I’ve found it quite enjoyable working on the marketing project with my group this past semester.

In terms of marketing, I learned that a lot of thought has to go into all aspects of the product/service before you can start saying “you should buy my product!” which is the part of marketing that everyone is most familiar with. It makes sense, too, as all those steps you take with making decisions for each P in the marketing mix helps you maximize your sales/profits and makes your product as successful as it can be.

This is probably the first assigned group that I have been in where there were no real conflicts and everyone got along with each other.  I’m really happy about that 🙂 Because of this, I got to experience how well a group can work together and also had the opportunity to develop and enhance my teamwork abilities.

We began working on the first assignment quite late; that would probably be the one thing I would hope to do differently next time. Communication was not a big issue in our group, however on the day that we scheduled to meet to film our video project, we did not manage to meet at the scheduled time. Myself and Michael thought the meeting was at 10am and so arrived at the filming location at 10am; somehow Philip thought the meeting time was different and arrived at 11am. Alex had misread the scheduling and arrived at 12pm (this was probably because Jennifer had notified us she would arrive at 12 instead of 10). I’m still not sure if we had postponed the meeting to 11am but in any case, I would ensure that next time meeting dates and times were clear!

My group members have been fantastic and have set a new standard for my thoughts of an ideal group; I am very proud to have worked with them!

Just as Derek had noticed in his post regarding this Starbucks ad, this sounds much like the positioning statements which we had learned in class. That is what makes me remember this ad.

But for those who didn’t take COMM296, they’ll probably just remember it for being straightforward and to the point: If you don’t like Starbucks, you’ll like it now. Also, since Starbucks doesn’t roll out that many advertisements, it’ll be remembered because it is rare.

So what is this “Blonde Roast”?  Is it named as such because they’ve found the majority of Canadians to be blonde, or… what? (haha) What is unique about this roast that Canadians will like? This ad is not that informative except to say “We’ve got a new blend out”!

How is this coffee different from all of Starbucks’ current blends (which you supposedly don’t like)?

Don’t you have this question in your mind?

Consumers, now curious about this “Blonde Roast”, are compelled to do some research about this product… It turns out that the Starbucks Blonde Roast is a “subtle and soft [coffee] with mellow acidity”. It “deliver[s] an approachable and flavourful cup with slight hints of roast”. It is targeted at Canadians because apparently “[m]ore and more Canadians are enjoying [coffee with a] mellower, easy drinking taste”. One thing I’m curious about is if this roast is available in America and other countries.

Starbucks’ locational excellence promotes the company by itself without further need for advertising.  Though this ad is promoting a new product, it also serves as a reminder to non-regular customers that Starbucks has coffee available for them and even a new roast to try.  As well, this ad is effective because while customers may choose to purchase other products along with their blonde coffee during their visit to Starbucks.

After reading this article which I had found on Digital Buzz Blog, I was quite amused but at the same time very impressed with the featured company’s promotion strategy.

Though I’m sure it’s not only Singaporeans who are shy when it comes to introducing themselves to new people, taking advantage of this “fear”, Harry’s Bar (located in Singapore) has managed to increase their sales by aiding their customers in this nerve-wracking process. They created an easy to use QR code app which enables the customers in the bar to anonymously chat “one on one” with each other … but they have to buy a couple of drinks first! There is a video on the website better explaining how the whole promotion works but for easier access I’ll post it for you here as well!

http://youtu.be/Dj_OC00qgUQ

This promotion is effective because it benefits both parties: customers do not have to worry themselves about how to begin chatting up a stranger (plus gals will get a free drink without having to awkwardly evaluate their suitor!) and Harry’s bar manages to save lost sales due to declined offers to be bought a drink or even a few steps before that in the case where someone decides against introducing themselves at all.  Not only that, Harry’s bar has probably increased the number of  loyal and return customers because of this service!

Ultimately, the bar’s promotion resulted in double the sales! Impressive!

 

To celebrate Gucci’s 90th anniversary and 150 years of Italian unification, Fiat and Gucci worked together to design the luxurious “500 by Gucci”. The car is available in two colours: black and white.  Both the exterior and interior of the Fiat 500 are decorated with Gucci’s signature interlocking “GG” logo and its world renowned green-red-green banner.

Take a look inside! (The seatbelts are my favourite part :D)

Though its all decked out in Gucci, it’s priced just under $25,000.

So now that you’ve found out this car costs less than you expected, maybe you can use that extra money to buy a hat to match your new car… or a bag? Gucci produced a special collection of merchandise to compliment the car.

This car conveys the image of luxury much differently than other luxury cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis do (not to mention that its also available at less than half the price). Personally, I think this car is quite unique! Though they do produce clothing and jewelry and other items, I really only see Gucci as a handbag and wallet brand because that is what they’re most well known for.

