Implementation Evaluation Control

"Success at building customer relationships also rests on how well their entire supply chain performs against competitors’ supply chains. These companies don’t just treat suppliers as vendors and distributors as customers. They treat both as partners in delivering customer value. On the one hand, for example, Lexus works closely with carefully selected suppliers to improve quality and operations efficiency. On the other hand, it works with its franchise dealers to provide top-grade sales and service support that will bring customers in the door and keep them coming back." (KOHLER/ARMSTRONG, Marketing:  An introduction, pg 21).

Time to put the pen down and reflect on Northern Lights Vodka.

Countless hours of reading, research, talking with peers and really enjoying this project invested, but one question remains, will the product ever work in today’s market? After much reflection and swallowing of pride, the answer will be no. As I walked down the aisles of the local market and seen the many types of vodka, I became aware of the diversity and magnitude it holds on the shelf. Whole rows are dedicated to at least 200 versions of the product from every corner of the world. To make my vodka stand out would be short of a miracle in today’s market. I have no associations of any category to a big name personality to even endorse my product. You may have millions of dollars to invest in an item today, but if you do not get that “stamp of approval” from a celebrity, your product will be dead to the world. 

“In almost constant touch to make certain the customer stays satisfied. Success depends on building solid, long-term relationships with customers, based on performance and trust.” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction pg 414).

Distribution

“Each distribution method involves a different level of reach and cost. Increasingly, marketers are blending several media into a total campaign concept. The length of the promotion is also important. If the sales promotion period is too short, many prospects (who may not be buying during that time) will miss it. If the promotion runs too long, the deal will lose some of its “act now” force.” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction pg 437). 

Northern Lights distribution markets itself to high end clubs and liquor stores.  

Northern Lights Distilleries home office is based out of Anchorage, Alaska and the products are distilled in Talkeetna, Alaska, within in sight of Mount, McKinley. 

Northern Lights distilleries will partner with liquor distributors within major cities in the United States to effectively distribute our products.  Distributors of Northern Lights Vodka will receive invitations of sampling and promotional events that occur at the Northern Lights distillery. 

Investors of Northern Lights will receive a personalized tour of our distillery and receive a 2 day guided air tour of Mount McKinley.

Northern Lights Vodka, researched other marketing distribution efforts from other companies such as Under Armour.

Under Armour might consider whether the company can achieve deeper market penetration—making more sales without changing its original product. It can spur growth through marketing mix improvements—adjustments to its product design, advertising, pricing, and distribution efforts. For example, Under Armour offers an ever-increasing range of styles and colors in its original apparel lines. And it recently boosted its promotion spending in an effort to drive home its “performance and authenticity” positioning. Following a blockbuster $4.4 million 2008 Super Bowl ad, Under Armour this year launched its largest-ever advertising campaign—themed “Athletes Run.” The company also added direct-to-consumer distribution channels, including its own retail stores, Web site, and toll-free call center. Direct-to-consumer sales grew 47 percent last year and now account for more than 11 percent of total revenues. (Armstrong/Kotler, Marketing:  An introduction, pg. 46).

Price

"Price is the amount of money customers must pay to obtain the product. Ford calculates suggested retail prices that its dealers might charge for each Escape. But Ford dealers rarely charge the full sticker price. Instead, they negotiate the price with each customer, offering discounts, trade-in allowances, and credit terms. These actions adjust prices for the current competitive and economic situations and bring them into line with the buyer’s perception of the car’s value." (Kohler/Armstrong:  Marketing:  An introduction, pg. 54).

 Northern Lights Distilleries will produce and distribute premium vodka for sale within the United States and Europe  Our premium vodka price will range from $30-$40 a bottle. 

"Thus, whereas marketers see themselves as selling products, customers see themselves as buying value or solutions to their problems. And customers are interested in more than just the price; they are interested in the total costs of obtaining, using, and disposing of a product. Customers want the product and service to be as conveniently available as possible. Finally, they want two-way communication. Marketers would do well to think through the four Cs first and then build the four Ps on that platform." (Armstrong/Kohler:  Marketing:  An Introduction, pg. 55).

