Price

Marketing means managing markets to bring about profitable customer relationships. However, creating these relationships takes work. Sellers must search for buyers, identify their needs, design good market offerings, set prices for them, promote them, and store and deliver them. Activities such as consumer research, product development, communication, distribution, pricing, and service are core marketing activities PAGE 9 For the pricing in general, its incredible important to not price too high and of course not too low. What exactly do people believe are a reasonable price to pay for whole-grain pancakes? And since they are whole-grain with blueberries, are they going to expect to pay a little extra? If so, are they willing to pay that cost? In positioning its product, the company first identifies possible customer value differences that provide competitive advantages upon which to build the position. The company can offer greater customer value either by charging lower prices than competitors, or by offering more benefits to justify higher prices. But if the company promises greater value, it must then deliver that greater value. Thus, effective positioning begins with differentiation—actually differentiating the company’s market offering so that it gives consumers more value. Once the company has chosen a desired position, it must take strong steps to deliver and communicate that position to target consumers. The company’s entire marketing program should support the chosen positioning strategy PAGE 53 The price must be just right so that I could gain a profit off it and also be able to donate some of the money made to provide for the hurricane victims in the Philippines. So somewhere, the people purchasing the pancakes and I are going to have to meet in the middle so that everyone benefits fairly, without causing too much strain on either side of the coin. When figuring out the price I should keep in mind about the people who are concerned and believe that anything slapped with a healthy notation, it manages to deter them away from buying it because either one; it costs too much and two; it probably tastes bad. The pricing must be as fair as possible, not a single cent off but it also has to help me out on my part and as well as those in the Philippines who were affected by the hurricane. This is why I find the sampling part (which you can read in the Promotion post) to be important, so that people can at least try it out before judging. Not only that, the box it will be sold in should be appealing.

Promotion

Finally, it must communicate with target customers about the offering and persuade them of its merits (promotion). The firm must blend all of these marketing mix tools into a comprehensive integrated marketing program that communicates and delivers the intended value to chosen customers. PAGE 13 Given that the idea of selling whole-grain pancakes sounding interesting on its own as a concept seems like a good promotion, just as a start. Another way of promoting my product is to offering some free samples to help boost its recognition. There could be a sampling stand inside of a Whole Foods (the ideal store I would like to be selling the pancakes) and it could be set up during the morning. It would make sense since people generally eat pancakes for breakfast. I think it will likely be a success to do my sampling in this way since people are in that frame of mind of breakfast so they’re be expecting foods that they typically eat in the morning. Often, consumers themselves don’t know exactly what influences their purchases. “The human mind doesn’t work in a linear way,” says one marketing expert. “The idea that the mind is a computer with storage compartments where brands or logos or recognizable packages are stored in clearly marked folders that can be accessed by cleverly written ads or commercials simply doesn’t exist. Instead, the mind is a whirling, swirling, jumbled mass of neurons bouncing around, colliding and continuously creating new concepts and thoughts and relationships inside every single person’s brain all over the world PAGE 137 But since some of the pancakes sales will be going to the relief fund for the victim in Philippines that were affected by the hurricane, it would be important to point that out to the consumer as well. Promoting the idea that they will be contributing to the desperate aide in the Philippines would be an effective tactic to gain some promotion, I believe. And lets face it: people do want to help others but they only want to do it in the most effortless way possible. That’s why there are Salvation Army donations you see outside of stores like Walmart since all they are having people to do is to drop a few coins and bills into the tin and suddenly they feel like a saint. So if people are willing to do that, then it would be easy for them to buy the whole-grain pancakes and yet at the same time provide some aid for the hurricane victims.

Implementation Evaluation Control

The company first develops company wide strategic plans and then translates them into marketing and other plans for each division, product, and brand. Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions. Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed. Finally, marketing analysis provides information and evaluations needed for all of the other marketing activities PAGE 55 I think the most noble portion about selling these whole-grain pancakes are the fact that some of the fund made from selling them will be donated to provide some of the aid to those in the Philippines who were affected by the disaster caused by a hurricane. The consumer arrives at attitudes toward different brands through some evaluation procedure. How consumers go about evaluating purchase alternatives depends on the individual consumer and the specific buying situation. In some cases, consumers use careful calculations and logical thinking. At other times, the same consumers do little or no evaluating; instead they buy on impulse and rely on intuition. Sometimes consumers make buying decisions on their own; sometimes they turn to friends, online reviews, or sales people for buying advice PAGE 154. Associated the pancakes in the name of doing good will gain some positive reputation about the pancakes. Not only are the people buying the pancakes will be have… well some delicious pancakes, they will also be part of the good-doing. I think that is a way to help establish a connection or some sort of relationship with the pancake’s customers. Let them do their part on buying the pancakes and more good come out of it. Not only are they doing good for the hurricane victims, but they are also doing good for their bodies since the pancakes are actually whole-wheat. Eating whole-wheat pancakes provides so many benefits for the body and reduces many risks such as lower risks of heart attack and stroke. There is practically nothing bad about buying and eating these pancakes at all.

