Response to Douglas Sack

"Why do you think the Flip failed? Did you own a Flip? Are you still satisfied? What could Flip have done to survive?"

I recently recieved a Flip camcorder for Christmas, as well as an iPhone 4. I never really put much thought into which one would be the best investment until after reading Doug's post. If I were to pick one or the other I would absolutely choose the iPhone 4. Not only can it take video, it also has the capability of uploading it to Facebook or YouTube. I think this is one of the reasons the Flip is no longer selling. Like Doug said, it couldn't keep up with the changes in the marketplace. I will admit that I still use my Flip, however I find my phone to be more convenient to use. Instead of carrying around two pieces of electronics, I have everything on my phone. I think that if the Flip offered more features, such as a camera as well as video and uploading capabilities to other servers it might have had a better chance of survival. 


Did you ever think of purchasing a Flip? Why do you think they went from high popularity to barely sellable?

In The Spotlight: Facebook Studio

Facebook, as most know, is a social networking site for people to connect across the world. It has grown from a primarily, college based, website to much more. Nowadays, businesses are placing their advertisements on Facebook to hopefully attract new customers. New in the World Wide Web is a platform called "Facebook Studio." Here, marketers and business people alike can facilitate the sharing of ideas on certain marketing techniques pertaining to Facebook. To me, this creation is very beneficial for producers looking for feeback on their new ideas. It gives companies an incentive for using Facebook to display their products. An article I read quotes:

"By strengthening its relationship with ad agencies and teaching them how improve their results, Facebook hopes these agencies will push their brand clients to spend more on its marketing and advertising services."


Do you think this new platform will be a success? Will more people start displaying their ad campaigns on Facebook?

Response to Britney Perkins

"Do you think that that is a more ethical way of collecting the ZIP codes?  Would you volunteer that information if you were asked?"


Britney discussed, in her most recent blog, how companies have begun to use zip codes to find addresses and other forms of identification to use to their benefit. I agree with her, that I don't think zip codes are as big of a deal to give, as opposed to Social Security Numbers or actual addresses. I used to work at Abercrombie a few years ago and we were told to ask if the customer would like to give their zipcode. The reason for collecting these was to see where the most customers come from. This information is sent to Corporate headquarters and used to see where the new stores should be built. From the article that Britney read, it seems as if they are taking this too far. I give my zipcode at gas pumps when I use my card but other than that I usually say no thank you when I am at a retail store. Do you think some places shouldn't be allowed to ask for your zipcode?

Kindle price, slowly declining

Amazon just announced that it is going to decrease the price of the Kindle Reader $25. It now will sell for only $114. The catch to this deal is that with the decline in price, will come advertisements attached to the bottom. I think this idea is going to make sales boost a lot for the Kindle Reader. As the price keeps going down, consumers will be better opt to make the purchase which will then lead to them buying the books. This is an example of captive pricing, the basic product in a product line is priced low so more people will be opt to buy it as opposed to a competitive product. I think the books is where they get the most sales anyways. Also, by adding the advertisements to the bottom, it will hopefully generate more sales for Amazon as well. An article I found on cnbc.com states:


"There's been some rumors that they may even offer it for free even with Prime members," Kessler said. "I think we're heading for sub-$100 price points for e-readers."


If it does eventually reach below $100, or become free, do you think this will generate more profit or do you think the Kindle Reader will be on the decline?

Response to Erik Bergstrom

"StumbleUpon, although almost random, is better than search engines. It shows pages that wouldn't normally come up in a search, at least not in the first page. Mastering the ability to use Stumble Upon is a very valuable tool for Marketers. Check it out. Do you agree?"

