In response to Kelsey's "Different Marketing Tools"

     You asked if I think that Facebook, websites and emails are the best and the cheapest way to market a product. I'll start with the cheapest. I do think that it is much cheaper because it really just costs your time. You don't have to pay to market your product on Facebook(maybe you do, I don't do Facebook). This would be a very smart tactic because you are able to save some money buy using electronics. Everyone is starting to use computers because it is easier and more efficient for them. Time is money. Emails on the other hand probably aren't a good idea. I honestly think that if people are going to market their product via email, they are just wasting their time. A lot of people look at their emails and if it doesn't have anything to do with what they want/need then they are going to just delete it.
     To refer back to using the computers to marketyour product, I think that it is a very good idea. More and more people are using computers and they are going to go on the internet to look up products and services. Websites are a very good idea. I have had debates with people about using Facebook for work related things. I honestly think that using Facebook for work is unproffessional. Facebook is for leisure activities for people to use after work. In the workplace, Facebook is becoming a problem because people are going on to check their page several times a day. For a place to discourage Facebook and then use it for communication and interviews is hypocritical and unproffessional. BUT marketing your product on Facebook would be a good idea because EVERYONE has a Facebook and people are addictied to it. This would be a good way to catch people's attention because they are on it all of the time

Nonverbal Communication

     This article talks about the other half of communication, which is body language. When people talk about communication they are usually talking about the communication process. This consists of one source encoding a message and sending it to the reciever who then has to decode the message. I know it sounds difficult but is it very easy, we do it thousands of times through out the day every day. Another communication tool that most people don't eventhink of is nonverbal communication. Our body language can tell a lot when we use it. This article gives the example of the employeer telling his employees "good job." The employee then gets a feeling of apreciation and that makes them feel good. If the employeer tells his employee "good job" and then rolls his eyes, this gives a whole knew meaning to what he had just said.
     My intro. to management professor told me that when he is talking with people, that he can read them very well and usually figure out their personality. He has these techniques that help him decide whether they are a talker, if they will open up, if they are interested in the conversation. I feel as though these techniques are very useful in the workplace because you would be able to detict the conversation based off ofthe other person's body language.

Walmart's Mini Health Clinic

     Walmart is a huge and famous retail store. The text book definition of retailing is all transactions in which the buyer intends to consume the product through personal, familyl or household use. This article talks abouthow Walmarts are starting to get these mini health clinics. I was thinking that people are consuming their service for personal and family uses from the retail store. The reason that these health clinics are working out so well is that they are a lot cheaper than going to see the doctor. That right there is going to hook so many people to go to these health clinics because money is tight for a lot of people. Another thing is that they are very convenient. They are in a Walmart where a lot of people already do their shopping because of the less expensive products. It is also convenient because you don't have to make an appointment. This article said that Walmart has implemented 1,700 mini clinics and they are increasing in people using them.

Online retail growing

     This article talks about how more and more people are using online shopping more often than ever before. There are plenty of reason that more people are using online shopping. The first one that comes to mind is gas prices! Gas prices are climbing faster than anyone can wrap their brain around. This would give anyone the reason to stay home and save their gas for when they really need to go out. Another reason to stay home is if a mother has a couple of babies or kids that she doesn't feel like loading up in the car, having them fight on the way to the store, lose them in the store, load them back up in the car and have them fight on the way home. This allows the mother to stay home and let the kids run around their. This is a lot more convenient for her.
     The only draw backs that I can think of about buying things online is that you aren't able to touch the product. When I shop, I like to handle the product and SEE it and if it is cloths then i like to try them on so I KNOW they fit. Plus when you buy online you have to wait a week or so to get it, but if you don't mind waiting then this doesn't matter to you.

Zone Pricing

     Zone Pricing is defined by our text book as pricing based on transportation costs within major geographic zones. I was talking with my dad about gas prices and how people and businesses are starting to get their money for the gas that they have to use to do their job. He was telling me how businesses are starting to charge their customers with gasoline charges. For example, If a landscapping company charged their clients $100 per yard, now it might $110 because the company has to drive to their location. A lot of places are starting zone prices because the dollar value of gasoline is sky rocketing. It is starting to become a lot to pay for and people aregoingto find a way so they don't have to pay for it. So they are going to charge their customers more money so they dont' have to pay for it.

