McDonald's in Japan

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703791904576075450692538030-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwMTEyNDEyWj.html

The author of this article believes that McDonald's is going to corrupt the healthy people of Japan with its high calorie burgers and in the way that it advertises promotions. As much as I dislike McDonald's (haven't eaten there in 10+ years), I don't see their strategy as wrong. Playing off of the culture's beliefs and interests is a really important part of marketing.

On the flip side, I don't think that it's really fair to offer only unhealthy choices. Imagine a group of kids going to McDonald's together (in Japan). If one kid orders the Idaho burger and another kid is trying to opt for something healthy, a lack of choices (as well as peer pressure) will force the child to go with the high-calorie burger, only due to lack of choice. Why should a company only offer unhealthy options when it can appeal to a wider audience with a variety? It seems unnecessary to me.

Are we similar, culturally, in how we want something that is only available for a limited time?

In response to Tom Jennings

Do you believe that the Domino’s Focus Group commercials were affective?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgwPw59iqhw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t23sgF4Bl7c&NR=1

In some ways, I do think that the Domino's commercials were effective, but first you have to know that Domino's, as a company, has been doing really well lately. The deals that they have recently (in the past year) put out there, have resulted in much higher sales. In my opinion, the more deals they offer, the more they increase sales.

The focus group commercials were a lot about the improvements they made in their pizzas, but of course the deal was stuck at the end of the commercial -- two mediums for $5.99. Also, I added two youtube clips (sorry about the sound on the second one). One of them talks about the milk from in domino's cheese and the other talks about the tomatoes that they get from California and how their website shows where they got every ingredient.

Either way, the commercials lead you to act -- go to the store or go online to check out where we get our ingredients... then order a pizza.

Were they actually effective? I'm sure they were just because people were hearing the name Domino's. At the same time, I think some people felt the actual way they filmed the focus groups were kind of weird (the walls moving), and didn't say much except that they brought unknowing consumers into a room and showed them that they were actually at a farm.

Have other companies adopted this strategy? Would they?

Green Marketing

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/marketing/a/greenmarketing.htm

Many companies have chosen greener paths, but are they truly green if they market themselves in a green way? I think before reading this article, I felt that the little factoids about being green vs. not being green were less of a marketing strategy and more of an environmentally thoughtful education of customers.

However, I do believe now that companies should use green marketing whenever possible. People should feel responsible for the ups and downs that are a result of their decisions. This doesn't necessarily end at education of social responsibility/green-ness, but it also may benefit companies who utilize green marketing. If you think about it, customers will likely remember the company that seems socially responsible - I know I do - and will be more likely to be repeat shoppers. Anything that a firm can do to differentiate itself from its competition will lead to a positive result.

My only question is whether or not this article really describes green marketing or whether it describes green washing. Is it more about preserving the environment or about marketing to people? I understand the concept of showing that the firm is "green," but by replacing plastic bags with paper bags, how much help are you really giving? I feel that you need to be green in all that you do as a firm, but you can take little steps to achieve the goal of being green.

Is the article really "green" or is it "greenwashing"?

In Response to Cristy S.

Do you think that you would want to raise a family in a small town or a big city? How could Rindge market towards a different target market?

I think I would like to go to a big city, but I hate to see children in a big city with their parents.. it seems like a very artificial place that lacks the "bubble" that kids might might need. I feel that a lot of people should feel the need to move somewhere less blunt. Small towns seem to help develop manners too, which is tougher to see in a place like NYC or Boston. The fact that you can walk somewhere in Keene and people smile and say "hi" makes a big difference.

Rindge could market towards people looking to build a family and help reinforce positive parental "teachings" I guess. I think that Rindge could also work on improving its amenities before it can fully develop itself as a marketable place. I personally do not know that much about the area, but from what I've seen it is very peaceful and quiet. It's close to ski resorts and it's a great escape.

What does Keene do to market itself, other than the college? Why do people stay here after they graduate, for example?