I too recently 'stumbled upon' this webpage. I agree with Erik, that it is a very good marketing tool for websites that are new and trying to become popular. You can filter the type of information you are interested in coming across and can choose to 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down' a site when they feed it to you. I think this is good for people who are only looking for certain types of websites to read. When you 'thumbs down' a site, it remembers that and doesn't show you any similar ones since you weren't particularly fond of it. I don't however think that this site is better than a search engine per say, because people typically use search engines when they need a particular website. StumbleUpon doesn't allow you to search for things, it more or less randomly chooses websites for you. I think StumbleUpon is more for someone who has the time to go through the websites that it randomly gives you. Check it out! i have found some very interesting and fun things while "stumbling."

Pandora Radio: Safe or Unsafe?

Pandora Radio is a popular and widely used application used on smartphones and internet browsers across America. This radio services allows users to search by artist, song or genre and it will coordinate a set of tracks similar to your search. How safe is Pandora radio, however, with our information? A recent article from the NY Times states (view article):

"The online radio service Pandora has received a subpoena from a federal grand jury investigating whether popular smartphone applications share information about their users with advertisers and other third parties."

What exactly does this mean, you ask? Pandora uses our information and delivers it to other companies to track how we interact with the service for advertising purposes. This type of issue seems to be coming up in other sites that we use frequently. The FTC is proposing a "DO NOT TRACK" tool so users will not have their information shared. I think this goes to show how unsafe the internet really is. One minute, a new innovative product or service is being discovered and the next, information is being passed back and forth that hasn't been agreed upon.

What is your opinion? Is this sharing of personal information going too far? Or, is it okay for companies to do without our consent?

Response to Dale Aubin

"Most people will be using the internet more and more so its time to really make sure that your firm has the most information into the world of online advertising and you will have a really good shot in the future. Do you agree with this or do you think that there is limited future in online advertising?"


I certainly agree that companies should advertise alot of their products and services online, however I think they should continue to market in other ways as well. Like Dale said, technology is advancing at a very rapid pace and companies are trying to keep up with it as best as they can. I think that advertising on Facebook is becoming more and more popular nowadays. Facebook uses a technique that they can actually tell what you have previously searched the web for. When they find out this information they post websites on the side of your "Facebook Wall" to coincide with those interests. This is a good technique to get new products out in the open if people are unfamiliar with them. Although I completely agree with online advertising I think Television, Newspapers, Magazines and Billboards are all still very good ways. By having a variety, it allows you to show your company to all types of people in the market! 


What other types of online ad's do you think are becoming more widely used?

Starbucks and Keurig team up!

I recently read an article that I found very interesting regarding a new partnership. The ever so popular "Keurig" coffee just created a deal with Starbucks to sell their coffee. After hearing this, my initial reaction was why would Green Mountain do such a thing? I thought that would hurt the sales of Green Mountain coffee flavors but the stock market thought differently. Turns out stock prices jumped 41 percent after this news broke out. 

"Green Mountain has now secured partnerships with almost every major coffee brand in the country" (Boston Globe).


 After finishing this article, I realized what a good marketing plan this was. Why not make a deal to sell one of the most popular coffee brands in one of the most used coffee makers? This is going to benefit both Starbucks and Green Mountain and I think they will see tremendous profits as their outcome. Do you agree that this is a good idea, or do you think one of these companys will hurt in the long run?



Source: Green Mountain and Starbucks- Boston Globe

Response to Chris Cheever

Recently Apple launched their iPad 2 which Steve Jobs appearing briefly from his medical leave. An article from cnbc.com stated that "Shares of Apple jumped immediately following reports of Job's presence...Now my question is are these corporate and technological geniuses over idolized? Or are people not looking past the face of these companies?


I personally feel, that Steve Jobs deserves to be idolized as much as he is. He is the creator and genius, among other things, for creating all of these Apple products. Now I agree that he is not the ONLY sole important figure to the company, I do think that he is a billionaire for a reason. People have been investing their money into the stock market, buying shares of Apple because they see success. When news headlines flash saying he is ill, they immediately sell their stock. I recently learned in my Financial Management class that the stock market mirrors the economy. If people are spending hundreds of dollars a share for Apple, they are willing to make the risk of it failing. When CNBC says that Job's is present again in the company, it shows stockholders that the creative genius behind the iPad and iPhone is back in action!