Distribution

Marketing intermediaries help the company to promote, sell, and distribute its products to final buyers. They include resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies, and financial intermediaries. Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. These include wholesalers and retailers who buy and resell merchandise. Selecting and partnering with resellers is not easy. No longer do manufacturers have many small, independent resellers from which to choose PAGE 68 The location and even exact type of stores are very important to the distribution of whole-grain pancakes. To start off, a store like Whole Foods would be great. Whole Foods is already pretty reputable and sounds like a good place to start selling. Its a store that has greatly established itself for everyone’s go-to place to start buying raw, natural, and organic products. Whole-grain pancake would suit itself perfectly there. Also, I find that the location of distributing these pancakes would be easy and flexible, since anyone nearly anywhere can eat pancakes. Physical distribution firms help the company to stock and move goods from their points of origin to their destinations. Marketing services agencies are the marketing research firms, advertising agencies, media firms, and marketing consulting firms that help the company target and promote its products to the right markets. Financial intermediaries include banks, credit companies, insurance companies, and other businesses that help finance transactions or insure against the risks associated with the buying and selling of goods PAGE 68 The whole-grain pancakes are packaged as a dry food with only dry ingredients so its not like maintaining its freshness would be an issue as opposed to something like leafy green where those foods are easily perishable. The pancakes would also conceptually be distributing the idea of a healthy lifestyle. Promoting good health starts of with promotion of eating better, it being the case of choosing whole-grain over something that has been refined. Selling the product at Whole Foods would be great but it may be also a pretty big leap to take. That’s why I am also considering selling a few boxes a maybe farmer’s markets to really hand out the idea of this organic product.

Product

Strategic planning sets the stage for the rest of the planning in the firm. Companies usually prepare annual plans, long-range plans, and strategic plans. The annual and long-range plans deal with the company’s current businesses and how to keep them going. In contrast, the strategic plan involves adapting the firm to take advantage of opportunities in its constantly changing environment PAGE 39   The product that I am choosing to sell are whole-grain pancakes. It is to provide as a healthier alternative to have for breakfast. The pancakes absolutely MUST be whole-grain; none of the refined and bleached stuff. The whole-grain part of the product is the entire point of this sell, because it is supposed to showcase the benefits of eating whole-grain food. The whole-grain pancakes also have blueberries added to them for that fresh fruity taste without any added sweetness to it. The pancakes will also taste great and hopefully will debunk any myths or incorrect rumors about foods that provide healthier benefits, since anything that is diet is deemed as bland, tasteless, or just awful. And since eating whole-grain products is more than just enjoying a simple stack of pancakes for breakfast, I am hoping that it will introduce the idea of living a healthier lifestyle, as if the pancakes act as a gateway for a better life. At the corporate level, the company starts the strategic planning process by defining its overall purpose and mission (see Figure 2.1). This mission is then turned into detailed supporting objectives that guide the whole company. Next, headquarters decides what portfolio of businesses and products is best for the company and how much support to give each one. In turn, each business and product develops detailed marketing and other departmental plans that support the company wide plan. Thus, marketing planning occurs at the business-unit, product, and market levels. It supports company strategic planning with more detailed plans for specific marketing opportunities PAGE 39 This is the experience of choosing to eat whole-grain pancakes. Others will also benefit from the selection of whole-grain pancakes, which are those in the Philippines who are in need of relief from the disaster caused by a hurricane. Not only the customer will be receiving something positive for themselves, but also to those who are less fortunate.

