EOC Week 7: The Pitch

A major concern with many energy drinks is the high concentrations of sugar and caffeine, which can pose numerous health risks, including heart disease and obesity.  This new brand of energy drink will draw customers by quieting health concerns, using an all-natural formula to boost energy safely and effectively.  It will provide an increase in energy through the use of the natural caffeine found in dark chocolate, which is a much lower, safer amount for consumption than that used in current energy drinks, while still being effective in boosting energy levels.  It will be aimed at the more health-conscious young adult female market, who still want to be able to enjoy the benefits of energy drinks without sacrificing their health.

The use of dark chocolate as the primary source of energy and flavor provides many benefits beyond energy and taste.  Dark chocolate has, in contrast to many popular energy drinks, been shown to help reduce risk of heart disease, regulate weight gain, and even boost not only productivity but overall mood.  Its low sugar content even makes it safe and effective for the diabetic market.

These numerous health benefits make the brand stand out in the market, becoming the healthy alternative to sugary beverages.  It is safer than anything in the current market without losing effectiveness.  The point is to draw in the people who avoid using such drinks due to the health risks, providing the same energy benefit with much less risk and much more reward.  It is what people who do not want to risk their health have been waiting for: a way to boost their energy to get more done without having to worry about elevated risk of obesity and heart disease.  The product will solve the major problem of health risks posed by conventional energy drinks.

Week 6 EOC: Me*3

The things I buy regularly for myself very much define who I am.  I buy Martinelli’s apple cider because I enjoy thinking about celebratory things.  It is not always because I am celebrating, but rather, that I want something to celebrate.  I buy it when I am feeling troubled or anxious so I can enjoy that special occasion feeling and, in turn, feel a little bit better, resulting in a brighter attitude and outlook on life.  This happens so often that many of my friends are familiar with the habit, and they have begun to associate me with the brand.

I buy Skintimate strawberry-tangerine scented shaving cream because it smells wonderful and makes me feel clean.  The scent lingers with my skin after a shower and stays with me throughout the day.  It is one of those subtle scents that makes me happy.  I am well aware that nobody else in the world cares what kind of sent my shaving cream has, as long as it does its job.  What matters to me is not other people noticing the scent.  It is the citrus and strawberry smell, making me think of summer and sunlight.  It is, to me, like happiness in a can.

I cannot talk about products I buy for myself without bringing Great Harvest into the conversation.  Their sandwiches are absolutely one of my favorite things in the world.  They have a fresh, delicious, wholesome flavor, and are healthy as well.  I buy them because I can feel like I am spoiling myself without criticizing myself for making a bad food choice.  Additionally, the vegetables I always pack onto the sandwich make me think of, of course, spring and summer.

The associations any product holds in my mind are a huge part of my decision to buy.  I like to buy things that are associated with happiness, light, summer, spring, cute things, and celebration.  Uplifting things are my favorite products.  From this, you can tell that I am a person who likes to not only be happy but spread smiles amongst others.

 

(GH image to be added as soon as I go there to eat, which will certainly be soon.)

EOC Week 5: Job Recruiters Look to Facebook

“…Users tell the company they want to keep their personal and professional networks separate.” (Light 1)  The reason for this is what makes the idea of facebook in the professional world so appealing.  The biggest strength of facebook as used in finding employees is the ease at which you can get a one-hundred percent honest picture of what a person is like.  At the same time, however, this honest picture is, to the majority of the market, an invasion of privacy.

The jump from simply making hiring decisions by the contents of an applicant’s facebook page and finding them via facebook is not all that big.  However, due to the personal, honest treatment of a person’s facebook page, it is not surprising that the majority of employees hired are not found on facebook.  A person’s image in their personal life is far different from how they choose to present themselves professionally.  It becomes an issue of privacy when the information you choose to place on facebook, or the groups you join, even seem to influence your ability to acquire a job.

However, there are other strengths based around that truer picture.  Hiring a person from facebook means hiring a real person.  They have a clear idea of the people around them, and are not as inhibited in their ideas.

(To be completed at home)

About Me

I have always believed that fashion is much more than a way to express ourselves.  It is a way to express our culture, identify ourselves as part of a community, share ideas, and make friends.  Style unites us as people, from the day we are born to the day we die.  As a child, I dedicated myself to becoming one of the people who made it happen, and that desire has stayed with me since.  Never have I quite let go of that fascination with a population’s attire, or what it says about the overall community.  When I think I’ve seen everything, all I need do is look a little closer, and there is another group of people with another style entirely ready to excite and inspire me.  As long as there are people to communicate ideas, there will be new trends and subcultures to examine and research, and old trends to compare them to.  The patterns that fashion reveals in our culture and in history will never cease to inspire passion in myself, others in the field, and future additions to the fashion industry.  As a result of this fascination, I have pursued information on fashion history and current trends, including how clothing pertains to both formal and casual situations.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

“The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction.” (Ch. 1, Page 3)  When I think of customer service, there’s one business that immediately comes to mind: Great Harvest Bread Co.  The moment I entered the restaurant for the first time, at the recommendation of a colleague of my mother, I was greeted with a smile and asked if I would like a free slice of bread.  In clear view were loaves of their most popular varieties, including pumpkin, potato-cheese, garlic-cheese, apple cinnamon, and pepperoni rolls.  They made me fall in love with the product without a single penny spent on my part, but secured me as a customer.  With that act, they convinced me not only to buy a loaf of their pumpkin bread, but a sandwich combo, a package of white rolls, and a pumpkin muffin.  I have bought sandwiches and bread at Great Harvest whenever possible for six years now, and do not plan on switching companies anytime soon.  Their service is quick, the environment is nice, and the employees have a good attitude.  I’ve never seen a Great Harvest advertisement.  I assume word of mouth does all the work.  After being told about it, I told somewhere between five and thirty people about it, even personally taking a friend or two to eat there.  If every happy customer is the same way as I am, they gain a huge number of loyal customers just from providing an outstanding product and outstanding service.  I do not eat there because of the price.  I eat there because of the quality and experience, which is consistently outstanding.  They truly do meet the goals of marketing.  They attract new customers through word of mouth, and keep their current customers satisfied, generating even more good will.