Do you think that performing a service well is good enough promotion within itself? What recommendations would you give to a start-up business that offers only services?
Services are a problem to marketers because they are intangible. Most services offered are those that people actually need. I could never cut my own hair so this requires me to go pay and have it done. I just recently got my car worked on and it's nothing I could have fixed on my own. I know how to drive and put gas in my car, that is about it. So I brought it to Leons in Keene and they fixed it up for me.
I think that it is important for companies to promote their services even if they are good enough. They say that if you walk out of a business and you aren't happy with the service, you tell at least 10 people about your bad experience which makes them also not want to go there. But if people enjoy the service then it promotes itself in a way. If I have good service I tend to tell people about it and recommend it. Companies should still try to promote their services because it will definitely bring in some new customers who may not have heard of them before.
I would recommend that new businesses get their name out there with promotions and deals. Maybe first time customers get 50% off a hair cut (if it's a salon). Some sort of way to get people into their business is very important especially if the company is new and no one has any experience with.
When you have a bad experience, whether it's in a store or have had bad services, do you tell your friends or family about it? or do you let it go and just find another place?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Direct Selling
Direct selling is the marketing of products to ultimate consumers through face-to-face sales presentations at home or even in the workplace. Once called door-to-door selling, direct selling in the United States has grown into a sizable industry of several hundred firms. Although direct selling is though of as face to face, it is now done through the mail, telephone, internet, or even shopping-malls. Some examples of companies who use a direct selling approach are Mary Kay and Avon.
My mother used to purchase avon and a representative was always sent to our home. The woman had a catalog and would bring samples and talk about what product was popular and what each product did. She typically just bought face cream from Avon but they always try to sell you whatever they can. My grandma just recently had a woman from Mary Kay come to her house and help her choose a make-up that went well with her skin tone. They bring actual make up and have you put a little on your face to see what options are best. These representatives are informative and have knowledge of make-up and of all their products. My grandma was happy and the woman left her house with a new customer.
Although most people are online these days, some people still appreciate that face-to-face interaction with companies. My grandfather sells electrolux vacumms and has for a long time. Every time I say my last name people ask me if my grandfather is the guy who sells vacuums. Most people know him and call him for repairs, new vacuums and for vacuum bags. He had a store for a little while but realized people like it more if he comes to them (he delivers and makes house calls) or if they can come to him at his home. It is more personal and it seems as though some people still like this way of selling.
What do you think about direct selling? Would you enjoy more face-to-face encounters from companies or do you like the way most companies operate now?
My mother used to purchase avon and a representative was always sent to our home. The woman had a catalog and would bring samples and talk about what product was popular and what each product did. She typically just bought face cream from Avon but they always try to sell you whatever they can. My grandma just recently had a woman from Mary Kay come to her house and help her choose a make-up that went well with her skin tone. They bring actual make up and have you put a little on your face to see what options are best. These representatives are informative and have knowledge of make-up and of all their products. My grandma was happy and the woman left her house with a new customer.
Although most people are online these days, some people still appreciate that face-to-face interaction with companies. My grandfather sells electrolux vacumms and has for a long time. Every time I say my last name people ask me if my grandfather is the guy who sells vacuums. Most people know him and call him for repairs, new vacuums and for vacuum bags. He had a store for a little while but realized people like it more if he comes to them (he delivers and makes house calls) or if they can come to him at his home. It is more personal and it seems as though some people still like this way of selling.
What do you think about direct selling? Would you enjoy more face-to-face encounters from companies or do you like the way most companies operate now?
Saturday, April 24, 2010
In response to Gretchen's question
Do you think it is effective marketing to market inside the restaurant while customers and employees are already there? Do you think annoying people is an effective way to market the company?
I can see how this would be more annoying towards the employees rather then the customers. When I go into a restaurant I usually go with friends and or family so usually I'm to busy talking or listening. I tend not to hear things like that but if its loud enough and plays often enough then I would probably pick up on it and be annoyed. I dont go to friendlys so I dont know how it has changed or anything but I can see how it could be annoying especially if you are already in there eating.
If the song is played every hour then that is not as bad. Typically when I go out to eat it's not for that long unless I'm at happy hour (like elm city brewery) which could be for hours. But as for going out to eat the most a customer could hear this song is once or twice so I dont think it is a big deal but maybe they can come up with another way of marketing if customers and employees are that upset about it. It will only lose them business if people don't like it because they will go to another restaurant in town.