Marketing The Sound Of Music Resort

My mom is always trying to find things to market our business (my family owns a candy store), and she recently got an e-mail about how older businesses are finding new ways to market themselves, especially to people who are connected by social media.

The Von Trapp family is from the movie "The Sound of Music," and there is a resort-home in Stowe, VT that is an attraction for many fans of the movie. They found that there were defined seasons of tourists instead of steady visitors, so they changed their way of drawing in customers by being more connected through social media and by emphasizing stories from the family. They then chose to make a new package to draw in new customers.

The package allowed customers to meet a real member of the family if they stayed at the hotel. Many customers who hadn't yet been jumped on the deal, proposed during the quiet season. Now they have loyal customers who come every year who might otherwise not have visited.

"At a time when many hotels close up for the month, the "Meet the von Trapp" deal started driving new business. It was business that dropped right to the bottom line. And it was business that turned into repeat business."

How could we use this kind of deal to drive those not fully motivated to buy Campus Mom's services? Is it the fact that we don't have a great deal figured out or is it just the lack of awareness? How can we track our progress (in the case of this family, they used google adwords) ?

In Response to Chris Cheever

Now my question is are these corporate and technological geniuses over idolized? Or are people not looking past the face of these companies?

My answer to this question is... YES! They are over-idolized. I think that even technological "geniuses" are people, too. Sometimes they're a little over the top in their actions and attitude. Should we idolize them? Well, should we idolize anyone? I do think that it's important to have role models, but putting people on a pedestal means that it will lead to some kind of disappointment, and I don't mean to be cynical, but look at Steve Jobs now and his place in Apple. When Steve Jobs leaves Apple (and that seems to be in the near future), the company will suffer unless they can find another person like him, not just because of his genius, but because of his ties to the company and his image within Apple.

What other companies might have this problem? How many other CEO's do you know the name of?

Is LinkedIn the way to market yourself?

First off, here's my LinkedIn account: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=73233958&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro I use it and I like it for networking, but thus far I haven't had much action on it.

First of all, why do we need to utilize networking to find the right people? I think it's because when we network, we hope that all parties are happy with the end results, and there is almost a guarantee of that. When we're recommended for a job by a friend, it builds our own confidence and makes us more comfortable. LinkedIn, which is basically made for networking, is a way of marketing yourself and being proactive about your career.

When you market yourself, you have to think about place, price, promotion and of course the product. The product is you, and LinkedIn gives users tons of space to basically fill in a brag sheet about themselves. As a user, you're able to talk about your experiences, download your resume... which brings me to promotion. You're marketing yourself and you want to look good. LinkedIn allows you to do that with your own personal expression on your resume but also in your profile. The place is important and LinkedIn has a section for that. One thing that I could never imagine is someone marketing themselves using their "price" or pay expectations from employers.

Is there anything that fulfills every part of the 4 P's when you are the product as the employee to be? How do consumers (or, in this case, employers) use LinkedIn to find that perfect candidate and how does marketing yourself play into that?

In Response to Kristen Begin

If people realize JC Penney is making more of an effort to go green...should the company expect a revenue larger than that of their 2010 catalog sales? What are some other reasons that would convince JC Penney to get rid of a $454 million dollar sales opportunity? Do you think this was a wise decision made by JC Penney administrators?

Kristen asked if JCP will see an increase in revenue because of their new efforts to go green and whether JCP chose to pass up a sales opportunity or not. I think that you have to consider how people feel right now financially and whether or not they are going to purchase because they need something or because they're reminded that they "need" something.

Also, how big of an impact is "going green" these days? It feels to me more like green-washing sometimes when companies market their efforts to be green. On the other hand, it is obviously more green to skip the catalogs, but it's also a cost-saving effort. Maybe corporate felt that individual stores would survive without the extra marketing efforts, so they're cutting back to save some cash for marketing once people are ready to buy again.

I always believe that cutting down on mailers is important, not just because it saves the company money, but it's one less thing that customers receiving the mailers throw away. How many of them are actually recycled? Why do they even really need to exist in the first place? I don't think I've ever seen a JCP mailer...

