Final Project: Implementaion Evaluation Control

"Measuring and evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and taking corrective action to ensure that objectives are achieved"-Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler pg.58

Flow of different target markets, old and ne advertisements, and production of the vodka will be strictly kept close to the eye with a team whose sole purpose is to record and make any updates at the top of the hour to make any further corrections within our business.  This will surely put us ahead of the game.

"Checking ongoing performance against the annual plan and taking corrective action when necessary" (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler pg.58

Final Project: Marketing Mix - Price

"A firm can set prices to attract new customers or to profitably retain existing ones. It can set prices low to prevent competition from entering the market or set prices at competitors’ levels to stabilize the market." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg. 18

Since our our bottles' appearance and experience last longer than the actual vodka itself, consumers can expect to pay $94.99 for the finest forty-four ounces of vodka one can buy.  One must not forget that not only is the bottle and the six glass shots keepers for when all of the vodka is consumed, but the seashells inside the bottle are exquisite gems themselves.

"Some psychologists argue that each digit has symbolic and visual qualities that should be considered in pricing. Thus, 8 is round and even and creates a soothing effect, whereas 7 is angular and creates a jarring effect."- Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotlernpg pg. 42

Final Project: Marketing Mix - Promotion

"Sales promotions are usually used together with advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, or other promotion mix tools. Consumer promotions must usually be advertised and can add excitement and pulling power to ads."(Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler; 13 Personal Selling and Sales Promotion; page 38 of 49)

Not only will Ring of Glory have television commercials aired and appear on billboards, but will offer bars free trials to see how consumers respond to the brand.  Webstite will also be a liability in having some of our banners embedded.  Our company will also offer any one a decent amount of money if they agree to letting our company blast their exterior with graphic designs of our product.  This will truly help get the word out on our product

"Companies spend billions of dollars each year on promotion to industrial customers."-Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 43

Final Project: Marketing Mix - Distribution

"Giving a limited number of dealers the exclusive right to distribute the company’s products in their territories."- Marketing: An introduction; Armstong/Kotler pg 26

 We will be exclusively distributing to major liquor shops in the city.  Yes, access to our product will be limited but in return raise the value in our vodka and a quarter of the enjoyment will be purchasing our product and will give Ring of Glory a more sense of luxury. After all, you always want what you can't get.

"By contrast, some producers purposely limit the number of intermediaries handling their products. The extreme form of this practice is exclusive distribution, in which the producer gives only a limited number of dealers the exclusive right to distribute its products in their territories. Exclusive distribution is often found in the distribution of luxury brands and brands." - Marketing: An introduction; Armstong/Kotler pg 25

Final Project: Marketing Mix - 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."- Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 3

Our product is known as the belle of the ball, and for that what must strive to keep that reputation.  Our vodka is 48% percent alcohol just so that the waters of the volcanoes can outweigh the alcohol and it will make it more improtant tyo the consumer from wher the alcohol originated from.  Along with the dazzling cherry taste, the seashells inside will play a significant, but very small role.  One must remeber that the true value in Ring of Glory lies within the experience. 

"Broadly defined, “products” also include services, events, persons, places, organizations, ideas, or mixes of these." (Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 3

Final Project: Target Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy consists of specific strategies for target markets, positioning, the marketing mix, and marketing expenditure levels." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg33

Our first approach toward our target market strategy is to distribute a whole bottle to local night clubs and casinos, with permission of course, and have a representative present to record any opinions, comments, suggestions and also make charts of the different consumers that were visible.

"It outlines how the company intends to create value for target customers in order to capture value in return." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg33

Final Project: Situation or SWOT Analysis

"Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg. 31

Our strenths are what makes us truly valuable.  The appearance and our taste are what makes stand out from the rest and is what only matters to our consumers when they experience the delicious taste of the Glory.  We seek every opportunity to promote and advertise take to help get the word out on our luxurious vodka without having to rely on word of mouth.

"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, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives."-Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg. 31

Final Project: Objectives

"Advertising objectives can be classified by primary purpose—whether the aim is to inform, persuade, or remind." -Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 19

Ring of Glory is meant to be enjoyed at social gatherings.  The vodka will be enjoyed any party functions such as weddings, adult birthdays, etc.  Due to the elegant design of the bottle, the product can be found at local "liquor-only" shops and will not be available at gas stations, grocery stores, so availability of this product will be vague.

