Hi everyone! This is going to be my last marketing blog of the semester. I have learned so much since my first blog post. In this post, I am going to go through five of the course objectives & learning outcomes that we received on the first day of class.

1) To examine and convey basic and emerging marketing concepts and terminologies

One way that I was able to examine marketing concepts and terminologies myself was through an assignment we had where we had to present two advertisements from the 50’s or 60’s. My first advertisement was from Adidas.

We started off the semester by learning about the 4 p’s of marketing: product, price, promotion, and place. The 4 p’s remained relevant throughout the entire semester, as they are always present in marketing. We then learned about target markets and other concepts of marketing.

I had to present the 4 p’s, the target market, the effectiveness of the ad, and how it is different from advertisements today. To me, the most interesting part of this Adidas advertisement was the fact that it didn’t show somebody actually wearing the shoes! Today we would definitely see the shoes being worn by a famous soccer player or olympian in order to better promote them.

2) To analyze and evaluate marketing strategy across a variety of organizations (i.e.business, environmental, non-profit)

We learned about so many real life examples in class by having students present daily marketing news, through in class discussions, and by watching videos.

We talked about the marketing strategies of Amazon, Carmex, Zappos, Samsung, and many many more. One of Amazon’s big marketing tactics is the way that they promise to deliver speedy service to their consumers. Here’s a cool video showing the robots that help Amazon accomplish this.

3) To have the opportunity to put marketing into action via team and individual projects, research, reports and presentations

We had a semester long project called Marketing for a Cause. In this project, we worked in 8 person groups and held our own events in support of a local non-profit organization. This October, my group held a kickball tournament in support of the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association, an organization which provides funding for recreational and competitive athletic opportunities for those with disabilities.  

Kickball and Cones for a Cause 

4) Use written and oral skills to persuade a target audience.

Continuing with the Marketing for a Cause topic, we had to do all of the marketing for the event ourselves. We spread information through word of mouth, hung up flyers around campus, had our event listed on the campus portal and on the daily email, as well as created our own Facebook page for the event.

Our target audience was Saint Michael’s College students. It was easy to communicate with them face to face, as each team member was also a Saint Michael’s student. We tabled outside of our dining hall and talked to students about the event as they passed by. Many students signed up for the tournament this way. We also created flyers which emphasized the fact that there would be free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at our event, as free food is a huge plus for any college student!!

Overall, my experience throughout this project was great! I learned a lot about how to communicate with non-profits, how to hold an event, and how to work in a large group. I am also extremely happy that we were able to raise almost $500 for the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association, which is an organization which provides funding for recreational and competitive athletic opportunities for those with disabilities.

5) Through experiential learning, to apply your knowledge and skills

Overall, I learned so much about marketing this semester through in class work, presentations, and group projects. I also learned how to communicate with non-profits, how to hold an event, and how to work in a large group.

Next semester, I am going to be interning for a local nonprofit, RunVermont, which puts on events such as the Vermont City Marathon. As a fitness junkie, I could not have found a better fit. I am very thankful for this course for not only teaching me about the marketing world, but teaching me how to market myself! I learned valuable interview and resume tips from our various guest speakers which definitely helped me during the internship search process.

Image via www.runvermont.org

I can't wait to apply all of my new marketing knowledge and skills during my internship!

Sources:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/svnbzraoy0x0lua/Adidas.jpg?dl=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quWFjS3Ci7A
www.runvermont.org

If you haven’t seen them yet, Starbucks released a new holiday cup today…

Image via @Starbucks on Instagram

This might not seem very newsworthy, but Starbucks went through a slight holiday cup fiasco last winter. For those of you who haven’t heard about it, instead of their typical holiday cups decorated with reindeer, snowflakes and Christmas ornaments, Starbucks released a minimalist red cup last holiday season. There was a lot of backlash, including a video that went viral with over 16 million views on Facebook which claimed that Starbucks removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.

This year, the cup is green and features an artistically drawn mosaic of over 100 people. “During a divisive time in our country, Starbucks wanted to create a symbol of unity as a reminder of our shared values, and the need to be good to each other,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement.

