rosekoo

Walk up to the ATM machine, swipe your credit card and out comes…… a cupcake?! After reading Weranda’s blog, I discovered that a new cupcake company called “Sprinkles” has created a pink ATM machine that is able to give consumers a cupcake! To make this possible, there is in fact a unique storage system that allows up to 600 fresh cupcakes to be served and ready to deliver to hungry, sweet-toothed consumers.

Weranda talks about the 3 main advantages of using ATM machines as a distribution channel: the trendy factor(increases interest, PR) , convenience and unique brand image. Because “Sprinkles” has declared itself as the first cupcake ATM in the mind’s of consumers, it definitely has the advantage of positioning itself as a unique brand. However, there may be several problems that can result from this strategy.

The first problem is the performance of the ATM machines. Since this is a new innovative technology, malfunctions may occur as it is the beginning of the company’s life cycle and they have not yet figured out all the efficiencies of the device. The machine may cause defects on the cupcake such as the icing being ruined or spoiled products.

A second problem is the difference in price of cupcakes. As Weranda stated, the price of cupcakes is $0.75 cheaper in store compared to the ATM machines. I think that the company should price the cupcakes the same as there is a a downturn in the economy and also there is no value added when cupcakes are dispensed from the ATM machine.

However, another additional advantage I found that is not on Weranda’s list was that “Sprinkles” created a new usage occasion for their product. Cupcakes are not typically an “on-the-go” food product compared to beverages or chips. By making these cupcakes available 24/7 – quickly and efficiently, Sprinkles is attempting to turn cupcakes into a snack that can be eaten on-the-go.

Source: https://blogs.ubc.ca/weradasomboonvechakarn/2012/03/12/atm-swipe-for-cupcakes-not-cash/

When you walk across the cosmetic aisle at any beauty store, what do you see? Countless advertisements of flawless beauty posterized everywhere for women to see, admire and desire. The advertisements scream “you can look just like this!!!” … if you buy this
product of course.

Below are some before and after Photoshop images:

Cecilia’s blog post (https://blogs.ubc.ca/ceciliachun/2012/02/08/maybe-shes-born-with-it/) summarizes the use of deceptive advertising in the cosmetic industry and the ethical issues that accompany it. The blog post points out two advertisements featuring celebrities with unattainable flawless skin and unrealistic eyelashes. By looking at these perfect images, women are falsely led to believe that they too, can achieve these impeccable results with the purchase of these products.

The ethical issues arise when the product fails to deliver these flawless results proving that the company only cares about their own benefit and not their consumers. I found an article that fit in perfectly with the ethical issues of Photoshop and the cosmetic industry. In the United Kingdom, an ad featuring Julia Roberts for L’Oreal has been circulating the internet and has even caught the attention of the Advertising Standards Authortiy (ASA) for the over-the-top airbrushing done on her skin. The ad was later banned due to its heavy use of photoshop. Is this the beginning of the end of Photoshop use in advertisements?

Personally I am neutral about the use of photoshop in cosmetic advertisements. I think that in this age today, it is a given fact to most women that the advertisements are heavily photoshopped. For me, all the advertisements for cosmetic products are obviously photoshopped, therefore, I have never been falsely misled. I think that it is also up to the consumers to research, watch reviews, ask their friends and go online before buying a product. I believe that although some companies may want to limit their use of Photoshop or not use it at all, they have to in order to remain competitive. If all the other companies are doing it, their “photoshop free” ad will look mediocre, drawing the attention to the photoshopped advertisement beside it.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/236808/julia_roberts_ad_banned_in_the_uk_for_abuse_of_photoshop.html

Marketing is always changing. From print media to online viral youtube advertisements, marketing has certainly evolved. We are exposed to hundreds, or even thousands of advertisements while we carry on our daily activities. Having been living in a generation where commercials are a common part of our daily lives, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new type of advertising that I have never seen before. I discovered this new trend of “Co-Branding” on the “Adweek” blog.

Link to “Ad Week” Blog: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/old-spice-crashes-commercials-other-pg-brands-137965

 In the blog, they posted two commercials featuring Charmin and Bounce. The commercials start off normal with a quiet atmosphere about a women informing viewers about the product. Then suddenly, the famous “Old Spice” man crashes in promoting the body spray for men. The article states that all three brands are Procter & Gamble products, hence the name Co-Branding. The blog also mentions that the videos are now viral on Youtube. I think that this is a great way to implement social media, because in class it was mentioned that social media is essentially a free method of advertising. When an advertisement goes viral, it reaches audiences outside of its target market. The company is able to gain a lot of attention and exposure at virtually no cost, saving money and hopefully increasing revenue.
 

I think that an important concept of Co-Branding is that the brands are from the same company, therefore they are not intentionally “battling each other out” like mac vs pc or pepsi vs coke. Co-branding is about integrating two brands from the same company to promote one another in one interactive advertisement. I think that this type of commercial is particularly memorable and intriguing because of their witty way of using the element of surprise. I would never expect a Charmin or Bounce commercial to end up as an Old Spice commercial.