While I do think its important to market a company there are also other ways and times to do it. Playing a song isn't a big deal but once customers start leaving then there is a problem. Companies dont want to bug the people who are in there because their marketing has already worked, customers are currently eating in the restaurant.
In stead of asking if its effective and annoying to market inside the company, do you think this is a clever idea?
I can see how this would be more annoying towards the employees rather then the customers. When I go into a restaurant I usually go with friends and or family so usually I'm to busy talking or listening. I tend not to hear things like that but if its loud enough and plays often enough then I would probably pick up on it and be annoyed. I dont go to friendlys so I dont know how it has changed or anything but I can see how it could be annoying especially if you are already in there eating.
If the song is played every hour then that is not as bad. Typically when I go out to eat it's not for that long unless I'm at happy hour (like elm city brewery) which could be for hours. But as for going out to eat the most a customer could hear this song is once or twice so I dont think it is a big deal but maybe they can come up with another way of marketing if customers and employees are that upset about it. It will only lose them business if people don't like it because they will go to another restaurant in town.
While I do think its important to market a company there are also other ways and times to do it. Playing a song isn't a big deal but once customers start leaving then there is a problem. Companies dont want to bug the people who are in there because their marketing has already worked, customers are currently eating in the restaurant.
In stead of asking if its effective and annoying to market inside the company, do you think this is a clever idea?
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is the use of telecommunications and nonpersonal media to communicate product and organizational information to customers, who then can purchase products via mail, telephone, or the internet. It can occur through catalog marketing, direct response marketing, telemarketing, television home shopping and online retailing.
Catalog marketing is when a customer receives a catalog and is able to purchase a product through mail, telephone or the internet. When I was a kid there was no internet at our house so if we saw something we liked in a catalog we would place all our orders by mail or phone. Direct response marketing is when a retailer advertises a product and makes it available through mail or telephone orders. I've seen retailers advertise their products and offer a way to buy them but I've never actually purchased a product this way before.
Telemarketing is when everything is done by phone. It can help generate sales leads, improve customer service, speed up payments on past-due accounts, gather marketing data and raise funds for nonprofit organizations. Personally I hate telemarketing and unless it is a family memeber or a friend calling me, I wont answer the phone. Television home shopping is when products are presented to television viewers, who can buy them by calling a toll-free number and pay with a credit card. I have never done this personally but I see it on TV all the time. They always try to give you double the product if you call right away or within the next 10 min. This way of marketing drives me crazy, I'd love to watch a program without being bothered to buy something.
Online retailing is retailing that makes products available to buyers through computer connections. I do buy things online a lot because it's easier to go online then it is to drive to the store, especially if the store isn't around where I live. The shipping does take a little longer but for me it is totally worth the wait.
A lot of people are now seeing that companies are selling more products or have them in stock online rather then in the store. Do you agree with this? Have you ever gone into a store to buy something but it wasn't in stock so they told you to go online? What is your opinion on direct marketing?
Catalog marketing is when a customer receives a catalog and is able to purchase a product through mail, telephone or the internet. When I was a kid there was no internet at our house so if we saw something we liked in a catalog we would place all our orders by mail or phone. Direct response marketing is when a retailer advertises a product and makes it available through mail or telephone orders. I've seen retailers advertise their products and offer a way to buy them but I've never actually purchased a product this way before.
Telemarketing is when everything is done by phone. It can help generate sales leads, improve customer service, speed up payments on past-due accounts, gather marketing data and raise funds for nonprofit organizations. Personally I hate telemarketing and unless it is a family memeber or a friend calling me, I wont answer the phone. Television home shopping is when products are presented to television viewers, who can buy them by calling a toll-free number and pay with a credit card. I have never done this personally but I see it on TV all the time. They always try to give you double the product if you call right away or within the next 10 min. This way of marketing drives me crazy, I'd love to watch a program without being bothered to buy something.
Online retailing is retailing that makes products available to buyers through computer connections. I do buy things online a lot because it's easier to go online then it is to drive to the store, especially if the store isn't around where I live. The shipping does take a little longer but for me it is totally worth the wait.
