Response to Jackie Cook's Post..

“ If you are just as shocked as me, read the article. There really are people like this out there that do take brand loyalty this seriously. What do you think? Do you know someone with a brand logo tattoo? Would you, yourself ever consider getting one?”

This is the article that Jackie posted http://www.marketingpower2.com/blog/marketingnews/2010/04/why_do_customers_tattoo_themselves_with_the_brands_they_love.html#more

I am surprised but I can’t say I’m shocked. Not going to lie, I know people who have brand tattoos. I have friend who has the Harley Davidson tattoo very similar to the picture Jackie posted in her blog. I can’t say I would ever get one on my body, but different tattoos have different meanings to different people; I can’t pass judgment. I do agree with the article when it states that people do it for different psychological reasons. I think it does make people feel like they are in a specific group. It makes them feel elite, like they are part of a community and that is their identification. I also think people do it because they have a strong loyalty to that brand.

Every person who has a tattoo had different reasons for getting that specific, permanent ink done; myself included. Some people get words and, I guess, some people get brands. I would love to ask the people with brand tattoos how they feel about it now; if there is any remorse a month, 6 months, a year, or 3 years after it’s on the body. I’d be interested in the response.

How do you feel about this article? Would you ever get a brand tattoo? Is this brand loyalty at the maximum?

Continuation/Wrap Up

So a continuation on the last post…
We were talking about how musicians are looked down upon by giving in to sponsorships and advertising. I’m a football guy so of course I was watching the NFL Draft last week. I noticed that before the draft even took place, they had college athletes (soon to be former college athletes) in Under Armor commercials and in ads for shoes. These commercials were made and played before these players were even drafted, before they inked their contract, and before they even stepped on a professional football field. Teams, companies, and advertisers do not think twice about offering a college player $50 million fresh out of college. These kids are the same age as us making more in one year than I’ll probably see in my lifetime. And we’re criticizing the musicians? If they’re marketable that is not their fault. Let them make their money.

Here is the video i was talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oulAaW4OjDY

So the year has finally come to a close and marketing is done. I think the thing I will take away from this class the most, is how people view and react to a company; whether it be their product or advertisements or anything else. All year we have be talking about how we respond to certain brands, certain videos, or certain products. By being knowledgeable on the subject of marketing, I will be able to react to certain situations. I will be equipped with the knowledge on how to improve/maintain an effective marketing strategy. To me, that seems to be the most important thing for my future.

What did you take away from this class that will help you in the future?

Response to Jackie Cook's Post..

“ Do you think some advertisements are inappropriate or are they just adding humor to attract more consumers? Do you feel like you personally are affected by advertising?”
I think it is a little of both. I think some advertisements do add humor to the message. On the other hand some messages are a little on the racy-side. I thought it was interesting when Jackie stated that advertisements are starting to promote sex along with the product. A good example is a commercial for Cadillac cars. In the commercial the woman says, “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?”; we all know where she’s going with that. Sex sells there is no doubt about that; it always has. Companies are starting to run these advertisements because they realize they can get people to watch them. How many guys turn off or change a commercial for Victoria Secret? Or even with an attractive woman advertising anything? And how many women change the channel when a ‘hot guy’ is on the screen? It’s just human nature and marketers realize if they can stop you from flipping the page or changing the channel then they are one step closer to getting you to purchase their product.

I don’t think all the commercials or advertisements are perfectly acceptable but I do understand where companies are coming from. I don’t think every advertisement affects me but I’m sure there are a few that might change my thought process. I think it also depends on what mood I am in when I see a commercial too. On a certain day I might be more apt to spend money if I see something I like compared to a different day. It’s crazy to deny that you’re not affected by commercials and advertisements.

Do you think commercials are starting to ‘cross the line’, or is this just the way it is? When was the last time you were affected by advertising?

Are Musicians Selling Out?

