In response to Chris Beland

I think that the "advertise yourself" idea is so simple, yet so effective. I once saw on ebay, somebody sold their forehead to a company, and got a tattoo with the company slogan. Any person walkin down the street would be mind bottled if they saw a tattoo on somebody's head for Budweiser.

It is extremely effective, because it is so odd, it will cause a stir. The only problem is finding people crazy enough to do it. I don't know about you but I think $750 a day would be quite a pretty penny.

Soon they will have electronic forehead sized billboards that they will employ people to wear.

Technology Accelerating Marketing

The other day somebody was talking about a cell phone which was only about a year old, but they were remarking about how it was so slow, so out dated, and such a P.O.S. Technology changes and evolves so quickly nowadays its near impossible to keep up with it all.

This must pose an extreme challenge to marketing departments who are trying to grow awareness around their product. Strategies must be short term if you sell technology, and they must focus on generating excitement around your brand name, not necessarily the individual item. Because, that product, if it is a cell phone or something of that nature, it will be irrelevant in a year.

Products used to be a more long term fit in the market place. Nowadays however, its, iPhone, iPhone 2, iPhone 3, etc. Company's have adapted to this unique problem, they simply update a single device, giving it the latest and greatest technology for that time, and then they can directly advertise the iPhone. 

It used to be, once you added something game changing to your product, such as say a camera phone, you would create a new product, such as "Moto Razr" or something. But, due to the rapid acceleration of technology, new innovations happen at a level unheard of in past societies. 

So I end the blog asking this, think back to your last cell phone, how old and decrepit do you think it is? Now, picture back in say, 1970. Do you think that citizens felt the latest and greatest product from a year ago was a P.O.S. the next year?

In response to Chris Beland

I also believe Facebook going public was a foreseen action. They are an extremely profitable company, with a long term future. Going public would only help Facebook's cause, as they bring in new money from investors they can expand their capabilities and ensure their future.

However, with the way technology accelerates change in the world today, Facebook is not a certain bet. Remember Myspace? Me neither, it will one day leave its place in society, it will no longer be trending. Once mainstream America decides there is a new, cooler item to be used, Facebook will crumble, and the billion dollar network will leave our minds with Myspace and Napster carrying it to the grave.

Verizon Sucks

So, I recently broke my phone, six days after my purchase. It is one of those fancy Razr smartphone type deals. I discovered Verizon's marketing strategy through this debacle. Apparently, their warranty starts coverage a month after the purchase date. Also, their "indirect distributor" Wireless Zone, gave m their own version of a warranty.

Now, I could switch to a less "cool" phone, with no 4G and all that, but if I do that, Verizon does not allow you to get the data plan back. Verizon locks their customers into a data plan, and if you ever break your phone, you can not use any other phone than a 4G model.

So, after Verizon gets a new customer, they lock them into their plan, with the idea that the customer can't leave his $30 a month data package, or else he will never get it back on that line. How does that make sense?

They are limiting their ability to get new customers, because their service is not "customer friendly". It is just another way in how corporations screw their customers, unknowingly. So, for the next month I cannot get a phone, until my insurance plan "Starts", because I broke my phone too soon. If a life insurance policy operated in the same way Verizon's warranty works, then you wouldn't be able to receive benefits for dying unexpectedly soon.

So thank you Verizon for telling me to wait three weeks before I ask for the service I purchased with my phone.

In Response to Aislynn Sherry

I also feel that Wal-Mart has begun to reach maturity in its lifecycle, however, I think they will remain a cash-cow for years to come. Their portfolio of products literally satisfies any need for a consumer, and their ability to offer cost saving deals, across their store, will allow them to stay competitive.

If their were a global downturn, it is hard to picture Wal-Mart going under, they would quite possibly flourish if there were a recession. Shoppers, who are pathetically targeted by Monadnock Buy Local, would quickly turn their dollar to the cheap stuff, Wal-Mart. Small business would sink, and Wal-mart would swim.

They are too big to fail at this point, and as society transforms, I believe Wal-Mart will consistently change their strategies to grow their share of the customer wallet.

