Burlington, Burritos, and Burton

Burlington, Burton, and burritos!  I want to show and make marketing a little more fun and less by the book by I sharing a more about where I am and what I'm doing right now and how it relates to marketing.  So let's start off with where I am. As I previously mentioned, I am currently living in Colchester, VT (right outside of Burlington) and am attending Saint Michael's College (SMC:) ) Burlington and SMC are two extremely unique places, but are both relatively small. Burlington is the largest city in Vermont, which may seem comical to some when compared to the size of other cities in other states. SMC is a small,catholic, liberal arts college. Despite the size of this city and college, both know how to emphasize their differences and make a name for themselves and yes this is largely due to marketing!

      

       Saint Mike's markets itself as a small, liberal arts, catholic institution, which is what it is, but it also emphasizes community. A lot of colleges and universities, both big and small, emphasize "their sense of community," but Saint Mike's really makes it a priority. The phrase they use a lot in their advertisements, pamphlets, etc. "I Like St. Mike's" really hits home and reflects the overall feeling of the student body. They play up and market their small size as an advantage and not a weakness. Smaller class sizes, more one-on-one time with professors, and easily formed study groups are all factors that my school makes sure to point out and drive home through marketing.     
  

You can find out a lot more information and better details about how Saint Mike's markets themselves at the link provided below.  Following this link will show examples of target markets, segmentation, the marketing mix, and the 4 Ps (all which have been mentioned in previous blog posts!).

http://www.smcvt.edu/On-Campus/Offices-and-Services/Marketing-and-Communication.aspx

Saint Mike's also uses many different sources of social media. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are three big ones that students love. Being able to Tweet questions to the school, cute pages like Saint Michael's Crushes, and the amazing Instagram page filled with pictures taken by students are popular among campus. The images above are some from the SMC Instagram page, which you should definitely take a look at! (SMC Instagram!)

Burlington!
       For a small town in Vermont, Burlington has really made a name for itself.  It is not just the scenic area that has done this, but also the unique businesses that fill this town. I have been living in this area for three years and keep discovering new places to go or events every weekend. This is a place where marketing and specifically promotion thrives.

There are a lot of restaurants and places that offer food services so one would think there would be a lot of competition. Although this may be true, the more I learn about marketing and segmentation the more I question this. Many of the restaurants that are in this town are vastly different. They market themselves in a way where their differences appeal to and/or are aimed at different target markets, which would help avoid competition to a point.   

Burritos!
A place to eat in town on the famous Church St. that does a great job with marketing is Boloco (Boston Local Co.).  Their means of promotion highlights concepts I have learned in my marketing class so far.  They have many different means of promotion, but here are just the ones I have encountered first hand from being a customer...

• Student discounts
• Free birthday burrito
• Use of social media
• Emphasis on fresh ingredients
• Focus on quality
• Reusable and recycable materials
• Highlights their mission statement 
• Being green and sustainable is a very popular movement and cause in the area

People respond really well to Boloco and I have seen that it is a popular place. This shows that they are doing something right with their marketing tactics and strategy and are reeling in their target market and working the 4 Ps. It also doesn't hurt that they have great burritos!

Burton!
Food and restaurants aren't the only types of businesses that thrive in Burlington. An extremely successful company that was founded and is based right here in Burlington, VT is Burton. Burton is known globally for their snowboards, winter/snowboarding gear, and have branched out to regular clothing and accessories. They have a line for men, women, and youth. Their use of social media in marketing is personally one of my favorites from any company. The videos they put out on Youtube are not only illustrate some of the marketing that goes on within the company, but also is amazing at showcasing their products. This is one of my favorites at the moment...called "The Teaser."

I think Burton is a great example of one of those unique companies that has and is continuously focused on their marketing tactics. The effort they put in is clearly reflected in what they do. They have a distinct and unique brand and definitely have brand loyal customers. I'm not even a snowboarder, but a skier and have certain products from Burton that I love and wouldn't get anywhere else.

Divide and Conquer!

"In marketing I've seen only one strategy that can't miss - and that is to market to your best customers first, your best prospects second and the rest of the world last."

