Be Pride of Being A Marketer

Because of consumer behavior class, I feel confident and pride of being a marketing major students, especially doing the design sprint project. I found all of the knowledge and skills that I learned in this class are matching with my personal interests and future expectation. I enjoyed spending time on brainstorming, and I believe I can come up with the ideas as well as persuade my team members to select my idea. Anyway, through the design sprint project, I can connect the knowledge that I learned from the previous classes well with the project. I am willing to work on it because it is only one class that I want to spend time on it without any complain.

The first interest is brainstorming. I think I am a creative person and I want to be the unique one. Every time when I do brainstorm, I feel exciting. I tried to generate ideas, which were representative, unique, and independent. When professor asked us to make the decision about our team's product or service, I felt confused and I was afraid of making decision. However, I followed steps to do brainstorm and mapping about the given topic, I found I grasp the methods and realize what my team need. Then, I had enough confidence to discuss with my team. I had never imaged that I would be a creative person in team discussion, but I shared my ideas and tried to lead my team to make decision. The most significant finding was I really want to persuade my team to follow me. It is no doubt that a successful decision about defining the problem is the key of doing a perfect plan. Now, I realized the process of making decision is my strength. Thanks for consumer behavior class because it helped me to find my strength.

The second finding during doing the design sprint project is advertising. I was a art major students in high school. I did a successful logo design for a department store in China and my client use my design up to until now. The proof of concept testing and elevator pitch helped to connect art well with marketing. I imitated a large number of paintings from different types of books. I understand the meaning of a object, like, blossoming means flourishing in a business. I know how to paint and design the blossoming in advertisement and attract consumers' eyes through my design. My team's topic is "how do we support users with cooking. Because of my design and painting experience, I drew a magnifying glass and I drew a world map under the glass. I believe cooking could make the world became smaller. Food is a part of the culture and we can experience diversity and traveling other country through cooking. Using our product can achieve this goal. After this exercise, I found marketing is the best stage to show my talent as well as my interests.

The only thing that I want to express is thanking for consumer behavior class and thanking for professor. After completing the course, I believe that I find my future because the knowledge of consumer behavior and my own expertise in art are the key of being a marketer. I have enough confidence about being marketer after graduating, and because of those knowledge, I think I can come over all troubles and challenges. Soon afterwards I will go to work and I will be prove of being a marketer.

The Imagination of My Future Company

The semester has almost done and I think the most efficient class is Consumer behavior. As a marketing major student, this class directly relates to  my future job and business. I understood the knowledge of Consumer behavior, but I think the most significant take-away from this class is the logic way to analyze consumer behavior and use it in strategic marketing plan. My last 18 blogs talk a lot about what I learnt about consumer behavior. I want to summarize the ideas about how to apply those knowledge to my future business.

After 3 to 5 years' working experience, I will start my own business. Even I have no idea about want specific area or industry that I will touch, I found my interest is in Chines culture. How to connect Chines culture well with consumer behavior become the main point. I did some research, I found, it is a trend that more and more people attend to study Chinese culture in order to improve the skills to manage companies and employees. However, the majority of people believe the western culture is better for business. First, If I want to expand and persuade people come to study Chinese culture, the predictably irrational should be consider. Consumer trust western culture but misdoubt Chinese culture is predictably irrational, because it is same as American choose Californian red wine but do not choose the red wine, which comes from North Coronado. Changing consumers' idea about Chinese culture is hard, but if I advertise it through western culture, it might become easier for consumer to accept. Second, as I mentioned Chines culture becomes more and more popular, and all kinds of course appears, e.g. lecture in classroom, study and experience in Chinese temple. Consumer have all different choice to study Chinese culture. The main idea in The Paradox of Choice is more is less. More choice is not good for consumer to make decision. My company become one more choice for consumer when they choose to learn. They might fail to make the decision about learning Chinese culture. How can make consumers to decide to choose my company from a batch of choice? I believe the best way is to pretend that all of consumers are maximizes. Maximizes always maximize everything, especially price and quality. In my ads or communication with consumers, the main topic is expressing why my product and service is unique and it is easy for consumers to find the max benefits, because people make a decision that can maximize the benefits that they can earn.

Besides those two imagination about how to apply consumer behavior to my future business, there are a large number of methods and knowledge that will help me a lot, like content marketing, run purpose campaigns, respect and analyze culture and subculture, and so on. I believe the specific idea or method of consumer behavior is not as significant as grasping the way to analyze consumer behavior. Time always changes, we can not control consumer behavior in time but the way to find and analyze consumer behavior cannot change. In sum, it is a good start for me to do marketing and consumer behavior will play an important role in my whole business life.

