Major Media Source Response

This is in response to L.B.’s post:

Which major media source do you think is best? If you were a company looking to advertise, which media source would you use?

These are tough to answer because as you have mentioned there are advantages and disadvantages of all of the media sources available. I think it all depends on what the company is trying to provide or sell. For example, a newspaper would be helpful to restaurants such as the Keene Sentinel. Panera Bread could promote their restaurant by placing coupons in the newspaper which would reach a variety of people. However, Panera Bread may want to put coupons in a health magazine promoting their products because their target market will most likely read that type of magazine. They may even want to advertise on the radio as well because this information will reach a large span of people as well.

Direct mail is definitely a great media source because it’s been around for the longest. When people receive things in the mail, they look everything over because some could be bills while others could be letters. However, they still have to go through everything else before throwing it away. Companies could get billing information of specific customers so that they can send them coupons and discounts on products. Basically, I feel as if the type of advertising depends on the product or service they are trying to promote. Do you agree?

Product Differentiation

Product differentiation is the process of creating and designing products so that customers perceive them as different from competing products. The differences between certain products include product quality, product design and features, and product support services. The process of differentiation is very important because it is the true test for a product to stand out against competitors.

Products quality refers to the overall characteristics that allow a product to perform as expected in satisfying customer needs. When we buy products we expect them to do the tasks which they are supposed to complete. For example, if we buy an expensive pair of jeans we expect them to last a couple of years or more because of the quality. Or if we buy a winter jacket, we would expect that the quality of the jacket will keep us warm and will be durable for many years. These two examples refer to the consistency of quality which is the degree to which a products has the same level of quality over time.

Product design is how a products is conceived, planned, and produced. Any brand can possess a great product design which is the best competitive advantage for the product. A design includes the physical appearance of the product and the products features. The physical appearance of the product is known as styling. This aspect of design is important for many consumers. We all look for a distinctive appearance in a product. The product features are specific design characteristics that allow a product to perform certain tasks. For example, cell phones are now coming into the market with so many different features. They were first just cell phones and now they include cameras, and video cameras, internet, calculator, scanner, speaker phone, etc. These features help make a distinction of a cell phone from others.

Product support services include customer services which are the human or mechanical efforts or activities that add value to a product. Some companies solely depend on customer services in order to differentiate their product. When buying appliances there is usually warranties and guarantees long with repairs. For example, if we buy a washer or dryer these types of services are very important because of the price paid for them. If something went wrong we would like for someone to repair it for a low price.

I think that product quality and design are more important that customer services in some cases. You don’t need to depend on customer service if the quality and design of your product fits specific task that it needs to perform. We all want quality, durability, and certain features that will enable the product to last a long time. I feel as if customer service is more important in service businesses. For example, customer service is significant in restaurants because not only of the quality of the food, but the service by their servers. If the servers are not friendly or helpful then customers need to report this to customer service.

Which do you think is more important, quality and design or the customer services of a product? What supports your choice?

Pricing Response

This is in response to Chris French’s post:

Do you think price is always an important role? Or does it sometimes not matter? How important is it for a company to scout out competitors’ prices and adjust as needed?

Price is not always an important role, but it all depends on the situation. Senior citizens tend to buy products when they go on sale, because they know how to use their money wisely. Then you have people who will pay any price for a specific brand because it shows status. These are just a couple of the circumstances that apply to buyers. I do think prices are important when it comes to the specific product, target market, and situation.

I think it is important for a company to scout out competitors’ prices and adjust as needed in certain situations as well. This definitely applies to the more expensive purchases buyers make. For example, car dealerships are selling very expensive products which are sometimes hard to sell. They should definitely scout their competitors’ prices and adjust the prices depending on what they are charging. Competition is a threat to companies so it is important to be aware of their prices. Do you agree with this? Do you think price is important all the time or in certain situations?

Pricing

There are many different pricing strategies to help sell a product. These strategies include: Differential pricing, new product pricing, penetration pricing, product-line pricing, psychological pricing, and promotional pricing. The type of strategy that is going to be used depends on the product, target market, and the purchase situation.