  -John Romero (Video game designer; DOOM and founder of iD Software)    

       Let's pretend you are putting a product out on the market! You want EVERYONE to buy your product. So you work with a marketing team and decide to target your product to everyone. In an ideal world this is how marketing would work; target a product to everyone and in turn have everyone respond and buy your product. However, this is not the proper way to market or how the market and customers will respond. A key factor in fixing this marketing dilemma is to use market segmentation.
       Market segmentation is the dividing up of potential consumers into groups that "have common needs and will respond in a similar way to marketing actions." (Kerin, 220) Doing this not only will help increase the potential success of your product, but it also helps get a better idea and narrow down a target market. The target market is necessary because it is just not realistic to market to every consumer and be successful.

There are specific steps in segmenting and targeting a market. These steps are...
1) Grouping potential consumers into segments
2) Grouping the products that are to be sold on the market into categories
3) Developing a market-product grid and estimating the size of the market
4) Selecting target markets
5) Taking marketing actions to reach out to the target markets

For step one there are four basis of segmentation that make this step more successful. Grouping potential consumers into segments based on geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral variables can do wonders for market segmentation and finding a target market! (Kerin, 225)

Let's take a closer look at the 4 basis of segmentation... 
There are many variables that can factor into these different parts of segmentation as well. Here are some questions that might aid one in segmenting based off of these different variables.
Geographic

• Does the potential customer live in a city or rural area?
• What is the population/ size of their living location?
• What is the weather like where they live? 

Demographic

• How old is the person?
• What gender are they?
• What is their race and/or ethnicity?
• What year were they born or what generation are they?
• For example: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Millenials
• Are they married?
• What do they do for a living?
• How educated are they?
• What is their income?

Psychographic

• What type of personality does this person have?
• What do they value?
• What do they need?
• For example: quality, low price, ease of purchase

Behavioral 

• What type of store do they generally shop at?
• How do they hear about a product/ main sources of advertising?
• What do they look for in a product?
• How often would they use/repurchase the product?
• How much do they know about the product

Proper segmenting and targeting to a specific market is key. There is a concept in marketing called the 80/20 Rule.
This rule states that 80% of sales are obtained through only 20% of consumers. If this is true in most cases, it illustrated the importance of segmenting, targeting, and finding that 20% of consumers that are going to use your product a lot and at some point hopefully become brand loyal.
(Kerin, 227)



Below is an image that illustrates step three of the segmenting and targeting process. It segments both the consumers (vertical column) as well as the products (horizontal row) and then places them on a grid to compare and get an idea at who is using what product, which will help narrow and segment even further in the future. This specific example deals with the line of Apple products.

When it comes time to select a target market after some segmenting there are also factors that need to be taken into consideration. One can't necessarily just choose their favorite target market or even the one that looks the best because sometimes there are constraints and limitations. Factors that should be considered in making this decision are...

• Market size
• Is the market too small to even be worth targeting?
• Is the market too large to focus on and reach?
• Expected Growth
• Is there expected growth in reaching out to this target market?
• Is there potential to expand?
• Does it look like your product will just fizzle?
• Competition
• Is there too much competition within the market you are looking to target?
• Is it worth it to try to beat out the competition?
• If you enter this market and/or segment is there expected to be competition in the future?
• Cost
• Is the cost too high to reach out to this target market?
• Resources
• Do you have the resources to serve this target market?
• You can have all the best ideas and advertisements in the world, but if you do not have the physical resources or manpower to serve and meet needs there will not be success.

Once all is said and done and a target market is chosen then it is time to reach out to them using the marketing mix and 4 Ps (Blog post #1 "Marketing: It's more than just ads. It's a mix."). Evaluating the best place, product, price, and sources of promotion after segmenting and targeting will be so much more beneficial than just throwing your product out on the market and trying to get everyone and anyone to buy it.  It is all about narrowing and tailoring as well as dividing and conquering!


If you want to know more I would highly recommend reading this blog post about market segmentation linked HERE! It was interesting, informative, and an enjoyable read so I would check it out!

Cited
Kerin, Roger A., Steven William. Hartley, and William Rudelius. Marketing. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2004

It's your decision consumers so choose wisely.

       You're in control.  You are a consumer. You face many choices and decisions everyday.  

