Week 8 EOC: The Adventure

I had been running along the French countryside for some time without food and with barely any water. It had been a long day but the sun was only just reaching its peak in the sky. Naturally, I was tired and weak, having been so ill prepared for a trip such as that, and managed to climb a hill where I might rest for a moment before starting back on my path to the next town with a train. There, I noticed a building not far in the distance; perhaps its inhabitants would have something to eat or a place to sit for a short while. Instead of resting on the hill, I mustered the will to trudge to the place in the distance, and knocked on the door, receiving no response. The door then opened on its own – strange, yes, but of no importance to me, as when it opened, I saw a marvelous kitchen filled with wheels of finely aged brie cheese! My hunger managed to get the better of me, and I reached over to obtain just a taste of the delicious dairy delight before me when I heard the door slam shut violently. I quickly spun myself around only to be just barely grazed by a flying kitchen knife, likely thrown by the angry cheese-maker who now stood between me and my way out. He lunged toward me, hurling and swinging all manner of kitchen utensils. I dodged pots, pans, knives, forks, and the like. Finally, all that was left for him to throw was a pan containing leftover bacon from the cheese-maker’s breakfast. I thought quickly enough to save myself from the pork hurdling toward me with a rather large wheel of cheese. The bacon had stuck to the brie, forming a sturdy bacon-and-cheese shield, with which I managed to strike the face of the angry artisan. He stood, dumbfounded, for a moment and chewed the savory mixture of foods. Apparently, it was the most magnificent thing he had ever tasted. He would later offer me a glass of wine, his finest horse, his estate, his daughter’s hand in marriage, and a warm plate of bacon and brie.

Implementation Evaluation Control

 Marketing implementation can be described as "...the process that turns marketing plans into marketing actions in order to accomplish strategic marketing objectives. Whereas marketing planning addresses the what and why of marketing activities, implementation addresses the who, where, when, and how."(Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 57) The "who" is the Phileas Fogg company and all parties who participate in creating, distributing, purchasing, using, and/or sharing the product. This includes suppliers, distributors, advertisers, and even consumers and their friends. The "where" is any place where the aforementioned people work or consume the product or media related to the product. No matter where people are, in modern times, they almost always have access to digital media. Of course, there will be a strong media campaign to advertise and market Phileas Fogg's French Bacon and Brie, so anyone, anywhere, will be subject to some sort of consideration of that product. The "when" consists of any time when people are at a bar or promotional event for anything alcohol-related, as well as while browsing the internet or television and viewing advertisements. People will develop an idea of how they feel toward the product, either by consuming it, talking to someone who has, or consuming media in which people discuss it. The "how" has to start as a small operation. Initially, the Phileas Fogg company will have to reach out to potential partners and formulate an agreement between them so that the product can be manufactured with the desired ingredients (real brie cheese real bacon) and eventually distributed and sold in bars. Afterward, a few adventurous or curious individuals will have to try the product for themselves, regardless of how much advertising is conducted on the company's part. Consumer response, manufacturing costs, and total profits will have to be evaluated for efficacy before control can be implemented. "Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed." (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) Should there be any problems, corrective actions will be taken accordingly.

Price

“Price is the amount of money charged for a product or service. More broadly, price is the sum of all the values that customers give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 9, Pg. 275) Because of this, I want to provide a fair value for a fair price. Other products that have similar qualities to my own are priced in such a way that would place my specialty product at about 4$ to 5$. A small bag of Cheetos comparable to my Brie cheese sticks is priced at about 1$. These are very cheap to produce as the majority of the ingredients will be put toward the puffed corn base, and the cheese powder is made via a very inexpensive process that condenses and dries small droplets of cheese. Vast quantities of the powder can be preserved and stored, making the integration of cheese into a nonperishable item possible. The bacon portion should be the most expensive part of the manufacturing process, as the cheapest bacon jerky that I could find on the market costs about 4$ to the consumer in order to turn a profit. Preservatives, of course, will have to be added to some degree. Finally, unique and reliable packaging will make up the final expenses for all parties. “It’s important to remember that ‘good value’ is not the same as ‘low price.’” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 9, Pg. 276) I would like to provide a fun, tasty, and somewhat familiar yet exotic snack food made with real meat and cheese, so it would be difficult to profit from a considerably "low" price.“In the end, the customer will decide whether a product’s price is right.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 9, Pg. 275)