We had a discussion in class about whether or not musicians are selling out by using sponsorships and doing commercials. Professor Johnson used the example about the Black Eye Pea’s (see picture) incorporating BlackBerry Messenger, Pepsi, Verizon, and other companies into their concerts. Personally, I don’t consider it selling out. I don’t even think twice when I see logos, brand names, or certain products in videos. Everyone is in the business of making money and the artists are just like everyone else. Athletes have been doing it more years and no one considers them to be selling out. LeBron James, fresh out of high school, inked a $93 million contract with NIKE and he wasn’t considered a sellout. Athletes get paid and sponsored to play, why can’t artists get paid and sponsored to perform? We even see sponsorships at music award ceremonies. It seems like before every commercial we hear, “and this part of the AMA’s is brought to you by…”. I don’t see the issue with it. What’s the difference between an athlete wearing an Under Amour logo and a musician using the HP Touch Screen computer in a video? There are plenty of musicians in the industry that don’t take part in sponsorships and are “staying true” to themselves. I get that but let’s face it, we’re in a ‘get money or die trying’ era. In our generation we have been focused on money from the start. Money puts food on the table and it allows us to purchase things. Sponsorships are just part of the business. We see Budweiser logos at Fenway Park I don’t see why we can’t see Pepsi logos at venues all around the country.

I just don’t see an issue with it. I don’t consider the musicians to be selling out and to be honest I don’t think twice when I see the Sponsor’s logos in videos or at concerts. If they can make millions of dollars I think we should let them. We shouldn’t judge the people for being marketable. What do you think? Do you think it is considered selling out or is it really no big deal?

In Response to Jackie Cook's Post...

“ I believe that Twitter could be an opportunity for many companies to promote their business and get themselves out there more. What do you think? Do you think Twitter will become the new Facebook? Do you think all companies will begin to ‘Tweet?’”

I absolutely think Twitter will become the new Facebook. Most companies already use Facebook to promote and interact with customers. If companies could tap into the millions of Twitter users and followers, then they would really be able to expand their business. The electronic era is now upon us and like I said with the millions of followers/users on Facebook and Twitter, it leaves a huge opportunity for companies to expand their consumer base. The interaction between the customers and companies could prove to be very beneficial. Opening lines of communication can be key. I thought it was interesting that Starbucks used Twitter to promote their environmental philosophy. I also thought it was interesting that they used ‘Tweets’ to promote their ideas on reducing paper cups. I feel the first few companies that join Twitter-before the rest of the competition catches up-will really be at an advantage. Since only a few companies are signed on for the new Twitter advertisements, people will be paying more attention to those companies and following what they do. Getting ahead of the curve can be extremely beneficial to the companies and can help form an advantage throughout the market. I wasn’t able to find any statistics yet about how much business Starbucks had yesterday (4/15) due to that ‘free coffee if you bring in a tumbler’ idea, but I bet you it was more than usual. It will be interesting to see how quick the companies draw to Twitter to advertise their products. But all in all, I feel it will only be a matter of time before Twitter and Facebook are one in the same.

How do you feel about companies advertising on Twitter? Do you think it can be beneficial or is it a waste of time?

Major Advertising Media

Advertising is present wherever you look. There are major advertising media: newspaper, magazines, direct mail, radio, television, internet, and the yellow pages. All have advantages and disadvantages associated with them. An advantage of the newspaper is that it reaches large audiences. Also it must be purchased to be read, which is beneficial to the company developing/providing it. Also, an advantage is that it is frequently published; on a daily or weekly basis. Another advantage can be that it is favorable for cooperative advertising and merchandising services. But just like anything else, there are always negatives to positives and newspapers have disadvantages associated with them as well. A disadvantage of newspapers is that there are limited reproduction capabilities and they have short lives. A huge disadvantage of newspapers is that they are not selective for target markets. With the large advertising volume, it can limit the exposure to any one advertisement which will definitely pose as a disadvantage.

An advantage of a magazine is that there is good reproduction. Another couple advantages are that they have a good life, they have a level prestige associated with them, and they are great for leisure reading. A good example is TIME magazine. There is a level of prestige associated with TIME based off of their years of experience and quality materials. Another good example is Sports Illustrated. People get sports illustrated to read in their “down time”. There are a few disadvantages associated with magazines. High cost is one disadvantage. Another disadvantage is that there is a 30 to 90 day lead time. In the magazine industry there is a high level of competition with limited reach. Magazines also communicate less frequently.

Direct mail has several advantages. There is little wasted circulation with the advertisers controlling the circulation. Direct mail is also highly selective and can be highly personal. Advertisers are able to address the household when sending mail instead of a general group of people; plus advertisers choose who they want their letters sent to so they don’t waste their resources. It is also great for advertisers because it can be hidden from the competition. Another advantage is that there are few distractions associated with mail. A disadvantage associated with direct mail is that it can be discarded as “junk mail”. Just because it is sent to someone, they have to choose to read it which ends up being a disadvantage. It can also be very expensive. Another disadvantage is that it can lack editorial content to attract its readers. People also determine it to be an invasion of privacy.

