Week 7 - The Pitch

Lanikai Hawaiian Vodka brings the true essence of Hawaii to awaken and invigorate your senses. As the name would suggest, Lanikai, or "Heavenly Sea," is a light, crisp vodka that is refreshing and rejuvenating, just as the well known beaches of Lanikai in Hawaii are known to be.  Lanikai Vodka is not only gentle and smooth, giving a sense of serenity and peace but also suggests liveliness and spirit through its special infusion of the island bounty.  When you drink this vodka, you are reminded of the delicious fruits of the island: Pineapple, Guava, Papaya and Passionfruit.  Your senses want to sing and dance and invigorate you into celebrating life.  The hint of Yellow Hibiscus in the vodka, suggests to you the secret splendor of the island: beauty, finesse, wonderful health benefits, and delicious indulgence. Because our vodka is uniquely distilled through fermentation of these rare and delicate fruits, herbs and ingredients, our product is not only healthy but utterly delectable. Aside from the taste, Lanikai Vodka is especially appealing to people with allergies, or those looking for added health benefits.  The hibiscus flower us a powerful antioxidant and with many added health benefits. Yellow Hibiscus also acts as a cooling agent on the body, so that when you drink our vodka, you remain cool and refreshed, not overheated and flushed as most other vodkas may leave you. You can retain the cool, fresh, island feel of flowing water and freshness.  Lanikai Vodka is also infused with Jin Dan Hua, a honeysuckle flower, makes this Vodka especially appealing to people with allergies because of its medicinal benefits that combat allergies and sinuses and reduce the inflammation of airways. You will love Lanikai Hawaiian vodka. It's light, smooth and refreshing taste on the palate leaves an exquisite essence of Hawaii and indulging in Lanikai Hawaiian Vodka is like a vacation in itself. Sail away on your own personal adventure with this heavenly sea, Lanikai Hawaiian Vodka.

Week Six - Me x3

Of the many products out there in today's world, we all have specific products that we're partial to. They help us create our sense of self and define our identity. We can closely relate specific products to parts of our personality and indiviuality. For me, there are many. However, for the purposes of this blog, I am going to list my top three and explain what they mean to me.

1. My Apple iPhone. I use my iphone every day. In a very large way, it has become very personal and a huge part of who I am. Not in the sense where the phone defines me, but I define myself through it, and very much rely on it to keep all of who I am right there tangibly with me. I almost feel naked and lonely without it. I know most people can agree they get that sense of discomfort without their communication devices also. I'm not sure if everyone's decisions on which phone/brand is as calculated, or influential to them, but for me it is crucial. When thinking about why I choose this product over all others, seems like a simple estimation, but rather is very complex. Many decisions reaffirm that this phone, this product and brand, is by far the best and at this point, only option for me. The quality I know I can expect is one thing, but the capabilities and features are more extensive and really give me a sense of freedom and ability to explore. It is personalized to fit my life. It is many things to me. It houses my most sacred possessions: my personal photos, my theraputic music, and I am able to wirelessly send all of that info to my computer, so it is never lost, via iCloud. Best of all, my family and friends are right there at my fingertips with just a few clicks, even though, I use the actual phone feature least of all. But just knowing it's there and having the options available to me is satisfaction enough to validate the necessity.

2. MAC, Makeup Forever, NARS, Urban Decay, Benefit, Too Faced, Lorac. These are the only brands I use for makeup. I am very speicific. And of those brands there are specific items I use of each. For instance, I only wear MAC Lipstick. I am not against trying new ones, but I have a need to have my MAC Lipstick and or gloss always in my possession. It's necessary. I wear NARS blush, and I layer their gloss over my MAC lipstick. My Makeup Forever foundation is a constant, even though my Makeup Forever liquid blush is in rotation with NARS; however I'm kind of partially in love with it more than the NARS at the moment. NARS isn't too happy, since it was my baby until I discovered it. I am also obsessed with Urban Decay and Too Faced for their eyeshadows and sets! I have to buy all the new sets when they are released, I'm such an eyeshadow whore. I don't even have to use them; just knowing that I have them is enough! I do love Too Faced's bronzing powder. I only wear Benefit's Bad Gal Lash Mascara because it is absolutely amazing! And - oh my God - Lorac lotions are the finishing touches that make my skin glow and look gorgeous. I can't imagine living without my Tantalizer and it's newest addition - Self-Tantalizer! They are divine. My point is that these speicific products are the example of how united we become to certain products. The pleasure I find in beauty products is really kind of absurd from the outside looking in, but my obsession is truly satisfying.

