What Turns A Consumer On? - Week 4 Form

Topic 1 -

You want to know something truly outrageous? I mean - something seriously shocking? Marketers all across the board are coming to the  conclusion that an important aspect of successful business is... get ready... authenticity. Yes, being open and honest with customers and employees. It's alright to show them your human side, after all, none of us are perfect, even big-time CEOs. I know- crazy. But being authentic, it turns out, has incredible benefits, including, but not limited to, feelings of taking a weight off your shoulders and a newfound love for your job(if you're a business leader), sudden compulsions to support the authentic business, desires to work for them, and a more positive image of the work experience (as a customer or employee).

Dave Kerpen, in his engaging book, Likeable Business gives a compelling example of corporate authenticity. The CEO of BELFOR, Sheldon Yellen, is a remarkable man who runs his company remarkably. He makes a practice of getting on the employees' level with his promise that he will never make them do anything he hasn't done himself. Sheldon is a man of his word. In addition, he sends hand-written birthday cards to his 6,000+ employees. Wow! Talk about a relatable boss. This man is true to his values and beliefs, carrying them all the way to the top of BELFOR. Because of Sheldon's openness and relatability, employees feel like they can talk to him, feel secure in their jobs, and, as a result, do much better work - more happily, too, might I add!
* (see Likeable Business by Dave Kerpen on page 47)

So how can being authentic improve customer relations? Clearly, employees are happier and more secure when they feel free to be themselves and know their employer is someone who actually has feelings and a brain, but how does authenticity impact customers? When a company has people who are motivated and passionate about their product/service and the individuals buying them, customers feel more cared for, more known. When customers feel known, they feel they are more than a number on a statistics graph and have a higher likelihood of referring friends to your business. Authenticity is not rocket science; all it takes is committed staff, time to listen to people buying your product, and a positive response to their comments or concerns. If you've got employees and customers to look out for, trust me - being willing to be known as a real person, not a boss, will pay off.


Topic 2 - 

1) God. What do you think of when you hear that word? According to a consumer behavior study conducted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, consumers with an awareness of God are more likely to take risks on new and different products and opportunities. The study was conducted on 136 people split into two groups. One was given a page to read about God, with the intent to cause the subjects to consider a higher power. The other group was given a page to read about planets. After, both groups were given the choice of looking at a black image (which the study conductors said posed no risk) or a vibrantly bright image (which the conductors said may cause eye damage). 95.5% of the God-page readers decided to risk looking at the bright-colored image, while only 84% of  the planet-page readers chose the colorful image. Even beyond this small-scale experiment, researchers are finding that consumers with a God-consciousness have a tendency to do more daring deeds, like sky-diving, while, at the same time, rejecting offers that are morally risky. Is it true that affirming the reality of God can help start-up businesses in their sales?

 

2) The way America's culture has been moving, leaders throughout the country have been pushing for "no religious speech", including the mention of God. However, I find it intriguing that when people are given a reason to hope and have faith in something far greater than themselves, they not only have a more optimistic world-view, but also are more willing to take chances they otherwise wouldn't have taken. This is great for companies offering non-traditional products or services. Business leaders who truly believe in God should be allowed to confess their beliefs and inspire others to discover more about the supernatural abilities of God. In the study case of sky diving, as mentioned above, participants who put their faith in God had a higher dive rate than those who didn't.



3) This is great news for me! As I plan to be an entrepreneur, I want to incorporate God into my business. What I mean by that is inspiring people to seek Him, not hitting them over the head with the law. That hasn't worked well in the past and it certainly won't work now! But people are getting hungry for the supernatural; they want to know if something else exists, and I want to be the one to lead them into an encounter with God. Specifically speaking, for the purposes of this class, I can see about writing inspiring messages on cards or raffle gifts for my client to use in advertising.

Take a look at this article about how a belief in God influences peoples' actions and attitudes in the workplace.

Toys 4 Us - Week Three Forum

Topic 1 -

1) Seth Godin's story about the toy industry's annual new-toy launch was an excellent case for risk-taking. Every February, the toy industry holds a Toy Fair, attracting kids from all over to play with their new, and sometimes wacky, inventions. Hundreds of toy prototypes are displayed, but out of those hundreds, only a few ever become mass-produced (Purple Cow, pg. 118).

2) The toy industry is not afraid to try and fail, setting a fabulous example for marketing as a whole. You never know what product you can make or what people want to buy unless you give it a shot! Obviously it's going to cost something to take that risk - in the toy industry's case, money to construct the toys - but that risk can pay off immensely. Even if it doesn't, you know another method that probably won't work in the future. Don't conform to an pre-made mold; create a new one and see how it holds!

Topic 2 - 

1) Recently, marketing executives of Burger King, Visa, Taco Bell, and Adobe gathered together to talk about digital storytelling. The article, found here, describes each company's story-telling techniques that have aided in their consumer rapport. All four executives agreed that story-telling is no longer about telling a story, but rather making a story by involving customers in the process. For example, when Burger King took Chicken Fries off the menu in 2012, there were murmurs of discontentment from their consumer-base. Burger King decided to create emojis of peoples' reactions to the Chicken Fries when they were released again this year. The emojis proved to be attractive to the customers because of the silly facial expressions.

