Chi_H_BUS121H Fundamentals of Marketing: February 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Final Project- Implementation Evalution Control

“Marketing implementation is the process that turns marketing plans into marketing actions in order to accomplish strategic marketing objectives. Whereas marketing planning addresses the what and why of marketing activities, implementation addresses the who, where, when, and how.” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 2, page 33) Now we have our plan ready to go. We know what the product is. We know how we are going to sell it. We also know where to sell it. However, the questions come. Which domain do we buy? Which server hosting service do we use to handle the flow? Which local chocolate shops do we approach first? What promotions do we push out first? Questions like those can be asked all day long. The list can be endless.

“Many managers think that “doing things right” (implementation) is as important as, or even more important than, “doing the right things” (strategy). The fact is that both are critical to success …still, implementation is difficult—it is often easier to think up good marketing strategies than it is to carry them out.” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 2, page 33) Talking and drawing on papers are always easier to take actions. We also have to outlines the control that will be using to monitor the sale progress. After we able to answer most or all of the questions, then we can present our product to the world by different stages.

Final Project- Promotion

“Sales promotion is the most short-term of the promotion mix tools. Whereas advertising or personal selling says ‘buy,’ sales promotions say ‘buy now’” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 13, page 36). Promotion is short-term. The tools that will be used are samples and coupons. If you signed up for the newsletter from the website, you will receive a small sample. Sound great! But wait, it is the most effective way but it is also the most expensive way to promote a product. So the signed up for free sample will last a very short term.

The longer term promoting method is giving out coupons. Each of the people who signed up for newsletter will receive a unique coupon code every month. A coupon will expire in 30 days and it can only be used once. From 15% - 30% off to free shipping, we do it this way for the customers so that they feel unique and special. “Most consumers love coupons. U.S. package-goods companies distributed more than 317 billion coupons last year with an average face value of $1.44. Consumers redeemed more than 2.6 billion of them for a total savings of about $3.7 billion” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 13, page 39). The impact of coupons is huge. And online coupon is even better. Who wouldn’t want to enter a simple code to get free shipping? That is one of our ways to keep customers in a good relationship.

Final Project- Distribution

Sweet Nightmares is a brand. It is not the most expensive-high-class chocolate brand but it is a special and unique gift brand. Seriously, if you buy yourself a gift, there will be no surprises. That’s why it is a gift brand. And it cannot compete with the low price chocolate brand because there is always one that has the lower price.

It has to choose its distribution technique carefully. Exclusive distribution is the one of the best way to go. We do that by “giving a limited numbers of dealers the exclusive right to distribute the company’s products in their territories” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 10, page 26). The product distributes through mainly the local chocolate shops. People would be able to walk into one of the local chocolate shops to buy our unique Sweet Nightmares products.

“Good-value pricing has involved redesigning existing brands to offer more quality for a given price or the same quality for less” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 9, page 8). Yes, people can still buy our products online. However, we will team up with most of the local shops to offer even lower prices and no shipping involved. It means that if you walk into the shop, you can get it right away at a cheaper price. And all the local chocolate shops can get our products at the lower price. Customers pay less and get same quality, which also create a win-win-win situation for the brand, customers, and the local shops.

Final Project- Price

“For most purchases, consumers don’t have all the skill or information they need to figure out whether they are paying a good price” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 9, page 42). Yes, they don’t have the time and ability to figure out if they are getting the best price. Most of the time, we have to give helpful hints like: price-matching guarantees.

Most importantly, it is not how much they pay. It is how much value they get. Would someone pay $99999.99 for a box of chocolates? Yes, of course there is. Would the Sweet Nightmares sell at that price? No, because it doesn’t worth that value. It would be in the $20- $60 pricing range. There is also be promotional pricing, “temporarily pricing products below the list price, and sometimes even below cost, to increase short-run sales” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 9, page 42). The Sweet Nightmares will do promotional pricing during holidays including: New Year, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and etc.

The Sweet Nightmares is a product of happiness and surprises. In another words, it is a box of chocolates which has ten same looking but different tastes chocolates. Happiness, surprises, and chocolates are just wants not needs, people can survive with them. But if we set the right price to persuade people that they are getting the right values, then it would be win-win situation.

Final Project- Product

“Quality has a direct impact on product or service performance; thus, it is closely linked to customer value and satisfaction.” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 7, page 13.) Product quality is the major tool to position itself in the market. When we talk about product quality, it has two dimensions: level and consistency. Level is the most important key factor to position itself. The Sweet Nightmares is an online chocolate product brand. It is a low-to-middle gift brand. We do that by keep our costs as low as possible. Actually, a box of same looking chocolates can reduce our costs. When it comes to different tastes, we have to place special orders on manufactures. We offer not a box of chocolates but happiness and surprises.

