Week 8 EOC : Creative Content for Final

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Don Monroe

Creative Content

I will be creating a few short videos advertisement as well as a few digital print ads. The video will focus on the target audience and so will the digital print ads.

IMPLEMENTATION, EVALUATION, CONTROL

IMPLEMENTATION, EVALUATION, CONTROL

Twenty One Vodka

"Marketing implementation is the process that turns marketing plans into marketing actions in order to accomplish strategic marketing objectives." (Page 56, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

"Marketing control is the process of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and taking corrective action to ensure that objectives are achieved." (Page 56, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

This part of the marketing strategy pretty much goes in depth of everything gathered from the previous steps that has lead up to this moment. By creating the product and therefore initiating the marketing process it is clear to see how implementing the marketing strategy will eventually lead to evaluating everything and then attempting to control.

Once all of the pieces of the puzzle have been gathered up and everyone is sitting in the office ready to "go public" with the product this is going to be sold it is time to implement everything that has painstakingly been researched and put into motion. 

Now that the product has been made, priced, and distributed it is time to evaluate everything and make "checks and balances" to see if the proper steps were taken in preparing the marketing strategy. Although everything should essentially go smoothly because it was planned it is not always the case and often nothing is perfect in a new, start up company, brand, or product.

Trying to control the market and also control the "flow" of the product marketing strategy is just the first step in a long process of continuing evaluation. What this really means is that the overall control will be revised over and over again due to any data and information that is constantly collected. This means that changes might be made or if everything is going well maybe no changes need to be made right away.

SITUATION OR SWOT ANALYSIS

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Situation/SWOT Analysis

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

"The company should analyze its markets and marketing environment to find attractive opportunities and identify environmental threats. It should analyze company strengths and weaknesses as well as current and possible marketing actions to determine which opportunities it can best pursue. The goal is to match the company’s strengths to attractive opportunities in the environment, while eliminating or overcoming the weaknesses and minimizing the threats. Marketing analysis provides inputs to each of the other marketing management functions." (Page 54, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

Identifying the companies strengths would be the first step in trying to figure out how to go about with the rest of the analysis steps. By identifying the strengths we can pinpoint how well our product may potentially sell in the market. One major strength is the fact that Twenty One Vodka is new to the market and will be targeted towards those who are young, active, and just getting into the legal process of drinking.

One major weakness (that is also used to play off the strength of the brand, ironically) is the fact that the market of vodka is overly saturated and has been for many decades. This also poses a threat because of the many established companies that already have a close and dedicated customer base. How will our product fair in the large market of niche vodkas and how will it sell in the even larger market of liquor overall?

PRICE

Price

Twenty One Vodka

"The company’s marketing strategy outlines which customers the company will serve and how it will create value for these customers. Next, the marketer develops an integrated marketing program that will actually deliver the intended value to target customers. The marketing program builds customer relationships by transforming the marketing strategy into action. It consists of the firm’s marketing mix, the set of marketing tools the firm uses to implement its marketing strategy." (Page 12, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

Setting a price for Twenty One Vodka might be a little bit difficult due to the fact there are already a ton of vodka brands out and about in the market already. But after a bit of searching I have come to the conclusion that very low end vodkas (bottle shelf, plastic bottles) go for $8-15 each. The most common types of vodkas go for about $20 each. Higher end vodkas (that also mean larger bottles) go for about $40-60. The highest end bottles are over $100 and are supposedly made through better processes. So where does Twenty One Vodka stand in this pricing situation?

Considering that it is going to be marketed towards the younger "21 age group" making a ridiculously high priced vodka doesn't seem to make sense. We want the crowd of college kids and new drinkers. This means that most of our consumers aren't going to be making a ton of money at that age. In this way it forces us to enter into an over saturated market of the "middle-affordable" vodkas. 

This only poses a problem because we are new, but as previously covered we plan on doing intensive promoting so it should help in sales.

DISTRIBUTION

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Distribution

The distribution process of this product is going to be the most difficult by far. There are a few factors that lead to this being difficult. First off it's a regulated alcoholic beverage. In the United States of America it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to even purchase alcohol let alone vodka. This means that the number one market of online sales is basically out of the question unless it's under strict "lock and key" of online alcohol retailers that probably have very expensive licenses and processes that they have to go through in order to distribute online. Although this is obviously the best way to distribute, it is unfortunately not feasible for a "start up" vodka company to go about in this manner.

So the main tactic that is going to have to be put in place for distribution is the "old school" process of having trucks hand deliver boxes and crates of bottled up vodka to physical store fronts and marketplaces that can legally sell alcohol. These truck drivers will eventually make hand deliveries to bars, clubs, and other venues where alcoholic beverages are sold. Even though distributing online is illegal there is still the possibility of selling online to legal aged (and verified) clients, but then the process would have to be physically sent through trucks anyways where bill of sales would again be verified before final delivery.

