Week 9 EOC: Social Media

As with any new product or even established brands that operate in our modern times, one of the most important marketing strategies is to incorporate social media into its campaign to get their product out onto the public. I will also utilize this broad marketing tool to promote my own product, the chocolate tortilla chip,  but first we must identify what social media really is. “What exactly are social media? They are Web-based and mobile technologies that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” (MKTG pg 51) With almost everyone on the face of the planet being on one form or another of technology, there are also this many people who are on at least one form of social media or more. This being said, utilizing one of the most frequented and popular social media sites, Facebook, will of course be a no-brainer. “If Facebook were a country, it would be the world's third largest behind China and India.” (MKTG pg 52) Also, since my creative pitch consists of being an audio clip (radio commercial) it would benefit me greatly to upload it to the most used video sharing and watched website YouTube. As stated in MKTG (pg 6)  “The Internet and the widespread use of social media have accelerated the shift in power from manufacturers and retailers to consumers and business users.” Another social media outlet that would be incorporated would probably be Pinterest, since it is a social media site dedicated to the creative, individualistic, crafty, and entrepreneurial persons who post about their creations and small businesses. Now, onto how I will fully take advantage of these platforms to get my product out into the limelight. For Facebook, since it uses information about what people like and talk about to sell to marketers, I will buy ad space that would go to the pages of people who enjoy fun snacks, chocolate, chips, and those who are open to new things. For YouTube, there are ads that take up about 30 seconds to over a minute of the beginning or end of a video and I will purchase that 30 second ad space at the beginning of videos that deal with cooking, food challenges, or even food networks so as to be relevant to what the viewer is watching and since these kinds of videos are very popular on YouTube. Lastly, on Pinterest, there are many users who post their recipes on this site, ranging from meals, snacks, and even desserts, where I can come in and have ads on my chocolate tortilla chips on the sidebars. This is how I will use social media to promote my product.

Week 8 EOC: Creative Content

The creative content that I will work on for my chocolate tortilla chips product is a 30 second radio commercial. It will contain music (royalty-free or owned), sound effects, and a great voice to enhance and grasp the concept of my product. I will also include a 10 second version to key-in on the major points. I will provide the scripts and audio files for the commercials as well, which can be in MP3 or WAV format. The theme of the commercial will fit into the fun, lighthearted emotions and characteristics of the target demographic I am aiming to market to, which include kids, teens, and young adults (millennials). The “feel” of the commercial will pertain more to a cookie kind of commercial like Pillsbury or Keebler rather than a chips commercial like Doritos over-the-top productions. It would be aired on radio streaming sites and apps like Spotify and Pandora since its listener base consists of the target demographic I am marketing to, and it will also be aired on public satellite radio to gain a broader audience. After my research is complete, primarily by scoping out grocery stores and seeing if they carry any products that are similar to mine or if they contain the same ingredients, then I can go and write the script for the proposed commercial with the verbiage and flare that will make my product stand out from the other big name competition. Besides the radio commercials, there is not much else I would be able to do with my product based on my skillset, but I can create a video commercial to go along with it if time permits since I do have the knowledge on how to work a camera and I know people that would be willing to contribute to my project. 

Implementation Evaluation Control

TBC

Marketing Mix - Price

TBC

Marketing Mix - Promotion

For the promotion of my product, besides utilizing social media, I have created a 30 second radio commercial for my creative content. 

Here is the link to the commercial. It is audio only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD76NB1UG4k

Marketing Mix - Distribution

TBC

Marketing Mix - Product

TBC

Target Market Strategy

TBC

SWOT Analysis

TBC

Objectives

TBC

Business Mission Statement

My company's business mission statement is to provide the best quality snack items that the public will enjoy no matter what the age. One of the important questions of having a mission statement is found in the text, which follows as, "The foundation of any marketing plan is the firm's mission statement, which answers the question “What business are we in?” (MKTG Pg 21). The business I am in is the snacks and food item business, but it is also the business of creating fun and unique products.  One thing a business should try not to fall into the eyes of the customer is “Marketing myopia - defining a business in terms of goods and services rather than in terms of the benefits customers seek.” (MKTG Pg 21). Most snack-food companies, like Frito-Lay, have this problem and its because companies keep their statements too broad, which is a hard thing not to do because as a company, you must try to reach as big of a demographic as you can. Mission statements help define what a company means and offer to their customers and without one, the general public will not connect with them.  My company states the benefits to the customer is satisfaction through the product’s unique and fun attributes while also being a delicious snack. Having this as my mission statement helps with the rest of the marketing plan and is further confirmed by this quote from the textbook, “By correctly stating the business mission in terms of the benefits that customers seek, the foundation for the marketing plan is set.” (MKTG Pg 22). As my company evolves and grows in terms of sales and customer base, the plan would be to refine my business mission statement to a caliber such as the one that Ben & Jerry’s has.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

