DISCUSSION 1
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A) A product that I truly believe has a mass appeal to our society would have to be the invention of the Kindle Fire and The Nook, because this is basically a great technological tool that is useful for individuals who are avid readers, watch television shows, movies, research, school work, and many other factors that contribute to why individuals would want to invest in their product. This isn't just good for students and tv watchers, this is good for young children to geriatrics.
What makes the Kindle Fire and Nook so desirable for developers is the accessibility, meaning the price of the tablet itself, and the huge library which Amazon provides. This could be piquing the interest of developers into looking at the Android market world-wide because the cost of the device itself is low enough that it allows access to a much larger audience than the higher priced iPad or iPad 2, and the lower price could mean that consumers are more willing to spend additional dollars on applications. I went to see how much an Ipad was at the Apple store and it basically cost me around $ 1500.00 to invest in this small pad. When I went to best buy to look at the Kindle Fire, it was charging around $300.00 and up. This is basically a worldwide tool that can be used for anything. I think it is a great investment tool for everyone at a decent affordable price for families and individuals to use.
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B) I agree with the comment you made about when marketing a product, one must consider the social and economic values of their target market. I also believe that cell phones appeal to a very large market. From the less advanced to the more advanced model, it is very uncommon to meet a person who does not have a cellphone. It's funny that you decided to write about cell phones because there is actually a lady that works with me who does not have a cell phone. She is probably the only person (adult) that I have met that does not have a cell phone. When I asked why she didn't have one, she said there was no particular reasoning. So excluding her, almost everyone from old people to middle aged, to teenager and even kids as young as five/six now have cell phones. So I do believe that your choice in choosing to discuss cellphones as your product with mass appeal was a great choice. Great job on your posting!
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C) Appealing to a large mass of people can be a difficult task especially when each person has specific preferences that they prefer. I believe that a product that has a mass appeal is the television. From the old-fashion boxed TV to the new and improved flat screens. Many years ago only people who could afford TVs owned one, now it is very rare to enter a home and a few business that does not have a TV for use. Not only does a TV provide entertainment, it also provides learning activities, and also provides a means for marketers to communicate products to customers through advertisement.
The following is a PROFESSOR QUESTION, there is no minimum or maximum word counts to answer the professor, just answer clearly, concise and precise. (PLEASE SEE NOTE BELOW)
D) Good, and yes, products like that do have a big following. So, what are the implications to marketing? How do you differentiate from the competition? Would you communicate that your product is good but the same as the competitors?
NOTE: The professor is asking the above question (D) based on the following (below) student discussion/ comments.
-There are a lot of different type of products that appeal to different people. Not every one has the same taste in things but its certain products that can always catch a persons eye. One product I think that has a mass appeal on people is a nice car. Everyone has seen a commercial on TV or has seen a nice car driving around that has caught their eye and made them wish they could be behind the wheel. The only thing that stops people is the price tags some times. But its nothing like driving around in a new car that's exactly what you want. Every one has an idea about their dream car to have. This starts at a early age when you are young up until adult hood. I believe that cars appeal to every one and age group.
-It is true that car is passion, which becomes a dream for many people. But I do not agree that it is the product that has mass appeal, because every person is different and has different requirement as according to the time. For example - It is not sure that if a boy likes a car and want to drive his dream car, it will be the same dream for his sister. She might have different requirement or passion for another thing. I think that it is difficult to think about the product, which will have mass appeal.
-I agree with you on nice cars, and people can buy into the whole idea of driving a a nice car, but I have came across many people who are on a budget, and say that they rather have a fix me upper than a nice car. Cheap people are very particular of they money, and have a lot of skill friends that can find cheap parts, and offer cheap labor, and it works for them. I also agree with you on Kirkwood trying to relate to advertising the NFL and focus on getting games played, nothing like getting people hype up for a national event like the superbowl.