I see no other legal way of getting Twenty One Vodka into the hands of consumers in the USA. Once the product grows and becomes popular in other countries the rules might change because other countries often times don't have such strict rules and regulations as we do.

PROMOTION

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Promotion

"Today’s marketers have ready access to plenty of marketing information. With the recent explosion of information technologies, companies can now generate information in great quantities. In fact, most marketing managers—most people—are overloaded with data and often overwhelmed by it." (Page 101, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

In this day and age the easiest part of trying to sell a product (maybe just my opinion) is the entire process of promoting. How do you go around promoting? OVERKILL.

By overkill I mean make it known that this product exists no matter what. Make print ads, make digital print ads, get a street team to slap stickers on everything, put logos on t-shirts, get musicians to promote, get club owners to promote and start selling, etc, etc. 

Not only is physical awareness a huge part of promotion, but nowadays a huge online presence can easily promote a product far beyond anything that was though possible like 20 years ago. Get virtually anyone to "like" a product page, ad, commercial, video, and pretty much anything related to the product and you are already on your way to worldwide recognition in hopes that it will lead to popularity and therefore more sales. Plus anything that is done in the physical world is going to be online through mobile phone pics and videos that have a never ending reach in who sees it. This leads to an insane amount of promotion that often times cost absolutely nothing at all.

So the key is physical personnel in the real world and a huge, never ending, constantly "grinding" presence online and the promotion process will basically "sell itself".

PRODUCT

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Product

Millennials (or Generation Y)

The 83 million children of the baby boomers, born between 1977 and 2000.

"One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life. The Millennials were the first generation to grow up in a world filled with computers, cellphones, satellite TV, iPods, and online social networks. A recent study found that 91 percent of Millennials are on the Web, making up 32 percent of all U.S. Internet users. According to another study, 77 percent of Millennials frequent social networking sites and 71 percent use instant messaging. “All generations are comfortable with technology, but this is the generation that’s been formed by technology,” says a Yahoo! executive. For them, “it’s not something separate. It’s just something they do.” (Page 73, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

The product for Twenty One Vodka is...well...Vodka. Pretty plain and simple and straight forward. Or is it? We could run circles forever trying to create "buzz" words and making up facts and other things that would make our vodka look like it's the next new thing, but in reality it is going to be created like 99% of all other vodkas out there today. 

I really wish there was a that I could present some laboratory featuring a ton of scientists toiling over beakers and bubbling equipment, but it is just a straight up process of creating vodka.

The key is selling the image and the lifestyle as the product to the generation of consumers that will be or have already turned 21. So therefore, yes, the product is the vodka, but the actual product being sold is the image.

TARGET MARKET STRATEGY

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Target Market Strategy

"Nike powered its way through the early 1990s, moving aggressively into a dozen new sports, including baseball, golf, skateboarding, wall climbing, bicycling, and hiking. The stillbrash young company slapped its familiar swoosh logo on everything from sunglasses and soccer balls to batting gloves and golf clubs. It seemed that things couldn’t be going any better." (Page 38, Armstrong & Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction)

Finding a target market will create an advantage in selling Twenty One Vodka. Because of the many types of current vodka brands that are already out there the only real way to market to a target audience is to find a niche and then exploit everything possible about that niche market.

Twenty One Vodka is obviously going to target a younger audience because of the lifestyles of those who turn 21 and therefore become legal to purchase and consume alcohol. Not only does this market live a more active lifestyle, but they are more likely to go out and "party" a lot more than those who are older and might consider staying at home or only going out for a limited amount of time.

Another advantage to the younger target audience is that they often times go out to bars, clubs, and venues that serve alcohol in large groups or they go to places where larger groups of younger people are. This leads to an even larger market of vodka consumers and continues to grow that niche market.

BUSINESS MISSION STATEMENT

Don Monroe

TWENTY ONE VODKA

Business Mission Statement

“We don’t have a marketing department; we have a customer department.” (Page 11, Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kolter)

Here at TWENTY ONE VODKA we strive to bring the greatest tasting Vodka to our customers. Through months of research we have come up with formula for creating a vodka that not only tastes great, but is also good for the well being of you mind, body and soul. We understand that you live a very active lifestyle and we also understand that at the end of the day, when you are ready to kick and relax, you not only want an enjoyable drink, but you also want the benefits that come along with it. Working hard and being active all of the time can leas to stress and tear down of the human body. Sometimes you just need to let it all go and have a drink with friends, family, or colleagues. This is why TWENTY ONE VODKA should be you one and only choice. While other vodka makers use elaborate and unnecessary processes in making there vodkas we like to keep it simple. Our vodka is made with the same ingredients that most higher quality foods are made with and this leads to a much simpler yet great tasting vodka. Using only homegrown, USA made products we can ensure that every glass is of utmost quality. Not only is it a vodka, but it has added vitamin, nutrients, and minerals that your body needs. You work hard all day and you deserve to have an enjoyable time out once the work ends. You live an active life and you deserve a glass of TWENTY ONE VODKA.

