Week 10 EOC

I have many benefits that my product features. One, I believe is its direct satisfaction of the consumer. The people I am marketing my product to will be more than pleased with the taste and overall experience of my product.
 My brand name and brand logo alone are unique. This Unique factor creates a great benefit of my product against other products out there. One feature in particular that u like is the flavor of my product. Similar to hot wings, my chips are spicy and people love spicy food when they are out drinking and having fun. With my product, consumers can experience this same level of flavor without the mess that hot wings leave. "buyers who always buy the same brand know that they will get the same features, benefits, and quality each time they buy."Armstrong & Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing pg. 216. Every time a consumer purchases my product, they will know that they are getting the exact same great taste. When people go out to eat hot wings, they never know how that particular bar's wings are going to taste. "In recent times, however, numerous factors have made packaging an important marketing tool as well.""Armstrong & Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing. My great looking packaging will be the part of my product that really draws in the consumers attention. Along with the great taste of the product itself, the entire package as a whole is guaranteed to sell.

Week 9: SWOT Analysis

Strength- The strength for my product will be its creativeness. A great tasting wasabi flavored snack chip will draw peoples attention. My marketing capabilities will be able to help my product get into bars worldwide.
Weaknesses- A weakness for this product will be its spiciness. Not all people enjoy spicy flavors so it will only be marketed to a certain crowd. Also my company is small right now so it will take time to get my product to the point where i want it.
Opportunity- My biggest opportunity for my product will be growth. I will try to get my chips into every bar around the country. Since their are so many bars in the world, the sky is the limit for my product. Also, people in bars are usually intoxicated. This will make it easier for people to see the creativeness of my product and want to try it. Hopefully they will enjoy it so much they will want it again the next time they go into that establishment.
Threats- Money would be a threat right away. With a lack of funds, it will be hard to advertise and get the word out on my product. Most bars will not be willing to take in my product without serious marketing and persuasion.

Week 9 EOC: Mission Statement

My mission statement and ultimate goal of the product is to see it available in bars in The United States and eventually around the world. "Forging a sound mission begins with the following questions: What is our business? Who is the customer? What do consumers value? What should our business be?" Marketing: An Introduction pg 39. My business is snack foods in bars. My customers will consist of adults over the age of 21 looking for a great snack food to go along with their beverages. Customers value the great quality and uniqueness of a product. My product is truly one of a kind with the taste of it and also the look. "The company needs to turn its mission into detailed supporting objectives for each level of management. Each manager should have objectives and be responsible for reaching them."Marketing: An Introduction pg. 40.  Eventually I would like my product to be available in bars around the world everywhere. This will only be possible with every person in the company working towards this goal. With a well structured business, and proper marketing techniques of the product, we will achieve this goal.

Week 8 EOC: The Adventure

My name is Phineas Phogg. I was simply traveling through the country of Japan when I wandered into hostile samurai territory. While traveling through this area I was struck in my back with a samurai sleep dart. The samurai have a custom where they torture any unwanted guest that is caught in their territory. While being in the Samurai's possession, they tortured me by forcing me to eat the spiciest things they possess, including wasabi. Me, being a American, am not used to eating very spicy foods like wasabi, and I do not enjoy being force fed wasabi. After many weeks and weeks of being tortured with wasabi spices, I got so used to the taste that I started to enjoy it. One day while being help captive in my cell, I saw a beautiful Japanese woman walking by. I had never seen such a beautiful woman in my life. She brought me my daily serving of wasabi and I pulled out my American potato chips to see if she would enjoy the wasabi on top of these chips. She told me she did not like wasabi, but I assured her that she might enjoy the flavoring on top of some delicious, American chips. She tried it and loved it so much that she instantly kissed my cheek. After weeks of eating these chips with this beautiful woman, I thought to ask her about helping me escape and coming back to the states with me. She brought me a 3 foot Samurai sword from the village and I waited on the perfect moment to strike. One day me and this woman noticed that the man who would normally guard my cage seemed very sleepy. When he came in to bring me my lunch, I quickly pulled out the Samurai sword and cut his head off before he knew what had hit him. Quickly after, me and the woman ran from the local community and headed towards the closest city. While running, the Samurai were chasing us and trying to shoot us down with bows and arrows. While running past a large coconut tree, I grabbed one then struck one of the Samurai in the head. After many long hours of running and hiking through the wilderness of Japan, we made it to a local fisherman's hut and threatened him with my Samurai sword. He was then willing to take us back to the states.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

