Shane Neetichow's Blog

My lovely friend Inee, has strike me as a leading edge and fast pace woman. Definitely always a good thing. One of her blogs talks about Google + and Burberry together. So not not be shadowed, a 20th century gentlemen like myself also has fashionable and cutting edge findings to chatter about.

The Internet has is no doubt today’s fastest growing “promotion” strategy. Even the most exclusive and conservative brands like Burberry and Louis Vuitton has succumb to this inexpensive material called the Internet.

Not many years ago Louis Vuitton produced a stunning website of their own. Of course, the website is refined, beautiful and glamorous which reinforces it’s “Product” identity. Intriguing isn’t it how the internet can represent a brand. However, most importantly the Internet flourishes brand “Promotion” significantly. The point that internet is so easy to access and IS accessed by the most wealthiest and least wealthiest. Therefore with a little inspiration, Louis Vuitton kick started their “promotion” “communications” globally by creating such vivid website pages and flagging them everywhere, almost without limits. Ogilvy, the PR advisors for LV has three goals.

1. To drive users to Louis Vuitton’s site via organic search.

2. To lead them to associate the brand with high quality and emotional values.

3. To gather verbal testimonials and “buzz” for the website, which would in turn generate further interest in Louis Vuitton among key audiences — including the media and affluent consumers.

Now the whole city talks about the new “Andre Aggasi and Steffi Graff” of Louis Vuitton. In a blink of an eye, the whole world is excited about their new launch featuring the classiest and most classic tennis player of all time. This seems completely absurd how much “promotion” and “product” reinforcement internet can produce.

Well to wrap things up, our cheap Internet connection can redefine “customer equity”, it seems limitless…

A very intriguing article. Brand Name/ high end “products” always presents itself as an expensive and luxurious

It’s all around us. Marketing tactics that uses sex appeal to attract potential consumers. Hands down mens body spray and grooming products uses the most sex appeal strategies to attract male consumers. Axe may be one of the leading company that bring’s forth this vivid marketing strategy. No doubt this results into a leading market share in young male products, ranging from body spray to hair wax.

Axe? no. Ice cream? yes?

On the other hand, interestingly enough ice cream industry also leaps on sex appeal marketing strategy. The target is definitely far from identical.

The analysis is quite closely related, like Hish said the “Visuals and Retoric” are seductive, smooth and soothing.

We can all confidently say that Hagen Daz target group is directed towards females more than males, yet they are using sex appeal by displaying sexy and attractive female models.

The only conclusion and the most significant conclusion would be how perception imposed by the brand reaches across a different point. Axe attracts males using males values, what  attracts women. However, Hagen Daz attracts women with values that, women are treated exclusively, carefully serenaded and made love to. The similarities of techniques are very close yet the shift is significantly reliant on how it is presented creating another perspective to consumers.

So I guess attractiveness (sex) is for everyone.

The night before thanks giving (coincidentally) I decided to contact Nixon, a watch and jewelry company and provide them with some feedback and consumer insight. The reason was, I bought a robust and chic looking belt; brown, wooden and a touch of titanium. The buckle of the belt fell apart, the pins which welded the front flap of the buckle fell of twice, never found it after the second time. What a shame. I never thought I would find a company’s website, contact info, fill a form, and send them a feed back. However, come to think of it, its because I admire their products and would like to get quality production from Nixon in the future. This meant that Nixon’s marketing team has captured consumer value, my consumer value.This was definitely kicked start by their marketing scheme and concepts.

I would have to say the company has developed it’s brand with a lot of fresh marketing. The modern/minimalistic packaging, eye catching retail stores and futuristic print adverts. Nixon’s Line of products are different and defined and clearly directed to the young generation. Moreover they position themselves effectively to directly meet their target consumer’s demand.  Reinforced by their trendy online website, retail store location and medium for adverts.

All these reflective thoughts has definitely showed me the capability of good marketing.

Whether your weekend has been restless or fully rested I’m sure it has been worthwhile someway or the other. Welcome to monday, the dull boring start of a typical morning. Nevertheless we (caffeine) keep our eyes open for something fascinating, a spark to burn away the mundanity. Somehow I find this funky illustrated magazine  cover, “Marketing the Research in Motion marketing survival guide”. So i read it.

As we speak RIM, the company that produces blackberry(s) are heading towards a massive ditch, dug by themselves, with the help of apple. The article says “Apple is an engineering and marketing culture and RIM is an engineering and accounting culture and thats the problem”. – Middleton. Interesting statement, both firms have finely tuned gadgets and engineered them to technological perfection. The difference is RIM doesn’t appeal to the consumers as a “heart warming” company. RIM has an almost arrogant like attitude, blasting consumers with their engineering quality and specs in their smart phones. While Apple makes a consumer-centric approach. User friendly and design heavy yet technological advanced, which is exactly what Apple consumers value.

RIM, former leader in smartphones are having major crisis competing with Apple.  That’s exactly the problem, RIM tries to promote similar products to apple when apple is the best marketing company there is today. They proudly showoff to the rest of the world that they can do what apple can do and do it better (browser, vdos, apps, processor). This is the problem, even though these RIM features are an improvement from Apple’s, apple has already been there, marked an apple logo in that sector. People are not going to buy a RIM product unless they already have an apple product. Moreover RIM is trailing, they are trying to outrun apple’s existing features, in the meantime Apple is working on something new and “different”. Therefore RIM must scratch this current strategy and direct themselves to be different.

Not better but different.