THE OVER$PENT AMERICAN

We recently watched a movie titled "The Overspent American" in our Marketing class. The movie, in summary, described the economy as "money hungry" and how everyone strives to be the best in the community.


What are the latest items of conspicuous consumption today? Do we see a continuing trend in what the video identifies as the “overspent American”? How does marketing today play a role in these trends today?

Lately, the biggest thing that America has been spending their money on is Apple products. The iPad, iPhone and even MacBook have all been a growing interest for consumers. Americans across the United States are making these luxury purchases, regardless if they have the money or not. The film discussed how consumers used to not be as competitive and used to purchase luxury items only if they had the money. Nowadays, everyone is competing left and right for the biggest house, biggest car and best clothing. This is causing credit card debt to sky rocket. Marketing today plays a very crucial role in Americans wanting to look the best. In previous years, very little if any, clothing had labels on the outside. Now, everywhere you look teenagers and adults are wearing major designers. The movie described a time that they took 3 of the same t-shirt and put 3 different labels on the outside. They asked consumers to put the t-shirts in order by quality. Instead of realizing that they were all created the same, the consumers ranked them in order of popularity, with Polo being first and Lands End being last. This is a technique that marketers use to get their products into the hands of America. Many people will only buy a certain brand of clothing, car or electronic, regardless of the price. All of this has been causing massive amounts of debt and competition like no other. 


What are your views on consumers "over spending"?

Response to Ashley Guidi

Ashley stated in her recent blog post:

"If we all took the time to question how often we go in to the store with a set list of items and actually stick to it, without grabbing that extra, "special buy", i think we would find that we buy a lot more than we actually need.

How often do you go into a supermarket and buy exactly what you need?"

I find this to be a very interesting question. My mother goes grocery shopping as much as twice a week sometimes and I always find her coming home with so much more than she went in to get. After reading Ashley's blog, I found a few points to be very interesting. She said that grocery stores put the most attractive products for children on the lower level so the little children are at eye level. I can remember back to when I was younger always begging my mom to get certain things. I think this is a good marketing technique for the grocery stores to use because if every customer purchases a few extras they can certainly generate alot of profit after just one day. I try and go into the grocery store with a full stomach because I find that I will purchase things that I want at that specific time. I think it is hard for people to stick to their lists because they'll see certain things on sale and it will trigger a new meal idea for the week. Once that idea pops into their head, they will need to find all of the other ingredients to make the meal and soon enough they have purchased 5 extra things! Another point that Ashley made was that there is always a display of candy and magazines at the cash register. People will just grab a pack of gum or a magazine and there's another $2. dollars. If you multiply that by 250 customers a day thats an additional $500 of revenue!

Segments of Windham, NH

I recently typed the zip code of my hometown, Windham NH, into "MyBestSegments" to see what types of variables and segments make up my town. The two that stood out the most and that I agreed with are: 

"Big Fish, Small Pond"

Older, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often among the leading citizens of their small-town communities. These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, including belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios, and spending freely on computer technology. "Country Squires" The wealthiest residents in exurban America live in Country Squires, an oasis for affluent Baby Boomers who've fled the city for the charms of small-town living. In their bucolic communities noted for their recently built homes on sprawling properties, the families of executives live in six-figure comfort. Country Squires enjoy country club sports like golf, tennis, and swimming as well as skiing, boating, and biking. I agree with these two segments because Windham is a very small and mostly residential with a fairly small population. For the people that live here, I see them being on the upscale side because Windham has the highest per capita income in New Hampshire. My family also lives on a golf course so I can relating to "belonging to a country club." Also, many of the businesses that are part of Windham are very small and can fit in with the "country" atmosphere that they describe. We recently built a Shaw's Supermarket and a Dunkin Donuts Coffee shop, but besides that, the shops and restaurants are mostly family owned or sole proprietorships. What does MyBestSegments say about your hometown?