Northern Lights Vodka was priced according to the target market of the ages of 25-45.  The target market for Northern Lights will be more interested in the quality of vodka, than about the price that is being paid for the product.  We felt that the product price was comparable to the market level we were researching for.

Promotion

"Despite their rapid growth in recent years, most marketers are still learning how to use the social media effectively. The problem is to find unobtrusive ways to enter consumers’ social conversations with engaging and relevant brand messages. Marketing has “historically been an exposure and intrusion practice—get in someone’s face and talk about the attributes of the brand,” says a social media analyst. “That approach works less and less effectively all the time, and it is absolutely fatal in the social arena.” Moreover, simply posting a humorous video, creating a social network page, or hosting a blog isn’t enough. Successful social network marketing means making relevant and genuine contributions to consumer conversations. “Nobody wants to be friends with a brand,” says one online marketing executive. “Your job [as a brand] is to be part of other friends’ conversations.” (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing: An Introduction, pg 19).

Our organization created and posted a series of cocktail how-to videos, distributed through social media networks like Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. Just recently, our marketing department launched the “Northern Lights Cocktails” mobile application to promote the idea of creating high end cocktails.

"Other marketers think that companies should position themselves on more than one differentiator. This may be necessary if two or more firms are claiming to be best on the same attribute. Today, in a time when the mass market is fragmenting into many small segments, companies are trying to broaden their positioning strategies to appeal to more segments."  (Kohler, Armstrong, Marketing:  An Introduction, Pg 197).

Product

"Product quality and improvement are important parts of most marketing strategies. However, focusing only on the company’s products can also lead to marketing myopia. For example, some manufacturers believe that if they can “build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to their door.” But they are often rudely shocked. Buyers may be looking for a better solution to a mouse problem, but not necessarily for a better mousetrap. The better solution might be a chemical spray, an exterminating service, a housecat, or something else that works even better than a mousetrap. Furthermore, a better mousetrap will not sell unless the manufacturer designs, packages, and prices it attractively; places it in convenient distribution channels; brings it to the attention of people who need it; and convinces buyers that it is a better product." (Armstrong/Kohler, Marketing:  An introduction, pg 11).

I conducted a research project with consumers regarding their thoughts on premium vodkas out on the market today, the majority of the people that I interviewed felt that many vodkas on the market shelf aren't distinct enough and that they are all similar in quality.  So at Northern Lights vodka we wanted to set our project apart from our competitors in the Vodka market.

"Marketing consists of actions taken to build and maintain desirable exchange relationships with target audiences involving a product, service, idea, or other object. Beyond simply attracting new customers and creating transactions, the company wants to retain customers and grow their business. Marketers want to build strong relationships by consistently delivering superior customer value."  (Armstrong, Kohler, Marketing:  An introduction, pg. 8).

Our goal is to attract customers and continue to retain their business ensuring customer satisfaction internationally.  We've designed a vodka and distributed it to ensure a refreshing product.

The bottle is handcrafted to portray that of an ice glacier.  The vodka inside the bottle is laced with blue, green, purple, red, and yellow colors of the Northern Lights.

Target Market Strategy

"Once it fully understands consumers and the marketplace, marketing management can design a customer-driven marketing strategy. We define marketing management as the art and science of choosing target markets and building profitable relationships with them. The marketing manager’s aim is to find, attract, keep, and grow target customers by creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value." (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An Introduction, pg 9).

Our target market for Northern Lights Vodka ranges from ages 25-45. Northern Lights chose to market to a wide range of ages due to the growing need of premium vodkas within the vodka market.  Northern Lights Vodka embodies a classier side of the vodka market than it's other vodka competitors.

"The company must first decide who it will serve. It does this by dividing the market into segments of customers (market segmentation) and selecting which segments it will go after (target marketing). Some people think of marketing management as finding as many customers as possible and increasing demand. But marketing managers know that they cannot serve all customers in every way. By trying to serve all customers, they may not serve any customers well. Instead, the company wants to select only customers that it can serve well and profitably. For example, Nordstrom stores profitably target affluent professionals; Family Dollar stores profitably target families with more modest means. Ultimately, marketing managers must decide which customers they want to target and on the level, timing, and nature of their demand. Simply put, marketing management is customer management and demand management." (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An Introduction, pg 9).

