I think it’s safe to say that I quite enjoyed working with my Marketing group. Our group meetings and overall group dynamic resembled this model very closely:

Individually, each member offered a very different and varied skill set with particular emphasis on the Varsity Rowing Team, Accounting Club, and UBC Sororities. Oddly enough, whenever our group was together we created the most wonderful… magical… working environment. We found ourselves slacking off together, turning our Google document into a community ‘lawl’ board, spent way too much time together- seeing everyone for 3 consecutive days in a row, and all got used to each other’s crazy antics (Harpal living up to his Surrey roots, Kellyanne refusing to wake up before noon, Jaime singing Price Tag, Julia taking pictures of herself and Tiffany making odd noises). We were always able to agree, never throwing fits at each other and completely comfortable with sharing our ideas. Thank you Group 4 for being one of the most enjoyable groups to work with, and some of the best people out there. Ya beauts.

As for Comm 296…

I don’t think I can say enough positive things about the Intro to Marketing Course. As a transfer student from the Arts Faculty, I was desperately looking for my calling, my highly qualitative and creative calling and I think that I’ve found it in Marketing. Tamar has taught me some pretty invaluable things and alongside her industry experience and passion as an instructor, I’ve thoroughly my time spent in this course.

Everything I’ve learned in this course and working with my group can be summarized very succinctly by way of this gif:

Occasionally (all the days) I find my way onto Youtube, updating my subscriptions, checking my subscription activity, clicking through the videos I have to watch, and revisiting my favourite videos.  When I do this, and particularly when I watch ‘Beauty Guru’ videos- whether it has to do with makeup tutorials, monthly favourites, or collective ‘haul’s’ I notice that a portion of the video is regularly sponsored, be it direct or indirect. Indirect sponsorship can be seen in how cosmetic companies will send Youtuber’s their products, in hopes that they will review them-supposedly based on their own opinion- and perhaps even feature them in a video or blog post. Direct sponsorship is noticed when a company pays for the feature in a Youtube beauty video (ahem, product placement) and often the Youtuber will happily accept this offer and claim the purchase of the item(s) as their own and all reviews are 100% true.

This really goes to show the changing market environment and promotional tools used for cosmetic items and really, consumer goods in general. With the technological advancements that we’ve experienced in the past two decades, the trend of a time-poor society who don’t really have the time to spend an entire day at the department store, as well as the general shift to a greater reliance and enjoyment of technology, brands are faced with entirely new outlets of promotion.

By way of an outlet such as Youtube, brands have been successful in associating themselves with the popular and loved, very closely resembling a celebrity endorsement without the high price tag or risk involved in doing so. Taken even further, companies have been know to co-brand with Youtuber’s, evident in the Elle and Blair Fowler line of phone cases available for purchase at Cellaris.

Feel free to check out this video in which this particular Youtuber was sent an entire box of 16 items and further went to the extent of featuring the company mentioned in her ‘Drop Box’ below. While this may be a great PR stint and I applaud her and the company’s efforts, I do miss the days where we could drool over “real” video hauls and reviews.

This week on AdFreak, Sauza Tequila and Kraft Salad Dressing get into a little bit of a cafuffle. As the article (http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/did-kraft-swipe-sauza-tequilas-schtick-and-its-spokesman-148386) mentions, days before Sauza Tequila’s big 2013 ad reveal they saw their spokesmen acting in a very familiar manner for Kraft’s Zesty Salad Dressing.

If anyone’s unaware of the ever popular Sauza Tequila advertisement featuring “Make It With a Fireman,” just think back to when OldSpice came out with their first ads featuring Isaiah Mustafa (here I shamelessly plug in a picture of Mustafa). A little bit suggestive, a lotta bit half dressed, and hints of I-will-be-appearing-in-your-dreams-tonight. In his Kraft ad, male pin-up Anderson Davis (even his name is suggestive) talks suggestively to the camera as he prepares a salad… (here I shamelessly plug in a picture of Davis) 

which is really surprising considering he did the same thing for Sauza just with margaritas instead. So, did Kraft ‘swipe’ Sauza’s feature and what does this mean for their advertisements and subsequent sales?

To begin, it is very important to note that these two goods, respectively target very different segments to which they position themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum. Kraft, suggests a healthier lifestyle for individuals looking towards finding a particular zest (haha get it, Kraft Zesty Salad Dressing. No?) in their regular salads. The brand and product also suggest a more family-oriented lifestyle, and as such assume that their product will be purchased by the following individuals. Sauza on the other hand is looking for a young, energetic, vibrant and perhaps single individual simply looking towards enjoyment, fun, and perhaps even drunken debauchery. Through Davis, Sauza confirms that this is what their brand enforces (minus drunken debauchery) and aim to reenforce their market position. Through and through, I see no problem in airing the ads at the same time.

In his article, Tim Nudd mentions that neither company is particularly concerned with the similarity between the ads and I think I have to agree to that.

Chipotle

Chi-pot-le (as per Urban Dictionary’s first result):

A heavenly food experience involving burritos, tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, etc… Can ease stress of bad days, and also cause extreme indigestion. But that is alright. Because Chipotle, you are worth it. Student ID = free drink. If I had to choose between you and Chipotle, I would choose Chipotle.