-The target market for that could be SUV or Cadillac lovers or just anyone who likes nice automobiles. They made the perfect SUV for people to fall in love with. They make these automobiles to catch certain car lovers eyes and even if you don't like SUV or Cadillacs they made something that could make you change your mind. I don't think its a niche because they target a large market.
-I believe the target market for SUV is a niche. Niche is a more narrowly defined group with a distinctive sets of traits who may seek a special combination of benefits. For example, consumer who choose the biggest, most comfortable car regardless of price make up one market segment. Another segment would be customers who care mainly about price and operating economy.
-Perfect niche market- Pink Cadillac for Mary Kay sales reps. Also, young female college students are driving Cadillac with pink and bright yellow leather seats while they are wearing skinny jeans.
-I agree that Pink Cadillac for Mary Kay sales reps is a perfect niche market. According to (Iacobucci, 2012) niche marketing is a type of segmentation in which the company strategically (p.17) focuses on serving a single segment of the market.
DISCUSSION 2
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A) Pick a nonprofit organization with which you are familiar and believe the organization should be repositioned to serve its core clientèle better or a new clientèle altogether. Identify the organization, its current position, and your recommended reposition, including the existing or your proposed target audience for the recommendation.
Livestrong is a good organization despite the recent admissions of it's founder. The issue with Livestrong is, I believe their focus is in the wrong areas. They, at one time, generated a lot of money in the fight against cancer. This is a great and noble thing, but the way in which they appropriated that money can be repositioned to reach a more diverse target audience. Currently they fund many cancer related programs, but a good amount of that funding goes to lobbyists who push for cancer friendly legislation at state and local levels.
My grandfather died of cancer not too long ago, and I was looking to make a donation in his honor. I knew that Livestrong was a strong brand (you saw those little yellow bracelets around everywhere), so I did some research on the company. When I found out that money was used to pay lobbyists, I decided to donate elsewhere. That's just now how I want my money used. I'd much rather have my money used to fund research.
If Livestrong can reposition itself to fund more research and less political lobbying, they should be able to reach a larger target audience.
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B) Pick a specific Gulf location and explain how you would reposition this tourist area that invites and sells the value of the location to tourists.
I selected New Orleans as the Gulf location and I would reposition this tourist area thought large marketing campaigns. I would focus on running TV and print ad campaigns that would reach major metropolitan markets across the country to sell the value of the location to tourists. In addition, promote New Orleans authentic culture as a major draw for visitors. The promotion will offer American Express gift cards to visitors for each night they stay at a participating hotel, up to a maximum of $300 worth of cards.
References:
Habitat for Humanity, (2013)
Please make a comment on the following student comment/discussion.
C) Pick a specific Gulf location and explain how you would reposition this tourist area that invites and sells the value of the location to tourists.
A location I would pick would have to be in Tallahassee, Florida. I don't think they have any problems with tourists coming through to their locations. To market for this particular type of area, I would focus on the beaches that surround all of Florida for the tourists to endure. Generally, they would be very close to Miami, where they would have the opportunity to experience the warm weather, boating, fishing, beaches, casinos, and plenty of cruises for them to go on. They can also take a trip to our well known attractions, such as a day at Walt Disney World or even go to Universal Studios for the day.
The following is a PROFESSOR QUESTION, there is no minimum or maximum word counts to answer the professor, just answer clearly, concise and precise. (PLEASE SEE NOTE BELOW)
D) OK, good. So, do you think it is more difficult to position or to re-position? How do brands and branding come into play here?
NOTE: The professor is asking the above question (D) based on the following (below) student discussion/ comments
- Yes, I agree that there is no doubt that Goodwill is doing very good on its part. But they need to make some changes for attracting more customers. It is true that their website is not much catchy and influential. It is not showing any credibility for influencing the perspective clients. They should make it more influential, reliable and creditable by showing more facts and figure. Besides that, they need to do more publicity and advertisement for increasing its awareness. These tips will definitely help the company in repositioning and to get more clients as a donor and user in both ways.