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?