Making a video for a group assignment was an interesting experience as I learnt a lot of valuable things. This project was different from any other projects that I have done previously because it required a lot more team work from beginning to end. Everyone had a different idea on how the final product would look like, from the storyline to how to shoot the video and where the video would take place. But we made it work!  As there is nothing like  exchanging ideas to inspire other teammates with new ideas, all that made it easy to decide on how to go about with the video. On top that having a group that is ready to listen to others’ suggestions made the whole experience pleasant . But trying to integrate everyone’s idea and at the same time making sure that all the guidelines for the project were respected was a bit time consuming . But once we figured out  the storyline and other details, everything went smoothly and the shooting part of the project was the most fun. But what I have realized is that  at the end of the day going through the process, I learnt to deal with situations better and focus on what is important to get the project done on timely basis. I have also seen that editing a video is not an easy thing to do as it requires a lot of time and patience. Overall, working on the Toyota project was interesting because we got to apply what we learnt in class and put it  to good use. All those theories we had to study for the exams were actually models that could be used in the real world. Thinking about marketing in such an organized way made me realize that there is a lot more than just commercials when it comes to marketing strategies.

The safety video made by Virgin America airline is innovative and fun to watch. The idea was to convey a message that was very mundane in an interesting way in ordertto engage the audience. But at the same time this safety video could be used for advertisement purpose as it is well done; the whole idea is fresh not similar to anything that is out there as they integrated different genres of music combined with amazing choreography done by experts as well as actual in flight attendants. By introducing this kind of safety video, they are trying to include this company in the consumer’s mind  to make their decision process easier. I believe they are trying to reach the consumer’s evoked states, because I personally got that kind of impact. To the extent where whenever I would think of purchasing an airline ticket I would consider making it from them to be part of that unique experience . So I would say that the safety video served as an informative one but also a successful add video  . With this video they are trying to target young customers who want to have fun experiences even in places that are least expected like listening to a safety video;  their songs are catchy and they have young performers and I believe this is a good marketing strategy for their target group. The whole idea was carefully thought by including what the virgin airline is all about, who they are, who they cater to, their audience in order to create something that would include most people from different background and can identify with. So overall, I would say that this a successful video in terms of conveying the main information which is about safety but could  is also used as advertisement by focussing on a particular group of people by emphasizing on their  general interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtyfiPIHsIg

After reading a blog about the Apple company, I decided to add on a few comments about the company as I agree on most the points made by the blogger. He starts off by saying that that the company is where they are  today not because they have just got good products that is very  different from the competitors’ but because of the way that the company positioned itself  in the market. They did not  build the brand overnight, it is something that they were able to acquire over many years. We know that they have had the apple computer since 1976 but it was not until they introduced the I-Pod that they became famous worldwide. Their marketing  is not only guided toward simple advertisements but they also put in place well-though slogans, logos and symbols. Even though sometimes some of the competitors’ products might  actually be better than Apple’s, some consumers, including myself,  will still choose Apple over many other choices. What has apple done to obtain this position, to the point that people would line up in the cold for hours at the release of a new product?

I believe that the company is not just  selling the product, instead it is a matter of selling an  idea by making the consumer believe that their life would be so much better with any Apple product but also show people that they actually need such products. They have done such a good job in their marketing and brand department that sometimes people buy Apple products because they would like to make a statement about themselves. Apple put the idea of the  products before it is actually released and get people to talk about it. That being said, having the new product  is not just a matter of having it but it becomes a thing that everyone want to get and need to get  as a result obtaining it on the day of the release has a lot more meaning than just buying the new product.

http://blog.kissmetrics.com/how-apple-changed-the-world/

I agree that the marketing strategy used by Michael Kors is a very well thought one, raising a key social issue such as world hunger to contribute back to the society by donating $25 for every watch they sell seems like a good way of supporting such causes. But I personally think that doing so is unethical, as it looks like they are using the cause to boost their sale and position themselves as a company with good corporate citizenship. So the question that should be addressed is: Are customers buying the products to support a good cause or to satisfy their own needs? I feel like involving their customers in this kind of method of contribution might give them very mixed up feeling as it is hard to clearly see whether the company is trying to increase it’s sales or help out with the cause. On top of that, they also expect their customers to upload pictures on social medias such as Facebook but I don’t see how that is related to the cause, that has to do more with the company advertising through this cause. Also, they advertise the watches as a limited edition, which relates back to the scarcity principle that we learnt in class which says that what we can’t get is always better. The fact that this product is available in a limited number attracts even more people.Therefore this gives an advantage to the firm and makes it look like  it is related to the firm’s profit and less with the cause. I believe that tying donation to specific products could be seen negatively as it is hard to define the line between helping the casue and increasing the company profit. Instead to show that they are dedicated in good corporate citizenship they should tie their contribution to their own profit.

http://www.destinationkors.com/watch-hunger-st

Nescafé is a European brand coffee that has gained its market share worldwide over the years. They have made many commercials all over the world in order to sell their products. In many of their commercials, we notice that they value the cultural differences. But I am interested in looking at two commercials in particular; one that is made in Malaysia and another one in Canada. Both commercial cater to customers in the two different countries The Malaysian version focuses on emotional appeal to make it attractive to the customers. They emphasize in the perfect family setting and the perfect mother daughter relationship thus family values plays an important role in this commercial. Whereas the Canadian version portrays a young adult who lives by himself, thus it highlights the independent life of this adult rather than the family aspect of it. They are trying to target young people by showing the reality of a typical grown-up house and they also are making it more appealing to them as that they can easily relate to it. So knowing the values and the beliefs of the country helps the advertisers to market it better. Also, by using all these tactics, the company was able to advertise their product in different country just by altering the targeted group of customers and reaching out to them by identifying their specific values. This relates to the idea of country culture we studied in class, the company was able to identify the subtle aspect of culture which is most of the time the trickiest. By coming up with different commercials in Malaysia and North America, they were able to target customers across countries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb4pHAgMUqs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl7L8yxsZQM

Lush is a company that is well- known for its fresh handmade cosmetics. It brands itself as having products that are made with natural ingredients. Indeed, it may sure be handmade and possibly even fresh but the major question is: do they actually use all natural ingredients as they say they do?

They have built a smooth brand image that leads consumers to believe that their products are safe and with high quality. They pride themselves on using all organic and natural ingredients in their products. Hence, consumers don’t doubt that the ingredients may be unnatural.  Unfortunately, Lush actually produces and sells products that contain harmful chemicals. One of the most pertinent chemical they use is called Parabens which is a harmful chemical that can pass through the upper layer of skin and actually enter the bloodstream. Of greatest concern is that Parabens are known to disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. When questioned about the use of Paraben in their product , they defend themselves by saying that this chemical is used in their product but in small quantities. But does is it really matter whether it is used in small or large quantity, I don’t think so! The main point here is that they try to cover it up by not putting it out there and also by saying that it has been used for many years in many cosmetics and therefore has been proven to be not that harmful. The fact of the matter is that their product contains the toxin and they fail to recognize that and inform their customers. They include this toxin while claiming to be all natural and fresh. Hence, I believe that using this kind of tactic to advertise their product is unethical.

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