FINAL REVIEW --- DEC 9TH
14 years ago
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wikipedia Assignment
For this assignment, I decided to add a few more things about the current CEO of McDonald's. The reason why I chose Jim Skinner is I wrote my capping paper on McDonald's. There was not that much information on him that was listed on the Wikipedia page. Because I did an in-depth analysis of the company, I had a few more facts to list about Skinner. This is what I added to the Wikipedia article:
"Jim Skinner currently serves as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for McDonald’s Corporation. Vice Chairman was a position that he held before becoming CEO in November 2004. Beginning his career with McDonald’s in 1971, Skinner quickly advanced and held many leadership positions during his 38 years with McDonald’s. These positions include President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group and President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald's - Europe, Asia, Pacific and Middle East. Along with his current positions, he also serves on the Board of McDonald's Corporation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Walgreen Company and ITW (Illinois Tool Works). His greatest accomplishment, the “Plan to Win” strategy, managed to flip the company by reversing its falling profits. This strategy focused on improving on locations that already existed instead of expanding and building more. They hoped to achieve “faster, friendlier service; tastier food; a more appealing ambiance; better value; and sharper marketing.” By shifting strategies, Skinner and his team were able to increase McDonald’s total sales, increasing from $50.1 billion in 2004 to $70.1 billion in 2008. Because of his outstanding leadership, vision and execution, Chief Executive magazine named Jim Skinner 2009 CEO of the Year."
It was pretty easy to edit the article. Anyone can easily create an account on the Wikipedia website and edit any articles they feel are outdated or incorrect. Once someone creates an account, you basically just input any information you feel is necessary for the article. Because it is so easy for any one to access edit control over Wikipedia articles, many find the website an unreliable source.
"Jim Skinner currently serves as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for McDonald’s Corporation. Vice Chairman was a position that he held before becoming CEO in November 2004. Beginning his career with McDonald’s in 1971, Skinner quickly advanced and held many leadership positions during his 38 years with McDonald’s. These positions include President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group and President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald's - Europe, Asia, Pacific and Middle East. Along with his current positions, he also serves on the Board of McDonald's Corporation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Walgreen Company and ITW (Illinois Tool Works). His greatest accomplishment, the “Plan to Win” strategy, managed to flip the company by reversing its falling profits. This strategy focused on improving on locations that already existed instead of expanding and building more. They hoped to achieve “faster, friendlier service; tastier food; a more appealing ambiance; better value; and sharper marketing.” By shifting strategies, Skinner and his team were able to increase McDonald’s total sales, increasing from $50.1 billion in 2004 to $70.1 billion in 2008. Because of his outstanding leadership, vision and execution, Chief Executive magazine named Jim Skinner 2009 CEO of the Year."
It was pretty easy to edit the article. Anyone can easily create an account on the Wikipedia website and edit any articles they feel are outdated or incorrect. Once someone creates an account, you basically just input any information you feel is necessary for the article. Because it is so easy for any one to access edit control over Wikipedia articles, many find the website an unreliable source.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Midterm, Part I
Are you forgetful? Do you have trouble remembering things? Scientists have developed a pill that may help increase peoples' chances of remembering long-term memories. So many people have too many things going on in their daily lives that they tend to lost track of what they need to do. Details slip their minds and at the end of the day, they may not remember that they wanted something accomplished. Memories are an important aspect of peoples' lives; they enable us to focus on our behavior when we are going through difficulties. Memories can also help us to relive times that were happy and joyous. I feel that remembering our life experiences from hours, days, weeks or even years ago can definitely make an impact on our life. Memories, especially their meanings, can give us the opportunity to lessen the chance of making the same mistakes twice. They keep us mentally active. It allows us to connect our past with the present or future. Though the memory pill does sound like a great idea that people may respond to, companies need to think of ways in order to market them in the best possible way.