Differential pricing occurs when different prices are charged to different buyers for the same quality and quantity of the product. New product pricing includes price skimming which results in charging the highest possible price that buyers will pay because of the desire they have for the product. This applies to the people who live by buying a particular brand and nothing else. For example, people may enjoy a certain brand of shampoo and I will pay anything for it because it is best for their hair. Penetration pricing is used by setting prices below those of competing brands to penetrate a market and gain a significant market share quickly. A good example of this I feel would be the new iPad. This product is reasonably cheap for the features that it offers, and competes with laptops. Product-line pricing establishes and adjust prices of multiple products within a product line. I think that this is a great strategy. Another example using shampoo would be the conditioner that comes with it. You will definitely buy that specific shampoo, and buy the conditioner that goes with it no matter what the price is because of the results. Psychological pricing attempts to influence a customers’ perception of price to make a product’s price more attractive. This would relate more to the branding of certain products. People will pay a price for quality, durability, and particular trends during that time. Promotional pricing is very attractive to customers because prices are set below the usual markup and look better to the buyers when compared with the original price.

I think that all companies should use promotional pricing at some point because customers are attracted to low prices. Penetration pricing seems to be the best pricing strategy to use because it involves pricing below the competition. As mentioned above, the pricing strategy depends on several factors which are all significant in different circumstances. Do you agree with this? Which pricing strategy do you believe is the most important to the buyer and seller?

Branding Response

This is in response to L.B.’s Blog:

How do you feel? Do you come to expect certain things from certain brands? Do you prefer and insist on certain brands or are you open to anything?

When it comes to certain brands, I am pretty open to buying anything unless I am making a large purchase. The way the product looks and the quality of it is usually most important to me. I don’t necessarily think that particular brands have a higher quality than generic brands. For example, Uggs are a brand of boots in which all college female students have except for me probably. I can’t imagine spending $180 on a pair of boots that are not necessarily durable. My friend has a pair of Ugg boots and since the winters are sometimes intense, the salt from the roads has ruined the leather. Just because that is the new trend doesn’t mean I am going to buy them. I like certain brands because of the way the products look, but not really because of the quality. The only product that was an expensive purchase of mine was my Dansko shoes. I needed them because I was always on my feet at work and my back was starting to bother me. Not only are the handmade and durable, but they are comfortable and help support you feet well. If I am going to spend a lot of money on a product, then I want something that will last me a long time so I won’t have to replace it quickly. Do you agree with this? Do you prefer certain brands over others?

Product Variable~ Branding and Packaging

Products surround us in our daily lives, and all across this earth. When we buy products, the brand on the label is usually important to the consumer. The brand consists of a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that identifies a seller’s product and differentiates it from a competitor’s product. People tend to buy products of certain brands because it is a sign of status, brand loyalty, provides a form of self-expression, and evaluates the product’s quality. I feel that if I am buying a product that is fairly expensive, I tend to search for a good brand of that product because I want it to last a while. I don’t buy products of certain brands just because it is the new trend. For example, I work in a restaurant and am always on my feet so I bought a pair of Dansko’s which have helped my back. So for me it depends on the product that I am buying.

Packaging is an important factor when buying products. It involves the development of a container and a graphic design for a product. Product packaging has functions involving the protection of the product from being damaged, convenience to customers, and communicating its features. Some people may enjoy buying a particular brand, but sometimes convenience is better and consumers will buy another brand of the same product. I feel as if the packaging is very important when attracting the attention of customers. My attention would be drawn more to a package full of color than a packaging with only black and white. People want heavy duty packaging for items that are especially fragile. For example, my parents bought a patio set and when they brought it home and opened it, the glass was shattered in an area of the table. So they were very disappointed and sent it back.

Overall the brand and packaging of products is very important when buying certain products. I think that it is very important to focus on these two aspects because they can make a difference not only for the buyer, but also the seller. Brands and packaging make the products stand out from others. Do you agree? Do you think that people focus more on the brands or on the packaging of products? Do you believe that they are both very important?