Co-branding has its benefits of allowing a company to promote two products at once and intriguing the viewer with an unexpected twist. However, can there be a downfall? It seems like in this particular commercial, there is one dominating product – Old Spice. Perhaps the commercial will fail to promote the other brands like Charmin or Bounce as much as the marketers hope to. Because the concept of co-branding is so new, there is not much information about the success rate. I think that this advertisement will open many doors and ideas to other companies to produce more co-branding advertisements and personally I am very excited to see what they come up with!

It has been known for a long time that Facebook and Google are competitive rivals, always fighting for the number one spot. With the release of Google plus, Google is trying to take over the social networking market that Facebook currently dominates. With rumours circulating that Google Plus is the new Facebook, the competition between these companies took a dark turn.

It all began when negative stories about Google were circulating the web prior to their release of Google plus – a crucial time for marketing their new social networking project. The rumours stated that Google was using their user’s personal information and invading their privacy – a problem that Facebook is quite familiar with. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Facebook actually hired a PR agency to publish these negative stories about Google in an effort to harm the company’s image and to secretly market themselves in the process. In fact, a Facebook representative actually confirmed that they did indeed hire a PR agency because they believed that Google was using Facebook’s data without their permission. Whether that is true or not, nothing should justify unethical marketing, mocking other companies and spreading false rumours.

Comparing one product to another is seen quite often on television. I’m sure most people have seen tide commercials where they compare how their product removes stains better than product “x”. This creates a positive environment for competition when it purely involves comparing. However, Facebook spreading false rumours about Google and hiring a PR company to do the “dirty work” for them, is unethical and in the end harmed Facebook’s image. Here’s another example of a commercial that compares products:

Marketing can take a dark turn when companies start getting greedy and instead of marketing how great their product is, they start marketing how bad another company’s is. Although this method can lure some consumers, when done the unethical way, the truth will always finds its way out in the open and the plan will end up backfiring.

Sources:
http://marketing.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=marketing&cdn=money&tm=42&f=20&su=p284.13.342.ip_p554.21.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&st=11&zu=http%3A//www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-12/facebook-busted-in-clumsy-smear-attempt-on-google/

Hello! My name is Rose and I am currently in my second year of University, hoping to major in Marketing or Finance. I moved to a small town in British Columbia located in Surrey from Korea when I was three years old, so moving to Vancouver last year was quite a change for me. I’ve always had an interest in fashion and graphic design. I hope to be able to get a chance to intern for a cosmetic or magazine company like L’oreal or Vogue. I am taking this course because I’ve always been interested in Marketing and I hope to learn more about the different aspects that Marketing has to offer besides advertisements. Something personal that I feel comfortable sharing with the class is that I love travelling! I hope to be able to travel the world someday and visit all the amazing places that the world has to offer.

I have had some marketing experience in the past as a marketing intern at Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) and as the marketing coordinator for CCP – Building Success. As a marketing intern at VFW, I helped gather data about high schools in order to narrow down specific areas that we should target in order to promote VFW. I also helped promote VFW around the downtown area by being on part of the “Look Book Team”. As the marketing coordinator for CCP, I design promotional posters to be put around the schools. I have had a lot of experience with designing advertisements and it is a part of marketing that I am extremely interested in.

My favorite ad is the Estee Lauder Breast Cancer awareness Illumination project where the cosmetic company Estee Lauder partnered up with different cities to light up their world known landmarks to be the color pink. Here are some of the pictures of the event:

Comm 299 has helped me gain skills in resume making, cover letter writing, interview skills, finding a job and much more. Throughout the various assignments, particularly with resumes and interviews, I was able to find out my weaknesses and strengths. The quiz we had to take called “Strength Quest” showcased strengths about myself that I never realized before such as futuristic and an achiever. While preparing for the interview, it helped me gain a better understanding of my past experiences and skills that I have developed. These activities allowed me to think back on the past and gather everything together to allow myself to figure out what skills I have learned and what experiences have helped me become who I am today.
I also learned that I am able to present myself in a professional way during interviews. I thought that I would not be able to do well on the interview assignment but I learned that because I am hardworking, I prepared well for the interview and I got a good mark that I was proud of. In conclusion, Comm 299 has taught me many things about the networking, jobs, interviews and most importantly it has helped me to be better prepared for the future.

The greatest lesson I learned from someone else was from my grandpa who at the time was suffering from cancer when I was eight years old. I didn’t understand much and I didn’t know exactly why he was sick but I knew he needed to be cared for so my cousins and I made the effort to visit him every week at the hospital. What my grandpa taught be for the few months that I visited him was how he never gave up and lost faith. Throughout the whole process, he never showed his sadness to me and it showed me how strong of a person he was. I was able to learn that even through the toughest times in your life, if you don’t lose hope, smile and stay strong, you will be able to overcome anything. He told me to always, no matter what believe in myself and become a strong successful women. To this day, I follow his advice in every hardship I go through and I thank him for giving me the inner strength and happiness that I need during the tough times in life.

Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!