Northern Lights Distillery has a clear vision on who our target market would be.  Our vision is that Northern Lights vodka is a top shelf premium vodka, that is distributed to premier clubs and bars within the global community.

Situations or SWOT Analysis

“Managing the marketing function begins with a complete analysis of the company’s situation. The marketer should conduct a SWOT analysis, by which it evaluates the company’s overall strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) Strengths include internal capabilities. Weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the company’s performance. Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage. And threats are unfavorable external factors or trends” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction pg 55).

Strengths:
· Caliber of product
· Exceptional customer communication
· Knowledgeable of our customers requirements
· Impassioned of our service
· Expanding client base
· Family oriented staff

Weaknesses:
· In need of marketing maturity
· Infancy to the market
· Geographical location
· Magnitude of network
· Lack of global advertising

Opportunities:
· Non-reputable competition
· Allegiant clientele
· Limited edition brand for special events
· Customer stipulations on order processes
· Expanding network through reputation

Threats:
· Competitive market
· Countless established labels
· Congested market
· Contention similarity
· Advanced advertisement strategies
· Seasoned business executives/owners
· Competitors technological advancements

“Planning, implementation, and control. The company first develops company wide strategic plans and then translates them into marketing and other plans for each division, product, and brand. Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions. Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed.” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction, pg 55).

Objectives

At Northern Lights Vodka our primary objective is to provide a top shelf product to our clientele while expanding a worldwide customer base. Our distillers have invested years of meticulous, yet far-reaching, research to bestow upon our customers a premier vodka and have only settled for the most nostalgic elements. While building long lasting partnerships is a priority, we also take extreme pride in continuing our research to produce high caliber client satisfaction.

As stated, “Kohler’s overall objective is to build profitable customer relationships by developing efficient yet beautiful products that embrace the “essence of gracious living.” It does this by investing heavily in research and design (R&D)” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction pg 43). 

Northern Lights is family managed and our employes are local and natives of Alaska. We take extreme pride in recognizing the value of families and that is how we treat our customers. As a Northern Lights family member, you will delight in the same atmosphere that founded our business. Round table discussions will be frequent on how to improve the reputation of our business. As part of the Northern Lights family, our customers will have direct communication into that process. “Businesses and products the company should consider in the future. Companies need growth if they are to compete more effectively, satisfy their stakeholders, and attract top talent.

“Growth is pure oxygen,” states one executive. “It creates a vital, enthusiastic corporation where people see genuine opportunity.” At the same time, a firm must be careful not to make growth itself an objective” (ARMSTRONG/KOTLER, Marketing: An Introduction pg 45).

Buisness Mission Statement

"An organization exists to accomplish something, and this purpose should be clearly stated. Forging a sound mission begins with the following questions: What is our business? Who is the customer? What do consumers value? What should our business be? These simple-sounding questions are among the most difficult the company will ever have to answer. Successful companies continuously raise these questions and answer them carefully and completely" (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An Introduction, pg. 39). 

I feel that at Northern Lights Distillery we clearly define our objective with our mission statement:

Our mission at Northern Lights Distillery is to produce and distribute the world's purest and finest Vodka throughout the world economy and establish a brand name that is recognized within the global consumer market.

"Mission statements should be meaningful and specific yet motivating. They should emphasize the company’s strengths in the marketplace. Too often, mission statements are written for public relations purposes and lack specific, workable guidelines." (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An Introduction, pg. 41).

At Northern Lights Distillery, our mission is specific, motivating, and our marketing objective is workable within the Northern Lights company.

Week Seven EOC: The Pitch

Northern Lights Vodka is a premium vodka infused with the 4000 year old pristine waters of the glaciers in Alaska. Northern Lights is as crisp as the Alaskan sub zero nights.  Go ahead, enjoy a glacier in a bottle!  Northern Lights Vodka is distilled ten times, charcoal filtered, and infused with pure Mount McKinley glacier water to achieve the vodka's crisp flavor and purity.