Radio advertisements have several advantages as well. An advantage of radio is that is reaches 95% of consumers. Radio can also be highly mobile and flexible. Another advantage is that there is a relative low cost associated with the advertisements and the ads can be changed rather quickly. For example, it is much easier to change a radio ad than an ad on a billboard. There is also a high level of demographic and geographic selectivity. An advantage is that it requires the consumer to use their imagination. Everyone has heard the radio ads and started to form an imagine in their head on what the product looks like, does, etc. There are a few disadvantages associated with radio advertisements. One disadvantage is that there is limited attention from the listeners because they are usually doing other activities. I know when I listen to the radio I am usually in the car or working or doing something else that requires my immediate attention; the radio is usually on to break the silence. Also a disadvantage is that there are limited buying procedures with radio ads. The advertisements also have short lives.

Television also has several advantages for advertisers. Television reaches large audiences. Again there is demographic and geographic selectivity. There is also the advantage of having dual audio and video. For example, you hardly ever turn on the television and see a commercial that has no audio associated with. There is always someone talking or music playing. Advertisements on the television are also hard to ignore which can end up being an advantage. Again, there are disadvantages for television. One disadvantage is that it can be extremely expensive. A second disadvantage is that the size of the audience is not guaranteed. Some people refuse to watch commercials, so when their show takes a break they flip to another station. The message on television is also highly perishable. Another disadvantage is the amount of prime time television can be limited. Companies sign on for time slots but they are not guaranteed the slots from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. every night. The last disadvantage is that they can’t select who watches the commercials and who doesn’t.

Internet is another form of major advertising. An advantage associated with the internet is that there can be immediate response. It can also have the potential to reach the precise target audience. People who want view it will and people who don’t want to see the ad will go to a different website; pull medium. There is also the advantage to track customers and build databases. The last advantage is that it is a highly interactive medium. One huge disadvantage of the internet is that the costs of precise targeting are high. There can also be inappropriate ad placement. Another disadvantage is that the effects are difficult to measure. The last disadvantage is that people are starting to draw concern to security and privacy issues.

The yellow pages have advantages associated with them as well. There is a wide availability when advertising through the yellow pages. There is action and product category orientation. Another advantage is that it is a relatively low cost. The ads are also nonintrusive and there is longevity with the yellow pages. People tend to keep their yellow pages for a full year before the new yellow pages come out; they also might keep them longer than that. A disadvantage associated with the yellow pages is market fragmentation. The yellow pages are also extremely localized. Take the yellow pages in Keene for instance; they cover southern New Hampshire and some of Vermont and that’s it. Another disadvantage is that there is a slow updating process and a lack of creativity. Another disadvantage is that it requires a lot of space for a company to be noticed.

Which major media source do you think is the best? I personally feel direct mail or the internet. People read a lot of their information online and if you can get an ad that people think is interesting you can receive a lot of feedback. But I also like direct mail because it forces people to at least look over your ad before they discard it. If you were a company looking to advertise, which media source would you use?

Response to Sarah Hall's Post on Buying Process..

“Have you experienced all of these steps before? Have you had any cognitive dissonance? If so what was it and what did you do, did you keep the product, give it to a friend, or return it?”

I think I pretty much speak for everyone when I make the statement that everyone has suffered from cognitive dissonance at one point or another. The last purchase that I made that I had cognitive dissonance about was…a pea coat about a year and a half ago. I usually think things through before I buy anything. If I want something bad enough or I need it bad enough, I’ll get it and won’t think twice. But for some reason, I decided I wanted a pea coat. I found a cheap one, and emphasize on the word cheap, online and decided to buy. I got it in and didn’t think much of it until the first couple weeks into winter. I beat it up pretty good and then all of a sudden, the pilling of the wool began. Then the buttons started to get loose. I realized at that point that I probably should have ordered one through my family and spent the money to get the right quality. I ended up ordering another one, paid the extra money, and now I’m happier with the second one. I kept the other one but only wear it when I know it’ll get beat up. I learned my lesson, spend the extra money. Or examine the product before I buy it. I won’t make that mistake again.

This is the shortest post ever but I’ll turn the question on you: have you experienced all the steps before? Have you had any cognitive dissonance? If so, what was it and what did you do: did you keep the product, give it to a friend, or return it?