As discussed in the article posted on Blackboard, President Barrack Obama was able to market himself extremely effectivley during his presidential campaign against John McCain. His campaign seemed to be similar to that of Coca-Cola or McDonalds in the way it was orgnaized, rather than that of a presidential election. Obama was able to market himself in a way that almost established him as a brand name rather than a presidential candidate.
Obama attracted followers to his product (himself as president) in the way that all firms do, by establishing a need for the particular product. Obama used the idea of Change as the need for his services. Amidst two wars and one of the worst econmic recessions since the Depression, most Americans wanted someone who was the exact opposite of former president George W. Bush. Obama realized this and strived to set himself as far apart from the struggling president as possiblle by establishing many slogans revolving around the idea of change. Obama attracted followers, like most businesses, by building relationships with customers. Most Americans found Obama to be a very likeable guy, and if it wasnt his political ideoligies and policies that you liked, it was his charisma and confidence when he spoke (yet another change from our previous president).
Obama, like firms forming a marketing stratregy, also chose his demographics wisely. He noticed his appeal to the younger demographics of voters and attempted persuade them to support his product by keeping in constant contact with the demographic through social media channels that his competitor, McCain was not using. As a result, Obama won the younger demographics vote overwhelmingly.
Barrack Obama became, in a way, a brand name during his presidential campaign and his brand continues to grow even after his election into office. Barrack Obama designed his campaign in a way very similar to that of a business trying to promote a new product, and he did it very successfully. How does Obamas campaign stack up against more traditional marketing campaigns used by firms like Coca-Cola or Nike? Is it better, worse, or identical and why?
3/23/2011
Response to Doug Sacks Week 9 Post
I would have to say that both sides are to blame for the overspending in America, but primarily it is marketing that has lead to this overspending. It seems as though over the last couple decades marketing as taken on a much more important and aggressive role in business. With sex apeal and the need for social status at the forefront, marketing agencies are constantly instilling images of what society expects of you more or less. By saying buying this body spray will get you the hot girl, or buying this car will put you in a higher social class, marketing firms are basically poking at the consumer and telling them they are not good enough unless they have this item. Though this has almost always been the marketing trend, I feel over the last few decades it has taken on a much more aggressive form. The idea is no longer to make you want the product, but to make you need the product in order to fit in with society.
The Overspent American response
After watching the film “The Overspent American“ in class on tuesday it provoked a lot of thoughts about our country, our culture, and our way of living. The narrator makes some very interesting points about about the spending habits of Americans and how it has effected us negativley. We are spending more than we make in process she refers to as “competitive spending“ in which we are constantly trying to establish ourselves as wealthy and succesful in the eyes of others by buying big expensive items with fancy brand names that we can flaunt. She discusses how Americans are never satisfied with what they have and are constanly trying to attain more posessions in what she refers to as “keeping up with the Jones“.
While I do agree with many of the points the narrator and the film are trying to make about overspending and its role in our most recent recession, I also feel she is failing to see that this “striving to be the best and biggest“ mentality is exactly what caused America to become one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. The narrator refers to what she calls the “work and spend model“ which basically states that productivity leads to more work, which leads to more spending, which leads to more work to cover the extra spending, which leads back to more productivity, and so on. Throughout the film she refers to this as a bad thing. However this is a classic example of capitalism at its finest and how both consumers and businesses alike grow and flourish. If it were not for this “work and spend“ model, our form of economy would not be effective. Of course there are examples of consumers and businesses that take this model to the extreme which often causes more harm than good, but as the old saying goes “You cant have your cake and eat it too“.
So what do you think? Is the over spending we are doing in America something that is potentially detremental to society or is it simply capitalism running its course?
