| BLOG 10: THE END |
SAY IT AIN’T SO...
I cannot believe that this semester has come to an end. It went by much quicker than I thought it would. I have to honestly say that this marketing class has been the most enjoyable marketing class I have taken during my time at UT. Actually, this is my last marketing class that I have to take (minus the MKT 370 required capstone course!) and I am really glad to end on such a good note. Over the course of the semester, I have learned so much about marketing and about myself through the class lectures, podcasts, blogs, articles, and especially the group project. I was able to see how marketing methods, theories, and concepts affect my everyday life!
PARADOX OF CHOICE
When Professor Walls first lectured on paradox of choice, the only examples I could think about were grocery aisles filled with medicine and shampoo. I only thought about the paradox of choice as a problem when dealing with actual tangible objects. However, working on the group project showed me how paradox of choice can even affect intangible objects, such as an idea.
The very first assignment that we had to work on as a group was to pick a segment to focus our whole project around. There were no real boundaries so the possibilities seemed quite endless. There were so many segments to choose from that our group had such a hard time deciding on one. We constantly struggled to choose between teen girls, retired old grandparents, and first time expecting parents (and this is just the narrowed down version of the list we wanted to work on). We finally ended up choosing expecting parents just because we thought finding people that would fit this segment would be the easiest.
After we made the final decision and worked on our project all semester, I have always kind of regretted our decision. Sometimes I feel like we made the wrong choice and that we should’ve picked the old retired grandparents. When I feel this way, I think about how paradox of choice can lead people into feeling a sense of regret because opportunity costs are involved. Knowing that a sense of regret might brew due to the paradox of choice...I often have to shake it off and remind myself that our choice was a great one and that I’m just going through a normal regretful stage and to not take it so harshly.
I AM SUCH A GENERATION Y-ER
Another interesting thing that I learned after working on the group project is that I am such a Generation Y-er. If you read my blog 1 post about Generation Y and their products...you can see that I believe that I am a little above average when it comes to being a true Generation Y-er. After working on this group all semester...I would say that my 7 self has become a level 8.5 Generation Y-er! So, why the increase you ask? It’s simple...my life has become even more relied on technology!
All semester, I hardly ever made or received a phone call from my group members. If I needed to reach any of them...I would Facebook, e-mail, or even chat with my teammates online! Even if I urgently needed to hear back from them...I would wait online all day in case they decided to chat online or respond to my e-mails. Looking back, I could’ve saved so much time just picking up the phone to call them. I don’t know why I didn’t do it. OH, WAIT A SECOND! I do know why I didn’t call them on my phone. It’s not that I’m stubborn, it’s because I’m a GENERATION Y BREED!!!!
Also, my team’s approach to collecting data proved that I was supporting and getting sucked into the Generation Y trend! Originally we had wanted to collect responses from our segment through personal interviews but we ended up just having them answer all of our questions through an ONLINE survey! We even asked that they make digital copies of their journal pictures so that they could send it to our e-mails!
I really need to take a time out with technology before I lose all human contact. Connecting through the web is not a healthy way to live my life! I could’ve saved myself so much trouble and stress from waiting impatiently to hear back from team members and respondents if I just had the common sense to meet with them face-to-face or even talk to them through the phone! This has definitely become a reality check and I am going to force myself to spend less time on the internet now.
FULL OF EMOTIONS
Overall, the class has been a very enjoyable experience. This project was stressful at times, but I feel like I really was able to apply marketing methods (segmenting, sampling, surveying, evaluating data, etc.) to the actual big team project. I thought the most fun thing to do throughout the project was to evaluate our collected data. The data consisted of a photo journal and a list of responses to our survey questions. I would not normally put that much thought and look for trends in responses, but this project has taught me how to look at responses in a new light.
My teammates were a definite blessing. I know that I can be a very dominant member, but I was fortunate to have a team where each member really wanted to contribute to the project. This made me way less of a dominant person, and I felt that each of us were able to contribute and balance out the other members of the group. Furthermore, when evaluating the target’s responses to our surveys and photo journal requests, we all took part in this event. Things that I would’ve never thought of considering or would’ve missed otherwise were spotted by other group members. We were able to generate so many ideas because everyone had a different way of thinking how the consumers felt. This was extremely beneficial because we were able to build off of one another’s ideas. Also, as mentioned before, they really had me see just how much I relied on technology and how my life would be so much easier if I didn’t depend on technology as much.
