Week 15 Discussion and Assignment

   Evaluate the following two ads and tell which one performs better. What are your criteria? Why?
I would say that Xero Consultants Bali performed better because of the lower cost per conversion.Read the article To Fix Bad Breath, a Gadget Seen on YouTube and answer the following questions:

1)      Why were the former BYU students unable to create a profitable AdWords campaign to sell the Orabrush?

Because video is the perfect media for this product.

2)      If you were Jeff, and you decided to run Facebook ads for Orabrush, would you send them to orabrush.com or to the YouTube video? Why?

I would send them to the YouTube videos because these videos are uniquely able to sell a product that has high potential to seem unappealing if not presented correctly.

3)      If online advertising and sales were profitable, why did Jeff still want traditional retail distribution for the Orabrush?

Because seeing the product in stores creates more visibility and more opportunities for consumers to try the product.

1. Choose a small business of your interest (i.e., a family business) and explore how this social media analytics tool could benefit your client. 

I choose Bagel Central, one of my favorite places to eat in Bangor! A social media analytics tool could be beneficial because it will allow the business to be aware of who is posting about them, checking in, etc. and run social media based promotions such as a drawing for a gift card for customers who post a photo of their meal.

2. Which buzz words do people use? What are some implications for the social media marketing strategy of the selected business?
People use buzzwords related to food, especially when purchasing specialty items such as vegan cheesecake or gluten free bagels. This brings higher visibility of the adaptability of the menu for customers with dietary restrictions.

3. How did the top influencers share the content? How to use Twitter to make your Tweets go viral? 
Use hashtags that are popular that others will be searching, keep your humor on track with the current trends, and post high quality photos.

4. Explore a tweet of your interest from the following article (https://blog.bufferapp.com/successful-tweets) and explain which one (s) you like the best. Why?
I like tweet number five because not only is it a successful social media post but it shows you how to make your own successful social media post!
  

5. Should you include this in next year's course? Why or why not?
I think that social media analytics is a very valuable tool in marketing because people use social media constantly in our world, and more advertising than you would initially think does occur via social media. Whether that's your friend who sells essential oils on Instagram or someone posting pictures of a cute dress they bought at a new local shop, we pour media into our lives that influences our daily decisions, and it's important in terms of marketing to think about that.

week 14 discussion and assignments

Assignment part A

• The URL of the Landing Page
• What are their value propositions?
• What are their calls to action (e.g., visit us today, call now, follow us on Twitter)?
• What demographic are they trying appeal to? Are they doing a good job of that?
• Is it obvious and clear what they want visitors to do to convert?

The landing page I chose is the page linked in an email from the Vitamin Shoppe, where I hold a rewards card and often hear about various promotions. The URL is https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/b/performix/N-cp99sc?sourceType=em&source=RI20180501_Performix_V1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=VSB&utm_campaign=20180501_Performix_V1&smtrctid=5304227375&userid=9909860848&mi_u=5304227375&mi_ecmp=20180501_Performix_V1. Their value proposition is a seasonal clearance on Performix supplements, with discounts up to 75%. The call to action is "shop Performix now", and each featured item on the page has different promotional stickers on the picture - free shipping, 50% off, etc. They are trying to appeal to young adults who are interested in fitness and maybe looking to try a new brand of supplements, and as a member of this demographic I certainly consider their methods to be effective. I receive similar emails frequently, and fulfill all my fitness supplement needs by shopping sales at the Vitamin Shoppe. Their landing page shows clearly how to sort results and order supplements, and I would certainly consider it very effective.

Assignment part B

Spark page for the UMaine Women's Rugby Team: https://spark.adobe.com/page/x38xc7PVJ2NJx/

Discussion:

1. 

A)    How does the supply chain look like?

A web traversing the world

B)  What are the major players in the supply chain network (value web/value chain)? Why?

China, Indonesia

C)     Where are the primary actors from?

Southeast Asia, Western Europe, North America

2. Refer to one of the following articles and explain how SNA were used to help managers/marketers understand the complexity of the supply chain (minimum 100 words).

A web was formed with junctions for each physician. Lines between physicians represent relationships, and specialists are highlighted in certain colors. The larger the dot on the diagram, the more influential a certain physician is in terms of prescribing. Physicians are clustered, but some clusters have bridges between them. Marketers can use maps like this to see which physicians have an influence on each other's prescribing habits, which physicians hold the most sway, and more.

3. Evaluate Retailing Web Sites.

Go to the four retail web sites and shop for a product. For example, if I were shopping for a pair of jeans, I would try to find similar jeans at four different retailers. I might view Victoria’s Secret, GAP, J. Crew, Levi because they all offer about the same quality and target similar markets. Choose any two based on your own heuristics.