While I do agree with many of the points the narrator and the film are trying to make about overspending and its role in our most recent recession, I also feel she is failing to see that this “striving to be the best and biggest“ mentality is exactly what caused America to become one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. The narrator refers to what she calls the “work and spend model“ which basically states that productivity leads to more work, which leads to more spending, which leads to more work to cover the extra spending, which leads back to more productivity, and so on. Throughout the film she refers to this as a bad thing. However this is a classic example of capitalism at its finest and how both consumers and businesses alike grow and flourish. If it were not for this “work and spend“ model, our form of economy would not be effective. Of course there are examples of consumers and businesses that take this model to the extreme which often causes more harm than good, but as the old saying goes “You cant have your cake and eat it too“.
So what do you think? Is the over spending we are doing in America something that is potentially detremental to society or is it simply capitalism running its course?
3/09/2011
Response to Britney Perkins: Narcissistic Websites
I completley agree with you and the article you found. In todays society, where the internet is growing more and more everyday as means of marketing for businesses, it is crucial that a firms website be informative, helpful, and visually appealing. As we see in the example you gave of the t-shirt company, the combination of internet and Fed-Ex has created a market in which competitors are found all over the world, not just in your geographical area. This creates the need for a well put together, easy to use website that is helpful for the customer and not just means of bragging to the customer. Websites are a crucial part of todays business world and an effective one could be the difference between making profit and going out of business.
My Marketing Mix for My Summer Business: Any Suggestions?
This summer a friend and I will be starting our own powerwashing, window washing, and deck staining company instead of getting a summer job working for someone else. Both of us have a good deal of experience in the industry, and we are confident that we will deliver a high quality product. So it is just a matter of marketing ourselves properly to make homeowners aware of our services. Our marketing mix for our company is as follows.
Product: The products our firm will offer are powerwashing services, window washing services, deck staining services, and small paint job services. Last year I managed a company that focused a majority of its efforts booking full exterior paint jobs. I found managing jobs of this magnitude to be very difficult and harder to turn a decent profit. Therefore, this year my friend and I will focus our efforts on smaller less time consuming jobs and a higher turnover. As far as the products we will use to complete our jobs, we will try to only use the best. For powerwashing jobs we will purchase the leading brand of powerwashing bleach solution, and for painting jobs we will purchase either Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paints, unless the customer prefers something else. The quality of the products we use on the clients home will be a large selling point for our firm, and the quality of our services will need to be an even larger one.
Distriubution: Starting over spring break and continuing up until the start of summer break we will spend a great deal of time marketing towards homeowners in New Haven County, CT. We will use a differentiated marketing strategy, as we will be offering multiple different services to homeowners of varying levels of income. We will most likely focus a majority of our effort on vinyl houses because the focus is high turnover and powerwashing is the fastest of the services we offer. We also focus a majority of our efforts in Guilford, CT (a town in New Haven County) because it is our hometown and we already have somewhat of a name for ourselves. We will make the public aware of our firm through door-to-door flyer dropping, putting up fliers in businesses, taking out adds in the local newspaper and yellow pages, and on the internet via a website and facebook.
Price: The goal of our firm is to offer the best value (combination of price and quality) in the area. In order to come up with a price for each job I will go to the house to do an estimate. The price is effected by the size, difficulty, and materials needed to complete the job. Typically a powerwash ranges from $200-350, a deck job ranges from $300-1200, and a window job ranges from $150-300. Price is probably our biggest advantage over competing firms that have been in the market longer than we have. Because we are college students with fewer expenses than owners of professional painting and powerwashing companies, we can afford to offer much lower prices, and due to our previous experience in the field the quality of the work will eqaul to that of our competitors. Based on my experience managing a similar company last year our target socioeconomic market is middle to upper-middle class homeowners because they are more willing to pay than lower class home owners, and also usually more trustworthy of college students working on their homes than upper-class homeowners.
Promotion: One of our main marketing objectives is to sign a majority of our clients before the start of the summer. This is the goal because (1) It is easier to sign a client if you get to them well before the competition does, and (2) it is easier to focus on production during the summer when there is no need to worry about marketing to get more clients and keep the business going. Therefore, we will offer a majority of our promotions during the pre-season as incentive to sign with us before the summer starts. We will offer a 10% diescount for any clients that sign with us before May 1st. Also, because networking is one of the most effective and cost efficient forms of marketing, we will offer another 5% discount for any client that refers us to another client.
