Week 10 EOC: Benefits vs. Features

Champ's Breadsticks

The features of the Champ's Breadsticks includes a buttery, crunchy, breadstick that has a light hint of scallions.  It is a nod to the traditional Irish potato dish with a similar name, Champs.

The benefits of the Champ's Breadsticks is that it pairs very well with many of the Irish lagers, such as Harp.  The crisp refreshing Harp brings out the natural and comforting taste in the Champ's Breadsticks.

Final Project: Implementation Evaluation Control

"Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 55)  Phileas Fogg Snacks will implement the snack making process by working with local farmers and growers to get reasonably priced ingredients for the snacks.  Having a cost efficient  location to produce the snacks and package them would be the next step.  Distributing and selling the snacks would be the final step in implementing the Champ's Irish Breadsticks production.

Once the Champ's Irish Breadsticks have been produced and distributed an evaluation must take place.  Not only from within the company and that outside sources, but from the customer as well. "In the evaluation stage, the consumer ranks brands and forms purchase intentions." Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 154)

Final Project: Price

"When introducing new products, it’s usually not easy to determine at what price it should be offered. At the very least, however, a marketer must understand the costs associated with producing the product and set the price at some level above those costs."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 271)  Champ's Irish Breadsticks will be priced at $3.99 per package.  This price should be acceptable to the target customer, because they are most likely already spending anywhere from $8.00 to $15.00 per cocktail or high-end beer anyways.  There is a great value in this pricing choice, because they are paying a little extra for something that is quality made and produced. "In the end, the customer will decide whether a product’s price is right." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 276)

Final Project: Promotion

"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 54)  With today's technology driven society, promoting the Champ's Irish Breadsticks can come very easily.  There are such social media platforms as Facebook, Twitter and even company websites that can make promoting the Phileas Fogg Snacks very simple.  It is also important to keep in mind that promoting via commercials and even billboards can be very effective.  Cross-branding could be very helpful in this situation as long as it is executed properly.  For example, if a partnership were to be formed between Guiness and Phileas Fogg Snacks for the Champ's Irish Breadsticks, it could be promote both products and increase profits.  It would make the Champ's Irish Breadsticks become more well known, because it would be paired with such an iconic Irish beer.  "Retailers use any or all of the promotion tools—advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing—to reach consumers. They advertise in newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and on the Internet. Advertising may be supported by newspaper inserts, catalogs, and direct mail." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 358)

Final Project: Distribution

"Distribution channel decisions often involve long-term commitments to other firms." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 312)  In order to deliver the Phileas Fogg snacks, it is important to build potential partnership with other distribution company's.  Such as a beer company that would be making deliveries on a regular basis to the target properties and establishments of the Champs' Irish Breadsticks cliental.  "Distribution channels are more than simple collections of firms tied together by various flows. They are complex behavioral systems in which people and companies interact to accomplish individual, company, and channel goals. " (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 314)  By developing these relationships with the other distributors, we will create a very informative system and team that works together to accomplish not only the goals of the individual companies, but also the work flow and business of the distribution channel as a whole.

Final Project: Product

Champ's Irish Breadsticks are two crunchy and very flavorful breadsticks that come in 2.5oz serving size.  Champ's are inspired by the traditional Irish potato dish with the same name.  They are made with a potato flour, fresh scallions, butter, salt and pepper.  They have a very distinct and satisfying taste.  They pair nicely with Irish whiskeys such as Bushmill's, as well as Irish beers like Guiness and Kilkenny's. "Customers want the product and service to be as conveniently available as possible." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 54). Champ's Irish Breadsticks are ideal for sharing a light snack while socializing at a nice bar with friends.  They are great for a quick bite without having to go through the trouble of ordering too much food.  The fact that they pair well with traditional Irish alcohols makes them ideal for a higher end establishment to have in stock.
"The idea that consumers will favor products that offer the most quality, performance, and features and that the organization should therefore devote its energy to making continuous product improvements."
(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 10) 
The packaging is inspired by the Irish flag.  It will consist of the green, white and orange that makes the Irish flag so recognizable.  The packaging will also picture Champ's Irish Breadsticks and Phileas Fogg.

