Harley Davidson Solution

Team Organization:

To organize for this project, our group created a LinkedIn Group to make communicating with each other easier.  We also wrote down all of our ideas in a Google Document so that everyone could see everything and so that we could all work on the project at the same time even if we were not meeting face to face.  These mediums allowed us to finish our presentation efficiently and effectively.

Healthy, Clean Advertising

Company/Product:

Fast Food giant McDonald’s

Specifically McDonald’s new Fresh Salads!

http://www.linkedin.com/company/2677

Target Audience

On-the-go health nuts!  Who said fast food was bad for you?  McDonald’s has introduced new items on their menu.  The new salads at McDonald’s are a sure way to eat fast but right.  The salads are targeted to people who are health conscious but often eat “on the road”.  With 87% of workers driving to work in the U.S., this billboard ad is sure to get a lot of attention! This is true of the “Young Influential” group.  They are concerned with balancing work and leisure and often grab a quick bite to eat from a restaurant than make their own dinner.  Before the fresh salads came out, health-conscious people would just pass by a McDonald’s restaurant because all the food there is not exactly known as being good for the body!  However, with these new products, McDonald’s is targeting a new group of people.  Not only are they continuing to satisfy their existing customers, but they are attracting a new target audience.  This ad targets people who want food fast without the unhealthy consequences of most fast food. This is depicted in Google Trends where the graph shows the new popularity with the salads.  McDonald’s is showing that their product is moving toward satisfying the health nut!

Positioning

The target market for this product is mainly concerned with two topics: timeliness and food quality/substance.  People want this product in a relatively quick manner but don’t want to compromise the health quality of their food.  When McDonald’s saw that their consumers wanted a quick healthy option for food, they saw salads as the way to go.  McDonald’s new that the best way to advertise to these on-the-go people was to put up billboards and outside ads where people would see them when they’re driving on the way to work or on the highway.

Differentiation

 McDonald’s is placing a lot of emphasis on advertising their new salads.  However, their big competitor like Burger King still focuses on its normal products: the Whopper and French Fries.  When looking at Burger King ads online, many were focused on price; five meals for five dollars, or promoting their value meal.  There is no emphasis on new health conscious food options.  This is a new area that McDonald’s has implemented that its competitors haven’t, which could lead to more McDonald’s success.

Adoption Process/Product Life Cycle

Everyone knows that McDonald’s is an extremely popular fast food restaurant.  However, everyone didn’t become award of McDonald’s new salads at the same time; it was progressive.  This illustrates the adoption process of McDonald’s salads.  The first group to try the salads, represents the innovators.  They were the first to order and taste the new addition.  When people heard a good response from these people, more started trying the salads, which led to an eventual adoption across all categories.

McDonald’s is in the market maturity stage of their product’s life cycle.  They are showing that their brand is better by introducing new products that boost them over the competition.  They are maturing their brand by introducing new products that satisfy their customers the same way their existing products do.

AIDA

To get attention, McDonald’s put advertisements on billboards along highways.  Once people saw that McDonald’s was offering salads on their menu they were interested because salads aren’t exactly the kind of food associated with fast food restaurants.  To arouse desire, they include pictures on their billboards to appeal to the appetites of their buyers.  The advertisements obtain action from their customers by placing their ads close to exit along the highways and close to their locations so that if a buyer sees the ad and is interested, they are able to act on that interest by going to that close location and ordering that new salad!

Company/Product:

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/home.do

Target Audience

Mr. Clean’s magic eraser target audience is middle-aged women.  According to the U.S. Census, women are increasingly becoming the householder.  This group contains the people who are most likely to buy and use this product.  This group is described as “The White Picket Fences“ group.  The mother, or woman, is typically the person in the household to do all the cleaning.  Therefore, Mr. Clean would target this group when selling this product.  The graph represented here shows that interest in cleaning products has gone down in recent years, but they are still a necessity for most households; which is why Mr. Clean is targeting the “heads” of those families.

Positioning

People who buy Mr. Clean products like the Magic Eraser want the product to be able to clean ANYTHING no matter what it is that needs cleaning.  Whether it’s hard water stains on the sink or calcium buildup in the shower.  Mr. Clean knew that the best way to sell such products to consumers, they knew that the message channel they needed to use was television.  Having commercials on T.V. allows people to see how the product actually works.  They can see the Magic Eraser clean right before their eyes.   This helps persuade them that the Magic Eraser cleans better than the competition.

Differentiation

Mr. Clean is differentiating itself from the competitors by producing the Magic Eraser.  There are no other products like it.  It is an all-purpose cleaner that cleans in the kitchen, bathroom, or any room of the house.  It is proven to remove “more grime per swipe”.  Consumers want a product that will easily clean messes easily but thoroughly.  This commercial shows people the power of this product which differentiates it from the competitors.