The Overspent American Response

This is in response to Bruce Wichland’s post:
How do you feel? Do you think this documentary is accurate? Are these issues blown out of proportion? Do we have a spending problem?

I have the same beliefs about this new consumerism. I feel that this document is accurate to an extent. The media definitely plays a significant role in the way Americans consume. However, it is not forcing us to go out and spend money. It may have a little influence, but we have the choice to spend money on things we don’t need. As you mentioned, 25% of people with $100,000 of annual income say they do not have the money for basic necessities. This blew my mind because needs are not that expensive unless you live that lifestyle. If you can’t afford that lifestyle then you’re not meant to be living in it. Overall, some of these issues mentioned in the video are blown out of proportion for sure.

There is no doubt that we have a spending problem here in America. I bet that the majority of Americans have credit card debt. It is understandable if the debt is from medical needs or emergencies because sometimes these types of things happen when least expected. However, when a credit card is maxed out because of vacation trips and jewelry, then that’s a different story. We are all consumers and spend money on things we really don’t need. People need to realize those goods that they really don’t need and just want because their neighbors have it. Do you agree?

The Overspent American

“The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need” was a very interesting video about spending and the idea of the new consumerism. There is a cycle of work and spend which consists of high productivity growth leading to higher income and more spending. People began working more and more over the decades to buy the things that they want and need. It is believed that the American dream has expanded as we move into further decades and more is expected of Americans. We used to think of the American dream as a small house with a white picket fence, a dog and a cat, two children, a car, and maybe a garage. Now it is said that everything has doubled and people want more.

The idea of the new consumerism is that people want to mirror the image of a six-figure income when in reality that is not possible for them. The three factors that led to this idea are: 1. Women began to move out of their neighbors and into workplace for more exposure to reference groups. 2. Income distribution moved to more inequality throughout the decades making the rich richer. 3. The role of the media played a role because they were always bias toward showing upscale consumption through high levels of advertising. We also think of competitive consumption because we want the same or more of what other people have.

Products were branded with “the name” on everything in the 1970’s which ranged from water to coffee to t-shirts. The well educated consumers were willing to pay for status premium. Private consumption began crowding out public good while leading to a diminished social health. Consumerism is taking place of human interaction. Since so many parents are working more and not spending as much time with their children, they are buying more and more for them. Basically, they are “buying their love” because they are not there and want to be good parents.

I agree and disagree with this video to some extent. I know this video is focusing on the middle and upper social classes, but we have the CHOICE to spend. Just because these advertisements are thrown into our faces doesn’t mean we have to go out and buy the products. They are not forcing us and making us go out and spend money. People are trying to be like everyone else when they can’t afford to have as nice of things. If you don’t have to money to pay for something you want, then you don’t need it. I understand that many needs such as the electricity, phone, food, and gas have all gone up and to some extent people do need to work more. However, our basic necessities are still here and will always be here. The things we want are expanding because of technology and innovations which look more appealing to us. I know some people who have a very high income and they are in debt because they think they can afford things when they really can’t. These people go on long vacations around the world and come home and brag about going there when the whole vacation is charged on their credit card. This is frustrating because it is their problem and not the idea of the new consumerism.

Do you agree or disagree? Do you think that overspending is caused by the people or media? Do you think that the American dream has expanded? Are you affected by the new consumerism?

John Smith Response

This is in response to Bruce Wichland’s post:
What do you think? Should he sell of the names for his workers? Is it ethical?
Selling the names of the people he surveyed without telling them would definitely be unethical. I agree with you on the fact that he provided privacy to all of the information that was given up by the surveyors, and if he takes the action and sells the names he would make many people angry. Then as you mentioned he would have to take responsibility which could be difficult even though they all know he was the one to make that decision. These are all mentioned in the AMA Standard of Ethics and all marketers should use these values. Also as you said he could call up all 2,000 of the surveyors and ask them permission for him to sell their names. This would be ethical, but would take up too much time. I would say that he should do this because he would be harming less people. If he had more employees than surveyors then I might consider something else. Do you agree with this?