My idea for a great specialty product from somewhere around the world is wasabi potato chips. Most people love hot, spicy food. Most people like greasy, fattening potato chips. My product would be combining these two to make a unique tasting chip that no one has come up with before: wasabi potato chips. When it comes to people who are big spicy food fans, it's the hotter the better. I have not tried anything that is much spicier than wasabi. I think that a wasabi flavoring on top of some kind of oriental flavoring potato chip would taste great and be very unique. The chip will be made of corn, and have a sweet and sour flavoring. The sweet flavoring will go great to cancel out some of the spiciness from the wasabi on top. As for the adventure of the story behind the product, Phineas Phogg will be in Asia and get kidnapped by Samurai's. Phineas was in an area known in the country to be exclusive to the Samurai and no outsiders are welcome. They torture the Phinneas by forcing him to eat the spiciest wasabi they have ever made. After many long hours of being forced to eat this, the Phinneas Phogg finds himself starting to enjoy the flavoring. As a way to try to make peace with these people, he tells them their wasabi would taste delicious on  top of his classic American potato chips. After the natives try the Phogg's potato chip with the wasabi flavoring, they instantly feel remorse for torturing this man and ask him to go back to the states and send them some of these delicious chips. He happily agrees, in exchange that they agree to send him back their secret recipe of wasabi. After the man starts to receive the wasabi in the mail, he starts sending his product out to local businesses and everyone falls in love with this unique, delicious brand of potato chips.

Week 6 EOC: Me Times Three

1) Yamaha HS80M. Great studio reference monitors meant for near field home or studio mixing. They are well known for the quality of the monitor and giving the listener a very flat response. This is important in mixing because what you hear is really what you get. You can be sure that if the studio in which your mixing with these monitors is acoustically ideal, that quality of sound will go wherever you choose to listen. Along with the great quality and design, these speakers will look great in any environment. With a very sleek, shiny, outside case, the white cones really pop out and have them standing out in the room. These monitors are very affordable, simple to use with just a power supply, XLR adapters, and simple on/off switch located on the back of the monitor. These speakers are specifically targeted towards professionals or just people who want great, quality sound. The reviews and word of mouth on the reputation of these monitors are why they are so popular and affordable.

2) Honda CRF 250.
My 2006 CRF 250 is one of a kind like myself. The first year that the model came with a duel exhaust system. Although it runs a little different than the older years, i really enjoy it. The twin mufflers sound great and look awesome, but Honda also had some great new features on the motor itself. The motor has a very quick acceleration and also moves through the mid end pretty well. Compared to competition of the same size motor on other makes, this one is the lightest. Although maybe only a few pounds, a good rider will notice the difference when riding through turns on a track.

3)Ableton 9 suite
Ableton is one of the most popular and user friendly DAW's on the market. It is known for the ease of use in live situations. wether for a DJ, or using effects on live instruments, Ableton is very efficient for all musicians.  Ableton can combines MIDI editing and music effects with audio clips with such ease. This is the main reason i use it. It makes it very simple to use and modulate outside plug-ins, along with any EQ's or compressor's. Ableton comes stock with some very high quality EQ's and audio effects as well. My favorite thing about Ableton is that 5 minutes after installing it on your computer, you will feel like a pro.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

Now days in the advancements in technology and social media habits and techniques, it is becoming much easier for good customer serving companies to get recognition. The best way to spread the word of your companies reputation is by your customers telling other people themselves. Instead of people hearing it directly from the company, it has much more meaning when the compliments are coming from people outside the company. "Consumers hear about products and brand experiences from others just like themselves—people they trust—rather than from commercial marketing sources." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 143. With such a large audience Facebook has, it would seem stupid for companies  not to tap into this consumer base to sell their products. "750-million-plus user base."  These companies who are interested in social media advertising are now actively seeking ambassadors for their product or company. When people see an actual person so enthusiastic about a product, and not just a commercial or billboard, they become much more attentive to the message about the company. "Once selected, the ambassadors are trained with real brand knowledge to go along with their passion for the brand. The ambassadors then tap into friends, family, groups, and broader audiences through personal conversations, blogs, live events, and online social media." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 143.  It is pretty obvious to say that these companies choose people with a solid knowledge of the product before having them spread the word about it. If necessary, the company will give the ambassadors lessons on how to use the product before having them advertise it. The company wants to make sure they have a general knowledge of the product to give them more qualifications in recommending the brand.  "Once selected, the ambassadors are trained with real brand knowledge to go along with their passion for the brand." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 143.