Hopefully we see something new from RIM and from this routined week 🙂

Sure go watch the vdo first. Inspirational, creative and touching and my personal favorite, Hey I’m Shane Neetichow. Like many, I’m taking this course because I have to. Nevertheless its probably the best one I have to take. I’m an international student from Bangkok city and for those who have seen “The Hangover 2”. Yes, Bangkok is exactly like that.

Marketing is like my daily drug, I let myself get exposed and abused by it. Marketing is one of the things that tell me tomorrow will is different and better. It fascinates me how marketers produce such quality, crisp and creative work. Nevertheless the true beauty of marketing is the marketing strategies; carefully and thoroughly thought through, leaking the creative juices to produce a final master piece.

My experience with Marketing:

• Advertising Firm intern: Creative Juice
• Marketing Intern: GIA (Gemological institute of America)
• VP Thai Club Marketing

“Many of life’s failure are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”. This is a quote from Thomas Edison. This quote is a lifetime lesson to me, it shows that ambition and and durability are essential for success. Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb tries to show how many men gave up even though they are a hair away from the finish line. A personal experience would be how I pushed myself against several teachers, fighting for a position in maths higher level. I exposed myself to humiliation. In a nut shell, after failing tests and falling behind, I gave it all, a last push. I finally pass the course with a very satisfying score. This long story kept short is a major lesson, it shows how to stay strong, don’t back down and most importantly never give up.This will lead you to success and respect from others.

Shane

Hewlett-Packard or HP, have face several problems organizational problem. One of the recent and major problem is the bribe HP gave a Russian IT cooperation. HP bribed $11million to secure a complex a $45million worth IT network contract from Russia. Furthermore HP also used German subsidiary to fund for the bribe. Thus Russian, American and German officials are investigating this case. Therefore what ethical issues lay in the problem and what solutions can be created to solve the problem.

HP’s ethics problems can be solved with organizational behavior implementations. The company has low level of culture and lacks moral values. Furthermore it is more effective if a problem is solved at the core rather than the consequences or repercussion. Therefore creating ethical culture inside the HP Company may be the most effective solution.

Firstly the company should imply a “visible role model”. This is because employees will look to top management behavior as a benchmark. However this may be difficult to implement since it depends on each individual. Nevertheless HP can change hiring methods and look for high moral and value individuals.

“Communicate ethical expectation” is also very important; the company should focus and always reinforce values in the workplace. Reinforcement can be done by creating an organizational code of ethics. It should states values and ethical rules. This will benefit HP in the long term leading to correct and ethical decision by employees.

Thirdly HP should provide “ethics training” by setting up seminars, workshop and other programs. This should be done regularly to new and old employees. This may be a large cost for HP but will result in a positive long-term impact. Preventing investigation and court problems they have currently.

Fourthly HP can “reward ethical acts and punish unethical ones”. This is a short-term solution; nevertheless many short terms makes a long term.

Lastly, HP should provide protective mechanism so that employees can discuss and report unethical decisions. However, if managers are the individuals making unethical choices it is hard to establish a protective mechanism, since other employees are unable to report to higher rank employees to take action. Nevertheless the mechanism will create a translucent and honest operating system in the long run.

In large industries there are always rivals between competing brands. A major example would be Nike and Adidas. In a competition there is always a winner and loser, just like how brands bid to be sponsors for the World Cup 2010. If you didn’t know, Adidas is actually an official partner/sponsor not Nike. However, Nike launched it’s marketing campaign so huge during the World Cup time it makes them look like official sponsors. This is related to the term of Ambush Marketing. Ambush Marketing is when is a marketing strategy where brands associate themselves with large events (sporting) but did not pay to be an official partner/sponsor with the event. Nike advertises football stars with their Nike national Jerseys to create a sense of World Cup. Therefore they are barely loose out for not being a official sponsor because they are innovative with their Ambush Marketing.

Climate change and global warming increases environmentally friendly trend. Therefore cars which produce a lot of carbon gas are not in a high demand. Toyota is the largest car manufacturer company in the World adapts their productions by launching hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, which has a overwhelming demand. However The Toyota Prius from 2004 to 2007 has issues with the coolant pump. This impacts the value for money and quality image of Toyota. However, Toyota states that they are launching a free repair campaign and stresses the fact that it is not a recall. This may benefit the brand image because Toyota acts as a responsible company since their actions are intend for consumer’s safety. However, Toyota has multiple recalls and this coolant pump weakness shows that Toyota has weak quality control. Nevertheless other car brands have faults too but they are not wealthy enough to recall their cars.

The definition of entrepreneurship is a person of very high aptitude who pioneers change. However it can be explained by emphasis on innovation such as new products new methods, new markets and new form of organization. A good example of an entrepreneur Roger Adams who is the founder and owner of Heely sporting. Furthermore the introduction of Heelys; the shoe with a roller ball on each side highlighted the entrepreneur concept in Roger Adam’s company. The product is a totally new invention, with only one wheel on each sole of the shoe creates a smooth flowing action for the consumer. The movement is as good as a roller blade which has typically four wheels on either side with uncomfortable fit. On the other hand Heelys approached with a trainer which more comfortable and lighter. In addition to the new innovation, Heelys also done well in marketing and methods. Due to the creative design and quality this forces the company to receive large amounts of profit in a short period of time from consumers. Moreover Roger Adam’s company had to take the risk to produce a new line of product which may not sell at all and will cause a loss. Therefore this is a good example of a entrepreneurship.