In Response to Doug

Doug asked the question: Am I influenced by e-marketing and do I find myself reading reviews before I buy a new product?

I would have to say that I am definitely influenced by e-marketing, it's so easy to access and I can find what I'm looking for within seconds. I don't have to waste my time walking around a store trying to find something; I can easily type it in at Google and it appears instantly. I think that's the direction this country is moving in because it seems that everyone now has access to the internet and they sometimes find it easier to use than going into a store. E-marketing easily targets thousands of people a day and their advertisements are online all day long for all those people to look at. I think it's a very good way to advertise to people and get more customers for their company.

Recently, I have been looking to trade in my current car and find a new car that fits me better. I have found myself to be online whenever I can reading reviews for all different kinds of cars. Of course, all the reviews are pretty mixed; the customers like them and the customers don't like them. I feel that by looking online I'm getting some sort of idea on what I'm looking for and I like to see what other people thought about the particular car that I'm looking into. It's really hard to buy the first car you look at and put all your trust into the dealer because they are just trying to sell a car and earn money for themselves. I would rather know what the reviews online are saying, and then decide how I feel about it from there. Do you find yourself reading about reviews when you are looking for a new product?

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Olympics always sets the tempo for the two weeks that the Olympics runs for. It's a time for a country to show the world what they're really about and they try their best to impress all of their viewers. This year, the Olympics are taking place in Vancouver, Canada, and they had a 3 1/2 hour presentation during their opening ceremony to show the world what Canada is really about.

Before the ceremony started, they showed all the beautiful mountains and lakes that Canada has. During this part, I think their goal was to try to attract people that are interested in hiking, camping or fishing to come to their country. They know that people are watching the opening ceremony that are interested in these activities, so they are using it as an advantage for their country. They also said that the United States and Canada have a friendly alliance because we're allowed to cross the boundaries coming from both sides. Maybe some people haven't been informed on the fact that we can cross boundaries, so it was a good idea for them to let people that live in America and Canada know that they can cross the border by having a passport.

When the ceremony started they tried to "glamorize" Canada and portray their history as best as they could. They came out in costumes and all sorts of outfits, while they were dancing along to music. This might have grabbed the attention of some viewers who like to learn about countries and go explore them on their vacations. It could lead to people vacationing in Canada for a week and going to their museum's or other exhibits that they may offer with an explanation of their history.

Overall, I think it was an okay ceremony, a little slow at times, but it was good for Canada to show the rest of the world about their culture. It will probably open many doors for some tourists to visit their country, which will result in them spending numerous amounts of money there. Do you think that the opening ceremony was a chance for Canada to attract tourists?