Branding

This week in class we spoke about branding a lot, and so I just wanted to look at something I noticed during the week.

My friend and I were talking about how it is such a great deal if you buy the Market basket turkey, in the Tupperware, since you get a free Tupperware outta the deal. Then he pointed out to me that Tupperware is actually just a company, and not the name of the product. Having the branding power to essentially place your company name on the "universal" name for a market, is extremely effective.

Think about what other company there is that makes Tupperware products? Nearly impossible, they have taken control of the market with a simple naming of the brand.

So what other markets have companies placed their name strategically, WD-40? Vaseline? There are many examples in the market today, many subtle marketing strategies that just happen to stick.

In Response to Ethan Gage

I just wrote out an entire blog on your "Evolution of marketing" and my computer decided to delete everything so I am rewriting it.

I agree with your perspective on how markets have been changing and would like to bring up some examples of how it is changing in real time, and many consumers do not yet realize it.

For instance, when you look on your Facebook, how often is it that you find advertisements for things you often search? When I had a Facebook I would receive advertisements for lacrosse gear, since I used to search it often. As the world becomes more tech savvy, we also begin to keep track of our data, without even noticing it.

There are countless forms of "data-analytics" that analyze consumers data in real-time, and they are then used by companies to create marketing strategies. The world is slowly moving towards individualistic advertising, rather than "Mass Marketing".

Think about the days when all that consumers had was a radio. Now, we have cell phones, that can keep track of our every move, they know our location, our preferences, and what we talk about.

What will happen when they give technology the ability to "think" like a human? Computers are only as smart as we make them, when you continually add to their abilities it can only lead to unknown results, especially to the people who don't create them

Using Clothes to Market

While observing my house-mates bar activities over the last couple weeks I noticed that bars do alot of advertising. It seems like every night they come home with new swag, such as t-shirts or hats that are some sort of beer slogan or caption. 

This made me wonder how many people actually purchase more beer(of the shirt they are winning), and if it actually is effective. It is an interesting tactic when you think about it. The bar probably receives the shirts/hats etc for free from the company, and then raffles them off, creating more business for themselves while using these free clothes from the company.

The company who is offering the shirts etc have to be realizing some sort of profit from the tactic. Quite frankly, when bar-goers are hammered and see "Guinness" or "Budweiser" every ten seconds they must buy more of that beer, since it is in their mind. While intoxicated, when somebody says, "LETS GET MARGARITAS" who says no? Generally, I feel, that people will go with the vibes and simply drink the promoted beverage.

So, offering shirts and hats, in my opinion would be a very effective method of reminding consumers that  there is...Budweiser, or Blue Moon at this bar. 

And so, I end this blog with, if you saw a bunch of people wearing "Blue Moon" shirts, and you were intoxicated, would you be encouraged to buy that beer?

In Response To Aislynn Sherry

The idea of a car that can operate itself is an exciting prospect, but is it really a good idea? I feel as if relying on technology to the point where it takes you from point A to point B on its own, would only weaken society. Technology already runs humans lives more than they realize. People would be lost if they didn't have their cell-phones, or a GPS. Imagine giving 100 college students a map, and telling them to find x destination, without using ANY technology.

How many times have you been in a car with someone who doesn't read road signs, or highway markers. To a point you could make an argument that technology greatly decreases a humans capacity to think. Technology thinks for you, and that is a dangerous prospect I feel.

Technology should be a tool to humans, it should not be an answer. They should use the technology to assist them, not to do the entire job for them. Having a car that can take away all your needs to think, "problem solve" on how to find a location, would only weaken society. I say we bring back the horse and buggy and wagon trains.

X-Box Cutting their Membership Fees

The other day I saw an ad on TV saying how Xbox is cutting the cost of its membership fees for its online gaming. The costs went from $60 a year, down to about $40.

Xbox has transformed the way people now use the Live platform, transitioning the product from a teenage target market, into the everyday setup for living rooms. They offer the news, movies, games, Facebook, and you can even connect your computer to the device. They have expanded their addressable market into adults, who they hope will use their credit cards to watch movies and other cost-related features.

