The walk of adventures

[mayathu]

One last time

Finally, I made it to the end of this block and the last blog post is yet to come. In the beginning of this course, I already had my opinion about marketing and sales. I didn’t really like it because it’s all about manipulating and making profit. Over the period of this course however, I started liking the subject. Especially, working on a real life marketing case and working hand-in-hand with the business owner, made marketing more tangible. After the meeting with the business owner, I really could connect to her dreams and passion about her business, which made it easier for me to relate to her. This is why I cannot see myself as a marketer because I need to be convinced about the product or service I am selling. Also the guest lecture yesterday showed me that I don’t want to work in a business that it is only about sales and making profit, nothing else matters. 

[mayathu]

Sales skills: can it be taught or is it by nature?

This weeks blog is about the skills a salesperson have whether they are given or learned. In general, I think that anything can be learned; for some it just takes longer and for some it comes natural. However, to make your strength or weaknesses to a profession requires determination and dedication. Of course, if you are born as natural salesperson, meaning it comes easy to you to talk to people, understand them and convincing them about the product you want to sell, it is way more convenient to become a salesperson. On the other hand, if you really want to work in sales, nothing can stop you. And most of the times, people turn out to be better at something that weren’t natural to them because that takes more effort and passion to achieve it. People are capable of a lot of things and if you do it with passion, you can only be good at it. No matter how much time you need to get there. It’s about the challenge in life and to proof yourself that you can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want to do. So to conclude, everything is possible. It’s your own choice how far you get in life and how far you want go to be the best of yourself.

[danielstockhva]

Thinking of ‘bad advertisements’, there are probably a few campaigns that come to mind instantly.

It might be cringe-worthy ones like the Ryanair CEO’s press photos:

It might be obviously sexist ads like this Burger King one:

You might think of (un)intentionally racist ones like

[abm9521-deactivated20160424]

To be honest, I do not really think that you forget about an advert only because it is bad. I think right the opposite, with bad advertisements (and usually, they are the most funny/entretaining ones), you normally remember them due to their stupidity and nonsense. I guess that it’s too subjective to conclude whether what you are saying or what I am saying is right or wrong, so it might be plausible to say that it differs among people. Some will remember good adverts, and thus discard the bad ones. And others will simply stick to the ‘inappropriate’, and sometimes offensive ones. For instance, I will for sure remember the Ryanair one… that made me laugh out loud!

[mayathu]

I agree on that it depends on the people and their taste. Most of the time, you cannot control what you remember anyways. However, taking advantage of one’s subconscious by using an inappropriate add like Burger King, where women are being objectified, should be forbidden. It is disgraceful and largely offensive!

[mayathu]

Bad advertisment

Today’s blog is about bad adverts and for the first time, I’m not procrastinating the blog until the very last minute before the deadline. This means, I actually have time to think about the topic. Yay, let’s see if I’m more creative like this. 

In my opinion, bad advertisement doesn’t have anything to do with lack of quality or creativeness. That’s just a matter of taste. Bad adverts are adverts that fail to deliver the message or are that controversial that you feel ashamed watching it.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv2jYhw-HAk

Sex sells. True that but this goes beyond socially acceptable adverts. It is basically a porn and the last line “taste the rainbow” makes it even worse. Kids are watching TV! How can any marketer think that this is okay? I couldn’t even watch the ad properly because I felt so ashamed of this. It is not even nice to look at like maybe other adverts that uses the method of sex sells. Skittles are sweets that shouldn’t have anything to do with sex. I would understand if a Victoria Secret would have ads like this. But it is still not defendable. Skittles used this form of advertisement to get attention and therefore, people would talk about the brand. 

I’m not a feminist who is totally against objectifying women because they are sometimes just nice to look at. But this is without any taste and should be banned everywhere. But who determines what is still acceptable or not? Where do we draw the line?

[mayathu]

Grey market

So, here I am trying to write about the grey market. This is the first topic, I don’t really have an idea what it’s about. Luckily, we have google.

According to Investopedia (2015), the grey market is defined as “a market where a product is bought and sold outside of the manufacturer’s authorised trading channel”. This one is hard for me to form an opinion about it, but I will try my best.

I bought my MacBook Pro in july 2013 in Germany. I bought it for 999€ at Media Markt, for a way cheaper price than I would have to pay in the Apple Store. I have to say, why not? Seriously, why should I pay around 200€ more just to have it from the authorised Apple Store? My MacBook has the same warranty regulations, the same features, the same appearance, it is just the same item. That’s why I think the grey market, is the best for bargain hunters like me.

