Looking back at our project, I was extremely satisfied with what our group achieved. As we progressed from one part of the project to the other, our understanding of one and other grew and this helped us cooperate, think and work better as a team.

In retrospect, however, I would make a few changes if I had to do the project all over again. The first change that would have helped our team further would be to appoint team leader for each meetings. This would have been helpful because it would have allowed us to focus on the task at hand and not get easily distracted, leading us to use our time more effectively. The second change that would have helped us more would be to schedule meetings at better times where each member could attend the meeting and give their valuable input. This was one of the big challenges that we faced as each of the group members had such different schedules and timings that they were available to work in.

Even though there was room for improvement when it came to the efficiency of our group, I still feel, however, that this did not take away from the quality of our project. In the end, we worked great as a team and using one and other’s strengths we were able to produce a project that each member was proud of. This group project has been by best in Sauder so far because we all played an equal part in delivery its different pieces. In the end, this assignment has developed my knowledge of marketing greatly. Working in a team to reposition Blackberry was not only challenging, but also a great learning experience where outside-the-box thinking played a large role in rebranding the company’s image.

This post comments on an external blogpost by stephanietipple called              “It’s a Very Lush World Out There”

There are only a few brands in the world that that go beyond just making profits. As Stephanie cleverly put’s it, Lush is one of those few phenomenal brands that tries to bring value to its customers and the environment it works in. One of the ways in which the company is creating positive change in the world is through its charity pot. Already since its introduction in 2007, Lush has donated more than $4,000,000 to over 350 grassroots charities in 31 countries. These numbers not only portray the success of its mission, but also reinstate its commitment of supporting organizations working on environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights. Furthermore, another impressive trait about Lush that Stephanie mentions is that 100% of the product price goes directly to these charities. What’s even more inspiring is that the company donates the money first and then works back to recollect its costs. All of which, prove its vision of changing the world one charity pot at a time. Beyond the charitable aspects of Lush, the brand also makes its products using the best possible ingredients acquired through fair trade. In the end, Stephanie’s blog post gets it right: Whether you want to change the world, or just want to have soft skin, Lush’s charity pot is the perfect product that provides overwhelming value to its consumers and to society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zor8ZQf52yE

References:

Link to Stephanie’s Blog

Link to Lush’s Website: Charity Pot

Subway has found a unique way to market its products. It has started marketing its consumers. This might seem odd, but a person named Jared Fogle changed the way subway markets its brand forever. After losing 211 pounds going on a subway diet, Subway not only sponsored Jared but also endorsed his story to inspire others.By having this approach Jared Fogle presents the products offered by Subway in an authentic way. This way we feel more connected to the brand, its values and the message the company adopts in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Subway has used Jared in numerous ad campaigns including the “eat fresh, eat healthy” campaign. By doing this, Subway tries to relate to its consumers and share success stories of people who have achieved it. Subway endorses many more sport stars, and celebrities; however, in almost all advertisements these celebrities are used to complement Jared rather than the brand Subway. Therefore Subway’s marketing strategy is fresh like its products and creates sincere value for its brand and company.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWVQ_P-os8

Works Cited:

Murray, Rheana. “Subway Commercial Spokesman Jared Fogle Marks 15 Years of Turkey Subs and Keeping the Weight off.” NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

This post comments on a classmate’s blogpost by Rodrigo Rejas called

Simplicity…Apple’s key core value

In this article, Rodrigo speaks about how Apple’s marketing team is one of the best in the world. It uses its clever techniques to position itself in the market as the industry innovator. On a recent commercial highlighting the new Ipad Air, Apple uses the analogy of a pencil, a simple yet powerful tool, to portray the value of its product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9gLqh8tmPA

Gadget critics argue that since Steve Job’s death, Apple may have lost its innovative touch; however, none of this matters because of how Apple’s innovate image is still intact its consumers perspectives. Ken Segall in his book, Insanely Simple, mentions how Steve Job’s obsession with simplicity has driven its success and has created this valuable image for the company. As the commercial above compares the Ipad with a pencil, Apple demonstrates its excellence with clever advertising. It portrays how the Apple gadgets are easy-to-use like a pencil, but powerful enough to help anyone from an astronaut to a student. In the end, there is no surprise that Apple has created break through products that have changed the industry completely. However, it has maintained its dominance in the tech industry through products that stick to the principle of simplicity. Therefore, like Rodrigo concludes, it is Apple’s simplicity and usefulness that make it so appealing for the consumers to purchase its products.

References:

Link to Ken Segall’s Website

Nike offers nothing new to the market. It sells footwear, sports apparel, equipment, accessories, and so on and so forth. It is not the only company in the world that provides consumers with such commodities, yet it possesses brand power that is unrivaled by most. Why is that?

This is because Nike was never in the business of selling shoes, or any sport apparel for that matter. Nike, on the other hand, cherishes sport and appreciates great players. It goes beyond the functional needs of a product and creates value in the eyes of its consumers by respecting exceptional athletes. In its advertisements, the emphasis is given to the players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Ronaldinho more than the product itself. This clever strategy fulfills the psychological needs of every consumer. Furthermore, it attracts our attention through the consumer behavioral principles such as the Liking Principle, Authority Principle and Social Validation Principle. Therefore, there is no element of luck involved in its success. Nike’s sincere passion for sports is felt in its brand image and this is the distinguishing factor that makes each Nike product worth buying!

