Response to colin

Do you believe that companies should be allowed to ask for zip codes or do you think it should be considered personal information and why?

I think they should be allowed to, but they shouldn't for everything. I get really annoyed when i buy something at a store and they ask me all this extra info about my email and zip code. I think it is rather personal and some people don't want to share that information and it is hardly necessary. I dont think theres any harm in being allowed to ask but it shouldnt be manditory for a purchase.

cell phone companies

I find it very difficult to choose a cell phone company. There are all of these adds, billboards, magazines, and so on for cell phone carriers but the main one is verizon. Verizon sponsors hundreds of events and celebrities to get people to be on their plan, so why is this the main carrier that people choose? Most people that i know have verizon and it's usually odd to find someone else with a different carrier. I have US cellular because they have a cheaper plan for my family, but it's not that much cheaper. That is the main reason that i got us cellular because its cheaper than verizon, but it gets the same service and is basically the same thing. I do find it annoying that they don't have as many phones as verizon like i cannot get the Iphone if I want it. I have to get droid phones and that almost made me not renew my plan.

what made you choose your cell phone company?

Netflix and Blockbuster

As soon as netflix was created i noticed more and more blockbuster stores going out of business until i really never see them at all anymore. It is kind of a weird thing because blockbuster reminds me of childhood going to the movie store to rent a movie for the night. Now all you have to do is sit on your couch and order a movie, which makes it a lot less exciting. I have always thought that if blockbuster changed their marketing and came out with something unique such as a new product or way of movie renting, they could have stayed in competition with netflix and not have gotten almost run out of business. To me it seemed like netflix began and blockbuster just thought oh well now were going to close down all of our stores, instead of trying to beat them. Blockbuster is the place with the established name and could have come in full force against netflix but i have not seen any changed in what they do. I think marketing was key for blockbuster to try and keep going.

Do you think Blockbuster gave up when Netflix was invented? Do you think they could have come out with some type of new product or marketing tool to stay in competition?

Response to colins post

If you were a marketing professional for JC Penney what would you recommend the company and what direction to take?

JC Pennies clothes are mainly very cheap and fit weird. In contrast, Target has the same price point but their clothing is awesome and theres always stuff i find that i like. I think JC penny needs to design clothing that looks nice and is still cheap, which is possible. I also find that there are clothes in JC penny that I might like and then the price tag is $30 for a t-shirt. where did that come from? So i dont buy it. Marketers should market better designed clothes for cheap prices. Their marketing comes off as cheap and theres really  nothing about it that makes it look nice. Their choices for older women and kids just doesnt work. They need to market as a fashionable company rather than more family oriented and i think more people would buy from them.

Coupons

In my hometown we have a coupon book and it's always making me go buy things I didnt plan on. I'd open it up and it would say buy one get one free milkshake! So, I would go and buy a milkshake. or 50% off and Rex's grill, so the next place i went out to eat to eat was rex's. I think this is a great idea because its always making me go new places and try new things. It definitely makes me go somewhere that i wouldnt have so good job on the coupons. It is always good to get a deal or do something different that you feel is worth while because you are not paying full price. it gives you a sense of gratification when you get a discount on something. Even for the internet coupons will make me buy things or look at websites that i wouldnt normally. im always getting Express coupons in the mail and it makes me go to their website and see what they have. I think all around coupons make me buy things that I dont need but at least the do their job.

Do you buy things specifically because you have a coupon for it? Do you go out to eat at a restaurant because you have a coupon for it?

Response to Ariana;s post

What do you think is the most important part in designing a product? Why?