Answer the following questions:

a) Identify the retailers you chose

I searched, RugbyImports, Amazon.com, World Rugby Shop, and Ruggers Rugby Supply for scrum caps.

b) Compare the retail offerings of the product you were shopping for one of the following attributes: a. product quality b. price c. suggestive selling d. website features (e.g., social media integration, customer reviews)  e. design of website f. ease of website use (e.g., response time)

On Ruggers, no results were returned when I searched for scrum caps, rather I had to manually sort through the "protective headwear" category. World Rugby Shop had a wide variety of results for a "scrum cap" search, all of them being quality items. Rugby Imports had comparable search results to World Rugby Shop, however the website was less clean and attractive. Amazon.com returned the greatest number of results, with 118 available options, however some of these were headbands rather than full caps, or didn't meet World Rugby specifications for safe headwear.

c) Which one of these sites would you use? Why?

I would choose to shop from World Rugby Shop. I feel confident that I will find the product I need at a reasonable cost and that it will meet World Rugby specifications and be an enjoyable shopping experience.

Week 13 Discussion

1.      Which pricing strategies does Airbnb use?

An algorithm offers dynamic price tips to property owners. The price tips are based on a system known as a classifier that takes all the available information about a listing and compares it to historical data, other homes in the same neighborhood, and local events around the booking dates to come up with the maximum price that travelers will be willing to pay for each listing.

2.      Does the number of reviews matter for an Airbnb host?

Yes - travelers are willing to pay more for a listing with only one review than they are for a listing with no reviews.

3.      The article mentioned the various attributes affecting an Airbnb rental list. Which attribute matters the most? Why? 

Geographic location is "hugely important" because travelers will be planning on going to a certain area. An AirBnB that isn't close to their desired location is much less valuable to them.

4.      How does the machine-learning model help a host manage the rental list?

The host doesn't have to spend hours doing their own research on similar listings, and doesn't risk losing potential income or visitors due to improper pricing. Additionally, the machine-learning model can take into account historical data that the host may not have access to.

5.      Listed below are a series of pricing strategies/polices. Place them onto the correct section of the matrix and explain you choose that strategy.

• Holiday Inns try to fill hotels during winter weekends. - skimming. Holiday Inn is not necessarily a high-end hotel, but can get very expensive quickly.
• Burger King introduces a new range of value meals. - economy. The price of the meals is low, however the nutritional value is also low.
• Nokia launch a new videophone. - penetration. Nokia phones are known for their durability and low pricing.
• Wall-Mart launch a new range of own-label soups. - economy. Walmart brand products are much less expensive, however typically lower quality than name brands.
• Cunard launch two new cruise ships. - premium. Cruise ships are an expensive, luxury item and customers must pay for such.
• A cable TV provider moves into a new area and needs to achieve a market share. - penetration. The most important part of this endeavor is convincing customers to leave their current provider, which requires low prices and superior service.

Week 12 Discussion

I placed Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook in the maturity phase because all three are popular platforms with a large user base. They are adding new features and continually working to draw in new users. Fax machines are in the decline phase because they have become mostly obsolete due to the increasing use of digital communication. Myspace is in the decline phase because its user base has dropped drastically - in fact, I looked up whether it still even exists for this assignment (it does, barely).

Customer Satisfaction Survey

We would appreciate if you would take the time to answer a few questions to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience. After filling out the survey, your name can be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card to our store!

When was your most recent visit to our store?

Were you greeted when you arrived?

Were you offered the assistance you needed in order to make a purchasing decision?

How easily were you able to find the products you wished to purchase?

Have you used our product support service?

If so, please rate the quality of the work done on your product.

Very poor - poor - meets expectations - above average - great

Have you reached out to our customer service staff regarding a previous purchase?

If so, please rate the level of service you received.

Very poor - poor - meets expectations - above average - great

Week 11 Discussion

Q1) A customer-centric company builds long-lasting relationships by focusing on what satisfies and retains valuable customers. Discuss how Petco follows this customer-centric philosophy.

Petco creates this focus on customer satisfaction by providing customers with an outlet to share with each other their thoughts and experiences with each product. Customer reviews are valued and encouraged, because they show 1) that people are buying the product and 2) what the consumers' experiences are.

Q2) Go to Petco.com and read some of the customer reviews for various types of products. Do the one- and two-paw ratings tend to outnumber those with four and five paws, or the other way around? Can you find a customer review that Petco could use to market a product in a company circular or email ad?

Most of the reviews on products I looked at were positive - while no product will ever satisfy everyone, there were far more positive than negative reviews. For example, one dog crate has 376 five star reviews and 15 one star reviews. One of the 5 star reviews on the Midwest iCrate Single Dog Folding Crate has a picture of the dog in question relaxing inside, with the reviewer stating that the whole family was satisfied by the product. A review like this could be an excellent marketing tool because it refers to pets as a part of the family, something that Petco customers will likely relate to.

