Course reflection

How has your view of marketing changed from when you started this course?

The marketing course is a surprise for me. Before this semester, I think marketing course will teach us how to sell products, and I can learn some strategy about selling. However, the marketing course is totally different. At this course, it cover a lot of detail about market, such as the step for consumer make purchase decision.  

What have you done or learned here that you intend to pursue or learn more about?

At this course, I learned a lot of knowledge. I can better understand the transaction right now. In addition, I have done a market project about mouthwash at this semester. This project is a very good chance for practice, and it will be helpful in my future careers. This course include many contents, and environment scan and target market are best chapter which I learned. Those two part are two very important part. Every goods need begin with those two part. Therefore, I take a lot of time on those two part. 


When you think of this course five years from now, what will be your key take-away?

This course will help me a lot in my future lives. At five years from now, I think the environment scan will be most helpful to my career. This part can very helpful to analysis market in specifically aspects. Furthermore, the target market also helpful because everything should be have a goal, or target. Therefore, at this part help me to set the target marketing.

Email Promotion

People receive a lot of emails everyday. They got business emails, friend emails, advertising emails, and phishing emails. I think, Email promotion become less effective today because there were too much phishing emails on internet, and people noticed about it.

In real world, most of emails which people received was advertisings. However, people most of time ignored those emails. They just delete the advertisings. At this situation, companies choose a new way to fix with it, and they made emails more effective. It is personalized emails. The email was not send same email to everyone. People received email for themselves. The reason is people care about information about themselves, and they should worry about the stuff relate themselves.

I got a lot of personalized emails from Rogers. The emails include fee remind, new package, bill, ads and go on. The brand sent personalized emails, and  consumer will pay attention on all those brands' emails. Therefore the emails promotion will become more effectively.

A&W Do not Use Odd-Even Prices

A&W. 

Today, a popular strategy in marketing price setting is "odd-even pricing". Some of you may not understand what odd-even pricing is. Actually, it is in people daily lives. If you see the product price

like 4.99, or 499, it is odd-even pricing,

To honestly, odd-even pricing is a good strategy to set a price for product. Consumer usually will focus on the first digit in price because that is the most important part. Consumers probably will ignore the end of prices. For example, a burger sold for $4.99. Consumers will think this burger is more than $4, but less than $5. However, it almost is $5. 

This strategy will affect consumer decision, and compete with competitor very effective. Additionally, a lot of brands use this strategy to set selling price.

However, A&W is a special brand. It does not use this strategy. Marketer may think that is not good decision for selling, but it may be have two benefit on it. 

1. Comfortable: consumers will feel comfortable about price. As I said before, the odd-even pricing is very popular. Therefore, consumers also realize about it. At this time, the original price will give very good brand image.

2. Convenience: Today cash is not popular anymore, but there still have some people prefer to use the cash. Additionally, odd-even pricing do not need give consumers coins. So, it is more convenience. 

Retailer issues

In contemporary live, retailers are in everywhere. It is one of the most significant thing to relate people daily life. However, retailers shout be careful many things for their businesses. In addition, those things will reduce the risk, or it will help their businesses to successful.

I remember a  retailer closed 3 month ago. It is "Home hardware". The store in a plaza near the Conestoga College (123 Pioneer Dr, Kitchener, ON). Home hardware is very popular in Canada. The brand has very good brand loyalty. It sell the home stuffs. Such as, power tools, hand tools, and general merchandises.

However, This store make a mistake about their target market. One of the most of thing that I want to mention about is demographic. Let's think about home stuff. Who are going to buy those stuffs? Most of time is parents because they should do the housework, or repair the some part of house. Usually, Home hardware choose some places near some place where, have a lot of families, live there.

This retailer is a special one. There have a lot of houses, and a lot of people live there. It sounds like very suitable for Home hardware. However, most of people who live there are students. They study at Conestoga College, and they rent room for their living. Students never care about family stuff, and they do not need worry about it because the rooms are rental house. They live their just for study.

I would like to give some suggestion for this retailer. Be careful about target market is important. you should more comprehensive when you decide to open some new stores. In addition, geographics, demographics, psychographics, and behaviouristics are commonest aspects in target market.

My favour advertisment

In our daily life, people live around advertisement, and they can find advertisement everywhere. Actually, people never going to find advertisement everyday.

A lot of advertisement in the people' lives, but people never notice about how many ads they have see.  According to RED CROW MARKETING INC. "Digital Marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day" (2015). However, the problem for marketer is how can make people attention. 