3. Last, but certainly not least, is my infatuation with Northface. I love my Northface Osito hoodie. Simply put, Northface is the warmest, yet breathable, most snuggly, soft, cozy hoodie on the face of the planet. I love that they are thin and small; yet can be worn out in the snow. And when you wear them in mild weather you don't get overheated, so it's actually good in most weather! Love it!

Week Five - Social Networks and Job Hunting

Marketing today has dramatically changed from previous years. Most of marketing is now making the transition directly into Social Media Networks. Marketers use social networking sites to find out a plethora of information about their consumers as well as to send out information about their products and services. Marketers are also now beginning to use this world of social media networks to recruit new employees and also market at the same time. Thus, job placement sites are actually becoming a united facet of social networking sites and now marketers are creating a new avenue for companies to locate employee candidates and for people to locate job listings.

One example of how this would work is the process by which marketers are now hiring “brand ambassadors.” 

 “Marketers select their brand ambassadors very carefully, based on customers’ devotion to a brand and the size of their social circles. They sometimes search blogs and online social networks to identify individuals who are already functioning as brand advocates. 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. For the ambassadors, it’s often a labor of love more than a paying job. Rewards include product samples, gifts, discounts, and token cash payments. Perhaps more important to many brand enthusiasts, they get insider access to company information, such as new products or services in the works.

Brand ambassador programs leverage the power of peer-to-peer communication. Consumers hear about products and brand experiences from others just like themselves—people they trust—rather than from commercial marketing sources,” (Armstrong/Kotler p. 143).

These “brand ambassadors,” or, people who and endorse the companies product are found online on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Craigslist. Their position consists of them being surveyed themselves and also talk to and interview people about the product, and to promote it and be compensated with possibility of future job opportunities and promotions within the company. This is an absolute breakthrough in the job market. We now have this huge world opened up to us. However, at the same time, is this also a bit more taxing on our privacy and personal lives?

            This quest that marketers have to examine consumer behaviors is becoming extremely personal and almost infringing upon our very independence. The true test will lie on the future growth of Facebook.com. “Beginning next week, the company also plans to pilot a new Facebook application that will allow them to search for candidates on BranchOut Inc.'s Facebook app which, similar to BeKnown, builds a professional networking layer on top of Facebook and has more than 2.6 million monthly users, according to AppData.com,” (Joe Light, Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2011).  Only time can tell if this is a genius new advancement, or if it is another step toward losing individual rights to preservation of privacy.

Week Four - There's An App for That

Popular culture today is increasingly more reliant on our mobile devices.  There seems to be an app for almost anything. We are bombarded by millions of apps, some that are useless in retrospect, others that are brilliant and innovative. When asking myself the question what would you create if given the opportunity to design an app, I decided it would be interesting and useful to create an app that allows you to mix music, similar to a DJ on turntables. It would be really interesting to have one almost identical actually, and that also gave information and notes that would teach you how to actually DJ and mix, yet serve more as a tutorial. On this app, you would be able to download music and maybe with a subscription could have access to specific DJ's and artists newest music releases. I would even go so far as to offer different systems to learn on the app - for example you can choose which mixer you want to use, and generally they would all operate through Scratch Live, or some other similar music mixing software.

I thought that this app was beneficial because of the transitions currently in the music industry. I think it would be a way to bring back money into the business. This can dramatically affect the consumer market and target the niche market of young, creative, music loving generation and aspiring DJ's and artists. "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. The world consumer market consists of more than 6.8 billion people who annually consume an estimated $70 trillion worth of goods and services" (Armstrong/Kotler, p. 136). In creating the app, the goal would be to allow for young passionate creative Apple users to adopt the system of purchasing music again and finding value in having a superior outlet where only the newest, hottest music would be released and shared on this app alone. Individual differences in innovativeness are what affect the rate of adoption. "People differ greatly in their readiness to try new products" (Armstrong/Kotler, p. 156).  In my quest of looking through apps I noticed another dilemma we are faced with as consumers in today's world... on our purchase making journey we undergo a tremendous task of scanning through too many alternatives. We must evaluate them and sometimes it becomes overwhelming. Therefore, I think in this case, the people most likely to use this app would be the innovators of the music industry. "Innovators are venturesome—they try new ideas at some risk"(Armstrong/Kotler, p. 157).