 
 

 

   

Final Project: SWOT Ananlysis

"SWOT analysis - An overall evaluation of the company’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)." (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong and Kolter, page 55)  At Phileas Fogg Snacks, our strengths include a uniqueness in our products.  Champ's Irish Bread-sticks can be paired with many great drinks.  Our snacks are geared more to an adult demographic, which makes them great for being purchased with adult beverages in more adult atmospheres.  Weaknesses may include the fact that they may not pair well with all adult beverages because of the very specific Irish qualities.  They are also a little on the pricier side.  However, we have the opportunity to be featured in some great bars and establishments across the world, instead of just a grocery store as an off the wall snack that could be easily associated with such snacks as chips and pretzels for sporting events or family BBQ's. Threats could include potential competition with similar high end snack foods, as well as, the competition with the products of lesser quality and price due to people being more conscious of their spending.  It is important to work through a SWOT analysis, like the one above. "Strengths include internal capabilities, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives. Weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the company’s performance. Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage. And threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance." (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong and Kolter, page 55)

Week 8 EOC: The Adventure

One dreary afternoon, while adventuring around the world in eighty days, I, Phileas Fogg,  was traveling high above the vast green valleys of Ireland in my hot air balloon.  While enjoying the scenery from above, I noticed something strange below.  I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I could clearly see that there was trouble in a small village not to far away.  Once I grabbed my telescope, I could see that the town was being ransacked by a band of thieves.  Before I knew it, the thieves had spotted me as well and they began firing arrows at the hot air balloon. Next thing I knew, my balloon was making a fast decent in to the village, so I prepared myself for the impact and tried to take out as many of the thieves as I could using a bow and arrows of my own that I had picked up during my travels.  I managed to take out six of the men before tumbling along with the balloon into a large crowd of the other thieves.  Upon collecting myself, I realized that I had managed to knock out most of the remaining thieves and scare the rest away.  While I tried to pick myself up and dust myself off, I realized that I had been crunching something rather tasty around in my mouth.  I looked down to notice a broken basket of delicious buttery and crunchy breadsticsk lying on the rubble of my hot air balloon with just a small bite taken out of one.  On the moment of impact, I must have tumbled across the basket and caught a bite.  When I asked the villagers what it was I was eating, they chuckled because of the irony and simply shouted a "Champs Breadstick!"

 

Final Project: Target Market Strategy

"Marketing, alone, can’t create superior customer value. Under the companywide strategic plan, marketers must work closely with other departments to form an effective internal company value chain and then must work with other companies in the marketing system to create an overall external value delivery network that jointly serves customers." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter. page 47)  Phileas Fogg Snacks believes that it is very important to build and maintain a strong relationship with all of our internal and external departments in order to form an effective network that meets not only our own expectations, but the customer's expectations as well.  "The marketing logic by which the company hopes to create customer value and achieve profitable customer relationships." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter. page 49)  In today's market with all of the technology at our finger tips, it is easy to explore different marketing outlets such as social media.  Networking through Facebook, Twitter and even blogs is a great way to hit your target market.  At Phileas Fogg Snacks we hope to gather snack lovers and foodies alike through our rising network and keep the valued relationships as well.