Though they tried to change the cup (again!) with good intentions in mind, there is still plenty of backlash.

Images via www.q13fox.com

Personally, I do not think that people should care so much about the design of the cup. I think that it’s a little humorous how much controversy has come about because of it's design, and many people now are probably just poking fun. Their blank red cup was meant to remove Christmas as to not offend people who celebrate other holidays, and now their new cup is trying to spread a message that we are all one. Ultimately, I think that Starbucks should have just initially stuck with a winter themed cup design instead of trying to add too many elements of social responsibility into it, as their brand doesn't really coincide with that

!! Update !!

Starbucks surprised everyone with a new red cup design on November 10th. There are actually 13 different cup designs that customers could get, and each design has been created by actual Starbucks customers. The designs were created by customers from six different countries in order to “represent the collective spirit of the holidays around the world.” Some of the designs feature snowflakes, lights, ornaments, trees, and more.

Image from www.starbucks.com

“We hope that this year’s red holiday cup designs express the shared spirit of the holidays as told by our customers,” said Sharon Rothstein, Starbucks global chief marketing officer.

Since the customers were getting upset at the plain red cups and the green cups, why not let the customers design the cups themselves!?! I think that this is a GREAT marketing idea by Starbucks.

Sources:

www.instagram.com/starbucks

http://q13fox.com/2016/11/01/starbucks-green-cups/
https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-red-cups-2016

Image from http://blogs-images.forbes.com/

Recently in my Marketing course, we have been learning about the development of new products. One aspect of this topic is new-product failures. An example that we have discussed in class is the recent failure of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7. This smartphone has been recalled due to multiple reports of the phone’s batteries overheating and causing the phone to explode.

Image from http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/

This weekend, I spent my fall break down in South Carolina. I took two connecting flights each way and on all four flights there were announcements about the new smartphone. The flight attendants told the passengers that if they were in possession of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to notify them immediately because they have been banned by the Federal Aviation Administration. Talk about bad publicity.

According to an article in USA Today, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is now considered a forbidden hazardous material.

“If an airline representative observes a traveler with the device before boarding a flight, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger until the phone is discarded, the department said. Anyone caught trying to sneak a Note 7 on board could face fines and criminal prosecution. If a flight crew member identifies that a passenger is in possession of the device in flight, the crew member must instruct the passenger to power off the device, not use or charge the device while aboard the aircraft and disable.”

I think that this ban will definitely make things harder for Samsung. The main factor contributing to their product failure is poor product quality, which our textbook defines as the factor that results when a product is not thoroughly tested. If customers are loyal enough, they might stick around until the problem is fixed. Usually the biggest problem is the loss of sales, profits, and market share. The technical problems with the Note 7 will be able to be repaired, but it’s going to be harder for Samsung to rebrand after becoming a “forbidden hazardous material”. That’s an extremely negative association. Also, current Samsung customers who get singled out on flights will probably start to think twice about remaining loyal to the company.

Samsung is definitely going to have to do a lot of damage control. In my opinion, I think that they need to recognize the 7 as a failed product and try again with an even better Galaxy S8.

Sources:

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/cartoonoftheday/files/2016/09/160913Hall.jpg?width=960

http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/16/38/980x490/landscape-1474363963-galaxy-note-7-burn.jpg

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/10/14/dot-bans-samsung-galaxy-note-7-flights/92066322/

Marketing: The Core, Sixth Edition, Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2016

Hi again!

In this post I am going to talk a little bit about consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is “the actions a person takes in purchasing and using products and services.” One aspect of consumer behavior that interests me is habit formation, and specifically brand loyalty.

The textbook describes brand loyalty as “a favorable attitude toward and consistent purchase of a single brand over time.” They’ve purchased the product or service before, they know that they like it, and therefore they have no problem purchasing it again.

Image from http://cdn2.hubspot.net/

Seems simple, right?

Image from www.sweatandrepeat.com

This all interests me because, as an avid fitness-class-goer, brand loyalty is something that I see all. the. time. Many of the fitness studios that I have been to utilize brand loyalty as one of their main marketing goals by creating an exceptional community out of their brand. The target market of their consumers share many of the same key traits and needs. They like to workout and want a consistent and communal workout environment to be a part of. They are in the perfect position to be motivated to become a recurring consumer.


