Category: Uncategorized

http://justjaredjr.buzznet.com/photo-gallery/396781/taylor-swift-covergirl-ad-03/

I can’t help but continue to blog about advertisements. I think they’re a really creative yet informative way to tell consumers about their product. Not only that, they also create appeal and desire when they use celebrities to promote their products. Take makeup companies for example. Recently, CoverGirl launched their new natural makeup line and they featured Taylor Swift on their promotional campaign. I don’t usually use CoverGirl makeup, but I adore Taylor Swift, so their new product line has definitely caught my attention. The ad works really well because for their new product called “natureluxe silk foundation” they feature a really prett yet soft look of Taylor Swift and the picture gives off a very light and airy feeling. This works really well with what they’re going for seeing that they advertise their product to have a “light as air feel” and although I haven’t tried the product myself, it really gives off the image of a nice natural product. I would easily go into my local drugstore and pick this product up because of these ads.

I recently came across AdFreak’s blog where David Kiefaber brought up a picture of the new iPad 2 case. Now, this isn’t just any case that protects the iPad. It consists of gold and diamonds and is currently selling at $8 million.

http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/

When I first saw the picture, it immediately captured my attention. Not that I have an iPad, but if I did that would be a pretty sweet case. The AIDA model we learned in class definitely applies here. I was mainly attracted to the image of the case. As a result, this increased my interest in wanting to get an iPad. Of course, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on a case but it increased my desire to want to get an iPad for sure. In terms of action though, I’m not sure if I would actually go out to buy an iPad just because I already have an iTouch and I feel like that it’s just a bigger version of it and uneccessary for everyday use. So I think that  my money would be better spent elsewhere.

In comm 299, I learned how to write up a really good cover letter and resume. One of the most important things I learned about a resume is to use CAR statements. I found that they are very useful and effective in capturing the reader’s attention and that it really improves on the job description. Personally, I’ve never written a cover letter before and I learned that it is really important to let your employer know a little bit about yourself and that it really adds to your resume. Not only is a cover letter useful in letting employers know who you are, it also shows them what kind of relevant skills you have that work with that company you’re applying for. Having a really well written cover letter and resume will definitely set you apart from other applicants and land you a next step which would be an interview. Besides the cover letter and interview, I found most valuable from this course is how to present yourself in an interview. The one on one interview with a stranger really helped me realize my strengths and weaknesses and from that I can improve and do better in future interviews. Overall, the things I learned in comm 299 are all really relevant to real life situations. When I actually search for my job I feel that I will be much more prepared to actually go through with the real deal.

http://technmarketing.com/cellphone/5-lessons-businesses-can-learn-from-app-developers/

Whenever we see the bullseye logo we automatically think of Target. This proves how strong and consistent their promotions are and that their brand is drilled into the consumers’     minds. After learning about promotion these few classes, I realized that Target uses a combination of the promotional mix. They definitely have lots of advtertising whether they are magazine ads, tv ads, or through product placement. There are also many ads uploaded on Youtube for internet users. My favourite ads were actually the ones shown in class that were aired during the golden globes. Especially the one that was more like an optical illusion because it really captures my attention. Their theme of red and white is so consistent throughout the ad that it really gets stuck in my mind.

Another interesting thing I learned today was about co-branding. Target does a lot of this and they are usually quite successful. Target co-brands with many high end designers to offer consumers more affordable clothing while staying on trend. Some of the high end designers they collaborated with include: Issac Mizrahi, Liz Lange, Tracy Feith, and Angie and Lola. I think this is a very smart way to reach out to more consumers because while people may really like high end designers, they may not be able to afford the high price that comes along with it. So what target does is offer high end products at a lower price for consumers of all income levels. This way, they end up capturing more of the market share. Here’s a product that Target and Isaac Mizrahi came up with:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/07/0710_cobranded/15.htm

After hearing about the news that Target is coming to Canada I just can’t wait! I love shopping there and hope they come to Richmond real soon.

My mom always tells me that nothing is impossible, unless you don’t try. It’s been proven many times that to her, anything is possible because she always finds a way to try, try and try again. I find that so amazing and I always try to live by that. Of course, there will be times when I just want to give up or not try at all. When I lose something and can’t find it I usually just look for 2 seconds and ask my mom whether she’s seen it. After she goes through looking for it, she actually finds it because she actually tries to look. Whenever I feel like I want to give up I just think of my mom and how strong she is and push myself to go forward.

So recently, I’ve been struggling with Sauder and the ridiculous course load and the number one thing keeping me alive from it is my mom’s strong positive attitude towards life. There’s many times where I just wanted to give up or thought that accounting was impossible. But turns out that as long as I kept trying, it would be possible. I’m really glad that I have my mom as a role model to keep me going. So my greatest lesson learned from my mom is that nothing is impossible, unless you don’t try at all.