Advertisement

In order to adverse and persuade people to purchase products or service, marketers always generate ideas by analyzing consumer behavior to create the success advertisement. For example, there is a banned condom advertisement on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nojWJ6-XmeQ). It is a funny and humorous ads. A father went shopping with his little preschooler. The son was shouting and trying to cry, because he wanted sweeties but his father did not allow. The noisy voice attracted others eyes and the father looked embarrassed. The last shot is father's embarrassing face with two big words, "Use Condom." I watched this ads about half year ago, and I can remember it clearly. I believe the consumer behavior play the most significant role in this ads. Not only consumers enjoy watching humors, but this ads also sympathize its target audience.

There are different types of ads, such as: print advertising, broadcast, guerrilla, and so on. I found, people prefer visual ads than aural ads as well as like videos more than leaflets. And humorous videos always give people the deepest impression. Try to generate a humorous and unique video advertisement is a great plan to connect well with consumer behavior as a advertising agency. On the other hand, I like this banned ads because it sympathized its audience well. First, there are more and more no kids family appeared, especially developed countries. e.g. Germany and France had become a aging society. This ads reflect the reason why parents do not want have kids and it matched well with consumer's attitude. In another word, this ads gave consumers a good advice to avoid to be pregnant. Because the ads explained well with the efficiency of condom, parents would sympathetic response to purchase a condom. Besides those two findings, I thought the reason why the ads was banned because it violated the political and ethical  issue. Because of high speed of aging, government encourage more kids. This ads expressed opposite attitude with government and there is no doubt that this ads were banned. This banned ads also give us a good reference when we design any advertising, that is to obey the law and do not ignore the political and ethical issue.

I have a lot of interests in doing advertising and advertising is a key in any marketing plans. According to my example about condom, I realized two significant consumer behaviors. One is be humorous in advertising. No matter what types of advertising you choose, humor is the best way to communicate with audience because it is easy to attract consumers' attention. Another one is the ads needs to express consumers' attitude or desire in order to sympathize them. Connecting the common and popular social topic with the function of the product or service well will create a successful advertisement.

How Kids Influence Parents Behavior

I like Hanna Rosin's article "The Overprotected Kid." The author compared the different attitude and behavior of parents in different generation. She also discussed the reasons why parents overprotected kids. The most significant reason is we are in a unpeaceful society. There are more and more crimes happen. I think overprotecting kids is a common phenomena in the world. Parents want give their kids the best to protect them to get far away from danger. Because of that, I found a lot of opportunity in business by kids influence parents behavior.

In order to protect their kids, parents shape a special purchasing behavior. In China, the best-selling product is kid's stuff, like the learning machine, stationery, and clothing. No matter how expensive to buy a new technologic learning machine, tell parents the function of the machine for kids and the machine is popular in kids, and parents will purchase it immediately, because through this machine, parents can provide kids a better opportunity to study well. In my opinion, the reason why parents purchase any kids' products unhesitatingly is the product can protect their kids. House is an important part in retirement plan. But now, it is a popular trend in China that parents sell their house to send their kids study aboard.  Parents always said that compare the house with kid's future, we want to spend all of our property to give our kids' best education. When people ask why, they felt surprise about asking why, because parents believe the best education is the best way to protect their kid get far away from any risk. I understand parents' action, but I must mention the action overprotects kids.

According to those two example, it is obvious that parents are willing to pay anything for their kids. Kid influences parents' consumer behavior a lot. Parents always not consider more when they purchase kid's products. They only consider the function and efficiency of the product or service for kids in their purchasing decision. Overprotect kids is not a good phenomena, but it provide marketers more opportunity to grasp parents purchasing behaviors to design and advertise products.  

Reflection of Brainstorm

"Brainstorm" is not a new vocabulary for me. When I came to American, I started to use it at the first class in language institution. In my pass experience, I had never tried to connect brainstorm with consumer behavior. Now, I realize that brainstorm is the most efficient strategy to analyze consumer behavior and apply it to strategic marketing plans. There are some ideas about how to do a successful brainstorm.

