Monthly Archives: November 2013

11/29/13

Fun Times: Toyota Team Project

Working as a team was a lot of work, but with the right group of people work became fun. We share our ideas and knowledge. We learn from each other’s interpretation of marketing and put forth the best marketing strategy for Toyota.

We had a few late nights together over the past few months working on our project. A few miscommunications. A few schedule conflicts. With the right team members and the right attitude, these things were just minor details that we were able to work through together. Thank God for Google Doc!

Our final video project took place during such a busy time in our semester. It was quite challenging trying to find a day that the six of us could be together to film. We made it work! And in a way, the time that we spent working on this video project together was like a nice break from other school work.

The idea of filming a skit came about when the six of us had a brainstorming session during our meeting after class. I was very exciting when we were working on our script and the idea of incorporating Friends came into the picture. Who wouldn’t be excited! Friends is awesome!

After putting all the parts that we filmed together on iMovie, it was really cool to get to see how all the pieces fit together so nicely into a short video clip. It created a sense of accomplishment to see that after multiple rounds of editing, rehearsing, and filming, we were able to create a funny, little clip that tells a story about Toyota’s new marketing strategy: targeting the new graduates.

I learn a lot from this project. I learn that iMovie is a pretty cool tool to make a homemade movie. And I also learn that it might have been better to use Premiere for editing instead! Last but not least, I learn what it’s like to have such a great team to work with. Thanks for being awesome, girls!

 

11/19/13

Mobile Game App: A Fun Way to Make Happy Customers

Who would have thought? A business that mixes French fries with a mobile game app!

Selling French Fries with a Mobile App is entirely possible thanks to Scott Nelowet, the founder of French Fry Heaven. A business idea that stemmed from his trip to Europe. Now a two-million franchise business,  a brilliant mobile app that contribute to the growth.

I think that a mobile game app is such a great promotion tool to use in the current customer culture. It appears that French Fry Heaven target market is the younger generation. Scott Nelowet recognized the importance of brand’s online presence for his customers. He understood that customers in the younger generation spend more time online and using their phones.

Customers can download French Fry Heaven Game app online for free! It’s a fun way for customers to interact and familiarize with the 50 flavours on the menu. Besides keeping themselves entertained, customers can earn freebies such as t-shirts and fries. Furthermore, French Fry Heaven webpage looks fun and definitely kid friendly, which is inviting to the customers.

I think mobile gaming app allows customers to be reminded of the product constantly without being annoyed because they voluntarily choose to use the app. In this sense, customers would have a positive association with the promotion and would encourage the customers to go visit the store.

And through a regular exposure of the logo and cute characters in the game, French Fry Heaven would appear to be a friendly figure in the food industry to the customers. An overall positive attitude would occur among the app users even before they go into the store to get their fries. Happy customers would make them a long term customers. Happy customers spread positive words about the product and the business. Consequently, French Fry Heaven is able to thrive and expand its business to 81 stores by the end of this year!

11/8/13

Social Media For the Win

source: www.squeezein.com

Checking In on a Diner That Understands Social Media  is a blog entry on the New York Times marketing blog that discuses about a restaurant called Squeeze In that uses social media to build a relationship with its customers. Squeeze In uses social media such as Pinterest, Instragram, Foodspotting, Foursquare, and Google+, which ultimately helps the business to grow and expand into four locations and franchising.

Understanding the customers is one of the most important thing in Marketing. Squeeze In has done just that. It understood the change in its customers’ culture, which differed from when the restaurant first started in 1974. Now customers  shifted their interactions from face-to-face to social media. Squeeze In recognized the opportunity to increase interact and building a relationship with its customers after noticing the increase in traffic of its video clip on YouTube.

After watching this video, Omma Lette, talking about how they cook their omelettes, using grade A eggs, and the atmosphere at the restaurant, it makes me want to go try their food!

I think using Social Media to build a relationship with customers is one of the most important tools that a business owner can use. Social Media such as YouTube allows business owners to relate to their customers’ culture while they can also use this as a channel to promote the quality of their product. Video such as “Omma Lette” is fun and at the same time letting the customers know that if they come to eat at Squeeze In the customers will get quality food.  Furthermore, Squeeze In has Facebook and Twitter account for each of its location, which allow the local customers to communicate directly to their favourite restaurant and tell the restaurant owner exactly how they like or don’t like their experience at the restaurant. This ultimately gives Squeeze In valuable information about the customers preference and consumption pattern, which allows the business operator to maximize customers’ willingness to pay.

“Best Omelettes on the Planet!” Now, who can resist that!