“Beyond quality level, high quality also can mean high levels of quality consistency.” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 7, page 14.) The Sweet Nightmares will strive for high levels of conformance quality. Since the business has none official line shop, it focuses mainly online. In another words, we have more money for higher quality of the products. The Sweet Nightmares will constantly remind people its own features: ten same looking but different taste of chocolates in a small-fun size gift box, using only the fine chocolates, and fast shipping. And it offers happiness and surprises!

Final Project- Target Market Strategy

The strategy we will be focusing on is standardized global marketing which stands for “an international marketing strategy for using basically the same marketing strategy and mix in all the company’s international markets” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 15, page 26). Can you design a strategy for everyone? The answer is no because it is impossible.

At first, we did try to adapted the business market strategy to fit everyone since different parts of the world has different cultures. However, after doing the market targeting by “process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 6, page 4), we decided to target the most general targets: 16 to 45 age group of customers or the “Generation Y or called the "Net Generation."

Most importantly, the Sweet Nightmares is not an expensive product. It is a product for fun and happiness. Most of them are willing to try new things and shop online. We keep the prices in the right range that they feel they get the right value. When you buy our chocolates, you buy happiness and surprises.

Final Project- Situation or SWOT Analysis

Since the Sweet Nightmares is a new brand. And it will be hard to put it up in line shops when we start. In another words, we will be focusing on online first. It will be mainly an online business at a start.

SWOT analysis (Sweet Nightmares and Online business):

Strengths: Sweet, Cheap, Global reach of business, Purchase price will be less than off line shops, Low cost to maintain the website, Easy to keep in touch with customers by emails, sms, and etc. in order to build a great relationships

Weaknesses: Causes health problems (come on, it is chocolate…), Difficult to manufacture (because our product is a box of chocolates which they all look the same, to reach that goal, we will place order on manufacturers to fit our need), Lack of shop brand recognition (Do you order chocolates from eBay?), Take time to build trusts with customers

Opportunities: target on 16 to 45 age group of customers or the “Generation Y as the "Net Generation," internet users in their twenties do not dominate every aspect of online life. Generation X is the most likely group to bank, shop and look for health information online.” (Sydney Jones, March 12, 2012, http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1093/generations-online), Use SEO to reduce advertising costs

Threats: “Threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kotler, print page 55), let put it into simple words: there are other many online websites, which sell chocolates.

Those above conclude all the SWOT analysis. We will be going online since it is cheaper to maintain so we can offer cheaper prices on the chocolates. But we have to do special orders to the chocolate manufacturers (but it is our selling point!). Sweet Nightmares will focus on the Gen Y, the net generation. However, we are not the first one to come up with that idea but we will be the best one!

Final Project- Objectives

“The company needs to turn its mission into detailed supporting objectives for each level of management” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 2, page 7.). Even though now we have our mission statement: We bring happiness to everyone in the world by giving sweet surprises, but how do we accomplish our goal?

First objective: Bring it out to the world.

There is only one way and simple way to do so: open online store. The business will focus on online sell. Online means lower prices for customers. Online means lower cost to maintain. We can build great customer relationships by online chat, sms, emails, and etc. The strategy which will be using is the Pull Strategy. It is “a promotion strategy that calls for spending a lot on advertising and consumer promotion to induce final consumers to buy the product, creating a demand vacuum that “pulls” the product through the channel” (ARMSTRONG, KOTLER, Marketing An Introduction, chapter 12, page 16). Instead of line shop, the money will mostly use on advertising.

Second objective: Giving sweet surprises.

Let just sum up the product in one sentence: Sweet Nightmares is a box of chocolates which has ten same looking but different tastes chocolates. In order to reach that goal, we will place special order on manufacturers to fit our needs. We will keep our costs low and our qualities high to offer the best online chocolates shopping experience.

Final Project- Business Mission Statement

Business Mission Statement: We bring happiness to everyone in the world by giving sweet surprises.

“Mission statements should be market oriented and defined in terms of satisfying basic customer needs. Products and technologies eventually become outdated, but basic market needs may last forever.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kotler, print page 40) Yes, my product is just chocolate. However, chocolate always brings happiness into peoples’ lives. My product is not just a chocolate or a kind of chocolate; it is a box of chocolates. What is so special about that box of chocolate? One good reason is that: it will give surprises! In a box of ten chocolates, each of them has a different taste and they all look the same. It might be dark chocolate or it might be pepper chocolate! You will never know until you taste it. “Mission statements should be meaningful and specific yet motivating.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong & Kotler, print page 40) It is meaningful because it wants to bring happiness to everyone. It is specific because it states that it will do it by giving sweet surprises…or chocolates. And it is motivating! Who doesn’t want happiness?