In response to Cameron's "Paper Free Country Coming?"

      You asked if I think that in the future, we wont have to deal with paper. I do believe that things will be dont through electronics and not through paper anymore. For example, People use to send letters to one another through the mail and now everybody is emailing because it is faster and more convenient for everyone. People use to fill out forms if they wanted to buy something from a magazine and mail that to the company of the magazine. Now a days, more and more people are shopping online because it is faster and more convenient for them and everyone else. Instead of kids looking up a word in the dictionary, they pull up the web site "Dictionary.com" and type in the word they are looking for because it is faster. People use to buy books, but now more people are buying kindle's because they are faster and they are more convenient for them because they can have all of their books on them all the time.
     People are looking to do things faster and more convenient because we have so many things to do and we need more time to do them so we are stressing about things that are faster. Then you asked when do I think it will happen. I can't say, I can't even ball park it. I really don't know because things are changing so fast. I like the way things are now so I hope it is after my lifetime.

American Pickers

     I watched the tv series "American Pickers" the other day and I was noticing a lot of chapter 12 price management things occuring during the show. American Pickers is Mike and Frank going aroundthecountry trying to buy anitique items from local people. While they are out on the road, they come up against a lot of price management events.
     Demand-based Pricing - Pricing based on the level of demand  for the product. The owner of the antique, that Mike and Frank are looking for, has the upper hand. He knows that these men want his products but can't put almost any price he wants because the guys want it. But a price too high and that will turn off the guys from buying it.
     Differential Pricing - Charging different prices to different buyers forthe same quality and quantity of product. The owner of the antique can probably judge how much they guys are willing to pay for an item and he can probably place his price based on that.
     Negotiated Pricing - Establishing a final price through bargining. When a price is tossed into the air by either theguys orthe owner, then the men can negotiate a price until they can agree. If one side of the party is being and won't go any lower of higher, then they will most likely be no purchasing. Usually the men argue for a while because the owner is trying to get the most he can while Mike and Frank are trying to get it for as low as they can.
     Price Skimming - Charging the highest possible price that buyers who most desire the product will pay. When Mike and Frank pick out something and ask if it is for sale is a clue right away for the owner becase thise shows that the guys are interested in soemthing. This allows the owner to quickly judge and see how much he is able to get forthe item the guys want.
     Bundle Pricing - Packaging together two or more complementary products and selling them for a single price. This technique works very well for Frank when heis having trouble buying something. If the owner is being stubborn on a price, then Frank will gether some other items that he likes and puts everything in a pile. then Frank will offer on price forthe whole "bundle" of things. This usually works are for him.

Are there any shows that you can think of with Price Management? Or are there any more terms that I missed from the show American Pickers?

Psycological Pricing

This article talk about the psycological pricingthat customers take into consideration. They are trying to think in the eyes of their customers. Trying to figure out what they think when they are buying something. The firstthing thatthey talk is pricing positioning. When a business putsout a new product, they need to think about what the price should be. Obviously they need to make a profit, but they want to price it lower than their competitors because people will gravitate toward the lower of the two products. If you price just a little above the market average, then this will tell the customers that their is a little more quality in the product. This relates to premium pricing from our text book (even though premium pricing is about a product line). The next thing that they talk about is "popular pricing points." This is a common price that most people will have on them. The example that they give in the article is something that is priced under $20 because a $20 bill is the most common bill that people carry about on them. Since its under $20, then people are more likely to buy it because they can afford it right now. Just like the dollor menu, people usually have at least a few dollars on them. This allows them to buy a meal. The last thing thatthey consider is fair pricing. This is mostly when a business puts out a product and they don't have any competitors. This makes it so that they aren't going to charge a ridiculous price because it is the only one out there. This still makes it "fair" for the customers because nobody is going to buy something when they know that is way over priced.
     I feel as though positioning pricing is the one that people putting out the product consider the most. They might be unsure of what they charge for their product so they might do some reasearch and find out what other businesses charge and go from their. This allows them to be "with" the competition, "lower" or "higher" than the competition. This will give them a leg up because if it is lower, then people are more likely to go for the cheaper one. If it is higher, then people might think that have more quality.