The activity of assessing Jabs Hall helped me a lot. I found that the foundation of brainstorm is identifying the status or the problem. I did a batch of brainstorms and it is easy to generate ideas. However, the majority of ideas are not matching up with needs. In this activity, I realized that my responsibility is analyzing consumer behavior. When we start assessing Jabs Hall, the first thing is analyze the different behaviors in Jabs and other academic building. Everything that we generated should be relied on behaviors. Beside that, I found an efficient brainstorm cannot focus on a specific area at beginning. There are a large number of differences between Jabs and other building. It is no doubt that my teammate and I could not conduct all in 30 minutes. We chose to look up the map first. The map shows everything in all 4 floors and it helped us to understand the structure and function of Jabs and find the the main different in each floor immediately. Then, we chose to focus on first and fourth floor, because they can represent the main differences of Jabs than other buildings. I thought people become more professional in Jabs, because the different design in Jabs incentive students.

Those are two significant findings in brainstorm and I believe those finding are important references in my future brainstorm. My mother provides a chance to start my own business after having 3-5 years working experience. I felt confused about the industry that I should work on. Now, I understand the efficiency of brainstorm and I will use it to generate the best result. Recently, my mothers' cosmetic company had more pressure because the development of ebusiness. We need conduct more marketing strategies. I think do more brainstorm about consumer behavior is necessary to come over the challenge.  I will focus on the different behaviors when people choose consume online shopping and retail stores. Then I can find the advantages and disadvantages of our company. The reasons of why those are advantages and disadvantages. There is no doubt that according the process of the brainstorm, the result or assessment must reliable and it must work for her company.

How ADIDAS Shapes My Behaviors

When I open my computer, the first thing is go to ADIDAS online store to check the availability of Yeezy Boost 350. I have already done it more than one month. No matter where I am, no matter what class I am taking, I must visit ADIDAS online store in order to buy Yeezy Boost. Unfortunately, even I repeat to click the website, I have no opportunity to have one. I know ADIDAS did a successful marketing plan to shape consumer behavior.

In fact, the official price of a pair of Yeezy is $200. Because it is randomly limited edition, the price rise to more than $1,000. I thought it is not necessary to have one at the first time I knew this shoes. After one week later, I saw a lot of information about how Yeezy popular in the world and in order to have a pair of Yeezy, people become crazy. People do not sleep in order to make sure they never miss the opportunity to have a Yeezy. There was a long waiting line in every ADIDAS retail store. And the information about Yeezy appeared in every social media. So, I paid more attention on Yeezy and become crazy to have one in order to show the shoes to my friends. Recently, I found I am not really like the shoes, and the most important influence for me to have Yeezy became earn confidence. If I have a pair of Yeezy, my friends must be envious of me. Yeezy becomes a tool to active my sense of accomplishment.

As a marketing major students, I realized ADIDAS shaped consumer behaviors about buying shoes. I think the limited edition is the most significant decision and it was a perfect strategy to attract consumer's attention. It is no doubt that less is more. ADIDAS believes the design and function of Yeezy Boost must become the best products. They gave up sell as much as they can produce, and choose limited editing in a random time everyday. Because of that, more and more consumers becomes its regular customers and visit its website when they have free time. Then, ADIDAS easily to shape consumer behavior that is visit and follow ADIDAS. Besides that, I did not have any interests about wear running shoes. When Yeezy Boost 350 became the most popular shoes, I spent more time on running shoes. I knew it is too hard to have a pair of Yeezy, I tried to find another one instead of it. ADIDAS realized that they successfully shape consumer behavior. It is a trend to have a pair of running shoes. About half month ago, ADIDAS began to sell a new type of running shoes, named NMD sneakers. NMD sneakers has three models with more 12 colors and styles for consumer to choose. But it same as Yeezy Boost 350, NMD sneakers are randomly sell time with limited edition. 

After Yeezy Boost 350 and NMD sneakers publishing, ADIDAS spent almost one month to occupy the market of running shoes. I am not surprised about this result, because ADIDAS successfully shaped consumer behavior about purchasing shoes. And it is a good example for us to analyze consumer behavior in doing marketing strategic plans.  

Why Consumer Favor "Green" Company

I like Tanya Gazdik's article, "Consumers Favor 'Green' Companies, No Matter Why They Are Green." There are a branch of  researches and surveys in the article and all of them can reflect consumer behavior well. First, three in five Americans will make a New Year's resolution to live a "greener" or more environmentally friendly lifestyles in 2015. Second, more than 90% of American say it is important to recycle, moderate household use of energy and conserve water. Third, better than eight of ten americans plan to look fore more opportunities to "go green." Forth, 60% Americans void to make green resolutions represent a significant increase from previous iterations of the survey. Fifth, six in 10 American agreed with environment is in very bad shape and a major environmental catastrophe is inevitable. Sixth, women were more likely than men to say they have felt guilt in recent years about not living a "greener" lifestyle. Seventh, four in five Americans agree that corporations have a responsibility to adopt "green" behavior. 