Response to Kristen Begin

JC Penney, through catalog sales totaled $454 million in 2010, they recently cancelled their catalog distribution.  They expect sales to grow at a slower rate because of their decision.  Is this something JC Penney is doing to be more environmentally conscious; perhaps to appeal to more customers?  


JC Penney is a very successful company. They have stores all across the United States and have a clear indication of profit within the company. I think this decision to cancel catalog distribution is a well thought out idea. I think it definitely has to do with being more environmentally conscious and wanting to save money having to create those catalogs. Nowadays, a lot of shopping is done online, which is another reason JC Penny has updated their website. I think the cancelling of the catalog, and updating of their website will have a direct effect on their profits within the company. I feel as thought, customers will spend more time searching online for products as opposed to flipping through a catalog in the mail. 

Taco Bell Tacos: Beefy Enough?!

Taco Bell is currently holding a discount for their signature Crunchwrap Supreme, pricing it at $0.88, from $2.39 until March 5, 2011. What is the reason behind this major promotion? Marketing experts are saying that Taco Bell customers have been claiming that their menu items contain more filler than they do beef. In response to a lawsuit filed by a woman in January, claiming her taco wasn't sufficient, the chain has been fighting to market their restaurant. The Wall Street Journal Quotes:

"Starting this week, Taco Bell will air television commercials, radio spots and other ads featuring franchisees and employees talking about the makeup of its taco filling. In one ad, an employee says, "Our seasoned beef is 88% premium ground beef and 12% signature recipe. If you want to see that signature recipe, go to tacobell.com. It's right there."


How exactly is this lawsuit going to affect the fast food chain? In my opinion, not by much. Taco Bell is popular across the United States and I don't think a few complaining customers are going to affect the sales of the company that drastically. Taco Bell is doing the right thing, however, by proving themselves to the customers. In one video on YouTube, Taco Bell President Greg Creed tells customers that only 12% of the menu item is actually made up of seasonings and flavors. They stand strong beside the ingredients in hopes to "wow" customers back to their food chain.


Do you think this lawsuit, or any other complaints about Taco Bell, will sufficiently affect their profits? Check out the story behind the beef here!

Response to Paige Culveyhouse

 I does make me wonder though, why is the fact that the Coca-Cola recipe is such a big deal? Don’t all vendors want to keep what makes their product special, top secret so it cannot be duplicated?




I agree with Paige regarding the Coca-Cola recipe. In summary, she describes how Coke has this "special" and "mysterious" recipe that no one will ever come up with. Ever since Coca-Cola came to be, this has always been part of their company. The fact that no one knows what ingredients go into this popular beverage, makes it so interesting. My question is, why is it such a big deal with Coke? Every product around has their own recipes for things but it have never grown to be such an ordeal, as it has with Coca-Cola products. A similar situation as this one, is with the Big Mac sauce from McDonald's. Supposedly no one knows this magical sauce recipe. Some say it is a mixture of ketchup, mustard and relish but to me, it never tastes the same. This is what makes products so diverse in nature. Each one has their own recipes that makes them number 1 in the industry. Why do you think it's so hard to decipher with Coca- Cola?

Whole Foods Market: Socially Responsible

Whole Foods Market is known for their high quality food and their employee-customer relationship. But, what is it that makes them so much different than an ordinary supermarket?

1.Whole Foods is one of the most socially responsible companies I know of. They strive to put the customers first in every situation. By satisfying the customers, they are able to satisfy the other stakeholders of the company. Their employees are another example of good treatment.

2. Every employee is important to the company as a whole. They get together weekly to discuss problems, improvements or other various ideas for the growing supermarket. They treat every employee like the others. Everyone has access to all of the annual figures because they believe everyone deserves a right to know.

3. Finally, the environment is one of the most important aspects to this company. They support organic agriculture and are against animal abuse. No matter the cost, Whole Foods uses the most of its resources to provide the freshest foods for all of its customers. They also like to play a large role in the community and contribute a percentage of their profits to non profit organizations in the environment.