Which one do you think people consider the most?

In response to Jackie's "Many discounts, Few deals."

There is a public understanding that deals aren't really deals. People are being tricked into thinking that when they see the two for $20 deals sign, they are thinking that they are getting a deal because if they had bought it at a different time, they would have had to pay full price. Since the market is down and people are struggling with money issues, them getting a deal could be a better thing for them. That is why people are thriving off of those deal signs. I'm sure the marketing people know that people right now can't afford NOT to take the deal.
    I'm not going to lie, I am a sucker for those deal signs. If I'm getting a deal, then I think I am saving money and I love to save money along with the rest of America.

In response to Andrew's "Branding and the dangers bad quality."

I too am a loyal customer of Old Spice deoderant. Lately I have been noticing that their look has been changing quite a bit. You ask if I think it is smart of them that they are changing the look of their product line so often. Well I think that for Old Spice, they are okay. Most people that are loyal to old spice are going after the product and I'm sure that most of them don't care about what their deoderant stick looks like. I don't care if they change it every day, I would care if they changed their deoderant in some way.
     I can see some people getting turned off by product differentiation because it IS change. There are some people out there that don't deal well with change. People are creatures of habit and they don't like anything that means that they have to change something.

Brand loyalty or Routine?

     The article that I read talks about brand loyalty. This article talks abouthow people are more use to brand routine. For example, When you go grocery shopping and you buy the same cooking oil, this is brand routine. You stick with that type of cooking oil because it is part of your routine. So in order for you to change to a different brand of cooking oil, something needs to happen. Such as they don't have any in stock that day, this means that you need to select a different type of cookingoil and you mayor amy not like it. This will cause you to change brands to go back to your routine brand.
     I agree with this; I can see the points that this article was making but i do believe in brand loyalty. This article says that brand loyalty only works when that are two or more competitors such as coke and pepsi. For example, Google doesn't really have any huge competitors so there is no such things as being brand loyal to Google. My example is that I am loyal to Carhartt clothing because I like the way they fit and I think that the quality is really good. This is brand loyalty because Carhartt has a lot of competitors in the work wear line up.

Do you believe in brand loyalty? If so, can you give your example?

A Brand Makes a Promise

When people become loyal to a brand, it is because of somehting that makes them believe this brand is better then competing brands. This article says that there are three major categries for brands are quality, service or price. Most brands make a promise to their customers in one of these three articles. For example, I like Carhartt clothing because it is quality clothing and every time I need to buy new work cloths, I go to Carhartt because their quality to me is better than their competitors.
     Another example is that Walmart is known for prices, that is why people are loyal to Walmart and continue to go back their everytime they need something. The article gives the example of when Coke put out their "new" coke. People pushed it away because their were loyal to the origonal Coke and wondered what was wrong with the Coke they make now. This didn't go over well because people were loyal to the quality of the origonal Coke.

Are you spending too much money?

     This article talks about how much money Americans spend; how much they are overspending. The thing that I wanted to talk about was the questions that this article asked. "Are you personally living beyond your means? Are you spending more than you can afford? Are you spending more than you want to? Are you spending more than you realize?"
     Even though I am still a college student and don't have too much to pay for yet, I just don't understand how people are spending more than they are making. I would think that people would want to keep the debt down and save as much money as they can for a rainy day. Maybe I am the only one who thinks like this. I certainly do not spend more money than I make and I certainly do not spend money on things that I don't need. This reminded me of the video that we watched in class, "The Overpent American." It reminds me of when the people are talking about their debt. I canunderstand if people have kidsandthey needtopay for college and what-not but I can't imagine people getting themselves into that much deabt just to make their lives for luxury. I wouldn't think people would get the basics and be happy with that.

What is your opinion about these questions?

In response to Andrew's "Marketing Trouble"

     That is really a tough one. I lived in a dorm for two out of my three years at college (only one of those years at Keene state). When every my RA told me about something that he was going to do for the hall or for the floor, I tuned out right away because I didn't care. I usually wasn't interested in going no matter what the event was.
     The only thing that I can think of is that you have to think about what college kids want. The first think that comes to mind is maybe a Call Of Duty tournement where the winner wins a free pizza. College guys like playing COD like it's their job and who doesn't like a free pizza. If I saw a poster that said COD tournement, I would be interested in going to play/watch.

