Final Thought

Eight weeks, feel like just began to have some understanding of marketing, and then the course comes to the end. Tomorrow is the day of the presentation of our products. All the groups are going to show the process of analysis and how are they going to market their products. Lakshmy and I, we chose anti-aging skincare product for men. We finished our research, paper, and powerpoint. We will have an excellent presentation tomorrow morning. We think it will be excellent due to all the efforts we did.  We feel pretty excited and we are sure all the fellows and Paul will enjoy our presentation! It will be fun!!

For this two months course, I feel excited (after I got the mark for the case study, haha), also a little bit regret. Exciting thing is in this two months, I have a whole concept of marketing, far different from my previous thought. Also, I feel sorry cause I think I didn't do my best. I could do better. Anyway, tomorrow is not an end, but a beginning.

I think marketing and strategy are intimately linked. The textbook we are using talks have a big portion of strategy. Also, the cases we analyzed in strategy class    mostly include the marketing process. I have owned a small business in China before I come here. I was making good profit, but every plan I made was following my feeling. I mean it was not following the methods from textbook. As I’m taking the PMBA program, I began to use the knowledge to measure the business I had. And started thinking about whether it would be some opportunities to start a new business here. 

As known, VIU is becoming more and more popular. A few weeks ago I have read a newsletter that VIU sighed a new contract with a Chinese university. It estimated more than 2,500 students will come to B.C. institutions over five years. This is a big number. I’m thinking that by the end of next year I will finish my MBA program, can I start a new business here? If the investment is allowed, what kind of business should I look for? The first thing came to my mind is Chinese restaurant. In Nanaimo, it is really difficult to find real Chinese food. If I want, I have to go to Richmond. That’s too far and the money spent is too much. Nanaimo has some Chinese restaurant, probably five, but they are more like Canadian food. All most Chinese students choose to go to Vietnamese restaurant and Thai restaurant. These are the food we can find the most close to Chinese food. Vietnamese restaurant and the Thai restaurant in the north Nanaimo are very popular. Especially, the Vietnamese restaurant HongLan, either lunch or dinner, customers need to wait for a while cause it’s so busy. I found that half of the customers are Asian and mostly VIU students. Southern China consumes more rice, while as northern China consumes more noodles. But we all love noodles, especially as breakfast. We have it everyday. If I want to open a restaurant specializing in noodles, I have to do fully research.

Strategy analysis is the first one came to my mind. SWOT, PESTEL, and Porter’s Five Forces. If there is a chance, then it is followed by marketing method to analyze the products. How to market the restaurant? Although this Pre program is just eight weeks, I have learned a lot.

The seventh Class of Marketing

Hard Time is Coming

November is a busy month in China cause company starts to do the annul review. We have more meeting than before, we sit down, check, and make plan for the next year. I was used to working in a real estate company, and for us, November and December are really busy months. Closing to the deadline, could we achieve the goal for this year or we already did? For individuals, did we

The Case Study Mid-term Exam

We did a case study mid-term exam this Monday and I felt I really didn't manage my time well. I spent too much time on the first part, and as soon as I started the second part, it was just 20 minutes left. I was so confused about the emotional product I tried to sell. I thought it is a status thing, but while I was writing, I put on patriotism. I was lost. Paul said we should make everything to be consistency. Status and patriotism are not the same thing, so what I'm selling? Can I put these two together? If we get the first part wrong, the rest would be harder. It would effect the "Segmentation" and "Product to position".

Anyway, it was a exam and we are just learner. We need to make mistake, then we can really learn.

Today is a HAPPY day!

The Sixth Class of Marketing

New Projects and New Advertisements

Two Exciting News!

The Fifth Class of Marketing

Happy Halloween

I believe more than five years ago, some big cities in China started to celebrate Halloween. It was actually a marketing tool rather than a celebration cause we didn't really celebrate it. We just went shopping, bought some special candy or gift, joined some club parties, or had an exotic dinner. Most of us even didn't know what is Halloween. Businesses made millions money from advertising this western holiday.

"The word Halloween comes from medieval England's All Hallows' eve. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on Halloween evening, playing tricks on people. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution.
Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States and Canada where children go from door to door in costumes demanding “trick or treat” to receive candies and/or money." -- quoted from Bonita Russell's PPT

One thing is the same: businesses here also make millions money from Halloween. It's a perfect event to do marketing! I bought costume, pumpkin, basket, and treats. When you walk in a superstore, you can not pass the attractive shelves without stop, right? And it's easy to be influenced by the atmosphere.

Haha, Happy Halloween~~

Case Study--The Hot Chick Spice Company

Hot Chick Spice:

Core benefit: taste

Generic product: - spices from other brands

                            - homemade spices

                            - marinade

                            - dressings

                            - spices made from manufacturers 

                            - ...