After analyzing the seven main conclusions in the surveys in Tanya Gazdik's article. The first reflection of marketers is company should pay more attention on "Green", because the surveys shows consumer's attitude is focusing on dealing with environment issues. So, marketers conclude that first, establish company as a "green" company. Second, hold more "green campaigns" in order to communicate well with the market. Third, the main target audience is female. It is obvious that this is a perfect example that for marketers to understand how to define consumer behavior. I do not want to spend more on analyze the consumer behavior from this article, but I want to talk more about how to find consumer behavior after reading this article. First, research is one of most important steps. In the research, marketer need define the problem and conduct the best and representable questions in the surveys. The next step is gathering information and analyze the results of the surveys. We need input results in SPSS, and use SPSS to contract with different data. After those two steps, we can use the result to analyze the consumer behavior. 

I believe only the useful and efficient conclusion must contain reliable facts. The article, "Consumers Favor 'Green' Companies, No Matter Why They Are Green." is reliable for us to analyze consumer behavior, so we can conclude because environmental issues are common sense for every consumer. Consumers have positive attitude to consume a "Green" company. We can establish the company mission and goal connect with "Green" and use words "recycle" in our products. In my opinion, "Green" company is a good idea for company to target audience, and there are a lot of social issues that connect well with consumer behavior, like woman rights, children's development, and poor people.  

The Edification of Google Glass

The headline,"Even the guy who designed the iPod may not be able to save Google Glass." attract my attention to read the article, because both Google and Apple did successful marketing strategies. The article connect well with consumer behavior, I have interests to read as a marketer. On the other hand, this is a hot and popular topic for readers.

The main reason why Google glass cannot be success as iPod is Google glass doesn't have a clear advantage. Compare with iPod or any other Apple's products, Google glass has not changed the world. On the other hand, it is no doubt Apple has changed the world, e.g. Macintosh defining the computer for the rest of us, there is no operating system does better than OS X, and iPod reinvented the music world. However, although Google glass briefly healed as the wearable heir to the smartphone, consumers do not accept to wear phones on their face. The main advantage does not match the consumers' behavior about phone, that is why Google glass failed in the market.

Now, Google paid more than $3 billion for Nest in order to hire Tony Fadell, the smart-home startup inventor. They want to reset the unsuccessful efforts of Google Glass and redefine it. In my opinion, I think the most efficient way is changing consumers' attitude about the function of glass. For example, my first response about glass is studying or reading. I do not like wear glasses because it is not convenient when I workout. I had bad experience of wear glasses. I think some of consumers have same reason as me. Apple can be success because it change the world. If Google Glass wants be success, the first step is changing consumers behaviors, especially their desire to wear glasses. How to establish the positive attitude about glasses, like, convenient to wear, protect eyes, the fashion trends. Now, I realized why the author said, "Even the guy who designed the iPod may not be able to save Google Glass." Spending on advertising is not a hard project, but changing consumer behavior is a huge challenge. And Google has a competitor, Apple, the most successful company in smartphone.

Anyway, I like Google Glass because it is a new technology and it can change a new world of smartphone, but how to change consumers' attitude about glasses is the key point of success. I learnt a lot from this example and when I start my business, the consumer behavior is one of the most important parts that I need to analyze when making any business decision.

Content Marketing

I like the exercise which was a headline at the beginning of the class. Compared my headline with other classmates' ideas, I only had seven people want to click. My headline is the top ten places you have to travel. I believed that majority of us enjoy traveling, and the headline must attract classmates' attention. More than 20 people will click "'sorry mom,' the pictures of spring break." I found people pay more attention on the recent events and earn more happiness from reading. The spring break had gone about two days ago and majority of us had the deep memory about it. It is obvious that this headline struck a chord with us. Also, the headline implies the funny things in spring break and close to college students' life. On the other hand, my headline is too much usual. Traveling is a common sense for everyone, and it is not target college students well because college students has not enough money to travel. For the current situation, college students will choose click the picture of spring break.

According to my analyze about those two headline, I found how to target audience is the most significant step in doing content marketing. Traveling is less connect well than spring break with college students. The handout of audience analysis is helpful for me to understand consumer behavior in content marketing. My group chose Montana Bucks' to do content marketing. We followed the head out and discuss each question specifically. I found the way to be successful in targeting audience, that is establish the audience's profile. In the profile, analyze all parts of the audience, like, attitude, hobbies, income, goal, friends, family background, worries, and so on. After understanding each part, we can summarize the most important things that can attract audience immediately. For example, after analyze different parts in young families (our target audiences), we found the most important thing is the relationship with family members. We set up our headline as how Montana Bucks save my family. All of us liked it and thought it can attract our target market well, because this headline talked about the biggest worry in young families' life.