Distilled and blended with the finest ingredients, our vodka is produced with a premium solution of crystal sugar and yeast, unlike other vodkas of wheat or rye.  Our vodka is distilled with the finest organic corn grown in Alaska by local Inuit farmers during Alaska's short summer months.

"Marketers need to understand customer needs and wants and the marketplace within which they operate. We now examine five core customer and marketplace concepts: (1) needs, wants, and demands; (2) market offerings (products, services, and experiences); (3) value and satisfaction; (4) exchanges and relationships; and (5) markets." (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An introduction, pg 6).

At Northern Lights Distillery, we understand consumer wants and needs when it comes to the need for a premium vodka.  We ensure at Northern lights the value and satisfaction of our project.

"Outstanding marketing companies go to great lengths to learn about and understand their customers’ needs, wants, and demands. They conduct consumer research and analyze mountains of customer data. Their people at all levels—including top management—stay close to customers. For example, Procter & Gamble CEO A. G. Lafley is known for actually going into customers’ homes to undertake his own ethnographic research to ensure that customers’ needs are well understood. Retailer Cabela’s Vice-Chairman James W. Cabela spends hours each morning reading through customer comments and hand-delivering them to each department, circling important customer issues. And at Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh uses Twitter to build more personal connections with customers and our employees. Some 32,000 people follow Hsieh’s Twitter feed." (Kohler/Armstrong, Marketing:  An introduction, pg. 6).

Week 6 EOC: Movie Promotion

The movie I'm choosing to promote is the movie "Bling Ring'.  It's a movie based on events about a group of teenagers who are celebrity obsessed and they use the  internet to track the whereabouts of celebrities so they can rob the celebrities' property.

First, I would define would the target market is.  The I feel the target market is women, between the ages of 14 and 30.  The target market would be anyone who feels a connection with this movie, the actors/actresses, and anyone who is a fan of the Director Sophia Coppola.

"Dividing a market into smaller segments with distinct needs, characteristics, or behavior that might require separate marketing strategies or mixes" (Page 175).

Since we live in the age of technology, I would set up a website to promote the movie and the trailer.  I would load the trailers up to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites.  I would join online forms that are related to the target market and post forums for the movie.  I would market the movie through magazines and websites that are relate to the audience.

Psychographic segmentation divides buyers into different segments based on social class, lifestyle, or personality characteristics. People in the same demographic group can have very different psychographic makeups (179).

Today, we live in an era where many teens and young adults are fascinated with celebrities and reality television.  I would purchase air time to have movie trailers broadcast on channels such as Mtv and the E channel that target individuals between the ages of 13-35.   I would ensure these trailers play during popular shows such as "Keeping up with the Kardashians."

Demographic factors are the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups. One reason is that consumer needs, wants, and usage rates often vary closely with demographic variables. Another is that demographic variables are easier to measure than most other types of variables. Even when marketers first define segments using other bases, such as benefits sought or behavior, they must know segment demographic characteristics in order to assess the size of the target market and to reach it efficiently (176).

Also, I think many of the people interested in this movie would be interested in the story behind the movie.  I would pay the individuals who allegedly committed the crimes to be interviewed and published in magazines such as US weekly and OK magazine (big celebrity gossip magazines).  I think for the demographic groups who read these magazines, it would draw more interest to the movie.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

Social networking and the internet have changed the way the world has communicated and done business both personally and professionally.  Many businesses are turning to the web with sites such ans LinkedIn and Facebook to market their company and also to use these sites as a tool to reach out to future employees of their company.

"More companies are trying to tap Facebook Inc.'s 750-million-plus user base to find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with LinkedIn Corp., which has dominated the online professional networking arena. Facebook's use as a job-recruitment tool remains small, but its appeal may be growing. Some recruiters say they have all but eliminated their spending on job boards, which can charge a few hundred dollars per job posting, depending on volume. Others note that while LinkedIn contains a more comprehensive resume database, candidates tend to value referrals from their connections on Facebook more," says Joe Light in his article.