Expected product: - tasteful

                              - healthy

                              - reliable

                              - different taste from other spices

                              - affordable

                              - ...

Augmented product: - nice package

                                  - special flavours

                                  - comes with recipes

                                  - ordering and purchasing online

                                  - shipping free 

                                  - gift package

                                  - gift card

                                  - ...

Emotional product: - "I have a good life" ( traveled a lot)

                                - "I have a healthier lifestyle" ( choose the green food)

                                - "I'm free" ( love travel)

                                - "I'm a charming woman" ( unique taste)

                                - "I'm have the best family" ( interested in cooking for kids and partner)

                                - "I have the best marriage" ( could travel a lot and enjoy cooking)

                                - "I'm a good mother"

                                - "I'm a successful woman" 

                                - ...

The foundations of Dana's business are: 

1. It delivers a lifestyle: love yourself, take care of yourself, love life, love travel

2. It delivers a freedom: the best tastes from all over the world

3. it delivers a status: the buyers with higher income 

I think there are several ways to help Dana to make more revenue and profit:

1. Since Dana's company already has a web site, she could develop the web site by adding an on-line ordering and purchasing system.

2. She could have a store on Ebay since it's lower cost including it's lower advertising cost on the home page.

3. Co-promoted and sold through a partnership with unique restaurants, such as Czech restaurants, Japanese restaurants, and Italian restaurants.

4. Advertising on farmers' markets web sites or travelling we sites.

Comparing to some big moves, those are with lower cost that Dana could afford and could get profit.

The Fourth Class of Marketing

During the forth class of Marketing, we reviewed the 4 principles of marketing and analyzed the "Seaplane" case. By working with all classmates, I have learned a lot! There were tons of ideas that I haven't though about and I felt more inspired. Also, I knew that for segmentation which I did in my last blog, one of my segment would not work well cause it doesn't consistent.

One important thing I have learned form the forth class is Product Positioning. We need to understand the symbols of the products that delivers emotions.

Positioning means placing the product in the customer's mind and it has to meet their conscious and unconscious needs. It has to meet the five levels and everything is consistent. It is a symbol of the emotional feeling. After several practices, I had a sense of this "positioning" idea. But still feel a little bit confuse. I believe I will understand better along with this course.

Marketing Case Study- StraitAway Airways

At the end of the third Marketing class, Paul gave us a case study which is a previous case exam. This one is interesting because I always want to go to Vancouver, haha..... The ferry takes two hours and then takes about half an hour to arrive downtown. It's a long trip, isn't it? But I still choose BC ferries instead of seaplane. In my experience, I believe student or international student is not a segment in this case.

Finding the emotional needs of a product or service is the first step we should do as a marketer. Using the Kotler's five levels tool let the digging become easier. 

Service: Seaplane

Core benefit: transportation

Generic product: - ferries

                              - Air Canada

                              - West Jet

                              - helicopter

                              - boat

Expected product: - fast

                                - less crowded (fewer passengers)

                                - on-line reservation

                                - accsesable ( easy to get a ticket)

                                - comfortable

                                - affordable

Augmented product: - special seat which next to the pilot

                                     - membership ( discount)

                                     - flexible schedule

                                     - more landing place 

                                     - video recording

Emotional product: - "I feel free"

                                  - "I feel rich"

                                  - "I feel successful"

                                  - "I feel better than others" (status)

                                  - romantic

For the market segmentation, I think there are three important groups: retired people, business people, and fashionable young people between 20-30 years old.

Retired people is a large group because Nanaimo is a retirement city, as well as this entire island. There are lots of senior villages on the island. They have money and enjoy their senior lives.

Business people is another group who travel a lot between the mainland and island. They would choose seaplane in order to save time and be on time. But I don't know if there are lots of big corporations on this island need this particularly efficient.

Fashionable young people between 20-30 years old always easier to accept the new things, such as seaplane. They go to Vancouver shopping a lot, sometimes with their girlfriends or boyfriends. They want to be proud and romantic.

These are the segments I could think about and I do think they are logical target markets. For the positioned product, I still confused. I believe next class Paul will illustrate this part.

The Third Class of Marketing

The third class of Marketing started with a advertisement of a "Slide Projector" in the movie Mad Men. The ads is full of nostalgia and uses a carousel to show the childhood. At the end, the presenter gives the product's emotional need, time machine, which infects all the participants. A successful marketing should be like this: meet the emotional needs rather than the basic.

As reviewing the Kotler's five levels tool, we did another example.

Red Bull:

Basic need: energy

Generic product: - coffee, tea

                              - chocolate

                              - ...

Expect product: - cheer up 

                             - boost

                             - easy to buy

                             - stay awake

                             - dance to the morning

                             - ...