A lot of people are now seeing that companies are selling more products or have them in stock online rather then in the store. Do you agree with this? Have you ever gone into a store to buy something but it wasn't in stock so they told you to go online? What is your opinion on direct marketing?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
In response to Elizabeth V's Question
Do you think that having a coupon for a product will make you want to buy it more even if you weren't planning on buying it in the first place?
I feel like the answer to this question is both yes and no. I think that anway you can save money is worth it especially in our current economy. If I get a coupon that I feel is a good deal and have the extra money to spend, then I will impulse buy. But if the product is something I don't need then the coupon doesn't mean anything to me. Sometimes I get coupons for soap or razor blades and if I need them soon anyways, I will buy them a little early and use the coupon. Who doesn't love coupons?
I think there is a difference between using them when you need them and using them when you don't need them. If the product is something you will need soon then coupons are totally worth it but if you are spending your money just because you got a coupon then isn't that called impulse buying in a way. You weren't planning on buying the product and then all the sudden you got a coupon in the mail or at the register and you feel as though you need to use it right away. Coupons personally annoy me and I feel like people never read them carefully enough. They bring them up to the registers and most of the time they have the same brand but don't read the fine print on the coupon itself to see what you have to actually buy to get the deal. There is also big problem with people using a coupon for every single product. I'm all for saving money but come on, that's a little extreme and shouldn't be done all at once. That is how you hold everyone else up, especially if your the type who likes to get in and get out.
Do you feel that people have to many coupons sometimes? Should they break the coupons up (make a couple trips to the store) or do them all at once? Are you a coupon user or have family or friends who are? Do coupons get you to buy the product even if you don't need it anytime soon?
I feel like the answer to this question is both yes and no. I think that anway you can save money is worth it especially in our current economy. If I get a coupon that I feel is a good deal and have the extra money to spend, then I will impulse buy. But if the product is something I don't need then the coupon doesn't mean anything to me. Sometimes I get coupons for soap or razor blades and if I need them soon anyways, I will buy them a little early and use the coupon. Who doesn't love coupons?
I think there is a difference between using them when you need them and using them when you don't need them. If the product is something you will need soon then coupons are totally worth it but if you are spending your money just because you got a coupon then isn't that called impulse buying in a way. You weren't planning on buying the product and then all the sudden you got a coupon in the mail or at the register and you feel as though you need to use it right away. Coupons personally annoy me and I feel like people never read them carefully enough. They bring them up to the registers and most of the time they have the same brand but don't read the fine print on the coupon itself to see what you have to actually buy to get the deal. There is also big problem with people using a coupon for every single product. I'm all for saving money but come on, that's a little extreme and shouldn't be done all at once. That is how you hold everyone else up, especially if your the type who likes to get in and get out.
Do you feel that people have to many coupons sometimes? Should they break the coupons up (make a couple trips to the store) or do them all at once? Are you a coupon user or have family or friends who are? Do coupons get you to buy the product even if you don't need it anytime soon?
Product differentiation
Some of the most important characteristics of products are the elements that distinguish them from one another. Product differentiaton is the process of designing and creating products so that people can perceive them as different from competing products. The differences in products may include: styling, price, image, quality and even features. The one way that you can tell the difference between one product and another is by the brand.
Product quality refers to the overall characteristics of a product that allow it to perform as expected in satisfying customer needs. As expected as far ase the product goes means something different to each person. They could believe the product's durability means quality and the product's ease of use also means quality. For me when I say "I want a product with good quality," typically I mean that I want it to last and or not fall apart or break a few days after I buy it.
The level of quality is the amount of quality a product possesses. The quality level of one product is hard to describe unless you compare it to another product that is similar. I just purchased a cord that allows me to play my Ipod through the radio and heard that the less money you spend on one the worse it comes in, so I bought the expensive one and it works great. I went with the brand thats more known and with better quality in comparison to the others.
Consistency of quality is the degree to which a product has the same level of quality over time. This just means that the customers are getting the quality that they expect every time the buy it. I love ocean spray cranberry juice and I know that no matter what store I buy it from, I will still enjoy it.
When you shop in stores or even online do you look for product quality? Or do you not care
and just go for the cheapest product? Do you have certain brands and products you buy every week because you know what to expect from them or do you switch it up and try something new?