The way that companies market their products have also changed since the invention of the World Wide Web.  The days of advertising agencies primarily using their ads in magazines and on commercials to sell products are a thing of the past.  Now they're turning to websites like Facebook and Pinterest to sell products.  Advertising and communication have reached a new level, because now they have us to be their advertising experts.  Yesterday I pinned over 50 pins for new apparel, recipes, and make-up.  One of my posts describes the best mascara EVER!  DiorShow.  Thanks to my post, Dior gained free advertising from my post which went out to a plethora of friends and coworkers. 

"People love talking about things that make them happy—including their favorite products and brands. Say you really like JetBlue Airways—they fly with flair and get you there at an affordable price. Or you just plain love your new Sony GPS camera—it’s way too cool to keep to yourself. In the old days, you’d have chatted up these brands with a few friends and family members. But these days, thanks to modern technology, armed with little more than a video camera, laptop, and a cell phone, anyone can spread the word about products and brand experiences to thousands, even millions, of other consumers." (Page 143).

Business to consumer interactions have come a long way prior to the internet age.  Companies have found ways to use consumer wants and needs to revolutionize the way companies do business.

"In response, marketers are now working to harness the newfound communications power of their everyday customers, turning them into influential brand ambassadors. Companies such as JetBlue, Sony, Microsoft, and McDonald’s, among others, are now developing a new breed of brand ambassador programs that organize and supercharge consumer-to-consumer interactions about their brands. These programs employ everyday consumers who are passionate about their products to act as part PR agents, part sales reps, and part evangelists." (Page 143).

Week four EOC: Consumer vs. buisness to buisness marketing

There is a huge difference between Consumer marketing rather that business marketing.  With consumer marketing, the company that is selling deals with a wide range of people, which is us, the consumer. 

"Consumers make many buying decisions every day, and the buying decision is the focal point of the marketer’s effort. Most large companies research consumer buying decisions in great detail to answer questions about what consumers buy, where they buy, how and how much they buy, when they buy, and why they buy. Marketers can study actual consumer purchases to find out what they buy, where, and how much. But learning about the whys of consumer buying behavior is not so easy—the answers are often locked deep within the consumer’s mind (Kotler, 137).

In business marketing, business marketers deal with employees of a company, such as an IT technician or an office manager.  Many of the transactions that business marketers have with other companies can vary between computers, office furniture, or even tires.

"The business market is huge. In fact, business markets involve far more dollars and items than do consumer markets. For example, think about the large number of business transactions involved in the production and sale of a single set of Goodyear tires. Various suppliers sell Goodyear the rubber, steel, equipment, and other goods that it needs to produce tires. Goodyear then sells the finished tires to retailers, who in turn sell them to consumers. Thus, many sets of business purchases were made for only one set of consumer purchases. In addition, Goodyear sells tires as original equipment to manufacturers who install them on new vehicles, and as replacement tires to companies that maintain their own fleets of company cars, trucks, buses, or other vehicles" (Kotler, 157).

Many companies use different advertising tactics when dealing with both consumers and business.  As a photography supervisor in the Air Force, I purchased a lot of my offices photo equipment.  I was given an annual budget and we had specific companies that we did business with.  We would get a lot of correspondence from other companies either through email or they would mail us their catalogs to try and earn our business.  As a consumer, we mainly see advertising for products either on television or the internet, Facebook has become huge for companies to advertise their businesses.

"Marketers are working to harness the power of these new social networks to promote their products and build closer customer relationships. Instead of throwing more one-way commercial messages at ad-weary consumers, they hope to use social networks to interact with consumers and become a part of their conversations and lives" (Kotler 142-143).

Whether marketing to consumers or businesses, advertising and marketing are in the business to make the customer happy, keep the customer coming back, and of course to make money.

Week three EOC: My Demographics

My demographic group is the Millinials.  "This group was born between 1977 and 2000, these children of the baby boomers number 83 million, dwarfing the Gen Xers and larger even than the baby boomer segment. This group includes several age cohorts: tweens (aged 9–12), teens (13–18), and young adults (19–32). With total purchasing power of more than $733 billion, the Millennials make up a huge and attractive market." (Kotler, Marketing an introduction).