       Whether we realize it or not there is a process to the purchases we make throughout our days. Whether it is the routine purchase of running to the drugstore because the toothpaste ran out or it is time to look into getting a new car there is a decision making process. A five step process where at times only a few steps are used or all five are used in a more drawn out process, depending on the purchase. 

This is called the Consumer Purchase Decision Process. The five steps of this process are as follows... (Kerin, 111-112)

 

I'll just run through the steps really quick using a little scenario.

1) Problem recognition: To put it as simple as possible we as consumers realize we have a need or desire and that we want to fill it.  Maybe you are hungry and want to go get lunch at a restaurant, maybe you ran out of deodorant and need to restock, or maybe your house's roof is leaking. All of these are situations that will prompt a decision to be made.

2) Information search: Once we have recognized we want to make some sort of decision it is time to seek out some additional information.

3) Evaluation of alternatives: after searching for information you may find yourself with multiple options on whatever your decision may be. This is the time to evaluate and compare your alternatives using the information you have previously gathered. You're in the mood for Italian. You've narrowed it down to Olive Garden and the upscale Italian bistro in town. Are you willing to spend a little more for a specialty meal? Maybe you like the unlimited bread sticks from Olive Garden that you can't really get anywhere else.

 4) Purchase decision: Now is the time to make your decision. You decide to go to the higher scale, but smaller non-franchised Italian restaurant. Let's say you decided this because it's a business dinner and you really want to impress your guest. During your information search you heard from your neighbors that their food is amazing. You also evaluated your alternatives and decided that maybe the extra money will be worth it.

5) Post purchase behavior: This is the final step which is where you basically ask yourself if you were satisfied or not. Did you have any regrets with choosing this restaurant over Olive Garden? It turns out you did. Although your neighbors rave reviews about the Italian bistro's food was spot on, the service was absolutely horrible. Rude waiters, messed up orders, and an extremely long wait. You decided that based off of the amount you were paying that the service was detrimental to your expectations. You would have rather gone somewhere else with better service, even if it was not Olive Garden. So next time you decide to be more thorough gathering information and making your decision.

Okay enough of the hypothetical situation, but this was the best way for me to quickly and hopefully clearly offer an explanation to this decision process.

There are also other factors that affect this five step process. Depending on what is being purchased some steps aren't even really used. There are three different types of purchases which are...

1) Extended (Car, house, college, etc.)

• All of the steps are usually used
• Usually bigger and more important purchases
• Information search and alternative evaluations are a big steps and can be more drawn out
• More time may be taken to make this decision

2) Limited ( Restaurant, jeans, sunglasses, blender etc.)

• Can use all the steps, but does not require as in depth of use 
• These purchases do not have as big of an impact

3) Routine ( Toothpaste, laundry detergent, milk, etc.)

• Require very minimal use of decision process
• Small purchases that are routine enough you know what you want
• If what you want is gone you will most likely settle for something else with little thought to the decision

(Kerin,114)

 Basically we are blessed enough to have all of these choices at our finger tips, which gives us the power to choose what we want. I think we should use this to our advantage and try to be smart about the choices we make in purchase decisions and otherwise!

I feel like a lot of this post was me talking at you or typing, but this is what we have been going over in class and I found it pretty interesting! Sorry if it was dry to read, but I think people will really enjoy my next post, at least I hope :)



Cited
Kerin, Roger A., Steven William. Hartley, and William Rudelius. Marketing: The Core. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2013.

Think you know exactly what an ad is advertising? Think again.

       Sex. Money. Power. These are things that today many people would consider desirable. Marketing is all about realizing the needs and desires of consumers and trying to fulfill and satisfy them. On the surface a product can be marketed using the 4 P's in order to try to best meet the consumers needs and desires while still having a successful product and/or service.  The 4 P's also cover and take into consideration packaging, advertising, and image. I think the product and/or service should be appealing, different, and most importantly showcase that it is something that will satisfy the consumer's needs and desires.
       Packaging and advertisements are a great way to show consumers that "this," being whatever it may be, is something they need...and even if they don't need it, may be something they just want. So there's the on the surface advertisements and promotions, but sometimes those involved in the marketing world take it a little bit further. Have you ever heard of subliminal perception, or subliminal messages? If not I will try my best to explain and show you!