There are many different things that go into designing a product. You start with researching your product idea to see whats already out there. You need to make sure your not interfering with any patents and that your idea is original. You then need to make concept sketches. Show other people your sketches and ask what they think. Then comes prototyping. This is very important because you can get the general idea and layout of your product. you can see what works and does not work and begin to change it. This is the most important part of the process because you need to have a solid prototype before you go ordering expensive parts and mass producing it. If there is something wrong with your prototype and you order 100,000 of them then this is a huge waist of money and really puts your company behind. When it comes to other design considerations of your product it is very important to consider things like ecological and human health damage that it may cause it producing the product and materials for the product. You need to consider how much you will sell it for and how much it costs to make it. Where are you going to make it, overseas or in the US? How many are you going to order for your first shipment? There are a lot of important things in designing a product, but the most important part is the prototype.

Customer service in clothing stores

I went to a shoe store the other day and could not have been more annoyed with the employee hovering over my shoulder and following me around the store. every boot i tried on she would ask if i like it, if i need a different size, a different color and show me similar boots to what i was wearing. I just wanted her to leave me alone so I could look around and not feel pressured. She kept trying to convince me of how worth it it was to spend $100 on a pair of boots. I ended up leaving the store because she was so annoying when maybe i would have bout some if I didnt have to listen to her the whole time. Obviously, she was trying to do her job and be helpful and probably make some extra commission, so where is the happy medium? It is also no help when you are acutually trying to find something and no one is around to help you. But i think when it comes to clothing, most of the time you dont know what your looking for and need to scope it out. So it is painful when you have someone shoving things in your face. I have had experiences where I didnt know if something looked good and the employees, obviously tell me it does but it is reassuring.

Having you ever gone to buy something and had an employee hovering over your shoulder the whole time and got so annoyed you left? Wheres the happy medium?

Response to Kristen Shea

Do you find yourself in need of a constant new item or toy? Do you find yourself to be a big spender or saver?

I find myself always wanted new items but not necessarily needing them. As I have gotten older I have learned that I do not really need much and I should save my money for important things. It is also hard to buy things as a broke college student so I try to not even look. Clothing is my wearkness and I can always use new clothes. I am definitely a saver and always have been. I have always tried to save my money and do not like to spend extra money where I don't need to. I do like to travel a lot and I will find myself spending money to go out with friends and do things. It is more important to me to have fun with friends than to buy expensive things. When I finally have a job and am not spending 10 hours a day on homework it will be nice to be able to buy some things that I want.

Burton Snowboards

Burton snowboards is a $487 million dollar industry and is the top name in snowboarding. But do they really produce best snowboard products? The answer is no, but because of the name many people will automatically think that it is a good snowboard or pair of bindings. They use marketing tools like Sean White and are the main sponsor for snowboarding in the Olympics and x-games. I always wonder if spending millions and millions of dollars to sponsor the biggest names and events actually pays off. We see a "red bull" billboard at a red sox game. We dont think anything of it at the time, yet red bull is the most popular energy drink out there. As goes for Burton, they are the most popular snowboard brand out there. The odd thing is, everyone that is an adamant snowboarder and goes 40+ days a year will not be caught dead wearing Burton. By becoming so main stream they have lost the market of snowboarders that actually know how to snowboard and ride every day. We do not want to buy a pair of bindings for $400 that are going to break half way through the season because they say "Burton" on it. But with all the gapers out there they presume Burton as a cool company of high quality because of who they sponsor, so they buy them.

Do you think putting their name on huge events such as red bull and the olympics, or Burton and the x-games competitions makes them be perceived as better than other brands like Amp Energy or GNU? Does this make you buy the more expensive-known brand over the smaller ones?

Response to Drew's post

Do you think Nike does a good job at branding themselves? Is there product is easy to identify and distinguish itself from competitors?