"The millennials have developed a reputation for a certain materialism. In a Pew Research Center survey in which different generations were asked what made them unique, baby boomers responded with qualities like “work ethic”; millennials offered “clothes.” But, according to new data, even though the recession is over, this generation is not looking to gorge; instead, they are the kind of hungry that cannot stop thinking about food. “Call it materialism if you want,” said Neil Howe, an author of the 1991 book “Generations.” It seems more like financial melancholy. “They look at the house their parents live in and say, ‘I could work for 100 years and I couldn’t afford this place,’ ” Howe said. “If that doesn’t make you focus on money, what would? Millennials have a very conventional notion of the American dream — a spouse, a house, a kid — but it is not going to be easy for them to get those things.”(http://www.nbcnews.com/business/do-millennials-stand-chance-real-world-2B9110594).

Millinials have also been referred to as the "net generation," because they can't remember a time without the internet.   I was born in 1978 and didn't have an internet account until the late 90's.  I actually find myself missing the days when communication between people wasn't all through social media outlets, such as Facebook.  Although convenient, I think that the majority of us millennials are the "we want it right now" generation. Which could be our downfall in the future as we progress economically.  I think we can all take a lesson from our past generations.

Week three EOC: Making Money for Good

The slogan for Burt's Bees products is:  Earth friendly natural personal care for the greater good.  Not only do they have a great slogan, but great products as well!  "Burt's Bees takes pride of being one of the best "Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company" in today's market. Burt's Bee's natural, Earth-friendly personal care products are specially formulated to help enhance your well-being and that of the world around you. Their products are carefully crafted from time-tested, proven recipes using ingredients that are the best nature has to offer: beeswax, botanical and essential oils, herbs, flowers and minerals. These safe, effective ingredients have withstood the test of time." (http://www.thefundraisingjournal.com/Archive/1002/Burts_Bees.html).

In 2007, Burt's Bees created the Greater Good Foundation, a non-profit, charitable organization. The Foundation Burt's Bees volunteer company employees and funded by 10% of the sales from the Burt's Bees website.  Also, "The company partners with Habitat For Humanity to build eco-friendly homes, and in 2007 they established The Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation, which is funded by a percentage of their sales. Its goal is “to help empower non-profit initiatives whose efforts resonate with our own mission, particularly in the areas of natural health and well-being, the environment and social responsibility.” The company also gives back in another way by working to develop sustainable packaging solutions." (http://www.takepart.com/photos/companies-give-back/positive-buzz).

It's refreshing to know that a company that embodies being natural and giving back to their consumers also is involved in a variety of charities to help make the world a better place.

Week two EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The earliest video gaming system that I can remember was the Atari gaming system, which made it's debut in the 1970's and stayed strong through the 1980's.  Since then, many video game systems have come and gone from the shelves such as the Nintendo NES, Nintendo 64, Game Cube, and the Sega Genesis.  With the decline of video game systems, how long will the popular gaming systems like the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 maintain it's popularity with today's youth? The popularity of video game apps, such as Angry Birds and Words with Friends, why would parents continue to shell out $60 for games that are on the decline when they can download games for free.

"The gaming world has found itself teetering at the edge of a financial cliff. In the first eight months of this year retail sales of video games plummeted 20 percent in the United States. That followed a lackluster performance in 2011, when sales fell 8 percent. An analysis on the Web site Gamasutra this year said it was possible that 2012 would be the worst year for retail video game software and hardware sales since 2005." (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/arts/video-games/video-game-retail-sales-decline-despite-new-hits.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0). 

With the decline of the gaming systems within the last few years, tablets continue to prosper within the gaming communities.  More consumers are turning their backs on their much loved video game systems to purchase tablets such as the iPad and the Kindle Fire HD. 