John Smith's Situation

Even though John Smith is in need of $8,000, he should not sell the names to the car dealer. This would be very unethical and would not follow the AMA Statement of Ethics. As stated in this document, marketers need to exhibit honesty, responsibility, fairness, trust, respect, transparency, and citizenship. If John were to sell the names, those $2,000 people would definitely lose trust in his marketing research firm because they were not truthful in what they did by not telling the people he was selling their names. John’s firm has to be honest in every situation that arises. If he desperately needs the money then he could call all of the $2,000 people and ask them if this would be okay to sell their names. However, this would be so time-consuming and may cost some extra money, but it would be more ethical than just selling the names. If the firm were to sell the names, John would have to take full responsibility for his actions. I feel as if this would be hard to do because most of those people would be furious to know that their names were sold. They would then most likely call the firm and want an explanation and I think this would be hard for John to do. He will be harming the people he surveyed along with his own firm. So John needs to find another way to obtain money because this situation is just too unethical for him to go about doing. Do you feel as if John should take the risk and sell the names?

Good and Bad Store Images

This is in response to Jenna Hobert’s post:

What stores can you think of that have a good/bad store image? Have you ever not shopped at store because of what it looked like?

I work at L.A. Burdick Chocolate in Walpole, NH and the owner always tells us to make sure we check outside on the sidewalk for any trash or things on the tables. He believes that if it looks messy outdoors then they may not want to come inside because they may think that there is a similar atmosphere when walking through the doors. He also wants us to follow the same steps inside as well because the customers want to feel welcomed and comfortable during their experience there. So Burdick Chocolate is one store/restaurant that has a good image.

I have definitely been in some stores with bad images and I usually walk in then walk right out because it doesn’t appeal to me. For example, a few months ago I went into F.Y.E, the music store in Keene right beside Applebees. I saw that the store was closing so I went over there and it was a horrible experience. When I walked inside it was unorganized, smelled like cigarettes, and had unfriendly employees. I know that the store was closing and I kind of thought well no wonder it’s closing because of the atmosphere. You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but if you want to attract customers you need to have a good location and it needs to be presentable on the outside.

Would you shop in a store that was trashed on the outside of the building?

Target-Market Selection Process

As discussed in class, there are five steps in the target-market process: Step 1- Identify the Appropriate Targeting Strategy; Step 2- Determine Which Segmentation Variables to Use; Step 3- Develop Market Segment Profiles; Step 4- Evaluate Relevant Market Segments; and Step 5- Select Specific Target Markets.

I enjoyed learning about Step 2: Determine Which Segmentation Variables to Use and found it very interesting. First of all, segmentation variables are characteristics of individuals, groups, or organizations used to divide a market into segments. Markets are segmented in ways that may help build relationships with their targeted customers. There are many segmentation variables that a marketer can choose when using segmentation when reaching a consumer market. These include demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioristic. I found this very interesting because there are just so many variables and ways that a marketer can go about when segmenting which can be fun too.

I feel like the most popular variables that are used are the demographic variables which consist of age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, education, occupation, family size, family life cycle, religion, and social class. Age is definitely an important factor because many products are aimed for children, teens, young adults, adults, and seniors. For example, clothing stores such as Gap Kids located in the mall targets children because those clothes are specifically made for all children. Gender is another significant variable used when segmenting. An example of this would be deodorants, razors, body wash, and clothing which are marketed specifically to men or women. The income variable plays a role when reaching out to the consumer. This would include stores that would suit the lower, middle, and upper classes. For example, the Dollar Store would attract mainly the lower class while the Brand Coach would attract the upper class consumers because the products are so expensive. Overall, more marketers use demographic variables more than any of the other variables.

Which segmenting variable do you think marketers use the most?