Q3) Now that Petco has identified the type of customer most likely to write reviews of its products, discuss the kinds of promotions that might encourage continued loyalty and response online from them in the future. What could they do to appeal to these customers?

Petco could offer loyalty programs for reviewers such as coupons or drawing entries after a certain number of reviews. 

Q4) Many mainstream retailers are still hesitant to post customer reviews on their websites. If you were consulting with one of these companies, what arguments would you use to convince management to try them?

Reviews show potential customers that the product is worth purchasing. Trying to sell products without reviews sends a red flag to potential customers that the company doesn't have faith that their customers will be satisfied with the product.

Q5) Read Chapter 11 and explain what brand associations mean.

Brand association is the way that people think about certain products and what they might connect those products with. For example, a Petco customer might purchase a new toy for their dog, find that the dog loves the toy, and then have a positive notion of Petco, associating the store with their dog's happiness and fun!

Q6) Nielsen "BuzzMetrics" initiative measures word-of-mouth ("buzz") on nearly 100 million blogs, user groups & social networking sites about brands & products. Read “Nielsen’s Brand Association Map” and also go to www.Nielsen.com and read about BuzzMetrics. Explain how it works and why it is a valuable tool to some marketers.

BuzzMetrics is a valuable tool to many marketers because it offers such a variety of insights. The dashboard will allow users to keep an up to date view of how consumers view their product as well as the development of potential threats.

Week 10 Discussion

1.  What is the difference between secondary data and primary data (please refer to Chapter 9)?

Primary data is gathered by the researcher themself in real time and applies directly to the situation being researched. Secondary data, on the other hand, is gathered by someone other than the researcher on an issue that occurred in the past and may relate to the situation being researched.

2.  Please give an example of a Portland-based business that performs marketing research. How does this company collect marketing data? List sources (i.e., URL) if necessary.

Portland Research Group (portlandresearch.com) is a firm that performs primary research through methods such as product testing and trials as well as many other research services. The company will analyze the experience of current customers, as well as the effect that current marketing efforts have on current and potential customers.

3.  What is the relationship between Advertising Expenditure and Sales (please refer to http://www.mktresearch.org/wiki/Regression)?

The independent variable in this relationship is advertising expenditure, which is directly correlated to sales. Given this relationship, higher sales should be connected with higher marketing expenditure.

4.  How do you interpret the coefficient for the variable “$Online Advertising Expenditure” (please refer to http://www.mktresearch.org/wiki/Regression)?

Advertising expenditure must be broken down into categories - i.e. how much is spent on radio, TV, billboard, online advertising, etc. In this case, the coefficient of online expenditure is 3.2, while TV expenditure has a coefficient of 4.1, indicating that TV expenditure is 128% as effective as online expenditure.

5.  What is the most important statistics when interpreting a regression table (please refer to goeppner-multiple-regression-analysis_a-case-study)?

The most important statistic on a regression table is the adjusted r squared value. This value allows us to determine how much the dependent variable is actually influenced by the independent variable while accounting for degrees of freedom.

6.  Which variable is the most important for predicting monthly rent (please refer to goeppner-multiple-regression-analysis_a-case-study)?

In this case, the rented square footage was the most important variable for determining the lease rate, however many variables were determined to be significant.

7.  Will Big Data replace market research? Why or why not (please refer to Will Big Data Replace Market Research?  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-FsyW3l9Kg)?

Early in the video, Beth Schneider states that understanding why certain events happen is pivotal to effective marketing and corporate decision making. While Big Data is certainly useful, it can't provide these explanations that market research can uncover, so I believe that while Big Data may take on a more major role, market research will always remain a pivotal part of the marketing process.

Assignment 3

Find the predictors or the independent variables, and the dependent variable in that news story. Interpret any picture or graph included. Do you believe the conclusion to be true or not? Why? Is there anything you find to be interesting? If you are asked to redo the study, what shall you do?

I chose the story "A Look At The Effectiveness Of Anti Drug Ad Campaigns". In this segment, Ari Shapiro and Keith Humphreys discuss the public health emergency that is the opioid crisis. The independent variable here is the advertising campaign that Trump plans to put into place, and the dependent variable is the rate of opioid usage in teens and young adults. The goal of the campaign is to "get to people before they start" (NPR, 2017) through advertising that promotes a drug-free lifestyle.

Shapiro and Humphreys compared the advertisements against substance abuse that we see today to those that were promoted in the 1980's and 1990's. In the past, PSAs of this variety tended to send a straightforward message that drugs are bad, and that adults and authority figures want children to avoid drugs as they grow up. Humphreys pointed out that this type of language was actually correlated with an increase in marijuana use by teens and young adults.

