Clay Company

Final Project: Implementation Evaluation Control

2012-02-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Implementation Evaluation Control

Final Project: Price

2012-02-27T15:23:00.002-08:00

Price

Final Project: Distribution

2012-02-27T15:22:00.005-08:00

Distribution

Final Project: Promotion

2012-02-27T15:22:00.002-08:00

Promotion

Final Project: Product

2012-02-27T15:21:00.002-08:00

Product

Final Project: Target Market Strategy

2012-02-27T15:20:00.002-08:00

Target Market Strategy

Final Project: SWOT

2012-02-27T15:19:00.002-08:00

SWOT

Final Project: Objectives

2012-02-27T15:18:00.002-08:00

Objectives

Final Project: Business Mission Statement

2012-02-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Business mission statement

Week 8: Creative content

2012-02-27T13:48:00.001-08:00

I will create 3 to 5 sample greeting cards in Photoshop. The cards will be placed on a pleasant background and placed into a slide show. The intent here is to show variety and amazing detail achievable with laser engraving the chocolate greeting cards. This slide show will be made available as an upload for the web. As the product goes into production the cards will be professionally photographed.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

2012-02-20T16:06:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Expressions

Laser engraved chocolate greeting cards

Imagine the thrill of your loved one when he or she receives one of these beautiful and tasty cards. They are created using the latest laser technology in your choice of milk or dark chocolate.

Previously chocolate cards were produced by pouring the chocolate into molds. This process was limited to a few words and simple graphics. By using laser engraving techniques we are able to produce cards in high resolution equaling cards printed on paper. This means that you can have a complete message or a poem and not just a few words that don’t say what you really mean.

Initially we will be using our own in-house writers to create the cards but in the future we hope to partner with and established company such as Hallmark to bring a whole world of card types, styles and messages.

The cards will be placed in stores and specialty shops as well as being available at our online store.

Week 6 EOC: Me X 3

2012-02-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

I use Yamaha keyboards.

I play guitar and keyboard for my own personal pleasure and over the years I have exclusively purchased Yamaha keyboards. I really like the consistent quality of Yamaha products and now after many years of using their keyboards I am used to the commonality of how they work. I first became aware of Yamaha as a musical instrument manufacture when I was in band in high school. I played the french horn which was provided by the school and it was a Yamaha.

Levis 505 and 559 jeans.

I have worn Levis 505 jeans since I was a kid. That is what my mother bought for all of us kids. I am sure that she bought Levis because of their reputation of not only being the original but the toughest jeans on the market. As I grew up and started making my own buying decisions Levis were the only choice for me. My mother couldn’t be wrong could she?

Dove soap

I grew up using Zest soap. As I got older my skin became more sensitive so I sought out a milder soap that wouldn’t leave me with a rash.

I was influenced by the ads for Dove soap and have been using it every sense. As advertised it is gentle but cleans well leaving no residue. I now use the Dove Men’s + Care in the shower. This is the best cleaning system I have ever used. It is a liquid soap with a plastic scrubber.

Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

2012-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

I think that a brand ambassador is a very good marketing strategy. At first it may seem that a brand ambassador would not be able to reach a very large group of potential customers, but the brand ambassador can leverage his knowledge of the product by convincing others to buy the product or service thereby creating even more brand ambassadors. “According to JetBlue’s director of advertising and promotions, the CrewBlue ambassadors are crucial to the success of BlueDay and other campus efforts: “Students know what kinds of activities are important to other kids, what we should say to them in our marketing, and how we should say it. JetBlue’s ambassador program doubled in size last year and has “made a big difference” in the brand’s strength in the young-adult segment.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong and Kolter, Page 144). Customers have a tendency to trust the opinion of another perceived customer.

The Facebook phenomenon continues to amaze me. Now recruiters are using Facebook as a recruiting tool. “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.” (The Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2011). I actually think that this is a good idea. People have a tendency to be more honest and forthcoming on Facebook.

Week 4 EOC: There's an App for that

2012-01-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

FaceIt

I propose an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android platforms that utilize the devices forward facing camera to allow the user to change their appearance. The camera will take a snapshot of their face and the allow them to edit the features such as hair color, eye color, hairstyle, etc. This will allow them to see what they would look like as a blonde or with a Van Dyke or whatever. The controls will be able to edit any feature of the face so they could use it to prevue how a nose or chin job might look.

FaceIt will help people to make decisions about changes they might like to make on their appearance. It would be equally applicable to men and women.

The App would be free and provide all features. Add-on packs would be available for such things as celebrity noses and hair styles and fashion makeup for an additional fee. Another revenue stream would be to use the lower 25% of the device screen to stream ads. With this type of revenue stream a pro version could be offered for a one-time fee if the user wanted to eliminate the ads.

The App could be extended to include making changes to the rest of the body including weight reduction or increase or trying out how tattoos and piercings would look.

The App would be tied into social networks such as Facebook , Twitter and Google Plus. The user could get feedback from their friends before making any real changes.

The extended full body version could be tied into clothing manufactures and stores for virtual shopping with the ability to see how cloths look before buying. The revenue stream would be in the form of kick-backs from the stores and manufactures. There are probably many ways to leverage this App that I haven’t considered yet.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

2012-01-23T16:02:00.001-08:00

I proudly belong to the Baby Boomers demographic group. Like most Boomers I am very active and feel younger then my years (I’m 63). I also enjoy the fact that Boomers are a major force in the market. “The post–World War II baby boom produced 78 million baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Over the years, the baby boomers have been one of the most powerful forces shaping the marketing environment.”(Marketing an Introduction, chapter 3 page13).