This is our marketing mix for our business venture this summer. We hope to turn this mix into a well oiled marketing plan that will allow us to book a majority of our clients before the work season begins. Do you have any other suggestions that could make our marketing plan more effective?
Product: The products our firm will offer are powerwashing services, window washing services, deck staining services, and small paint job services. Last year I managed a company that focused a majority of its efforts booking full exterior paint jobs. I found managing jobs of this magnitude to be very difficult and harder to turn a decent profit. Therefore, this year my friend and I will focus our efforts on smaller less time consuming jobs and a higher turnover. As far as the products we will use to complete our jobs, we will try to only use the best. For powerwashing jobs we will purchase the leading brand of powerwashing bleach solution, and for painting jobs we will purchase either Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paints, unless the customer prefers something else. The quality of the products we use on the clients home will be a large selling point for our firm, and the quality of our services will need to be an even larger one.
Distriubution: Starting over spring break and continuing up until the start of summer break we will spend a great deal of time marketing towards homeowners in New Haven County, CT. We will use a differentiated marketing strategy, as we will be offering multiple different services to homeowners of varying levels of income. We will most likely focus a majority of our effort on vinyl houses because the focus is high turnover and powerwashing is the fastest of the services we offer. We also focus a majority of our efforts in Guilford, CT (a town in New Haven County) because it is our hometown and we already have somewhat of a name for ourselves. We will make the public aware of our firm through door-to-door flyer dropping, putting up fliers in businesses, taking out adds in the local newspaper and yellow pages, and on the internet via a website and facebook.
Price: The goal of our firm is to offer the best value (combination of price and quality) in the area. In order to come up with a price for each job I will go to the house to do an estimate. The price is effected by the size, difficulty, and materials needed to complete the job. Typically a powerwash ranges from $200-350, a deck job ranges from $300-1200, and a window job ranges from $150-300. Price is probably our biggest advantage over competing firms that have been in the market longer than we have. Because we are college students with fewer expenses than owners of professional painting and powerwashing companies, we can afford to offer much lower prices, and due to our previous experience in the field the quality of the work will eqaul to that of our competitors. Based on my experience managing a similar company last year our target socioeconomic market is middle to upper-middle class homeowners because they are more willing to pay than lower class home owners, and also usually more trustworthy of college students working on their homes than upper-class homeowners.
Promotion: One of our main marketing objectives is to sign a majority of our clients before the start of the summer. This is the goal because (1) It is easier to sign a client if you get to them well before the competition does, and (2) it is easier to focus on production during the summer when there is no need to worry about marketing to get more clients and keep the business going. Therefore, we will offer a majority of our promotions during the pre-season as incentive to sign with us before the summer starts. We will offer a 10% diescount for any clients that sign with us before May 1st. Also, because networking is one of the most effective and cost efficient forms of marketing, we will offer another 5% discount for any client that refers us to another client.
This is our marketing mix for our business venture this summer. We hope to turn this mix into a well oiled marketing plan that will allow us to book a majority of our clients before the work season begins. Do you have any other suggestions that could make our marketing plan more effective?
2/15/2011
Phish: A Marketing Strategy that Every Band Should Follow
Ever since I first heard the progressive rock/jam band Phish in my sophomore year of highschool I instantly became what many people refer to as "a phan". Since they returned from their short breakup in 2009 I have seen the band perform live 19 times and I plan on continuing to go to shows for as long as they are together. For those of you who are not familiar with Phish and the Phish culture, I may sound crazy for wanting to see the same band 19 times, but the truth is the band has a nation wide following of fans who are just as/ if not more dedicated to the band than myself. I beleive the reason why Phish has become one of the best selling live acts in the country comes from their ability to market themselves and their product (their live performances) as well as their ability to build such strong and long lasting relationships with their "phans".