I feel like Xbox is hoping to reshape how consumers use the device. Blockbuster was wiped out by Netflix, is Xbox attempting to target cable companies and even Netflix? By lowering their prices it will allow them to generate more demand around Xbox Live, as more age groups begin to find the usefulness in the device.

If Microsoft can power sync your laptops, your cell phones, your living room entertainment system(Xbox Live) and be the sole provider behind it, they will provide dangerous competition to companies within the US. Will Microsoft continue growing the Xbox platform?

In Response to Chris Beland

I found your article on Pepsi firing 100 out of 150 advertising agencies interesting. I personally feel this is a good move by Pepsi for a few reasons.

Everybody knows the brand of Pepsi. At this stage of their product cycle it is safe to say that it's a "cash-cow". So having extensive advertising doesn't seem very effective in my mind. Instead maybe they could use the money that they'll save on advertisements, and look to pioneer partnerships to extend the reach of their can of soda.

For instance, why not partner with say, Southwest Airlines. You get a guaranteed customer base, and it would be an effective form of advertising new soda-types as they come out. For instance, a business man who has had a long and tiring day could drink some Pepsi Max, and see the "energy" it brings him. This would work better than running a commercial showing a Cheetah race a human who just drank some Pepsi.

False Advertising and its implications

Today as I was watching a commercial for "No-No" hair removal I began to wonder why companies are not more severely punished for false advertisements.

The commercial stated it uses a form of  "electric therapy" to kill the hair follicles, allowing for the permanent removal of hair. It then did a time-lapse and showed consumers hair magically vanish as they ran a $20 controller looking object over their skin.

How many times are their commercials on T.V. where objects claim to do this or that, and nothing actually happens? In our world of instant-satisfaction consumers often see an advertisement, are given a phone number while in the background it blinks, "ONLY AN HOUR LEFT ON THIS OFFER" and they run to their credit cards, "charge it to the game" and have a worthless product that doesn't do as it claims.

In my opinion, if a product cannot do exactly as it is advertised on T.V. then it should be instantly shut-down. Since when did it become "ok" to lie about your products capabilities in order to gain more customers? America used to be creative, designing products that were truly applicable in the ways that they were advertised.

Now almost daily you see paid-programming where some buffoon exclaims that you can spread this rubber-based product on the bottom of a row-boat and you will be A-ok. Or, for those who have heard of "magic-putty" you can tow a Mack Truck because this product is so strong. But when you buy it, attempt to hand a three pound picture on your wall, it doesn't work, instead you have a broken picture frame and a shitty, useless product.

I personally believe that consumers should get the most accurate "claims" by companies on their product. If the entire world falsely advertised their solutions, how would consumers ever know what they are actually buying? If you say I can do something with what I'm buying, then I should without a doubt be able to do so.

So I end my blog with the question, do you think that companies should receive penalties and fines if they are found guilty of false-advertisement?

I think the death-penalty would be a good starting point.

In Response to Ethan Gage

I find your topic very intriguing. I actually thought that online marketing would have surpassed print a long time ago.

Maybe a couple factors come into this. Quite simply it must be far cheaper to advertise online, because what physical components are you paying for? Whereas when you decide to say, throw your company on a billboard you need to spend more for the man-hours needed, the actual bill-board, and I'm sure there is some sort of monthly fee involved.

Your post brings up, in my opinion, a hint of the future. Nowadays cell-phones and smart-phones rule the world. Every human from he age 12-100 owns a phone, and they are valuable tools to market solutions on customers. I just finished reading a piece on how Salesforce.com is creating a tool for companies, that allows them to, "Sift through social-networking data". Imagine how easy it would be to find customers if you...knew who they where already?

Companies no longer need to hope there ad's work, they simply find customers that run alot of google searches on say....puppies, and then a company who specializes in puppy posters knows who they should be focusing their ad campaigns at.

Advertising and marketing departments are in a constant state of evolution, but never at this rate.