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.

Week 4 EOC: My New App

I have an idea for a smartphone app that involves the diagnosis of health problems. This app would be called Diagnet, where the user would be able to follow a series of prompts that will determine what kind of illness they might have. I realize that there might be apps out there that might function like this one and that simply going on a website is an option, but this app would be the culmination of all of them combined plus more. This app would utilize the phone’s built in GPS system where it can direct the user to specialist or even general doctors to get a full diagnosis. The app would generate its questions from websites such as WebMD and Mayoclinic but would also be able to take liquid samples and temperature readings through the use of an external unit that plugs into the phone’s power port. From these readings, the app will generate a document to the cloud with the users results as well as family history and personal information that only the user can reach. This app would cost $4.99 US and the attachment would be available for purchase online through a redirect from the app’s site for $19.99 US. Keep in mind that the app can be used without the attachment as a means of a quick diagnosis but the attachment would make the most of the app’s intended purpose. In the hopes that the medical board approve and partner with the app to make it official, the implementation of a live chat with a doctor through the app would become possible and the need to wait at the doctor’s office will be cut exponentially so people with moderate to serious health conditions can get the quick help they need by cutting out the middle man and getting to the root of their illness.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

Milennials, the dirty word of this generation it seems. For some it is a term describing those who lack the respect for simpler times, those who take things for granted, and those who are so caught up with themselves and technology that nothing else matters. For others it is just a classification, like baby-boomers and gen x-ers. Now for the textbook definition, “Millennials, or Generation Y, are people born between 1979 and 1994.” (MKTG, PG 55) It is as simple as that but much like every generation before my own, there are marketers that gear their intentions on selling us things that they believe peak our interest. “Millennials may be the most tech-savvy generation yet, spending more time surfing the Web and on social media than they do watching television, listening to radio, or reading newspapers, but they still use and value traditional media.” (MKTG, PG 55)  While I myself cannot speak for the majority of millennials, I do not prefer social media when compared to the more modest and old-fashioned ways of communication, but as for being on the internet, that is a must for anyone nowadays. As for being a Hispanic millennial on the cusp of being slightly older to the newest generation (Gen Z), I am in tune with my culture while being fully aware that I am an American, with being born and raised in the states. Thus comes the issue of where I stand in the demographics realm, where I can either choose to be lumped with primarily being a millennial or being marketed to as a Hispanic. “With such a large number of children being raised inside the United States, it should come as little surprise to researchers that eighty percent of the Latino population prefers English or bilingual programming.” (MKTG, PG 57) “Univision and Telemundo, the largest Hispanic broadcast television networks, both have English subtitles on their prime-time telenovelas, and Univision broke its all-Spanish programming tradition by interviewing Republican presidential hopefuls in English with a Spanish translation.” (MKTG, PG 57) Both these quotes relate to my personal demographic as well as my family’s, with such programming being a staple of our household. To conclude, I believe I am in the position of being targeted by marketers and companies for both aspects of my makeup, as a millennial in-tune with the internet age and as a Hispanic who still prides himself in his culture.