Adoption Process/Product Life Cycle

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a fairly well-known product.  In regards to the adoption curve, I would say the curve is quite flat.  The adoption curve for this product is different from many other products.  For example, products in technology have a much more defined curve; not everyone buys a new technological product when it comes out.  Some people wait to see how the products work or if they are worth buying.  However, with the magic eraser, this isn’t necessarily the case.  The choice to buy a magic eraser is much different than choosing to buy a computer.  For one thing, the price is definitely lower which leads to more people buying it right away when it is introduced into the market.  People are willing to spend $5 – $10 to see if this product works, whereas they would not spend $1000 to buy the latest phone without researching first.

The Mr. Clean magic eraser is in the “our brand is best” stage of its life cycle.   The advertising is focused on how their product out performs the competitor’s.  It highlights the strengths of the product in a way people can visually see in the commercial.  People already know that the product is good, so Mr. Clean has moved on to the market growth stage.

AIDA

I think Mr. Clean effectively achieves all four promotion jobs in its commercial.  To get attention, they start the commercial with their catchy jingle.  To hold interest, they outline all the places the magic eraser can be used to clean up messes.  To arouse desire, the commercial distinctly shows their product cleaning in those places quickly and thoroughly.  Finally, to obtain action, they remind people that their product cleans better than others and that they won’t be disappointed if they buy the magic eraser.

The Trujillo Group Case Study

Case Overview

Carla is a sales representative for three software production companies in the Columbus, OH area.  She calls business customers to see if they are interested in buying Accounting, Sales, or Inventory software to facilitate some business activities.  Recently, Carla has been offered numerous different scenarios.  She could either take a new job at a different firm, MetalCoat, or she could start selling a new line of network security software, or she could remain selling the three previously stated software as she has been.

Situational Analysis

Carla finds herself in the middle of a difficult decision.  She must weigh the options she has by taking into account her internal strengths and weaknesses along with the external opportunities, and threats.  This can be done by performing a SWOT analysis as seen below.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths	Weaknesses
Previous work experience Familiarity with product she’s selling Already knows her target market	No real marketing experience No market penetration – no plan to acquire new customers Limited Product Development
Opportunities	Threats
Add new product line Market Development Take position at MetalCoat Diversification	Competitors taking away customers Fall behind the competition if she’s not willing to launch the new product line

Now that Carla can compare all of these factors, she can make the decision that will utilize her strengths in the most efficient way while keeping activities involving threats or weaknesses at a minimum.

Carla’s biggest weakness is that she has no market penetration.  In either of her options, she has no plan to acquire new customers which may lead to her falling behind the competition.  She also has limited product development.  The only option Carla has for selling new products is if she opts to sell the new network security software which would be sold in the same market as her other products.

Carla must also note the 4 P’s in order to ensure that her marketing mix will satisfy all potential customers.

Applying the 4 Ps

Product	Place	Price	Promotion
Accounting, Sales, and Inventory Software High quality New Network Security Software User questions dealt with by producers	Columbus, OH areaDirect channel of distributionUse of sales representatives	Relatively inflexibleNo known discounts	Sales reps Calling customers Trade shows Company website

Product Situation: The computer software is provided for a variety of business functions.  It is made with high quality that lasts a long time.  Any questions are answered by the software producers.

Place Situation:  In terms of channels of distribution, producers use sales representatives as a direct channel of distribution to the final customer.

Price Situation:  Software prices are relatively high but users only have to purchase it once.

Promotion Situation:  Products are promoted at trade shows put on by sales reps and via the company website.  Sales reps are also responsible for calling potential customers.

Statement of Problem/Conflict

There are two conflicts or problems to solve in this case study.  First, Carla has the option of adding a new line of software to her current business.  This new line will bring in more income for Carla, but the income by itself might not outweigh the ethical issues that come along with the new product.  The new software will allow employers to view what their employees are doing on their computers, which Carla believes is a violation of employee privacy rights.

Secondly, Carla has an alternative decision of taking a new job at MetalCoat, a different firm in the same area.  At MetalCoat, Carla would be in charge of the entire marketing division.  Her income would increase, but with that raise comes with an increase in responsibility.  Carla would be in charge of pricing, advertising, and the sales efforts for MetalCoat.  Carla’s professional marketing experience is limited to a few courses that she took in college which might hinder her marketing ability and success at MetalCoat.

Solution/Recommendation

There are many different possible solutions for Carla’s job situation.  However, I believe that the solution that makes the most sense is that Carla stays at her current job.  There are too many factors fighting against her if she decides to take the job at MetalCoat.  In order to stay competitive, Carla must create a unique and aggressive marketing mix to create relationships with customers so that they will come back and continue to buy from Carla in the future.  In addition, Google Trends, shows that companies’ needs for network security software is much lower than their needs for accounting, sales, and inventory software.

Rationale for Recommendation 



First of all, I don’t think that Carla has enough marketing experience to successfully run the entire marketing segment of MetalCoat.  Marketing involves more than just selling a product.  You have to satisfy all the four Ps in an efficient and effective manner.

