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

The benefits to the new Phileas Fogg's Husky Salmon Potato Chip products are that it's more exciting because of the international influences of select flavors discovered on our adventures around the World. While researching the potato growers in Sun Valley, Idaho farms I discovered the secret about how they are grown and how that affects the crispness for our chips. Its partly due to the rich soil and the climate factors are a large key. They have warm weather days and cold at night time to ensure the healthy growth of these flavorful potatoes.
Each of our snack chip editions features a New Phileas Fogg Adventure story on the back of the box with a new Super Hero each month. Our first Edition will be a sell out with Chip our Lead Husky dog for the sled team as our Hero.
We are in tune with the latest marketing technology available and are connected with the social media on a daily bases to reach all our customers World Wide. The pricing will be comparable to other products currently on the market shelves in the stores with added benefits. "These chips are not just a snack, but they are a high source of energy". They are made with the best products found while exploring around the World. These Chips are home made and tested by family, friends and soon to be sampled at your local supermarkets. Remember they aren't just a Chip but they are packed with Energy, too!

The Hymalayan Pink Salt loaded with 84 nutrient values not only high in protein, but has the strongest and best flavor of any salt on the market.Our Salmon comes fresh out of the Alaska Kodiak Straights better quality than farm raised fish.

Week 9: EOC Three great mission statements

1. What is a mission statement?

"A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an “invisible hand” that guides people in the organization." (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, Pg. 39)

At Phineas Fogg's we don't just make ordinary snack foods we take you on a journey around the world with our many exotic flavors. We want to give you the experience that you would have if you were actually in that country or city, without ever leaving your own country. We being to you adventure, mystery, and memories. You will personally feel as if you went on this amazing voyage with Phineas Fogg tasting all of the exotic flavors of the world. Take the chance and go on one of these amazing adventures, you won't regret it. Try one of our newest snacks, it is filled with the flavors of Madrid, Spain. You will feel the rush and the despair that Phineas went through to discover this amazing snack just for you.

http://xandriamariefashion.blogspot.com/
I like the way she describes the exotic flavors and creates the adventure in her mission statement, but the name and type of chip is missing in this. But when I read her Pitch it described in great detail the Tapas snack food. I like how she included the flavors of Madrid, Spain which gives me an expectation about her snacks. I especially appreciate the emotions described about Phineas and his discovery of this amazing snack!

2. It is always important and imperative to understand your mission statement for your new products you are lunching. According to Armstrong and Kotler, "mission statements have largely devolved into flat- head jargon. Almost no one can figure out what they mean."( Marketing an Introduction p. 41) I want my mission statement to engage consumers to indulge in my treats, while understanding my objectives for the product. Phileas Fogg's Bangkok Bites are delicious Thai chicken jerky treats that go well with beer and wine, while at home and social events. Your taste buds and imagination will come alive when you consume these high protein snacks. One bite, and you are immediately transported to the enchanted city of Bangkok, experiencing excitement and adventure.http://tonyromestproductions.blogspot.com/
This appears as an example of a strong and informative mission statement because it clearly defines the product and services provided. The Bangkok Bites product is clearly written in detail and explains why it would be good as a high protein snack. It also has an enchanting appeal to experience around the world. 
 
3. "We want to provide you with the wonderful world of spicy but delightful taste of a seaweed snack with a twist. Experience the crunch and spice infused flavor of Deep fried crab legs with wrapped salted seaweed. Just grab and bite with no cracking or peeling, just simply eat."  Allofs Khamvongsa
This mission statement explains in detail a description of the product with entissing ingredients. It sounds very unique and the product could make me feel like I'm in another country.

 

 

 

EOC Week 8: Creative Content

Companies find and develop new-product ideas from their customers, employees, competitors, distributors and suppliers, and others. The new-product development starts with good new idea generation, idea screening, concept development & testing, & marketing strategy development, business analysis, product development, test marketing, and commercialization.
"The marketing strategy statement consists of three parts. The first part describes the target market; the planned value proposition; and the sales, market share, and profit goals for the first few years." (Kotler, Gary Armstrong and Philip. Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation." pg 250.)
 Customer-centered new-product development begins and ends with solving customer problems. Studies have found that the most successful new products are ones that are differentiated, solve major customer problems, and offer a customer value proposition.
Our new snack product the Husky Chip is made with all natural ingredients. Our Pictures are made up with bright and attractive photography of Phileas Fogg's Adventures. The Packaging is made of biodegradable cardboard exterior and resealable airtight plastic bag for inside the box. The cartoon characters draw attention to how fun and exciting this new snack will be. For the Costume Fashions on the characters on the outside of our Box we will illustrate current Eskimo-type Jackets and accessories. "I plan to partner with Fashion Design Vendors that offer Winter Style clothing lines and to advertise their Winter Ensembles on my Box of Chips and thus sponsor some of the start-up costs."