In these ad campaigns, advertisers were trying to appeal to Congress, trying to appeal to, as Humphreys put it, "a 60-year-old white man or woman in a suit". Young adults are known, however, for wanting to rebel against authority and make their own decisions. As the problem became worse, Congress noted this, and shifted their anti-drug PSAs to a different tone. The new ads promoted the idea that youth should be rebelling against the influences in their life that would lead them towards substance abuse. By saying no to drugs, youth began to hear that they were proving they could make their own choices and rebelling against unhealthy influences.

In the end, Humphreys pointed out that the most effective method of substance abuse prevention is providing kids with a community and things to do. With social ties, activities they find fulfilling, and something to keep them busy, even high-risk children are much less likely to turn to substance abuse as they get older and more likely to focus on activities that will provide a reward in the long term rather than the short term reward and long term damage caused by drugs.

According to ProjectKnow, the government spent $31 billion on drug control from 2009 to 2012, including prevention programs, advertising, addiction recovery, incarceration, and law enforcement. The same article mentions the fact that much of the goevernment's drug funding in the past has gone towards studies on the dangers of marijuana, but that the public's attitude has changed over time, rendering any efforts on marijuana a failure. Additionally, many of these studies have shown that the drug is not dangerous should proper controls such as taxation be put into place, however these results have not been acted upon at the federal level (ProjectKnow, n.d.)

I find it particularly interesting how Humphreys chose to highlight the fact that drug prevention advertising campaigns may not be the most effective way to prevent drug use. Finding and promoting alternatives to drug use without bringing information on specific drugs into the equation certainly seems like it would be the most effective method to prevent youth from getting involved in illicit drugs. I think that the information Humphreys presents would be more interesting and applicable if he went further into detail on which types of alternative activities see the highest success rates, and which age groups respond best to alternative activities vs. advertising campaigns. By analyzing these factors, we would learn exactly where government funding should be going in order to most effectively fight the use of the most dangerous drugs.



Works Cited:
1. A Look At The Effectiveness of Anti Drug Ad Campaigns. NPR. 1 November 2017. Accessed 3 April 2018. https://www.npr.org/2017/11/01/561427918/a-look-at-the-effectiveness-anti-drug-ad-campaigns
2. How Much Money is Spent on Anti-Drug Campaigns in America? ProjectKnow. n.d. Accessed 3 April 2018. https://www.projectknow.com/how-much-money-is-spent-on-anti-drug-campaigns-in-america/

Reflection (Week 9)

1) What did you know a lot about from this week’s class?
I learned a lot from this week's class about perceptual mapping. I had already created my own Google maps before, so I was familiar with this process, however I've never created a perceptual map before so it was fun to take on that challenge.
2) What would you like to learn more about?
I'd like to learn more about increasingly complex perceptual maps and Google maps. I've now become familiar with the basics for both, but I'd love to learn to make them more complex, incorporating more elements.
3) Should I include this assignment in next year's marketing course? Why or why not?
Definitely! This assignment was very fun, and the freedom to explore our own interests on the Google maps portion was welcome. My only suggestion would be to make the perceptual map on a topic of the student's choice as well - that opens a door to allow students to put in more research and explore their interests.

Perceptual Map

As can be seen on the perceptual map, the trend seems to be that unhealthy cereals are marketed to children, while "healthy" cereals are marketed towards adults. The children's cereals are designated as such because their packaging displays characters, mini games, etc. and bright colors that will appeal to children. Children tend to focus more on flavor than on health benefits of food, while adults are more likely to lean towards healthier choices, so it makes sense that the cereals designated as 'adult' should be healthier. Indeed, Special K and FiberOne are both brands that base a large portion of their marketing on their products' health benefits - lower sugar, more fiber, and lower calories, etc. draw in consumers who are concerned with their health or losing weight. The cereal that falls in the middle, Golden Grahams, is categorized as such because it does use the child-friendly colorful packaging discussed above, as well as mentioning health benefits to appeal to adults as well. Overall, Golden Grahams is not categorized as a healthy cereal because of its high sugar content.