Have any of you ever been to a Whole Foods Market? Do you see this company acting as socially responsible as they say?

Response to Erica Murray

"Do you think the taller and skinnier can is contributing to a negative portrayal of body image?"

I think that Pepsi went about this new design the wrong way. Like Erica said, they are creating this new "skinny" can as a celebration of beautiful, confident women. This is just as bad as saying that ONLY "skinny" women are beautiful, which is absolutely incorrect. If they created a slogan that was a lot less degrading then I think it would have been okay. I think a slogan aiming at less sugar intake would have generated more sales. I found an article about this controversy and it quotes "Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today's most stylish looks, and we're excited to throw its coming-out party during the biggest celebration of innovative design in the world," Jill Beraud, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo said in a statement. (charlotteobserver.com). In my opinion, the marketing of this product was very poorly chosen and I think a lot of people were offended.

Read more: Charlotte Observer: New "Skinny" Pepsi Can

Groupon Advertisements: Crossing The Line? Or Creative?

Have any of you ever heard of Groupon? It is a website aimed at promoting "deal-of-the-day." You type in the closest major city to you and you can purchase a certain "deal," which leads to major savings. I recently heard of Groupon after viewing three very different commercials. These commercials were aired during the Superbowl and viewed by ALOT of people. Ever since, there has been a lot of controversy. These ads ranged from deforestation to the poverty in Tibet. The commercials made mockeries of those situations and ended by promoting a deal. I wonder if Groupon was really aiming for all of this attention in the first place. Companies only get 30 seconds of fame during the Superbowl, so they have to do what it takes to stand out. The controversy is whether this ruined the Groupon name or if it is actually helping them generate sales. In my personal opinion, people are very clearly talking about this controversy, which will lead them to the companies website. I believe they have a mission accomplished: people know about them now. Whether it is a good advertisement or a negative one, they were able to generate commotion. What do you think? After watching the three commercials below, do you think they crossed the line? Or were they creative with their mockery?

In response to Britney Perkins

"Take the test, look at the profile, and let me know what you think.  Were the results true to you?  Do you think that this is an accurate way for companies to screen their applicants?  Were any of the attributes in your profile things that would be helpful in a Marketing career?"

The test that Britney is referring to is the Myers Briggs Personality Test. In a quick synopsis, this test is designed ask you questions and to find the 4 letter combination which results in your "personality profile." I agree with a lot of what Britney said. This test is being used very frequently among businesses when hiring prospective employees. I think this is a very good tool to add on to an interview, application and possibly recommendations. I don't however, think it should be the only form of information to base your decision off of. I took the test and my results yielded 'ENFJ.' After reading the summary of what those letters stand for I saw a direct coorelation to my personality. I think this is a very unique test in that it really helps define the type of person you are. This is beneficial to employers because they will see if those are the qualities that they want in a worker, and be able to find a position that will need their strengths.


Although I see this as a good test, I do see some things that are not included in the results. For this reason, I think there should be other aspects to include when hiring somebody. This test doesn't measure things such as psychiatric history, skills that would qualify one for a position or how one works under stress. I think paired with an interview and letters of recommendation, you will get a better picture of the type of person applying for the job. What was your personality profile? Does it match what you bring to your current or previous job?

Competition between car manufacturers during Superbowl 2011

Millions across the United States watch the Superbowl for not only the football game, but to rate the commercials. From this years Superbowl, which aired on February 6 2011, you wouldn't have even guessed that the car industry had previously declined. There were commercials for many various car manufacturers: from GM to BMW. My question to you is, how effective do you think these Superbowl commercials really are for car manufacturers?