As far as Professor Walls goes...he was awesome. He opened my eyes up to so many different marketing topics that I found to be so interesting. He made me want to go to class because he never seemed to bore me. My team was fortunate enough to receive the help of Professor Walls on our project since he was a part of our segment. Also, Professor Walls is someone that truly supports his students’ ideas and goals. Never once did Walls turn down my ideas or make me feel like I was silly for asking certain questions. Instead, he would always make me feel like my ideas and questions were actually of importance and ingenious! And let’s face it...we all love to feel like we’re doing the right thing! I cannot thank Professor Walls enough for his help and constant support throughout this semester and I know that I wouldn’t have enjoyed this class as much had Walls not taught it! |
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| BLOG 9: FREEBIE |
BACKGROUND
I recently read the article titled “So Your Kitchen is Tiny. So What?" by Mark Bittman. To sum up the article briefly, Bittman, a recipe cook book author, posted up a picture of his smaller than average 7 by 6 feet kitchen space on his blogging website. Overwhelmingly, responders stated how they were so surprised that someone, a well-practiced cook, could possibly tolerate and do work in such a tiny sized kitchen. Bittman’s rebuttals go in depth about how there are only a couple of necessities that he needs which include a stove, sink, refrigerator, and a couple of pots and pans. Furthermore, Bittman makes it known that he knows many great cooks that get by with even less supplies and appliances than he has in his kitchen!
Reading this article made me think about how consumers often feel like their products make them who they are; as if they can buy massive amounts of a certain product or brand and be virtually transformed into this idea/image that the product tries to advertise itself as. So, why do we consumers do it? Not only do we want to feel like someone else through the products we buy, but I believe that consumers forget that “less is more” because of what our peers and society consider to be the norm nowadays. All this spending becomes a huge problem because it leads to overconsumption. Sounds crazy? Let’s see if you agree after this blog!
WE TRY TO TYPECAST OURSELVES WITH POSSESSIONS
A lot of consumers purchase products because they know that they are being judged. Many people choose to buy expensive and showy things to try to associate themselves with those products. One example of this is when we buy clothes that promote a big clothing designer. A lot of consumers will go out and get apparel, accessories, and even shoes that are popular labels to try and typecast themselves to that brand. They want other people to associate them with having expensive taste, quality type clothing, and living the rich and luxurious lifestyle that so many people envy. Rappers do this all the time and even create songs talking about the products that they wear. Nelly dedicated a whole song about wearing Air Force One shoes and Big Tymers created a song about owning Gucci Suits and driving a Mercedes E-class.
Sweet Sixteen? More Like...SOUR Sixteen!
Yes, I agree that people constantly feel like they are being judged by their peers. But to a lot of people, they think it’s a necessity to have the bigger and flashier things. All they want is to gain a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T from their peers. A really great (but frustrating) example of this is a show that airs on the TV station MTV called “Sweet 16.” It is a series of episodes about girls turning 15-17 years old who have their parents throw them expensive and elaborate coming-of-age parties. Each episode dedicates a small segment to the birthday child passing out invitations to their friends and classmates. It’s always the child’s favorite time because they know that their peers are dying to go to their party, and the birthday boy/girl wants everyone to envy their lifestyle. Because the birthday child is placed on such a pedestal, they feel that the more extravagant their party, the more their classmates will respect and like them. Several episodes have shown the birthday brat crying because they were not granted an elaborate gift like a convertible and some form of this comment is always made, “I’m going to be so embarrassed! Everyone is going to make fun of me!” Certainly, there are many other cases where people feel they need expensive and new things to associate themselves with a social class, but this is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Amount of Wealth
Many consumers believe they are being judged by other people because they believe that life is a competition where wealth is a key component. To many people, money is a sign of success and power. As consumers, we are always trying to compare ourselves with others by looking at the differences in our disposable income. For instance, when comparing a Mercedes owner to someone who drives a Honda, many people feel that the Mercedes driver is the more successful person. They do not stop to think that a car is merely a tool and the Honda is able to fulfill every need required to get from point A to point B. I feel that this idea is very similar to Bittman’s situation where his readers criticized him for not wanting a kitchen equivalent to the Mercedes. If anything, Bittman should be seen as a more successful cook because he is capable of outperforming people while using less materials. People fail to see past the glamour of expensive things and open their minds to the idea that not everyone believes in buying more than what’s necessary to get the job done.
WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN’T SWEAT THE BIG STUFF
Many people are stuck with this preconceived notion that the objects a person own define who they are. In order to discover a person’s true worth, we need to look beyond the worth of their physical possessions. I’ve often heard the saying “money can't buy you everything.” Even though many consumers believe that buying nicer brands and items can change their status and class; this is not always the case. You can’t always buy yourself into what you want you be!
Overconsumption
Consumers need to change the way they think about buying things of value because many times it can lead to overspending. In this day and age, overconsumption is a problem that a lot of us consumers face. There is this constant feeling that we need more than we really do. The article, “So Your Kitchen is Tiny. So What?” even mentions how people criticized Bittman for not having what they thought was a sufficient amount of cooking supplies, but Bittman ensures readers that he has all the adequate items he absolutely needs, which does not seem like much to most people. He states that, “...when it comes to kitchens, size and equipment don’t count nearly as much as devotion, passion, common sense...” I believe that if you have the minimum amount of tools needed, why spend money on extras that probably never get used? Many consumers automatically believe that having more appliances means that it will make them a better chef, but in reality, cooking is an art-form that must be learned, not bought. Consumers need to realize that consumption is now merely an act of desire and not a necessity… needs have limits but there is no bottom to desire.
WE THE CONSUMER
So as it turns out, as a consumer, I too am not immune to overconsumption. There are times when I feel that it is my right… no my duty, to go out and spend money on things that I “want” instead of “need”. While it’s easy for me to take a step back and look down at all the other consumers buying unnecessary things, it’s much hard to actually change my spending habits. I hope to someday cure myself of this lifestyle and become more like Bittman. It is indeed our duty as consumers to spend money, but not to the point of overconsumption.
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| BLOG 8: EXTENSIVE PAPER OUTLINE |
Outline for a paper about Packaging
I. Introduction
a. Thesis: The packaging for every product/brand helps build brand equity and is an important element in the marketing plan since it plays a crucial role in customers’ purchasing decisions.
i. Colors and design images used
ii. Words/messages
iii. Shape /size of the final packaging
iv. Material the packaging is made of
II. Body
a. The careful selection of colors and design images for the use of packaging is extremely important because it needs to be able to draw the attention of potential customers.
i. Colors
1. Warm colors such as red and yellow indicate an energetic feel
2. Light colors such as blue and green create a calming atmosphere
ii. Design Images
1. Images need to be appropriate for the product
a. Cartoons/mascots for adult products
i. Adult audience can have a hard time relating to the cartoon
ii. Adult may not take the product seriously
2. Marketers will place design images carefully on the packaging in order to draw attention to the brand name.
b. Words/message
i. The word choice and messages printed on the packaging need to be able to amuse and grab the interest of consumers.
1. Positive words
a. Healthy words or things that indicate a healthier alternative help draw in consumers
2. Message can indicate that the brand/product is a community leader
a. Box tops for children’s education at the bottom or top of the packaging
b. Message saying that the package was made from recycled products.
i. The “green living” trend is rapidly growing and marketers working on packaging are taking advantage of this.
c. Physical shapes/sizes of the package
i. Oftentimes, marketers strategically create certain shapes for the product to spread an even deeper message.
1. Drink bottles
a. Drinks targeting women (ex. Propel bottles) will often be shaped to be skinny bottle to spread the message that the woman will be skinner and have a physique similar to the actual bottle if she uses the product.
b. Drinks targeting men (ex. Gatorade) will often be shaped to be big and bulky to spread the message the men can gain a muscular and bulky physique similar to the drinking bottle if he uses the product.
ii. The packaging needs to be the right size for the right consumer
1. Women need their packaging to be smaller, smooth, and easy to grip
2. Men tend to like their packages bulkier and bigger
3. Children like their packages to be easy to open and easy to grip
iii. The packaging needs to create an experience for the consumer
1. EX: Apple really focused on this experience when they created the iPods because the packaging was so intricate that it felt like the consumer was unfolding a present.
d. Material the packaging is made of
i. As mentioned before, “green living” is a huge trend so many people are starting to use their packaging out of recycled products.
ii. Consumers are turned onto products that can be reused.