Q1. Based on the perceptual map, which competitors are the most similar and dissimilar to your favorite brand in customers’ minds? Why? 
I believe that Corn Pops are less similar to the other cereals in the "children" category here. Marketing schemes do mention the health benefits of Corn Pops, and while the cereal is certainly a sugary treat marketed towards children, it is a sweetened corn cereal rather than fruit flavored, chocolate, etc.
Q2. Describe the two dimensions (axes) of the perceptual map that you generated. How would you label these dimensions? Explain specifically how you decide on the label of the Dimension I and Dimension II. How much of the variance does each dimension explain? What is the total variance explained by two dimensions? Do you think this is satisfactory? How would you increase the explained variation in perceptual maps? 
The two dimensions I used are adult/child and healthy/unhealthy. The adult category contains cereals that are marketed to, or appealing to adults, and the child category contains those that are more appealing to children, or clearly marketed to a younger age group. The healthy vs. unhealthy scale is simply based on which cereals give the impression of being a healthier product based on brand recognition, packaging, etc. I would like to increase the variance by including more dimensions, such as specifying between "actually healthy" and "perceived as healthy".
Q4. How do customers perceive the positioning of a brand among its competitors? On which attributes is this brand a stronger or a weaker competitor? Why?
Customers perceive the positioning of a brand among its competitors by what factors stand out. Does one children's cereal stand out as a healthy option or does one healthy cereal stand out as more child-friendly? Brands that are stronger competitors will stand out more in a greater variety of ways - a cereal using marketing tactics to appeal to children that can prove actual health benefits will be a very strong competitor, while a cereal that markets based on only one of these attributes will be a weaker competitor. The consumer does not want to research the product to find which is better based on minimal differences, so they will choose a product that stands out in obvious ways. Additionally, the products that are most in the center of a perceptual map (appeal to more groups of people) will probably see greater sales.



For background - there are three National Scenic Trails that are collectively known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking. They are the Appalachian Trail (2189 miles), the Continental Divide Trail (3100 miles), and the Pacific Crest Trail (2650 miles). Each year, varying numbers of individuals will attempt to hike from one end to the other on each of these trails, but few will succeed. The Appalachian Trail is completed by the most people each year, with thousands of hikers starting and about 25% of these completing the trail (Appalachian Trail Conservancy, n.d.). The AT is less remote in many areas than the other two members of the Triple Crown, with easier access to water and resupply options. Because both the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail traverse desert areas, it is more difficult for hikers to find water and resupply options.
My Google Map shows the proximity of major airports to the termini if the United States' triple crown of National Scenic Trails - The Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. The proximity of these airports shows which hubs should be allocating resources towards marketing to thru-hikers. While the Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail serve smaller populations, thousands of individuals will attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail every year, a significant market segment for smaller airports such as Bangor International. I chose this topic because I am an aspiring Triple Crown hiker - I'm starting my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail this May, and plan to keep knocking one out every time I'm able until I've done all three!
The termini of the AT are Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mt. Katahdin in Maine, nearest to Atlanta Int'l Airport and Bangor Int'l Airport, respectively. The PCT stretches from the US/Mexico border in California all the way across the US/Canada border north of Washington, and the CDT traverses from Crazy Cook Monument in New Mexico to the US/Canada Border in Glacier National Park (MT). The travel plans of PCT and CDT hikers tend to vary more than those of AT hikers - since a smaller number of individuals will attempt these trails each year, there's less of a set way of doing things. I've shown on the map which airports are closest in each state, but some hikers do choose to fly into a neighboring state or travel via bus or train instead of flying. This map is meant merely to demonstrate which airports have a unique market segment that they should consider trying to appeal to.

1. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Thru Hiking. n.d., accessed 3/23/2018. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/thru-hiking

Week 6 Discussion

1.      What is the difference between inbound marketing and outbound marketing? Among the sponsored brands (or brands who use outbound marketing strategies), which brand(s) get(s) the best visibility? Why?

Inbound marketing strategy targets a certain demographic. Marketers must figure out who is purchasing the product and who is likely to purchase the product in order to market directly to them. Outbound marketing is broadcast to everyone – these wide broadcasts mean that the target demographic doesn’t need to be determined, but marketers have to put in the work to get the message across to all groups. Many local businesses use outbound marketing tactics such as radio commercials or trade shows.

2.      Among the non-sponsored brands (or brands who use inbound marketing strategies), which brand(s) get(s) the best visibility? Why?

Brands like Gainful (who sell dietary supplements like protein powder) who advertise on social media and use blogs to explain and promote their products while providing interesting content are successful inbound marketers. They have determined their target audience, and are generating new interest as well.

3.      What do you think are some “core brand values” held by Olympics event/organization? Do any of the sponsors have good online/offline brand alignment?

The core brand values of most Olympic sponsors seem to be ease of use and high reward for use of the product. Intel has great online/offline brand alignment – their products are accessible online and in stores, and their brand is represented evenly in all situations.

4.      How do you feel about the Twitter content being produced by @NBCOlympics (the official broadcast partner)? Can you find an example Tweet that resonates with you?

I think that @NBCOlympics has done a great job of creating content that appeals to consumers who use twitter. By using common post formats and slang, the page makes the content relatable and funny and makes Twitter users curious to find more information about the Olympics. My favorite recent Tweet featured a medalist with lyrics from the song “Jump” altered to apply to winning a gold medal!