Target Market Strategy

In positioning its product, the company first identifies possible customer value differences that provide competitive advantages upon which to build the position. The company can offer greater customer value either by charging lower prices than competitors, or by offering more benefits to justify higher prices PAGE 53 The marketing strategy I have decided to do is to target those who are looking for better options for their breakfast meals. There are many benefits when switching from regular morning hotcakes to the healthy alternative of whole-grain pancakes. If people were to start their day off with a more health choice, then they may succeed in making better choices for their meals for the rest of the day. Breakfast is an important part of starting off your day, so its almost ideal to make it a healthy breakfast. But if the company promises greater value, it must then deliver that greater value. Thus, effective positioning begins with differentiation—actually differentiating the company’s market offering so that it gives consumers more value. Once the company has chosen a desired position, it must take strong steps to deliver and communicate that position to target consumers. The company’s entire marketing program should support the chosen positioning strategy PAGE 53. I know that a lot of people tend to skip breakfast as a whole and think they will be fine as long as the make up for it around lunch time, but this is not the case. Its important that people eat a breakfast and as the saying goes, “it's an essential foundation of a successful day.” Say that there was someone who was following a diet and absolutely loved to have pancakes or waffles for breakfast mainly for the sweet element. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of healthy options for them. That is where the whole-grain pancakes come in, with blueberries of course. Instead of having to resort to sugary stuff like most cereals or the ugly texture associated with oatmeal. And maybe if those who actually are not on a diet, they could be inspired to go for the alternative of whole-grain pancakes and start making healthier choices.

Week 10 EOC: What are the benefits vs. features

Facebook and Twitter alone have over a billion users. With social media you can you have eyes all over the world. Using social media you can know more about your target this is one of the advantages of using Facebook and twitter. You can talk among your audience in real time and get information like products, events, and services. Social media pays you.That's right. You get paid just to advertise your product. What I'm talking about is running ads on your Facebook page or on some kind of blog. Or if you can make a great advertising videos or a series, you can get paid by the number of views, followers, and likes. Answering question and leaving feedback. This is also a great way to give customer service. I actually was in this situation once. I remember having trouble logging into one of my favorite streaming sites. I wasn't sure if I was hacked or if the website was having issues. Instead of emailing someone, I contacted them through via Twitter. I got an intimidate response. I was very happy about this and that's why this is great for a business. These are the examples of what are the great features of using social media in the business world and how its different from what it was before. How I would use these to my advantage is start a YouTube series about my pancake product. I could create and record different recipes for my product and to tell people that you can get more out of our pancake mix. The comment section is great on YouTube because not only will I be getting feedback but I will also be getting ideas and suggestion on what should be in the next episode. How I would use twitter is for customer service. If any of my consumers were to have any issues, problems or concerns, they can use twitter to contact my company asap. I think this would provide great service.

Week 9 EOC: Three great mission statements

Today, marketing must be understood not in the old sense of making a sale—“telling and selling”—but in the new sense of satisfying customer needs. If the marketer understands consumer needs; develops products that provide superior customer value; and prices, distributes, and promotes them effectively, these products will sell easily. - Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation: PAGE 6 Whole grains are rich in carbohydrates, which the body requires for energy. Rather them grabbing one of those "energy drinks" that are just loaded with sugar and caffeine and other by products, why not take the more natural route and eat whole grains. Better yet, why not use those whole grains in hot, fluffy, filling pancakes.We all need a kick start in the morning time and breakfast is the most important meal of the day so start it right with KC's Whole grain pancake mix.Why not enjoy these pancakes mix with a handful of dried blueberries, maybe even strawberries or bananas provide for you in the package. You will also be getting extra health benefits like antioxidant in berries. Marketing consists of actions taken to build and maintain desirable exchange relationships with target audiences involving a product, service, idea, or other object. Beyond simply attracting new customers and creating transactions, the company wants to retain customers and grow their business. Marketers want to build strong relationships by consistently delivering superior customer value. Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation: PAGE 8 Our goal is to be part of a growing community of change to our everyday favorite foods to a more healthier approach. Even with a small change like whole wheat or just simply adding berries you are already making a life style change. This will also bring in new customers who will try and welcome change.

SWOT

The company should analyze its markets and marketing environment to find attractive opportunities and identify environmental threats. It should analyze company strengths and weaknesses as well as current and possible marketing actions to determine which opportunities it can best pursue PAGE 56 The strengths of selling whole-grain pancakes should be an easy one. One of the strengths in selling these kinds of pancakes are offering a healthy choice instead of mixing up the old “just add water” recipe. These whole-grain pancakes are organic and only requires natural ingredients to make. Most of the time, people find it satisfying just eating an entire stack of pancakes. Pancakes are also a delightful sweet tooth satisfier instead of having to resort to those sugar-loaded cereals or eating bland oatmeal. One other strength of whole-grain pancakes is that it is a healthier choice than eating old-fashioned pancakes. I’ve mentioned before that eating whole-grain foods has great health benefits such as lower risks of stroke and heart attacks. There is also a benefit in better weight management.