Let me lay the figures out for you. It costs anywhere between $2 and $3 million dollars just for a 30 second commercial. With the economy on the upturn, do you think people are really in the market for buying a brand new Mercedes? In my opinion, no. I saw various commercials for different cars so I'm wondering how the competition effects buyers decisions. This is an article I found that compared the effectiveness of each car commercial. http://www.carsdirect.com/automotive-news/2011-superbowl-car-commercials. They quote:

"Of course, shelling out the money to purchase the airtime is only one half of the equation. The next step is to create a compelling commercial that is able to communicate the value and feeling of the brand in a short period of time. Whether it's through humor, playfulness, nostalgia, sexiness, visual inventiveness, music, or celebrity endorsements, each brand tried to get their message across to consumers in the most efficient way possible. Whether they succeed or not is another story."

There is a very large competition between brands during the Superbowl each year, but I have come to realize that car manufacturers have the biggest! Having only 30 seconds of fame, I can imagine how hard it is to get your selling point across. One of the commercials that stood out the most to me, and I can imagine it did to others, was the Volkswagen commercial with Darth Vader. It can be seen below. I wasn't aware this was even a car commercial until halfway into it. The music made you tune in until you knew exactly what it was for. What car commercial do you think stood out the most?

Response to Aubrey Menegus

"So should companies even be able to use social networks to dig up dirt on people or in a positive way to see how well people can use social networking? How much information do you put up about yourself on the internet?"


Aubrey makes a very good observation about how prospective employers view Facebook before hiring a candidate. In my opinion, if someone is going to post "partying" pictures on the Internet then they are up for viewing. Facebook and other forms of social networking are the growing phenomenon. Employers have the right to look at the job candidates Facebook pages before making a decision on who to hire. Like Aubrey says, there are privacy settings so that you can decide how much of your profile you want shown to the public. I don't fully trust the people that are on the internet so I only accept people that I am friends with. I also don't have anything on my page that I wouldn't want my Boss to see. The internet is a very large, growing, and dangerous place. You should never put something out there that demeans you in any way. 

iPhone: Large and In Charge

Apple has always been top notch in electronics since they came out with the original ipod in 2007. I recently purchased an iPhone and have had nothing less than perfect service. What sets the iPhone out from  all other "Smart phones," is its innovative and convenient technology. Do you need to look up the weather? Get driving directions? Or check your email? The iPhone has it all! How exactly did the iPhone rake in all of it's sales? The answer is outlined in the marketing plan. 

The first decision that Apple needed to come up with is who do they want to buy this product? The iPhone is so diverse that it is popular to all ages and professions from business people to college students. There are "apps" that fit everyone. The next decision that they had to decide was what price should we sell it at to make a profit? The iPhone is priced right now around $350. For all that it offers, I find this to be a very reasonable price. Originally, it was only offered to AT&T customers. However, as of February 10, 2011 it will be available to Verizon as well. Next, Apple created commercials and ads to promote the phone to the public, which are shown here. A recent article I found says that

"Advertising will be appearing on a regular basis to maintain general public awareness and communicate various differentiation messages to several targeted groups" (Maxwell, Colleen). 

Apple strives to be the best, like many of its competing companies. The major way it stands out is its customer relationship management. They use research and surveys to make sure they are always meeting customer needs. From experience, I can say that Apple has always been readily available if any of its products break or aren't working. Overall, the iPhone has been a very successful product in the cellphone market and is a good example of how a marketing plan is implemented. Do you all agree or see any other part of Apple's marketing strategies that stand out?

Response to Laurie Whalen

"Price: Companies are always trying to pay the minimum that they can for their labor. As a new employee, do not assume that you deserve the least amount. If you have a hunch that the employer is not going to pay you as much as you deserve, then do not take the job."

Price is most certainly, one of the most crucial "P's" in the marketing mix. It is the sole reason that we go out and get ourselves jobs in the first place. Price is the exchange of money for our services. When applying for a job, I agree, that it is very important to get an idea of what you will be paid. I think that most first time jobs start you off at minimum wage, however, it is important that you have room to grow. I also agree that if you don't see that growth or promotion in your future, you might want to reconsider taking the job. A lot of times people will be afraid to ask for a pay raise, when in reality, they deserve it.