Carla obviously has experience with software related products, but she must take time to become familiar with MetalCoat’s products.  In regards to place, the geographic area that Carla is to cover at MetalCoat is different from her present job.  She must research the demographics of the new area including what the customers are like and what they tend to buy.  She must assess the opportunities in MetalCoat’s market; including market penetration and development.  In regards to promotion, Carla’s background as a sales representative will help her stay ahead of the competition. 

In conclusion, I think Carla’s lack of marketing experience will set her up for failure if she takes the job at MetalCoat.  Marketing is an umbrella term that affects the entire corporation in addition to their customers.  Therefore, I think Carla’s best option is to stay at her present position but not sell the new network security software.

As previously stated, Google Trends illustrates that network security software ranks lowest in importance and demand to end customers when compared to the other software Carla is selling.  She will need to develop a unique marketing strategy that stands out to her customers.  She not only needs them to buy her products, but she needs an ongoing relationship with them so that they will buy from her in the future.  Also, she must find new ways to innovate her products.  Carla must convince companies in the area that the accounting, sales, and inventory software are more beneficial to their companies than the network security software and highlight that the new software isn’t that popular.  For instance, Carla should highlight that employee morale would plummet if employees knew that their bosses were watching what they were doing on their computers.  They may see this as a lack of trust and privacy.  This is only one aspect that Carla should include in her marketing strategy to ensure customers buy from her and not the competitors.

There are numerous advantages that Carla could capitalize from if she were to sell the new line. By adding the new line, Carla is developing a new product for customers.  She will be able to sell this new software not only to her current consumers but to new ones also which increases her diversification.  In addition, Carla will achieve market penetration if she promotes the new software line; she will be increasing the firms’ sales in their existing markets.  However, even if these advantages are huge for the companies Carla works for, she should never compromise her ethics.  In this situation, Carla feels that the employees’ privacy rights are being violated by the new network security software.  No one should ever go against what their ethical code is, no matter what the financial advantages are.

Advantages of Social Media

Ten years ago the terms “Facebook” or “Twitter” were never mentioned in an interview.  This goes to show how much technology has evolved.  More and more employers are going onto social media sites to view potential employees.  Other times, employers want to see how much knowledge people have when it comes to doing work on a computer or online.  An article by Maria Prysock details how social media impacted her current employment position.

Maria tells us that the majority of her work involves the use of social media.  In the article she states that if she does not have at least ten tabs open on a web browser, then she probably is not doing something.  Social media helped launch her career at Edelman Digital and it can help countless others do the same!

Most marketing trends today are focused on social media.  There are numerous advantages that lots of companies take advantage of when it comes to marketing.  Social media provides a cheap way to inform the public about a company’s goods or services.  Anyone, anywhere can view their Twitter or Facebook pages to see what’s new with their company.  Twitter helps in regards to promoting their new products to customers; they are able to launch new advertising campaigns online and have comments and feedback on those campaigns much quicker than any other method.  Social media also helps reach more people, and therefore more markets. Companies are then able to distinguish who their target markets are and can target those customers quicker.

Personally, after reading this article, I was able to fully realize how social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can impact my career opportunities.  With the economy being as bad as it is in Michigan, I know that getting a job will most likely include moving out-of-state.  My Twitter profile has allowed my to “follow” different organizations that I would possibly like to work for!  I am able to see what companies are doing in regards to new technology, like social media sites.  From their Twitter pages, I am able to navigate to their own websites to view job openings and other current news within the company.

In conclusion, I believe that being involved in social networking will give me an advantage when it comes to finding a job.  There is a possibility that I will be hired simply because I have more knowledge about certain social media sites than others; this benefit alone is huge!  Twitter has already helped me contact organizations across the country so that I can see what work would be like with that particular company.  Being able to see what’s going on in an organization across the country through a social media site is definitely beneficial to me, and everyone else!

Help from Twitter!

So I’ve been on Twitter for about 4 weeks now….and finally starting to get the hang of it.  I’ve also found that Twitter is probably the BEST way to network with future employers.  It is my dream to work for a non-profit organization and Twitter has allowed me to contact several companies and see what the work life would be like!  Twitter might just be the reason I get hired!!!

Treading Water

Thank goodness it’s Friday!  College has been keeping me so busy that I barely have time to think.  Just when I think I’m all caught up with my homework, I realize that there’s more to do; I feel like I’m treading water.  But hey, the weekend is here so maybe I can make some progress in between working tonight and tomorrow….why does college life seem to be so busy ALL THE TIME?!?!

Volleyball Game

Hi everyone!  This is my first post so bare with me on the amateur-ness of it!

Went to my sister’s volleyball game last night and it made me realize just how much I missed it.  I’ve always wanted to play on an intramural team here at GVSU but always find myself too late to apply or thinking I’m going to be too busy to have time.  Does anyone else have this problem?