1. I prefer to buy products that I can open and close at my own convenience.
2. Also, I like to buy products that I can use the package for later purposes such as a glass jar or plastic containers vs. cardboard boxes.
iii. Durable packaging helps draw in more customers.
iv. See through packaging helps consumers see exactly what the product is and this helps drive their purchasing decisions.
III. Conclusion
a. With so many different products and competitors out in the market today, it only makes sense that the packaging for products go beyond their traditional methods in order to stand out and grab the attention of their consumers.
b. What I have learned from the research
i. Revisit key research findings
c. Application to customer insights – how understanding the needs of consumers and the social responsibility aspect can ensure greater profits. |
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| BLOG 7: FREEBIE! |
QUEEN OF COUPONS
For years, I have prided myself on being a super saver shopper. I use coupons like crazy. Don’t believe me? I buy an entertainment book every year (a book that costs around $20-$30 that has over 500 coupons in the local Austin area), I snip and look for coupons in the weekly newspaper, I even look for coupons and promotion codes online when I buy clothes from my favorite websites. Yes, I get some good deals and save a whole lot of money by using promotions and coupons...but my boyfriend (Tim) recently pointed out that I actually end up spending more money than saving! Wait a second...this can’t be happening, right? I am using coupons to SAVE MONEY! How could the reverse be happening? I didn’t believe him so we decided to test his theory out in a couple of experiments. Turns out that I’m not the queen of coupons...but a SUCKER for coupons!
FLASHIER IS BETTER
First, we drove to Barton Square Mall, he told me to shop like I normally would, and told me to be prepared to answer some of his questions about my decisions before making a final purchasing decision. After hitting up three stores and seeing nothing worthy enough to pay for...I walked into the Bath & Body Works store. In case you are unfamiliar with Bath & Body works...it is a little shop that sells fragrant filled products such as lotions, candles, perfume, air fresheners, soaps, hand sanitizers, face washes, shampoo, etc.
So, I saw a sign with a great deal going on that I had to jump on! It was a big and BLOOD RED sign for hand soaps that read “Buy 5 for $15!”. I immediately put three hand soap containers in my little shopping bag. He asked me, “Why are you buying 5 hand soaps? You still have 3 of those exact ones at home. Why the number 5 instead of 1 or 2?” I responded back with, “It’s a good deal! 5 for $15 is really good. Why can’t I just get it?” He then said, “You’re not getting a deal at all! You’re getting ripped off! It’s 3 dollars each with or without the sign.”
Holy Toledo! He wasn’t lying! I turned the soap upside down and saw the hand soap was priced at $3 each. How could a huge sign in BLOOD RED make me think that I was getting a deal? The sign had me skipping over the price tags without a doubt in my mind that the deal was a for sure thing. This exercise had me thinking about the clip that Professor Walls showed us in class about how a woman shopper’s brain had more brain wave activity when she was exposed to in store promotions and big promotional saving signs. I obviously got a little too happy Jacky and was highly motivated by the big and flashy signs. I ended up putting down the soaps and left the store making ZERO purchases.
ODD-EVEN PRICING
Afterwards, we went into a clothing store called BCBG. I shopped around for a little bit and found a beautiful dress in the sale section. Learning from my mistakes from Bath & Body works...I made sure to look at the price tag. It was priced at $98.95! Yes, a dress under 100 bucks at BCBG...how much luckier could I get? I told Tim that I was buying the dress and that Debbie Downer tells me, “Wait a second...how much does that dress cost?” I happily tell him, “It’s only $98.95. It’s under $100! A dress under 100 bucks at BCBG is a big deal, Tim.” He then says, “Are you kidding? That’s almost 100 bucks. You’re not even thinking about that. It is literally $1.05 away from being $100. I can go out and find $1.05 on the streets right now. That is not enough of a difference for you to even say that it’s worth buying. You haven’t even thought about tax either!”
He was exactly right! The dress was pretty much $100! How could I not see that? I then remembered in my Marketing 337 Principles class that odd-even pricing gives this illusion that consumers are getting a deal for every dollar. It has been said that having a price a few cents lower than an even number is more physically attractive to a customer’s eye because he/she will perceive that they did not have to spend a greater amount for their products. It was completely true. I felt that something priced at such an “odd” number was justifiable enough for me to pay for it and argue my way into a purchase. It wasn’t until I stepped back and realized what I was doing that I saved myself $100!