 
 Here is a still frame from a KFC commercial.

This commercial was advertising the 99 cent KFC Snacker. It is an inexpensive food product, which satisfies a consumer's need/ desire to fulfill their hunger as well as be frugal with their cash. The sandwich looks relatively appealing and fresh with steam coming off of it and the 99 cents is large and in bold which should really grabbing the attention of a viewer.  This is what I initially took from looking at the ad on the surface, but on a second glance there is something more. 

Taking a closer look at the sandwich clearly shows a small dollar bill hidden in the lettuce. It was only clear to me once it was pointed out and because this is a still shot from the commercial so the frame is frozen. The original commercial really promoted and played upon the sandwich being 99 cents and only needing a dollar to purchase it. The dollar hidden in the sandwich can easily go undetected by consumers. They are still physically seeing it, but are unaware, which is what subliminal messages and perception is all about. 

       The KFC example has to do with money, but many subliminal messages in products take a turn toward the inappropriate. A lot of these messages advertise sex for products that do not necessarily have anything to do with that subject. In a day and age when products that have nothing to do with sexual activity are advertised in a sexual way, (mostly I've noticed with food products) is it really necessary to add sexual subliminal perception into the mix? 

Yes the sexual message may play on the consumer's desires and may lead them to purchasing it without ever being aware the message was there.  I personally don't think this type of message is right, because what does it do to a younger generation, to children, etc.? Is it morally or ethically right to use these tactics? 

Here is a rather obvious example. "Berry [S]Explosion?" I don't think that initial Skittle placement was unintentional.

People do say sex sells, I just think there is a line when it comes to subliminal perception and messages of this nature and a younger generation, especially with products who's target market is specifically children.  Disney is a specific example of a company where a lot about their use of sexual subliminal messages can be found through a simple Google search, but I don't want to get into that now, but maybe in a future post.

   Personally as a consumer I want to purchase a product for the quality of it as well as to fulfill my INTENDED need/desire. Basically what I mean is if I am looking for a cleaning product to buy and I want to buy a Swiffer to fulfill this cleaning need, I want advertising that will help me decide that Swiffer would be the best product for me based on the performance, quality, price, etc. I would prefer Swiffer's marketing or advertising team not to play on a desire for sex, money, or power.  I honestly don't think if the word "sex" is hidden on the box somewhere that this is going to make me want to buy a Swiffer anymore. Although some of these tactics have a really comical or interesting turnout!

 Two examples

• The arrow in Fed Ex
• The Christian fish in Jack in the Box

 I don't think all use of subliminal perception is distasteful. Some companies use it in a very professional way which even helps further promote their business and/or message. There is a great list of some business logos that incorporate some sort of subliminal massages that we discussed in  my marketing class linked here!










Cited
http://www.11points.com/Food-Drink/11_Hidden_Messages_In_Food_Ads_and_Logos

      

Marketing: It's more than just ads. It's a mix.

        Hi my name is Arianna Aquadro.  I am twenty years old and am a junior at Saint Michael's College near Burlington,VT. I am majoring in Business with a minor in Spanish. I am currently taking a Marketing course, which is what this blog will mainly focus on. Both blogging and marketing are new to me, so hopefully I will be able to bring these two together to share what I am learning in a somewhat fun and different way.
       So far the first two weeks of class have gone well. I definitely have high expectations and goals for myself when it comes to my schoolwork and for this course it is no different. I hope to take a lot out of this course. Ultimately I want to leave with a better understanding of all the factors that go into marketing and how to apply them.
       Many people who are interested in marketing, including myself, are attracted to the creative aspect. It is an area in business that offers an opportunity to be more free and out of the box. However, when many people think of marketing they immediately think of creativity and advertisements and stop there. Although ads are a huge part of marketing there is so much more that drives this area than just choosing which bright colors, logos, and text to use and who can have the funniest commercial- not complaining about funny commercials because who doesn't like those?
       Yes, catching people's attention is a very important part of marketing, it can be what makes or breaks a business depending on their ability to do this, but so is keeping the attention. So far I have learned the best way to do this is to always keep in mind and use something called The Marketing Mix.  (You can find a more in depth explanation of what it is linked here.) If you followed the link or maybe you already know, there are four VERY important P's in the world of marketing- those 4 P's being product, place, price and promotion.
       I was first introduced to the terms "4 P's" and the "marketing mix" last semester in an intro to business course that touched on marketing as well as finance and management. Although this was my first time learning about these terms I have been seeing examples of them everywhere. Everyone sees examples of them all day, everyday, for the most part. The logo on your best friend's hoodie, the convenience store down the street from your house, and the buy one get one half off sale at your favorite shoe store are all just a few examples of what we see on a daily basis that have undergone decisions based on the 4 P's and marketing mix.
        Although marketing is more than just ads, one of my first assignments in class was to choose any ad I wanted and reflect and analyze it in more depth to how it related to the 4 P's.  I thought I would share the ad I chose and a little bit about my presentation. So here it is...

