Author: Margaret Nadeau

What I learned about teams, myself and marketing:
I realize how important teamwork is in a business setting. Employers want employees who work well together. Therefore, it only makes sense to have been assigned a group project in Marketing class. I learned that brainstorming is key, and although we had different schedules and some of us also had part time jobs, we made it work and found time to meet in person (which we found was more effective in getting things done). I discovered how much of a team player I really am and by building a strong relationship with each other, we got the job done. This is really the goal in marketing. By communicating well and building strong relationships, value is enhanced.

Skills I enhanced and developed:
I would say that I’ve definitely enhanced my communication skills as I had to convey my thoughts in a clear and effective manner to my group members as well as listen to the important things that they had to say. I also enhanced my editing skills when I proofread my group’s work. In addition, I’ve learned to be flexible. All my team members had different ideas on how we saw the layout of the papers and the video, so I really had to consider all ideas, not just our own. I believe that the end result actually turns out better when different opinions and thoughts are incorporated.

 What would I do differently:
I would have liked to have met up for longer periods of time when collaborating, but we did the best we could with the different schedules we all had.

 My top takeaways:
– Two (or four in this case) heads are better than one
– All the elements in a marketing plan are important and relate to each other
– Marketing is exciting and completely relatable

(Picture source: http://coachgiorgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/teamwork4.jpg

One of the four P’s of the marketing mix is Pricing, which deals with how much a consumer is willing to pay for a product or service (supply and demand). It has an enormous effect on the consumer’s perception of the attractiveness of the product. Consumer surplus can be extracted and turned into extra revenue when businesses price discriminate (charge different prices to different consumers).

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Airlines do just that when they “get personal” with their flight prices, as this article states. How they decide who gets charged what is astonishing and it would vary from “how regularly they fly, where they live and the kind of trip they are taking.” Delta Airlines would be an example of an airline that would overcharge frequent fliers. Their defense to such biased pricing is so that they can “better tailor their services to the needs of their customers.” Even so, they know what they’re doing.

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Since it’s almost Spring Break, airlines know that the demand to just get away from it all will increase, so they’ll be willing to spend a bit more. “Airfare for spring break is up almost double digits from last year”  Have no fear, however, because the article also mentions how you’ll be able to find a few bargain destinations, including Hawaii, which has dropped between 1 and 4% since last year. This just goes to show that pricing is an extremely complicated marketing mix factor. However, you can be sure that there is a reason behind every price tag.

Picture sources:

Airlines (http://www.tnooz.com/2012/10/02/news/what-do-airlines-really-know-about-using-social-media-in-2012/))

Hawaii (http://www.destination.myuniversals.com/hawaii.php)

Recently, during the Oscars, a Target Canada commercial premiered, featuring all of the major Canadian cities as Target’s canine mascot makes his way around, sitting in a motorcycle side-car. The Mr. Rogers Neighborhood song from the children TV series   plays throughout the commercial, this time sung by the Canadian group Dragonette. Have a look at it. It’s quite fun:

You can’t fool Julia Lim. She knows a clever marketing ploy when she sees one. Thanks to the Super Bowl, a highly anticipated annual major sporting event, billions of dollars are made every year as businesses try to take advantage of the situational factor to influence consumer behavior. Manufactures get the super bowl logo on their packages, takeout restaurants and delis advertise their fan favourite game food (nachos, pizza, buffalo wings, subs…etc.) and retailers sell Super Bowl souvenir t-shirts, baseball caps and bumper stickers.

Of course, as Julia mentions in her blog, it’s the tv commercials (of all things) that really get people talking. “They actually look forward to advertisements during the game.” I can completely relate to her when she mentions having a facebook newsfeed  “full of people’s posts on advertisements during Super Bowl, and linking YouTube videos” I’d say that they’ve almost become as important as the football game itself. I find it amazing how much time and money some companies put into producing these commercials. However, it’s worth it in the end as so very many of them are rerun a countless number of times even after the game has ended. Super Bowl commercials can be quite memorable and exciting, really causing a consumer to move towards the affective stage of a product where positive attitudes are reinforced.

Here’s a Youtube Video of some of the funniest super bowl commercials of 2013. Enjoy.

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Super Bowl gear, souvenirs, game food, and electronics will certainly continue to be produced as long as the positive reactions toward them and the game itself continue.

Picture:  SOURCE

The blogs posted on the Disney Parks Blog website cater towards a very targeted audience: Disney’s most dedicated customers. People who visit the parks often are interested in finding out more about what is happening on a daily basis. So, by reading posts by the numerous authors and viewing the colourful pictures, they become tempted to go and visit the park and see everything for themselves.

With the launch of Mickey Check for Kids’ meals at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort, Disney is certainly aware of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior (needs/motives, attitudes, perception, learning and lifestyle). An article written by Pam Brandon, a Disney Parks food writer on the official Disney Parks Blog website, goes into a bit of detail on the new icon found on menus that makes it easier to spot healthier food items. In addition, numerous tempting photos are included.