Here is a picture of the home-made idea sampled & tested for quality:

Week 7:The Pitch

The idea for my new yummy salty smoked salmon Husky Chip came to me after my grueling freezing great escape adventure with my dog sled team in Kodiak Straights of Alaska. This chip has a yummy salty smoked salmon flavor that goes with that great adventure whether it's in the cold snowy parts of Alaska or in the comfort of your home watching your favorite sports game on TV. You will find an explosive flavor burst in your mouth when you bite into this chip and experience the feeling of racing down a mountains cliff-edge during a white-out Blizzard.

 

This Adventure began when I, Phileas Fogg, was on my way to run a Delivery with my dog sled team to the Eskimos in a remote wilderness area of Alaska. My encounters with some of the wild creatures became challenging during this time when a large obstacle appeared on the narrow mountain cliff pass standing in front of us was the biggest Kodiak Giant Grizzly Bear I have ever seen! I only had 2 choices to make at this moment; one was to go straight down the icy steep rugged mountain cliff with sharp rocks and trees or to go thru the legs of the Giant 10 foot high Bear! With the freezing temperatures ice was forming on the sled rails and we needed to get out of the blizzard white-out before dark. I remembered that I had salmon I was delivering and threw one at the bear in hopes to distract him but instead my lead dog Chip who is a Husky broke loose from the sled-team and attacked the Giant. Chip startled the Bear enough so I had time to whirl my ice-pick around the leg of the bear and knock it off the edge of the cliff in front of us. We were able to make our delivery on schedule before visibility was completely gone thanks to Chip my Husky and the Salmon!

 

So Fill up your bowl with this delicious snack while sipping on your favorite drink and visualize yourself as the super hero on the edge of the Alaskan mountain peaks during a blizzard.

 

(BEAR & SALMON GO TOGETHER)or should I say BEER & SALMON GO TOGETHER

 

 

Week 6:EOC Me times 3

This picture shows my newest Embroidery Sewing Machine. It is what I express my creativity with most. It has given me an opportunity to make clothes for both-family, friends and work. With this special machine and it’s built in designs and attachments I have been able to create personalized monogrammed articles of clothing with unique delicate borders that look very professional. With the Holidays just around the corner I plan to make both-gifts and crafts to give and sell on the internet. I just finished making a back pack for my grandson with his name and favorite sports pictures embroidered on the outside. I am looking forward to years of fun creating and designing on this machine. 
Brother+Se400+Sewing+Machine

The at home folding craft  Hobby Table makes cutting out patterns to make clothes, other items and crafts easy because of the comfortable height of 36" my back has been spared from undue pain. Because the sides of this sturdy metal craft table folds down for compact storage I have been able to use it anywhere in my home by folding down one or both sides as needed to work on a project. Some of the jobs I have done require large work areas to lay out fabrics such as stage props and covers. I was even able to design and create a baby grand piano cover for a Vegas Show on this folding table because its dimensions were both-long and wide enough.
 Sullivans-USA-Home-Hobby-Table

This Singer Adjustable Dress form has allowed me to make pattern adjustments before cutting. I can set the necklines, sleeves and collars easily with the adjustments. It’s been perfect for linings, hems and finish. This Dress form has 12 dials for adjusting the measurements for all the body contours that I need. Its foam-backed has made it easy for pinning fabric to it. When I am doing alterations on suit Jackets for the Entertainers here in Vegas this dress form helps me to drape the fabric over the mannequin to line up the seams evenly. They are most helpful in hemming garments especially long gowns.

joann.com/singer--adjustable-dressform

 

Week 5:Social Networks and Job Hunting

 

"More companies are trying to tap Facebook Inc.'s 750-million-plus user base to find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with LinkedIn Corp., which has dominated the online professional networking arena." (Light, Joe; Theory & Practice-Recruiters Troll Facebook for Candidates They Like; The Wall Street Journal; August 8, 2011) WSJ.com article

The idea of job recruiters using facebook to find Candidates is a more personable concept and can create an opportunity for value and trust to be built. The social networks are so popular for a quick way to stay in touch with family and events. The credibility of a product or company can be shared on these high exposure sites. When family members are sharing a positive experience about something they just purchased and share it with each other on facebook explaining in detail how it works and that it’s the best they ever had, that is like telling the whole world what a great product did for them. When the story is followed with pictures that’s even better exposure for a company. The best would be when they say they want more of the same or they will repeat that purchase. The raving revues on the social networks affect us all. I have even been touched by the story about the robot vacuum cleaner that the family gave a pet name to.