"These objectives should be based on past decisions about the target market, positioning, and the marketing mix, which define the job that advertising must do in the total marketing program. The overall advertising objective is to help build customer relationships by communicating customer value." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 19

Final Project: Business Mission Statement

"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; Armstrong &Kotler Page 39

"Indulging into the finest and purest form of luxury is only accessible through the glorious smooth consumption through the Ring of Glory.  One never has to purchase an airfair or at least carry the urge to travel across the globe to experience the volcanic oceans of the Ring of Fire.  The delicious vodka is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated together by everyone at the gathering who is looking for that little excitement with a hint of danger in their lives.  You only live once and only get so little time, so why not go out with a bang"?

Week 10 BOC: Les Paul

Lester William polsfuss was an american jazz and country artist whocontributed in inventing the electric guitars which would become the world's first choice of guitar known as the Les Paul because of the tone and warmth of the sound that it rings out to the human ear.  He was born June 9, 1915 and sadly died on August 12, 2009.  The versaitility of the guitar is what the most valuable quality of the Les Paul guitar.


 http://goo.gl/doodle/kLyt

EOC Week 9: Three Great Mission Statements

"Cheap Ass vodka strives to maintain the absolute lowest cost vodka in every market to provide our customers with the ultimate inebriated experience."- Danielle Skodak

“The mission statement for Billionaire Vodka is to promote quality and excellence in European vodka, and to enhance the perception of luxury spirits for aficionados of vodka worldwide.”- James Clark

"It is our responsibility to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural, hand selected Vodka and with a continued commitment to incorporate wholesome, all natural ingredients and promote business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment. Which in turn, will give you the most natural experience on the Rocks." – Keri Blackmon

EOC Week 9: Creative Content

For my advertising I am going to use posters and billboards that will depict the bottle as a life size volcano with a crowd of party-goers stampeding towards the hazard, hence the slogan "the danger you want to run to".  It shall be a full blown campaign of ads promoting the vodka that will have a very theatrical appearance that will give the consumer a feeling of accomplishment just by purchasing the product.  The events of the ads will be treated as a celebration to build up hype of the vodka.  From the pictures, one can certainly tell that in the end after the all the alcohol has been consumed, one can continually use the bottle for the same purpose and keep it as a souvenir.

Week 8 EOC: What's special about my vodka?

What separates one's product from the other in today's market?  Does appearance or popularity give that product potential for success?  Or is it the hype from societies that builds the demand, giving the individual product value?  Not many take into consideration what different obstacles one must endure to deliver that special satisfaction.  In today's public eye, about 90% of judgement comes from appearance and is important when trying to make an impact on the consumer.  Appearance is also important when wanting a positive response, but having exotic and rare ingredients is what gives the consumer the experience and the commodities that are expected to be enriched within the product.  Ring of Glory does not fail to deliver an appearance the will captivate a consumer within a hundred feet radius.  The product's bottle is a unique design that resembles an astonishing volcanic structure that towers just over thirteen inches containing a liter of the exquisite vodka. Another great feature of the vodka is the six seashells from the six points of the "ring of fire" contained within the bottle to enhance the flavor and what will make a great souvenir after the vodka has been consumed, to give the consumer a satisfactional feeling of just having traveled across the world.  Amongst the great features of the product is the most notable which consists of six shot glasses which are known as the "shotgun shells" that are detachable and can be filled all at the same time, using the trigger that is located within the primary bottle.  So not only will the consumer taste exotic luxury but will experience a product like no other.

