John Smith's firm is not doing well in the economy right now and he fears that he will have to start laying off a number of employees, like most companies at this point in time. John recently surveyed 2,000 citizens that live in Ohio to determine if they are going to buy a car in the near future. A car dealership heard about what John's firm was doing and has offered him $8,000 for the information on the people that said they were likely or very likely to buy a new car. John is facing a big layoff or he can hand over the information to the car dealership and breathe a sigh of relief because he just received $8,000. Should he do it?
I don't think he should do it. I know he's in need of money but that seems like a violation of privacy to the people he surveyed. Car dealers are known to be very pushy and try to talk you into buying a car, which is something most people don't want to deal with. The people that were surveyed might feel overwhelmed and slightly annoyed that they even participated in the survey because now they are being bombarded with a car dealership trying to persuade them to buy a car at their dealership. In the AMA Statement of Ethics one of the values is honesty. If John's firm was playing the honesty card they should have asked everyone that they interviewed if they wouldn't mind having their information released to a car dealership. That way the people that wanted to be bothered by the car dealership could be and the people that wanted to be left alone would not be bothered. It wouldn't be right for John to sell the information without anyone's approval first. I understand that he's in need of money, but it's not worth it to make the people mad that took the time out of their busy lives to complete his firm's survey.
I think the car dealership is also in need of money too, so they are getting desperate to have some cars sold. It seems that spending $8000 just to get a list of potential buyers is a waste of money. What if the people you are trying to persuade get so annoyed with your dealership that they just buy elsewhere? When people are shopping for cars they want to do it their own way and go to the dealership they want, whether it's Toyota, Honda, etc...they will go where they've probably always gone because it works for them and it's less hassle. Do you think it was wrong for the car dealership to offer John's firm $8,000 just for a list of people?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
In Response to Sam
Do you think organic foods are worth spending the extra money for? Will the industry remain sustainable? Those were the questions that Sam asked at the end of his post on organic foods and my answer is yes to both of those questions. Organic food is so much healthier for you than a bag of candy. Yes, the candy might taste better, but if you're worried about staying healthy then you should go for the healthier brand of food. Organic food has come a long way in the past five years, customers can buy everything they want and most stores have a whole organic section that's all in a row, so customers don't have to wander all over the store looking for the food that they want to buy. Some of the snacks foods they offer are chocolate covered raisins, chips or peanuts...they aren't your typical junk food snack but they're still tasty and put the nutrients that your body needs into it. People that have health problems such as celiac disease can only really shop in the organic food section because most of the food is gluten free, unlike the rest of the unhealthier food in the store. Organic food offers an option for these people that have to be very careful of what they eat, and they can have a variety of things just because of the advancements that organic food has made in the supermarket industry, and the customers don't have to just keep eating the same foods over and over because now they actually have a choice on what they want.
I definitely think the organic food industry will last because more people than you think shop in that section. Even if they aren't buying a while cart full of stuff, they are still picking up things from the section here and there. I used to work at Shaws and most people had stuff from the organic section, whether it was for them or for their kids that they're trying to have eat right. Protein bars that a lot of athletes eat are in the organic section and we sold a lot of those in one day to people who were looking for the nutrients that they needs. I don't see the organic food industry going away any time soon, I think they will shock us all and make advancements that we haven't even seen yet.
Where do you think the industry is going?
I definitely think the organic food industry will last because more people than you think shop in that section. Even if they aren't buying a while cart full of stuff, they are still picking up things from the section here and there. I used to work at Shaws and most people had stuff from the organic section, whether it was for them or for their kids that they're trying to have eat right. Protein bars that a lot of athletes eat are in the organic section and we sold a lot of those in one day to people who were looking for the nutrients that they needs. I don't see the organic food industry going away any time soon, I think they will shock us all and make advancements that we haven't even seen yet.
Where do you think the industry is going?
Cellular Phones to Let Shoppers Point, Click and Purchase
Shoppers will soon be able to stand outside the designer boutique called Norma Kamali's, which is located in Manhattan, and they will be able to point a phone at merchandise in the window and buy it. They can even do this late at night when the store is closed. Ms. Kamali, the owner, is one of the leaders in the industry with the technological transformations which will be coming to many of the nation's retailers in no time at all. The retailers want to strengthen the link between their physical stores and the Web. They want to take an advantage of how tech savvy this nation is and make shopping easier to consumers and more profitable for themselves.