Response to Facebook Blog

This is in response to Dillan Pierce’s post:
Do you think that Facebook is a real fair or accurate thing to measure an applicant by?
I think that Facebook is fair, accurate, and a better form of a background check to measure an applicant by. A background check includes professional, financial, criminal, and public history. By viewing Facebook, I feel that a company can see who a person truly is. For instance, people who are on Facebook can express their interests, activities, pictures, and videos to the world. There is nothing better than knowing what a person is all about when hiring. However, if a person doesn’t want their information expressed then they don’t have to post any information. I was a high school cheerleading coach last year, and most of the cheerleaders added me as a friend on Facebook so I was very careful with what pictures I posted on my page. I made sure I didn’t post any pictures with alcohol visible because I was supposed to be a role model for the girls and that may have persuaded them to go out and drink. Also they could have gone to my boss and mentioned things that I had on my page even though it was my personal life.
Do you feel that Facebook could be a positive background check for a company?

Direct Mail vs. E-Marketing

What are some of the benefits of direct mail compared to electronic means of marketing?
Direct mail definitely has some benefits compared to electronic means of marketing. People look through their direct mail everyday whereas people don’t always check their email everyday. Also people can just delete emails that were sent to them if the title doesn’t appeal to them. With direct mail, people actually will most likely look over all of their mail before throwing it in the trash. As stated in the article, companies take the time to personally sign letters. Customers like to see that companies care about them which in turn lead to the response of the customers. E-marketing is less personal because emails are sent to everyone with lots of information that doesn’t really pertain to them and doesn’t focus on a certain group of individuals. In addition, direct mail is obviously a benefit when the sales of some companies had dropped up to 25% and customers were calling and asking if they were taken off of their list.
Bar codes (addressed in one article) seem so promising, but what are some of the possible concerns with their use?
Bar codes are very interesting to me and it’s kind of cool how technology has advanced so much. My friend just bought a new phone which has a bar code scanner on it and we were trying to scan a random bar code and it didn’t work because of the lighting. So her phone needs some adjustments or else she will forget about it and not use the scanner. Another issue might be which magazines the bar codes are in. Companies should do research to see what magazines are the most popular so that more people will see the bar codes.
Do you think e-marketing techniques will replace traditional forms of marketing (direct mail, phone calls, newspaper ads and promotions)?
E-marketing techniques will not replace traditional forms of marketing. First of all, not everyone owns a computer and many people do not know how to use computers. People in my family never grew up with computers so they don’t have experience with them and don’t have the desire to own one. Also there are many people who can’t afford computers and receive the same information for free through direct mail. Direct mail is so much more significant because everyone checks their mailboxes for bills and letters. Therefore, companies should take advantage of this and send out flashy postcards to catch their customers’ attention.
Besides the types of business and examples that are mentioned in the article, what are some other companies who would benefit from direct mail efforts? How would they benefit?
I think that smaller businesses benefit more from direct mail efforts than larger companies. For example, my mom works for a dentist office and sends out reminder cards for their patients telling them when their appointment is. She also calls the day before reminding them the time of the appointment. This has worked very well because the patients usually hang their cards on their fridges so they will remember. Also the patients can save their voicemails or speak to my mom in person the day before. If my mom sent emails people, they would most likely forget to read the emails or delete them. So direct mail is definitely a benefit for small service companies.
Do you think that direct mail will be replaced with e-marketing? If not, what do you think the benefits are of direct mail?

Toyota Motors

An article published in The New York Times on February 12, 2010, “Toyota’s Wrecked Image Needs the Right Bodywork,” described the situation that Toyota Motors is facing today. It goes back in the past and relates Toyota’s situation with other instances like this that affected Bridgestone, the Japanese tire maker, and Johnson & Johnson. However, these companies were able to get out of this situation and restore their reputations. Millions of cars are being recalled because of gas-pedal problems, production stalled, and executives now in the hot seat for Toyota Motors. Since this has happened in the past with other companies, hopefully Toyota will follow their paths that they had taken. However, this is such a dangerous mistake on Toyota’s part because of the safety of the vehicles. I feel as if Toyota will get through this in time because before this happened they had a reputation of reliable vehicles. The article mentioned that Toyota did apologize for what they did so that helps too. Everyone makes mistakes, some good and some bad. So hopefully consumers will recognize this fact and forgive Toyota Motors. I know that it is a serious issue, but they are willing and trying to fix the problem.
Would you buy a vehicle from Toyota Motors knowing that they had a recall because of the safety of their vehicles?

