Pitch

"CHEAP CHARLIE SNACK MIX!",        Is a coined phrase used in the tourist areas of the Philippine Islands. It basically implies that a person (usually a male) has money to spend on vacation but refuses to financially binge in the relatively inexpensive night life. This snack contains 4 (wheat) snack sizes with 4 different flavors to blend into a mix to imply a cheap but addicting sensation. This product can be served in bowls or small bags as comical type snack; of course embedding the logo. It can be served in establishments that serve adult beverages. The 4 snack flavors will be chili, sweet onion, cheese, and sour cream, along with plain popcorn. The 4 shapes will be a stick, square, circular, and a triangle. Each shape will not have the same flavor.

Implemintation Evalution Control

The implementation of this marketing plan, for the named snack brand, would be to connect with the tourist and visitors, ages 21 and up that frequent small bars and to get them familiar with the brand and assure them that it is "Ok" to have this brand as a snack. Most of these customers would be male Sailors.  For one it implies that you have money and secondly it allows you to save money under the pressure of the normal every night routine in that style of bar. As quoted from the book , "They also connect with outside people, such as advertising agencies to plan ad campaigns and the news media to obtain publicity support." The connection would be specifically military personnel who frequent those places and based on the story line it could make a connection to many familiar stories. "Whereas marketing planning addresses the what and why of marketing activities, implementation addresses the who, where, when, and how." Page 56 of the Book Chapter 5, Armstrong & Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing     The outside sources would be limited due to advertisement sense in that area of the Philippines. The implementation would come from "word of mouth" as well as merchandising.                                                

Price

The price that we selected for this product was $5 only. This is the average amount that someone would pay for a snack at a bar. The merchandising would vary, but typically between $20 to $50. The shirt would have a unique expense to it as it relates to money ideas and is a separate brand than just a simple t-shirt that you can buy at a bar. It actually would be making a statement.  
As explained in Ch. 9 Pricing is "The amount of money charged for a product or service, or the sum of the values that customers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service."
Ch. 9 , Page 272. The price for the merchandising and the snacks would vary due to the name and what it ultimately implies.  "Price is considered along with the other marketing mix variables before the marketing program is set." page 172 , Armstrong & Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing . The other marketing ideas would compliment the price as well. The overall goal would be to let the brand establish the price and how people would react to it. Of course this would require research but this is part of the marketing process as well.

Distribution

The outlets that the snacks would be available at would be bars that have a certain atmosphere of a small club but not too small. The target would be the older male tourist. The snack could be sold at any retail outlet due to it's humor. However, it would be more competitive, product-wise, to places that have limited resources. Meaning, in this particular situation, Philippines. Armstrong& Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing . Chapter 7 Table 7.1 Selective distribution in fewer outlets. This table shows that in the distribution process there are many ways to go about distribution.
The fact that this product is going to be marketed to tourist, makes it an international product. However, international does not mean more expensive. It's the same as a target domestic market.
"Physical distribution firms help the company to stock and move goods from their points of origin to their destinations." Page 64, Chapter 3. "Distribution would be the standard channels of products of any other snack or merchandise. The fact that it's a non-perishable makes it appealing as well."

Promotion

The promotion for this product could result in a revision within the marketing plan. This is normal and is anticipated as well as the polarity of it being a failure. Due to the nature of the product and the low cost, the risk should not be a major issue following the promotion.
"The promotion mix is the marketer’s bag of tools for communicating with customers and other stakeholders." Chapter 12, page 377, Armstrong& Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing .
"

As stated above, the consumer market can vary after the promotion of the product. I personally believe that this has a niche. "Several factors have contributed to the rapid growth of sales promotion, particularly in consumer markets".Chapter 13, page 432. Many unforeseen factors contribute to the success and revision plan of the this particular product. Part of the plan is to naturally revise the promotional tactics of this product. Merchandising is a major part of this push for the snack. It goes hand and hand.  

Product

This product would be very enjoyable as a snack and also as a product that makes a financial statement. The unique blend of flavors within the snack, make it a one of a kind product that is not normally served in a bar as a standard. At the end of the day it is about the customer as outlined in the cited book.  "Many sellers make the mistake of paying more attention to the specific products they offer than to the benefits and experiences produced by these products." Chapter 1 Page 17



Though this product would not be on an international level for distribution initially, it is always a good idea to plan for future investments. It’s good to think of a product on all levels, and future investments for the company in the future is one of the main sources of income that could keep the company in the black financially. "Beyond evaluating current businesses, designing the business portfolio involves finding businesses and products the company should consider in the future." Chapter 2 Page 34

Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2010. VitalSource Bookshelf Online

Target Market Strategy

The target market for this product would be tourist and visitors who frequent the bars a lot. This audience would be the males between the ages of 39-65, retired, and of all racial backgrounds. Asians have also been known to fit this category as well, but we are speaking of the marketing from the average customer. "Using a concentrated marketing (or niche marketing) strategy, instead of going after a small share of a large market, the firm goes after a large share of one or a few smaller segments or niches". Page 172 Chapter 2 . The initial market share for this product would be very low which gives financial room to possibly expand into another market.
The value that this product brings would be a value of a community of people coming together to "break the ice" of conversations. There always has to be something within a bar that helps the social scene and I believe this once would be the perfect ice breaker for the chosen target market.
"Beyond deciding which segments of the market it will target, the company must decide on a value proposition—on how it will create differentiated value for targeted segments and what positions it wants to occupy in those segments" Chapter 6 page 432. The target market here is easy to predict.

Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2010. VitalSource Bookshelf Online.

Situation of SWOT Analysis

As stated in the mission statement, the product needs to be addressed on all level of concerns.
"SWOT analysis An overall evaluation of the company’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)." Chapter 2 page 55 and Index

Some of the strengths of this product is the low cost and maintenance. The ease of production due to the fact that Philippines produces wheat makes this the ideal product for that region
A weakness would be that this is a new product and it has never been tested. Another concern could be the environment that it is being catered to; places a limit on the audience.
The opportunities presented with this product is the possible growth from merchandising and the resale of the brand. The trademark could hold a huge profit for the title holder.
The threat is the fact that it's a snack that can be replicated and mimicked making it appear to be a secondary of another snack ."Finally, marketing analysis provides information and evaluations needed for all of the other marketing activities." Page 57 Other marketing should be always an option for a product that holds a logo of interest.

Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2010. VitalSource Bookshelf Online.

Objectives

The objective is to retain customers and build a social brand that can be consumed and also branded
"Pricing may play an important role in helping to accomplish company objectives at many levels."
Page 281 Chapter 6. The price range is a major factor within this product. The snack and the merchandising may vary which creates a signature with the consumers. This can be placed as an objective.
The promotion and sales department would have a clear objective within its own company description for the product. "Sales promotion objectives vary widely. Sellers may use consumer promotions to urge short-term customer buying or to enhance customer brand involvement". Page 432
The snack product would be the primary driver for this brand and the objectives would follow based on feedback as the market is being paced due to it's infancy.

Business Mission Statement

                                                            "Mission Statement"
Our business aims to please the customers by creating social channels for our customers. The brands that we offer will keep our customers entertained and connected. We utilize feedback as a priority in order to keep our product on the competing edge of the snacking industry


This would be my mission statement for this particular product. I would be following the standard that is set within the book, but at the same time keeping my original view of the product I chose. "A statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment." Chapter 2 Page 42. The Mission statement would also make the product more transparent.

Understanding the mission statement on all levels for this product is just as important as anything else. There is no one greater than the other. "The company needs to turn its mission into detailed supporting objectives for each level of management." Chapter 2 76. Most companies will adjust their mission statement in order to make the objective clearer to the intended audience. This comes in two forms. The industrial side and the retail side.

Armstrong, Gary, Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2010. VitalSource Bookshelf Online.

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

The 3 products that define me:

Gucci Cologne

Cocoa Butter

Irish Spring Body Wash



I like Gucci Guilty cologne because it has a clothing line as well. Also I like the color of red, green, and brown. When I wear the clothing, cologne, and maybe even the shoes; I feel better that I have on all one brand. Gucci is also considered a luxury item.











I like Palmer's Cocoa Butter because it carries a smell that mixes well with cologne. I also like the fact that it is smooth on my skin. The vitamins in it are also is good for healthy skin. My mother used to use it on me when I was young so it carries a sentimental value as well. Palmer's is the only brand I chose.









I like Irish Spring Body Wash because it carries a scent that says "you're a common man". It also mixes well with my lotions and cologne. It carries a fresh scent, even if you buy the 3-4 different fragrances. If I decide not to wear cologne or lotion Irish Spring still maintains a desirable scent.

Music Clip APP

Music Clip APP

Music Clip App- This application idea for iphone and Samsung phones allows musicians to make 4/4 bar clips of their music and load it up to a overall file. Users can incorporate theses music clips into their own compositions as long as the creator is acknowledged.

Example would be a section for pianist who would like to load a clip or riff into the application. The creator would have their own page and samples that they would not mind sharing. The clip app can only be loaded with certain existing music programs for external use. 

This material would be copyright free. The users could simply plug in their headphones to load the music they have selected and if they have a music program they can submit their clips by Mp3 or record directly into the device. 

There would also be a exclusive section for people who would like to network with other musicians. 

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

The ambassador idea is a good marketing strategy that saves companies a lot of money by having the consumer reach out to their family and friends and speaking on a new product. This has been proven to work and it is explained in the following quote: “Sony used brand ambassadors to jump-start the launch of its new GPS camera, a high-tech device that draws on satellite tracking technology to let you record the exact location of every picture you take and later map them out online using Google Maps. Sony selected customer ambassadors who like to travel, take pictures, and blog. “This is a product with emerging technology and we really need to let consumers see people using it,” says Sony’s director of digital imaging.”  (Page 143; Marketing: An Introduction, 10^th Edition; www.pearsonhighered.com)

As far as job recruiting goes, there have been many sites that offer employers a spot on their site for free job searches. Obviously, Facebook is leading in customer and online presence. This makes an attractive tool and also a competitive edge that companies must adapt to. “Matt Mund, Monster.com's vice president of product management, acknowledged that Facebook as a recruiting platform is growing rapidly. The company, which hosts a job board and other recruiter services, launched its own Facebook app, dubbed Be Known, in June, and the application now has nearly 800,000 monthly users, according to AppData.com, a market research group.” (The Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2011 page 2 by Joe Light)

To conclude, I believe that the consumer can take the company either way. It all depends on the marketing team that is in place to take advantage of whatever the market seems to need. Companies cannot accept the fact that another company has an advantage.  They must be willing to adapt and understand how the consumer’s behavior can be beneficial.