OBJECTIVES

Twenty One Vodka

Objectives

"Profits can be improved by increasing sales or reducing costs. Sales can be increased by improving the company’s share of domestic and international markets." (Page 42, Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kolter)

The main objective of any company is to make money. That is the obvious part. But in order to obtain profits the objectives of the overall goal of the company must first be set.

"Having an objective is useful because it helps everyone know what the goal is what to aim for." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/aims/partnershiprev1.shtml)

Rather than looking at the "objective" it might be easier to just call it a "goal". Everyone knows what a goal is and everyone knows that you shoot for the goal. So just what is the goal of Twenty One Vodka?

The goal (other than to make money) is to build a dedicated base of customers who understand why they should always be purchasing Twenty One Vodka. The ultimate goal is to have any given customer walk into a store and immediately, without any hesitation at all, look for Twenty One Vodka as their first, and only, choice. This isn't something that can be achieved over night (although with today's social networking it actually could happen over night).

So in the case of Twenty One Vodka the objective or goal is to gain a loyal customer base that will continue to buy for years to come.

FROM TEXTBOOK:

Setting Company Objectives and Goals

The company needs to turn its mission into detailed supporting objectives for each level of management. Each manager should have objectives and be responsible for reaching them. For example, Kohler makes and markets familiar kitchen and bathroom fixtures—everything from bathtubs and toilets to kitchen sinks. But Kohler also offers a breadth of other products and services, including furniture, tile and stone, and even small engines and backup power systems. It also owns resorts and spas in the United States and Scotland. Kohler ties this diverse product portfolio together under the mission of “contributing to a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by our products and services.”

Week 7 EOC: Product Proposal

Don Monroe

Week 7 EOC: Vodka Product Proposal

            I propose a new vodka that has a crisp, smooth flavor. It will also be made with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes to help hydrate people who live a very active lifestyle by day, but want to relax and chill at night. 

This new vodka will also have the added benefit of certain flavors to take the harsh bite that others vodka are known to have when being consumed. Different flavor variations might be also be an add on at a later date.

             

The target market demographic for this product is not limited to one age group either. Anyone 21 or older that works hard or goes to the gym will be enticed to purchase this brand. Action sports people such as those who ride Bmx bikes, skateboards, and snowboards will also be very intrigued by this vodka brand.

             

By having added benefits of containing vitamins and minerals not only can the active and athletic enjoy a great tasting vodka, but they will know that they are rejuvenating their mind, body, and soul with a very smooth vodka that can help to relax the night away.

I present to you : A.L. Vodka (Active Life)

Week 5 EOC : Social networking and the new face of job recruiting and promotion

Week 5 EOC : Social networking and the new face of job recruiting and promotion

In today's modern marketplace there has been an increased interest in getting products promoted and also in the overall process in which companies hire individuals for job positions. This is in direct relation to the rise of social networking and the constant connection to mobile applications and the worldwide web.

Almost everyone has access to the internet in many forms. Having a smartphone in your pocket basically gives way to constant, 24 hour access, of anything and everything in the world around us. This leads to a new form of product promotion known as brand ambassadors.

 A brand ambassador is pretty much someone who has a an extremely high interest in a product, service, or company and is openly willingly to promote for fame or in some cases free services and products from whatever company they are promoting. These promotions can come from direct interaction by “street teams” or getting the word out by literally going out and giving information to potential customers and clients by word of mouth or physical demonstrations on a personal level. These brand ambassadors are fast becoming a new wave of marketing for many companies.

Companies are not only searching out brand ambassadors online, but are also using the vast social networking system to seek out new hires for job positions. Rather than wait for people to simply apply for jobs then go through the old hiring process companies actively recruit by doing searches on popular social networking sites and online web job sites in order to have a much larger return in potential candidates. This not only increases chances to find a better person for the position, but it also shows the potential for using social networking as a hiring tool.

Week 3 EOC : My Demographic

Asians and Asian Americans

Colleges and University Recruiting of Asians

In America it is a stereo type that all Asians are smart. The thing that is most interesting about that stereo type is that it may actually not be a stereo type at all.

In America 86% of all Asians have a high school diploma and 50% of all Asians have a Bachelors Degree from a college or university. These statistics alone can be used to see why many colleges and universities want to recruit these types of people. 

(http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/12/13/20-amazing-stats-about-asian-american-achievement/)

If most Asians have a high school diploma that means that most of them are going to be attending a college after they graduate from high school. And if half of the entire Asian population graduates with a 4 year degree that means that they are solid investment for those higher education universities that have something to offer.