 One is definitely going be hungry after walking around a Disney park. It would be nice, though, to have a choice on what to eat. These days, consumers are interested in living a healthy lifestyle, which starts with how they eat. Menu items with “limited calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar” are all targeted towards those concerned parents who only want the best for their kids. People are aware of the food groups and what constitutes a healthy diet and so details about this information is an important selling point. Complete meals that receive the Disney check sign need to include “at least three of the following food groups: fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy; whole grains or lean protein, beans, eggs and nuts.”

Image source: http://www.healthhabits.ca/2012/06/05/disney-war-childhood-obesity/

Good marketing, as our textbook (Grewal, D., & Levy, M. (2013). M: Marketing (3rd Ed). McGraw-Hill Irwin.) states, “requires thoughtful planning with an emphasis on the ethical implications of any of those decisions on society in general.”  Ethics, then, is certainly important for the success of any business and its reputation, attracting customers to the firms’ products as well as attracting potential employees and investors. Unethical behavior, on the other hand, does quite the opposite, damaging the firm’s reputation and making it less appealing to customers, employees and investors. There are many different types of unethical behavior in business from false advertising and unethical pricing practices to unfair treatment of employees.

I found an interesting article where a marketing ad was viewed as sexist. In the UK, a television commercial was shown for a supermarket called Asda. In it, a mother carries out numerous Christmas tasks for her family, including doing all the shopping, attempting to transport a huge Christmas tree, wrapping oddly-shaped gifts,  cleaning the house, and preparing a huge turkey dinner. Although Asda probably intended it to be a very light hearted and fun commercial, it was interpreted by many to be offensive.  It received “a furious backlash” over its sexist and stereotypical content. Mums aren’t the only ones “behind every great Christmas” or are always in the kitchen. Although, in my opinion, this ad is more truthful than scandalous, as this different article argues. Many businesses want to stand out and therefore might take risks and push boundaries. It just goes to show how much planning must be involved in the marketing process. You never know who might be offended.

Here is the video of the ad:

This morning I saw this particularly amusing video on “catvertising”. It is a youtube advertising spoof by the Toronto ad agency John St. I think it’s safe to say that all of us have seen at least one cat video on the web. People simply record cats doing all sorts of things like playing the piano, eating from chopsticks, boxing or drinking noisily, and the videos are a hit with over thirty million views. So, John St. created this parody of “over eager marketers” who seek to capitalize on the growing trend appeal of posting cat videos. It is making fun of the advertising industry and how they always have to be using the newest and most sensational ways to sell products. It appears that John St. actually took the same concept from the video “Kittywood”, but they did a much slicker, detailed job. So, as an advertisement for their agency, it is far superior. In Comm 101, we learn about marketing and how to get into the mind of the consumer and get their attention. Although perhaps making fun of itself, John St., a company that makes ads, was successful in making an ad for itself.

Catvertising Video:

Kittywood Video:

I find Ikea to be highly entrepreneurial and to exhibit all of the characteristics from the reading.

Innovation:

Ikea is highly innovative in their product line and the business processes used to deliver it. To start, customers follow a natural
path which encourages them to see their entire store rather than separate departments for separate products. Their products, which are developed and manufactured in developing countries, are also self- assembled rather than preassembled, which helps reduce transportation costs and packaging costs. Restaurants and play areas are located in their stores to cater to families and encourage them to stay as long as possible.

Speed of Wealth Creation:

By paying attention to what their customers want, Ikea has experienced rapid growth since its creation. They recognize that people want products that are modern, functional and affordable.

Risk:

A Pioneer of globalization in the furniture industry, Ikea recognizes challenges and adapts to change.

Refrences:

Business Week

QuickMBA

Entrepreneurs

Before class today, we were asked to think about how large organizations “reward the wrong behavior.” I thought that this could be because the company is not being attentive to details, not evaluating or finding out if a system is working, or  not getting feedback from employees. Apparently these are common mistakes found in many organizations, which are discussed in a slideshow presentation I found online entitled How Companies Get Motivation Wrong. When companies reward employees for the wrong reasons, it means that they are not rewarding things that are “in alignment with strategy.” According to them, “rewards have become entitlements and perceived as unchangeable.” This means that they are a right more than a reward, and that people are actually expecting them after doing a certain amount of work. It is true that people like to feel valued and that if they are respected in a working environment, they are respectful of the working environment and strive to do their best. Everyone likes rewards and likes to feel valued. However, it’s important for a company to think about whether or not they are rewarding an individual for the right reason.

Today in class, we studied the link between organizational culture and human resource management. Zappos, a shoe retailer, is an example of a company with a positive organizational culture (values and behaviors that contribute to the environment of an organization). They focus on a number of core values such as building a positive team and family spirit and building open and honest relationships. As a result of their employees being happy, they are able to deliver exceptional customer service. A working environment like this sounds very appealing. It’s catching some attention as it is listed as number six under the 100 Best Companies to Work For for 2011 at CNN Money, a site that provides business and financial news. SAS, a company that produces software, is listed as number one, because people are “attended to and cared for”, with onsite healthcare, and a 66,00-square-foot gym. A familiar company, Google, is number four. It’s noted for having a climbing wall, providing free food at any of its cafeterias and free laundry service to its employees. Hopefully, this growing trend will ensure that many more employees recognize the importance of creating a positive, healthy, and encouraging work environment for their employees.

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