I am going to talk about one of my all time favorite studios, Pure Barre, and about some of the marketing strategies that I have seen them do that definitely attract a loyal consumer base.

Image from @purebarreburlingtonvt on Instagram

Pure barre is a barre studio, and conveniently for me there is a franchise located right in South Burlington, Vermont just 15 minutes down the road from Saint Michael’s. (For those of you who don’t know, Pure Barre is a 55 minute full-body workout taught to the beat of music focusing on low-impact movements, combining strength training and stretching.)

This past summer they ran a Pure Olympics competition. This involved getting into a group with 4 other members from the studio and competing against other groups to see who can attend the most classes, purchase the most retail, tag the studio in social media posts, and refer new clients. It was actually extremely effective as Pure Barre goers are one of the most loyal consumer bases I have ever been a part of. I always see the same faces in all of the classes that I attend.

Image from @purebarreburlingtonvt on Instagram

Pure Barre turns their studio into a community by having group competitions such as Pure Olympics, as well as by rewarding consumers for reaching 100 and 250 class milestones and offering unlimited month-to-month packages. Another thing that I have noticed is that instructors at Pure Barre make it a point to memorize the name of every single consumer who attends their classes. I think that this is another excellent tactic that keeps consumers coming back. It makes them feel as though they are a part of the group and definitely adds to their brand loyalty!

I’ll leave you guys with this video about what makes Pure Barre so special!

Sources:
Marketing: The Core, Sixth Edition, Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2016
http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/290909/file-541344501-jpg/images/BrandLoyalty.jpg
https://sweatandrepeat.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/pure-barre-platform-class-highres-0461.jpg
www.instagram.com/purebarreburlingtonvt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-BcCnl94PY

Hi everyone! I’m Marisa and this is going to be a semester-long blog about my marketing course. I am currently a senior at St. Michael’s College studying media, journalism, and digital art, with a minor in business administration. My goal after graduation is to pursue a career in marketing, so I am very excited to learn more about the field during this course.

I was able to get a taste of the marketing world this summer by being the social media marketing intern at Prenatal Method Studio, a prenatal/postnatal yoga studio in Burlington, Vermont.

Chapter one of our textbook defines marketing as “the activity for creating and delivering offerings that benefit the organization, its stakeholders, and society.” Though the definition may seem simple, marketing is a very complex process. The textbook continues to lay out the four factors that are required for marketing to occur:

1 - Two or more parties with unsatisfied needs

2 - A desire and ability on their part to have their needs satisfied

3 - A way for the parties to communicate

4 - Something to exchange

Using Prenatal Method Studio as an example to further clarify these four factors, two parties with unsatisfied needs would be local pregnant women looking for a healthy workout regime, and the studio owner who is looking for people to teach yoga classes to. Both the women and the studio owner want to satisfy these needs. The women have money to purchase classes and the means to travel to the local studio. The studio owner has the desire to sell classes as well as the ability and knowledge to teach them.

Image by Marisa Gehrig

For the marketing transaction to occur, both the women and the studio owner need to know that each other exist. Prenatal Method Studio breaks the communication barrier by promoting on Facebook and boosting their posts within the Burlington, Vermont area, like they have done with the video below. They also distribute promotional materials to local businesses that their target market might attend (athletic wear stores, maternity stores, doctors offices, etc.), and appear at local events. Marketing occurs once the women and the studio owner exchange something of value. In this case, the women exchange cash for a single or set of studio classes. After this transaction, both have gained and given up something, and have now satisfied their needs. 

I hope my real life example has helped you all learn a little something about the marketing process! Interning for Prenatal Method Studio this summer, I was able to create content calendars, design newsletters, distribute promotional materials, post to Facebook, photograph events, and more. My goal for this course is to learn a little more about the business and analytical side of marketing. I can't wait to dive deeper in my next blog post!



Sources:
Marketing: The Core, Sixth Edition, Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puVE-pf3iMA