"The Overspent American"

     This movies was a real eye opener. Americans work the most hours than anywhere else. We have started to work more and more hours since the 19980's and the 1990's. People use to just want a small house with a white picket fence and two kids in the house. Now it has turned into people wanting mansions and getting massive amounts of property and more kids. Things in the our eyes are getting more expensive and we need more of it.
     This is why we work so much. Working more hours means we are going to get a hire income which then relates to spending more money on all of the things that we want then relates into working more to make more money. People are trying to make their lives full of luxuries and things they don't necessarily need. People are so wrapped up in getting more and more things that the credit card deabt is increasing among Americans. They don't have enough money to pay for the things that they want so they just swipe their card. Debt is incresing while personal savings are decreasing. The saying use to be, "Keeping up with the Jones." Now it's, "Keeping up with the Gates."
     This is very tough to break because people are competing with each other. It is very hard to stop spending money, especially if you are addicted to it and you think that you need everything that you want and everything that your friends have. Some people aren't going to be able to stop. I don't think people are going to be able to stop because they are so caught up in competing with everyone else that they are going to spend it all to make it to the top.

What is your opinion on this matter? Are Americans doomed to continue spending all of their money?

Surveys

How usefull are surveys in the work place? Sometimes when i fill out surveys, I think one of two things. I am going to fill this survey out with giving my honest opinion or I will fill out this survey just to get it done with and out of my way. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks these two aproaches. So if a boss gives their employees surveys or feeback paperwork, how is the boss suppose to know which ones are filled out honestly or just completed to be done with it. The boss can only think that everyone filled out the surveys with honesty. I think that if people filled them out correctly, then they can be a very usefull tool. They can see how the boss is doing with employees or how the new policy is working with everyone. They give the person giving the survey a chance to recognize a problem and potentialy fix it.

How you usually fill out surveys? Honestly or just to get it out of the way?

In response to the John Smith case

Total population: 307,006,550
Male: 148,535,646
Female: 152,925,887

This case was very hard to pick a side. There are some benifits and there are some draw backs. If Smith gives the names of the people that said likey or very likely, then he will get the $8,000 which would help his company out substantialy. If he gets the $8,000, then he won't have to lay off any of his employees. On the other hand, it all kind of depands on what kind of paperwork that the survers signed. The information that they gave could be confidential or is could be used at free will. If it was free will then i think Smith should sell the names. Even if the company calls those survers and talks to them about buying cars, they survers could just say no and hang up the phone. If they signed the paperwork that said that their information would be kept away from anyone and everyone, then Smith shouldn't sell the names because that would be illegal. I think it all depends of the survers information confedentiality.

At the end of the aisle.

At the end of the aisle in the grocery store and in wal mart there are products for a good deal. That is why they put them at the end of the aisle. They are there so people will see them and realize how good of a deal it is and most likely buy the deal. I am sometimes a victum of these deals some times. They are at the end people pass by and they see them. I was wondering if there are any other strageties that go in the grocery store and in wal mart. I have heard that they put the cheapest products on the bottom of the self and the good priced ones at eye level. I was wondering if there are any more of the strageties that go into stocking the shelves at places like these.

Do you know of any more strategic moves the people pull in the grocery store?

In response to Jacob's "Marketing a new product."

Yes, i think who ever is in charge of marketing should be responsible for getting the information out to the public. That is the point of their whole job. They need to let the people know about the product and what qualities it has and how is benifits people. If they didn't do their job, then people about never find out about the product and have no need for it because they don't know what it does.

Do athletes make a difference?

A lot of the commercials now have athletes advertising their product. For example, Gatorade has many athletes in their commercials. Normally when I watch things like that, I think to myslef "Well I'm not going to drink Gatorade because Kevin Garnette does. I'm going to drink it because it tastes good." I usually think that the athletes presence in a commercial isn't going to change my mind. It isn't going to make me want to drink Gatorade that much more.
I can however see why they use athletes. Younger kids that want to play in the NFL and the NBA look up to those players and want to be like them. So when those young kids see the commercials with their heros in them, then they are going to want to drink Gatorade because their hero does. So they are roping in the younger crowd.