Content marketing is one of the most significant parts in my future business. After understanding the steps of how to generate headlines. I will follow the steps (set goals, segment, target, hyper target, and personalize) in order to make a successful content marketing strategy. Do not ignore that research empathy in each step is the key in the strategy.

Cause vs. Purpose

The article, "Cause vs. Purpose: What's the Difference?" gave me a deep impression about doing marketing campaigns. The writer of this article, Max lenderman thought purpose is bigger than cause. He used Target and Yoobi as examples. From compare those two companies' campaigns, they spend different in their campaigns. Target ran a cause campaign, and it supported with six TV spots and seven print ads for the back-ro-school season. Because of that, Target spent millions on the cause campaign. On the other hand, Yoobi is a school-supplies brand and it has "One for You, One for Me" mission and works with the Kids In Need Foundation. Yoobi ran a purpose campaign and saved much more money than Target. It is obvious that, you must choose Yoobi's way to hold campaigns as a CEO or investor. Although cause marketing can achieve win the battle temporarily at the point of purchase, cause marketing can not win long-term brand love in people's hearts and minds. According Max lender man's idea about cause and purpose, I will try to establish  purpose for my future company. 

Max lenderman also mentioned that, "Seventh Generation’s purpose is to help people live a more natural and chemical-free life. A major retailer may sponsor the Sierra Club’s efforts against deforestation; Patagonia makes saving the environment its corporate mission." It means company need connect its own mission with charity or social problem. I agree with that, because consumers has more choices in every purchase. The best way to attract consumer's eyes is be special, and empathetic response to the social problems or charity. I found there are some area that everyone focuses on, social problems like, global warming, energy wasting, Ozone pollution, water decreasing and wasting. Charities like, Africa poor kid and family, handicapped, leukemia and cancer. When choosing the purpose for the company, we need consider more about how to connect the purpose well with our mission. My mother's company is doing cosmetics and providing beauty service. Because of the majority of her consumers are female, I will choose charity as the purpose of company. The woman discrimination still happens today, I will set up a foundation of helping women to work and study. I believe, the purpose must receive our consumers'  empathetic response. They will support our company, not only the campaigns, but also for shopping in our stores. 

Do not do any cause marketing, to be a purpose marketing!

The Paradox of Choice

Barry Schwartz argues why more is less in The Paradox of Choice, it gave me a new concept about consumer behavior. I  had never thought about the choice in consumer behavior. I believed more choice can provide consumers more opportunity to make a decision. And I enjoyed having more choice when I bought anything. After reading The Paradox of Choice, I understand I am a satisficier. I like his idea about maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers always want to make the best decision in every purchase. As maximizers, they always try to maximize the price, quality. Even they made some choices, they still feel regret. They are less satisfaction with life, less happy, or less optimistic. However, satisficers always think good enough. When they make a purchase decision, they will choose one that could meet his or her standards. Satisficers are easy to make a decision and his a opposite life experience to maximizers. I am a satisficer because I spend less time on purchasing decisions. If I want to buy a shoes, I will define the function, style, and color of the shoes that I need. Then, search the brands on the Internet, and choose one that match with my standard. The process of a purchase is about half hour. On the other hand, I went to shopping with my girlfriend in Italy. She is a maximizer because her major is  women wear design. She will consider everything, like, the design must be unique and fashion, the material should match up to the price, and so on. We always went different stores and compare the products in each store. After she understanding all, she would choose the best store. Unfortunately, if there was a tiny thing she felt uncomfortable, she won't buy it. Sometime, we went shopping a whole night without purchasing any clothes.

According my experience and Barry Schwartz's definition, I summarized some ideas when I start my own business. First, I do not want spend more money and time on satisficer, such as me. If the product is good and meet my standard, I will choose it. Second, How to switch maximizers to satisficers is the most significant part for my business. The best way is to let maximizers believe my product is the best product. When I do any marketing communication plan, I will focus on advertise our unique and special points. Third, I will pay more attention on training my employee to understand how to persuade maximizers to satisficiers, such as, tell maximizers why our products can make them feel regret less, to make them feel happy when they finish purchasing.

Heuristics

We experienced how to use heuristics in analyzing consumer behavior to make successful decision. I enjoyed using it in analyzing brand position, deal with competition, flagship product,  new product, retailing, cool, pricing, color scheme, communication, and packaging. And there are six types of heuristics that I can choose to use: simulation, framing, gambler's fallacy, conjunction fallacy, availability, and anchoring heuristic. I don't want to list the reasons about how to match each heuristic in different parts of marketing. I want use them in the example of my mother's company.

