Wk. 10 EOC: What are the benefits vs. the features?

The benefits of donating to the "Everyone Deserves A Snuggly" Foundation are the knowledge that you've given a child a joy that will be with them forever. Meet ups for distribution will bring that knowledge to the individuals personally and they will get to experience the joy the child feels at being given a friend. 

"A product is more than a simple set of tangible features. Each product or service offered to customers can be viewed on three levels. The core customer value consists of the core problem-solving benefits that consumers seek when they buy a product. The actual product exists around the core and includes the quality level, features, design, brand name, and packaging. The augmented product is the actual product plus the various services and benefits offered with it, such as a warranty, free delivery, installation, and maintenance." - Marketing An Introduction Armstrong/Kotler pg. 238

The features of the products will be

EOC Wk. 9: 3 Great Mission Statements

"Users on ThisIsLife.com will also be able to post about incidents that have affected their life in a positive/negative way, the intention is that when the user posts they will feel less alone and know that other people are affected by almost the same things." - Ryne Colquitt  

http://independentlivin.blogspot.com/search/label/Final%20Project

"The mission of Beauty and the Bully is "To spread the word of the seriousness of bullying. Our mission is to inspire youth to speak only kind words, and teach that it takes a kind heart and mouth to be truly beautiful." - Hayley Herdman

http://byhaleyblaine.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-08-29T21:03:00-07:00&max-results=7

"When people get together they can accomplish many things that are simple and viable at the same time." - Ryan Torrisi 

http://marketingryan.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-09-05T17:56:00-07:00&max-results=7 

I find the preceding mission statements to be strong because they state what they plan on doing with their business in just a few words. Their statements are based off of sound advice and strong reasoning. The causes each of the individuals has chosen to work with are also close to my heart and are things I would feel good about supporting.

BOC Wk. 9: Top Hits

According to Billboard.com, the number one song of the summer was "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
"YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are now record labels’ textbook tools for starting a marketing campaign, and if the numbers there are big enough, they can be used in pitches to radio and television programmers." - New York Time http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/business/media/how-call-me-maybe-and-social-media-are-upending-music.html

The second was "Payphone" by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa.

Third was "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Goyte featuring Kimbra.

Fourth was "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry.

Fifth was "Lights" by Ellie Goulding.

Implementation Evaluation Control

Price

The price for the bears runs on average $20. The amount an individual donates is up to them. All the money raised from donations will go into getting the bears, fuel for transporting them, and further advertising for the foundation.

Distribution

Promotion

In promoting the Everyone Deserves a Snuggly Foundation, we will be placing posters in the Kohl's stores. We will be Tweeting regularly about events where donations can be made or bears can be distributed. The blog for the foundation will be updated with photos of previous events to encourage potential donors and helpers to participate in future events.

Product

Target Market Strategy

Situation or SWOT Analysis

Objectives

Business Mission Statement

The “Everyone Deserves a Snuggly” Foundation will be providing teddy bears or other stuffed animals to orphans and children in foster care. The animals will be passed out by volunteers who donate their time to taking the bears and personally handing them to each child. We will begin with a small number of animals donated by individuals in the community. As the foundation develops, more animals will be donated and the number of children we are able to donate to will grow. Further reaching into the community will be achieved through the development of the foundation and research into the areas that need our help.

Wk. 8 EOC: Creative Content

For my creative content, I will be creating posters with the logo and foundation information such as contact information and location addresses. These posters will be placed in the stores where the bears can be purchased.They will also be available for viewing online through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. The sites will have pages dedicated to the "Everyone Deserves a Snuggly" foundation, what we are doing, and where our drop off locations are. The sites will be updated regularly with photos, blogs, and numbers of how many animals have been donated to a certain point in time.

Wk. 7 EOC: The Pitch

To give orphans and children in foster care a teddy bear of their own to keep with them forever. The "Everyone Deserves A Snuggly" Foundation would team up with a local Las Vegas orphanage or foster care system to deliver the teddy bears that are donated. The bears would be procured through donations made in store at Kohl's. There will be bins in the stores where people can drop of new stuffed animals to be donated.

Suggestions, Questions, Compliments

Guest.Services@buildabear.com

Our Mailing Address

Build-A-Bear Workshop
1954 Innerbelt Business Center Drive
Saint Louis, MO 63114

Wk. 6 EOC: Me x 3

Three items that have been bought by me or for me specifically that define me are my laptop, my spandex shorts, and my fuzzy green blanket.

