Reflecting on the Four P’s

As an aspiring accountant, I went into this course with barely any idea of what Marketing was, but I exit with knowledge and principles that can be applied in my daily life. The marketing assignments were not something that I looked forward to initially, since success is largely dependent on whether you’re lucky enough to be placed in a hard-working group or not, but it turned out pretty okay in the end (and they really complemented my study routine). I learned about the importance of conducting a situation analysis, using correct STP, and strategies surrounding the four P’s have enhanced my analytical skills while causing me to apply concepts everywhere (especially when atmospherics are involved as I walk into a store like Hollister Co.).

Open communication was the best way to resolve conflicts, and I’m glad that my group was always willing to discuss ideas and opinions. I learned to stress less when parts weren’t submitted at chosen deadlines (which were much earlier than the actual deadline), because I knew that everyone in the group wanted to succeed at the end of the day, and our assignments were eventually ready to submit prior to the due date. Most importantly, I learned to compromise more than ever before, which also helped reduce stress levels (this applied to the case where our final video exceeded the time limit, but I realized that the most efficient thing to do was agree with the majority and simply accept this reality). As someone with virtually zero editing skills, I was really happy with how the video turned out, and it was truly a team effort!

I’m not sure what I would do differently next time, but I do know that I have gained a bunch of takeaways from this course. My top takeaways are the “Sales Process” (perfect for recruit season), the various examples involving “Robeez”, and the importance of market research prior to engaging in promotional activities (particularly useful for event planning). This really turned out to be hands down one of my favourite courses this year [thanks Tamar ;)].

The Feed – An Online Foodie Community

Doesn’t this make your mouth water?

I watch cooking shows whenever I can, and one of my favourite PBS shows is America’s Test Kitchen. Basically, every episode has a theme (such as potatoes) and the chefs work hard to test recipes until they’re consistently “perfect” (factoring time, complexity, and number of ingredients). Check out this video for an amazing Potato Galette recipe. They do a fantastic job of effectively simplifying recipes (via demonstrations and using substitutes such as gelatin instead of braised beef bone) so that viewers don’t need to work so hard to decode the original chef’s message.

I finally decided to check out their blog, which is appropriately named “The Feed“, and I love how user friendly it is with large buttons and a clean display. I also think that community aspect of the blog is extremely well done, because the posts add value to its users (such as through tips and tricks gathered over the years) and encourage participation.

Edible Stained Glass

Another cool aspect is called “Foodles” which are, you guessed it, food related doodles (particularly that links to an infographic about cakes). This really aligns with America’s Test Kitchen’s objectives of educating and helping cooks of all ages and skill levels in their pursuit to satisfy their foodie cravings. Most importantly, their tantalizing images do an amazing job at affecting their target market’s physiological state (I’m getting hungry as I write this post).

Mmmm… Pizza

Although there’s a lot happening on this blog, I feel that the clean layout makes it easy for users to digest (particularly the  live Twitter feed, which is something that I usually find to cause a website to become too busy). Following the AIDA Model, the television show provides awareness for the blog along with garnering interest, the tips engage users, and lead to their eventually trying out new recipes. I’m definitely bookmarking this blog!

 

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