Nike does a great job at marketing themselves. They have a HUGE market. They market all the way from basketball players  to soccer stars to snowboard pros. Each one of these groups believes that nike is a top brand for their sport because they market and produce their products in the best way possible. It wasn't always this way. About ten years ago Nike was not known as one of the top brands. They figured out how to market themselves to be a "cool" brand beginning with the air force one basketball shoes and using Michael Jordan as their campaign. Using such a role model for marketing made everyone think that their brand was the best. They then tapped into another market with Nike 6.0 shoes which were appealing to skateboarders and snowboarders. This gave them the idea that Nike was a desired company to represent. A couple years later they came out with snowboard boots that are top of the line performance giving snowboarders the idea that Nike is one of the best companies to use. They target different groups of people at different times making it seam like Nike is specific to their sport and they need to have it. Nike is easy to identify from its competitors with their logo and style.

Bottled Water

Bottled water is the second largest commercial beverage category volume in the united states. We buy bottled water for the convenience, but certain types are marketed differently. Fiji water has a price per bottle of up to $1.50. Smart water reaches almost $2. Your general local gas station water is usually the cheapest around 99 cents. It is surprising to me that people are willing to buy water for a higher cost because of the way it is marketed. I find Fiji water and smart water to be the most popular and most expensive. I believe this is because their marketing makes you feel like their water is healthier and better than other brands. It gives off a more sophisticated feel to it and Fiji water is said to be blessed by the Buddha in Fiji. When in reality there is no difference between your local gas station bottled water and a type of water labeled fiji or smart water. The water goes through a filtration system and it there is no extra health benefits from one type of bottled water to the next. I always go for the cheapest price but if I do know many people that are will to pay extra for the more prestigious brands of water. This shows how big of an effect marketing has on people. If you took the exotic label off of a fiji bottle and left the price tag, next to a "cumberland farms" water bottle 50 cents cheaper, people would most likely choose the cheaper bottle.

Do you buy Fiji water or Smart water over a brand like "Cumberland Farms Natural Spring Water?" Even though it is more expensive, why would you buy it?

Response to Kenra's post

Do you think companies earn more business from advertising or from customers recommending the product to others?

I think this depends on the size of the company and what they're selling. For products found in grocery stores and fast food I think advertising is key. There are so many products alike out there and they are so similar that they way they are advertised makes people think that they are that much more amazing than the other. Of course getting recommendations from friends will push someone towards a certain product over another, but with them all being so similar I hardly think it will make a difference. Most people don't talk about these products much anyway or have a large opinion from one to another. When it comes to things like furniture, TV's, clothing, and so on I think recommendations from others are the most beneficial. These are things that you see advertised but since they are so expensive you do your own research. Most people have either made the mistake of buying products that are advertised to be amazing (like my DELL computer) and turns out they just break down and are cheap. These are the types of things I will ask my friends and people who use them what the best type is, and research it myself. I know better than to listen to a commercial or a magazine add that's telling me to buy this TV because its perfect, when it really will break within the next 6 months. It definitely depends on what type of product and how expensive it is if people will listen to adds or other people.

Have you made the mistake of buying an expensive product like a computer or TV because it is advertised as being the best of the best, and once it broke down on you everyone that you told about it said, I could have told you that would happen. If only you asked for advice from others first, before you listened to the commercial or advertisement, right?

Music on Clothing Comercials

I recently saw a DSW shoe commercial with an extremely catchy song and people wearing fashionable shoes dancing around in them. This actually made me want to go to DSW and check out their shoes. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun dancing in their summer heals to this great song it made the product look so appealing. I often find myself thinking the same thing with other commercials with catchy tunes. I have vivid memories as far back as 6 years ago to a commercial for dove deodorant with a song that I absolutely fell in love with. Now every time I hear this song, I think of dove deodorant. It also gives sentimental value to me because I hear the song, picture the commercial, and picture myself as a young kid listening to it and watching it. Now every time I see dove deodorant I think of those two things and it kind of brings a smile to my face, and often makes me buy the product. I think song choice is a very significant part to a commercial and can have a great impact on customers decisions to go out and buy the product, or go to the store and shop around.

Do commercials with catchy songs tend to have a greater, longer lasting effect on you? Does it make you picture the product in the commercial every time you hear the song? For me, it leaves a long lasting impression in my head of the product when it is correlated to a song I like, does it do this for you?