One weakness in selling whole-grain pancakes that I could think of are the requirement of other ingredients to make these pancakes. The pancakes already have added blueberries to them, but to make the proper recipe, it needs other components such as eggs, milk, and oil. I think thats a reason why people would instead reach for the “just add water” pancake mixes so they don’t have to go out of their way to buy other ingredients when essentially, water is readily available to almost everybody everywhere.

An opportunity that may help the recognition and selling of whole-grain pancakes is the news about the hurricane that hit the Philippines. Making a purchase towards these pancakes also provides donation funds to help the hurricane relief. So just by buying these pancakes, you will also be contributing to those in great need who were affected by the hurricane.

The goal is to match the company’s strengths to attractive opportunities in the environment, while eliminating or overcoming the weaknesses and minimizing the threats. Marketing analysis provides inputs to each of the other marketing management functions PAGE 56 A few threats that I could think of is that the words “whole-grain” to describe pancakes may be a little bit of a turn off. Whenever someone hears “whole-grain,” “zero calories,” or “non-fat” it alludes to the horrible tastes and blandness of diet food. Foods that are diet friendly have managed to build up a bad reputation about how they taste and usually they taste awful. Adding blueberries to the pancakes may deter that idea about diet foods tasting really bad away since adding fruit to anything provides that naturally sweet freshness. Another threat to note is that there is a prominent competition within the pancake industry. There are plenty of big pancake brands that have earned their reputation, a couple of them being Aunt Jemima and Bisquick. I think Bisquick is the bigger threat here however, since there pancake mix does more than just make your standard pancake; it also makes biscuits, cake, pizza crust and plenty more.

Objectives

This broad mission leads to a hierarchy of objectives, including business objectives and marketing objectives. Kohler’s overall objective is to build profitable customer relationships by developing efficient yet beautiful products that embrace the “essence of gracious living.” It does this by investing heavily in research and design (R&D). Research and design is expensive and requires improved profits to plow back into research programs PAGE 43 The objective of selling whole-grain pancakes (or just whole-grain in general, such as bread and using whole-grain flour instead of all-purpose) is a basic yet complex loving idea to help those who need help in choosing healthier decisions. We like to market our idea of choosing whole-grain pancakes instead of your traditional pancakes as an second selection for a better eating habit. Those who favor eating pancakes for breakfast will also have a better choice so no one has to miss out on their favorite foods. There are plenty of benefits when choosing to eat whole-grain pancakes such as better weight maintenance, lower risks of type II diabetes and lower risk of stroke and heart attacks. Marketing needs to identify, evaluate, and select market opportunities and lay down strategies for capturing them PAGE 45  America is still involved in this health trend and learning more about what food we can eat to make us feel better about ourselves. Most of the time, people tend to skip out on breakfast when starting out into anew diet, and by skipping out, I mean that people will think they are satisfied or getting their healthy fix when eating just a simple banana or just not eating breakfast at all. Serving up hot and healthy whole-grain pancakes will fill in that disappointment

Mission Statment

Today, marketing must be understood not in the old sense of making a sale—“telling and selling”—but in the new sense of satisfying customer needs. If the marketer understands consumer needs; develops products that provide superior customer value; and prices, distributes, and promotes them effectively, these products will sell easily. - Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation: PAGE 6 Whole grains are rich in carbohydrates, which the body requires for energy. Rather them grabbing one of those "energy drinks" that are just loaded with sugar and caffeine and other by products, why not take the more natural route and eat whole grains. Better yet, why not use those whole grains in hot, fluffy, filling pancakes.We all need a kick start in the morning time and breakfast is the most important meal of the day so start it right with KC's Whole grain pancake mix.Why not enjoy these pancakes mix with a handful of dried blueberries, maybe even strawberries or bananas provide for you in the package. You will also be getting extra health benefits like antioxidant in berries. Marketing consists of actions taken to build and maintain desirable exchange relationships with target audiences involving a product, service, idea, or other object. Beyond simply attracting new customers and creating transactions, the company wants to retain customers and grow their business. Marketers want to build strong relationships by consistently delivering superior customer value. Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation: PAGE 8 Our goal is to be part of a growing community of change to our everyday favorite foods to a more healthier approach. Even with a small change like whole wheat or just simply adding berries you are already making a life style change. This will also bring in new customers who will try and welcome change. 