Final Project: Objectives

"In evaluating different market segments, a firm must look at three factors: segment size and growth, segment structural attractiveness, and company objectives and resources." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 186) At Phileas Fogg Snacks our objective is to create a satisfying and high-end snack that is easily  paired with the world's finest bars and beverages.  Each step that we take to ensure the quality of our product fulfills an objective.  From the ingredients and where they come from, to distribution and pricing.  The structure of our organization is key to providing growth within our product and company, as well as the relationships with the customers.  "Product line length is influenced by company objectives and resources." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, page 219)

Final Project: Business Mission Statement

"A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an “invisible hand” that guides people in the organization."(Marketing: An Introduction, Gary Armstrong, page 39) At Phileas Fogg, our main priority is the customer.  We strive to produce a fine, reasonably priced, and natural product that consumers will enjoy with the finest of friends and families across Ireland and the globe.  It is our mission to maintain a high level of quality and value with all of our delicious snack foods. The customers satisfaction with our products and services will help continue to build and maintain the valued relationships we have with each and every customer. "Mission statements should be meaningful and specific yet motivating. They should emphasize the company’s strengths in the marketplace." (Marketing: An Introduction, Gary Armstrong, page 41)

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

Ireland's Champ Bread Sticks
Made from the traditional Irish potato dish, Champs.
A crunchy breadstick, made of potato flour and flavored with delicious scallions, butter and salt and pepper.

We begin with Phileas Fogg in his hot air balloon, floating high above Ireland.  He sees a brawl of sorts below.  Soon he is discovered from some of the towns people below and is shot down.  Phileas Fogg of course fights back.  He later "stumbles" upon the Champ's Irish Breadsticks.

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

Product 1:  Rockstar Energy Drink

Although I understand exactly how bad these can be for my health, it is absolutely something I have to have everyday.  I love the taste and the little burst of energy that these energy drinks give me.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am likely to have a Rockstar in my hand at some point throughout the day.  I thinks these are a reflection on who I am just for the simple fact that I have those random bursts of energy at any given point in the day because, I need to be able to keep up with my children and my lifestyle.  On the flip side, I am finding that I have a major urge to be healthier and after kicking my smoking habit at the beginning of the year, these are on the list of things I am choosing to give up soon.

Product 2:  Coach Glasses

Sunglasses are something that I have to have.  I am not comfortable driving without them or even taking the trash outside or checking the mail without them.  Glasses are something that I am willing to spend a lot of money on, because I will get my moneys worth out of them.  My last pair of glasses lasted me nearly 10 years and that was after two of my kids ripping the arms off and snapping them in half.  I repaired them and still wore them until I found something I loved, my Coach glasses.  Coach is one of my favorite brands.  Not only do I have the glasses, but I also have 4 purses, 3 wallets and a watch.  They are an affordable luxury and I love all my Coach products.

Product 3:  Beckham Perfume

When it comes to perfume I am a picky girl.  I am not into overly flowery scents and frankly, they give me headaches.  However, I really love the Intimately Beckham fragrance by Victoria Beckham.  I smells really nice, but it is subtle enough that I don't feel overwhelmed by the smell.  Not only that, my husband really loves the smell and I always have him in mind when I purchase anything that makes me feel more attractive.  Again, this is an affordable luxury for me, because it isn't entirely on the pricey side, yet it is a well known brand. 

I think that the products above describe me as having a somewhat expensive taste, but an expensive taste that can be reasonable and low key.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

Social networking, although a relatively new concept, has taken the world by storm.  Not only is it a way to keep in touch and communicate with friends and family across the globe, it is a great way to influence people with products and services, as well as seek out employment and/or employees. Facebook alone has more than 750 million users.  That means a lot of eyes to potentially view something that you want to public to see.  For example, more and more job recruiters are using social networking sites like Facebook to look for potentially qualified employees.

"Facebook's use as a job-recruitment tool remains small, but its appeal may be growing. Some recruiters say they have all but eliminated their spending on job boards, which can charge a few hundred dollars per job posting, depending on volume. Others note that while LinkedIn contains a more comprehensive résumé database, candidates tend to value referrals from their connections on Facebook more."




Job Recruiters Turn to Facebook to Find Candidates - WSJ.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903885604576490763

  Facebook is also a great way to reach customers.  One of the best marketing tools is "word of mouth."  As a group we want to know what our friends, family and peers think of a product or service before we make a decision to purchase anything.  One of the ways company's are accomplishing this is to use Brand Ambassadors. "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." Marketing: An Introduction

Social networking sites have now made their way into the marketing world in a way they may not have even realized was possible only a few short years ago.