What other companies are doing this? It seems like some companies are set in their ways (who doesn't get a weekly victoria's secret catalog??) and others are changing. Does this affect your purchasing decisions?

How Much Can PR Cover?

I get a weekly update in politics and business from The Economist, and I happened to notice a story at the very bottom of it. Typically, I like The Economist because it seems pretty close to an unbiased source of news. This is the last part of the weekly update:

Out of fashion

John Galliano was sacked as Christian Dior’s lead designer for professional misconduct. This came after a video surfaced of Mr Galliano apparently making anti-Semitic remarks to customers in a Paris restaurant and declaring “I love Hitler”. Mr Galliano was admitted to the French Legion of Honour in 2009.

When I read this, I was shocked! When I hear about anti-Semitism, I think about Kramer from Seinfeld a few years back, and before that, not much.

I question how much help PR can be for this person of status. How will this affect him in the long run? Public Relations nightmares can be really long lasting. He's been fired, but how much damage will he have to deal with at this point?

In Response to Erica Murray

Do you think the taller and skinnier can is contributing to a negative portrayal of body image?

I do not see this new type of can changing any thoughts about body image. If you think about it, the can itself does not look like a person. The fact that we relate an inanimate object or a product to a human being seems kind of wrong in the first place. I think the question is, do we relate ourselves to the products because Pepsi is marketing products in this way, because we feel that we have a personal connection with a product (that seems somewhat destructive), or because the National Eating Disorders Association is telling us that it is a person?

I wondering if we can really consider who is to blame for the relationship between a can of soda and a person, and where it started? Is it a bad thing to market a product as if it were a person? For example, is it bad to represent a phone as a person? ( ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKG4B7wFJUo )

In Response to Ashley Guidi

I ask you, how many times do you question a news story when it is published in national papers or viewed on TV? Do you put your faith into the integrity of others?

I took a class here at Keene that taught me a lot about the intricacies of marketing, called Persuasion with Dr. Nigel Malcolm (Communications class). It definitely opened my eyes to the possibility that not everything I hear on TV is true, but it was not the first time I felt this way. I guess I always try to cut out the biases myself, but who knows if that really works?

Honestly, I don't understand why Taco Bell would actually substantiate the story and therefore tell a lie. It seems like a silly PR-stunt that might have big payoffs, but might also tarnish the reputation of the company. It also might stir up feelings of anger from people who are very "pro-USA," who don't want national monuments to be caught up in the money-making stunts of big corporations, who might even be considered partially responsible for this recent economic crisis.

As far as listening to the media, I think that it's important for people to ask a few questions of the stories that they are skeptical of: "Why is this story on TV? Is it there to advertise a company or inform me about something important? Does this story really change anything? What might be the bias of the network? Why does this matter to me?"

What questions do you ask yourself when you watch TV? Or do you?

Writing as an Entrepreneur

I'm going off the M-blog post about entrepreneurs and other businesspeople enjoying marketing success as a result of writing books. (This)

As the daughter of two successful entrepreneurs - my parents own a candy store, and the granddaughter of entrepreneurs, I have to admit that the stuff is in my blood, and marketing is a constant struggle today.

Knowing how much time my parents spend keeping the website up to date ( www.chocolatedelicacy.com ), keeping facebook in check, and creating monthly advertising packages to send to papers, websites, etc., I certainly see marketing as a challenge. If you consider the difference between a published author/entrepreneur and a regular businessperson, it is very easy to assume that one is more credible than the other. Also, in reference to the psychiatrist, what better marketing can you have than the Today Show?

My question is, what lengths would you go to in order to market yourself as an expert or your business? Would you ever consider publishing a book or is the process too daunting for entrepreneurs with limited time?

Supply and Demand... Cruises to Egypt

The focus of my blog will be about the following article: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/02/18/travel-agency-marketing-history-making-egypt-cruise/

To sum up the article, the cruise line Azmara Club Cruises was asked by customers if they could make a cruise to Egypt so that the customers could "see history in the making." First of all, how is it really ethical to direct a cruise to a place where there is political turmoil? Second, how ethical is it to market that someone can watch history happen? Apparently because of the zero-supply of cruises (since they were all rerouted to protect the safety of their passengers), the demand has shot up and people want a part of the action.