In my research to see if there was an App that exists similar to this I was shocked to find that there were a few apps very similar to this ideation. One of the first to pop up was DJMixer. I actually decided to download the app and am now beginning to use it and mix my own songs. It just goes to show you that if you can think it, then it's safe to assume that there is probably already an app for that! That's not to say you can't always improve upon what's already there, but in today's world, I think that is the biggest challenge. It isn't just about creating, it's about innovating.

Week Three - Business Philanthropy

Many businesses these days forget the true value of helping others. Of course, businesses are all in business for making money. That's the obvious name of the game. But what ever happened to extending a helping hand to those in need? So many times those with the greatest outreach and capabilities are those who drop the ball the most and never dare to jump on an opportunity to make a difference in the world for the less fortunate. Some businesses make that business leap seem almost seamless and really set the bar much higher and set a wonderful example for any and all new businesses in today's world to hopefully take some cues from.

We spoke in class about Tom's Shoes. If you are unfamiliar with this business, I suggest you take a look into it, as it is a wonderful business that donates one pair of shoes for every pair bought for a child in need.  This story inspired me to look further and put the spotlight on three more similar businesses that support a greater cause and really make a difference in the world.

One that I found especially appealing and heart wrenching is the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  "St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay." That is their unique mission statement. They are a company that raises money and finds ways to save lives of sick children every day. I've seen their ads on television.  They are touching portrayals of the children fighting cancer and fighting for their lives. St. Jude's fights to change their lives. They have treated children from all 50 states and even work internationally. "By supporting St. Jude, you are helping continue our lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children." - all quotes are found on their website.

Next, I found a business called BlueSilk.org.  A woman named Marjorie Mason began her own silk scarf company in order to support impoverished Cambodian women with every silk scarf she sells.
"BlueSilk.org, for example, sells silk scarves and accessories in a venture Mason and her husband acquired from a church in March 2010, in the hopes it can someday support the couple while streaming money to a Cambodian nonprofit. The scarves are hand woven by women of impoverished Cambodia, who are receiving training and other aid from the nonprofit Stung Treng Women’s Development Centre."

Finally, although the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation is among one of the most widely known philanthropist endeavors in today's society, I found it personally imperative to mention. Many women in my family, many close friends, or even friends of friends I've heard of or seen, have either directly dealt with breast cancer, died from it, or have struggled or lost a loved one through the battle.  Breast cancer has increasingly become a major issue today, ruining many lives or prematurely stealing our beloved mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends. I myself participate in fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Foundation annually and I participate in the many events throughout the year, spreading knowledge and hope to all within my reach. I think it is wonderful that through the Foundation, people are able to have a change, and re-gain faith and strength, or at least some amount of security knowing they are supported in their mission to find a cure.

They do a phenominal job marketing the campaign, with many catchy slogans, such as "Save the Ta-tas,"
I love boobies," and their unmistakable Pink campaign, "Passionately Pink for the Cure!" They sell innumerable amounts of Breast Cancer Research clothing, sponsored products such sponsorships from the NFL, Ford Motors among many other organizations that are widely becoming a part of this movement.  I only hope that we are able to find the cure to breast cancer, and all cancer in the near future, but on the mission to finding it, I commend this organization for all of their hard work, dedication and passion that drives the world to joining in with them and creating a viable outlet to be able to do so.

Week Three - Demographics

When we talk about demographics in terms of marketing, we begin to think about where we fall in the scheme of things as well. For me, many questions are raised to find out what it means to be part of Generation Y, or a Millenial baby.  My generation, babies born between the years of 1977-2000 have "utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They just don't embrace technology. It's a way of life" (Armstrong/Kotler, p.74). 