My laptop is a Dell laptop with a 17.5 inch screen. It has the fastest processor on the Dell market, came installed with Adobe Photoshop and Premiere for photo editing and video making. It has a CD/DVD/Blu-ray player for watching movies. It has a web cam built into it so that I can video chat with my friends in other countries. My dad bought me the laptop after my previous laptop stopped working. He put a lot of thought into what elements he paid for when he bought it as I am a photographer and vlogger and I need specific programs to keep up with what I do. I also like watching movies and playing games on my computer so the elements he included where important.

My spandex shorts are Old Navy Active shorts that were purchased for me as a gift. These define me because I am an athlete and the feel, movement, fit, and breathability of fabric are important to me. I practically live in spandex shorts. I wear them under everything from my costumes for shows to clothes for church. I like the way they feel on me and that they make it easier for me to dance.

“Champion athletic wear segments its markets according to benefits that different consumers seek from their activewear. For example, “Fit and Polish” consumers seek a balance between function and style—they exercise for results but want to look good doing it. “Serious Sports Competitors” exercise heavily and live in and love their activewear—they seek performance and function. By contrast, “Value-Seeking Moms” have low sports interest and low activewear involvement—they buy for the family and seek durability and value. Thus, each segment seeks a different mix of benefits. Champion must target the benefit segment or segments that it can serve best and most profitably, using appeals that match each segment’s benefit preferences.” – Marketing and Introduction, Armstrong & Kotler

My fuzzy green blanket was something that I bought while on a trip to San Diego. We were staying on my uncle’s boat and it was a lot colder than I had planned for so my mother and I stopped at the Wal-Mart near the marina. We stopped by the blankets section and that particular little blanket just felt right. I love the feel of fuzzy things against my skin. My favourite colour is green and the blanket was the perfect size for me to wrap myself in for the night. It continues to be my favourite blanket to this day.

Wk. 5 EOC: Super Bowl Commercials

This commercial was great because it included what was relevant to society at the time it was made. There was a new car on the market and the focus of society was on the ever present issue of weight. The commercial showed the effectiveness of a diet change and exercise. There is a change of the car from the opening frame to the middle of the commercial portraying a passing of time. It then showed the commercial as if it was being viewed in the future therefore showing it as a continuing issue. They played off of a piece of our pop culture using the references to Star Wars. Volkswagen has used Star Wars for advertising for a while.This factor is referenced in the end of the commercial further pushing the fact that the commercial takes place in the future.

“The Super Bowl has a lot to offer to the right advertisers. It’s the most-watched TV event of the year. It plays to a huge and receptive audience—almost 100 million viewers who put away their DVR remotes and watch it live, glued to their screens, ads and all. In fact, to many viewers, the Super Bowl ads are more important than what happens on the gridiron. Last year, the game itself drew an average rating (the percent of TV-owning households watching) of 41.6; the ads drew 41.22.” – Marketing: An Introduction, Armstong & Kotler

"The problem is to find unobtrusive ways to enter consumers’ social conversations with engaging and relevant brand messages. Marketing has 'historically been an exposure and intrusion practice—get in someone’s face and talk about the attributes of the brand,' says a social media analyst. “That approach works less and less effectively all the time, and it is absolutely fatal in the social arena.”²¹ Moreover, simply posting a humorous video, creating a social network page, or hosting a blog isn’t enough." – Marketing: An Introduction, Armstong & Kotler

Due to the research of the marketing department, Volkswagen has found a way to follow this statement. They found a way to incorporate pop culture to keep the conversation going and used it as a clever hook.

Wk. 4 EOC: Business Vs. Consumer Buying Behavior

Wk. 4 EOC: Business Vs. Consumer Buying Behavior

Consumers buy for the emotional attachment they have to products.

“At a general level, marketing medical imaging technology or diesel locomotives to business customers is like selling refrigerators to final buyers. It requires a deep-down understanding of customer needs and customer-driven marketing strategies that create superior customer value.” - Marketing An Introduction Gary Armstrong, Philip Kotler

“Also, with GE’s business customers, buying decisions are much more complex. An average consumer buying a refrigerator might do a little online research and then pop out to the local Best Buy to compare models before buying one. In contrast, buying a batch of jet engines involves a tortuously long buying process, dozens or even hundreds of decision makers from all levels of the buying organization, and layer upon layer of subtle and not-so-subtle buying influences.” - Marketing An Introduction Gary Armstrong, Philip Kotler

