Wei-Ting Leong's Blog

Voici le site: http://www.lexpress.mu/story/43098-le-coup-de-tete-de-zidane-en-sculpture-geante-devant-le-centre-pompidou.html

Le site que j’ai visite est un site de nouvelles françaises.  En France le sport le plus populaire est le football.  L’équipe national du France a gagne le FIFA coup du monde en 1998. Un des joueurs le plus célèbre de France est Zinedine Zidane.  Il est célèbre a cause de l’incident de la coupe de tete contre Marco Materazzi.  Cet incident est maintenu une sculpture géante devant le Centre Pompidou en Paris, France.  Je trouve que ce “sculpture” est humoristique mais dans l’article du site il y a des gens qui expresses leurs concernes.

5 mots ou expressions: 
“Coup de tete” – l’incident sommet du carrière de Zidane
“Ode a la défaite” – cet expression est vise aux sculpture
“Écopé d’un carton rouge” –  est un expression quand un équipe est pénaliser pour leurs fautes.
“Emporté aux tirs au but” – sa veut dires que l’équipe a gagne a cause des penalties de l’autre équipe
“Plasticien” – un synonyme de “plastique”

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Voici le site: http://www.chanel.com/fr_FR/

Le site que j’ai visitée était sur la mode spécifiquement, la nouvelle campagne de Chanel numéro 5. La première page du site se présenter en forme de vidéo de l’histoire de Marilyn Monroe et son amour de la parfume Chanel numéro 5. J’ai aimé beaucoup l’utilisation des photos intimes blanc et noir de Marilyn de 1957. La campagne est basée sur la citation célèbre que Marilyn a dit:
“Que portez-vous pour dormir? Just quelques gout de numéro 5”.

5 mots ou expressions:
“Cliché” – se mot n’est pas utiliser dans la meme sense qu’on utilize souvent en anglais. “Cliché” dans se context veut dire “photo”.
“Entre dans la legende” – cet expression ne devrais pas etre interpreter literalement “enter in the legend”, l’expression veut dire seulement“legende”.
“Joaillerie” – une synonyme de bijoux
“Séance” – la meme mot en anglais “seance” veut dire rancontre ou reunion.
“Flacon” – j’ai decouvre que “flacon” est aussi un mot en anglais – sa veut dire “bottle”

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In classmate, Hannah Martin’s blog post, Martin touches upon an essentialist idea of capturing the under-utilized and profitable market of consumer “introverts.” Yet what of the nature of the product itself? Should a prominent beer brand like Molson Canadian target consumers who are reclusive and withdrawn? Or would a book company like Chapters benefit more from such an approach?

Like my statistics professor likes to say, the answer in short can be summarized in two words: “It depends.”

Delving deeper, Martin explores how personality types can be used as segmentation variables in order to determine undiscovered niches, just as online shopping did to acquire a vast introverted following. Past psychographic segmentation methods so heavily emphasize social and circumstantial class; however, consumer lifestyles can be just as important, if not more. Consumers often use the brands or products they consume to define the lifestyle they wish to portray to others. It becomes an identifier to the very genetic make-up of human nature and personal expression.

Mark Media touches upon 7 distinct lifestyle types: Self Actualizers, Innovators, Esteem Seekers, Strivers, Contented Conformers, Traditionalists, and lastly, Disconnected – each having their own distinctive buying patterns and varying weights in product markets. Then why are we so drawn towards segmenting based on variables such as income and class?

It’s simple. Humans have the tendency and capability to think relatively – more money equating to more spending. The aforementioned typical segments are therefore immediate because they are the segments that provide the greatest share and number of consumers. Truly successful companies, however, are the ones who deliver superior customer value because they realize their products reflect a way of life, and at times, may even be bodily markers. Those who understand the psychological power of personal expression can sincerely capitalize on such markets.

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Or, in my opinion, the number 2 reason why university students fail their courses (Facebook being number 1).

