Social Media

Companies are constantly marketing their products in various ways.  The world is moving more towards being online so social media is inevitable.  If companies have not already started to move to online marketing, they should start now or they will end up behind.  There is a lot of insight to be gained as well as creating a unique experience for their customers through social media.

Apple uses social media effectively.  They gain much insight from using Facebook as much as they can.  This process allows them to gain demographic information as well as insights on the generations that are interested in their products.  They can follow the information and better evolved their products to the needs of their consumers. Facebook is not the only source for marketing but many other websites that involve the subjects of technology.  Blogs and twitter are also key tools in getting the Apple name out there.  It is not only an effective marketing technique but by following its traveling path, marketers are able to see what consumers are paying more attention to and what products they need and want.

The way Apple gives its name prestige is by creating an experience for their consumers as well.  They give a future forward look to their consumers and have provided something completely innovative.  They transformed their company completely and created a brand name that can be related to almost ten items that a normal college student would have in their dorm room.  Their website and stores give a sort of fun play house of technology experience. Apple uses all their tools with social media to give their customers the ultimate experience to keep them as loyal customers as well as gaining insights on their market.  If anyone has mastered the art of social media and was able to take the most out of it, Apple would definitely take the cake.  They have on a mass scale penetrated every household with their name and paired a concept or idea with their name because of the experience they provide.

First word: Basketball

A device used in playing sports.  You throw it into a net.  It is a round ball, it can roll bounce and be thrown.  It is orange.  I used to play basketball in my driveway as a young child with my brother and father.

Second word: bicycle

You can ride this by pedaling.  I used to ride my bike as a child all the time in my neighborhood.  It was my mode of transportation to my piano classes.  It has two wheels. 

1. A bike with basketballs as the wheels for a children's toy bike.

2. Have the bike colored the same colors of a basketball.

3. Have the bike designed somewhat like a basketball. 

4. A clear basketball with a mini bike on the inside for decoration.

5. A bike with the basket shaped like a basketball

6. Have a bike with a basketball holder on it.

7. Install a basket on the bike for the ball to shoot through.

8. Basketball helmet

9. basketball designed safety gear.

10. New sport, basketball polo on bikes

I believe a childrens bike with wheels would be a viable product along with the safety gear.

Providing for the Market

The topic my team and I have picked was that of health. We created a persona of an individual (Chad Dylan) who is 24 and has graduated with a degree but has a foot in the door job for the field he is trying to get into. He is single and body conscious. Works out to get bigger and still carries the college mentality of partying and being social and a part of the scene. His lifestyle is hard to keep up with because of the lower income that he has acquired but would like to be more health conscious but does not see it as a top priority compared to finding the right job. This article describes a little about the thoughts of a college graduate on life after college and trying to get a job. You can get a feel for what they are thinking about and how health is not always the topic on their mind http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/retirement/recent-college-grads-cant-get-jobs-blame-the-parents/19430806/

I find our subject interesting because in a few years I will be in Chad Dylan’s shoes most likely and I will be living that lifestyle and trying to find a job. Health is also a concern and the research and outcome that comes from this project will better help me identify what I will encounter in the next few years. This is also a fantastic way to use the tools that we have gained in class to provide a marketing strategy for an innovative product that we as a team have to generate.

By looking at customer insights we can better take a look into their daily lives and find out what experiences they encounter. With this information, we as a team can take a closer look at the problems they encounter day in and day out within the health segment. The consumers are the ones buying the products so by taking a look at these factors we can better provide for their needs by observing their behaviors. I hope to find an effective way to make the lives of our target market easier in the aspect of eating healthy and being healthy conscious. Me and my team would like to provide convenience and better awareness about the topic to our market in hopes that we can devise an innovative product to provide for the needs of our market.

My day at my first Spa

I was a young 19-year-old girl when I experienced my first spa experience. It was the week of my birthday and I had no expectations for my birthday other than having a small dinner and then going dancing. I finished my last class of my Wednesday classes and I was surprised by one of my friends. He showed up in his car outside my class and asked me to get in. He had a surprise. I sat in the car in complete anxiousness as to what was going on and where we were going. We took a turn and slowly pulled up to a day spa. My face lit up and I couldn’t believe I would be going to a spa for the first time. As a young girl growing up I was more of a tomboy and did not pamper myself or take on my girly ways until college but I was still at a stage where I would never pay for such a service. I entered the spa and the experience began..

Walking in the office felt clean but comfortable. I was greeted very warmly and with smiles. Immediately I had a feeling of happiness and good service. A smile can go a long way and they are contagious. They lead me to a room and instructed me on the events of my plan that my friend had paid for. They gave me clear instructions and made sure I was comfortable to ask questions and not be afraid to put a request for anything I needed. Each step of the way I was given complete instructions and they were delivered in a relaxed manner in which I could understand easily. When a consumer feels comfortable with a product or service they are more likely to enjoy it. They are capable of laying back and not being tense or stressed. I had a three-step process at the spa.