Week 8 EPC: Creative Content

For my product I will be making a small label. First off I will create the label in either Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop or a mix of both just to fix the contrast or bring in a few creative effects that only certain drawing programs provide. It will have simple yet warm and inviting colors, just like the pancakes. I want to use warm colors to recreate that feeling of eating fresh and warm pancakes on a Sunday morning. For the type I will use something bold and neat. With a ribbon underneath the type and almost hugging the type face. If creating a 3D model of the pancakes becomes time consuming or too difficult, then I will make the pancakes and photograph it myself. Soon after I will take the image into Adobe Photoshop and create the package there. The front cover will have a stack of pancakes on a white plate with blueberries on the pancakes and on the plate. Next the pancakes will be set on a nice hard wood table bring out the contrast and drawing focus to the pancakes. In the foreground will have some maple syrup with a bowl of blueberries. On the side of the package their will be the nutrition facts. Behind the box will be the direction and how many pancakes you would like to make. On the side will be the bar code and the benefits of eating whole grain and some information about the proceeds will be given to those victims of the recent typhoon.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

My pitch is to sell whole grain pancake mix with dried berries or fruits called KC's Whole grain pancake mix. What is whole grain and why whole grain? Because the benefits of whole grains studies include a reduced risk of a stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and better weight maintenance. Whole grains are healthier than refined grains because they contain higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids. These tasty warm pancakes also have different varieties of berries you can choose from to satisfy your sweet needs like blueberries, strawberries, and banana. You will also be getting extra health benefits like antioxidant in blueberries. Berries are also a rich source of phytonutrients, and they contain a significant amount of the antioxidant anthocyanadins that posses great nutritional value. It is so easy and fast to make and nothing beats hot fresh pancakes in the morning. All you need is a splash of milk, eggs, a hot skillet and mix well and before you know it you’ll be enjoying the power of whole grains. It is certainly way better than those bland and tasteless frozen ones! Because these pancakes are high in fiber, they leave you feeling full and satisfied throughout the day. Having the blueberries in these whole wheat pancakes are so sweet and moist that you don't need butter when eating these pancakes while hot! Not only will we be providing you with nutritious pancakes for you and your family, but some of the proceeds will go to the victims of the recent 2013 Philippines typhoon.You do not need to sacrifice taste to have a healthy and hearty breakfast. Not with pancakes like these.

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

Video games best describe me as a customer. I'm a sucker when it comes to purchasing limited edition items. I could easily spend about $1,000 the holiday year on just this alone.I even go as far as per-ordering in advance and even wait for the midnight release. I'm not only a person that plays video games but I also see myself as a collector. Normally when you purchase something you throw away the box, but I keep the box and make sure to put away my items for another time or maybe even selling it in the future for profit. People don't know the value of videos games. It's not only fun to play, but it's also an investment.

I invest into a lot of writing utensils also. I love buying pencils or pens that have themes or characters on it. I purchase writing utensils because I am also an artist and a good artist always needs to have some kind of writing instrument around them to quickly write ideas down or to make quick sketches. Creativity starts with a pencil! I also buy colored pencils because you can never have too many colored pencils.

The last thing that describe me as a customer is my Pokemon items. Even though I'm 22 years old I still continue to buy into the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon has been a huge part of my childhood and it's a part of me that I will not give up so easily. I will buy anything from hats, toys, plush dolls, cards and video games. I think I buy Pokemon is because it really brings me back to my childhood and I really enjoy reliving those memories.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