The age of online applications and free, assessible gaming has finally arrived; yet, what have been the drivers behind these multi-million dollar or billion dollar empires? Why, in an age of fastidious consumers, have they become so addictive that youngsters and retiring baby boomers alike cannot seem to put down their devices?

As Vincent mentions in his blog, a cultural shift to consumer frugality has managed to unite segmented markets across the board in a surprisingly effective way — that low to zero cost products paired with a standard of quality can give birth to something beautiful (not to mention astronomically profitable). In particular, I would like to touch on my recently-discovered-favourite-game-of-the-present-and-vacuum-of-all-of-my-time, Draw Something.

Having recently joined the DS cult, I can honestly say I have experienced the addictive nature of online gaming first hand.

But why is it so addictive when there were already two or three pre-existing competitors in the market? Well, it helps that it’s FREE! 🙂 But also because marketers have gone back to the basics: tapping into core human nature and our need to socialize. Being able to interact with my friends has created an entirely new layer on top of the simple mechanics of the application. It made the application relatable, relevant, and revolutionary. Relatable because players could see stats on their progress relative to their friends. Relevant because we live in an age thirsty for globalization and communication. And Revolutionary by providing players with some hints while also providing a pinch of challenge.

It will ease my conscience knowing that despite the hours of time this game will most likely steal from me, it has inspired me to think about how mass marketing still does have a place in this fastidious consumer society.

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The continent of Asia is home to nearly 4 billion residents – 4 billion residents with purchasing power able to bring the most influential supra-profit firms to their knees. As companies look to expansion into new demographic markets, it is no surprise to now find an asian model in many of today’s ads. In fact, it is surprising that we haven’t seen more!

Enter Godfrey Gao: Fellow Vancouverite, my long-time friend, and as Imogen Fox of the Guardian blogs, “The World’s First Asian Supermodel”.

Godfrey Gao in Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2011 Campaign

As a country whose culture is built upon an aggregate of distinct cultures, Canada is no stranger to the growing number of immigrants pouring into our country. This “imported talent” supplies our economy with a strong work force that would have crumbled under low birth rates and retirement of the Baby-Boomer generation; however, looking into the world of fashion – which has long been the reflection of Euro-dominated gods and goddesses – reveals a long-awaited shift to all that is asian.

More specifically, Chinese men with lots of cash. The blog notes that “Chinese men now spend more on luxury goods than their female counterparts”. Just as Old Spice insightfully decided to women who were found to be the actual buyers of hygiene goods, Louis Vuitton understands the increasing buying power of Chinese males. In fact, the  ratio of males to females is approximately 120:100 according to a 2004 NBC article.

So what does this mean to me?

As a Chinese-Born-Canadian, I’m relieved to see companies finally taking advantage of the untapped gold-mine right under their toes. Although it is early in the movement towards minority-designed advertisements in North America, it is definitely (and pardon the cliché) a step in the right direction.

Cheers.

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At first glance, our society appears to be built, layer up layer, on the outrageous ideals and more-than-often unrealistic expectations that barrage us nearly every moment of every day. From ads soaked in sexuality to YouTube videos that make you cry form laughter — product marketing and effective marketing succeeds in drawing out a full spectrum of human emotion. Although most advertisements appear to be fluff, to make a fleeting impression for less than a fraction of your life, the “plastic” image that most consumers have of the advertising world can be peeled back to reveal more than materialism.

One video I have been replaying the past week shows a different side of the spectrum.

Video Creds: Kaveh Sarhangpour

One could relate this video to art. Art, after all, only exists because of our human reaction to it.

Such is marketing — it thrives from a conversation between consumers and the company; and somewhere between the banter, there is value creation. This leads me back to what I stated in the first paragraph: “plastic” advertising. I find it ironic that people complain that businesses perpetuate consumerism; yet marketing simply turns our wants and needs into visual/physical manifestations. Then is marketing the true cause of our society’s current infatuation with materialism? Or have we ourselves thrown each other into the loop of consumption? We really don’t know whether it was the chicken or the egg that came first.