                                           
2) This is a different approach than most companies have taken in the past. Marketing is indeed shedding its skin of obvious advertising and growing a new, vibrant layer of customer connections. For the first time, big-name companies feel reachable... feel human. The twist taken by Burger King, Taco Bell, Adobe, and Visa, however, is that instead of telling tales of how they began or why they do what they do, they are giving the pen to their fans, users, and customers and saying, "Here - what do you think of our company? What does it mean to you? What do you and your friends like and dislike?" You see, companies that involve their customers and listen to their wants and needs are the companies that forge ahead. This is where the businesses' stories go off-script and become a game of improvisation.

3) While working on my marketing project, I can take the history of the company into account and then spread the word to the customers, asking them why they support and buy from the company and what they'd like to see. I can use improvisational story-telling to shape the story of the company with the customers' perspectives and experiences.

Check out how Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream is forging a path through the frozen dairy aisle using story-telling here.

Let Me Count The Ways... Forum #2, Wk 2

Topic #1

1) I highly agree with the American Marketing Association code of ethics. The section I find most important in it is the Implementation statement. Without implementing and applying the code of ethics to a company, it goes nowhere. It's very important to have commitment to ethics, especially in the marketing aspect of business, to gain trust from customers, employees, shareholders, and the like.

2) The ethical values in the American Marketing Association include honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency, and citizenship. Out of these, the one that stands at the forefront of importance in my mind is honesty. Without honesty, it's impossible to gain subordinate and customer trust, which is already in need of help in marketing at large. A company that values honesty values integrity and is truthful in its interactions, short-comings, and sales. I have yet to find an honest, open company that people don't like. Generally, even if a company's products aren't stellar as long as it has honest, listening staff, people will be drawn to it. Why? Because there's potential! It's a business people feel like they can trust. Show me one manipulative company that people love. Can't find one? That's because those companies usually go out of business.

3) Toyota is one example of a company that followed through with honesty. A couple of years ago, my mom got a call from a Toyota representative recalling all Toyota Yaris' for an update or fix in the airbag system. We took our car into the dealership and got it fixed for free. Toyota had honored its promise of replacing or fixing car parts that were not up to par with the automobile regulations. Because it did this, my family trusts and is happy with Toyota's service and customer promises.

Topic #2

1) This is a profound article! It's a campaign that Dove sponsored to give women the choice to decide how they perceived themselves by setting up two different doors of malls that were labeled "beautiful" and "average". Shockingly, many women went through the "average" door. A video posted in the article showed different women in several countries walking through the doors and being interviewed about their choices. Most said it made them think about how they truly saw themselves. The point of Dove's project here was to show women that it is their choice as to whether they see themselves as beautiful or not. It's a choice, not an unchangeable state of being.

 
                                                     BEAUTIFUL?

2) This was huge in the world of marketing, since there's a lot of pressure on young girls to look a certain way. What Dove did was not only a noteworthy way to spread its brand name, but more importantly to show women that they are beautiful and it's all about how they choose to view themselves. Most cosmetic companies have commercials or photos of seductively dressed women with excessive make-up and call it "beautiful". Dove is breaking that.

3) What I love about Dove's campaign is that it's about the people, not selling their product. I hope that more cosmetic companies jump on board with this style of advertising - to take the pressure off and show the truth - that women are naturally beautiful. That being said, I can think about a different approach to marketing my product/service instead of taking the traditional route.

To visit Dove's website, go here.

* pictures courtesy of Dove.

Week One's Wonderful Forum

Welcome!
Please have a seat and get comfortable while I tell you a bit about myself.

I'm currently in the BA 223 Principles of Marketing course. As soon as I saw the option to enroll in this class, I jumped at it. I've been fascinated by the workings of business and marketing since I was very young. Hence, I'm a Business Administration student.

 I'm most intrigued to learn about the current nature of marketing, from what works/what doesn't to what the general public responds best to and why. I love all this delectable marketing goodness because I am going to have my own business once I graduate and want to know how to make good connections and have a strong marketing ability.

 Outside of school, you can find me riding horses - bareback or saddled, writing or telling funny, clean-humored stories, and inspiring my family and friends in their endeavors. (Sometimes I do all three at once!) Basically, as long as something is active and involves communication, I am up for the challenge. Since marketing involves flexibility and adaptability, it is something I'm very interested in.

                                                              *** *** *** ***

This article I found interesting. It talks about McDonald's getting ready to raise employee wages $1 above all local minimum wages and offer vacation time as well. This is all in response to protests by passionate demonstrators and to build public rapport. McDonald's hopes to improve its rather poor reputation for being stingy and unhealthy. This is important in its marketing, especially since McDonald's has taken a big hit in recent years with research of negative health effects of consistent fast-food consumption. It has already marketed healthier options, like salads and fruit, and is working to gain a better company image through the better treatment of its workers.

                        

I wasn't aware of McDonald's wage increase until I read this article, but it does help give McDonald's a better image, even though I don't like their food and never buy from them.

If you want more information on McDonald's new reworkings, visit it's site here.