Week 4 EOC: Business to Business Buying

One of the most important aspects to running a successful business is to understand business to business buying.  In a lot of ways business markets are very similar to to consumer markets.  They are both seeking a need for goods, services or products and they research to find the best possible way to obtain those things.  Sometimes the research involves better pricing and often times it involves a better relationship that can be maintained over time to run successful businesses.  Business to business marketers must understand the buyer behavior and the markets that they are dealing with at any given time. 

For example: "
GoToMeeting are a great example of how B2B content marketing doesn’t just mean sharing your own content. Talking about meetings all the time could get very boring very quickly, so GoToMeeting generally talk about working together and working better.
This is a great way to stay active in your client’s Twitter feed and stay interesting." http://www.cmo.com/content/cmo-com/home/articles/2013/3/2/_5_examples_of_great.frame.html

Twitter and GoToMeeting is just one example of how business to business marketing can work. 

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

Have you ever wondered what demographic category that you may fall under?  Well I have and I recently learned that my demographic category is called Generation Y.  We are a group born between the years 1977 and 1994.  I have also learned that we are part of the second largest generation next to the Baby Boomers. We were the kids who grew up seeing it all.  From rapid technology growth, to single parents, and even some major world events.  Our generation is more ethnically and culturally diverse than previous generations.  http://www.socialmarketing.org/newsletter/features/generation3.htm

Generation Y also has a different outlook on work and careers. 
 "Gen Y are fast movers. We know they will change jobs, and perhaps even entire careers, many times in their long working lives. This is a stark contrast with the ‘job for life’ career pattern of their Baby Boomer parents, and the HR leaders at my executive programme. It also shows their desire for meaningful, stimulating work from day one, and their lack of interest in traditional career paths that promote slowly." http://www.forbes.com/sites/lyndagratton/2013/06/06/the-three-paradoxes-of-generation-y/  Sometimes the work ethic is perceived as not being there or lacking, but the truth is we just have a bigger desire to do what makes us happy while paying the bills, instead of the mundane "one job for life" that our parents and grandparents had before us.

We are a fast moving and tech savvy group that wants to be recognized for our ideas and opinions.  That is why I am proud to be part of Generation Y.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money For Good

I believe that there are many things that we can be doing as individuals, as well as a whole to be bettering our planet.  Humanity has taken such a hit in the last few decades that we often forget what it is like to do things for other people.  That is why I am so impressed with many companies following the "Buy One, Get One" business plan.  One of the companies that I am interested in is Roozt.com.  They have sought after many different types of businesses that all have the common goal of helping out the world one product at a time.  They feature many brands that people will find stylish and useful all while making a difference.  On top of that they have also given incentive for new member sign up by promising "One Member, One Meal" to help fight hunger in America, no strings attached.  I am all for people and businesses becoming successful and wealthy, but it is nice to see that there are those who are willing to share the wealth to help out their fellow man.  Being able to do something that you love is always a bonus, but being able to donate your time, efforts and kindness can be even more rewarding.  Please be sure to check out Roozt.com at the link below and enjoy witnessing what we can all do if we just help one person at a time.

http://www.roozt.com/about_us.php?osCsid=q8466brpa0n1l0hpsm4efia8q4

Week2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

When it comes to comparing game consoles everyone has a favorite.  Nowadays there are so many options as to how we play our games, that we have more of choice then ever.  As far as consoles go, I am an Xbox 360 fan all the way.  Not only has the Xbox gaming system been around longer than the PS3 and the newer generation of Nintendo, it also has more game choices, better online game play and hands free game control with the Kinect.