I have a advertisement is my favour. it is from Apple. After I watched that TV ad, I wanted to get a iphone 7. Now, I am consider why it engaged me?

Iphone advertising is very simple, but look like great. It make me feel the phone is technological. People already see a lot of different kind of advertising. Those ads look like very pretty, but people can not find a lot useful information.

In the apple ads, it show how the phone look like, and it introduce the feature about phone with the some people using in the real world. It visually explain the feature about products. Audience can easy understand and get information for ads.

Additionally, Simple is they reason why the ads can engage audience. people already see a lot of ads, and they are tired. They want to see some thing different. that why I think apple ads is very effective.

Reference: http://www.redcrowmarketing.com/2015/09/10/many-ads-see-one-day/

                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dsRpVyyWs 

What is your favourite brand? Why? Describe the 5 brand elements and why you think this appeals to the target audience.

A unique name or phrase for a company is call a brand. There are a lot of brands in our daily lives. Such as, Walmart, Shoppers, and Nike. People usually have their some brands they prefer because some reasons.

I also have some brands which I like it. Now, Apple is my favourite brand because I am looking smartphone during this few week. My smartphone has some accidents, and I cannot use it anymore. Therefore, I need to buy a new phone. In addition, I have used iphone 3 years, and my experience tell me it is very good products. 

Apple products have many benefit. It is very easy to use. People can use it longer than other brand's smartphone. And it has very good models. That is why I prefer Apple.

Moreover, A brand have to had many brand elements. I want to mention about 5 of significant elements.

1. Brand image

Brand image is the idea of the brand, and people develop in their minds. It also can describe what they expect from the brand. Furthermore, brands are able to improve their brand image, and they can give the consumers what they want.

2.Brand positioning

Brand positioning is a very important part to identify target consumer. Positioning is able to place the brand in the market. It basically defines what segments of the market it is targeting, and brand can be more specific analysis consumers. Therefore, brand  segment market can help to appeal target audience.

3. Brand identity

Let turn back to fundamental brand. A brand is a name or phrase for company. Therefore, brand must have brand identity first. It is the way people can notice your brand. It can tell people your brand information fastest way. Also it can notice your target audience fastest.

4.Brand communication

It is the message, and it delivers many information to your audience. There are various sources like : adverts, brochures, punchlines, hoardings, and go on. they must have very effective communication with target consumer when brand grow up or just begin. 

5. Brand extension

All the brands need to extend. In contemporary companies, every brand need grow up. If company which stop grow, competition will over your business. In addition, Brand extension can give your target consumer what they want more specific.

How to be an effective team member

According to Riggio (2013) becoming a effective should follow few steps. 

1. Honest and Straightforward.

2. Shares the Load.

3. Reliable.

4. Fair. 

5. Good Communication Skills. 

6. Positive Attitude.

I am going to describe each of steps.

Honest and Straightforward:

Honest is a important part for a group. Each of the team members should notice about honest either for people common lives. To be a honest people is a significant thing for human. Honest always relate trust. People can trust you if you are honest. Nobody will trust someone who dishonest. Moreover, Straightforwardness is a good strategy in a group because other group member can easy to understand your meaning.
Shares the load
Each of team members should share the loads. A team work together for a project, and they have same target. Therefore, sharing is very necessary.

ReliableBecoming a fantastic team member should become a reliable person first. Reliable also relate trust because reliable people means most of time are correct. 

Fair:
Every single human has own chooses. They can have chooses. They can do what they want. And they can share their own opinion. It is important. People cannot carry off it.

Good Communication Skills:
I think, it is the most important thing for me, and I should to improve a lot. Communication skills are able to connect each other more effective because we need talk with other people every single day. However, I am a international student, and English is not my first language. Communication with English for me is a biggest challenge. Therefore, I will improve my language skill faster to become a effective team member.

Positive Attitude:
It also important. For example, people always do not like hear bad language. Positive attitude can be more friendly, helpful, and respectfully. 

In contemporary life, Marketing research is a significant thing. Most people maybe do not like to participate a marketing research. They maybe think, it is waste their personal time. It has too much question need to answer. It is not useful, and go on.

I want to say, most of them are true. Marketing research usually need some time to ask questions, and researcher should ask enough questions because they need the answers to solve problems, issues, and explore opportunity. However, marketing researches are not useless. It will be very helpful both customer and company.