Promotion

Promotions involve “…tools used to communicate with consumers. For example, advertising includes broadcast, print, Internet, outdoor, and other forms. Sales promotion includes discounts, coupons, displays, and demonstrations. Personal selling includes sales presentations, trade shows, and incentive programs. Public relations includes press releases, sponsorships, special events, and Web pages. And direct marketing includes catalogs, telephone marketing, kiosks, the Internet, mobile, and more.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 12, Pg. 377) It would not be inconceivable to work with bars or alcohol manufacturers to provide promotions such as sales, package deals, special offers when purchasing certain drinks, etc. “Consumer purchases are influenced strongly by cultural, social, personal, and psychological characteristics... For the most part, marketers cannot control such factors, but they must take them into account.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 5, Pg. 137) During certain national holidays, drinking alcohol becomes a sort of widespread ritual, and all parties can benefit from proposing special deals for St. Patrick's Day or the Fourth of July, for example. Taking advantage of such cultural phenomena would be wise. In addition, “today, more companies are adopting the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC). Under this concept… the company carefully integrates its many communications channels to deliver a clear, consistent, and compelling message about the organization and its brands.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 12, Pg. 380) All relationships with suppliers, distributors, re-sellers, and the like, it there should be a constant message relayed by the quality and diligence of the company's internal and external workings that instill a sense of reliability that makes Phileas Fogg a desirable company with which to work.

Distribution

"Few producers sell their goods directly to the final users. Instead, most use intermediaries to bring their products to market. They try to forge a marketing channel (or distribution channel) — a set of interdependent organizations that help make a product or service available," (Marketing, an Introduction, Ch. 10, Pg. 311) so I've decided to sell the product by request on the Phileas Fogg website, sell to retailers (bars) who re-sell the product, and refrain from selling to a distribution company that will send my product to wherever they see fit. "...many companies have used imaginative distribution systems to gain a competitive advantage." (Marketing, an Introduction, Ch. 10, Pg. 311) My imaginative distribution idea is to work directly with small businesses in various locations that transport products and send them to all bars with whom I (the Phileas Fogg company) have negotiated deals for selling the product. I intend to have a large department for the sole purpose of tending to the needs to various bars in various regions of the world. That clientele will take some time to build, but will be more intimate and facilitate better cooperation between parties in the long run.

Product

“We define a product as anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. Products include more than just tangible objects, such as cars, computers, or cell phones. Broadly defined, ‘products’ also include services, events, persons, places, organizations, ideas, or mixes of these.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 7, Pg. 208) In this case, my product is a food item that not only provides nourishment as a compliment to the experience of drinking in a bar but also facilitates social behavior with its intriguing packaging and marketing.

To begin with, however, there are a few questions that must be asked before even thinking of introducing a new product to an already saturated market. "First, Is it real? Is there a real need and desire for the product and will customers buy it? Is there a clear product concept and will the product satisfy the market? Second, Can we win? Does the product offer a sustainable competitive advantage? Does the company have the resources to make the product a success? Finally, Is it worth doing? Does the product fit the company’s overall growth strategy? Does it offer sufficient profit potential?" (Marketing: an Introduction Ch. 8, Pg. 248) To answer the first question, of course there is a niche market for snacks that are to be sold specifically in bars. The product is real. Not many companies primarily sell their products in bars other than those whose products are alcoholic beverages or garnishes for those beverages. With regards to the second question, I'm certain that we can "win" if we provide enough intrigue about the product and market it appropriately. There is little to no competition and opportunities for innovation are boundless. To answer the final question, there is a great opportunity for profit based on questions one and two. There is potential for a well-known and well-developed product to surface in this market. It's worth doing.

A good product is no longer enough to stand out in today's competitive market. “…Companies are moving to a new level in creating value for their customers. To differentiate their offers, beyond simply making products and delivering services, they are creating and managing customer experiences with their brands or company.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 7, Pg. 209) To differentiate my product, the cheese ingredients in my snack food will be derived from actual French Brie cheese and, as I had said before, the marketing of this product both on and off of the packaging will be interesting and engaging (courtesy of Phileas Fogg's tall tales).

Target Market Strategy

“The customer-driven marketing strategy… outlines which customers the company will serve (the target market) and how it will serve them (the value proposition).” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 1, Pg. 12) That said, I intend to market my product to any bar that will have it, and even more importantly, those who visit such places in order to socialize and relax.