Week 7 EOC: Vodka Pitch

The perfect hard drink is has not been created yet nor will it ever be, but all major alcohol products are made up of what’s on growing directly under the sun, but no one ever stops to think about the real mystery lying underneath the sea.   Most wanted to see the ocean, most want to see volcanoes in person and will never get the opportunity to have that experience, so why not have let them at have that experience at home letting it become a part of them permanently.  Our brand goes to great extent to bring the most dangerous and exotic flavor from a body of ocean that is known globally for its nickname “the ring of fire”.  Sure, it’s our world of hell to accomplish this, but it is our dedication to bring our consumers that little slice of heaven.  Not only does our product come with the waters that have traveled through the most exotic volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean, but it also includes one seashell from six points of the Ring of fire to amplify the experience of the consumer.  Each bottle runs for about ninety-five dollars an comes exclusively with six shot glasses shaped liked volcanoes that are known as the shot-gun-shell glasses, so that the bottle will enjoyed immediately without the necessity of a cup.  This bottle will be available in grocery stores, and not at gas stations due to it bulky appearance.  Most will see having to take a vacation as an enormous money absorber, when the real solution is not only what inside the bottle, but the whole experience from purchasing it in the store to the last sip of the product.  Why spend thousands of dollars on something that can only be enjoyed once in a lifetime when Ring of Glory will be a part of you forever.

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

Figuring out the difference between a necessity and an item that has personal value can be easily identified when taking the money that is spent monthly on a regular basis, into consideration.  To differentiate between the two, one has to narrow their perspective down to what they can live without apart from what one needs to survive.  Most can make the common mistake of turning something that has value in their own eyes, a necessity that will ultimately become a habit for the consumer and have them emptying their pockets of money that necessarily does not need to be spent.  An item that I purchase on a regular basis, which I can survive without, is the cologne I wear.  I know that I can go on and live for many more decades without this personal item, but it is a special preference that I personally chose to wear because I believe it makes an impact on who I am.  It has always been said that scent is the greatest sense tied in memory, and I believe that wearing a decent amount of perfume will help people that I meet remember me.  Something that I can easily spot as a necessity is the food that I eat everyday.  It really does not take a whole lot of thought to why this is a necessity, but there’s also a flipside to this.  I may need food to survive, but others and myself have the habit of buying an excessive amount that we do not really need to survive.  I also find the gasoline I buy a necessity because I have a daily schedule with errand to run and those tasks cannot be completed if I do not have the gasoline to keep the car running, but there are those who take the bus to help the get to where they need to get going and do not have gasoline as a necessity on their list.  So one can pretty much see that it is controversial, that one’s necessities can be another’s personal demand.

Week 5 EOC: Sony Sleuths-Marketing

For most of us we never really think of the negative outcome that can come from taking a chance.  For the most part we get a sense of "what's the worse that could happen"?  Sony got acquainted with this experience a few weeks ago and had to pay dearly for it.   Sony lost a great deal of customers from the event and has been forgoing further investigation.  Some suspects that were first taken into consideration were a global group of hackers known as Anonymous.  “This was a nuisance that Sony would handle and investigate.  Sony, by the way, likely became a hacking target when it threatened to ban for life some hackers who had published a root kit for the PlayStation 3.”-pcmag.com.  So one could say that Sony was forewarned of the possibilities of having security that was deemed accessible. Not only was the companies’ weak areas were exposed to the public, included in this error was a heavy loss on the amount of customers that walked away from the company after it was shutdown.   “This recent hack has caused a week long outage for the company and recent information appears to be highlighting that it could continue for another week. As many as 75 million people worldwide use this network to play online games and to download movies, TV episodes and game demos”-kitguru.net.  Pretty much to recover from this event, Sony has to pretty much suck up to its customers by showering them with gift and opportunities for more gifts just to get them to consider coming back.  Not only does Sony got to worry about that but they have to take into consideration the customers that have already taken legal action too.  “A Toronto law firm on Tuesday announced a $1B CD ($1.05B USD) class-action suit against Sony for breach of privacy, naming a 21-year-old PlayStation user from Mississauga, Ontario, as the lead plaintiff.”- Dailytech.com.  So for Sony to have somewhat of a future they need to strengthen their security, keep a smile on the customers’ faces, and take care of any lawsuits in their way as fast as they can because at this point, every minute counts.