First, our company did well in brand position. We define our company takes high-end route, because we found the majority of customers only considered the function of products without price. In order to keep beauty, they spend as much as they can. Second, our main competitors are shopping malls, because consumers through shopping malls can guarantee the quality of products and provide famous international brands, like DIOR, CHANEL. Even the price or products are not fit with themselves, they feel confident of using those brands. Because of that, the best of deal with that is focusing on our personalized services and we used different methods to advertise that. Third, we are chain retail stores and we do not produce any products. But considering Chinese consumers enjoy using foreign brands, we choose SHISEIDO as our flagship product. Consumers would be attracted by the Japanese brands and choose to consume in our company. Fourth, our company choose more international brands to instead of Chinese brands. The biggest part is SHISEIDO, and we also have a lot of products, which made in Europe, like France, Germany. Fifth, our company is providing beauty service for females. We designed the main color of our store is warm color, because warm color gives consumers comfort and relax environment. The last one is communication. We spend a lot of time on training how to communicate with customers. We found the most efficient way to persuade is praising. Consumers, especially females always become implosive when people praise them beautiful and young.

I took part in the majority of meetings in my mother's company, but I had never analyzed by heuristics. Now, I understand why our company develops rapidly.

Predictably Irrational

If we cam predict irrational consumer behavior, we have more opportunities to make successful marketing plan. As the videos displayed, people like drinking red wine, which is made in California, and they dislike the red wine comes from North Coronado. It is a good example of predictably irrational. We can select and advertise the wines are made in California in restaurant. People will be attracted by the Californian wine and consume. Another example of predictably irrational is tasting strawberry. Even both of two brands of yoghourt are not strawberry favor, when researcher asked them which one tastes more strawberry, only one student found both of them are not strawberry favor.

I think it is same as one way in Dan Ariely’s predictably irrational. The Fallacy of Supply and Demand: Another irrational consequence of comparative thinking. She gave us examples, like: when we walk into a store, the first price we see becomes an “anchor”, and we will use this price to judge any goods’ value in this store. She also explains behavioral anchors, like we always use the experience of a Starbucks coffee as an anchor point to judge all other coffee brands. It is obvious that understand consumer predictably irrational can do well in marketing. Furthermore, when I analyze these predictably irrationals, ethical dilemma occurs. The first example of drinking red wine gave an advice is choosing the red wine, which is made in California, but there is a situation like if the price of wine made in California is higher than the wine made in North Coronado and the quality is worth than Coronado one. What should I choose? Making more money by selling California wine or be responsible for consumers by quality of Coronado’s?

Anyway, it is the first time to learn predictably irrational and it gives me a new way to do marketing. No matter what kind consumer predictably irrational is, we can analyze it and come up with marketing strategies, but please be honest to consumers because companies would do anything but risk their prestige at stake.

Bend it Like Beckham

It was my first to watch a movie as a marketer. There are a lot of subcultures in the movie, such as: soccer team, Anglo-Indias, high schools, and English. I think Anglo-India is the most representative aspects for me to analyze consumer behavior, because Anglo-India has both British and Indian cultural background to make any decision. The female leader Jess is an Anglo-India. Even she was born and grew in Britain, her family could not stand she wears shorts and plays soccer with boys in pubic place. The western culture gives everyone opportunity to choose her own opportunity, but Jess's family believed Jess should study, learn cooking, after that she should marry with an Indian guy, like her sister. British likes soccer, but Jess's family thought Jess would become a housewife not a dirty soccer player. I can understand how hard that Jess want to do a decision.

As a marketer, Bend it Like Beckham is a good movie for me to understand the cultural impact on consumer behavior. I understood why Jess's family did not want her to play soccer. I could not change her family's ideas about Jess's future, but I might can connect the soccer with Indian culture. For example, Jess's family wanted Jess should study, learn cooking, after that she should marry with an Indian guy. I would advertise soccer through sponsoring books in school, cooking materials in club. Because of that, Jess could have some help with studying and cooking, on the other hand, she could play soccer. I am sure if she can do both with, her family won't avoid again.

In our real life, cultural differences appears in every industry. Understand the culture background in consumer is the basic requirement of doing international business. Toyota has different models to sell in different region, like, American likes outdoor activities, Toyota made trucks and SUV; the roads in Europe are narrow, Toyota sells smart cars; Japanese family always consider the energy and safety, Toyota also  has models match up with.
I am a Chinese and I has been studying in America about 4 years. The biggest advantage of me is understanding cultural diversity. I am professional at Chinese cultural and I know Chinese consumer behavior, also I understand American lifestyle or consumer' needs. When I do an international business between America and China, I can analyze the differences in culture well and make the marketing plan.