The assignment and my brief presentation

• Which 4 P's
• Product
• The product is the Audi S6, but this commercial is more for the Audi brand in general because it was not specifically mentioned in the commercial that this is the specific car it was advertising. 
• Place
• The ad takes place in a city setting. 
• The ad also take place during a prom. By making it a prom setting it can appeal to adults who have gone to prom and have them reminiscing, but also to teens who are waiting to go to prom some day. I think by doing this it makes the car more universal because even those in rural areas have a prom and this car can still appeal to them.
• Price
• Though price was not specified in the commercial, the car is owned by a two parent family with two children, making it seem like a general, average middle class family.  In my opinion by putting the car in a family setting it makes it seem affordable for couples and families, even if you have kids.  
• Promotion 
• "Bravery. It's what defines us."
• "Truth in engineering."
• "#BraveryWins"  Using the hashtag trend that has become popular on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
•  The effectiveness of the ad 
•  The choices and actions of the teen boy make it seem like owning or even driving this car can give you the bravery or confidence one needs in life.
•  The music choice definitely has an effect because it adds to the atmosphere of the whole commercial and is in good pace with adrenaline the boy is experiencing and the dramatic pause is a nice touch.
•  The city scape during the night time and the lighting choices in the ad all showcase the car's design. It somehow makes it seem sleeker in my opinion.
• The target market
• Teens/ Young adults
• Going to prom
•  Who are going to get or already have their license
• Parents
• It's the dad's car
• Parents might see this and think it can give their kids confidence or that it might be a good car for them.
• People who need a little bit of bravery and/or confidence in their life
• This car seems to give this insecure teen in the commercial the bravery he needs to do things he really wants to do, but probably otherwise wouldn't...like kiss the prom queen.
• The intent or focus
•  You can be brave by owning or even driving this car. It will help you go where you want and do what you want. Even if your bravery doesn't turn out having the best results...like getting a black eye, it will still have been worth it. 
• "Bravery in design makes us who we are..." can relate to the Audi brand, but also people as humans. 
• The intent is showcasing the cars design and how it can affect us and make us better if we own it. 
• Its success/failure and why 
•  This ad is successful because it does a good job of appealing to a large audience.
• Humor from the little sister and with the black eye at the ending
• Showcases the product well and sends a message while doing it (this product can make you brave).
• Teens will see this and want the car or want to be the kid from the commercial and do the things he does.
• Parents will see it and either want to own the car themselves or will think about it for their children
• Makes the car seem like a higher scale car and like a privilege drive by the dad letting the son drive the Audi to prom
• Why you chose it  
• I chose this ad because I think it is very well made. It has aspects of humor with the little sister's comment and the ending with the black eye.  Personally, I enjoy ads that tell a little story and this ad does a great job of doing that. It was entertaining, showcased the product, and creates a desire for the product. This ad makes me want an Audi.

To wrap things up the following link was suggested to me to the making of a different type of Audi commercial from the Audi Australia S Line. This type of commercial is still creative, but goes in a different direction than the one I chose for my presentation, focusing more on the design/exterior and how the car drives as opposed to sending a message through the brand. It also shows how they focus on music and imagery.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=553180854794064&id=111742658937888&refid=17&_rdr