I had experience to participate a marketing research. It is a fictional scenario, and we portray some focus groups with classmate. Even though it is a fictional scenario, I still feel better than before.

Before I have this experience, I am same with other regular feeling. Such as, I do like marketing research, or I think it is useless, and I just answer without thinking. However, I change my mine right now.

  

A simple way to explain is feeling. How did you feel when you buy something uncomfortable. retailer do not know what you want  if they did do any marketing research. How they can know your feeling? Absolutely, they should ask.

During a focus group, participants are able to express their personal opinions. They can give their personal chooses. In addition, all the participants have chance to express even though people who very quite.

Focus group just a kind of marketing research. There are many different kind of marketing research in modern world, but people should notice about marketing research is not just for companies or retailers. It also service for all of the customers.  

Consumer Decision Process Effect My decisions.

Do you know how you choose a product or service? What did you do during you buy something. People may did not notice it.

I have same situation. Before I study consumer decision process, I did not notice about it. Only one thing I know is what I need.For example, when I feel hungry, I will buy something to eat. However, I still do not believe many steps I did during buy something.

I go to food market once a week. First, I realize that I need buy some food because my refrigerator is empty. Then I search information from previous experience.  After that, I will choose which market I will go, such as, Food Basics or Zehrs. At this time I always thing about prices, quality, and places. Also, when I buy in the market I still choose the products, such as which one is fresher. Finally, I buy the product, but I will compare product with my expectation.

Problem Recognition, Information search, Evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase behavior are five stages for consumers buy the products and services . In addition, each of the stages have many specific details.

Problem recognition means Perceiving a need. People will realize something they need or want. For example, If tomorrow is my girlfriend's birthday, I must buy some gift. If did not buy a good gift, she will kill me first.

Information search also is one of the most important things in consumer decision process. Information search can be internal or external search. Internal search usually concern about previous experience, and people who do not have experience before will be external search. For instance, people who finish long time outside jobs want to get some massage to get relaxing. At this time they usually use internet search where have massages, or they know some good places before.

Evaluation of alternative depend on consumer's criteria. and it include 2 types: subject and object attributes. In addition, it depends on buying situation and consumer, such as, people who work in the office should warn suits.

Purchase decision is make decision on the brands. and it depends on who to buy from and when to buy. consumers are able to change decisions on the brands. Therefore it is a important stage. For instance, people hear information from friends, but when they see the real products in the shores, they maybe change their mine.

Last stage is post-purchase behavior. After consumers buy something, they will compare the products or services with their expectation, Such as they walk about product with their friends, and they maybe say the product which they bought is good or bad.

Those stages are very significant for marketers to analysis consumers behavior. For me, information search has most influence. I realize people will have a lot of research form internal and external, and I did not know it before,

My First Blogger

My name is Jun Shi. I come from China. This Blogger is for my marketing cause.

About Marketing cause, I have few targets. First I interest business marketing because I can communicate with other people. In addition, I want to become a good marketer. I will feel successful if I sell something. Therefore, I want to complete this cause successfully.

I have done a week study at school, but I cannot believe that was happen. I still want to enjoy the vacation because I need more sleeping times, and I want to wake up at 11AM. However, things happened. I should be focus on study.

For the first week at school, Professors or teachers usually talk a lot about introductions, rules, and schedules. Marketing causes mentioned a lot about those things. After I listened those things, I was realize this cause is not a essay cause because I have to do a lot of things in this cause. Such as, a lot of presentations, online quizzes, bloggers, an go on. However, I believe this cause will be help me to grow up if I finish this cause, and I will learn a lot of knowledge. 

Additionally, I have done a presentation last week. It was scare me because I think, I did not prepare enough, and I only did the presentations at the end of the semesters. Therefore, I think, I can do better next time.

Another thing I have learned is how to use E-book and code. I have no idea what should I do after I bought the package, but now, I know how to use the e-book and code. It is very important for Marketing causes because it has a lot of pre-quizzes and post-quizzes. In addition, I can self-study better because I can see the e-book, and there has a lot of highlight.

The last thing is chapter 2. I have studied chapter 2, and finished pre-quizzes on the weekend. Furthermore, I have done a lot of reading. Chapter 2 mentions about marketing environment in many different ways. such as. economy, technology, and competition.  

To sum up, I learned a lot of things last week, and I will do my best during this week and future. Furthermore, after a week study, I realize I will be successful in some aspects. First, I will become a good reader because I need to read a lot of every week. Then I will have good communication skills. Finally, I will become a good marketer.