Do you remember your first Chipotle experience, because I certainly do. 15 years old and at the Bellevue location- certainly analogous to a trip to Disney land. I assure you that this post is not solely dedicated to Chipotle, as enjoyable as that would be. It does however, pertain to the very recent and notably aggressive expansion of American based companies into the True North, strong and free.

Chipotle done good.

With the recent grand opening of Western Canada’s first Marshall’s- a hoarders paradise- as well as the proposed opening(s) of Seattle based retailer Nordstrom, female fun-times clothing retailer Victoria Secret, and sneaky little 5 Guys Burgers, we are once again reminded of the influence that our southern brothers have on us, as well as our consumption patterns. And who can forget our forfeit (basically religious sacrifice) of the beloved Zeller’s Chain in return for Target (actually pronounced Tarjay).

I look forward to how these American retailers and restauranteurs will market themselves in Canada. We are familiar with their brands thanks to weekend trips to Seattle, but will they assume we patronize them for similar reasons? How will their marketing and product mix change in response to their new target markets and environment (or will it remain the same)? I know that often when I drive down to Seattle, my shopping mentality is a little bit questionable in that I tend towards the lunatic-deprived type. I may even be in the overnight line-up when the Oakridge Centre Target opens. Will the opening of say, Target in Canada allow for a new and very much different approach that consumers take onto shopping? Only time will tell!

As a side note, I visited Marshall’s on opening day and it went a little like this: 

I would like to be buried there one day.

I’ve spent many a night trying to figure out how to include a web-link hidden behind a little click-me thing (don’t lie you definitely know what I’m talking about. The little underlined things. God I’m losing my mind.) Call me technologically impaired, I don’t mind.

Regardless of how well I can do the above, I am armed with a url and therefore prepared to use it. Behold: https://blogs.ubc.ca/amandajlai/2013/03/18/bic-for-her/. That just happened.

I really don’t know where to start with this one. I guess the only appropriate thing to say (ask) right now is- Why? I want to understand the logic that resulted to this … magnificent, godly, revolutionary product. More importantly, how did Bic even come to terms with developing the pens? I can see that there certainly were good intentions behind the product- maybe Bic pens weren’t cushiony enough for the delicate fingers or women, or perhaps the available colours weren’t fulfilling the needs of the 18-49 professional, or studious female target segment (what did I just say?).

Female customer needs are a-changing and Bic (Pens) For Her are at the forefront of this change! Or maybe the market for pens was just so saturated that the creative team at Bic thought- Hey, you know what would be a great idea, these pens. I’d really enjoy looking at the R+D, concept testing, product development and design, as well as prototypes for these pens. It would probably make my year.

Whatever the reason behind Bic For Her, I’d love to see where these pens will go and perhaps more importantly, if they’ll seamlessly be adopted by the female population. Moreover, I’d also like to point out how Ellen brought much of the attention towards Bic For Her. Though her intentions were primarily comedic, it really goes to show the effect a well celebrated celebrity has on consumer behaviour.

We’ve often heard the saying that beauty is only skin deep. Exactly how much truth still exists behind this statement however, is certainly questionable. After all, the multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry does sit upon a throne of crushed dreams and broken promises.

I know that may sound rather daunting, and please don’t get me wrong- I solemnly swear that I am up to no good (50 points to Gryffindor for whoever can recognize where that’s from!). Similar to the rest of the 18-35 year old female cohort, I too am consumed by the idea of a flawless face and generally dewy complexion. Pore-less skin, the perfectly arched brow, and supple lips often top my list of New Years Resolutions (how lame, cool am I?) and yet year and year again, I find myself returning to the same list. Exactly what is wrong here?

It’s those d*mn adverts! Every year, someone opens the flood gates and sends in the newest beauty trend, complete with a celebrity endorsement and adverts of her (or his) ‘flawless’ skin. And this is exactly what I have a problem with. Is it evident now, as to why my earlier words for the cosmetic industry were so harsh? The word flawless appears in quotation marks for the fact that the model, or celebrity usually plastered on the adverts does not in fact have flawless skin. By way of computer technology, beauty and cosmetics advertisements are enhanced and digitally retouched, thus creating an image of skin unrealistically smooth and of unrealistic properties. It’s so much more than disappointing a consumer- false advertising correlates with ethics within the marketplace. Can a company really stand behind a product and market its benefits when in fact… most all of the products benefits are in doubt?

False advertising within the industry, has regrettably fogged the perception of beauty goers, like you and me. It’s difficult to say what the industry and those involved can do about this situation, as wrinkles will always appear, teenagers will always be plagued by ever present acne, and demand will always consequent in supply.

There’s only so many intelligent things I can say about this issue whilst avoiding turning this post into a continuous ramble. This is an area of marketing that genuinely bothers me and it’s sad to say that it obviously pertains to more industry’s than just beauty and cosmetics. Even within beauty and cosmetics, what about the ‘organic’ movement? For more information on false advertising within the cosmetics industry and some interesting arguments, are two websites I found (and also based this post off of) while surfing the interwebs:

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2011/09/cosmetic_claims.html

2. http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/162/73601.html

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