"Marketers select their brand ambassadors very carefully, based on customers’ devotion to a brand and the size of their social circles. They sometimes search blogs and online social networks to identify individuals who are already functioning as brand advocates. Once selected, the ambassadors are trained with real brand knowledge to go along with their passion for the brand. The ambassadors then tap into friends, family, groups, and broader audiences through personal conversations, blogs, live events, and online social media." - Page 143  Twitter is a social networking and always using instant messaging. Twitter is open ended and people and companies use it in a variety of ways,like job search. People know that the best way to find a job is through the web of people connected. You can us twitter or Facebook to look into your own personal network, or ask friends who they know. With the Internet filled with a mass network of people with social media, there are similarly many ways to use social media in order to network, and eventually find a job.
"Other companies regularly post ads or custom videos on video-sharing sites such as YouTube. For example, Toyota developed two YouTube channels to market its Corolla. One of these channels, Sketchies 11, hosted a competition offering cash and prizes worth $40,000 for the best user-generated comedy sketches. The most-watched video received some 900,000 views. Similarly, small BlendTec has developed a kind of cult following for its flood of “Will it Blend?” videos, in which the seemingly indestructible Blendtec Total Blender grinds everything from a hockey puck and a golf club to an iPhone into dust. The low-cost, simple idea led to a five-fold increase in BlendTec’s sales.19" - Page 145 I don't think some business understand the power of YouTube. The audience is bigger than any network out there. Not only can you make money off YouTube but its great for advertisement, if you can do it well and use it often.
"Matt Mund, Monster.com's vice president of product management, acknowledged that Facebook as a recruiting platform is growing rapidly. The company, which hosts a job board and other recruiter services, launched its clients or customers,own Facebook app, dubbed BeKnown, in June, and the application now has nearly 800,000 monthly users, according to AppData.com, a market research group. Over the next couple of weeks, the company plans to launch a program where companies can offer employees cash rewards for making referrals through the app." - WSJ.com This is great for what Facebook is doing. They have a large audience that needs to be attended well. Not only does this help control the Facebook population, but it helps create jobs.

Week 4 EOC: Theres An App for that

Alright, I think I have a solution to the people who have awful grammar. I’m taking about that person who uses 4 for For and that kid that doesn't understand the difference between were, where and we’re. I honestly don't understand and probably will never understand why people do it but now it all ends here. There should be an app that auto corrects everything you type on your phone. Anyone who owns an Iphone knows that there is a built auto correct in their product like their messaging and note app. Though this feature is nice, it needs to breakout and I think it can improve. How about an app that is a force auto correct. What I mean by force is that when someone misspell (or even intentionally) a word either using via Facebook, Twitter or any app on their phone in general, immediately gets corrected. No if, ands, or buts about it. Here is another great feature in this app. This app will also not allow you to use numbers to substitute for words or mix numbers and letter together to form a word. Example, when people use Gr8 as a substitute for the word Great. It will also have a built in dictionary to help users understand the difference between the words There, Their, They’re, Your, You’re and etc.This application will help users improve on their grammar and the only modification that the user can change is names or enter names in the app. Maybe it doesn’t have to be an application for your phone or tablet! It should be a program on computers too. No more headaches from those friends on our favorite social media sites. No more awful short cuts like “r u”. The end of all the bad grammar starts with an app like this.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

"Delaying Adulthood For many members of this group, this has meant difficulty landing their first job or being underemployed. Only 48.8 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds were employed between April and July (the peak time in youth employment) in 2011, the smallest share since the government started recording data in 1948, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. - Destinationcrm Though this may be true, it is not because Gen Y is lazy or that we are trying to "delay adulthood" it's simply because we're affected by the recent recession and weak economy. Something that the generation before us caused."The Facebook Generation The first generation to grow up with the Internet and mobile devices, Gen Y is also the first generation to consider behaviors like tweeting and texting, along with using Facebook, Google, Wikipedia, and YouTube, not as novel ideas, but as normal aspects of their social lives and their search for information." - Destinationcrm Yes I do believe in this statement, I really don't know anyone around my age or older who don't use any of these behaviors, it really seem like a life style that Gen Y will not give up so easily.
"Looking for Inspiration As we saw in their overwhelming support for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, Gen Y is passionate about politics and the concept of improving the world. "Gen Y loves companies that aren't just about selling, that are also making a difference," Hassler says, naming Tom's Shoes, a company that donates a pair of shoes to a child for every pair that's purchased, as an example. "Companies should also ask themselves, 'How can our brand service them, help them?' Consumers like spending money on something that has meaning, and they'll share it with their friends." - Destinationcrm
 I believe Gen Y is looking for change and making a difference and wants to change the world, preserve what’s left of it. Gen Y believes in self-expression more than self-control and that respect must be earned and not given based on age, authority or title. Though our generation maybe called lazy and entitled, just remember it wasn't Gen Y who shut down the government just because a bunch of old people in congress couldn't come to an agreement.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