I have two friends from high school in Egypt right now. Both of them chose to stay because it was exciting and different. I understand that when you've committed to a semester abroad, it's not easy to just go back to school in the states and cancel your plans. However, doesn't it just seem so American to want to butt into the political issues in other countries? Why is it that we feel so safe being a part of riots in another country? Would we be safe in a violent protest stateside? I doubt it.

My concern is the fact that marketing for this cruise is based on an idea that is most likely very limited. I suppose that they would be making history in that the cruise-liner would be the first back after the Egyptian revolution that just took place. How else is a person watching history in the making during this cruise? I have no idea, and I think that the marketing seems "off" to me. I also have a feeling that if things are not settled by the embarking date (November), then it's probably a bad idea to head over there on a cruise.

My question is this: why would someone want to go somewhere that is politically out of whack and how can you market something like this, ethically?

New show "Skins" on MTV stirs up drama for marketers

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110124/FREE/110129943#

I recently heard about the new show on MTV named Skins, and was a little shocked by the idea that children under legal age are being portrayed on national television in a way that is revealing and called by some "pornographic." When I heard that a lot of companies advertising on MTV asked to be pulled off the air during the show, I was not surprised. It seems like PR is a huge part of marketing. A company treads carefully when its reputation is questioned through its endorsements.

"It's a show replete with all sorts of problematic and offensive content like illegal drug use, illegal activity, foul language and essentially nonstop sexual content," Mr. Isett said. "Compounding that is the fact that the actual actors portraying these characters on the show are in fact children, and it's also equally clear that the show has been marketed to children."

The show Skins just seems wrong on so many levels. First of all, what were companies thinking when they opted in (or at least didn't opt out) of a show that portrayed teenage sex, promiscuity, illegal drug use/activity and bad language? I doubt that Subway could really be considered at fault and I'm sure they just wanted a piece of the advertising/marketing pie that MTV offers, but come on! What's the point of MTV airing all of the "above the influence" ads if they promote just the opposite?

I guess my big question is what would you do if you were being pressured to remove your commercial from the air during a show? Is it worthwhile to submit to the pressure of parental groups? Why is it so necessary to respond to them and do they really have enough power to hurt your business?

In Response to Doug Sack

How do you think these elements influence a job applicant?

I question if there really is any influence on a job applicant in considering the marketing mix. That might just be because I've never used it myself to get a job (though I've had many jobs in the past). I think that when you're a business or management student, you're likely to know what the marketing mix is and therefore might apply it to real life/job-searching.

As a hopeful job searcher, I know that at this point that I might consider the marketing mix and apply it to every application I write.. I think that you could apply it to any essays - like for KSC scholarships - or e-mails or really anything you do, but that might be a stretch.

I feel that if a job applicant knows about the marketing mix by name, it's a good system to follow. If they don't know the phrase "marketing mix," then I'm almost sure they have their own system they use to find jobs and apply for them. In the same way, I don't think the marketing mix is the be-all, end-all of the job search. I think there are many other factors that can be employed in the job market today.

My Marketing Mix

When you're looking for a job, there are so many factors that come into play, and that's where the marketing mix comes in.

You want to know that you're going to be working in a place that fits your lifestyle. If you love to be in a city, you probably won't be happy with a job in Iowa. Once you've made the decision, you can move on to other steps in the process of job-searching. For example, right now I have a lot of options open as far as internship location. I made a decision to apply for as many internships as I could, even if I have to relocate for them. I narrowed down the places that I would like to be (and in some ways, where the competition is fierce vs. not as fierce), and as long as the company offered a paid internship and relocation for summer, I would be happy with it. As you get older, your preferences change and your flexibility decreases. If I were a mother of four and my spouse was working, I would probably feel restricted to a specific region for work.