Response to Janell Grassman's post

Do you think it's wrong that household cleaning products always feature women in their advertising?

I do no necessarily think that it's wrong to feature women in cleaning products advertising. This is who they are targeting and I think they are right to do so. Even if women aren't always the ones cleaning and using the products, they are usually the ones to buy them at the store. If men go to buy cleaning products which they often do, chances are they arent picturing that amazing Windex commercial they saw with the worlds happiest women cleaning the windows, they are going to grab the first one that is in reach or the cheapest. I am this way too, and that's how my dad is. It's my mom who stops us and says No you cannot buy that company it does not do the job like this company! Neither my dad or I are aware of this but my mom certainly is. I think it is best to target the women and mom's who actually take the advertisements into consideration instead of someone like my dad who will never pay attention or remember what they saw.

Big Agnes

Big Anges is an outdoor manufacturing company in Steamboat Springs, CO. They design and sell tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. With these three types of products they have about 10 different styles and options. They make their products of the highest quality and have come out with new features before other brands like The North Face and Colman. They have designed their products for avid hikers and campers, as well as backpackers that do these things rain or shine, winter or summer. They have received the title of the number one tent and sleeping bag made. It is surprising to me that they receive these titles being such a small company compared to The North Face and other companies alike. I believe this is because they market their products of being the highest quality, the lightest, most durable, waterproof ext. Hikers and backpackers will buy their products from non-corporate companies that have their true best interest in mind rather than a company that has headquarters in China and mass produces hundreds of different products. Customers want top quality things made from a more underground company that lives and breaths the industry themselves.

Are you more likely to buy products from a large corporate company like the North Face for camping gear, or would you prefer a smaller U.S. based company like Big Agnes who has people designing tents that went out and used them before they put them on the market?

Response to Arianas post

When ever I see Blimp advertising I think it is exciting to figure out what it says, but it never really drives me to go buy the product. I think it is a great idea for the beach or somewhere that the product is available right there to buy. Something like "Ben and Jerry's ice cream" would make me go buy an ice cream while I was on the beach. I have seen advertisements for companies like "Expedia" while I am on the beach and I kind of think to myself why waist the money? I am not going to go home now and search expedia.com just because I saw an airplane flying with a sign for it. Most of the time I don't think blimp advertising is worth it.

Web products free shipping

When online stores offer free shipping this drives me to purchase from them rather than another store. When I go to order something like a T-shirt for twenty dollars and I go to check out and it jumps up to 30 dollars, I will often choose not to buy it. I will then surf the web for a different T-shirt that has free shipping. I also find myself drawn to deals like "spend 50 dollars and receive free shipping." I will usually specifically pick out enough things to equal fifty dollars just for the free shipping. This makes me think I am not wasting any money on just shipping and it is a great deal. All online stores should have some type of shipping deal to make customers buy from them rather than someone else. I think this would make a huge difference to draw people to their store.

Have you ever gone to buy something online, and once you see the shipping price decide not to buy it anymore? Are you more likely to search for a product offered on a website with free shipping site wide, rather than a website not offering free shipping site wide?

Response to Lindsey's post

I find myself having mass amounts of t-shirts from functions. Everybody likes a free t-shirt. I think this is a good idea for certain businesses. If it is a small company trying to get their name out there having a catchy t-shirt design is a good idea. This is make people ask what kind of company it is when they see the t-shirt. I think for big established companies like Verizon, it doesnt necessarily do much for them. Everyone sees a verizon t-shirt and knows exactly what it is, and it doesnt exactly convince them that it is a cooler company than another phone company.

Purchasing

The more money we have, the more money we spend. We are always wanting things that we don't necessarily need but what we want. Most people are always trying to make more money so that they can buy more things. Marketers aim at this kind of behavior. Something like a nail Polish commercial makes it seem like we need this nail polish to make our hands extra beautiful and it makes us go out and buy it. All though we did not need that nail polish, the commercial made us think that we did.