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

Image Citations:

Marvin. “Rhetoric and Civic Life.” : Write The Future. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

To start of with, who decides the difference between being ethical and unethical? For me at least distinguishing one from the other is not as simple as separating black from white, or visa versa. It is really about digging in the different shades of grey and then drawing a line of where the ethics depart from an advertisement.

The 21^st century has introduced an age where companies are willing to spend more time on marketing their products than on the product itself.  One such example is of Abercrombie and Fitch. The advertisement below is a typical kind of Abercrombie and Fitch ad. It sells sex, nothing more and nothing less! The ad is so distant from its product that you are begged to ask the question, “What is it that they are actually selling?’. Mike Jeffries, the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, mentioned in an interview that, “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes, and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” With these comments it is certain that Abercrombie and Fitch does not sell clothes. The company on the other hand sells what it believes to be “cool” and only to who it believes fits this image. I believe that a company does not have the right to place tags and generalizations on anyone! Therefore to me the marketing approach adopted by Abercrombie and Fitch is unethical and its advertisements literally misleading!

Works Cited:

Lutz, Ashley. “Abercrombie & Fitch Refuses To Make Clothes For Large Women.”Business Insider. N.p., 3 May 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Cirque Du Soliel will be re-visting Vancouver for the second time during the months of November and December. Running a large production such as Cirque Du Soliel and also running it in foreign countries often poses the big risk of failure. What does Cirque Du Soliel do to ensure that each of its productions are a success? With a new production lined up named Amaluna, it is Cirque Du Soliel’s suspenseful nature that allures people to watch it again. With unique productions in different countries, the mystical themes of the productions leave viewers with a sense of curiosity, an emotion that drives them to keep coming back. Other marketing methods that Cirque Du Soliel uses is to provide larger groups of people with larger discounts, and this attracts more and more people together watch this fascinating performance. More than just the dangerous stunts, it is the blend of the different themes and adrenaline filled action that attracts people to come to these performances. With a global brand value of being the best, Cirque Du Soliel does not feel the need to advertise; its present is immediately felt in the city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDeDJWpxVE

Other References and Related Websites:

Can Celikyilmaz’s Blog Presents Another Example of Marketing

All Worldwide Shows

Amaluna-Official Website

Vancouver Show Tickets!

Zappos as a firm tries to make sure that the organizational structure present at the company is at its best. It offers entrants 2000 dollars to leave, it carries out a two week course prior to employment and then makes the employees sign a contract to ensure that they are willing to be part of the Zappos community and that they understand the Core Values present at the company.

With such efforts put on improving organizational structure, does organizational structure really affect a company’s success? Learning through Google, it feels that yes, organizational culture is a key aspect to a company’s success. Google is named as the best place to work by Fortune and this title alone allows Google to attract the best employees from around the world only because of the experience that they guarantee to their employees . They have a work philosophy; a free-flowing work structure and they give their employees the freedom to innovate, making conditions perfect for growth.

Therefore learning from this trend shows how emerging companies should now not only pay their employees well, but they should also make sure that the work environment is fitting for success!

Other Blogs and References:

Rodrigo Rejas’s Blog on Google’s Organizational Structure

Google named #1 workplace

What Google Believes

Google’s Organizational Structure

In elementary school, my teacher always told me that I should always leave my workplace better than I found out. In a way, this small workplace lesson relates largely to the world we live in. With global warming continually affecting our planet, we can ask ourselves: what steps are we taking to ensure that we leave the planet better than we found it? Germany isn’t waiting for others to answer this question and has already begun a sustainable movement. Coined in 1980, “Energiewende”, or Energy Change, within two decades became Germany’s national policy.

With renewable energy such as solar panels dominating the roofs of farmlands and urban offices, 25000 wind turbines expanding throughout the countryside and a bicycle-friendly infrastructure ubiquitous throughout the nation, Germany is successfully evolving itself into a country of the future. No German is 330 yard away from a public transport and this effort made by the government to encourage all members of the society to take part in such a movement is inspirational. I believe that by taking small steps now, we have the potential to drive big change and with Germany becoming a role model to other nations with its sustainable structure; I feel it is about time that we start as well.

Bibliography and Other Blogs and References:

After have read Sir Richard Branson’s book, Like a Virgin, I received valuable insight into the world of entrepreneurship. Almost everyone in the world today can recognize the Virgin logo.  The extensive Virgin Brand boasts anything from Virgin Galactic to Virgin Connect to Virgin UK. Richard Branson has created almost all of these ventures in his recent years. For me; however, his most inspiring project has been of him when he was really young.  As a teenager, he realized that there was a strong demand for Christmas trees in the area where he lived. Observing this demand, he along with his friend bought seeds and planted them so that they could grow and sell them when the time was right. Since Richard Branson studied in a boarding school, he planted the seeds and left for school, when he arrived back, he saw that the animals had eaten up all of his trees and ended his little venture then and there. He took a risk, failed, but didn’t give up. This robust entrepreneurial personality is evident in all of his ventures today and for this reason he remains as an inspiring entrepreneur to me.

Richard Branson’s Personal Blog and Other References:

Richard’s blog

Virgin – Official Website

Bloomberg Businessweek – Virgin