Discussion Questions for Week 6 - Section 2

Discussion Questions: The Culture Map provides a new way forward, with vital insights for working effectively. How do you analyze the positioning of one culture relative to another? Please give one example on the marketing implications for doing business with a culture different from yours?  Discuss how leadership, culture & processes, and organizational design impact your culture. Please try to use the Culture Map to address the business issues in the following case studies. Refer to the concepts and theories in Chapter 8 when possible.

When doing business with a different culture it is important to research their customs and business models. It is possible for a seemingly harmless advertisement to come across as highly offensive, or for a business model to be a flop because it doesn’t cater to the priorities of the people in that area.

Week 5 Discussion

Discussion Questions – Week 5

Initial Blog Post - Due time: Friday at 11:00 pm

Responses – Next Tuesday at 11:00 pm

Each piece of marketing theory or concept is first introduced and explained in the context of a specific application.  Please use relevant concepts and theories from the textbook and give examples to support your argument.

Please read Chapter 6 before approaching the following discussion questions.

Part 1 (Q1-7): (Note – I have the sixth edition of McGraw Hill’s “Marketing” by Levy and Grewal rather than the fourth edition, so I’m unsure if the same product comparison and information was used)

1. Food packages have claims about taste, value, and nutritional information as well as information on the organic or conventional status of the product.

2. The Snapple tea mentioned early in the chapter claims to be natural – claims such as this lead to the idea that the product doesn’t contain highly processed or synthetic ingredients, meaning that they are healthier for consumers, however the Snapple tea in question does contain high fructose corn syrup. Labels such as “organic” or “natural” can be deceiving to the non-critical consumer.

3. Individuals who are concerned about their health, but perhaps are not the most critical consumers. They are willing to shell out more money for products that promise to be all natural or low fat, but may not spend time researching exactly what the benefits of the product are, and therefore won’t be likely to find out that their all-natural product contains not-so-natural ingredients.

4. Consumers favor products with packaging that sticks out from the rest. The example used in the book was a tube of Pringles – chips in a tube are less common than a shapeless bag, so Pringles stick out from the competition because the packaging doesn’t look the same.

5. Kashi certainly has the most public image for a nutritious product, with low fat, lots of fiber, little sugar, and plenty of protein. Grape Nuts have less fat, but less protein and more carbohydrates than Kashi. Cheerios have the same amount of fat, but less protein and fiber than Kashi. Overall, I would say that Kashi is the most nutritious.

6. At Walmart, Kashi cereal costs about $6, while Cheerios and Grape Nuts are closer to the $3-5 range.

7. A 2-for-$5 is more effective than $2.49 each. If you have a 2-for, you will almost guarantee that every customer will buy the multiple. Why? If purchasing two items guarantees that a consumer will pay a lower price for each than they would pay for the two individually, most consumers will purchase multiple because the lower price-per-item offsets the idea that they will be spending more money overall.

Part 2 (Q8): Please read Chapter 6 (i.e., 6.1 Ethical and societal dilemma) before approaching the following discussion question.

8. Gun owners absolutely should have to buy liability insurance. I believe this is the case because guns can cause an inexplicable amount of damage, and certainly need to be controlled much more than they currently are. I believe that liability insurance is a great idea for a way to control guns. If insurance companies had to offer insurance for gun owners, in order to reduce the risk of insuring this population the insurance companies would certainly lobby for more stringent requirements on gun ownership.

Part 3 (Q9-12): Please read Chapter 6 and the reading Prospect Theory before approaching the following discussion questions. You might also want to check out the following video if you prefer video-based learning:

9. When viewing advertisements in my daily life, I am careful to be aware that companies are only telling consumers what they want consumers to know. I never make decisions based on an advertisement alone, because obviously a company is not going to tell me about the flaws in their product or service.

10. With no context on what the numbers represent, I would choose option B because 3 is my favorite number.

11. The example of insurance is similar to the example of the warranty on the TV in the reading. Consumers will fail to take into account their future income, or their likelihood of actually needing to pay the deductible, choosing to pay a higher premium. I agree with the reasoning of paying a higher premium, but on a different basis. For me, it comes down to costs I expect and costs I do not expect. I would rather diminish unexpected costs that have the potential to derail my financial plans, even if it means expecting to pay a little more up front. I have had to pay the deductible on my car insurance twice, and both times I was very happy to have paid more up front to save money when I wasn’t expecting it.

12. In today’s technological age, new models of phones are always coming out. In advertisements, only the new features and improvements are mentioned, while many things remain the same from model to model. New features are seen as a gain, so whichever company advertises the most gains will likely see greater profits. Old features that are kept are not gains, they are just sticking to the status quo. These features won’t be mentioned in advertisements nearly as often because they just don’t bring in new consumers.