“A target market consists of a set of buyers who share common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. Market targeting can be carried out at several different levels… companies can target very broadly (undifferentiated marketing), very narrowly (micromarketing), or somewhere in between (differentiated or concentrated marketing).” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 6, Pg. 186) I suppose I'll be marketing very broadly, as bars (or bar-like places) are hard not to find in any town around the world.

Of course, I'll have to figure out how to market to these people. Ideally, observational research should suffice in seeing how people respond to my product and how I can best create value for them. “Observational research involves gathering primary data by observing relevant people, actions, and situations.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 4, Pg. 110) I'll send representatives to bars, first in a few places and on a small scale, then on a larger scale as the product builds momentum on the market.

Situation/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).” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) That said, all of those points are relative to the marketing environment. “The marketing environment is made up of a microenvironment and a macroenvironment. The microenvironment consists of the actors close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers—the company, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customer markets, competitors, and publics. The macroenvironment consists of the larger societal forces that affect the microenvironment—demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 3, Pg. 66)

“Strengths include internal capabilities, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives." (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) Phileas Fogg has the benefit of being connected, in a way, to an iconic film, allowing for ease of access to the public and lending it some value and variability in storytelling or gimmicks. "Weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the company’s performance." (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) Phileas Fogg isn't a particularly large company and doesn't have the connections of a large snack manufacturer such as Frito-Lay. New means of supplying and distribution must be established for truly exotic products to be introduced. "Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage." (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) The company has the opportunity to access global markets due to its origins relating to Around the World in 80 Days. "And threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 54) Threats to this company and product are larger, more established snack foods sold by larger, more established companies and their competitive marketing and prices.

Objectives

“Each company must find the game plan for long-run survival and growth that makes the most sense given its specific situation, opportunities, objectives, and resources. This is the focus of strategic planning—the process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organization’s goals and capabilities and its changing marketing opportunities.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 39) My goals for this product start out as small, short-term goals that allow the product to gain a small following and positive reputation. Initially, I would like to see it in local bars and being sold minimally online. After a certain financial milestone (when it's affordable), I intend to slowly but surely market and offer the product in bars in neighboring towns. Eventually, this process would continue to expand the budget and moving the product to other countries' bars would be the best ideal scenario and end goal.

Business Mission Statement

In order to create a mission statement, one must first understand what a mission statement really is and what it addresses. “A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an 'invisible hand' that guides people in the organization.” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 39)

“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?” (Marketing: an Introduction, Ch. 2, Pg. 39) My business, here, is snack food.  Target customers are bar-goers, however frequent or familiar to the bar experience. Customers, of course, value good food but, even more so, value a conversational piece. Our business should be bringing interesting conversational pieces and ice-breakers to bar visitors in the form of delicious, novelty snack foods.

My official mission statement is as follows:

We at Phileas Fogg are dedicated to making delicious, exotic snack foods for bar-goers around the world, providing customer value by assuaging hunger and bringing people together with Phileas Fogg's tall tales from around the world.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch - Phileas Fogg's French Brie Cheese Puffs and Bacon Jerky

Since bar snacks are meant to be salty and fatty, bacon and cheese are perfect candidates for Phileas Fogg's line of bar snack foods. In terms of consistency and flavor, the bacon will have to have a stable shelf-life and, as a result, have to take on a salty, preserved state in a similar fashion to jerky. The cheese sticks will be brie-flavored and will take on a similar nature to that of Cheetos. Essentially, they will be salty corn puffs covered with a brie cheese powder. This ensures a stable shelf-life and familiarity with Western consumers. In order to preserve both the bacon's flavor and the cheese sticks' consistency, such ingredients must reside within a split packaging of sorts.

After looking at similar products, I have some idea of how much money each package of Phileas Fogg's French Brie and Bacon (French because brie and bacon both originated in France) should cost. A typical, one-serving bag of Cheetos costs about $1, and is likely much cheaper to make, considering their annual profits. The cheapest bacon jerky I can find costs about $4 for the average consumer; again, these should cost less to make. That said, the portions of each food in the Brie and Bacon package may be reduced -- if only slightly -- to refrain from making the consumer feel too full. These are just snacks, after all, and are to be eaten with alcohol, so the consumer should be left able to both eat and drink without feeling uncomfortable. The packages should cost about $5 or $6, when it is considered that real French brie cheese will be used instead of standard cheddar. This seems like a reasonable price point for the value provided.