Is the price right for the job you want? It's not just about how much you "cost" to the company, but how much it costs to live in the place where the job is. If you live in NYC, it will cost much more to live there. Of course, you also want to consider how much money and what benefits you want to work for. Again, it's all about preferences and what works well for you (and possibly your family). Do you have ten pets and want free pet insurance included? C&S offers pet insurance as a part of its benefits package! Do you want bare-bones benefits and lots of money? That's a different story.

The marketing mix also cites the product itself. Not that I want to fall into marketing myopia, but the product in this case is extremely important, because you are the product. In this case, your customer is your future employer, and they want a well-rounded, worthwhile, and affordable product. When applying for jobs, you need to think about what you're putting out there and whether or not you, the product, is something that the employer, the "customer," wants.

The final part of the mix is promotion. Are you getting your name out there? Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace, whatever you're using (hopefully not the last two), you need to make sure that your message is getting across. You need to promote yourself to your best ability or else getting a job will be a disaster. Without self promotion, your hopeful-future-employer will see you as someone without self esteem and possibly without value for the company. That's a bad boat to be in.

So, when you're looking for a job, what do you think of? Is it the marketing mix - is it place-price-product-promotion or is it asking yourself if you've done enough as the product? I wonder if we ever fall into marketing myopia as we search for jobs -- are we considering every part of the job or are we considering every part of ourselves and stopping there?

Response to Kristen Begin

But, after all the money that is spent on all different types of advertising for literally everyone to see, wouldn't it be more efficient to use more of a marketing approach instead? Wouldn't it, as a manager, make more sense to focus the sales on those that you are confident already trust your product, or can at least be more easily persuaded to switch to your goods or services, as opposed to posting thousands of dollars worth in posters and commercials in hopes that someone will actually notice it and be convinced to immediately switch providers?

I think that it would be a much more efficient way of doing business; that is, following a marketing approach. It seems to me that the idea of a target market is extremely effective and less "hit-or-miss." When I see billboards, the variety of messages I see reminds me of throwing darts at a dartboard with a blindfold on! There are examples everywhere.

In a way, though, advertising so openly and in such a hit-or-miss way can also lead to awareness. For example, everyone can get cancer or heart disease or help someone with a stroke, and these messages affect us all. It's the "DISCOUNT MATTRESSES!!!!!" billboards that don't really affect everyone.

There are appropriate uses for all three of the categories we discussed (marketing, propaganda, advertising), and some people just have different perspectives as far as which is best, most profitable or monetarily useful, or whatever! Managers have a lot of different ideas as far as what's best and I think that's why there are fewer uses of the "target market."

Propaganda vs. Advertising vs. Marketing

Picture credit: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/03/02/sex-sells/

This is a takeoff of propaganda in the form of advertising. I chose this picture to illustrate the difference between propaganda and advertising. It inspires similar feelings - a "Redolution," but at the same time it is clearly an advertisement because it markets a product. The product, M&M's, are a candy. Unlike propaganda, it is asking for an online vote for the favorite color and in that way is pushing the brand and the website.

Credit for this picture goes to http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/07/13/north-korean-propaganda-series-anti-usa-1/

This picture is an example of propaganda from North Korea. It depicts a North Korean soldier targeting an American government building with some kind of missile or bullet. Generally propaganda is created so that a government can push a position onto its people. When people see pictures like this one, eventually they may be led to believe that it's the right thing.

Marketing is a more abstract than the ideas of propaganda and advertising. It encompasses both in a way, because it is more like the overall process of selling a brand or an idea to the consumer. There are companies that exist solely to market brands of other companies. The concept of marketing can be learned in a class and by experience and its form of expression is advertising. In propaganda, there are sets of ideals that are marketed to people to convince them that something is true or not true.

What is the most convincing form of marketing a message? Propaganda or advertising? We see advertising all the time, to the point where we sing along with catch phrases, recite the scripts of our favorite ads, and even tattoo ourselves with the brand, but propaganda plays on our patriotism in our own country. So, what is more powerful?