Phish has become so succesful at what they do because they know exactly what kind of product they offer and they know exactly what kind of people like their product. Since their formation in the late 80s, Phish has known exactly what kind of band they were and they have never strayed away from that and tried to become something they were not in hopes of making a few more dollars or a few more fans. They stuck with the marketing plan and saw it through to the end. Though they do produce albums like every other band they realize that their niche in the music market is the ability to put on a live act that is unlike any other band in the world. Phish is known for never playing the same show twice. Though the band has probably played more live shows than almost any band ever, their versatility in styles and catalogue of well over 200 songs, interlaced with periods of total improvisation, practically gurantees a completley different experience at each show. This, in turn, has created a target market of no specific gender, ethnicity, or age group, but simply true music fans. Phish attracts people with a wide preference and understanding of music on a deeper level than a catchy pop beat or love lyrics. Phish has realized this about their fans and continue to give them exactly what they want, a different show every time.
Along with their firm understanding of their product and their target market, Phish is very good at the promotional aspect of marketing as well. One thing they do is offer instant downloads online of every show they play the day after for just 10$ (unless you payed to see the show, then the download is free). They do this rather than publish each show as "LIVE PHISH ALBUMS!" and charge upwards of $25 because they realize what their true fans want, and that is as many different Phish experiences as they can possibly get their hands on. If they werent at the show they want to listen to it and hear what new and inventive things happened at the show that have never been done before. So, while they may not make as much money as they could be making by selling recordings, they understand that they will make it back through maintaining that steady relationship with old fans as well as constnatly making new ones in the process. Check out http://www.phish.com/ or http://www.livephish.com/ and look at all the promotions they offer on the site/
You may still think im nuts for seeing one band 19 times and probably always will (unless you see them for yourself), but it is a fact that their are hundreds of thousands of people all over the country like me that Phish has established a lifetime relationship with. Phish is as successful as they are because they know their niche, they know their product, and they know their customers. What are some bands that you like that you think have a great marketing strategy?
Phish has become so succesful at what they do because they know exactly what kind of product they offer and they know exactly what kind of people like their product. Since their formation in the late 80s, Phish has known exactly what kind of band they were and they have never strayed away from that and tried to become something they were not in hopes of making a few more dollars or a few more fans. They stuck with the marketing plan and saw it through to the end. Though they do produce albums like every other band they realize that their niche in the music market is the ability to put on a live act that is unlike any other band in the world. Phish is known for never playing the same show twice. Though the band has probably played more live shows than almost any band ever, their versatility in styles and catalogue of well over 200 songs, interlaced with periods of total improvisation, practically gurantees a completley different experience at each show. This, in turn, has created a target market of no specific gender, ethnicity, or age group, but simply true music fans. Phish attracts people with a wide preference and understanding of music on a deeper level than a catchy pop beat or love lyrics. Phish has realized this about their fans and continue to give them exactly what they want, a different show every time.
Along with their firm understanding of their product and their target market, Phish is very good at the promotional aspect of marketing as well. One thing they do is offer instant downloads online of every show they play the day after for just 10$ (unless you payed to see the show, then the download is free). They do this rather than publish each show as "LIVE PHISH ALBUMS!" and charge upwards of $25 because they realize what their true fans want, and that is as many different Phish experiences as they can possibly get their hands on. If they werent at the show they want to listen to it and hear what new and inventive things happened at the show that have never been done before. So, while they may not make as much money as they could be making by selling recordings, they understand that they will make it back through maintaining that steady relationship with old fans as well as constnatly making new ones in the process. Check out http://www.phish.com/ or http://www.livephish.com/ and look at all the promotions they offer on the site/
You may still think im nuts for seeing one band 19 times and probably always will (unless you see them for yourself), but it is a fact that their are hundreds of thousands of people all over the country like me that Phish has established a lifetime relationship with. Phish is as successful as they are because they know their niche, they know their product, and they know their customers. What are some bands that you like that you think have a great marketing strategy?