So as a demographic to the yearly recruiting schedules of those work for colleges and universities it would a a bright, economic, and academic move to purposefully scout out and recruit Asian high school students.

Week 3 EOC : Making Money For Good

Week 3 EOC Making Money for Good "Panda Care" Program from Panda Express "Established in 1999, Panda Cares is the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group. We are committed to serving the communities in which we operate by providing food, funding and volunteer services to under-served children and disaster relief efforts." http://www.pandacares.org/our-mission Panda Care is part of the Panda Restaurant Group that focuses primarily on helping others. Panda collects monetary donations and matches them from in store collections and other sources. The have donated $20 million total that has gone to schools, disaster relief, etc. Panda Care has also donated food and meals and has fed hundreds of thousands of those who are not fortunate to have a meal every day of their lives. For more information check out the official website: www.pandcares.org

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Videogames

 Boston Consulting Group - Videogames

*Classic Boston Consulting Group portfolio planning approach: A company will invest funds from a mature, successful product (cash cows) to support growing products with potential to increase revenue (stars and question marks).

In today's media market place; video games stand to mark a large investment in the coming year. With newly released video game consoles and the success of these consoles over the past holiday season; the video game industry stands to make large sweeps in the market place through heavily increased sales of games, accessories and peripherals.

One company that stands to make increasingly large profits this year is Sony and there video game console the Playstation 4.

"Sony has sold 30.2 million units of its PlayStation 4 (PS4) games console worldwide over the last two years, the Japanese electronics giant said on Wednesday, suggesting it is dominating in the console wars.
The PlayStation 4 figures date from November 2013 – when the device launched – to November 22, 2015. The 30.2 million number marks a big increase from the 20.2 million units Sony said it had sold as of March 1."

- SOURCE: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/25/sony-playstation-4-sales-top-30-million-in-battle-with-xbox.htm

Not only has Sony sold over 30 million consoles they are set to release their "Playstation VR" virtual reality peripheral this year. The "VR" or virtual reality market is booming and has been on the minds of many in the video game industry as the "next big thing" in video gaming. As did the short, but successful "3D" craze of previous years taught the world that things once viewed as "gimmicks" or "fads" could remain as mainstays; virtual reality is also planning to become a, hopefully, permanent part of modern gaming for years to come.

According to Forbes magazine: "Sony is in a ridiculously strong position right now. Nvidia’s above estimate means there are nearly three times as many VR-capable PS4 consoles as there are VR-capable PCs." - SOURCE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2016/01/06/sonys-playstation-vr-stands-to-be-almost-3x-more-popular-than-oculus-rift-in-2016/#10484bc46c10

The Playstation VR also stand out because it will be significantly cheaper than it's closest competitor known as the Oculus Rift. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/playstation.vr.price.playstation.vr.will.be.cheaper.than.the.oculus.rift/77115.htm

Although the price of the Playstation VR has yet to be released it is almost certain that it will have a smaller price tag than the Oculus Rift which sets it up to initially outsell the competition. Coupled with the fact there are nearly 30.6 million Playstation 4 consoles sold to date it can clearly be seen that many people who already own a Playstation 4 and are looking into getting into the virtual reality side of gaming are already setup to make their decision because buying a PC gaming system and an Oculus Rift VR that is priced at $600usd would not make much sense to anyone who is currently playing most of their games on a Playstation 4.

Week 1 EOC: My customer service experiece

Week 1 EOC: My customer service experience

A few years back I had run into a problem with my car which happens often to many people. Like anyone else I decided that I was going to go ahead and fix this problem myself. After 30 minutes of diagnosing the problem I was troubled to discover that the hose on my radiator had become old and worn out and it would need to be replaced so I did what anyone would do and headed straight to Google to find a replacement part. After a few minutes I found the exact part that I needed and proceeded to the stores website to make my purchase.

After about a week of waiting I finally received the replacement hose that I needed and went out to the garage to swap it out with the old part. Low and behold I was distraught to find out that the piece that I had ordered was the incorrect size so I called the store that I had purchased it from.

I spoke to a sales representative about the part and explained that I had waited a week and really needed the correct part so that I could my car up and running again. With very little to no hesitation the person on the line sent out the correct part and said that they would overnight ship it for free and I should receive the correct part by the end of the next day. They also said that there was no need to pay for return shipping for the incorrect part and that I could just simply keep it or give it to someone else if I wanted to. I was very pleased and satisfied, but the great customer service did not end there.

The next afternoon when I got the correct part overnight shipped to me they sent me two new hoses and a letter was included saying that they were giving me a second part for free for the mess up. There was also a voucher included for 10% off on my next purchase which was also included because of the initial goof up.

Needless to say that I continued purchasing all of my future automotive parts from this retailer because of their genuine care for their customers.