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.