Week 4 EOC: There's an App for That

Today’s phone apps simplify the way we live.  They provide us with everyday ease that helps us have that peace of mind without having the worry in the back of our minds.  Even though there are thousands of apps that continually all have the same purpose, people keep thinking that it is a necessity to have apps to prepare them for all types of situations.  When one would look for games in the app store, one will find varieties of categories ranging from multiplayer to RPG and from puzzle games to sports games.  All which are successful, but are different from an idea that has not been originated yet.  A game that would stand out from the rest would be one that has the same concept as the Kinect for the Xbox 360.  It would be game where one will have to take the time to set it at a proper level so that they could experience a similar simulation as they would with the Kinect.  Another app that would be relevant and useful at times would be a short distance GPS application.  Now this is not your average GPS where it will give you different directions for different roads and freeways.  It is a GPS that one could use to find there way around a major office building, a large scale court house, a school campground, or even a world market center.  Now, when someone enters the app store they will find different apps that will give them different alerts without having to actually open up the application itself.  These alerts can notify someone of a message from a social network that they have an account with, a certain recreational event that is going to occur, or even the weather.  What they app store doesn’t have is an app where it can notify a person of a natural disaster or danger that is in their area.  The person would also be tracked with the GPS and will have a two- hundred mile radius.  Ideas for applications are made up everyday, so these are probably not that far from being created in the future.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

Companies over time have had much success when they use star power to make their product be noticed in the public eye.  Following this tactic, is a similar one where companies will try to make their product a “trend” or a “fad” which makes the product more valuable to the customer because it becomes something that they want just because everybody else has it, so needless to say that it becomes a “bandwagon” target market.  So with all the profitable income that companies and organizations are revenuing, why not use it for good? Why not donate to the less fortunate, the sick, or those that have survived a natural disease or natural disaster?  Many musicians put specific merchandise on their website for sale to raise money for a cause that they can relate to.  One in particular is the international rock-pop band Tokio Hotel from Germany.  The band has contributed in many ways to helping raise many for a good cause, and example would be the latest addition to their merchandise on-line store  are fashion buttons with a picture of the band on them.  All the proceeds from the purchases made will go directly to helping Japan rebuild from the tsunami that hit them earlier this year.  Another musician who is out there, using their star power for good, is the eye-shocking pop-singer known as Lady Gaga.  She made a deal recently with Mac makeup company to promote a signature lipstick that will have all profits sent directly to help fight AIDS.  An example of someone who turned their product into a fashion frenzy would be Lance Armstrong who came out with the Livestrong wristbands.  The wristbands were made to help raise money for cancer research and raise cancer awareness.  This product was successful because it had the total package ranging from having star power with an inspirational story to even becoming a trend.  Bottom line in my opinion is that people with star power have the ability to use it to make the world a better place.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

      I understand that for a company to do market research to find potential consumers, they have to have a target market in mind.  To help them find a specific market, companies will study different demographics in which various groups of consumers will fall into all sorts of categories.  Many factors may come into play when being put in these demographics such as age, nationality, hobbies, and even presentation of certain physical parts of the body.  With this information companies, will be given a big an idea on who to sell, when to sell, where to sell, etc.  This information will also contribute to how the product will be advertised and distributed throughout the nation.  Potential of a company to expand its market internationally will eventually arise upon gathering the demographic information.  To better profile groups of consumers, they have split generations depending on the age, to give the task of finding a target market, ease and support.  The millennials, who are based  on the ages between eighteen to twenty-nine,  are the generation demographic who some would say are the downturn from the previous generation because Generation X were a lot less spoiled and were considered entrepreneur loners.  The milliennials are categorized as the groups of people who are more focused on how they look and how they present themselves to the rest of the world.  Those who have piercings other than the earlobes, have tattoos, and are currently unemployed, such as myself, all fall into this category.  Some other characteristics of the millennials that relate to me is that “Seventy percent said that they have personal profiles on social networks and that one-in-four are unaffiliated with religion” – Pewsearch.org.  I believe that keeping this information in mind when choosing the correct target market is critical for a company to use because it will ultimately determine what categories of generations to avoid and be successful.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

