Final Project: Website

My presentation for the Final Project for our marketing class can be found HERE.

EOC Week 10: What Channels are you going to do to get your product noticed?

Social Media, magazine advertisements and TV commercials!!

Week 9 EOC: 3 Great Mission Statements

Marketing: An Introduction states “A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment”.  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 39) In a marketing sense, a mission statement defines a goal, whether it be for the company or the product it intends to put on the market. Our End of Class (EOC) assignment was to read through our classmates’ mission statements and pick 3 that were the best. After reading through all the mission statements posted, I found three that stood out among the others.

Mike Kononchik is promoting Clean and Clear Facial Wash. His statement is "We are going to use the power that woman have over men to show them that by washing their face woman will attract to them more than a man with a dirty face.  A dirty face will become a thing of the past for men. Women will be a lot happier that they can share their facial wash with their man". In his statement, he states that with his product, a dirty face is a thing of the past and that using this project will attract women more.

Raymond Otero, whose product is Pitch Air Freshener, says, “The product represents a change in the way men are depicted by the opposite sex as well as each other. The product is concerned with a global consciousness of men being taken more seriously with their concern of the environment around them. The product is not an aerosol item that could hurt our environment, and strives to be safe and effective it its use. Our hope is to create a pleasant immediate environment for the user in his home, office, automobile, or any other place that requires the air to be freshened, while still maintaining an environmentally friendly way to achieve this.”

This statement says that not only will it change the way men are looked at, but it is also friendly to our environment.

Tharindu Wijesekara, whose product is Yoplait Greek Yogurt says, "We are the ultimate source of  taste, health, and strength". While it's short, it's to the point!

Final Project: Implementation Evaluation Control

Marketing information systems (MIS) according to Armstrong & Kolter, “consists of people and procedures for assessing Market information needs , developing the needed information, and helping decision makers to use the information to generate and validate actionable customer and market insights” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 102). They also go on to say that managing the marketing process requires the “four management functions”: analysis, planning, implementation, and control. They say that the “company first develops company wide strategic plans and then translates them into marketing and other plans for each division, product and brand. Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions, Control consists of measuring and evaluation the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed. Finally, marketing analysis provides information and evaluations needed for all of the other marketing activities." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 102)

The implementation of the marketing plan has to look at each of the steps carefully. It’s like a balancing act. You need to find out who the target group of the product is and how to get their attention to buy your product. The SWOT analysis is also helpful in doing the research needed to figure out what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats could come your way. Figuring out the price and distribution by checking out the competition will also help the company figure out the company can charge what they can to make money. Wegner has had a business model that has worked for well over a century. They analyze what’s needed on their products and make them better. They plan for other improvements they make and implement them. They control where their product goes as to keep the feel of the quality of the product high. With their entire business model and their adaptability to the modern business world, Wegner will be around for many more years to come.

Week 8 EOC: 3 Products That Won't Hit the Shelves

There are just some products that shouldn’t be made, especially by certain companies. Ketchup made by Welch’s , the same makers of Jams and Jellies just wouldn’t fly with the public. Is it because their branding is too strong? More than likely. People jus t tend to associate the brand with what they are familiar with. Here are some ideas I thought of when it comes to brand names trying to get different products out on the market

• A compact car made by Humvee. When you think of Humvee, you think of the big half-ton gas guzzlers. A compact car made by the same people who brought you that would bring one big question to mind: would this car actually save gas? It might be stylish like the Hummer and have some great features, but with the high gas prices and terrible economy, I don’t see this car getting many looks.
•  Toothpaste by the same guys who made Preparation H. Now when you think of toothpaste, you think of clean teeth and fresh breath and when you think of Preparation H, you think of something that’s supposed to help give you relief to your underside. Now trying to think of these two together just wouldn’t leave someone with a pleasant thought.
• Facial Cream by Tiger Balm. Facial creams are made to help moisturize the skin and with skin care while tiger Balm is a medicated heat rub used to help with muscular pains, nasal congestion, heart burn and other ailments. When rubbed on skin, tiger balm heats up, and depending on the type of balm you use, it can feel extremely hot. Thinking about a facial cream with heat properties might sound painful, especially if it gets in your eyes or mouth.

Final Project: Marketing Mix - Price

According to Armstrong and Kolter, “price is the amount of money charged for a product or service” or  “price is the sum of all values that customers give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 275). They go on to say that historically, “price has been the major factor affecting buyer choice. In recent decades, nonprice factors have gained increasing importance. However, price still remains one of the most important elements determining a firm’s market share and profitability” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 275).

 Wegner, best known for creating quality products with Swiss craftsmanship. While the standard backpack will go anywhere from $15 to $25, it doesn’t address the concerns for carrying a laptop. Most backpacks in that price range are made with thin polyester, the zippers break, the backpacks are small and aren’t waterproof. A lot of laptop backpacks have foam protection for the laptop compartment, but many aren’t thick enough to absorb the shock from a drop or fall. Wegner’s backpacks address these problems. Made with strong polyester and vinyl material, the “Ibex” has a zipper strong enough to withstand the constant use and durable as they can hold the maximum capacity of the backpack. There are several compartments to help keep your items organized and the laptop compartment is heavily padded and shock absorbent. Add to it the waterproof material to keep your items dry and the craftsmanship shines. With quality like this, $60 USD will be well worth the cost.

Final Project: Marketing Strategy - Promotion

Promoting a product is very important in the process of getting the product sold. If people don’t know a product exist, how are they going to realize that they need it? That’s where promotion comes into play. According to Armstrong & Kolter, retailers use “ any or all of the promotion tools—advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing—to reach consumers”. (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 358) Advertising can be done in newspapers, magazines, radio, catalogs, newspaper inserts and direct mail although the best advertising I feel can be done not only on the television, but the internet. Sales promotions like in-store demonstrations, contests and visiting celebrities helps promoting some products, but as far as the Wegner “Ibex” Laptop Computer Backpack, except for the displays, those ways of promoting the product would be unnecessary. However, there is a more “modern” route that Armstrong & Kolter mention and that’s through public relations. “Public relations activities, such as press conferences and speeches, store openings, special events, newsletters, magazines, and public service activities,” they say, “are always available to retailers.” They go on to say “most retailers have also set up Web sites, offering customers information and other features and selling merchandise directly” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter, Pg. 358)”


Promoting the Wegner “Ibex” Laptop Computer Backpack can be done though traditional means, like magazine and television ads, and also though advertising on their website. The use of social media has helped a lot of companies with not only marketing, but keeping in touch with their customers. This kind of media interaction could boost up their sales. Before buying a product, many people do research by going to stores or comparing the products on the internet. Many customers leave feedback if they have purchased the product for others to read. Plus the fact that if a company tweets, facebooks, or even answers questions directed to them, the public will feel like they’re doing what they can to listen to the consumer. Word of mouth and online media/websites, are powerful tools in the modern age.