One way that companies may market this memory pill may be through emotional branding. Most memories seem to trigger the feelings and emotions of people, so by appealing to how people feel, this strategy may be the way to go. The brand comes to a life for people and forges a deeper, lasting connection. Understanding people's emotional needs and desires is really the key to the company's success. Users of the memory want to keep those memories, so companies should take the necessary steps towards understanding these wants and desires by being both inspiring and responsive to this need. Emotional branding provides the means and methodology for connecting products to the consumer in a emotionally profound way. It's ability to focus on fulfilling emotional experiences drives human motivation. The benefits of the memory pill will be felt in the hearts and the minds of the consumer. In order to successfully place their product within society, companies will have to strategically choose who they want to target. In my opinion, I feel that the best people to target for this product would be the older generation, generally those who are past the age of 50. It it not uncommon for people to have a greater tendency to forget more things once they get older.
Because this product can appeal to consumers on an emotional level, advertisements for the memory pill should strategically be placed. The placing of brands into regular entertainment, news or other media would create an association between the brand being placed and the audience tat is interacting with the given medium. With the memory pills, I think that companies would opt to use more serious and intellectual mediums, like the news or talk shows, because their target market are more inclined to watch these types of shows. When t he news or a talk show discusses topics that relate to solutions to memory loss, commercials and advertisements about these memory pills can be aired. Using more serious types of mediums can be seen as a reliable source because mediums like the news and talk shows are mostly based on facts. Information based on research done by scientists and doctors may incline users to buy the product.
Marketing memory-boosting pills may seem easy, but like any product that is available on the market today, it must be strategically placed in order for it to be successful. Using certain techniques like emotional branding and product placement will help increase an awareness among society today. That awareness can eventually grow into action, driving people to purchase the product. But, we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for these memory pills.
One way that companies may market this memory pill may be through emotional branding. Most memories seem to trigger the feelings and emotions of people, so by appealing to how people feel, this strategy may be the way to go. The brand comes to a life for people and forges a deeper, lasting connection. Understanding people's emotional needs and desires is really the key to the company's success. Users of the memory want to keep those memories, so companies should take the necessary steps towards understanding these wants and desires by being both inspiring and responsive to this need. Emotional branding provides the means and methodology for connecting products to the consumer in a emotionally profound way. It's ability to focus on fulfilling emotional experiences drives human motivation. The benefits of the memory pill will be felt in the hearts and the minds of the consumer. In order to successfully place their product within society, companies will have to strategically choose who they want to target. In my opinion, I feel that the best people to target for this product would be the older generation, generally those who are past the age of 50. It it not uncommon for people to have a greater tendency to forget more things once they get older.
Because this product can appeal to consumers on an emotional level, advertisements for the memory pill should strategically be placed. The placing of brands into regular entertainment, news or other media would create an association between the brand being placed and the audience tat is interacting with the given medium. With the memory pills, I think that companies would opt to use more serious and intellectual mediums, like the news or talk shows, because their target market are more inclined to watch these types of shows. When t he news or a talk show discusses topics that relate to solutions to memory loss, commercials and advertisements about these memory pills can be aired. Using more serious types of mediums can be seen as a reliable source because mediums like the news and talk shows are mostly based on facts. Information based on research done by scientists and doctors may incline users to buy the product.
Marketing memory-boosting pills may seem easy, but like any product that is available on the market today, it must be strategically placed in order for it to be successful. Using certain techniques like emotional branding and product placement will help increase an awareness among society today. That awareness can eventually grow into action, driving people to purchase the product. But, we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for these memory pills.
Monday, September 28, 2009
"The Persuaders" Questions
"The Persuaders" begins by questioning the increase in the amount of advertising we typically encounter in our daily lives. How would you assess the amount of advertising you see? Too much? Too little? Just right? In your view, what difference does it make to know that people today see much more advertising in their daily lives than people 20 or 30 years ago?
Today, it seems as if the amount of advertising we encounter in our daily lives has increased. "The Persuaders? has shown that over the years, advertising companies have bombarded consumers with numerous advertisements. If I had to assess the amount of advertising I see, I would have to say that it depends on the environment that I am in. I live in New York City and i know what it is like to be completely surrounded by ads. New York City is a city that is full of advertisements. Take Times Square as an example...there are billboards everywhere you turn! Trains, buses, taxis, and trucks are plastered with messages from various companies that are trying to grab the attention of their target audience. Scrolling marquees, blinking and neon lights...a tourist would probable get lost amongst all of these messages.