If minimum wage increased would this increase the purchases that we make on things that we dont need?

Response to Kevin's post

Do you think that companies like Verizon should offer a conservative product and phone plan combination, or are they within their ethical rights to jack up simple phone prices to encourage buyers to increase data usage?"

I agree with kevin that people may look at smaller companies for a cheaper plan and phone. You can't even get a plan for under 80 dollars a month now a days from my experience. I wouldn't mind not having a smartphone if I had to pay 20 dollars a month. The prices are getting so expensive that it is hardly even worth what you get for them. On my plan I have to pay 100 dollars a month for just my smartphone which I think is ridiculous. But to get a phone with no data plan and only about 20 dollars cheaper so I minds well. If I could find a really cheap plan without the newest, coolest phone i would go with that option.

Generation Y

Generation Y is the generation that was born between 1979 and 1994. We spend an extremely high amount of money annually and about ten trillion dollars in a life time. Our generation is the generation that most marketers are trying to reach. We tend to believe that we "need" all of the newest technologies such as smart phones, high definition TVs, x-box and PlayStation's, and so on. Our generation is willing to spend money on all of these things where the older generation didn't grow up with them and don't always feel the need for them. This is why marketers do not spend so much time targeting them. Instead they focus on the young generation that's watching the ads, reading the magazines and using the smart phones.

Do you buy the newest technologies such as smart phones, x-box's and high definition TVs or can you live with the simple more outdated versions?

Response to Drew's post

I believe social media is still worth it even though it is not available to everyone. Facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram and so on reach millions of people. Even people that do not have these things know what it is and will still catch information circling on them from other people or even the news. Even though every single person doesnt have one, the majority of people that I know do. It is aspecially helpful to the younger generation because nearly every one of them has some sort of social media. I think any company that creates a facebook page or equivelent will reach hundreds of new people and customers that they would not have if they didnt make it.
Do you think social media is still worth it even if it does not reach everyone?

Satisfaction and value

Do you believe that the value if a product reflects the satisfaction of the customer?

I do not believe that the value of a product reflectes the satisfaction of a customer. Working in retail there are always products that go wrong- a customer purchases something that breaks or does not work properly. They come back to the store and with great customer service we repair the broken product or give them a new one, and they will continue to come back. They know that it was not our fault that the product did not work properly and we used great customer service to make the customer happy. This is an example as to why customer satisfaction does not always depend on the value of the product.

Have you gone back to a store and bought something new, even if you had a bad experience with a product you purchased there in the passed?

Response to Caitlyn Croasdale's Post

Do you pay more for food or atmosphere when you go out to eat? 

I pay more for atmosphere. If a place has great food but a bad atmosphere I really have no desire to go there at all. I like to be in a place that feels welcomeing and makes me enjoy my time. For example I went to a Irish pub last night. The food was just like any other restaraunt, nothing special but not bad. The atsmposhere however had happy servers that welcomed you, it had great music and action sports on the tv. These things made me want to go back there regaurdless of how the food was. It of course is important to not have terrible food because I would not go back if it was really bad, but if it is satisfying to me I will go back anytime.

Marketing concept

Can the marketing concept reach a point of diminishing returns?

The marketing concept can reach a point of diminishing returns. An example is Coca-Cola. I am always seeing new types out like Coke 0, Diet coke, Low carb Coke, Sugar free coke and so one. It seems like every time I go into a gas station I see a "new" type of coke, but how different can they really be? I think this type of marketing is targeting too many different types of people when "Diet Coke" and "Coke 0" are just fine. Another example is stride gum. There are always new types of stride gum that really do not differ all that much. They are always coming and going like they are trying too hard to come out with the best gum product that they put a bunch of weird tasting useless gum out.

Do you get annoyed with these large companies always coming out with a new product, that is just the same as the old one but with a different label?