Now it’s one thing to have a bag that matches your outfit…

but how many people can say their bag matches their car? 😛

The brand loyalty in the owners/drivers of Gucci Fiats must be incredibly strong. I don’t think this car would be any consumer’s first Gucci purchase so I really believe that it takes a lot of dedication and love of the brand to own a car of the same brand as your bag or wallet. It’s easy to get bored of a design but luckily it isn’t too costly to go out and buy a new bag or new wallet if you happen to change your mind for whatever reason.  However if you get bored of seeing so much red and green in your car, it’s going to cost a lot more to get a replacement.

The Gucci Fiat really screams “LOOK AT ME, I’M COVERED IN GUCCI”! Its design commands attention out on the roads! Just like when you see a luxury sports car, people stop and stare at a Gucci Fiat for a little while, too!

Overall this car is quite the interesting piece and though I adore Gucci, I’d never buy this for myself.

(as if I had the money to… hahahaha)

Singapore’s weather can be described as HOT and HUMID all year round.
So how can it snow there?  The answer is………

It actually doesn’t 😛

However, Singapore has their own “snow” found no where else in the world:

Wendy Cheng, better known as “Xiaxue” (which means “snowing” in Chinese) is one of Singapore’s most popular bloggers. She blogs about a variety of topics ranging from updates in her life and her latest fashion interests to rants on just about anything. Her Facebook fan page has over 133,000 followers and she claims her main blog attracts 40,000 viewers daily. Besides those, Xiaxue also posts updates on her YouTube, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts.
You can be sure that anything this woman has to say will not go unheard!

Singaporean companies and brands have used Xiaxue’s reach and influence to their advantage: they sponsor her products and services, and in return she posts her reviews on them (along with more than a few photos of herself) on her blog for her followers to read. And in case reading the review wasn’t enough to compel a reader to try the product or service, companies occasionally offer a discount to her readers if they mention they were referred by Xiaxue’s blog.

The majority of these reviews are on make-up and cosmetic products and services… but because Xiaxue has SO many fans and followers, all the Singaporean companies want in! They want to be mentioned! Some of the things she has been sponsored are quite surprising:  her trip to Hong Kong Disneyland was sponsored; when she moved to a new flat, everything from tiles to doors to appliances… ALL SPONSORED! Even her wedding was sponsored as well!
Personally, I don’t believe that her fan base is that diverse? I don’t see much benefit coming out of sponsoring a move in exchange for a mention to an audience who usually reads about fashion and makeup.

In 2011, Casio introduced a new camera: the EX-TR100 also known as the Tryx.  Initially priced at $250 USD, Casio supplied this camera worldwide and promoted it on its flexible design.

In case you haven’t heard of the Tryx before, watch Casio’s promotional video below to get to know more about the camera!

There was a particularly high demand in Asia for this camera due to the social culture of the area. Girls in Asia enjoy taking pictures of themselves and posting them online for their friends to see. With a large rotating screen and a skin beautifying function, word quickly spread that the TR100 was the camera for self shots. Social influences put this camera in extremely high demand; having this camera gave you a popular status and once Casio announced the discontinuation of the TR100, prices of the camera in the second-hand market spiked to over double the retail price.

However the camera didn’t do so well in the American market, requiring several price reductions before all stock was cleared after discontinuation of the model. The culture in America is much more different than in Asia. Americans who have posted reviews on the Tryx have criticized this camera on its short battery life, lack of flash and optical zoom, and fragile design whereas reviewers in Asia praised the camera’s slim design as well as its rotatable screen and beautifying functions.  It is clear now that these two countries value different things when it comes to their cameras: Asians value those that can take photos which they’ll look good in and Americans value those that are long lasting, sturdy, and can produce high quality photographs.

Casio learned from this and when they launched the second model in 2012, the TR150, they limited their supply to Asia and Europe and began promoting it as a self-portrait camera.

Though it is understood by most that smoking is detrimental to one’s health, it seems that the tobacco market is continually welcoming in new and young consumers.

In China and other parts of Asia, some tobacco companies are producing a number of different styles of cigarettes to market to the younger crowd. There are now cigarettes available that are coloured, have a variety of flavours, and more visually appealing;  all of which are features used to attract these young consumers and distract them from any of the health warnings they may see. A good example would be these new products which are marketed towards girls:

And these are what regular cigarettes look like:

You have to admit those first three are a lot more appealing – even if they are cigarettes.

Clearly, the tobacco industries’ main goal is to continue making money… And by marketing to the “young and foolish”, they are easily able to turn them into long term customers.
But whether they choose to market these products towards the female, male, younger, or the older consumer market, it is still a product which has a negative effect on the consumer which makes this a serious ethical issue.