Culture, Branding, & Strategy

It was fun to do this exercise of selling new car brand in the USA, western Europe, and Japan & Korea. Also, it is a good example for me to understand how culture impacts consumer behavior and how to create strategic plan bases on cultural difference.

The first observation is the importance of creating a name of new brand. We spent more than 10 minutes on it. All of us believe the name of out brand must match up with cars' function and be international. We summarized all characteristics in our cars, such as: safety, advanced, tough, and so on. And we use translator to translate these characters in different languages, like Latin, Italian, and German. Finally we chose "MONTEM" as our new brand name, because it is a Latin word and it means mountain. We are selling utility cars (e.g. trucks and SUV) and mountain represents the function of our cars, also "MONTEM" shows international. I learnt a lot from the process of making the decision. I did not have any idea about the name because I thought it was the most difficult part. A good name can attract consumer's eyes. On the other hand, not only the name should easy for American to understand, but it also have same feeling in west Europe and Japan & Korea. I found the common senses in culture can achieve that. It is no doubt that mountain can represent outdoor activities and people need utility car in outdoor activities in the world. I really like MONTEM as our brand name, even I am a Chinese and I have different cultural background with Americans.

The second observation is how to analyze culture in marketing. When we generate our offerings and strategies, the first step was analyzing the difference of those three regions. I am a Asian and I lived in Italy more than three months. I understands the cultural differences in lifestyles, values, and attitudes. It formed different consumer behaviors of three regions. American loves truck,  but the roads in Japan & Korea and west Europe are narrow, truck does not work for people who live in these two regions. And I know the price of gasoline in  Japan & Korea and west Europe is much higher than America. Truck or big SUV is hard to occupy the market. Because of those cultural differences, the marketing plan should be separated into three parts. Then, we can choose promotion, price, product, and place to make a successful plan. Without understanding culture in international business, any marketing plan will fail.

After doing this activity, I found my own advantage is understanding the differences in culture. Ii is obvious that culture influences consumer behavior. I might find a job in American after graduate, I will pay more attention on culture, especial China and America,  because this is my advantage compare with American graduates.

Predictably Irrational

If we can predict irrational consumer behavior, we have more opportunities to make successful marketing plan. As the videos displayed, people like drinking red wine, which is made in California, and they dislike the red wine comes from North Coronado. It is a good example of predictably irrational. We can select and advertise the wines are made in California in restaurant. People will be attracted by the Californian wine and consume. Another example of predictably irrational is tasting strawberry. Even both of two brands of yoghourt are not strawberry favor, when researcher asked them which one tastes more strawberry, only one student found both of them are not strawberry favor.

I think it is same as one way in Dan Ariely’s predictably irrational. The Fallacy of Supply and Demand: Another irrational consequence of comparative thinking. She gave us examples, like: when we walk into a store, the first price we see becomes an “anchor”, and we will use this price to judge any goods’ value in this store. She also explains behavioral anchors, like we always use the experience of a Starbucks coffee as an anchor point to judge all other coffee brands. It is obvious that understand consumer predictably irrational can do well in marketing. Furthermore, when I analyze these predictably irrationals, ethical dilemma occurs. The first example of drinking red wine gave an advice is choosing the red wine, which is made in California, but there is a situation like if the price of wine made in California is higher than the wine made in North Coronado and the quality is worth than Coronado one. What should I choose? Making more money by selling California wine or be responsible for consumers by quality of Coronado’s?

Anyway, it is the first time to learn predictably irrational and it gives me a new way to do marketing. No matter what kind consumer predictably irrational is, we can analyze it and come up with marketing strategies, but please be honest to consumers because companies would do anything but risk their prestige at stake.          

Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique

It was a fun class of doing  ZMET, and it was a new experience for me to understand consumer behavior. Compare the images that my teammate and I collected, I found the common sense as international students and differentiation in different cultural background. For example, both of us miss family and want to back to own county when we graduate from college. Both of us want to make more money in order to create our own family, but my teammate want to have two more kids, that I had never imaged when I graduate because I think kids should be considered when I am 28 years old. 