Response to "Shiny Suds" Commercial

This is in response to Bobby Lyons post:
After watching this small ad, do you think it got its point across and in an appropriate way?
I do think it got its point across, but NOT in an appropriate way. The “Shiny Suds” video was a very inappropriate commercial. As I was watching the beginning, I thought it was just going to be a normal commercial selling some kind of cleaner. Then as it went on, I started to feel really uncomfortable with what I was watching. I know that they wanted to make a funny commercial that was different than any other, but the context of it was somewhat disrespectful. The things that suds were saying to the woman were forms of sexual harassment which is a very serious and controversial issue. It was very insensitive to women to produce this commercial because victims of sexual harassment and abuse may be responsive to this. Also young children may view this and think it is okay to say and do these kinds of things to women. This is not acceptable and people wonder why there are so many cases of violence around the world today. Television and the media have a significant impact on society, and people should be careful of what is produced.
Do you agree with this or do you feel as if I have a different view because I am a woman?

Response to Outsourcing

This is in response to Dillian Pierces’ post:
I learned about outsourcing in an American Studies course last semester, and it was quite a controversial topic at the time. It can be a positive element for a company when the time is right, but not during hard economic times. You asked the question: If you were a CEO, would you outsource right now? My answer is definitely NO. We are living in difficult times right now, and the most important thing is finding jobs for the million Americans who are unemployed. I know that it is cheaper and faster labor in other countries, but we need to focus on helping the people in our country before giving jobs to people elsewhere. Businesses can’t keep being greedy, but need to act ethically and socially responsible.
Do you agree with this?

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Ethics and social responsibility are very important for marketers. `As we discussed this week, The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility shows that marketers are expected to be profitable, obey the laws and regulations, and be ethical. Also at the top of the pyramid there is the philanthropic dimension which goes even further than marketing ethics. It is not required of a company, but it does suggest goodwill. Today, companies are becoming more philanthropic by going ‘green’ and developing pricing, promotion, and distribution of products that are not harmful, but helpful to the environment. However, being profitable is still at the top of the expectations for marketers.

An article published in The New York Times on May 29, 2009, “A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality,” focuses on a group of Harvard M.B.A.’s that want to set a new standard as business leaders. At Harvard and other top business schools, there have been new ethics courses that have concentrate on personal and social responsibility in a corporation rather than just making money. The graduates are highly concerned with the community, workers, and the environment of the corporations. Since the financial crisis this year, they along with many other people are more concerned with what is happening rather than being greedy.

I really enjoyed this article and it is nice to see that these graduates want to be more ethically and socially responsibility rather than just wanting to make the most money. Bruce Kogut, director of the Sanford C. Bernstein & Company Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia stated that, “We’re seeing a generational change that understands poverty is not just about Africa and India. They see inequities and the role of business to address them.” There are so many inequities across the world, which are affecting everybody. The industrialized countries such as the United States are taking resources away from the countries that need them the most. So knowing that these M.B.A. graduates want to commit to using the ethical and socially responsible principles is wonderful because they can make a difference. Overall, I feel as if the philanthropic dimension is going to be more important and widely used by marketers more in the future to come.

Do you feel as if marketers are going to become more ethically and socially responsible in the future or stay focused on strictly making money?

Response to Environmentalism

This is in response to Crista Rookey’s post:
I definitely agree with you with the fact that environmentalism is more of an opportunity than a threat to marketers. A business will absolutely run better and save money if they take environmentally friendly actions like you mentioned. Also their clientele will grow excessively not only because they are being ethical, but socially responsible in showing their concern with the environment as well. I enjoyed the questions you asked too: Would a company that’s in the market for what you’re looking for catch your attention more or less if they supported environmentalism? I would say yes to this now that I am becoming more concerned about the environment. If you asked me this a couple of years ago I would probably have said no because I was not aware of what was happening in the environment. The second question: Do you agree that this ethical behavior is an opportunity? Yes, I agree with this as well because being ethical is very important when running a business. Now, Do you think that environmentalism will be an opportunity for marketers forever or just at the present time because of what is happening to the world?