For marketers, this has a huge impact on the methods they will use to get through to their audience. It seems to be the most challenging demographic because of this internet immersion. "A study found that 91 percent of millenials are on the web making up 32 percent of all U.S. Internet users" (Armstrong/Kotler, p. 74).  It would seem that Internet shines as one of the best methods of marketing in today's world. However, it can also be one of the most overlooked methods because of the absoulte immersion of today's world. We are constantly bombarded with these hidden messages and marketing schemes. Do they work, and penetrate our subconscious? Or are we turned off completely to the acknowledgment of such ads.

Our generation has been raised with technology. It's a part of our upbringing. "All generations are comfortable with technology, but this is the generation that’s been formed by technology,” says a Yahoo! executive. For them, “it’s not something separate. It’s just something they do” (Armstrong/Kotler, p. 74).  For marketers, it seems technology is the best way to get their messages across to our generation. It seems that it may be an embedded part of our humanity, maybe even far beyond our conscious knowledge and things that may seem to go unnoticed could actually have a greater affect than may be credited for having.

Week Two: Boston Consulting Group Video Games

Technology today is evolving at an alarmingly fast pace. Our machines are becoming outdated quicker than ever before and new advances deem our "old" machines obsolete. Right now in the video game industry, we see the market shares become increasingly more dominated by mobile and handheld devices such as mobile devices and touch pads. Gaming is moving into that direction at an alarming and consistent rate. According to Nick Bilton, found in the New York Times, "the fastest growth is likely to come in mobile gaming, said Tuong Nguyen, principal research analyst at Gartner and co-author of the report, in an e-mail interview. He predicted that the sales and use of hand-held gaming consoles, including those made by Sony or Nintendo, would slow as young gamers opted for a smartphone or tablet instead of a dedicated gaming device." The market share for mobile devices presently is about 10 percent of the video game market and is expected to double in 5 years. "Mobile gaming will grow “from 15 percent in 2010 to 20 percent in 2015,” according to the report, the largest amount of growth compared with other gaming platforms." 

The effects this shift has on the XBox continues to cause concern. "The shifting demand toward tablets is worrisome to Microsoft because most tablets run on Apple’s operating system or on Google’s Android software. Tablet manufacturers have shown little interest in adopting Windows, leaving Microsoft out of what some of its executives had thought was a niche product. Sales of tablets are expected to triple to 43.6 million units in 2011 from a year earlier, according to eMarketer, a market research firm" (Verne G Kopytoff). Although, I do believe that XBox does have a chance considering the direction they are going with Internet gaming and the obvious progression to Internet TV that we are starting to see as coming in the near future.


Sony has had a steady decline. One main reason was a system hack in early 2011 which caused them to take a 2.08 billion dollar hit." Sony’s PlayStation Network was infiltrated by hackers who gained access to highly sensitive information about its customers. The gaming network has 77 million registered users.
When you step back and take a look at the market share and industry as a whole, we see that specific companies outshine all around, not just in one area but taking the cake as a whole and moving with the flow of progression, not getting stuck in the tides of change.  Taking the Boston Consulting Group method into consideration, we can determine which role each of the denominations takes. The four most prevalent video game entities being 1) Nintendo, 2) Sony 3) Microsoft and 4) Apple (mobile devices).  The highest market growth rate and high market share seems to be within Apple and mobile devices, which makes them the emerging Star.  The Cash Cow in this situation with the highest relative market share and low growth rate is Nintendo.  The Question Mark, the company with a High market growth rate, and low relative market share is Microsoft (XBox).  Then, lastly, the Dog, the company with the Lowest market growth rate and relative market share is Sony (Playstation). 

Video Game Industry Statistics
Apple iPhone & iPad Video Game Market Share 
Although Sony said its users’ credit card information was encrypted on its servers, hackers claimed to have access to 2.2 million credit cards and were hoping to sell them on a underground hacker networks. The committee has asked Sony to divulge what type of personal information was actually taken during the attack" (Nick Bilton). This is an extremely huge drawback and hit for Playstation users, even though as of now it is still widely used, it seems that for the future it is possible to face a decline, especially with the innovations underway.