THOSE DEVILS ONLINE!!!
After two of my potential purchases turned out to be a bad reality check...I decided to just leave the mall and call it a day. I went home and felt like I wasted the whole day and my gas money going to the mall. Feeling extremely frugal at this point...I decided to just shop online and use internet coupon codes to ensure that I would be getting a GREAT deal. I went onto urbanoutfitters.com and shopped around for an hour or so. After searching the whole site and finding a couple of items I liked I decided to pay and confirm my “shopping basket.” The grand total equaled $88.06. I then checked a couple of internet websites to search for coupons. I found two coupons that tickled my fancy. One that said, “Save 10% on your whole order” and “spend $125 and get free shipping.” I used the 10% off coupon first and saved a couple of bucks, but wait a tick...I could save an addition amount of money from shipping if I just spent a couple more dollars to reach the $125 minimum mark. This was no problem, right? All I had to do was look online for one more item that I liked to reach my goal.
After spending another hour online searching for one more item...Tim walked into the room. He looks over at me and asks, “You’re still shopping online? What’s taking you so long?” I respond back with, “I can get free shipping if I just spend like....30 more dollars.” I’m just trying to find one item that I like that equals that amount.” He then starts laughing hysterically and tells me, “Look at the money you’re wasting! You could just pay the $7 for shipping instead of paying $30 more dollars for another item! You’re obviously struggling to even find another item! Why pay and spend $30 on something that you don’t even really truly like when you could just spend the $7 bucks? AND ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST! He was right on the money on this...how could I be sucked into these marketing tactics? I AM SUPPOSED TO BE A MARKETING MAJOR FOR GOD’S SAKES!
I’M A SUCKER
Obviously, I am a sucker for coupons. I study and hear about these tactics all the time in my classes. I think that I am above these tricks but I’m really not. These marketers are much cleverer than I thought. They have managed to fool me using flashy signs that try to get you to buy bulk, using odd pricing to make their merchandise appear cheaper, and online coupons to get you to add more to your shopping cart. I have experienced firsthand the clever marketing used by retail stores to get people to buy more and more products. Geez...I can’t wait to trick other people into spending massive amounts of their own money! |
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| Blog 6: The Persuaders |
I know that I disliked this movie when I first watched it, but after watching it again for the second time...I can honestly say that I sort of enjoy the movie now. Rapaille is an interesting character and really makes me interested in his tactics. However, now I’m regretting my choice of not majoring in psychology if it could potentially help me become a better marketer! I am totally kidding so all my classmates and Professor Walls...please don’t hate me!
RAPAILLE’S 3 STAGE TECHNIQUE
As I mentioned before, Rapaille is a very interesting fellow. He believes that many consumers don’t understand why they act the way that they do, so they try to rationalize their purchases with false explanations. The example he talked about in the movie was about how Manhattaners were buying huge SUVs called Hummers even though they were completely unnecessary. These people were unable to give a clear reasoning why they wanted the Hummer. Rapaille stated that there was a clear disconnect between the reasoning and the purchasing of the Hummer. However, Rapaille belies that there is a mental connection with the products, items, things, etc. that consumers come across. He works hard to find the secret code in our mental highways. Rapaille has developed a 3 stage technique to uncode our connection to brands and products.
STAGE 1: PAST REASON
Rapaille leads a focus group through his first step in breaking the code. This is a question and answer session in which he goes through asking the subjects what they think and how they feel about an idea or product. In this stage, Rapaille is trying to get the subjects to talk about whatever they want because he wants to give them a chance to try to analyze the marketing side of business. The result is that the subjects usually feel happy with themselves because they think they did a good job. Rapaille categorizes this as starting with the cortex. He says that the things the subjects say in this stage is actually irrelevant and that as marketers we should not care about their input. This is merely part of the code-breaking psychology.
STAGE 2: THROUGH EMOTION
The second step that Rapaille leads his group through is a story-telling session. He asks the subjects to tell a story as if their audience was a 5-year-old from another planet. The result is that the subjects completely change the way they think. They are no longer trying to be logical or intelligent; they just want to please a 5-year-old. Rapaille says that at this point most of them think that he is crazy and that they are getting paid to do practically nothing. He claims that this is the psychological breakdown that must happen for them to tap into their core.