For my pitch, I have decided to go the route of mixing two popular snack items, them being corn chips and chocolate. I will be working on variations of a chocolate tortilla chip, which combines the crunch, and texture of a common corn chip with the flavor and decadence of chocolate. There are many pairing combinations that can accompany the chocolate tortilla chip. It can be used as a wafer for ice cream, basically how a corn chip is used to dip into salsa, it can be crumbled up and mixed into your favorite cereal, it can be used as a “spoon” for any yogurt, and it can be eaten by itself as a quick and tasty snack. There will also be different types of chocolate used to make the chips, such as white, dark, and milk chocolate, each giving the chip a different consistency and texture. The ingredients put into making the chips will take from both of the respective snacks, using flour and corn from the tortilla chips and sugar, mil and cocoa from chocolate. The customer base would include those who are adventurous and like to try new things, those who enjoy wafers and cookies, and those who like finger foods that can be paired with many other foods. Confectionary brands such as Mexican company Bimbo and Swiss company Nestle would distribute the chocolate tortilla chip. The channel, as defined by MKTG (Pg 279),  “a medium of communication—such as a voice, radio, or newspaper—for transmitting a message”, would be through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook on their ad space and in magazines involving eateries, restaurants, and cooking. All in all, I believe that the market for chocolate tortilla chips is definitely there, with snacks such as Kellogg’s Kraves and Quaker’s chocolate rice crisps being out in the market to generally good responses. 

Week 6 EOC: Me x3

Converse:  Iconic, everyday fashionable sneaker brand.

 The first pair of Converse I ever received were from my grandpa back when I started 7^th grade. Since then I have never looked back. It is a sneaker that has been around for over 100 years and is never out of style. Ever since I was a kid I had always wanted a pair but my family could not afford name-brand merchandise so after I got my first pair, once I got a paying job, I have started buying any cool and unique Converse that I have found. To me it is not just some shoe or brand, it is a lifestyle and it is a brand I am loyal to. I believe no other brand looks as good on me as Converse does and they suit my simplistic outfits perfectly.

Fender Guitars: Quality American guitars that pioneered the electric guitar and shaped Rock n’ Roll.

 Currently I own one Fender guitar and it is a CD-60 acoustic-electric.  I have owned a handful of guitars in the past but none have been a Fender, they were either knock–off brands, cheap, or other notable brands. It has always been my dream to own a custom made Fender Stratocaster ever since I listened to rock for the first time and ever since I started playing the guitar. There are so many knock-off brands out there that have taken the iconic shape of Fender guitars but there is nothing like the original in terms of quality, playability, and the feel. Once I own my dream guitar, it will be one that is prized and cherished for as long as I live and Fender is a company that I trust and will support for just as long.

Sony PS4: Japanese top-rated, best-selling console of its generation.

 I have been a Sony fan since my grandmother had bought me the first PlayStation back during its heyday. Also, my family has gone through many PlayStation 2’s , with my uncle owning the first classic version. Then, four years after the release of the PlayStation 3, my parents finally bought it for my brother and I at Christmas time and I was ecstatic at the fact that it was a computer as much as it was a gaming station. Fast forward to this past November where I finally made the decision to continue the tradition and where I finally had the ability to purchase my own PlayStation 4 and it was a purchase done more so for the brand loyalty than anything else.

Week 5 EOC - This is what has my interest

"Brexit causes younger audience to tune in to the radio."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36965649

This Twitter post had my interest because it speaks about Brexit, which is a recent shift in the European Union that has been in the news and on social media for a while. The fact that a younger audience that involves my age group has tuned in to a radio station that, for the most part, keeps people updated on this situation rather that listening to a general music station shows how serious it is. These days I hear older generations talking about how millennials do not care for politics from own experience but this news article completely disproves that statement.

“A controversial topic for many people. How Google/YouTube Is Killing the Music Industry”

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2016/08/03/stream-ripping-google-creating-music-free-literally/

For this particular twitter post, it caught my attention solely for the fact that it is a common practice that occurs no matter who you are. For school purposes, most students use YouTube to get videos and music for their projects without paying for them by using sites like YouTube-mp3.org to download the files. This is generally harmless and for a good purpose but other people who just wish to have free music and not having to rent movies, it is a disservice to the artists who have created them.

“Audio app lets different countries do commerce in a more convenient way - App facilitates North Korea-Chinese trade”

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=14018

Now this Twitter post might seem strange as to why I included it in my blog but I will go into detail of why I did. I thought it was fascinating to see that a country ruled by a dictator would be so inclined to use an app that basically displays their countries market information to another country, the one being China. I do not know much about both countries but it is cool to see that there is an app that seems to work like a Facetime/instagram hybrid that only works to create trade agreements.