"We used to assume the best reps would be the cool kids in any given group. But we learned that most kids are not cool. If marketers want consumers to feel a connection to their ambassadors and to feel that an ambassador is accessible, they have to look beyond the cool customers” who are typically thought of as influentials. The best ambassadors, he says, are “friendly, everyday brand loyalists who love to talk to people.” (Kotler, Gary Armstrong and Philip. Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation. 10. VitalSource Bookshelf. Pearson Learning Solutions, , 10/31/2012)

   

WEEK 4: Business to Business Marketing

"Business customer buying decisions are made within the framework of a strategic, problem-solving partnership. “We love the challenge of a customer’s problem,” says the company on its GE Transportation Web site." (Marketing an Introduction 10th Edition by Armstrong and Kotler, page 158)

GE's consumer products only contribute approximately one-third of its company sales. Most of its business comes from its commercial & industrial customers. It understands customer needs in order to create superior customer value. In stead of selling to large numbers of small buyers, it sells to a few very large customer buyers. GE locomotives performance plays an important role in the big-ticket purchases by buyers. Their buyers are looking for cost & fuel efficiency with reliability. GE has a proven track record over a long period of time of years the superior quality of their products.
They adopted new environmentally friendly products with their diesel-electric locomotives.

Business demand is derived from  the demand for consumer goods.Consumers like to research & compare a product before they buy it. When a part from one product is needed to make the whole product complete, then both Companies are in demand by the consumers.

"GE wins contracts by partnering with business customers to help them translate that performance into moving their passengers and freight more efficiently and reliably. CSX Transportation(CSXT), one of GE Transportation's largest customers, has purchased more than 300 GE Evolution locomotives since they were launched in 2005." (Marketing an Introduction 10th Edition by Armstrong and Kotler, page 158)

Stages in the buyer success in business-to-business markets involves more than just developing and selling superior products and technologies.The business buying decision process evaluates cost factors first. Then environmental impact, fuel consumption, reliability, serviceability and the Value of an ongoing partnership with GE.

"The changing nature of digital and social media has its own set of distinct challenges for business-to-business (B-to-B) marketers." Edelman

Web searches have affected sales and reports of approximately 90 percent of B-to-B buyers use social media for purchasing decisions. One source is by using social tools to change Public Relations. They may help enhance customer loyalty, spark new lead generation and  industry reputation a mix for marketplace success.

Week 3: Making Money for Good

FIGS

"Threads for Threads is our initiative - created to promote global education and inspire children to realize their dreams.For every tie sold, FIGS gives an entire school uniform to a child in need of an education – Threads for Threads."  http://www.wearfigs.com/

In many parts of Africa the children can’t go to school if they don’t have a uniform. This company  partners globally with local weavers and tailors to make uniforms for their school communities. The uniforms are distributed in a hundred plus Eastern African schools including Kenya and Tanzania. The FIGS ties are made of high quality silks, cashmeres, wool, and linen. One Tie=One Uniform= One Education according to FIGS.

"Approximately one billion people don’t have access to affordable glasses. Glasses can increase one’s income by 20%, enable students to see a blackboard and offer dignity to those with poor eyesight. Warby Parker works with experienced non-profit partners to ensure that each sale of our frames will give someone in need access to affordable glasses." http://www.warbyparker.com/Do-Good

I wasn't awair of the impact glasses can have on peoples productivity resulting by 20%.

It is equivalent of creating an extra day’s work each week according to this article. Glasses are one of the most effective poverty alleviation tools in the world. 

 

"Cause-Related Marketing. To exercise their social responsibility and build more positive images, many companies are now linking themselves to worthwhile causes." (Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation.) Page 86

Some examples are if you buy a pink mixer from KitchenAid that it will support breast cancer research. Another example would be if you purchase Ethos water from Starbucks that it will help bring clean water to children around the world. Some companies have been founded entirely on cause-related missions. They have the concept of “value-led business” or “caring capitalism,” their mission is to use business to make the world a better place."

 

 

Week 3: My Demographics
The Baby Boomers. The post–World War II baby boom produced 78 million baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Over the years, the baby boomers have been one of the most powerful forces shaping the marketing environment. The youngest boomers are now in their mid forties; the oldest are entering their sixties and approaching retirement age. The maturing boomers are rethinking the purpose and value of their work, responsibilities, and relationships.