The first step was to get a facial in which the employee had me relax. Once she noticed I would engage in conversation she made sure to engage in conversation with me. It made me more comfortable because silence between me and another person becomes awkward to me and she quickly realized to make me comfortable she has to talk to me. We had light conversation and she took great interest in all that I had to say and at the same time she made me feel completely relaxed. I then moved to the next stage in which I was given a full body massage. This was different the conversation was one sided and it was the employee educating me on the process she was performing and for what reasons. I learned a lot about my body and what type of products and oils she was using and it was nice to know as she went what the reasons behind the type of massage she was doing were for. The last stage was a manicure, which was the same with her informing on the process, but she also allowed for me to talk as well.

The overall experience was amazing. I had never experienced such a thing in my life! I loved it! A friend gave the pampering that I would have originally not even thought of to pay for to me. My mindset was thinking that I would be wasting money on something I would not take home with me but indeed I did. The experience left me relaxed and at ease. Today I would pay for a service like that because I have experienced it and I found it very beneficial.

Me, Myself and Monali

Today in our Customer Insights and Experiences class we learned a starting point for marketers to create a foundation on to begin the marketing process. This step pertains specifically to segmenting a market and being able to use that information to form a product or service to appeal to that target market. Developing a persona for your target market is very important. This gives the marketer a starting point to find out what type of product would make life easier for that segment of the market. In an attempt to create a better understanding of what a persona is, I have been asked to create one on myself. This process will allow you as the reader to understand my lifestyle and how you can generalize certain characteristics about me across a broader range of people.

As Wikipedia would say it:

“As used in the design field, the Persona is an artifact that consists of a narrative relating to a desired user or customer's daily behavior patterns, using specific details, not generalities.”

Me, Myself and Monali

Monali is a 22-year old University of Texas senior. She has a major in finance and a minor in fashion design but has a love for marketing. She is a creative mind waiting to burst out and show the world the innovation capabilities that she has but has not explored yet. Her parents were born in India and moved as a young couple to the U.S. She was born and raised in Texas but has the culture and ideals of both Indian and American culture. She is a bit of a free spirit and loves life to its fullest which brings out her creative side.

Hobbies such as sport, sewing, designing, drawing, painting, knitting, and craft making skills come naturally to her. She enjoys these activities as leisure activities giving her a chance to release her imaginative mind that is suppressed by the finance classes that are chose by her family. She is captain of her dance team and likes to combine her creativity and dance in one by combining music mixes, dance outfits, and choreography as an out to the hard life.

With this said she keeps computers that have software to mix music, design graphics, and provide applications to assess in school as important. An ipod and music download sites are a must. Materials needed to quench her thirst for the arts and sewing must be available for her to release any stress on. She needs her own room in her apartment but loves to share everything due to living in a big family. She is a very large socialite and must throw good parties and needs an apartment that brings friends to her place with games, nice furniture, and an atmosphere that keeps people coming in an out to visit. Catering to her friends is important so she is willing to out of her way to cook for people and provide to go boxes and uses a lot of tougher wear. Living with roommates her stuff clutters and space is important so managing everything in an organized way is difficult.

Overall she is a very talented person with great potential but needs direction and organization in life.

Product Design Example

Design Philosophy I believe is that of in depth research and experience.  Companies need to mold their products to what the consumers actually need.  By conducting research in person and online companies are better able to provide needs for consumers in a better effective way.  One example I have come across is with college students.  Companies found out what issues college students were having.  Heavy backpacks that were burdened with books and laptops that were bringing about harder days in class and problems with keeping all the materials together was a good issue to look at.  Apple decided that it would be great to research further into this issue.  When researchers take the time to physically observe issues occurring daily among multiple people they can identify a new opportunity for product design.

I have noticed that recently the IPAD has come out. It is known but never brought out that products need to be comfortable to consumers.  One product I have noticed that combines innovation and technology is the Apples IPAD.  The product is an excellent example of what innovation within a brand is.  It is basically an IPhone on protein shakes.  It combines all the capabilities of a computer and pairs it with a new look for what could be considered a computer or laptop.  It does have limited features to its size but it makes up for it with the software and technology that it does provide.  This product allows students to download their textbooks onto their IPAD and they would be able to bring it to class, the library, and various other places with ease.  This lightweight product condenses books, notes, papers, assignments and various other school related tasks into one device that is easy to transport and carry.

The product also completes the look that Apple gives its products.  It has a sleek soft look that is one of an IPhone but gives a comfort look to a new innovative product that has been released recently.  The features and how the touch screen positions its buttons provide an easy way to work the product.  A child would be able to use this product with ease as well as an adult.  The customization that it offers its clients makes the customers more comfortable with it adapting to their lifestyle and be able to use it their way efficiently.