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?