Twenty or thirty years ago, people were not seeing that many advertisements in their daily lives. Today, media fragmentation, soaring media costs, and more focused target marketing strategies have promoted the importance of media-planning function. More and more, advertisers are orchestrating a closer harmony between their messages and the media that deliver them. Advertising can only succeed if advertisements gain attention and communicate well. Good advertising messages are especially important in today's costly and cluttered advertising environment. Today, there are thousands of magazines, radio stations as well as a continuous stream of catalogs, direct mail, Internet e-mail and online ads, and out-of-home media, and consumers are being flooded with ads at home, at work and at all points in between.
Because there is so much advertising clutter today, advertisers are having trouble captivating their audience. Today's technology has given consumers a rich new set of information and entertainment choices. With the growth in cable and satellite TV, the Internet video-on-demand and DVD rentals, today's views have more options. Digital technology has also armed consumers with a choice for choosing what they watch or don't want to watch. Increasingly, consumers are choosing NOT to watch ads. They do this by fast-forwarding through recorded programs. They can mute the sound during a commercial or browse around the channels to see what else is on. The rapid growth of Ti-Vo has also added to the problem. Therefore, advertisers can no longer force-feed the same old cookie-cutter ad messages to captivate consumers. Just to gain and hold attention, today's advertising messages must be better planned, more imaginative, more entertaining, and more rewarding to consumers.
Where are things headed in the future? What are some possible scenarios that could play out as far as the direction that future persuaders may take their marketing techniques?
Because of all the advertising clutter, I think that advertisers have to find more create ways to present their message. For decades, marketers have been spending more money to try to get their messages heard. However, they have been drowned in all the noise that has been generated b y so many other marketers that are trying to do the same exact thing. Companies do not want to be throwing their money away just to be ignored. In the future, I think that the Internet will play a big role for advertisers in targeting prospects and measuring results. Not only will advertisers think of new ways to break through the clutter and connect with potential consumers, they will be doing so at a lower cost.
"The Persuaders" mentioned product placement and I feel that that is one technique that will increase greatly in the future. Product placement is the placing of b rands into regular entertainment, news, or other news. The intent is to create an association between the brand being placed and the audience that is interacting with the given medium. Movies are one area in which product placement is used heavily to promote certain brands. By strategically placing the brands into regular entertainment, companies are able to target a specific audience in a subtle kind of way. Sports are also another area that advertisers depend on when creating product placement. Outdoor signs in a stadium can reach millions who watch a sports event. Have you ever wondered why skiers always hold their skis with the brand name toward the camera during interviews? That's product placement! This gets the product in front of people in an unsuspecting way.
Even though I feel the Internet and product placement will play a big role in the future of advertising, there is one technique that will always be popular...viral marketing. Viral marketing is about trying to get people to spread the word about your brand or product, like a virus. The concept of word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to get people talking about your brand or product. The bottom line of this type of marketing is to make the content interesting and valuable enough in the eyes of the consumer to pass along. If you get people talking about your product, it will spark an interest in others as well. Advertisements have certainly become a part of people's daily lives, and the constant exposure has unfortunately caused many people to block them out all together. Now, advertisers understand the importance of grabbing the attention of their audience in order to convey the given message quickly, as well as creatively.
Today, it seems as if the amount of advertising we encounter in our daily lives has increased. "The Persuaders? has shown that over the years, advertising companies have bombarded consumers with numerous advertisements. If I had to assess the amount of advertising I see, I would have to say that it depends on the environment that I am in. I live in New York City and i know what it is like to be completely surrounded by ads. New York City is a city that is full of advertisements. Take Times Square as an example...there are billboards everywhere you turn! Trains, buses, taxis, and trucks are plastered with messages from various companies that are trying to grab the attention of their target audience. Scrolling marquees, blinking and neon lights...a tourist would probable get lost amongst all of these messages.