When you buy our chocolates, you buy happiness and surprises.

Week 8 EOC: Creative Content

Chi Huynh

http://chicreator.com/bus121/

Website (primary) or Poster

Webpage- will make about one single web page to promote the product

Home Page (index)-

1.) Logo: create and design the logo

2.) countdown slider: fake product launch day

3.) Tag lines: Surprises/ Sweet Nightmares/ Love and Hate/ Haven and Hell; The Taste of Surprises(in logo)

4.) Product photos/images- small thumbnails to show product and box designs

1.) Fake contact form

2.) FAQs section- what is Sweet Nightmares? What should I buy it? Would that be a great gift?

3.) Phone number and online chat- have questions? Ask them now

Style of the site: dark, pink, clean

The overall mission of the website or the creative content is to promote the product as a specialty product. “Specialty products are consumer products and services with unique characteristics or brand identification for which a significant group of buyers is willing to make a special purchase effort.” (Marketing An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, print page 211.) What you are buying is not a box of chocolates, it is fun and surprise.

Estimated work hours- *with stock images + without the distraction of Facebook

Hand coded: 4~5 + hours

Monday, February 20, 2012

Week 7 EOC: The Taste of Surprises

Surprises/ Sweet Nightmares/ Love and Hate/ Haven and Hell

“Do you know how do I feel about you?”

“Taste me.”

Inside of a box of ten chocolates, each of them looks the same but has different tastes. It may have dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, orange chocolate, pepper chocolate, and so much more. The combination is completely random. And you will never know which one you will get.

Do you have someone that you hate and love at the same time? If you have kids, you might understand. Well, parents are top on the list too. So you want to give them something that is so special and full of surprises. And the Sweet Nightmares is for you.

It is not just a chocolate. It is a box of chocolates. Each of them looks exactly the same. However, here is the fun part: they all have different tastes. No two of them will taste the same. And if you think they are all sweet and full of love, then you are wrong.

The Sweet Nightmares offers you the experience that no other box of chocolates can give you. It gives you love, hate, sweet, bitter, and so much more. And it is the perfect gift for every situation. Of course, it tastes so much better when you share it. You can tell what kind of chocolates from the faces of your friends, family, and love ones.

Sweet Nightmares has the element of surprise that no other can provide. Love life, love surprise, love Sweet Nightmares.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Week 6 EOC: ME X 3

1.) Ipage (web hosting service)

I use this product to host most of my websites. I also use to test new thing i.e. testing out PHP pages, new HTML5 and CSS3 pages, and some javascript files. As a web designer, I have to have a hosting service. Beside, I use it sometime as my dropbox or the cloud server to store my files.

2.) Patriot Xporter XT Boost 8GB Flash Drive/ CORSAIR Flash Voyager 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive/ dropbox

Well, you just cannot trust the internet all the time. That is why I always have a usb flash drive with me on the time. I use it to save my project, school works, and etc. Dropbox is good because everything is in the cloud; however, sometime, the cloud goes down or there is no internet (that happened a few times before).

3.) The Web Designer's Idea Book: The Ultimate Guide To Themes, Trends & Styles In Website Design (Web Designer's Idea Book: The Latest Themes, Trends & Styles in Website Design)

It is where most of my ideas and inspirations come from. It is a book all about web design. It has all the best-designed web sites. It gives inspiration by color, design style, type, theme, and layout… so much more! If you are a web designer, you have to get this book.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

What is the perfect job candidate? I mean beside you want to know what skills they have or what college they go to, don’t you want to know what kind of person they are? Maybe you are saying that is why interview is for but social networks can surely get a better understanding of that person. One best way to know a person is to know their friends. I did not mean to you have to stalk that person. Just go on to their Facebook site and see their photos and comments. “Some workplace studies suggest that almost 40% of employers have used Facebook and other social networking sites to gather information on job candidates. In cases where they have found negative information, more than 80% of employers consider it when making hiring decisions.” (HR Library, http://www.gneil.com/library/Using-Facebook-for-Hiring) Wow, 40% is a high number. But is it legal to do that?

Issues we are facing more than that, which including invasion of privacy, false information, and etc. For the employers, they will want to know what kind of person you are either on duty or off duty. What is the lesson learned here? Do not post your photos that you don’t want your employers and your mom to see on your Facebook.

More facts: About 45% of the companies are screening social sites for potential hires. While only 18% of the employers found that positive, but 35% found that negative.

Source of the facts: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/04/new-infographic-shows-how-companies-target-unemployed_n_918816.html