Response to Lia Moreggis Customer Service Post
Lia I couldnt agree with you more. Good customer service is something that is very hard to find nowadays. ESPECIALLY when it comes to dealing with a firm over the phone. Poor customer service and weak/unhappy relationships with customers is simply bad business. The term "The customer is always right" may not be true but it is how you should run your business. After all, what is a business without customers? Probably the worst customer service experinece(s) I have ever had was with Dell Computers Inc. My computer was randomly shutting off in the middle of me using it, and I kept losing things I was workign on for school. So I called Dell to help me fix the problem. My experience began with close to a half hour wait before I talked to a real human being. Once I was finally connected with something that wasnt a machine I found myself talking to an indian man with an extremely heavy accent. Now I dont really have a problem with outsourcing certain parts of a business overseas to save money, but when it comes to the customer service hotline I think it is absolutly ridiculous to outsource something like that to people who dont have a full grasp on the language of the people they will primarily be helping. Now I am on the phone with someone walking me through steps to fix an extremely complicated peice of eqiuiptment and I can barley understand him. On top of this everytime I asked to him repeat himself he seemed as though he was getting frustrated with me. This proceeded to happen several more times when I called with different problems that I had with the computer. Needless to say I will never purchase another Dell computer again. I think good customer service is something that is really overlooked by managers and business owners and is really an essential part to a succesful business.
2/09/2011
What Happened to the Miller Highlife 1 second Super Bowl Commercials?
I remember for about a month or two before last years Super Bowl between the Colts and the Saints the Miller Brewing Co. broadcasted tons of Miller Highlife commercials announcing their plans to broadcast 1 second commercials during the Super Bowl. The pre-superbowl commercials were hilarious and really got my attention, as well as informed me to keep a look out for the quick one second clips during the Super Bowl. I thought this marketing strategy was absolutley brilliant.
By creating 1 second commercials to broadcast during the superbowl, Miller Brewing Co. was able to broadcast 30 times the amount of commercials throughout the superbowl as a company that spend $2-3 million to broadcast one 30 second ad. However, a 1 second commercial happens way to fast to notice and would not be effective at all if it were not for the pre-superbowl commercials. By creating the 30 second pre-superbowl ad that they were able to broadcast at normal advertising rates rather than the outrageous Super Bowl premiums they were able to effectively advertise, and they were able to inform their audience to keep a look out for the upcoming 1 second clips. This, in turn, caused millions of people like me who saw the pre-superbowl ads to think about Miller Highlife even while other commercials were playing because I was constantly on the look out for the one second blurbs.
By creating 1 second commercials to broadcast during the superbowl, Miller Brewing Co. was able to broadcast 30 times the amount of commercials throughout the superbowl as a company that spend $2-3 million to broadcast one 30 second ad. However, a 1 second commercial happens way to fast to notice and would not be effective at all if it were not for the pre-superbowl commercials. By creating the 30 second pre-superbowl ad that they were able to broadcast at normal advertising rates rather than the outrageous Super Bowl premiums they were able to effectively advertise, and they were able to inform their audience to keep a look out for the upcoming 1 second clips. This, in turn, caused millions of people like me who saw the pre-superbowl ads to think about Miller Highlife even while other commercials were playing because I was constantly on the look out for the one second blurbs.
Here is one of the pre-game ads -->
Response to Abbys Superbowl Car Ad Post
I would agree with Abby that car companies (along with beer companies) have the most competition when it comes to advertising during the superbowl. It seemed as though every other commercial during the superbowl was either for a car or a light beer. I would also agree that the Volkswagen commercial was one of the funnier commercials of the night (and the doritos commercial with the little pug who breaks down the door). However, I would disagree that spending $2-3 million on a 30 second slot is a waste of money for these companies. Over 100 million televisions tuned into the superbowl this year which means well over 100 million people watched the super bowl this year (no one watches the superbowl alone). Also, unlike any other telvision broadcast, these 100+ million viewers usually dont tune out during these ads due to the reputation of superbowl commercials. Even though $3 million seems like a lot of money, being able to get your message out to so many people so quickly is very cost efficient. For example, if you compare the $2-3 million expense for the 30 second slot during the superbowl to the time and money needed to hand out 100 million volkswagen fliers, the commercial is much mroe efficient both cost wise and time wise. However, I would still agree with yotu that 3 million dollars for 30 seconds worth of promotion is a bit ridiculous.