Apply these ideas in business world, I think ZMET is helpful when I need create advertisements or do marketing plans. My mother's cosmetic company can be a good example for me to use ZMET. Nowadays, her company is working on attracting new customers because the majority of customers are more than five years' regular customers. I will random choose two to five people to ask them find 8-12 images about "Cosmetics relate to your life." and follow each steps in ZMET. I will find their common senses about cosmetics, and those common senses can use to persuade new customers become her company members. On the other hand, there are some differences on individuals, and it should analyze specifically. From my mother's research, she thought the new customer age range is 20-35 years old. I will use one or two of those differences, which are connect well with the age range to find customers' needs. Finally, put the common senses and the differentiations together, create an advertisement or leaflet becomes easier and more efficient.

The last paragraph is my own discovery about ZMET. I know the main purpose of doing a ZMET interview is to discover how individuals and group react to the materialistic and metaphorical world on a practical and more philosophical, existential level. And the information can make marketing programs more meaningful and effective. I think my analysis about common sense and differentiation also useful in a marketing program. 

Victoria's Secret

Recently, A Victoria Angle Ming Xi appeared in a lot of Chinese popular TV shows. In those TV shows, the producer also displayed every her performance in Victoria's Secret fashion shows. Because of that, yesterday, I watched  the show and the beautiful models with perfect stature attract my eyes to follow Victoria's Secret. As a marketing major student, connect the knowledge that I learned this week, I realized how successful marketing Victoria's Secret made in perception, attitude, and motivation. 

Although I am a man, not the consumer of using its products, I am pretty sure men are Victoria's Secret's potential customers. Its advertisements and fashion shows are perfect example of perception. I am a person, who has interests in Chinese culture and outdoor activities. Before I watched Victoria's Secret's fashion shows, I had no idea about any brand for female's. Now, when my girlfriend going shopping with me, I always suggest her to buy Victoria's Secret and I am willing to pay for it. The perception that Victoria's Secret deliveries to me is its products can make my girlfriend become more confident and nobler. And I asked my friends, they had the same reason as me to buy Victoria's Secret for their girlfriends or wives.

The definition of attitude is Consumer's beliefs, feelings, and behavioral intention toward a brand or retail store. It is obvious that consumers' attitude about Victoria's Secret is perfect. Victoria's Secret changes consumer's beliefs about women's underdress. Its products became a tool to show women's beauty and themselves. Also, Victoria's Secret create a good social environment about women's fashion. When people talk about underdress, they won't feel embarrassed. Consider about behavioral intention, Victoria's Secret fashion shows and advertisement provide a good choice for consumers, when they want to hangout with friends and shopping.

Understand consumer motivation is one of the most significant part in marketing. Victoria's Secret thinks the consumer's desire of its products is earn confidences, beauty, and noble. Angel represents the best, Victoria's Secret tried to make everyone feel that, wearing its products is an angel. As a man, I want my lady is the best, like a angle. Because of my desire, I become a consumer of Victoria's Secret. Beauty is everyone's desire, Victoria's Secret is creating beauty. 

Perception, attitude, and motivation is the basic knowledge in marketing. With my analysis about Victoria's Secret, I know how to use them in my future business.

How My Mom Did Empathy

In the second week, one assignment was watching Simon Sinek's TED talk, "Start With Why." It gave more a deep impression about how to make success in my future business. My mother is a successful businesswoman and she has more than ten chain stores to sell cosmetics and provide beauty service. Now, her company hires more than 150 employees and is well known in my hometown. My mom’s decision about company training confused me, but now, I understand why she did that.

Because I was free in summer, the majority of training classes in my mom’s company required me to attend. All of the classes taught employees about the history of company. How hard my mom set up the company? Why she established this company? And there were a lot of convenient ways to make more money in cosmetic industry, why she chose this one? In my opinion, I think the reason of training is improving employees sell skills and the knowledge about products that uses to persuade customers to buy the product. Now, I realized why mom made this decision in training programs.

First, as Simon Sinek’s opinion, let consumers understand why company provides the products and services are the most efficient way to persuade them to purchase. From my mom’s training program, her employees can understand the mission that the company wants to delivery to consumers, that is we provide the special offer for every customer. Every customer has her own beauty consulter. People choose our brand means choose the individual beautician. Second, after understanding the history of company, employees can understand the development of the company. It forms company’s culture. Through the culture, employee can understand the mission of the company and keeping hard working in order to achieve company’s goal and personal goal.

Now, this training program in my mother’s company is still taking. I asked her about the revenue and position of her company right now. She told me the revenue increase about 1.5 times than last year and her company became one of the best brands in my hometown. Now she is beginning to merger another company in the nearby city. I am pretty sure how important of    understanding “why” in marketing.                                   






     My mom and I in her chain stores in 2013.