It isn’t often that you come across a class that you get the opportunity to see the application of the theory that you learn in practice.  The course project from Comm 296 gave that chance, following a company from a situational analysis, to segmenting, targeting and positioning and finally to making recommendations based on the company’s current marketing mix.  Working in a team environment is always a struggle, between actually coming up with an actionable idea, dividing the work content and somehow integrating 5 different people’s writing styles and perspectives into a singular, holistic product, but this project was effective in demonstrating how a real marketing team would operate in the industry.  For me, my largest takeaway from this marketing course was the disconnect that exists between a company’s product or service and advertisements that we see in day to day life; so much more is put into developing a marketing plan than coming up with a creative and engaging way to promote the product.  The frameworks that I learned throughout this course solidify a step-by-step approach of how to develop a company’s marketing, and learning what I did I find myself criticizing advertisements and PR strategies that companies have employed that aren’t congruent with their target market, or don’t engage their consumers with the benefits their product offers.  This critical eye is something I believe to be of the upmost importance in business, especially when industries are becoming increasingly competitive and brand awareness is crucial, so knowing how to capitalize on your competitor’s mistakes could be the key to success for many businesses.  In the broadest sense, Comm 296 has shown me how true it is that “Business has only two functions – marketing and innovation.” (Milan Kundera)

Ranked as the most watched On-Demand movie of all time, there’s a good chance that the majority of people that drink beer have seen The Hangover.  This crossover in audiences was brought to my attention by Adland’s recent blog post about a Miller Lite commercial, during which comedian and actor Ken Jeong is identified as “that guy from that thing”.  Since the beer industry is in the maturity stage of its life cycle – especially for well-established brands like Miller – this commercial can be seen as reminder advertising, reminding consumers that Miller Lite makes your life feel like Ken Jeong is a part of your posse.  Largely capitalizing on celebrity identification, Miller Lite was able to tie the largely male dominated market for beer to a movie that similarly caters to males aged 18-24, a smart advertising move to remind consumers that the product is relevant to the target audience.  Given that Miller Lite has already established the functional aspects of their product offering, they are relying on the emotional appeal of humor to further develop the bond that consumers experience with Miller Lite beer.  More so, the Ken Jeong commercial ties right back into the longstanding campaign of “Miller Time”, which taglines “‘Miller Time’ is a simple equation. It’s guys who are great friends getting together and having a great beer, which happens to be Miller Lite.”  This shows Miller Lite’s ability to maintain the effective components of the marketing mix that they are currently operating with, while integrating a novelty that adds relatability and comedy to their advertising.  And really, who doesn’t want to see Ken Jeong dressed up in a sombrero and a fake moustache mentioning, “Sorry I’m late, I came straight from work.”