Just as there is the Old Spice ad and the sobering video I posted above, there are so many facets to what marketing really means to us as customers. As diverse as we are in humanity, there will be just as many advertisements to play to our wants and needs.

Self control simply arises from how good of a filter we have.

Cheers.

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“Sell yourself.”

That was the task proposed to us throughout the course of the year, a gentle coercion for us students to undergo a journey of self discovery. To extend beyond what we know ourselves to be, and highlight the needs of what we wish to be. Not only did delving within myself help outline my interests, capabilities, and aptitude, but also helped me distinguish myself from the next eager business student beside me.

Referring to my rather distasteful, yet ironic title, learning how to effectively project myself towards a future employer or business partner was perhaps the most monumental of learning outcomes I discovered from my time in COMM 299.

Afterall, business is about the exchange of goods or ideas with one another to maximize one’s profits. If you can’t convince someone to respect (avoiding the word “like” as that is a completely different story) you as an individual, how do you expect them to respect the work you do?

But otherwise, thank you Pia! And COMM 299 🙂 It was a tremendous year and a great start to my four years here at UBC!

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There are typical things we learn as kids that everyone can understand: to chew with your mouth closed, to listen tentatively while another individual speaks, to walk on the sideways and look both ways before crossing the street. Yet an emerging trend within the last decade – the decade in which us internet children have taken up social media by storm – has encouraged a new line of thought and a backlash against the norm.

This expansion into the world web has created an ever growing environment for students to think beyond limitations of reality and exhaust their creative outlets online. In a society where complacency once dominated our line of thought and way of life, we are expanding towards a future where only the innovative and daring can prosper. Here, as a student of the ever creating and ever expanding University of British Columbia, I have come to realize the importance of taking initiative and creating something meaningfully new for myself.

The “dream profession” is no longer simply taking the seat of a Fortune 500 CEO, but creating a job specifically for me. And hey, if I can knock one of those 500 out with my own? All the better for me.

Surrounded by these ambitious and alarmingly worldly people has driven me to attempt, if not succeed, in producing projects I can call my very own.

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Ambush attacks, guerrilla warfare – both are examples one would typically find in warfare; yet when it comes to marketing, world events are the battle field and market shares are the land each enterprise wishes to claim.

Throughout the last few decades, marketing has taken on a competitiveness unlike no other. At each event – whether it be sports, arts, or alternatives – has been affected to the point where even consumers are feeling the strain. From the scantily clad bottoms bearing the name of a certain business to the most recent 2010 Olympics between Telus and Bell and the FIFA World Cup between Nike and Adidas, ambush and guerilla marketing methods have stirred the debate on protecting sponsorship rights.

With Adidas having spewed out over $350 million US for sponsorship rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, they were choking on their tongues when recent surveys have found Nike to be the most widely recognized company from this year’s games. How can event organizers justify their sponsor investments when other companies can create the same results while spending only a fraction?

Certainly this type of marketing is difficult to control; yet on technicalities, these ambush marketers are simply making optimal use of the resources available, and hitting their competitors hard. Although recent times have condemned the use of such tactics, it is smart and effective and at the end of the day, it produces results.

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Waking up in the morning is never a good feeling: the grogginess, the grouchiness, the I-wish-I-was-still-asleep-ness. For all you morning people, you probably can’t relate, but if you’re like me, a morning “Booster” is precisely what you need.

Booster Juice is a rapidly expanding enterprise of now 170 stores worldwide, founded only 7 short years ago. It prides itself as being “an incredible, healthy alternative to fast food” and holds a consumer image of being wholly nutritious and all natural.

Is this an example of a booming entrepreneur? Of course.

These yogurty concoctions are not the cheapest drink out there; yet customers buy into its image. Why? You feel healthy when you’re holding it. But most importantly, other people think you’re healthy when you’re holding it.

It’s not a secret that ‘healthy’ is the new black. According to a 2008 study, the company was ranked 2nd in the juice category and 166th in the Franchise 500.

As a customer who has admittedly bought into Booster Juice’s image, all I can say is keep up the good work!

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