I probably got it from my mum who checks every store and every advertisement before purchasing an item. I mean it is maybe more time consuming than just purchasing it the conventional way. But like this it is also more fun to find out cheaper offers and know that you saved a hole lot of money.

If you think about it, it is beneficial for all parties involved: the end consumer, the original company and the in-between-resellers. The original company, Apple in this case, will sell economies of scale of MacBooks, the reseller makes a lot of business and the end consumer got it for a better price. How cool is that? 

Money is money and I always try to not let money determine my life. In the end, we all just want to satisfy our needs, so allowing the market to give one more options to choose, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just what it is, more options to make your everyday life easier. 

[simonevdn-blog]

Being part of generation Y (or Z, depending on whattimeframe you adhere), I’ve seen a lot of technological innovations. We’ve gone from floppy disks to smart devices you never could’ve imagined. These new innovations never really interested me though, it felt like we had something new every day...

[mayathu]

netflix is indeed one of the most handy innovations in recent years. it is very cheap and easy accessible. what would my life be without it?

[elicerna]

I am a very social person-so called an extravert, however, spending too much time with people around me can make me very annoying. I believe, that everybody needs some time to be alone and also some privacy.

Reading through different articles about marketing research I couldn’t help but wonder-...

[mayathu]

good point you got there! but they we also have to question, how much are we in control of our decisions? or are we just marionettes of our subconscious anyways and even if it seems like we make a decision, the decision was already made before the action?`

[thorestoffregen]

Today´s blog is about market research and the research methods have changed in the last decade. Especially in the context of marketing, traditional methods like questionnaires, focus groups etc. seem to have lost their importance a bit.

Since the internet has changed our whole behavior (We don’t...

[mayathu]

yeah, i agree. the internet is dangerous and sometimes its scary if i think about how much information i am sharing with the world. on the other hand though, i dont have anything to hide and if those sneaky marketing researchers help me somehow in my daily life decisions, its fine by me. only people who need to hide something should be worried. 

[abm9521-deactivated20160424]

What does today’s title suggest? Perhaps when I read the word “global”, I immediately think about globalization. You know, this leading force that destroys geographical boundaries, and makes people feel that the world has literally shrunk. To certain extent, since globalization took place,...

[mayathu]

interesting view you got there! are we all just marionettes of marketers and do we even have a free will?

[jariroomer-blog]

How many fashion- fitness- or make-up experts do you followon Facebook or Instagram? I bet that you will be surprised by the number of -whatever topic- gurus you see on a daily virtual basis. But, I am not here to talk about the latest fashion gurus or trendsetters.. I am interested in the way...

[mayathu]

This is so true! bloggers and social media have such a great impact on our daily life decisions. i know a lot of people who started blogging/sharing etc and got contacted by brands. people want to feel connected to others, thats why sharing and blogging became more and more important. 

[mayathu]

Product innovation

Source: Youtube, 2015

Have you seen this video above? It’s hilarious and it literally reflects my childhood. I remember how I only got an hour per day to surf through the internet. And then the funny thing was that I could only use it if nobody else was talking on the telephone otherwise it would block the line. Or that the modem and computer were linked by a long cable that went through the whole house; and connecting to the internet was only possible via dialling with AOL (America Online) that made that weird noise in the beginning. I could go on forever..

Nowadays, we have laptops, computers, tablets, smartphones and so on an so forth but do we even need all those things? I see people on their smartphones all the time, checking Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and all these other virtual “worlds”. Instead of going outside, exploring the world and using the imaginative mind one has, already kids are staying in and playing playstation and using other apps on their several devices.

Of course, I use all those devices myself and enjoy all the advantages of recent innovations. However, I also hate myself for wasting so much time on it when I could spend it on something that would really give added value to my life such as being with friends, following your passion and just living the real life and not the virtual one.

On the other hand, I am amazed what humans are capable of. This drive to always find something better and to make life better and more exciting; this makes us different from animals. How we manage to build a spaceship so humans can explore the moon and how many lives were saved because of all those medical advancements.

But life gets too easy. People get lazy and order food instead of cooking it themselves. Instead of walking or cycling, people use other transportations. These innovations make people get too comfortable and they take things for granted.

I mean, is it never enough? Why can we never be content with the things we have? I’m happy that I know how it was before and that I can actually worship all those innovations without losing the sense of what is important in life.