Augment product: - sports

                                 - nightlife

                                 - portable

                                 - thin ( healthy)

                                 - taste sweet (taste not good which means it works)

                                 - ...

Potential product: - "I'm the best"

                                - "I'm the superstar" 

                                - can fly

                                - lasts longer

                                - strong, muscle, aggressive, charging, winner...

And what is the really meaning of the picture? Red bull is not only a drink, but a rocket! Products are not purchased for functional reasons is the Bible that all marketers should aware.

Later, we watched a commercial of the San Francisco 49ers:

Using the Kotler's five levels tool, the emotional products are:

- strong

- proud

- passion

- inspiring

- part of history

- nostalgia ( Joe)

- true self ( barbaric)

- legends

- I'm special

- paramount

- family - God

- faithful- trust in team

- ...

Using 3 levels analysis:

1. fun, family together

2. tradition, atmosphere, physically close, gods

3. member of war, history, successful, and church

So, if you do not join the game, you are an American loser, an unpatriotic.

Paul wrote an uncompleted sentence on the board:"When         goes to a game, they feel         ." As we filled different words in the first blank, we got different answer. For example, when college kids, 17-21 years old, they feel belong, sporting, powerful and athletic. Moreover, when a man, who is married and have kids, goes to a game, they want to feel young, free of family, responsibility, and nostalgia, as well as they have a bond with sons. Also, when a woman  goes to a game, they feel free from house work, enjoy the family happiness and show her better marriage, as well as she is the best mother.

After we did those practices, Paul uncovered that this is marketing segmentation, which including science and art. Marketing could have several segments, but marketers should choose the most profitable one or more. This kind of segments are always meet following requirements: affordable, enough size, purchase decision makers, geographic, most profitable and having consistent behaviour. But, Paul also mentioned that people attend to buy what they can't afford is the dark side of market.

I feel segmentation is not a easy one to deal with, so I tried to find some explanation or figure to help understanding. There are four customers characteristics segment consumer market: geographic (where?), demographic (what?), behavioural (how?), and psychographic (who?). Also, I found a figure that would help me to understand: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

To understand and really use this knowledge needs times. I think as we do more exercises and analysis our group product, we will become more skilled.

Analysis Our Product- Anti-aging Skincare Products for Men

My group is going to market Anti-aging skincare products for men. We are so excited with our product. We believe we will doing a very good job!

My group member, Lakshmy, comes from India. We both from Asian countries. Anti-aging product for men is popular in our countries and start to be recognized by younger group, such as men between 25-30 years old. We did a Kotler's Five Levels analysis together and started to have a good understanding of our product!

Understanding Kotlor's Five Product Levels model

During the second class of Marketing, Paul introduced an analysis tool -- Philip Kotler's Five Product Levels  model. This is a interesting and powerful one!

Philip Kotler, an economist, identified that the most important part of a product is to meet customer's emotional needs rather then basic needs. To illustrate his opinion and help us to understand these needs, he invented a five levels tool.

It is easy to get the core benefit of the product which is just the basic needs, as well as generic product. I was a little bit confusing about the expected and augmented product at first. I thought it's basic expectation, but it is augmented. It's hard to draw a clear line between them, and the most difficult part is to get the "emotional needs!" After doing some examples with Paul, it was getting clear and had a sense.

I think redo the examples by myself  and practice more would help a lot.

Example 1: McDonald's

     Core benefit: hunger

     Generic product: 

          - other brands, such as Subway, Burger King

          - coffee, Latte, cappuccino

          - snakes

          - muffin, lofe, salad

          - noodle or rice

          - cook at home

     Expected product:

          - taste good

          - fast

          - qualified

          - affordable

          - reliable

          - ...

     Augmented product:

          - combo

          - different choices 

          - drive through

          - parking free and lots of parking lots

          - 99 cents coffee

          - seasonal drink

          - kids area

          - birthday party for kids

          - kids combo with toy

          - ... 

     Emotional product:

          - relax, "I don't need to cook and clean"

          - relief, "I don't have any groceries"

          - pride, "I'm the best mother"

          - status, "I'm better than other kids" (kids' view)

          - fashion, "I have the newest toy" (kids' view)

          - successful, "I'v saved time"

          - ...

Example 2: A Pickup Truck

     Core benefit: transportation

     Generic product:

          - other brands, such as Toyota

          - buses

          - bicycles

          - walking

          - subway, sky strain

          - carpool

          - ...

     Expected product:

          - it works

          - warm in the winter, cool in the summer

          - affordable

          - reliable

          - flexible

          - ...

     Augmented product:

          - GPS system

          - panoramic sunroof

          - longer warranty

          - metallic paint
          - fingerprint lock

          - leather Interior

          - ...

