every time. Starbucks linked us all, and even if we never had a meeting at a Starbucks (which now that I think of it could have been a good idea), I had an amazing Starbucks Experience only be studying it.

 

The AIDA model – representing the different steps in promoting and selling a product – are most likely applied naturally when a product is being sold. Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (as the name suggests) don’t alway have equal weights. Studies suggest that Attention hast the highest weight in comparison with interest and action. Companies cannot limit themselves to just produce the product; they must not only give the right information, but attract the attention of the customers, a more difficult task than producing the product itself.

Thinking back to 2006, I still remember driving around Bogotá, Colombia and noticing how most of the billboards of the city were completely white. At first I thought these were just being changed, but after the days passed, I kept on noticing how they were still white. Suddenly, a miniature red tag appeared on the upper right hand side of the billboards – too small to even notice what the tiny red words read. This ‘red tag on the white space’ again remained taking over the city for weeks, until two words in the middle of the billboard appeared: PERONI, ITALY.

 

Not a single person I asked knew what ‘PERONI ITALY’ was about, but they were definitely intrigued to find out as well. I must say these white billboards taking over Bogotá caught the city’s attention. But what was all this mystery about?

Bogota was curious to find out more about PERONI. The billboards raised such tension and mystery that we developed an interest to try it out. With its minimalistic, stylish look, everyone’s main guess was “a new italian clothing or accessory line.”

As sunglasses, stylish well-dressed men and women started occupying the left side of the blank canvas, our main guess became intensified – perhaps even correct. To us, PERONI represented fashion, style, a more modern look… Little did we know what it was all really about, but PERONI knew we were expecting something.

Check back soon for my next post on PERONI and the AIDA model!

References

http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/aasr-vol4-iss4/AASR-2012-4-4-1670-1675.pdf

http://www.bavaria.com.co/pdfs/ing/style_peroni.pdf

http://www.noupe.com/design/the-aida-marketing-model-in-web-design.html

 

 

After hearing a business professional saying “follow me on Twitter” and  “like my Facebook page”  at a conference, I started to realize that Facebook and Twitter have expanded beyond the idea of sharing your photos, making ‘cyber friends’, or sharing your ideas. So why have so many businesses recently entered this new tend of social media as a way of promotion?

With the current massive social media influence on consumers, many businesses advertise their products through Twitter or Facebook, trying to create their own audience within the existing digital consumer segment. They try to get as many ‘followers’ and as many ‘likes’ and even include a link to these webpages on their own homepage. Even if one ‘like’ , or one more ‘follower’ does not equal $1 and does not give the business any immediate profit, the business starts developing a relationship and creating loyal customers. The reality is (at least for me), I won’t ‘like’ a Facebook page unless I am really interested, or have a passion for either the business or the product.

At the end of the day, we choose who to ‘like’ and who to ‘follow’, proving businesses who their consumers actually are. As soonas that digital connection arises, a relationship is created; a community is being built. With only 140 characters, businesses can come closer to their customers and the things they care about via Twitter, or they can promote a new product or event through Facebook. It doesn’t only become a way to attract new consumers, or a way to inform and remind the existing ones, but many have incorporated social media as a way of getting feedback as well.

So maybe one more ‘like’ or one more ‘follower’ does not equal one more dollar – but it does equal one more member of a community  one more loyal customer.

 

 

As I was reading the latest edition of “THE MAGAZINE”, I stumbled into an article about The Impossible Project – the only company producing instant film for original Polaroid cameras. Integrating tech savvy consumers and the ongoing iPhone trend, they launched the Impossible Instant Lab – “a tool that turns digital iPhone images into real analog instant photos on Impossible film, using an accompanying Impossible iPhone app”. The Impossible Project took advantage of a declining, almost inactive trend and a growing powerful trend, both meeting at a common place: creating durable images.

What first seemed like satire for me, I went into their webpage and started researching more about the product, and started thinking who would actually buy their product? First of all, it’s a bulky add-on for the iPhone which I can’t imagine someone carrying around on a daily basis. Then I though it could serve the purpose of a printer, and this made more sense to me. So back to my question, who would buy this “Impossible” invention?

Definitely this product is directed to tech savvy consumers, engaged in the iPhone fever who want to also be part of the antecedent Polaroid trend; a passion for the digital and analog photography world. Sounds very captivating, right?

However, the idea of the Polaroid was to instantly have a unique physical print of the moment you captured, whereas the iPhone stores all the photos you capture in a digital cloud, available to create many copies and sync them with all your devices. So this innovation definitely seems like an impossible blend of two very distinct ideas – unless you are willing to carry around the Impossible Instant Lab, and instantly create a not-so-unique copy of a moment which is also being stored in a digital cloud.

Check their video for more information!

 

References:

http://www.the-impossible-project.com/projects/camera/iil

“The Magazine”, Issue 12. Instant Memories

As I was reading guidomtz post, I started to remember the many times I found physical similarities between dogs and their owners. I hadn’t realized of the many cases where this happened (and maybe I am focusing on those that show a physical resemblance, and ignoring those which don’t) so I started researching more about it.
It appears that many studies have been done trying to see as to why this occurs – is it that owners choose dogs who resemble their physical appearance, or do both of their appearances converge over time? Reading a little bit further, I found out that this resemblance is not only a physical one; personalities are similar as well. There are many disputes as to why this occurs, but just thinking beyond the ad that Cesar Dog Food Company used, they could even expand their images into videos showing such personality resemblance. Maybe this could boost their sales even more!