How to market yourself when job seeking

The marketing mix as I described in my first blog "Differences between marketing, advertising and propaganda," is a mix of the 4 P's of marketing. This mix helps decide what type of element to use and in what amount. What are the 4 P's again? They include Product, Place, Promotion and Price. This marketing mix is the most useful tool in your job search to sell yourself to the employer. You want to be the best candidate for the position and it is the job of the marketing mix to help distinguish you from the others.


The job seeker is the Product when it comes to finding a job. Quality is the first step that you want to display to the future employer. You want to tell him your strengths so that he is aware of how you will fit into the position available. In order to connect with he company, you should know a little history about it and what the position entails. This will give you a step up when competing with the other candidates. 


Place is the next selling point in the interview. Tell the boss your schedule so that he knows your availability and how much you are willing to work. Place also involves a commute to work so make sure your geographical terms are reasonable. If the company is too far from your home, will your salary/pay be able to cover that drive everyday? 


The third aspect of getting a job is Promoting yourself. You want the interviewer to know your best qualities. Make yourself presentable and dress the best you can. Always have a smile on your face and prove to him/her that you WANT this job. Make sure you always ask questions. This shows that you are very interested in the position that you are willing to learn more about it.


Lastly, be able to Price yourself. If the interviewer asks what type of wage you expect, unless it is a specialized position, give a reasonably pay rate...one you think you deserve. Price is an exchange for your service to the company so make sure both parties are being fair when coming up with that wage. If the interviewer gives a much lower price than you expect, maybe the job isn't right for you. However, if you think you can work your way up the latter, set goals for yourself and one day you will get promoted. 

Response to Kayle Crowley

"Propaganda is something that was very prevalent in the 1940's when WWII was going on. This way of marketing an idea, is told with misinformation about the truth.  Propaganda is usually political and is meant to try and lie about the other side and make them look bad. This is an example of propaganda from long ago, do we still see propaganda today?"

I agree with your view on what propaganda is. In my opinion, propaganda is also negative views about a particular idea, product or anything in society. Most of the time propaganda is aimed at certain political groups and was present a lot of times back during war time (WWI and WWII). The idea behind propaganda ads and posters is to influence the ideas and views that the rest of society has. In answer to your question, yes I do believe there is still propaganda today. These two political posters exemplify two different views of the last election we had. One view is for the Democratic side, saying that John McCain isn't fit for president and the other view is the Republican side, taking a dig at Barack Obama. I think that we will always see propaganda. Many people have very strong views about a subject matter that they hope can influence others in society.

Differences between "Marketing," "Advertising," and "Propaganda"

When comparing marketing, advertising and propaganda one may think that they mean the exact same thing. These three things all fall under the category of promotion, however still have their differences. 

Have you ever thought about how much work it takes to get a product into the stores? Marketing is a form of promotion that is involved in this process. Marketers set prices, and find the best ways and strategies to distribute their products. This image to the right, in my opinion, is a perfect example of everything that makes up the term “marketing.” This cluster is called a marketing mix and includes every decision that one would have to make as a product marketer. These “4 P’s” outline decisions such as packaging, retail price, order processing, and advertising.

Advertising is a major form of marketing because it is a primary reason in why people will buy something. An advertisement is a method of promotion that is usually in the form of a commercial, billboard or magazine. Advertisements show a product in an appealing way in hopes that people will go out and buy it. Look at this image to the left. This advertisement has been on the television recently and shows a “special” going on at Burger King. It shows two chicken sandwiches which look alluring to eat and can be purchased at a low price. Advertising for a product can also be shown through propaganda.

Advertisements and Propaganda both aim to sell a certain product. Propaganda however, uses a different approach. Take this "Mozilla" advertisement, for example. This is showing a negative connotation for Internet Explorer. Unlike an advertisement, which promotes a product directly to consumers, propaganda hopes to change people’s views in order to get them to buy something else. One major difference between advertising and propaganda is that propaganda is typically used to support different causes or used in politics.