STAGE 3: TO THE PRIMAL CORE
The third and final stage that Rapaille leads the focus group in is having them return to their primal, subconscious instincts. To do so, he removes all the chairs in the room, has them lay down, and dims the lights. He wants them to go back to the very first time that they experienced idea or product at hand. Rapaille claims that in order to get the marketing code, he needs to push their reptilian hot buttons. He says that in the semi darkness, the subjects will remember things that they have forgotten for 20 years as they proceed to write about their first experience with the idea or product.
ONE WORD CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
One of the most interesting topics that Rapaille brought up was about how every single word has the power to make a connection to something else in a person’s mind. Rapaille explains that the first time you understand a word...you imprint this word and make a mental connection in the brain. This unconscious connection forces feelings towards a product eventually causing a purchasing decision to take place.
A great example of this in my own life is the original Nintendo game system. When I hear the word “Nintendo” I think of family, hominess, togetherness, and fun. Because I have such positive associations to Nintendo and family lifestyles...I have always been more inclined to buy only Nintendo products. I trust this brand because I feel like I will be getting the whole family togetherness feeling that I look for in a product.
SONG AIRLINES
Song Airlines comes from the parent company Delta Airlines. Song differed greatly in Delta’s services and products in that they had very distinct bright colors, TVs in front of every airplane seat, had very enthusiastic workers trained and hired, offered organic flight foods, and the workers even sang the flight instructions on every flight instead of just talking about the instructions. Although the services seem very promising, I looked up the status of Song Airlines currently and I found that Song Airlines is no longer in existence and actually flew its last flight in mid 2006.
The biggest thing about Song Airlines was that they tried to push and sell a lifestyle/experience. The commercial that they worked on for most of the movie was about how they showed people having a good time, being happy, and running through an open field. At the end of the commercial, brief attributes about Song Airlines are mentioned such as: organic meals, everyday low fares, and dish network satellite TV. Even the advertising in magazines and billboards were hard for people to understand. Sure, they showed happy and smiling faces but it was difficult for consumers to understand that Song was actually an airline service. It was even mentioned in the movie that consumers were responding to the advertisings but they didn’t understand what they were being drawn in for. As you can see, there was a huge problem that consumers couldn’t find and see the point of Song Airlines. By only pushing for an experience, Song suffered greatly and that’s why I believe that Song’s positioning was poorly put together. They should’ve emphasized more of the products and services instead of just a feeling.
Even though Song did not necessarily push for the right things to ensure profits, I thought that Song did very unique things such as hiring workers that were “Song.” They wanted to hire employees that could fit the image and have their consumers feel excited about the product. I also really liked that Song chose such fun colors that resembled air travel such as green, white, and blue. This was smart on their part. |
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| Blog 5: Kenna's Dilemma |
THE ARTICLE HITS HOME FOR ME
After reading Kenna’s Dillema I feel a little surprised but extremely amazed at how the results of all the experiments panned out. However, after sitting there and really taking into account why the results were turning out the way they were...everything just made sense to me! I mean, of course the packaging makes a big deal to the consumer! Also, it makes complete and utter sense that people should always test out a product over time instead of just briefly being exposed to it. I bring these two points up because I feel that these two particular subjects are the ones that would be the most instructive/helpful to a marketer trying to gain insight from current or potential customers. If marketers can master the arts for these two ideas...great success will be sure to come.
PACKAGING MATTERS
The packaging of an item is the only thing we have to base our decisions on when we are physically in the store and cannot open the package to test out the product itself. With so many selections to choose from...the packaging is going to be the thing that drives me to make a decision. Look at the trouble I have when I’m in the store searching for toothpaste:
I purchase Crest Toothpaste regularly and, as you can see, the all the packages for the different types of Crest seem pretty similar. Let me just point out that the words on the boxes don’t matter a great deal for me because I know that I will be able to find a “whitening/tartar control” for almost any box that I select. So, this is when the packaging and color matter the most to me! The article delves into the idea that the packaging of a product can create what is called “sensation transference.” This concept is the idea that “when people give an assessment of something they might buy in a supermarket or a department store, without realizing it, they transfer sensations or impressions that they have about the packaging of the product to the product itself”. Going back to the Crest Toothpaste, when I make a final decision, I automatically go for the boxes that have a blue color or green on the box. The more blue/green on the box, the better for me! The blue color for me denotes cleanliness like the water. The green makes me think of really fresh products and a minty feeling for my mouth.