"The Xbox 360 arrived in 2005 and the PlayStation 3 a year later in 2006. The technology inside each of those boxes is now at least six years old. And with price drops and budget bundles to come, these boxes are probably still at least two to three years away from official retirement. That’s a 10-year cycle, cradle to grave, an eternity in tech-dom. And unless Microsoft and Sony plan to iterate their next-gen consoles every couple years, we’re probably talking another 10-year attempt. Tablets, by contrast, are turning up with better, faster internal components on average of once a year. The iPad, which launched the tablet revolution barely two years ago in April 2010, has since iterated through three generations, each dramatically more capable than the last. Does anyone expect that pace to slow?" (http://techland.time.com/2012/08/09/are-tablets-like-the-ipad-poised-to-dethrone-game-consoles/).

If I was conduct a Boston Consultant Group (BCG) analysis of the video game systems that are currently popular, the gaming systems would go into four different categories:  Cash cow, dog, question mark, and a star.    The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, I would put into the cash cow category, because I feel that there isn't many more changes and upgrades that can be made, for consumers to continue to shell out $500+ to upgrade to their newer gaming systems that are released in the future.  The Nintendo 3DS, I feel is a question mark because although I don't feel like they are going out the door yet.  Tablets and mobile gaming apps are definitely in the star category. The Nintendo Wii (which is my favorite) is in the dog category, the Wii which has lost it's luster with consumers, soon will be a thing of the past because gaming stores, such as Gamestop, will discontinue it's sales within their stores due to a decrease in sales.

"It’s no secret that the media wants consoles to die so that tablets can take their place as…what, exactly? The new leaders of lackluster gaming? Nintendo is eager to help them, it seems. Instead of fighting like a champion against the toughest of competitors, and instead of reminding consumers why console gaming is and should always be a cherished form of entertainment, Nintendo has done nothing to ensure the success of its next game machine. Rather, the Mario maker has done the opposite."(http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzingainsights/2012/06/06/nintendos-disappointing-wii-u-showing-will-lead-to-the-demise-of-console-gaming/)

With technology continuing to evolve, and gaming systems coming and going. How long before another electronic device dethrones the much loved tablets?  It's amazing that in 10 years, tablets could be just another "Atari" of the past.   

Week One: Great Customer Service

Great customer service is important when running an effective business so customers will keep coming back.  If I go somewhere and receive bad customer service, I won't go back again.  I think the qualities one needs to provide good customer service are being courteous, having good listening skills, and being knowledgeable about the product being sold.  I had an experience with great customer service at Chase bank here in Henderson, Nevada.  I went into the bank to open a new account because I was having a lot of issues with USAA bank (identity theft twice in the last year).  When I went in I asked to open just a regular checking account. I wasn't familiar with all the different types of checking accounts the bank offered.  I also didn't realize all the perks the bank offered for military members, so I didn't share that information with Julie, the bank representative.  When the Julie saw my military I.D. card, she automatically opened my Husband and I up for a premier account which is only offered to select individuals.  Since opening the account, whenever we go into the bank, the bank tellers treat us more like family, than a customer.  It's really nice feeling that Chase Bank cares more about us than our money.  

In the text, Zappos CEO, Tony Hsiech states, “For us, we’re willing to lose that sale, that transaction in the short term. We’re focused on building the lifelong loyalty and relationship with the customer.” (Marketing, Armstrong/Kotler, pg. 4)

I think the Zappos has the right mentality.  Instead of thinking about the short term sale with the customer, companies should be thinking about the long term relationship instead, that way they keep the customer coming back for years, instead of just one or two times. 

Week One EOC: My Voice

As a professional photographer, capturing life through the lens of my camera is one of my greatest passions in life.  I was fortunate in my career because I had the opportunity to travel to different countries throughout the world, as an Air Force photographer for 12 years.  I've always felt it's so important to use my photographs to tell a story and to remember the past, without photo documentation many events in history would be forgotten.  In my future studio, My services I will offer are weddings, boudoir and family portraiture. My main focus as a photographer will be my passion to shoot WWII pinup style photos.  I am absolutely in love with the 1940's and the women that represented that era.  Through my images, I will be able to recreate the nose art on the aircraft that fought for our freedom during WWII.  I would love to have my own gallery of my images on display here in Las Vegas.  My goal also is to pass on my knowledge of photography to up and coming photographers just starting out through mentoring sessions on my website.  I look forward to sharing my journey of photography with you as I discover new and exciting things to capture, in this amazing thing we call life!