After years of prosperity, free spending, and saving little, the recent recession hit many baby boomers hard, especially the preretirement boomers. A sharp decline in stock prices and home values has eaten into their nest eggs and retirement prospects. As a result, many boomers are now spending more carefully and planning to work longer. “You have a huge group of preretirement baby boomers, a huge number of people who are asking,‘ Can I live off my savings and Social Security for the rest of my life?’” says one economist. “A whopping 70 percent of Americans currently age 45 to 74 plan to work during their retirement years … both for enjoyment and because they need the money,” notesanother.9 http://digitalbookshelf.artinstitutes.edu/#/books/9780558851903/pages/48921799

I happen to fall into this group of Baby Boomers and I can certainly relate to this statistics report about the generation after World War II. We had opportunities to advance economically and raise our children to learn and developed skills to further enhance their potential careers. We valued the prosperous years as we were taught by our previous generation to be cautious and careful to manage our money and invest wisely. Our parents struggled to grow out of the depression era and tried to build investments for my generation the Baby Boomers so we wouldn't have to struggle and go without. But due to our current economy I have experienced the loses that my parents tried so hard to prevent.

Week 2 : Boston Consulting Group- Video Games

"The tentacles of the recession have reached into the video game industry, a business that was long considered downturn-resistant." ( Wall Street Journal / wsj.com) 

This article was written in 2009. With further research in the current year of 2012 the U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell again in July this year. Overall sales fell 20 percent according to the research firm NPD Group. The video games fell 23 percent from a year earlier. Nintendo Co.'s Wii U will be introduced later in the year and the prediction by NPD is that sales will be down from last year.

Video Game sites

“Feeling pressure from the popularity of inexpensive and easy-to-play video games on Apple Inc iPhone and other smartphones Sony Corp. said it will start selling “PlayStation-like” games in October for handsets, including those not manufactured by the Japanese electronics giant.” Sony Play Station

The company always viewed PlayStation 3, which debuted in 2006, as a product with a 10-year life cycle and they don’t plan on replacing it at this time.

“Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of the smaller tablets in the fourth quarter. That is roughly double the order that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets in the same quarter, these suppliers say.”

(Luk, Lorraine. "Buzz Building for Smaller Apple Tablet" Digits technological news and insights. Wall Street journal Blogs. / WSJ.com / October 7, 2012,)   Apple Tablet

The iPad Mini tablet is suppose to have around 7.85-inch screen and a lower price point to compete with newer tablets from Google and Amazon. Apple's market share of tablets was nearly 70 percent for the second quarter of the year. Apple is rumored to be revealing the iPad Mini later this month.

In conclusion my BCG analysis of the video game market after my research:

In the Cash Cow= Playstation 3

The Star=iPAD, iphone, smartphones

The Dog=Wii

The Question Mark=Android and Kindle

      

WEEK 1: Great Customer Service

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What is a high quality experience I had? (Marketing Creating and Capturing Customer Value,pg. 21) "Good customer relationship management creates customer delight. In turn, delighted customers remain loyal and talk favorably to others about the company and its products".

I have remained with the same Insurance Company  for over 25 years because of the way they have treated me and my family. They make us feel important and always acknowledge us as soon as we walk in to their office. They have always greeted us with a smile and listen to our needs.  When it’s time to make a payment they show extra care about our needs and not just try to sell us another policy. When it has been an emergency they are quick to respond with help for what procedure, direction and detail is necessary for us to take. I have continued to make my payments in person at their office which in return has built a special trust and rapport over the years.

They have proved over the course of time to be honest with me and my family in several situations. When my son’s car was stolen they made every effort to help us, even with police reports. It was even found within 24 hours before it was torched by the vandals. When I had an auto accident that caused injuries and damage to my car they were quick to respond with all the necessary steps I needed to get things done. They have been diligent to follow through until we are satisfied with everything including any medical needs. They even call me to check to see if there is anything more they can do to help. They didn’t even raise their rates!

Allstate has always been there for our family. Actually they are like family to us.

WEEK 1:MY VOICE

I, Sharon St.Laurent, grew up mainly in Washington and lived the longest in Seattle by the waterfront surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. I have always enjoyed arts, crafts and fashion designing since I was a little girl. I started by making Barbie doll clothes and accessories. I made clothes for the family and progressed with my skills by taking art, sewing and tailoring classes. I learned a lot about the fashion industry while working retail and distribution for Nordstrom department stores. I had an opportunity to work at a Fabric Store in the Seattle area designing merchandise, displays and demonstrating the products I designed. I also taught craft and sewing classes at the store and schools for many years. I had a dream since I was a little girl to design costumes for the Las Vegas Shows. I never thought it would happen to me! Then everything fell into place when I moved here to Vegas 4 years ago. I have been since working on stage with the entertainers maintaining their costumes, building costumes, designing and making stage props and covers. I have learned a lot from working with the performers and entertainers both on stage and behind the scenes. The Wardrobe department carries a lot of responsibility both before the Show starts, during and after. I enjoy learning everything I can to make it all come together smoothly. I have always wanted one more dream to come true and now it has by going to school here at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. I am majoring in Fashion Retail and Management with a Bachelors of Science Degree. I am finally getting answers to questions that I have had my whole life. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to grow and learn about the History of Costumes and all the other classes offered here.