So what colors are turnoffs for me as far as my purchases are concerned? I will never go for the boxes that have the red color on them. The red just makes me think that the toothpaste will be too fiery or powerful for my teeth.  Also, I’ll never ever choose the boxes that have gold/yellow on them because I think of cavities/dirtiness when I see the boxes. Finally, I will never go for the orange colored boxes because I automatically think of sweetness and candy.  All these associations that I have for the colors are feelings that I don’t want to be felt while I’m trying to brush and CLEAN my teeth.
In the end, with so many products to choose from, marketers are going to have to have their products’ packaging stand out for a consumer. In order for a packaging to stand out, the colors need to be the perfect fit for the service that the product promises to deliver in order for positive associations to occur. The more a consumer can feel a benefit and connection with the product, the more likely they’ll be willing to shell out the money to make the purchase. If the colors or pictures on the packaging denote an unfavorable idea...you can bet that the consumer will not be inclined to buy the product. As you can see, having the perfect coloring/picture on a product equals the perfect ingredients for a profit earning package!
SLOW YOUR ROLL AND TAKE YOUR TIME!
The second important thing that I think marketers need to understand is that testing products over time and not just giving a small glimpse/sample of an item will yield more accurate results. The article talks about the Pepsi vs. Coke taste test challenge. Since only sips were given at the challenges, the Pepsi cola overwhelmingly beat Coke. Pepsi is a sweeter drink so when you take small sips of something, the sweeter product will always be the more appealing one. However, when marketers prolonged the experiment making test subjects drink a whole can of both...Coke won hands down. You see, the sweetness of Pepsi got to be way too sweet for many of the subjects.
So, let me tell you a story about a time that a long term experiment would’ve been beneficial for me. I have tried many face creams before in my time but before I try a product, I usually will just pick up a sample from retailers. So, one time I was at the mall and they were passing out free samples of face cream for Estee Lauder and Olay. They wanted to see if the inexpensive Olay cream could compete with the expensive Estee Lauder cream. I picked up both and put a little on my hands and face. The two were so similar in texture but the Estee Lauder product smelt better and sweeter than the Olay cream. It probably didn’t help that I thought the cheaper Olay product wouldn’t have been able to provide the same promising results as Estee Lauder. I ended up buying a whole case of the Estee Lauder product. That same night, I went home and applied the Estee Lauder cream to my face. You know what happened? I BROKE OUT IN HIVES! I went to the doctor and he told me that the sweeter product meant that there were more chemicals included and I was having an allergic reaction to it. I ended up giving the face cream to my mother and I went out and bought the Olay face cream instead. I was very satisfied with the Olay product and it’s the only face cream I use to this day.
The important lesson I learned here is that I needed more time to test the actual products out. By only taking a small amount of the face creams at the mall...there was no real way to see if I would be allergic to the product. Also, something like a face cream should be tested for longer periods of time because the results won’t show up instantly overnight. The wrinkles on my face won’t just disappear. It's evident that testing small amounts from little samples containers in a controlled setting, such as the mall, will not give realistic results. I need to be able to take home a whole jar and test it out on my face. I might put on more cream than the sample container permits. Just a glimpse of a product is not enough for consumers to base their whole purchasing decision around. With this mentality, marketers will need to understand this and be willing to run experiments with greater amounts of samples for longer periods of time.
Not only did I learn the importance of product testing, but I also noticed a smaller lesson in this as well. If you are going to sample products...you probably shouldn’t have the brand names showing because it can alter your judgment. I thought that the more expensive product would be the better product, but in the end...not only did I pay more for the face cream...but I also had to pay for a doctor’s visit too! |
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| BLOG 4: AND MY PAPER TOPIC IS... |
I struggled to think up a topic for my final paper, but after several hours brainstorming I have finally made up my mind. Drumroll please....**DRUMROLL GOES OFF IN THE BACKGROUND** ** I would like to write my paper on the Disney brand!!! Disney is greatly influential to our society. It teaches valuable life lesson and the brand itself has many positive associations. Because of this, I believe that consumers continue to support Disney throughout their whole life and will continue to happily spend loads of their own money on Disney products. My paper will dig deep to see why we, as consumers, are so willing to shell out the big bucks for Disney.