Do you think athletes presence in commercials make a difference? Would companies do as well without them?

In response to Cory's "Mascots are creepy."

I think that mascots are for both kids and adults. Kids when they think of the Red Soxs, they might get the image of Wally and for them Wally is fun. Sometimes they get high fives from them or get their picture taken. They definently provide comidy for adults. I think their biggest reason for being is to give the team and image. When people see the Red Soxs they see Wally and vise versa.

In response to Andrew's "Keeping companies alive."

     Do I think that CVS made the right move eccepting all Walgreens coupons? Thats a tough one. It was kind of harsh of them because people with coupons don't care where they go. They aren't force to go to Walgreens because now they don't have to.
    It was kind of a low ball thing to do, but I still think it's okay. Business's are in a dog eat dog world. If a business can't adapt and throw punches, then they are going to be in trouble. Although I do think that is was on the lower end of the unethical scale, but now Walgreens needs to come back and do something better. It doesn't have to be against CVS, it just has to be in general.

Webpages

I read an Article called "Marketing basics for the small buisiness." One of the tips it gave, was to try to use media. It got me thinking about websites. I think that websites are one of the best way to put your name out there. It's free so there is money in your pocket.
   I feel as though there are more and more people using websites and looking for new companies online. (More and more people such as a younger crowd growing up with all of the new technology.) People go online because it is fast and effecient for them. They just want to go on and find a number that will help them with what ever problem they have. When ever i find a small business online, it makes me think that they are trying to be professional. A nice clean website just looks professional. It makes me think that someone from that business stopped and took the time to make it easier for customers to try and reach them.

What is your opinion about web pages for small businesses?

Response to Cameron Druin "way to many valentine commercials"

I agree with Cameron, there are WAY to many comercials. It is kind of annoying that they say if you love someone very much then you should get them this nice exspensive diamond necklace. Then I'm sure that most of the couples are watching tv with the wife or girlfriend and they turn to their man with adoring eyes. Now the guys is probably going to geel obligated to buy them that thing that they gazed so adoring at. I'm sure that most guys just buy stuff so they don't get an ear full when valentines passes and their wife isn't wearing that necklace.
I feel as though they are almost trying to get the men to look bad that if they don't get them a necklace or bracelet then they are turned into the bad guy. I say to all men, just buy roses and forget all of those mushy commercials that sell exspensive jewlery.

People only want them to be funny.

     I don't understand the point of the comercials at the superbowl. I understand that everyone watches the superbowl but they don't care about the commercials. Well maybe they do but poeople only want them to be funny. They don't care about what the comercial is about, they just want to laugh. Usually when I see the superbowl commercials, I usually don't pay attetion to what the product is.
    I know a lot of people watch the superbowl because they want to see the funny commercials. I guess apart of me thinks it is poor advertising. It cost so much money so even put a commercial in the superbowl because everyone is fighting for a spot. Most people laugh at the commercial and then just want to see another funny one.

Marketing Myself

Anyone out there need someone to odd ball jobs outside and around the house? Have a job that your dreading to do? Then I have got the perfect person for you. He does jobs anywhere from painting, to lawn care, to trash removal to various other jobs that you may need. He also has limited access to a tractor, excavator and a dump truck for those big jobs that you may have in mind. I can assure you that his quality of work and efficiency will impress you and you will go back to him for all your other projects. Another thing that is impressive is his quality to pay ratio because it is a bargain. To talk about payments and amount you need to contact him. He lives in Jaffrey, New Hampshire and is willing to travel to surrounding towns. If you or anyone else that you know needs a man like this or have any questions then give him a call on his cell, anytime is good. 

Advertising, Marketing and Propaganda

Advertising is when a product is being shown that you will get what you want where as marketing just shows that product and what it does. (I don't know what propaganda means). Advertising show that if you use their product, then you will get what you want such as rich hair for shampoo or irresistible lips for lipstick. They are saying that if you use these products then you will become that cats pajamas. Marketing shows that product, what it does and the benefits from it. Such as the new Ford series trucks. They say that they are new and improved trucks with better gas mileage. They aren't saying that if you drive a new Ford F-150 that girls will be fighting to get a ride from. They just show the product.