Week 4 EOC: Business to Business Marketing

The consumer market involves much of meeting customers demands and needs. The Xerox comany is a great example of this idea. Xerox was the first company, and for a while, maybe the only company making large profits in the photocopying business. It seemed as the market for these products started to change, Xerox did not change with it. This cost them a lot of business until they decided to reinvent themselves as a company. "As a result of this new thinking, Xerox now offers a broad portfolio of customer-focused products, software, and services that help its customers manage documents and information" Marketing: An Introduction pg. 66. Apple is the best example of meeting consumer demands. Although considered highly expensive, Apple still has loyal customers willing to pay for their products. "The American consumer market consists of more than 300 million people who consume more than $14 trillion worth of goods and services each year, making it one of the most attractive consumer markets in the world." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 136. The buyer decision process is as follows: Need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post purchase behavior. So basically a consumer finds out what he needs. Searches for what that is and finds out where it can be obtained. Looks at all the options he has for that product and options to obtain that product. The adoption process is "The mental process through which an individual passes from first hearing about an innovation to final adoption." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 154. Basically the consumer finds out information about the product, decides wether he needs it or not, tries the product and last decides if he needs this item for regular use. The business market is all about businesses deciding what product they can sell for a profit. Although their products end up in the hands of consumers, the most important part of business-tobusiness sales is getting the product to the large resellers of their product. That is where the bulk of their profits are made. The most important factor in the business market is probably the desire for the product or service. The demand for the goods through consumers is their entire market for sales. This decision process is much longer and more complicated than consumer sales. "The buying business usually calls for detailed specifications of the product. "Marketing: An Introduction pg. 160. The buyer and seller in business to business sales are much more dependent on each other. They work much more closely together to make sure both sides of the deal are satisfied with the outcome.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

I fall into the category of Millennials (or Generation Y). Supposedly there was around 83 million children born in this time frame. So basically, my generation are the children of the baby boomers.  A huge part of my age group is our enviornment as kids. We grew up in the rise of technology. My generation has very different thinking skills and problem solving techniques as our ancestors did. "They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life" Marketing: An Introduction pg 74. According to the book, my age group or demographics are key targets for advertising campaigns. This has to do with our age and views. Apparently companies think our views and beliefs are much easier swayed or changed than people in older generations. "Reaching these message-saturated consumers effectively requires creative marketing approaches." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 74. Barack Obama's campaign directly targeted this audience through social networking sites commonly used by this generation. Things like Facebook, Myspace, and his own website were tools associated with targeting this audience. "A recent study found that 91 percent of Millennials are on the Web, making up 32 percent of all U.S. Internet users. According to another study, 77 percent of Millennials frequent social networking sites and 71 percent use instant messaging." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 74. President Obama went out to so far to draw in this audience that he even drew people as friends on Facebook to watch his video presentations on Youtube. Youtube is a popular website for people in the Millennials demographic. Many younger voters that supported Obama's campaign received text messages directly from the Obama team on election day, reminding them to go out and vote. For this age group, this had to be the easiest way to get ahold of them and remind them to vote. Some of them might not have been home, or if not reminded, might not have even gone out and voted. Obama did a fantastic job targeting this age group to go out and place their votes for him. "Young people turned out at the polls in record numbers, with fully 66 percent favoring Obama, turning the tide his way in several key states." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 74.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

People should understand that you can make money, help people, and enjoy what your doing all at the same time. Some companies now days are getting involved with work that helps others as well as themselves. "These days, every product seems to be tied to some cause." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 86. These charitable companies are truly interested in making their livings by helping other people around the world live better. "TOMS shoes was founded as a for-profit company—it wants to make money selling shoes. But the company has an equally important not-for-profit mission—putting shoes on the feet of needy children around the world." Marketing: An Introduction pg. 86.  Toms company was started by a man, when in 2006 visiting Argentina, noticed all these children walking with no shoes. He wanted to make a difference in the world, and make a living at the same time.  I would love to start a company similar to this. To make a solid wage by helping other people and making their lives a little better and easier. I think i could have a successful business by bringing books and other reading materials to these children in poor countries who don't have the luxury of reading material. If people could just donate their old books that they never read, other children would have a chance to learn how to read. Also, I believe companies would sponsor events and fundraisers for this charity. I would be helping people, and making a wage at the same time. “We don’t just drop the shoes off, as the name might imply,” says Mycoskie. “We place the shoes on each child’s feet so that we can establish a connection, which is such an important part of our brand. Marketing: An Introduction pg. 87. I believe this is how Toms took off. This idea that they themselves are down there in these countries putting the shoes on these children's feet. That shows it is not all about the money for these guys. That they genuinely want to help. "By mid 2009, TOMS had sold (and therefore given away) more than 150,000 pairs of shoes. With sales in excess of $8 million, the company is profitable and growing exponentially."Marketing: An Introduction pg. 87. I don't know of many people who would not support a company entirely based on helping other people in need.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