Wk. 3 EOC: My Deomgraphics

 “One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life. The Millennials were the first generation to grow up in a world filled with computers, cellphones, satellite TV, iPods, and online social networks. A recent study found that 91 percent of Millennials are on the Web, making up 32 percent of all U.S. Internet users. According to another study, 77 percent of Millennials frequent social networking sites and 71 percent use instant messaging. “All generations are comfortable with technology, but this is the generation that’s been formed by technology,” says a Yahoo! executive. For them, “it’s not something separate. It’s just something they do.” - Marketing: An Introduction Armstrong/Kotler

I feel quite strongly that I agree with what the textbook says for my generation. It fits me very well. The description of the people born between 1977 and 2000 matches really well with the people I know. We are lost without our cell phones and have problems when we are away from our social networking or our games.

“However, the Millennials are bombarded with marketing messages coming at them from all directions. And rather than having mass marketing messages pushed at them, they prefer to seek out information and engage in two-way brand conversations. Thus, reaching these message-saturated consumers effectively requires creative marketing approaches.” - Marketing: An Introduction Armstrong/Kotler

Due to the fact that so much advertising is pushed at us, we tend to focus our attentions on what appeals to us and what we are interested in, what we like.

Wk. 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

Wk. 3 EOC: Making Money for Good
The first company I came across that uses their profits for good is Feed Projects, “a company that makes and sells luxury fashion handbags and other items to help raise awareness and money for the UN World Food Program, Unicef, and other charities.” - The Christian Science Monitor, Scott Henderson The company was co-founded by Lauren Bush and started in 2006 when she designed a bag that would benefit the United Nations' World Food Programme's (WFP) School Feeding program. The WFP feeds and educates hungry children in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Lauren first created the Feed 1 bag, which is a reversible burlap and organic cotton bag that is much like the bags used by the WFP to distribute food. Bags are stamped with the number “1” and the quote “FEED the children of the world.” The sale of one bag feeds and keeps one child in school for one year.
Feed is a one for one program. For every bag sold, another is donated. These bags are filled with things needed by the people they are given too. For example, one FEED Health backpack sold here will donate a backpack filled with medical supplies to a medical professional in Millennium Village in Africa.
The next company I found doing good with their profits is Fenugreen. This company developed FreshPaper, a product used to keep food fresher for longer. “Revenues generated through sales help to support the research and development of more solutions to further reduce the global issue of food spoilage.” – The Christian Science Monitor, Scott Henderson Farmers grow enough food to feed our planet, yet many are starving. Twenty five percent of the world’s food is lost to spoilage. Fenugreen is working to solve this problem with their FreshPaper. FreshPaper is a mixture of edible organic extracts. The sale of FreshPaper goes to help donate more to food banks, food pantries, and those without refrigeration who wish to provide healthy, fresh alternatives to the hungry.
​
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2012/0411/Young-entrepreneurs-do-good-and-make-a-profit

Wk. 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

EOC Wk. 1: Great Customer Service

An experience I had where I received great customer service was when I bought a DVD at Wal-Mart and when I opened the package at home, I discovered the disc was scratched due to the fact that the case was damaged on the inside. I brought my receipt and the DVD into the store with me and went up to the customer service desk. The lady there listened very closely to what I said, took a look at what was going on with the DVD and asked me to please wait. She took the DVD and my receipt back to the electronics department and brought me back a new copy of the DVD that was intact. There was no new charge for her time or the new DVD.

For this reason, I continue to use the same Wal-Mart and whenever I have problems with products from the store, I’m reassured that the service I will receive from their customer service department will be excellent quality.

Wk. 1 EOC: My Voice

My name is Angel Donohew. I am a professional photographer with an unconventional style. Posed photography is not my thing. I decided to be a photographer when my younger brother gave me my first camera at around thirteen years old. I fell in love with the feeling of capturing the moments in my life as they happened. Making original shots with natural lighting is my goal. My system is to meet with you before our shoot to get to know you a little better. What are your interests and favorite things to do? I’d love to incorporate your ideas into my shots. Ultimately, your happiness and comfort are my goal. I like to make some shots in black and white for a more dynamic feel. As with all things in my life, my experience is continually growing and expanding. I like to try all sorts of fun angles and levels with my pictures. Capturing my subject in a way that suits them as well as the style of the picture is always an adventure. In the future I’d like to be able to take family portraits as well as pet photography, head shots for models and actors that capture who they are and not just what they look like. I prefer shooting things right the first time to limit my post processing.