Twenty or thirty years ago, people were not seeing that many advertisements in their daily lives. Today, media fragmentation, soaring media costs, and more focused target marketing strategies have promoted the importance of media-planning function. More and more, advertisers are orchestrating a closer harmony between their messages and the media that deliver them. Advertising can only succeed if advertisements gain attention and communicate well. Good advertising messages are especially important in today's costly and cluttered advertising environment. Today, there are thousands of magazines, radio stations as well as a continuous stream of catalogs, direct mail, Internet e-mail and online ads, and out-of-home media, and consumers are being flooded with ads at home, at work and at all points in between.
Because there is so much advertising clutter today, advertisers are having trouble captivating their audience. Today's technology has given consumers a rich new set of information and entertainment choices. With the growth in cable and satellite TV, the Internet video-on-demand and DVD rentals, today's views have more options. Digital technology has also armed consumers with a choice for choosing what they watch or don't want to watch. Increasingly, consumers are choosing NOT to watch ads. They do this by fast-forwarding through recorded programs. They can mute the sound during a commercial or browse around the channels to see what else is on. The rapid growth of Ti-Vo has also added to the problem. Therefore, advertisers can no longer force-feed the same old cookie-cutter ad messages to captivate consumers. Just to gain and hold attention, today's advertising messages must be better planned, more imaginative, more entertaining, and more rewarding to consumers.
Where are things headed in the future? What are some possible scenarios that could play out as far as the direction that future persuaders may take their marketing techniques?
Because of all the advertising clutter, I think that advertisers have to find more create ways to present their message. For decades, marketers have been spending more money to try to get their messages heard. However, they have been drowned in all the noise that has been generated b y so many other marketers that are trying to do the same exact thing. Companies do not want to be throwing their money away just to be ignored. In the future, I think that the Internet will play a big role for advertisers in targeting prospects and measuring results. Not only will advertisers think of new ways to break through the clutter and connect with potential consumers, they will be doing so at a lower cost.
"The Persuaders" mentioned product placement and I feel that that is one technique that will increase greatly in the future. Product placement is the placing of b rands into regular entertainment, news, or other news. The intent is to create an association between the brand being placed and the audience that is interacting with the given medium. Movies are one area in which product placement is used heavily to promote certain brands. By strategically placing the brands into regular entertainment, companies are able to target a specific audience in a subtle kind of way. Sports are also another area that advertisers depend on when creating product placement. Outdoor signs in a stadium can reach millions who watch a sports event. Have you ever wondered why skiers always hold their skis with the brand name toward the camera during interviews? That's product placement! This gets the product in front of people in an unsuspecting way.
Even though I feel the Internet and product placement will play a big role in the future of advertising, there is one technique that will always be popular...viral marketing. Viral marketing is about trying to get people to spread the word about your brand or product, like a virus. The concept of word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to get people talking about your brand or product. The bottom line of this type of marketing is to make the content interesting and valuable enough in the eyes of the consumer to pass along. If you get people talking about your product, it will spark an interest in others as well. Advertisements have certainly become a part of people's daily lives, and the constant exposure has unfortunately caused many people to block them out all together. Now, advertisers understand the importance of grabbing the attention of their audience in order to convey the given message quickly, as well as creatively.
Monday, September 21, 2009
"Myth of the Photographic Truth"
For this assignment, we applied the myth of photographic truth. Photography has been associated with realism. However when using a camera, the image's meaning can be subjective because of selection, framing and personalization. This photo portrays an image a person just casually taking a stroll in some sort of park on a nice day. They could be a pedestrian or a tourist just taking in the sights of the buildings that are around. However, because this image is cropped, the true meaning of this photo is altered. This is what the original image looked like:
Now that we see the image and its entirety, you realize that this image is one of tragedy. This image was taken on September 11, 2001 after the Twin Towers collapsed. Now that we know that this image was captured on this tragic day, the meaning of this image totally changes. Observers of this photo would feel heartache and sympathy for those affected by this horrific day. This event is one that everyone will never forget. It has truly affected the country as well as the people. The cropped image doesn't have any sort of meaning to those who look at it. But when they see the original photo, it'll hold more of a significance.
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