According to buzzle.com, "The new motion sensing platform for the Xbox 360 is known as the Kinect, and this is a revolutionary new technology where you do not need to use a controller at all. A camera, a motion sensor and a voice detector observe your movements and your speech and this allows you to stimulate the game in real time. Hence the You are the controller tagline by Microsoft. Playing games on the Kinect is truly a great and novel experience, while the PS3 Move has simply copied the technology of the Nintendo Wii."
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-xbox-is-better-than-ps3.html

"For people who are very particular about the clarity of the game and the gaming consoles abilities to handle complex graphics, the 360 will satisfy all your needs here. The X-box 360 with the Xenos graphic processing unit is able to churn out better graphical experiences than the PS3 with the RSX graphical processing unit. The Xbox 360's graphical processing unit also offers multithreading and a balanced design on the screen. Apart from the other features of Xbox 360's graphical processing unit like programmable vertex fetching, full rate texture fetching in the vertex shader, automatic shader load balancing, memory export features and other features of the Xenos graphic processing unit of Xbox360 makes it a superior product."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4749326

"And last but not least it is more user friendly than the PlayStation 3.  It is made for all ages and anyone can understand it.  It also has many games that are easier to understand for younger people.  The system is also a lot less complicated in everything it does"

Read more: http://gameolosophy.com/games/10-reasons-why-xbox-360-is-better-than-ps3/#ixzz2Zw6sBWcp

Above are just a few links to support my argument on why I believe that the Xbox360 is a better system than Play Station 3.

If we were to use the Boston Consulting Group Matrix, I would list all of the most current ways to game and entertain oneself in the following way;

Star: Game Apps (example: IPhone and Droid) They cost anywhere from free to a few dollars and they are mobile.

Cash Cow: Xbox360 and Play Station 3, While still pretty popular they are not always economically feasible for everyone, but still bring in money with games and downloadable content.

Question Mark: Wii and WiiU,  I think that they are in the process of dying out because the competition with Microsoft and Sony is just to great.

Dog: Computer Games, while there are still a handful of people who still enjoy computer games, they are definitely outdated and will be history very soon.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

When you live in a city like Las Vegas, customer service is usually something you come to know as being very good.  Our city is built on making people as happy as possible so that they are more inclined to become repeat customers and pass on business to you through word of mouth.  I am a big fan of stay cations, especially since we have so many great hotels here.  One weekend, kind of last minute, my husband and I decided to get a sitter for the kids. Since we didn't book our room in advance and it was a Friday, we were very limited.  We had decided to stay at The M Resort and they only had one room available and it was the double level suite that runs $1500.00 a night on the weekends.  We weren't sure what we were going to do, that was out of our price range and we don't get a sitter that often.  Luckily the woman working the front desk was able to work her magic because we were locals and she understood our situation.  When it was all said and done she got us into that amazingly beautiful suite for $300.00 for the night.  While I recognize that is still pricey, we couldn't resist that incredible deal she worked out for us.  Not only was she helpful, but everyone we have ever encountered at The M has be incredibly nice and helpful.  The staff in all of their restaurants are very accommodating, as well as all of the staff throughout the casino floor.  Overall I am very impressed with our local casino and I will continue to recommend them to friends and family.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

As a professional photographer I want to capture beauty, mystery, humor, love and everything in between.  It is my job to capture those moments that mean something, not only to myself, but also to my future clients.  My photography interest began 16 years ago in high school. From there I began my photographic journey shooting everything from sports, to babies to families and even nature from time to time.  I have worked in a few studios as both an assistant and a photographer. That has helped me grow professionally along the way.  Several years down the road I met my husband and started a family and my photography took a back seat.  It was never gone, but sometimes forgotten behind changing diapers, getting the kids off to school and cleaning up the house.  Now that my children have gotten older, the camera finds its way out more often and not just to capture my favorite moments.  I feel that I can only grow as a photographer.  I still have much to learn and will probably always be learning as I go.  I think that is what makes a great photographer.  Someone who isn't afraid to take risks and loves developing relationships with their clients, that's the photographer I hope to be.  Capturing those epic moments through the lens is my job and more importantly my passion.  That's what I hope to accomplish with my business, my knowledge and my talent in the future.