Product quality refers to the overall characteristics of a product that allow it to perform as expected in satisfying customer needs. As expected as far ase the product goes means something different to each person. They could believe the product's durability means quality and the product's ease of use also means quality. For me when I say "I want a product with good quality," typically I mean that I want it to last and or not fall apart or break a few days after I buy it.
The level of quality is the amount of quality a product possesses. The quality level of one product is hard to describe unless you compare it to another product that is similar. I just purchased a cord that allows me to play my Ipod through the radio and heard that the less money you spend on one the worse it comes in, so I bought the expensive one and it works great. I went with the brand thats more known and with better quality in comparison to the others.
Consistency of quality is the degree to which a product has the same level of quality over time. This just means that the customers are getting the quality that they expect every time the buy it. I love ocean spray cranberry juice and I know that no matter what store I buy it from, I will still enjoy it.
When you shop in stores or even online do you look for product quality? Or do you not care
and just go for the cheapest product? Do you have certain brands and products you buy every week because you know what to expect from them or do you switch it up and try something new?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
In Response to Meghan H's question
Do you think holiday sales are becoming too much?
I know a lot of people get upset when they see christmas items out in september or october but for the most part this doesn't really happen in most companies. I have never walked into a store in september and have seen christmas decorations being set. I work at Target currently so I have seen when each season or holiday has been set for the store. We typically try to get the holiday items out a little more then a month before the actual holiday. This gives people the time to poke around and find things to decorate their homes instead of rushing a few weeks before the holiday. Now if some companies are setting up for christmas early in the fall then that is just ridiculous and unnecessary.
When we set for halloween we usually start in mid september and the say after halloween is when the thanksgiving decorations and items come out. Then the day after thanksgiving (so end of November) is when all the christmas items and decorations come out. We just finished setting our outdoor furniture about a month ago when it was still cold but people like to look through it anyways. It makes people happy to walk by it and think "yes! the outdoor furniture is out which means summer is even closer." Thats what I think whenever I walk by it and with the weather lately, we are selling a ton of it. I love when the halloween section is set in mid-september. It makes people excited for the season even though it is a month away, it is something to look forward to.
Even some of our summer clothing and bathing suits come out in January where as our winter coats come out in October and are gone by beginning of February. Retail works in an odd way but for the most part it makes sense, at least to me. Everyone asks why the bathing suits are out during that time and dont realize people are going on vacation to warm places at these times, especially in March. There is an explanation for everything and even if it doesn't seem to make sense, there is a reason why companies set it up the way they do.
Do you find stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to be very seasonal? If you go into either of these places to shop, do you enjoy the fact that they bring out the specific holiday items a little early helpful or more annoying?
I know a lot of people get upset when they see christmas items out in september or october but for the most part this doesn't really happen in most companies. I have never walked into a store in september and have seen christmas decorations being set. I work at Target currently so I have seen when each season or holiday has been set for the store. We typically try to get the holiday items out a little more then a month before the actual holiday. This gives people the time to poke around and find things to decorate their homes instead of rushing a few weeks before the holiday. Now if some companies are setting up for christmas early in the fall then that is just ridiculous and unnecessary.
When we set for halloween we usually start in mid september and the say after halloween is when the thanksgiving decorations and items come out. Then the day after thanksgiving (so end of November) is when all the christmas items and decorations come out. We just finished setting our outdoor furniture about a month ago when it was still cold but people like to look through it anyways. It makes people happy to walk by it and think "yes! the outdoor furniture is out which means summer is even closer." Thats what I think whenever I walk by it and with the weather lately, we are selling a ton of it. I love when the halloween section is set in mid-september. It makes people excited for the season even though it is a month away, it is something to look forward to.
Even some of our summer clothing and bathing suits come out in January where as our winter coats come out in October and are gone by beginning of February. Retail works in an odd way but for the most part it makes sense, at least to me. Everyone asks why the bathing suits are out during that time and dont realize people are going on vacation to warm places at these times, especially in March. There is an explanation for everything and even if it doesn't seem to make sense, there is a reason why companies set it up the way they do.
Do you find stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to be very seasonal? If you go into either of these places to shop, do you enjoy the fact that they bring out the specific holiday items a little early helpful or more annoying?
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