     Emotional product:

          - I'm patriotism

          - I'm independent

          - I have freedom

          - I'm better than other men

          - I'm superior

          - powerful

          - I'm a challenger

          - I'm single and ready to hang out

          - .....

         

Example 3: A Mars Bar

    

     

Yes, I did!

Just got an e-mail from the Chief Returning Officer, Patrick Barbosa, that I was elected to be the Faculty Representative of International Education. Yeah!!! Cheers!!! ^_^

This is a really exciting news. It means I have marketed myself successfully and was approved by the people who voted me. I was selling a service which different from other competitors. I won, but after I took the second class of Marketing, I'm confused. If I was selling a service, I have dug the basic needs and expected needs. But what are the students' emotional need that I have met or maybe I haven't. What are the similarities and differences between marketing a product in the market and marketing a person during a election? Are they same thing?

Anyway, I can start to do something for international students. I could remember the hard time that I had when I first came here. Language problem, cultural shock, and home sick..... Lots of difficulties. I noticed that I have been paying a student union fee every semester, but I didn't know what's that for. And I have only been there for selling used books. I really want to help those international students who have difficulties and afraid to ask. Here I go.

A Good Marketing?

Marketing Myself

This afternoon 4PM, I joined the Candidates' Meeting. I'm running for the Faculty Representative of International Education in VIU Students' Union. During the meeting, I knew that there is another student running the same position as me. Obviously, I have to do the campaign. First, I have to write a platform about myself and some other things I want to do, such as what I will do for the international students. Also, I may prepare some posters, handbills, and banners for campaigning. Emmm, it's a marketing. I'm going to market myself. Haha~~

As what I have learned, good marketing needs to suit the particular environment. I'm going to re-analysis the "Rising Tuition Centre" advertisement, and then I'll get a sense that how I'm going to market myself.

Paul presented this picture during his first class and asked us whether this is a good marketing. I believe all of us thought this is not a good one at first, and most of us gave comments about negative aspects. But after Paul introduced the environment of this city, our concepts changed. This picture was taken in the central city in Nepal. It's not a developing country and the standard of living is very poor. Most of the parents think studying science and math would help their children to get a good job and have a better life. Also, most of the citizens do not read or write English. 

In conclusion, this is a very successful advertisement because of several reasons:

1. Written in English shows the higher level

2. "Rising Tuition Centre" written in red color highlights the "Need"-Rising your life

3. "Science & Math"also emphasize the "Need"- Good career

In my knowledge, I guess this ads may be from an agency who helps student to apply academic study and loans them money as tuition fees. Some parents would do that although the agency fee is expensive and the interest is higher because their children would have a chance to have a better life. But if the word "Tuition" in this ads means "teaching"(another meaning in Longman), maybe this agency just do things of applying school. The meaning of the sentence is confusing for us but clear for the local people because of culture background. No matter what, it is successful.

Now, back to marketing myself, I have to have a clear sense of what the representative of international education should do and could do. Also, a deep awareness of what do the international students need is very important. Furthermore, what I will do for the international students and how to make contribution. 

I already read the Election Policy and The VIU Students' Union Constitution and Bylaws, but I believe I have to interview some international students form other countries other than China. What are their needs? What are the most important needs? I have to meet their needs, then they would vote me.

I plan to do this tomorrow and weekend. Hopefully, I could use the knowledge form the first class of Marketing to successfully market myself and get elected.

Big smile to myself  :)

Finally, Started!

Yesterday was the first day of PMBA program. It was raining pretty hard in the morning and I have met my prof of Marketing, Paul Kurucz, a very interesting guy. Haha.... and "forced" to start to do this Blog thing in English...... Kidding..... I was so lazy to update my Chinese Blog when I was in China. How can I do it in English??? But sounds like a challenge, right?! Iris, you can^^ Hahaha....

Paul's voice is clear and I could understand 95%. This was surprising me. Academic class has a big different from ESL program. ESL instructors are trained to speak slowly, clearly, and loudly. I was worrying about I couldn't understand what the prof is talking about, but actually it was not as hard as I thought. I could get the information he tried to convey. Maybe because Paul had the experience teaching in China? Maybe his style of teaching is attractive? Maybe the PPT? Maybe my listening skill has improved? Or maybe this course is excellent? Anyway, I understand, no problem! Cheers~~

I am so excited cuz I'm really learning academic course in English. Back to one year ago, I didn't speak English when I came here. And even didn't know how to give a response when people say "How are you?" Started from almost ZERO and I was put in F2 level in ESL program. F2, AP3, and AP5 took one year. This one year was just like I closed my eyes and opened, then one year passed. How fast! BUT I have learned and improved! IELTS test is not a hard test anymore. The real test was the first class of academic which was the first class of Paul's Marketing. I believe I did it. How to prove? Aha, I'm going to share it......^^