2/03/2011
The Facebook Marketing Strategy
With the Academy awards just around the corner, I figured I would talk about the inspiration behind one of the nominees for Best Picture,cThe Social Network. In less than ten years the social networking site known as Facebook has become one of the most popular websites for all ages all over the world. After seeing the film the other day it is easy to see why facebook has avheived the worlwide success that they have in such a short period of time. The marketing strategies used to promote facebook, even in its earliest stages were second to none. CEO and founder of facebook, Mark Zuckerberg knew exactly what his product was, who it would attract, and how to attract them to it.
Facebook is now a site that is available for use by any and everyone who wants to be a part of it, however this was not always the case. The core competency of Facebook was orginally exlusivity.The original marketing strategy was to offer the site to the select group of college students who attended Harvard University (like founder Mark Zuckerberg), and outsiders were only welcomed if they were invited by a Harvard student. This idea of exclusivity was what originally drove Facebooks marketing plan, because as we know, we all want what we cant have.
However, the sites pupularity grew so fast that the founders of facebook quickly started to expand to other Ivy League schools and soon to all colleges around the country until facebook was the IT thing to have for any college student because it offered them constant updates and info as to what was going on in their social lives. In the film The Social Network they site excellent marketing strategies that the founders of the site used. For example, in one scene they discuss how they wanted to get their site onto a certain campus in Texas, however they already had their own social networking site. So, their plan was to promote facebook to every scool within 100 miles of their target school. This, in turn, would create word of mouth between the outside schools and the target school that would make the students need facebook. This is a brilliant marketing strategy that pushes the intial idea of exclusivity even if the site is no longer exclusive. Whether or not this account is factual is an entirley different story.
Facebook, through excellent marketing techniques was able to expand from one school and one age group, to a site that is used by over 500,000,000 people of all ages across over 100 countries, and has virtually revolutionized the way we interact and keep in touch with people. Now facebook also offers one of the most revolutionary techniques for other firms to advertise their products on the site. Facebook has developed algorthms that match peoples preferences, likes, and dislikes that are cited on their facebook page with products that are being advertised on the site. Now firms are able to much more easily and effectivley reach their target markets. However, there has been some controversy about this strategy, claiming that it is an invasion of privacy and should not be allowed by facebook. What do you think, invasion of privacy or simply good business?
Facebook is now a site that is available for use by any and everyone who wants to be a part of it, however this was not always the case. The core competency of Facebook was orginally exlusivity.The original marketing strategy was to offer the site to the select group of college students who attended Harvard University (like founder Mark Zuckerberg), and outsiders were only welcomed if they were invited by a Harvard student. This idea of exclusivity was what originally drove Facebooks marketing plan, because as we know, we all want what we cant have.
However, the sites pupularity grew so fast that the founders of facebook quickly started to expand to other Ivy League schools and soon to all colleges around the country until facebook was the IT thing to have for any college student because it offered them constant updates and info as to what was going on in their social lives. In the film The Social Network they site excellent marketing strategies that the founders of the site used. For example, in one scene they discuss how they wanted to get their site onto a certain campus in Texas, however they already had their own social networking site. So, their plan was to promote facebook to every scool within 100 miles of their target school. This, in turn, would create word of mouth between the outside schools and the target school that would make the students need facebook. This is a brilliant marketing strategy that pushes the intial idea of exclusivity even if the site is no longer exclusive. Whether or not this account is factual is an entirley different story.