"Families, neighborhoods, communities, and entire economies thrive when people help each other. While being American may mean different things to different people, being a good neighbor is good for everyone. - Blanket America 
To most of us a blanket is nothing, right? Almost every home as a simple blanket and when its time to sleep everyone gets snuggled into their comfy beds and sleep the rest of the night away. But the reality is, if you drop a pin anywhere in America, within 20 miles there is someone who does not own a blanket. Blanket American is not like most charity and businesses, they have a easy concept, that is one for one. Basically meaning that if you buy a blanket, someone in need also receives a blanket. With an easy concept such as this, you now know where exactly how Blanket American will use your money. 
"In this spirit, Blanket America works to connect communities, retailers, and manufacturing to help people build a better life. We believe that everyone can give. Both businesses and nonprofits, the public and private sector, can work together to develop real solutions to end extreme poverty. Working with and for all is at the heart of what we do and, to us, is what makes us American."  - Blanket America 
Blanket America is not only focused in the United States, but Blanket America has also provided disaster relief and blanket distributions such as Haiti. CHOOSE HAITI program are bracelets you can buy on their website made from Haitian artisans. All proceeds will go to the disaster relief and create jobs in Haiti. I respect Blanket America for what they do, and I hope they continue fighting the good fight. Companies like this really set an example for other companies not to just donate money every so often but to get out there and really help people in need.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

After reading The Wall Street Journal’s article Video game Makers Can't Dodge Recession, the information provided seem accurate for it’s time. Now four years later I believe that the sharks of the videogame market such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are not only trying to sell you the best video games, but also trying to use their consoles to dominate and be the best all in one media in every household. “The research firm this week predicted that Sony's next-generation console will "edge out" Microsoft's Xbox One in sales over the holidays. The forecast was based on a variety of factors, most notably the PS4's lower price point.” - itproportal.com Okay, so Sony has a lower price point, but Sony has not released what you are getting for that lower price. Could it be a lower GB compared to Microsofts whopping 500GB? And I'm not sure if loyal Sony customers now know that they need to pay for online service similar to Microsoft's Xbox Live services.

“The biggest console and PC games — usually those games that are part of an established franchise and have the slickest production values — are posting spectacular sales figures” -nytimes.com. This could be what Nintendo relies on, just loyal customers who love the franchise such and Pokemon, Zelda, and Mario. I really don’t see where the Nintendo Wii U will stand against Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One.

“No stranger to controversy when it comes to the Xbox One, Microsoft found itself in hot water again this week over a story in Advertising Age about the company's future plans for advertising on the next-generation video game console” -nbcnews.com Xbox One is once again in the hot seat. Everyone knows early this summer about their new policies required for the Xbox One such as it will no longer play used games, being connected online 24/7 and daily updates. This is what gives the PS4 the edge over Xbox One. Microsoft received so many complaints about these policies that they lost customers. The only thing they could do to save themselves was to remove these policies.

I would give both Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One both Cash Cows after viewing hardware and just general fan base. And sadly I would have to give the Wii U a dog. I don’t see the Wii U making a comeback anytime soon

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

“Customer relationship management is the overall process of building and maintaining profitable customer relationships by delivering superior customer value and satisfaction. It deals with all aspects of acquiring, keeping, and growing customers” Building customer relationships (pg. 13)  

One of best customer service I’ve experienced was when I went to an AT&T store. This was the first time I went into a phone store. Normally when my phone broke I would usually get a new one at my local Walmart or something. I honestly just needed a phone just to make phone calls and nothing else. So when I decided to upgrade to a smartphone I really didn't have a clue on what I wanted to buy. I walk in and felt like a fish out of water because I honestly didn't know where to start on purchasing the right phone. My intentions were to just get a phone and walk out end, of story, but things didn't end that way. There was a nice staff member who greeted me and asked me if I needed help. First I said I was okay and I didn't need any help. When I finally found the phone I wanted to buy, the staff member that greeted me before warned me about the phone I was about to buy. It turned out that the battery had issues and it was slower to the other phones they offered and it was more of their expensive phones that really wasn't worth it. I was a bit shocked that he told me this, because I thought it was the staff job to sell me anything even if it was a bad product or not. I later went home with a different phone other than the one I was going to originally buy. I also decided to do a little bit more research on that phone and he was right about it, I almost bought a terrible phone but because AT&T had a honest staff, I don't think I'll buy a phone anywhere else but AT&T.