Environmentalism is an Opportunity for Marketers

Environmentalism is an opportunity for marketers in many ways. Today, many companies are going “green” and using green marketing where they develop, price, promote, and distribute products that do not harm the natural environment. Contributing and establishing programs to help the environment demonstrates the marketer’s social responsibility.

Since there is a global climate crisis, many companies are trying exceptionally hard in helping the environment and reducing the causes. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are the leading cause of climate change and there is a way to reduce the amount going into the atmosphere. Therefore, Hewlett-Packard and The Coca Cola Company are committed to reducing these emissions from their operations. Walmart is another company that is concerned with the environment and depends on oil, a non-renewable resource, which also emits CO2 into the atmosphere. Therefore, one of their long-term goals is to obtain their energy from a renewable source.

The Poland Spring Water Company also has gone “green” by redesigning their bottles of water. Their half liter bottle has an Eco-shape along with a smaller cap which was designed to be made with less plastic.Not only does this save money for companies, but it also attracts customers who are environmentally concerned. Right now companies that have started green marketing are a step ahead and have an advantage over the companies that haven’t.

Is environmentalism still going to be an opportunity to marketers once they all begin green marketing?

Response to the 4 P's of Marketing

This is in response to Alex Kundert’s post:
I definitely agree on all of your explanations for each of the four marketing principles. You used great examples to back up your views and it helped a lot in understanding the 4 P’s of marketing. I like how you used the fact of place as the amount of job opportunities in the specific location that you are living. In my post, I focused more on the transportation costs and travel to get to your job and if it will be worth the drive in the long run. Price is an important factor too and brings up two questions: What price are you willing to work for? What price is the company willing to pay? Also like you mentioned, having a positive reputation from past references is a key attribute when finding a job. I brought up the fact that you have to also present yourself in a professional manner, and really promote that you are the perfect fit for the job. How will you tackle each of the four marketing principles?

4 P's of Marketing

Marketing involves satisfying a customer’s wants, needs, and demands through an exchange process. The 4 P’s of marketing in the marketing mix include product, place, promotion, and price. These four variables are very important and need to be examined thoroughly in the marketing process.

In order to describe the 4 P’s of marketing, I will be the “product” in this situation as the person looking for a job. Since I am the product, I need to qualify for and satisfy my supervisor’s wants, needs, and demands that he/she is looking for to help the organization achieve its goals.

The location or “place” of the organization is very important when looking for a job. I know that I wouldn’t want to travel a long distance to and from work everyday because of the transportation costs. I am looking for a location that is convenient for me, but also an organization that is suitable for my needs. However, I may not be able to achieve both of these goals. It comes down to the questions: Is the job worth the costs of traveling to work everyday? Do I enjoy my job enough to spend the time and money on traveling?

“Promoting” myself to the organization to which I am applying is a very crucial marketing variable. In order to promote myself, I need to look and speak professionally because the appearance and communication is important. I need to express to them that I can be an asset to their organization and can make a difference. Also the promotion of motivation and responsibility in the marketplace is critical. I need to advertise myself and express that I can be a benefit to the organization.

“Price” is important in the marketing mix too because it is important to know what price is the customer willing to pay in exchange for the product. What price is the organization willing to offer me? Do I enjoy the job enough in exchange for what I am being paid? Price is significant because we as consumers all need jobs to pay for our needs and wants. The organization also needs to decide whether I will be an asset to the company and if I am worth the price that they will pay.

All four components are significant to marketing and I myself as a person looking for a job in the near future am going to run into each of these. I will have to decide on each variable whether the job will be worth it in the long run. What are other elements of the 4 P's to consider when applying for a job?