Week 4 Discussion

Q1. What consumer trends does Seventh Generation respond to most effectively?

Seventh Generation's marketing is based on consumer desires to purchase environmentally friendly products. As mentioned in the reading, the company is great at offering products that consumers want before they are even requested - Seventh Generation knows exactly what products their customers want. They are the dominant eco-friendly brand for most household cleaning products because of their excellent customer relations and superior goods.

Q2. Which consumer trends might it be missing?

While Seventh Generation offers excellent products, they do not offer budget products. More eco-friendly goods can often be more expensive to manufacture, however many consumers may not be able to afford Seventh Generation products on a regular basis despite wanting to do something good for the environment. I can speak for myself and say that I try to buy eco-friendly products as much as possible, but as a college student trying to save up money, it's hard to justify paying $2.97 compared to $0.99 for dish soap. Seventh Generation should either place more effort into providing affordable products, or into educating consumers on why it's worth paying the extra cost for eco-friendly goods.

Week 3 Discussion

Please read Chapter 3 and the report Customer Research using Market Basket Analysis - Unraveling-the-Customer-Mind (Cognizant) and answer the following questions:

1.       How did Kroger use the market basket analysis method?
Kroger used MBA to determine which items drew customers into stores and generated the most profit. to do this, they made up a matrix of all products that customers purchased, and compared which combinations were the most popular. They were then able to use this data to provide customized coupons and offers to their customers.

2.       Why is market basket analysis so popular in the retail industry?
In short, because it can help companies to generate more income. By advertising one item, or offering a certain discount, a company that has performed proper market basket analysis will be able to increase sales based on groups of items that are most commonly purchased together.

3.       How easy is it to run a market basket analysis?
Because most companies offer a wide variety of goods and services, market basket analysis can be a complicated process. By using computer algorithms to analyze patterns, the process is greatly simplified, however there is a vast amount of data to consider.

4.       Which method was introduced in the report?
Kroger created a three dimensional co-occurrence matrix to analyze which combinations of goods were purchased together most frequently.

5.       Based on your shopping experience or direct observation, which Maine-based grocery store is the best player in market basket analysis? Why? Use pictures if you can.
While I may not have a great picture of the situation, as I do most of my grocery shopping at Hannaford, I think that they have a great method of market basket analysis. It seems like anything that I might consider buying is conveniently placed just when I'm thinking about it as I walk through the store, and many of the coupons or sales that they offer would pair very well with another item. Today I noticed that the brand of tortilla I prefer was on display at the end of the aisle where beans, salsa, and other ingredients I would choose to put in a burrito are sold in addition to the display in the bread aisle where I usually find them. An example of MBA based more on discounts than display locations is the new My Hannaford Rewards app - upon downloading the app, I was offered a variety of coupons for free items, however, most of the items were something that would either require another purchase with them for the meal to make sense, or they were items that would put the idea of something more in a consumer's head. 

Please read Chapter 4 and the News release: The food and beverage industry is marketing our children and youth to death and answer the following questions:

6.       Who should be responsible for the overconsumption of sugar?
Companies that market processed and unhealthy foods to children are certainly responsible for the unhealthy diets those children will learn to follow. It is unfair for the food and beverage industry to market this way to children, causing either an unhealthy diet or conflict within families if parents won't give in.

7.       Do you believe if the government should regulate the sugar advertising?

Yes. I believe that all advertising targeted towards minors should be regulated by the government, because currently many harmful products and lifestyle choices can be marketed to people of all ages and backgrounds. Children in particular are susceptible to the advertisements around them, so products that have been shown to have negative effects on health should not be marketed directly to children.

8.       Identify the stages in the ethical decision-making framework in Chapter 4 and describe how ethics can be integrated into the snack industry’s advertising strategy?
The first step is identifying what decision must be made - here, should harmful products be marketed to vulnerable children? Step 2 is research - find out what is at stake, who stands to gain and who stands to lose from any possible outcome. Here, the food and beverage industry is a stakeholder, as are children and families. The third step involves considering any alternative choices, and taking time to think about the impact of the decision. In this situation, we can contemplate whether there is, in fact, a happy medium. Maybe we can outlaw certain marketing strategies, or mandate that food and beverage companies must also market healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise or spending time outdoors along with their harmful products. The fourth and final step is to choose a course of action. As I have stated, I believe that government interference is necessary for the question at hand, however others may feel differently.