Facebook, through excellent marketing techniques was able to expand from one school and one age group, to a site that is used by over 500,000,000 people of all ages across over 100 countries, and has virtually revolutionized the way we interact and keep in touch with people. Now facebook also offers one of the most revolutionary techniques for other firms to advertise their products on the site. Facebook has developed algorthms that match peoples preferences, likes, and dislikes that are cited on their facebook page with products that are being advertised on the site. Now firms are able to much more easily and effectivley reach their target markets. However, there has been some controversy about this strategy, claiming that it is an invasion of privacy and should not be allowed by facebook. What do you think, invasion of privacy or simply good business?
1/26/2011
Response To Doug Sacks Week 2 Post
I would definatley agree with Dougs point that using the marketing mix forces you to come up with a plan of attack as well as helps you figure out your strengths and weaknesses. It is crucial to be able to highlight your strengths as much as possible as well as work around your weaknesses while in a job interview. I also agree with Dougs take on pricing. It is definatley important not to undersell yourself, but at the same time it might not hurt to be willing to settle for less pay when there is more competition, especially in times like theses in which job competition is the highest it has been in years. If the employer is viewed as a consumer of you, it would make sense that he or she would be looking for the lowest prices.
Marketing Myself Using the Four Ps
The four variables of marketing can not only be applied to a firm trying to promote a product, service, or idea, but also an individual that is trying to promote themselves to potential employers. As we discussed in class, the four main aspects of marketing can be summarized as Product, Place, Promotion, and Price. My goal upon graduation of college is to get into to music entertainment management. So how will I apply the four Ps of marketing to my attempts at getting a job in this industry upon graduation?
The first variable of marketing is product. This describes how a firm must distinguish their product, service, or idea from the rest of the competition. In a traditional product marketing setting this would be characterstics such as the quality, size, style, or quantity of a product. In job application setting such as mine I would have to differentiate myself individually from others applying for the same position. I would site things such as my education in business management, my knowledge of music from all genres and eras, my experience managaing/booking a loacal band in my hometown, as well as other managmenet skills that i have aquired over the years.
The second P, Place (or distribution) refers to where, in terms of location and coverage, a firm will market their product. For example, Burton Snowboards Inc. probably does not spend a large portion of their marketing budget in places like Florida and Texas, but rather Colorado and Vermont. For my situation, I will look to apply for postitions in large cities, such as New York and Boston, where there are large talent agencies, lots of music venues and recording studios, and most importantly tons of undiscovered bands and other talent.
Third is Promotion. This refers to any activity used to inform the potential consumer about the organization and the products they offer. For a firm this might come in the form of T.V. and radio advertising, viral marketing and PR. In a job search setting promotion usually comes in the form of a resume or a portfolio with work experience, education, and references. Promotion is, in my opinon, the most important part of marketing both a firm and their products, as well as an individual looking for a job.
Finally, the Price aspect of marketing is, for the consumers, probably the most important aspect of marketing. In a traditional setting consumers are constantly searching for the lowest prices available. In a job setting this is perhaps a college students biggest advantage. A college student, though he may not have as much experience as other competitors, he is probably willing to work for a much lower price than the older applicants.
The four Ps of marketing for a firms product to its customers can easily be transferred to the concept of marketing yourself to employers. It is a very useful way of thinking about it.
The first variable of marketing is product. This describes how a firm must distinguish their product, service, or idea from the rest of the competition. In a traditional product marketing setting this would be characterstics such as the quality, size, style, or quantity of a product. In job application setting such as mine I would have to differentiate myself individually from others applying for the same position. I would site things such as my education in business management, my knowledge of music from all genres and eras, my experience managaing/booking a loacal band in my hometown, as well as other managmenet skills that i have aquired over the years.
The second P, Place (or distribution) refers to where, in terms of location and coverage, a firm will market their product. For example, Burton Snowboards Inc. probably does not spend a large portion of their marketing budget in places like Florida and Texas, but rather Colorado and Vermont. For my situation, I will look to apply for postitions in large cities, such as New York and Boston, where there are large talent agencies, lots of music venues and recording studios, and most importantly tons of undiscovered bands and other talent.