Is it maybe an addiction? What about an obsession? Perhaps a desire? …or simply a craving?

Whatever you consider it, many children have created this ‘affection’ for some foods and their parents have fallen in the same trap over and over again. What better way to get a parent to comply than through their children?

Companies have always considered children as a lucrative market, trying to establish and develop a desire for their product. The children then try to persuade their parents to go for their choice of things – and since it’s been presented in a ‘healthy’ manner, why would they say no?

The list of these obsessions is endless: Pepsi, Coca-cola. Sprite, Fanta, Thums-up,  Happy Meals, Cap’n Crunch, Froot Loops, etc.

But what is the real deal?

Kids experience at least $1.6 billion worth of food advertising a year, where companies are eager to develop an obsession in children for their products. If the kids like it, the parents will buy it – a perfect trap for mom and dad. Now add in the thought of this being healthy for your kids. Is it really this perfect?

Nutella positions itself as a healthy breakfast option for kids being a mix of “hazelnuts, skim milk, and a hint of cocoa”, as advertised in the video. Yet, Nutella is as healthy as a Milky Way. What they are really promoting is 200 calories, 21 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of fat per two table spoons. And still, children are obsessed with this sugar bomb. And once again, parents will fall in the trap and buy the product for their children.

Nutella is not the only nutrition sham presented to children. Positioning their merchandise as healthy, companies try to target children, who – being part of a decision making process at home – in turn will influence their parents, and the products will be sold.

How perfect is this video to attract both children and parents?

Yet again, another parent falls under the trap.

 

 

References:

http://expertscolumn.com/content/unethical-food-marketing-children

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/health-foods-healthy/story?id=16680025

http://www.alternet.org/food/7-highly-disturbing-trends-junk-food-advertising-children

 

Rosabeth Moss Kanter states in her blog How Great Companies Think Differently the difference between financial logic, and institutional logic. Whereas financial logic is based on maximizing the returns on capital, institutional logic balances public interest with financial returns.

What is meant by public interest? Moss includes under this definition improving the lives of users, enhancing workers’ quality of life, and ensuring financial viability. Hence, a ‘Great Company’ should incorporate elements of both financial logic and institutional logic: capital should be used to carry out business activities and sustain themselves.

Thus, companies will perform better once integrating a social purpose into their financial purpose. This means corporate social responsibility must be present; achieving economic growth with social and environmental limits.

Companies should, in my opinion, commit to the social and environmental limits and balance public interest with financial returns. Examples like Cemex, or PepsiCo, which address social purposes focus on both financial and institutional logic, becoming Great companies.

We might all be selfish when it comes to shopping: we want the best deals for us; whatever we can get for the least prices. If the stores open up earlier, it’s better for us. If there are more deals and sales, we benefit.

Stores have decided that Black Friday now begins on Thanksgiving Thursday, for the sole reason that we – consumers – demanded it.

Off course, we are going to benefit from this. We are giving up our time to go shopping, but the employees are caught in the middle. Do they also want to give up their time to handle greedy customers at midnight, instead of spending Thanksgiving with their family? Whatever happened to the employee who got killed in 2008? What happened to employee respect and culture?

Employees are humans with rights – just as we consumers. When going shopping on Black Friday, let’s not make it a nightmare for the employees.

Bibliography:

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20111124/OPINION01/111240381

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45431353/#45431353

 

 

Having read Starbucks Plans Health Stores, by Adelle Tepper, I am still analyzing whether it’s a good idea for Starbucks to acquire Evolution Fresh – a juice company. We all know Starbucks is more recognized for its coffee, so will it have a successful transition on being recognized for juice? Will their strategies be effective?

 

Starbucks is currently trying to expand through a new brand: with the acquisition of Evolution Fresh. There’s no doubt that health and wellness could be great for a business. However, Starbucks already has their target market. Starbucks has already positioned their brand. Integrating juices with their already established products will affect these factors.

The implementation of the new products may undercut the integrity of the Starbucks brand for coffee purists, as John Quelch stated in his article. Additionally, Starbucks enters a market where there’s already competition, such as Jamba Juice. Starbucks has to see whether consumers will still line up with the same eagerness for juice as they do for coffee.

 

Bibliography:

http://blogs.hbr.org/quelch/2008/07/how_starbucks_growth_destroyed.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57323200/starbucks-buys-evolution-to-juice-profits/

 

Shakira, a Colombian artist, singer, dancer, and social entrepreneur has been named the 2011 ‘Person of the Year‘.

Not only has she sold over 50 million albums, having several number ones around the world; but she has also founded the Fundacion Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation).

Fundacion Pies Descalzos was founded in Barranquilla, Colombia aimed at the health, education and nutrition of the children in the country. Shakira’s mission is emphasizing the fact that education and health

are recognized as fundamental rights, and not luxuries her foundation currently has five schools in different regions of the country, providing education and psychological support for more than 4000 children.

 

In the past year, Shakira has raised over $400,000 to build schools in Haiti by appearing in adverts, making the donation to her own foundation.

 

She has also inspired students around Colombia to raise money for her foundation – such was the case of Pedro Lucas Caballero, who along with Shakira’s support, organized concerts at his school to raise money for Pies Descalzos.

After recognizing the social problem in Colombia, Shakira managed to address this problem by founding Pies Descalzos, where she has already made a great difference in the country.

 

Bibliography:

http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/shakira/264974-shakira-haiti-donation

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/08/shakira_n_1082301.html

http://www.fundacionpiesdescalzos.com/en/who-we-are.html