I’M OLD NOW...SO WHY DISNEY?
I decided from the very beginning that I wanted my topic to be something that most people could relate to. I feel like Disney is a brand/company that many of my own peers have had exposure to. I was a child that grew up religiously following Disney movies and Disney TV shows. My mother heavily supported the moral lessons that Disney taught in their products so she never had a problem with me watching Disney films/shows. With so much experience with this brand, I have this great interest to see just how influential Disney really is because it sure works on me! People think that the Disney brand can only sway children, but I beg to differ. Even as an adult I still get excited about Disney things such as:
- When the company comes out with a new Disney movie, I usually plan to see it in theatres opening weekend
- I am actually planning my first trip to Disney World this spring break
- When I go to a karaoke bar, I always look for Disney movie songs to sing with my friends
- I often talk about old Disney movies that I grew up with to my friends and we all reminisce together about our carefree days
- The picture below proves that I still want to be the iconic Disney couple!!!
 As you can see, Disney still has this hold over me. Even though I am older I cannot shake free from the Disney cult! With so much passion for this brand, I know that I can enthusiastically write 10 whole pages on this topic without getting bored.
DISNEY’S CONNECTIONS TO CUSTOMER INSIGHTS AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
Disney for the family:
Like I mentioned earlier, Disney grasps the lives of many people early on in their childhoods. We grow up learning our morals from the various lessons that Disney teaches. We learn that following our dreams is important to finding happiness. We also see that finding and falling in love can make our life feel complete. Overall, it shapes our beliefs and our values and it gives us all hope in a happy ending. Disney paints such an enthusiastic picture for consumers and the result is our undying support for the brand. We go out and spend our money buying the DVD’s, soundtracks, music books, and movie tickets because it is a brand that we believe in. We do it as kids, as adults, and I know that many of us will continue to do it as parents. There will be this cycle where we rely on Disney to teach our kids life lessons. Our kids will then grow up off of Disney beliefs. After that, they will rely on the new Disney releases of the times to teach their kids lessons, and the cycle will always live on until someone further down in my family tree stops having kids!
Disney for the Self:
Disney has countless positive associations with the brand. When we hear of Disney, we think of happy, magical, and limitless dreams. That is why so many people out there continually visit the theme parks of Disney Land and Disney World. I have asked several of my friends how they felt about their visits there, and the response was overwhelmingly similar. “Oh my gosh... Disneyworld was the best! It felt so magical! You need to go visit the theme park!” Upon further inspection, my friends go on to talk about how it makes them feel like a child again because they are revisiting some of the same characters and scenes from the stories that they grew up with. Feeling like a child gives them the power to escape from reality to believe that no dream is impossible and that there is always going to be a happy ending. It is evident that the experience of visiting one of these theme parks is a positive one and very powerful.
The frequent visits to the parks will be self gratifying and very expensive. To get into the park you have to pay for parking and for tickets. Then afterwards, you will probably spend money on Disney souvenirs! It really goes to show just how much consumers will actually spend money on a brand that reminds them to hold on to their past and future dreams.
THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY AGREES WITH ME!!
Using Google Scholar, I was able to find an article that agreed with the idea that Disney does in fact influence kids’ beliefs and values on life. The American Journal of Family Therapy produced an article called “Images of Couples and Families in Disney Feature Length Animated Films” that was written by Litsa Renée Tanner, Shelley A. Haddock And Toni Schindler Zimmerman. The article talks about how Disney helps create ideas of family and relationship norms to children. For example:
- Most of the families in the movies have two parents and the father is often the powerful figure
- Most of the films discuss how the parents should love and protect their children
- Almost all of the movies stress strong family relationships as a vital part of life
- Most movies feature couples falling in love at first sight quickly followed by marriage
Kids then interpret these lessons/ideas and mold their lives to fit what Disney portrays as normal. The article continues on with how therapists use these findings in their patient analysis. Personally, I feel that Disney’s universal themes really do affect everyone in some way.
DO YOU AGREE?
You know how I feel about Disney, but what are your thoughts? Did you grow up with Disney influencing your life and beliefs? Do you plan on using Disney as a moral educator for your own kids? Please let me know!
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Name: Tina Bui
Major: Marketing
and Communication Studies
Email: tina.u.bui@gmail.com
Birthday: January 29th, 1988
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posted by
TunabeREAL at 