They plan on turning people's mobile phones into information displays and ordering devices. Even grocery stores are considering this form of technology. They think that if you can use a GPS on your phone to find your destination, then you should be able to find the flour in the store if you are having a hard time locating it. Supermarkets are also going to offer real-time coupons while people shop. They may have a promotion on milk and the moment you're in the dairy aisle; a coupon could be sent to your phone. If the department store is out of your size jeans, then the retailers are trying to make it simple by having you press a couple buttons on your phone and the correct size jeans you wanted will be shipped to your house.
The question is how will consumers react to this? They will have to download applications onto their phones and consent to being tracked electronically while in a store. Many stores are hoping consumers will go along with it. They are backing it up by the fact that people wander city streets guided by maps on their mobile phones, so why shouldn't technology lead them to the flour or jeans they're looking for. Some chains are reluctant to discuss their plans because they want to use it as a competitive advantage. Some retailers that are in the process of testing out mobile technology are Wal-Mart and Disney. Technology companies behind the products are telling consumers to expect introductions to this new world this year and wider deployments in 2011 or even 2012.
Ms. Kamali is using technology called ScanLife and it was installed in her boutique a few weeks ago. It allows people to scan bar codes on merchandise and obtain details about the clothes through videos. The part about buying items day or night will come in another week or two when they get used to the new system. Other retailers have started testing a product called Presence. The shoppers that sign up for it can be detected as soon as they set foot in a store, which enables Presence to offer real-time mobile coupons. Presence can also track the shoppers spending habits and browsing time in various department, and it will help the system figure out what customer might be moved to suddenly buy a discounted item. Presence can also make product recommendations. If a shopper was buying cake mix, Presence might suggest frosting and sprinkles to go along with that.
The retailers have some privacy worries and other potential pitfalls. If the phone applications freeze or give bad information it will most likely frustrate the consumers, so reliability is a big priority among retailers, which is why retailers have already started testing the system. Another reason why the Presence won't be released in a lot of stores until 2011 or 2012 is the fact that most stores cannot afford that kind of technology right now. The daring retailers are viewing it by the potential benefits outweighing the risks. More aggressive profiling of shoppers could help increase sales in stores that are in drastic need of some help. The technology could also save stores money by cutting workers, by substituting electronic guidance for store clerks.
If you had the chance to download one of these applications would you and why?
They plan on turning people's mobile phones into information displays and ordering devices. Even grocery stores are considering this form of technology. They think that if you can use a GPS on your phone to find your destination, then you should be able to find the flour in the store if you are having a hard time locating it. Supermarkets are also going to offer real-time coupons while people shop. They may have a promotion on milk and the moment you're in the dairy aisle; a coupon could be sent to your phone. If the department store is out of your size jeans, then the retailers are trying to make it simple by having you press a couple buttons on your phone and the correct size jeans you wanted will be shipped to your house.
The question is how will consumers react to this? They will have to download applications onto their phones and consent to being tracked electronically while in a store. Many stores are hoping consumers will go along with it. They are backing it up by the fact that people wander city streets guided by maps on their mobile phones, so why shouldn't technology lead them to the flour or jeans they're looking for. Some chains are reluctant to discuss their plans because they want to use it as a competitive advantage. Some retailers that are in the process of testing out mobile technology are Wal-Mart and Disney. Technology companies behind the products are telling consumers to expect introductions to this new world this year and wider deployments in 2011 or even 2012.
Ms. Kamali is using technology called ScanLife and it was installed in her boutique a few weeks ago. It allows people to scan bar codes on merchandise and obtain details about the clothes through videos. The part about buying items day or night will come in another week or two when they get used to the new system. Other retailers have started testing a product called Presence. The shoppers that sign up for it can be detected as soon as they set foot in a store, which enables Presence to offer real-time mobile coupons. Presence can also track the shoppers spending habits and browsing time in various department, and it will help the system figure out what customer might be moved to suddenly buy a discounted item. Presence can also make product recommendations. If a shopper was buying cake mix, Presence might suggest frosting and sprinkles to go along with that.