Third is Promotion. This refers to any activity used to inform the potential consumer about the organization and the products they offer. For a firm this might come in the form of T.V. and radio advertising, viral marketing and PR. In a job search setting promotion usually comes in the form of a resume or a portfolio with work experience, education, and references. Promotion is, in my opinon, the most important part of marketing both a firm and their products, as well as an individual looking for a job.
Finally, the Price aspect of marketing is, for the consumers, probably the most important aspect of marketing. In a traditional setting consumers are constantly searching for the lowest prices available. In a job setting this is perhaps a college students biggest advantage. A college student, though he may not have as much experience as other competitors, he is probably willing to work for a much lower price than the older applicants.
The four Ps of marketing for a firms product to its customers can easily be transferred to the concept of marketing yourself to employers. It is a very useful way of thinking about it.
1/25/2011
In Response to Erik
I agree with Eric and his take on marketing vs. advertising vs. propoganda. I would agree that advertising and propoganda would fall under the promoting aspect of the overall series of actions that is marketing as a whole. I also agree with Eriks point that while propoganda is, more often than not used to spread lies against an opponent, it can also be a legitmate and positive form of marketing. Propoganda is a good tool to evoke strong feelings about something which can be very useful in terms of marketing. The terms advertising and propoganda fall under the broader umbrella of marketing.
1/24/2011
Marketing, Advertising, and Propaganda
I would have to say the main difference between marketing, advertising and propoganda is the purpose of each of the terms. In all three instances, the goal is to convince the audience of something. The difference, however, is what exactly your are trying to convince the audience of.
I think the goal of marketing is an attempt to sell something to your audience. Whether it be a product, a service, or something else, the goal of marketing is to convince the audience that your product or service is better than anyone else in your specific market. For example, if you were trying to sell a car you would "market" the car on t.v., magazines, etc.and tell the audience all the positive aspects of the car and why it is the best choice for anyone currently in the market for a new car.
The term advertising on the other hand is similar to marketing, however it is not necessarily an attempt to profit financially from selling a good or service. Advertising can simply be means of making an audience more aware of something that they may not have been aware of before they saw your advertisement. For example, the "Above the Influence" advertisements that encourage kids to say "no" to drugs are not an attempt to sell anything to its audience but rather to convince them of the dangers of drugs.
Finally, while advertising and marketing attempt to convince an audience that what they have to say is right, the goal of propaganda is to convince the audience that what the opponent or enemy has to say is wrong. Propaganda, is often false and an attempt to bring a negative image of an enemy or opponent to the audience. For example, the Nazi regime used propaganda to convince the public that the Jewish community was the enemy and needed to be destroyed.
While the goals of all three terms is to convince an audience of something, the difference comes in what the audience is being convinced of.
I think the goal of marketing is an attempt to sell something to your audience. Whether it be a product, a service, or something else, the goal of marketing is to convince the audience that your product or service is better than anyone else in your specific market. For example, if you were trying to sell a car you would "market" the car on t.v., magazines, etc.and tell the audience all the positive aspects of the car and why it is the best choice for anyone currently in the market for a new car.
The term advertising on the other hand is similar to marketing, however it is not necessarily an attempt to profit financially from selling a good or service. Advertising can simply be means of making an audience more aware of something that they may not have been aware of before they saw your advertisement. For example, the "Above the Influence" advertisements that encourage kids to say "no" to drugs are not an attempt to sell anything to its audience but rather to convince them of the dangers of drugs.
Finally, while advertising and marketing attempt to convince an audience that what they have to say is right, the goal of propaganda is to convince the audience that what the opponent or enemy has to say is wrong. Propaganda, is often false and an attempt to bring a negative image of an enemy or opponent to the audience. For example, the Nazi regime used propaganda to convince the public that the Jewish community was the enemy and needed to be destroyed.
While the goals of all three terms is to convince an audience of something, the difference comes in what the audience is being convinced of.
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