All is not wonderful though; the recent down turns in the economy first brought on by the “Dot Com” crash in 2000 and then the housing crash in 2007-2008 have devastated my savings as well as the savings of the majority of Boomers. I don’t believe that the younger generations fully understand the impact this has had on us. Almost every Boomer I know is having to get along at poverty level or is having to continue working past retirement age. This is made even worse with the decrease in health with age and the increasing cost of health services and medications. A good example of wearing blinders is in our own text book, “Based on a large-scale “New Retirement Mindscape” study, Ameriprise Financial developed a Dream Book planning guide that helps boomers to explore their retirement dreams and create a life strategy for retirement. The Dream Book guide becomes one of the first steps in Ameriprise Financial’s Dream > Plan > Track financial planning approach. The company’s “Dreams don’t retire” advertising campaign promises that the company will help boomers identify new strategies and opportunities for navigating the risks to happy retirement.”( Marketing an Introduction, chapter 3 page14). You have to have a minimum of $500,000 in savings to even talk to most financial advisors.

The only upside to all of this is that the Boomers are still better off than most. Most of us still own our own homes and at least have some money in savings. Also we are healthier than previous generations.

Week 3 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

2012-01-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

The video game industry has gone through many changes in the last decade but none more so than games available on iphones, ipads and android devices. “Last year, Flurry reported that iPhone and iPod touch game sales surged from 2008 to 2009. From a standing start, and in just one year, iPhone games captured 5% of the mature U.S. video game market.”( http://blog.flurry.com). This makes mobile devices stars in the BCG Growth-Share Matrix.
In the console market Nintendo’s Wii had a bad year compared to Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox. “In the year to the end of Q1 2011 Nintendo’s Wii accounted for 37.8% of the value of Internet home console sales. Its share has declined significantly over the year, losing to Sony Playstation and – more dramatically Microsoft’s xBox.” (http://itcandor.net/2011/06/09/gaming-console-forecast-q211/). I believe that the Wii is currently a cash cow but is in danger of becoming a dog.
Sony’s PS3 has been a steady player in the market staying ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox making it a strong cash cow. "The PS3 is dominant in Japan and Korea, and as of June 2008, has begun to outsell the Xbox 360 in Europe. It is also steadily increasing its market share in all other regions across the globe, including in the North American market". (http://www.industrygamers.com/news/ps3-steadily-increasing-market-share-across-the-globe/).
Xbox had a spurt of growth last year and actually out performed the PS3. “Xbox has been able to gain market share despite competition from Sony’s PS3 as well as Nintendo’s Wii and DS. We expect Microsoft will continue to gain share driven by competitive pricing of its console compared to PS3, and popularity of its Halo games. The growth will however be slower than observed in the recent past due to fierce competition among top video gaming industry players.” (http://www.trefis.com/stock/msft/articles/35039/xbox-market-share-could-continue-growth-trend-but-limited-stock-upside-for-msft/2011-01-19). This may move it from being a dog back into the cash cow category.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

2012-01-09T16:14:00.001-08:00

Hi, my name is Larry Clay. For the last 35 years I have worked repairing and maintaining mainframe computers. I worked for such companies as Control Data Corporation, Gray Research, Inc., Network Systems Corp. and Storagetek. I am currently leveraging my many years of scientific and industrial experience and my training at the Art Institute to provide services as a photographer and post production editor.

My career in computers led me into many different venues such as large corporations, national laboratories, and military installations. I worked with heads of industry as well as scientists and engineers. I have a high sense of professionalism and dedication to the task at hand.

I have a high proficiency in editing and retouching photographs and would be a real asset to a busy photographer who has little time to do his own post production. I can also assist in the studio or on location with lighting and pre-production setup.

I am finally fulfilling a lifelong ambition to express my creativity and am continually exploring the different areas of photography and photo editing.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

2012-01-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a family business. My parents bought a motel in Albuquerque, NM in 1957. I was 9 years old. My brother and sister and I all were expected to help in the day-to-day business of running the motel which included keeping the premises clean and doing maintenance. As we got older we learned to greet the customers, manage the desk and even do the books. By the time I was 14 I was working the front desk on swing shift by myself. But the number one rule no matter which job we were doing was to take care of the customer. Make them comfortable. Make their stay pleasant. Make them want to come back and stay with us again.

In chapter 1 of Marketing an Introduction the implication is that taking care of and satisfying the customer is somehow a new idea. As an example, “Today, marketing must be understood not in the old sense of making a sale—“telling and selling”—but in the new sense of satisfying customer needs”. (Marketing an Introduction, chapter 1 page 4). I do not agree that this is new. There have always been businessmen who understand that without repeat customers there will soon be no business at all. And the only way to get repeat business is to make the customer happy by giving him more the he expected.

We developed a repeat customer base at the motel by maintaining a “triple A” rating, providing amenities for a family such as a restaurant, swimming pool and playground and treating our customer like friends. We had families that came back every summer for 10 years or more.

I will always be thankful to my parents for teaching me this vital lesson. I have used it in all aspects of my professional life.