The retailers have some privacy worries and other potential pitfalls. If the phone applications freeze or give bad information it will most likely frustrate the consumers, so reliability is a big priority among retailers, which is why retailers have already started testing the system. Another reason why the Presence won't be released in a lot of stores until 2011 or 2012 is the fact that most stores cannot afford that kind of technology right now. The daring retailers are viewing it by the potential benefits outweighing the risks. More aggressive profiling of shoppers could help increase sales in stores that are in drastic need of some help. The technology could also save stores money by cutting workers, by substituting electronic guidance for store clerks.
If you had the chance to download one of these applications would you and why?
Monday, February 22, 2010
In Response to Sam
In Sam's post he discussed how digital advertising is becoming more common in our society and he wanted to know if I thought it would be how most people start advertising or not. I think that digital advertising is a pretty creative idea, if you don't like what you're seeing when you're advertisement is digitally posted; you can easily change it. These days mostly everyone is trying to switch over to digital everything, so the companies that are advertising are trying to come up with something that will match the digital world. I think they came up with a pretty creative creation. They can also add animations or scrolling text, which will definitely grab the attention of someone looking at the advertisement. My suggestion to companies would be to not go too overboard with animations because if a person has too much to look at in an advertisement; they won't get to see everything. Plain and simple with a catchy phrase usually does the job for advertisements. The one thing I don't like about digital advertisements is that if you're driving and looking at them on the highway they can be somewhat distracting. I know as a driver you shouldn't be looking around, but if you see something flashing in the corner of your eye; you're most likely going to look at what it is. Maybe they can somehow regulate the advertisements on the highway to be simple and not so flashy so it doesn't distract drivers. Do you think digital advertising is a good idea?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Electronic Means of Marketing
The world that we live in today is very different from what it was ten years ago. Everything is going electronic and a lot of companies are starting to look for ways to cut costs, which results in taking away their paper mail. A few companies noticed that when they took away their quirky postcards or letters with reduced fees they were starting to lose clients. A few clients even called the company that took away their humorous postcards to ask where they were. After thinking about how many clients they were disappointing with their lack of postcards and not sending letters offering reduced fees, these companies decided to bring back their direct mail. I think direct mail is good to a point. It goes a little too far when the stuff you're getting in the mail comes more than once, and you always end up throwing it away. Credit card offers would be a good example of this. I think most college students can relate to this because credit card offers are constantly coming in the mail, but the annoying part is if you fill out a form for them more often than not you're rejected because you don't have enough credit to actually get your own card.
Some companies are including bar codes in their advertisements which are found on magazines or letters you can get in the mail. The article said that some cellular phones are capable of scanning the bar codes, which takes you to the website that they're advertising. I think this way of marketing is pointless. I say this because not every cellular phone user has a blackberry or iPhone that is capable of scanning these bar codes to visit the website. It would make sense if they just said what they wanted to say on the advertisement page they are paying for rather than sending you to a website, most people aren't going to take the time to visit the website or they will forget about it.
I think right now companies are really trying to push electronic marketing and messages because they want to save money, but I also think they're struggling with giving up direct mail and phone calls altogether. People are so used to getting things in the mail and letting them sit around without "erasing" them, which is something you can usually do with an e-mail message. I think in five or ten years everything will be completely electronic when it comes to contacting people, but for now I think the companies will be split in half when it comes to sending electronic messages and direct mail or phone messages.
Do you think that in five or ten years everything will be done electronically?
Some companies are including bar codes in their advertisements which are found on magazines or letters you can get in the mail. The article said that some cellular phones are capable of scanning the bar codes, which takes you to the website that they're advertising. I think this way of marketing is pointless. I say this because not every cellular phone user has a blackberry or iPhone that is capable of scanning these bar codes to visit the website. It would make sense if they just said what they wanted to say on the advertisement page they are paying for rather than sending you to a website, most people aren't going to take the time to visit the website or they will forget about it.
I think right now companies are really trying to push electronic marketing and messages because they want to save money, but I also think they're struggling with giving up direct mail and phone calls altogether. People are so used to getting things in the mail and letting them sit around without "erasing" them, which is something you can usually do with an e-mail message. I think in five or ten years everything will be completely electronic when it comes to contacting people, but for now I think the companies will be split in half when it comes to sending electronic messages and direct mail or phone messages.
Do you think that in five or ten years everything will be done electronically?
Monday, February 15, 2010
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?
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?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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?
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