Today, in class we talked about some retail strategies and one of the strategies that caught my attention was online retail. There is a rapid trend towards online shopping and most companies have hopped on board with this trend by having their products available for sale online. This has become such a huge trend due to the fact that people are having less time to physically go out and shop. And the malls close quite early so by offering shoppers the online experience, people can shop whenever, wherever, and however they like. From time to time, I would shop online too and it’s become such a fun experience. I usually like to go onto www.asos.com which is a UK based website where they offer the most up to date fashions. Recently, I stumbled across their Fashion Finder section where you can view the different trends that are going on, create outfits, and upload looks. When you create outfits, you’re browsing through countless items from tops to accessories to makeup. If you see something you like, you can click on the item and it’ll take you directly to a website where you can purchase it. Not only is this fun, if you’re into fashion, but you can actually buy the items that you’re playing around with! So I doodled around and created this outfit that I thought I’d share:

As simple as it looks, I actually spent quite some time browsing through a lot of the products on the website, so I definitely think that online retailing is the way to go. It’s definitely very convenient, exciting, and enjoyable.

http://www.vivawoman.net/2010/10/04/guest-review-evolution-of-smooth-lip-balm/

After learning about packaging in marketing class, I realized how influential it can be on consumers. I’m definitely a sucker for pretty, bright, colourful packaging. Anything eye catching and I’ll take a couple more glances and eventually even decide to buy the product! Just like the evolution of smooth (eos) lip balms I stumbled across. I discovered them at a Walgreens in Chicago and I’ve been using this lip balm ever since. The packaging is shaped in a smooth sphere (so different from the other lip balms i’ve used!), along with really eye catching colours to go with each flavour there is. I bought the pink – summer fruit and light green – honeysuckle honeydew because they both looked just as appealing. The information they provided on the package was very relevant and useful. It claims to be 95% organic and 100% natural, with shea butter and vitamin E, keeping your lips moist, soft, and super smooth. I have to say that their claims have proven to be very true. This is definitely the most longest lasting moisturizing lip balm that keeps my lips smooth even during the harsh cold winters. The flavours are great, not too strong and quite yummy tasting. Best of all, it comes in such a fun packaging so it no longer feels like a chore to put on lip balm. I used to always be too lazy or forget to put on lip balm but now applying eos on my lips is a daily routine habit that I don’t even think about.

http://www.stylehive.com/blog/hot-in-the-hive-eos-lip-balm-spheres

I have yet to see these sell in Canadian drugstores, but I searched on the website and found out that they sell it at RW&Co. stores. So for those who haven’t tried this amazingly smooth lip balm in a fun package, go and check it out 🙂

http://www.beautysnob.com/2010/10/eos_anti-bacterial_tangerine_l.html

I recently came across Cheryl Chan’s blog where she talked about sampling and how it really impacts consumer’s behaviour. But unlike Cheryl, where she gave out samples to persuade people to buy the product she was selling, I was the consumer getting the sample and being persuaded. I definitely agree that sampling is a very powerful marketing tool. I remember clearly when it was my first year at UBC, right after forking out tons of money for those text books, there were people outside the bookstore handing out free samples. Turns out, they were giving out a whole box of Fibre Plus granola bars. I saw the word “fibre” and “plus” together and was immediately turned off and even skeptical to try. But since it was free, I thought: why not? I can’t believe how wrong I was by the name of this product! I actually found it really good and have been hooked on ever since. I would say I’ve become a loyal customer to these granola bars because they’re so tasty and supposedly to be healthy and good for you too. Now, I’m not sure how healthy these bars actually are, but I’m sure they’re better than the other ones since it has more fibre in it. Recently, I went  to a Wal-mart in the States and saw these new versions of the Fibre Plus bars. I saw them and couldn’t resist! I got a couple of packs and can’t wait to try them! They’re supposed to have more fibre in them with added antioxidants that are good for you. Again, I’m not sure how these bars are different from the old ones but just their slight change in packaging made me compelled to buy it. Here’s a picture of the old and the new packaging:

So I was craving for some asian snacks and decided to go to this place called Kuo Hua in Richmond. I love going there because they have a huge selection of snack foods made in Taiwan. Their products have really vibrant and colourful packaging which automatically catches my attention. I realized that they use this strategic way to price their products. So when you buy more, you save more. For a bag of chips, they charge $2.50 but if you buy 2, it’s $4. So obviously it’s a better deal to buy 2 and pay $4. This way they make more profit by making consumers spend more.

They seem to segment demographically into family stage and suburban communities with a large asian population. They target suburban families living in Richmond because there is a large asian population and a high demand for asian products. Their positioning statement could go something like: For asian families, Kuo Hua is a supermarket which provides cheap products and a convenient location unlike Rice World which provides products in an unorganized environment. Kuo Hua is unique in that all their products are shipped from Taiwan. But I do think they have several direct competitors like Big Crazy or Rice World. Both stores offer asian snack foods, produce and even household items. It’s definitely a great one stop shop for asian households that lead a busy lifestyle.

Relationship based marketing goes beyond intrusive advertising and sales promotional messages. It relies heavily on developing long term relationships with customers to understand their needs in order to fulfill them. For companies to succeed, it is essential for them to focus on this concept. After reading Karen Li blogging about airline companies, I realized that they rely heavily on relationship based marketing to capture their part of the market share. I feel that West Jet especially uses this approach by offering frequent flier programs, elite membership perks, airport VIP lounge areas, and first class upgrades.  The frequent flier programs helps the company track down who the big spenders on travel tickets are. By doing so, they know which consumers are the business travellers that don’t care about price and the leisure travellers who do care. This allows them to target both their consumers in different ways in order to satisfy both of them. Their marketing strategy of providing customer excellence is proven from their efforts to ensure customers to have the best experience while they’re travelling. So, we’ve learned that relationship is key when dealing with customers and it’s the best way to turn them from new customers, to become loyal to the company, and eventually to turn them into an advocate for the company as well. Word of mouth is the best free advertising if customers spread good things about a company. If customer satisfaction is achieved, it is guaranteed that they will spread the word about their pleasant experiences. However, word of mouth can definitely hurt a company if a customer experiences one bad experience with the company. Therefore, it is essential for a company to develop good, positive relationships with their consumers.