Lastly, printed on the packaging itself will be a story about a fictional Phileas Fogg's adventure in France, somehow relating to the Brie and Bacon snack. My idea is as follows:

Just East of Paris, Phileas Fogg is moving through the countryside and becomes hungry. He stops at a local cheesery but finds nobody tending to some aging brie cheese, which has begun to turn brown -- perfect for consumption in that moment but unlikely to be edible after a few more days. He figures that eating one especially brown piece would do more good than harm, and as he reaches out, an angry cheese-maker storms at him from another room with a knife. Phileas runs from the cheese-maker, who is in hot pursuit throughout the kitchen. In the fray, the cook runs into a lukewarm pan on the counter that contains leftover bacon from his breakfast, drops his knife, and flings the pan's contents toward Phileas, who blocks the bacon with an entire wheel of cheese. The chef then rushes Phileas, who stands his ground with his bacon and cheese shield. The cook's face lands in the food-shield. He pulls his face out of the cheese, and chews a mixture of bacon and brie. Pleased at the flavors in his mouth, he commends Phileas for aiding in the discovery of such a magnificent snack. The two then sit down together to share a glass of wine and a plate of bacon and brie.

Week 6 EOC: Me x3

My guitar: The fact that I own and play guitars is immensely representative of me as a person. It defines me as a musician and a creator. One specific guitar is a hand-me-down from my dad – a Gibson Les Paul. The instrument is made of heavy wood, allowing low frequencies to become prevalent in my playing, influencing my tastes in music, and in turn my lifestyle, social interactions, philosophy, and style of dress, among many other things. Because of that guitar, I’ve made life-long friends and connections who have helped to shape my life as I know it.

My shoes: After having been a skateboarder for a few years in high school, my appreciation for and taste in shoes has become an integral part of my daily life. In skateboarding, shoes are used and retired rather quickly, and one gets the opportunity to try many makes and models. That said, I have found that various different aspects of shoes are beneficial or detrimental to one’s performance while performing various activities. Personally, however, I feel most comfortable in classic, low-top, vulcanized shoes with moderately padded insoles and lightweight outer materials. I now practice parkour, though, and prefer a shoe that grants me both comfort and mobility. At the moment, I’m using the Converse CT Riff as a casual "walking around" shoe, the Feiyue Classic for exercise, and plain slippers for lounging around.

My music: Music is incredibly important to most people, often more than they may know. Music can reflect how aggressive or laid-back a person feels or even manage to influence those feelings. Music allows people to connect with one another by simply having a mutual understanding of a song’s lyrics and subject matter. Over the last few decades, cliques have formed around several genres and can alienate people as much as it can bring them together. At this point in my life, I’ve come to appreciate the vast majority of modern musical genres, ranging from classic rock and roll to weird, experimental indie music.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

Job hunting is changing due to social media, and it’s very much a matter of opinion as to whether or not those changes are positive. On one hand, businesses are saving large sums of money on job recruitment. “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 résumé database, candidates tend to value referrals from their connections on Facebook more.” (Wall Street Journal) Now, recruiters can actively find the types of candidates for which they are looking without waiting for the candidates to come to them. Some people who may not even be looking for jobs may end up being contacted and finding something they like but didn’t expect experience. On the other hand, some people searching for work are feeling as though companies are infringing upon their privacy. “Indeed, Jeff Vijungco, vice president of world-wide talent acquisition for Adobe Systems Inc., said that in focus groups, prospective job candidates were sharply averse to being contacted through Facebook for jobs. ‘The antibodies kicked in pretty quickly. They thought it was very invasive,’ he said.” (Wall Street Journal) Quite a few people would like to keep business and personal life separate, and when recruiters blur that line, naturally, people will be uncomfortable and unsure of what is and is not appropriate for their social media. In some ways, that alone can make people feel unsafe and paranoid.

Not all instances of businesses reaching out are so tense. In the book Marketing, an Introduction, it is explained that some companies reach out to their best customers in order to employ them as brand ambassadors to the public and to their friends and families. Some customers are so loyal and enjoy a brand so much that they jump at chances like that.