Final Blog: Reflecting on the Semester

          Wow! I still feel like this semester has just gotten underway. Now that the semester is over, I am having a bittersweet feeling. Next semester, I will not be returning to Saint Michael's, but instead will be doing a semester abroad in Italy. Now that I have taken and thoroughly enjoyed marketing, I can't wait to see what marketing strategies are used internationally, and how they compare and contrast to the concepts we have learned. BU 215 has been one of my favorite classes to date as a Junior, due to the immense amount of hands on and interactive assignments we have taken part in completing. As I have said in previous blogs, I have always been introverted when it comes to public speaking. However, after taking this course, I have had the chance to give many presentations, helping me get over this life long fear.
           At first, I felt a little overwhelmed with my course load due to my demanding major. As time went on, I was able to manage my time in a way where I could find time to adequately put an equal amount of time into each of my courses. I did not do very well on the first exam, which unfortunately has kept my grade lower than I have liked. However, I scored well on my second exam, and have kept a 95% average on my weekly quiz grades. On the rest of my assignments, I have received between an 84% and a 95%, so in my opinion, I have sufficiently conveyed that I have put in the time and effort needed to succeed in this course.
          So what now? As I have stated in my previous blogs, I have grown to enjoy the conceptual concepts that are taught in Marketing, opposed the crunching of numbers in my other courses. That being said, I know all of my courses are important in reaching the proper knowledge needed for the real life business world. However, BU 215 helped me realize the strain companies go through to keep their products at the top. Not a day goes by where their strategies aren't evaluated and reevaluated in hopes that they will satisfy their consumers as best as possible. I have always been interesting in starting a company some day. As of now, I am not sure what career path I will take, though I know that this class has established a broad knowledge of marketing techniques that need to be made when conducting a company.
          Prior to this course, I never thought of the work that needs to be put in when it comes to a company's marketing strategies. Now that the course is over, it is quite clear that without proper marketing skills, companies will ultimately fail, fast. After I study abroad, I am hoping to have an internship where I can use the knowledge I have learned in this course and apply it to the tasks I am given. Taking this course has ended to my foundation that I have been building when it comes to obtaining my business degree. I encourage all of my readers to strongly consider taking a course in marketing. Hope you all have enjoyed reading my blog! Have a great end of the year and enjoy the holidays!

Blog Nine: Apple's Marketing Strategy

          Throughout my blogs in BU 215 I have refrained from writing about companies that have very strategic marketing plans. In this blog post, I will still withhold from writing about a company that has a complicated marketing strategy, which brings me to write about Apple Incorporation, a consumer electronics company. Apple has found a way to beat their competitors, advancing the technological world we have come to know. Jayson DeMers, a contributor for Forbes, wrote an article on Apple's marketing strategy. In this article, he states that Apple can thank their marketers for their huge success besides their groundbreaking products. The reason the marketing department is so successful for Apple is because they keep things simple. According to DeMers, Apple is his favorite example of simplicity in marketing.
           DeMer's first example of Apple's marketing strategy takes a look at Apple's past television ads, "Take their Mac versus PC ads: 2 guys just standing and talking, set against a white background. No lengthy list of product features, no mention of price, no professional voice actors with emotional voice-overs, or even information on how to buy a Mac. Each ad aims to make one point, and one point only: one way in which Macs are better than PCs"(DeMers, Forbes, 2014). An Example of a Mac Vs. PC ad is posted to the right:
          Basically, the man in the suit represents PC, while the man in the casual clothing represents Apple, and in this case Mac computer products. Everything down to the clothing represents Apple's simplistic marketing plan. All the information given in the ad is what the consumers want to know. Apple doesn't bother going into detail about everything that goes into an apple product, but instead just states why it is better than PCs. Although Apple has been a leader in the industry for quite some time, their forms of advertisement have always been directly to the point. Apple has gained a fan base, making it easier for them to remain a cash cow in their market. 
          Another example of Apple's renowned marketing is their care for their consumers. Apple has always put consumers first, listening and then constructing what they crave. They let consumers know they care more by setting up Apple Care, which provides private one on one sessions and lessons to all Apple stakeholders. Jason Fell comments on Apple's Marketing strategy in his article on Entrepreneur, "Indeed, it was Jobs who pioneered Apple's customer first, a "computer for the rest of us" marketing plan. Instead of creating products they wanted to make, Jobs aimed to produce products that addressed consumers' needs, feelings and motivations"(Fell, Entrepreneur, 2011). This sums up why Apple is so successful, they listen to what the consumer wants, and then fulfill that need with their products.

          In the video above, Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, describes his marketing strategy as the company progresses into a huge corporation. He says the main strategy is to "think differently", which in reality is to keep things simple and stray away from what other competitors are doing. This is what makes Apple's marketing strategy so successful.

Thanks for reading!

Blog Eight: Integrated Marketing Communications and Direct Marketing

Although this Blog reflects on chapters that are going to be reviewed in our future classes, I felt that these marketing techniques would be useful in creating a strong marketing department.Marketing teams must create proper communication and promotional tools,"tools used by a company to communicate with consumers: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing"(Kerin, Ch.17). This type of communication is used to inform and persuade consumers that you are the right choice. The video above is given by Brian McCarthy, who informs us on the overview of marketing communications. 

In this video, McCarthy informs us with the basics marketing communications framework. You first want to start by determining a target audience, meaning marketers need to decide who to aim for in order for them to analyze whether or not the market is efficient. Next, you need to develop a communication objective"The process of conveying information to others utilizing these elements: a source, a message, a channel of communication, a receiver, and the processes of encoding and decoding"(Kerin Ch. 17). The next step is to develop a message. A message is critical for marketings because it is the vital information given to the source, which can be controversial. According to McCarthy, one must next pick their channels of communication,"this means (a salesperson, advertising media, or public relations tools) of conveying a message to a receiver during the communication process"(Kerin Ch. 18). With the last two, you must determine frequency and operate within a budget to be successful. These two final steps are only adequately efficient if the marketing team has successfully completed its precedent frameworks.

This brings us to Direct Marketing: "to provide a consistent message across all audiences. The communication process conveys messages with six elements: a source, a message, a channel of communication, a receiver, and encoding and decoding. The communication process also includes a feedback loop and can be distorted by noise"(Kerin, Ch. 18). 

Direct Marketing adds value to is consumers and sellers: "The value of direct marketing for consumers is indicated by its level of use. For example, 68 percent of them have made a purchase by phone or mail, and 12 million people have purchased items from a television offer. The value of direct marketing for sellers can be measured in terms of three types of responses: direct orders, lead generation, and traffic generation"(Kerin, Ch. 18).

Direct Orders: "the result of direct marketing offers that contain all the information necessary for a prospective buyer to make a decision to purchase and complete the transaction"(Kerin, Ch. 18).

• There are usually twelve types of responses given by consumers generated from direct marketing activities: "they are direct orders, lead generation, and traffic generation"(Kerin, Ch. 18).These forms of responses help marketers decipher what needs to be done in order to draw them closer.

This strategy helps marketers develop a strong organization-consumer bond, while also giving them the ability to use customization messages. With this, we can see that direct marketing helps make the five promotional alternatives. 

Have a great day. Thanks a lot for reading!