“Video games in general have always been in a continuous growth phase,” said Jesse Divnich, vice president of insights and analysis at game industry research firm EEDAR. “We consistently grow every year. Some years more than others, but we've consistently grown.” It seems as some people think the industry is taking a huge hit, when others just simply say it is changing."I bristle when people suggest as much," says Adrian Crook, a game design consultant. "Consoles will grow again and will never go away." I believe that the money is still there but just going to different areas of the industry. Anyone who already owns a game console has no need to buy a new one. When new consoles first come out, they generate a huge revenue. This is caused by such a high price and high demand for the console. Now when everyone already owns it, that revenue drops drastically. The money is not being spent on the consoles themselves, but now in other areas. Size of global traditional video game market revenue, excluding mobile games on smart phones and tablets: $58 billion, up slightly from $57.2 billion in 2012 .http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/10/gameshow-e-idINDEE9590DW20130610. The video game market might be taking a hit, but mobile phone game sales are steadily increasing.

I think there's probably natural attrition occurring in the market," said Edward Williams of BMO Capital Markets. "What you're wrestling with here is there are several currents. The category is evolving—in terms of how people are playing games and how they're paying for the games

The market for video games, i believe, is still there. Perhaps targeting different audiences will help generate sales. Most games being put out are specifically designed for younger males. Maybe designing games for girls and women would help generate more money while continuing to design the games for the young male audience. 

Week One Eoc: Great Customer Service

One time I was browsing online looking for a new computer. I knew i wanted to have a awesome computer that would be capable of doing everything audio related that i needed it to do. I had to get a Mac. I went to the apple website and started to chat with a customer service representative. I told him exactly what i would be using it for and all the minimum specifications that it would need. He suggested a computer that to me seemed very expensive. Even though the professional told me exactly what was needed, i decided to go with a less expensive computer. This one was significantly cheaper, but also lacked in certain areas that really were needed to be top notch for what was the desired use. Apple shipped the computer and I received it in no time. At first it was great. It ran quickly and was having no trouble with the programs I had on it. As a few months past i installed a couple more audio programs on it. These ones, as the Apple rep told me, needed more RAM memory and a quicker processor. I was very upset at myself and thought i had just wasted 900 dollars. It had been about 4 months since I had purchased it and was way past the return date. I had nothing to lose so i figured it wouldn't hurt to talk to Apple about it and just ask what could be done. I got on the phone with a manager and explained my situation. In no time the manager had a paid for postage stamp sent to my e-mail and told me to take it to a post office to be sent back. About two weeks later i had my brand new computer sitting on my front porch. I have never received anything close to such wonderful customer service. Just the fact that i was able to talk to a manager so quickly and he was so understanding of my situation blew my mind. I tell people about what great customer service Apple has and i know that brings them more business. In the end, having the wonderful customer service might cost a company some money at first, but in the long run they keep their customers close and continue to gain new ones every day, Thats's what great customer service is all about to me. "Web seller Zappos is obsessed with creating the very best customer service and customer experience. In return, customers reward the company with their brand loyalty and buying dollars. The result: Zappos’ sales have grown astronomically." Marketing: An Introduction" pg. 4

Week One EOC: My Voice

As an audio professional I strive to keep up to date skills and talents that keep me talented in this always changing field. The competition for money in this industry causes newer and better technology to be released on almost a weekly basis. It is essential as an audio professional to be aware of the newest technology, and get familiar with it as well. Being comfortable and skilled with technology from 5 years ago will keep you behind and sometimes out of work. The big names in this business are always upgrading their studios and equipment to be more time and money efficient. Just being up to date on the skills in the always changing software of the industry will keep you a job. Now how good you can be with it will most likely determine the money you choose to charge if you are working freelance. Currently only a sophomore, I can consider myself a professional. My skills and talents include everything from mixing and recording great quality sound, to recording and editing video. I am comfortable with the latest version of Pro Tools, which is an industry standard program for mixing and doing post production.  I also have acoustical studio experience, and have skills in creating some great sounding rooms for either mixing or just listening. Whatever it may be, i consider myself an artist in all aspects of audio.