    Many thought it was impossible.  Most thought the day would never come.  To some extent, many consumers were clouded by the idea that the video game industry could not suffer in any way on the market.  It was thought to be a revolutionary phenomenon, and would carry on for decades to come.  And while many are sitting there enjoying there hand-held slice of paradise, they don’t realize that sales have pummeled.  “  The sales of video games plunged 26% in April, and is the fourth-largest percentage drop ever, as players had fewer new games to choose from ”- Los Angeles Times.com.  So what is the next big thing? What is keeping video game sales down, except for the fact that fewer games are being produced? What are people turning to? Well the answer is simple, and it’s every ones’ hand on a daily basis.  The smart phones are the new era and they have already made their statement, and to this fad follows a high demand for portability with easy accessibility.  "In addition, the Nintendo 3DS was launched in an environment where there are more devices that can support the portable gaming experience such as tablets and smart phones” – CNBC.com.  Can this be a solution all the other game consoles? This new trend just might solve the occurring problems that companies are coming across, but only if they are willing to look at the problem from a wider broad perspective.  “ By Contrast, Apple’s ITunes’s  app Store provides a platform for marketing, selling, and distributing software;  all a developer needs to provide is a good idea and a working code” -Wired.com.  So needless to say, that the money is not stashed in for the console era anymore, but rather in what is easy to access and at hand at all times.

Student Appreciation Day

Living the college life can get stressful, and for most students dropping out seems to always become an option for them.  However let’s not forget those who stick with pain and those who always arrive on time put in the time and effort into the work that is given every day.  Even though those students are going to class to earn a degree, it’s fair to say that they deserve a little admiration for their devotion.  Luckily for these students, there is Student Appreciation Day at the Art Institute of Las Vegas on April 14.  On this day, students will get a chance to sit back and relax, well before and after class for the most part.  Food and drinks will be given to all the students  at no charge, and will have a live band playing  through the duration of the day.  This would be the perfect time to forget about the work assignments and the quizzes, and just enjoy the food and entertainment.  Not only is there recreational services available, but the school will also be having a job fair between 11:30 AM to 1:30 AM.  This would be the perfect time for students to dress to impress and bring in their resumes to make an impact on potential employers.  Whether you are an audio major or culinary, they will be looking for fresh face to fill in the empty slots in their companies.  The job fair will take place in rooms 144, 145, 146 for those who are interested.  Does not matter if you are look for a part-time or full-time job, there will be several opportunities in all sorts of environments.  As for a recommendation, I would personally take this time to present myself to potential employers and not shut out this great opportunity because there is possibilities of stepping stones towards a desired career.

EOC Week 1: Great Customer Service

Most companies, I have had experiences with, do not really rely on policies based on building a relationship with their consumers.  In most cases, this could be due to the fact that a mass amount of customers, pouring in from across the nation or internationally, are wanting to be heard all at the same time and cannot meet all of their consumers' needs.  A few weeks ago, I received my monthly bill in the mail from AT&T.  Upon receiving the bill from my wireless provider, I had run-in with this company over the phone that was truly an exception.  Now, I understand that customer service might be different in demographic regions due to rising populations in many cities.  If all the customer care representatives, within the company,  resolved all of their customers' problems with the courtesy and patience that they displayed when trying to resolve the issue I had with my bill, then a lot more consumers would recommend this phone service.  Even though the phone lines were busy when I gave them a call, I understood that I was calling at a busy time of the day and that I would be on hold for quite a bit of time.  When a representative was finally available, I spoke to her about the issue with the bill that I was having, she took the time to go over what had happened.  To resolve the issue of my family going over our minutes within our familytalk plan, she took the time to explain different resolutions in reducing my bill.  I was very excited that I was able reduce the total amount to more than half of the original amount, and not even five minutes later I received an email containing a questionaire of the recent customer care representative that had helped me, and had nothing but the best to say about her.  A quote that came to mind was that "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 "(Marketing an Introduction-Page 6).  They proved to me that my feedback was important and crucial to them, so they could then evolve respectively, on a customer service basis.

EOC Week 1: My Voice

Hello, my name is Vito Marentes and I am from Las Vegas.  From a very young age I was always fascinated with audio, music, and the ambiences of life.  I love all genres of music but never gained the courage to learn any instruments, up until a few years ago where I picked up a guitar and taught myself how to play.  I've always believed that if I were to pursue a career in a profession, where its criteria was my passion, then there would never be a day where I woke up feeling I had to go to work, but do what I love to do and get payed for it.  Never do I ever accept the fact that I should arrive on time, but always strive to be everywhere I go ten minutes early. My philosophy has remained the same for years and has not changed because I feel that dedicating hard work and constant effort towards something that is truly desired will have results and a positive outcome that follow.  If you would like any additional information, please contact me at vegasvito702@gmail.com.