For further research:

Youtube. 2014. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

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[mayathu]

Market research

Market research is imperative to effective marketing by predicting customers' needs in wants in the future. The best example for me is the fashion industry. How is it possible to forecast upcoming trends and what's going to be 'in' in the next summer? Or are trends are just being set and then it is expected that everybody follows? I guess it has a lot to do with investigating the past trends and trying to find a match to technology and lifestyle trends. But then there's the other phenomenon that past trends, which went out of fashion such as high-waisted jeans or leggings, became fashionable again? I am wondering how much the market in general is already dictated and forcing everyone into following those trends every time. Because people want to feel that they belong to a group and that they can identify with people with same taste etc. For instance, the society's taste changed from girls wearing high heel and boots (very girly shoes) to sneakers? Everybody is obsessed about sneakers now, from Nike Airmax over Nike Air to New Balance etc, and wearing them to any occasion possible: work, clubbing and your leisure time. I mean, in my opinion, it's a great development when I have to remember those painful nights on high heels, when you think you can walk on them but you actually can't. Those trends are great and every time I think, wow, why didn't it happen earlier and that I could never imagine a life without the new change. In the end, there is always room for improvement and new things and that is genuinely fascinating. I am amazed by humans' drive for always getting something more and better and new. Why are we never satisfied? Well, that's a whole different story.. 

[mayathu]

The mystery of taste

I am definitely a salty-kind-of girl that loves to snack crisps when socialising or just being by myself. Growing up in Germany, I loved these types of crisps - funny-frisch Chipsfrisch Oriental. I could never imagine that there was anything better than this. 

After High School, I took a gap year to explore the world - well, Australia. I spent about 8 months there, getting to know the people and the culture as well as enjoying the freedom of a backpacker. 

I remember my first night in Brisbane in the YHA Hostel, overwhelmed by the first impression of my new adventure, just craving some nice crisps to relax. I went to a vending machine and got this pink package of crisps. 

Salt and vinegar?! I didn't know what to expect. With confidence, I grabbed into the crisps bag and my hand full of crisps made its way towards my watery mouth. First, I tasted the salt and thought 'okay, that's a bit boring' but then the vinegar kicked in and I couldn't handle the sensation on my tongue. THIS IS DISGUSTING, I thought. I felt a cold shiver running down my back. This was clearly too much for me to handle the first night in Australia. What a culture shock! How can anybody ever eat this deadly sour crisps? Well... me! By the end of my Australia trip, I loved these type of crisps! 

For 1.5 years now, I have been living in the Netherlands. Dutchies and Germans are said to be quite similar. But how come that I still could not find my favourite type of crisps from Germany? Since I am a person who always tries new things and isn't afraid of changes, I discovered these heavenly tasting crisps - patatje joppie. I adore this taste and I am so happy that I came to the Netherlands, just for this!

No, but seriously. It's a mystery for me that taste differs so much all over the world. In the end, I loved all these flavours and I think it is a pity that I can't have it all! What are the reasons for that and why don't they introduce all those flavours in the same county? Because of different consumer behaviours one might argue. Okay, but I am probably the best consumer ever because I am able to adopt to different cultures with their different tastes. Why is not everybody like me? It would make my life perfect!

[mayathu]

Ethics in Marketing

So, here I am trying to write a blog post about my first Marketing & Sales class. How? I have never done it before and in general, I find it rather difficult to share my thoughts in social media. Well, I am going to put myself out there, not only because it will be graded, but just for the sake of giving it a shot. You never know, maybe I am a natural.

I just experienced a false marketing trap. I required a 'free' sample of whitening pens for your teeth. The only thing I had to pay was the delivery costs, which was fine by me. A few days later, I got a package with three whitening sticks. I started using one but never touched the rest. However, after almost two months I received an email about an incoming Incasso but ignored it. Today, I checked my bank account balance and found out that €79.99 were just booked from my account? What? Who? I checked the description and could slightly connect the name to an Email. Digging through my mails, I discovered that they mentioned somewhat in the last lines in the very bottom paragraph that I HAD to return the two sticks if I am not content with my product? Are they serious? Why do they even send out two more items when it comes with the free one? Nobody ever would send it back because nobody every reads the small lines. This is a typical case of BAD marketing and false pretending to offer a FREE product but then require a payment afterwards. Also the fact that I have to pay again for delivery costs... that is called free? I immediately googled UltraBright and found many complaints about that false advertising. People even sent back the 2 sticks on time and still had to pay the fee. I wrote them an Email already and saying that I will not pay €80 for something I didn't agree on. I also mentioned that I will contact my lawyer in case they make trouble. Hopefully, it will work out because I am a poor student and have to work almost 10 hours to cover that balance!

This is why I don't like marketing. I got misled into advertising traps so many times because I am naive and believe in the good in people? Well, thanks to this money craving world, I got ripped off again. Poor me.