Google Trends: Searches for Crossfit over the past twelve months

For this project, I used Google Trends to determine which of Crossfit's competitive worldwide events in 2017 sparked the most searches. I compared the terms "Crossfit" (blue), "Crossfit Open" (red), "Crossfit Regionals" (green), and "Crossfit Games" (yellow) for all web searches worldwide in the past 12 months. For reference, the Crossfit Open is the worldwide qualifier for the next two stages of worldwide competition - most Crossfitters will participate, so even those individuals who don't qualify to move on will get a good idea of how they measure up in the sport as a whole. This event begins in late February, with one workout released each Thursday for five weeks. Regionals are the next step in the process - the top 40 male and female athletes as well as top 40 teams in each of the eight regions go to competitions in May and June, and the top ranking individuals and teams (a different number in each region) will go on to the Crossfit Games in August, where they will compete for the title of Fittest on Earth.

Overall, "Crossfit" is a much more popular search term than any of the individual events, with year round popularity and spikes during each of the major events. During the Crossfit Games and Crossfit Regionals, "Crossfit Games" is the most popular of the remaining terms, while "Crossfit Open" barely surpasses it during the Open. "Crossfit Open" peaks during the Open, of course, and becomes a hair more popular during the Games. Finally, "Crossfit Regionals" accounts for an insignificant number of searches, except after the Open when qualifiers are announced and during Regionals - however, "Crossfit Games" is more popular during Regionals than searches for the event itself.

It makes sense that Crossfit-related search terms would become more popular during worldwide Crossfit events - because the Games is certainly the most publicized, and probably the only event that members of the general public who are not involved in Crossfit will follow at all, its popularity is natural as more individuals are likely to perform a "Crossfit Games" web search rather than a search for any other specific event. Additionally, the Open and Regionals are run out of the same website as the Games, so searches from one will often lead to information about both. Regionals are less publicized both in and out of the Crossfit community, so the term is unlikely to garner many searches year round, and because of the way the competition cycle works, searches for "Crossfit Games" will lead to information about Regionals as well. Of course, "Crossfit" is the most popular term because it applies not only to whatever phase of the competition season is currently happening, but to all individuals curious about the sport, trying to find workouts, or trying to locate a gym near them.

Week 2 discussion

Explain Netflix’s marketing strategy. Can it sustain its competitive advantage? Why or why not?

Netflix’s marketing strategy seems to be to provide a service that differs from their competitors and has a lower price point. To this day, you can see Netflix pioneering streaming services with their original series coming out before other providers like Amazon Prime or Hulu were producing their own shows. Netflix also continually updates their service offerings, as is the case with their new option to watch offline with the mobile app. In many ways, I believe Netflix has great potential to stay in the game – Netflix makes the right decisions at the right times to be successful. However, it is a common complaint that Netflix’s streaming service is losing variety, and many popular titles are disappearing from their library. Because of this weakness, I believe that Netflix certainly has an edge to stay in the game, but is unlikely to ever be the most popular streaming service by far.

How has their strategic change and rapid reversal affected their customers?  Do you believe this situation is short-term public relations nightmare or a long-term reversal of fortune?

I think that the change to Qwikster and rapid reversal was a short-term PR nightmare, however in the long run it did show customers that the company cares about what they want. Many customers were turned away because of the uncommittedness that Netflix was showing and their unhappiness with rising prices and changing services, but the customers who remained loyal saw that Netflix cares enough about customer preferences to undo a large shift in the company to keep their customers happy.

Perform a SWOT analysis for Netflix. What are its biggest threats and which opportunities should it pursue? You may attach an attachment if necessary.

Strengths: High quality original series, easy to use platform, reputation, and offline video streaming.

Weaknesses: Decreasing library, focus shifting away from the older library into primarily original series.

Opportunities: Netflix has many opportunities available, some of which they have certainly capitalized on lately. I think the best way for Netflix to grow would be to place more of a focus on making new movies available sooner after they come out – I would definitely be a lot more likely to watch new movies on Netflix as soon as they leave theaters, especially only paying $10/month for as many as I want, than I would be to go to the theaters every time I think a movie could be interesting. By focusing on newer movies, I am confident that Netflix would gain more customers and that these films would be viewed by a much wider audience.

Threats: I think that Netflix’s biggest threat currently is Hulu. As many old favorite shows are being taken off of Netflix, Hulu still offers these shows and keeps a low price. While Hulu users must deal with commercials, it can certainly be worth a few commercials to see your favorite show. Hulu also offers new episodes much sooner after they air, making it much more convenient to stay up to date on your favorite shows.

What is the best way for Netflix to grow its business? Justify your answer.

By offering more new releases, Netflix will expand its customer base. Many people are not willing to pay to see a movie in theaters, and definitely won’t go to see every film that interests them in order to save money. That being said, offering unlimited streaming of each months newest films for one low price is definitely a key factor that will entice new users who have interest in seeing any new movie they want for the price that they’d pay to see just one movie in a theater.