Week 9 EOC: Three Great Mission Statements

In a room full of creative people there are bound to be different ways of thinking. In the room I'm in I have been given the mission to display the three best mission statements that have been posted. The first one I have found belongs to Beau. His creation is Fizz Vodka. His business mission statement: "Fizz Vodka aims to create an all new American made drinking experience that is sure to be the life of any party." This works because it aims to please the consumer and not his company. He is selling an experience and not just the drink. This is a great way to market to people. It’s not all about the company, but with marketing to the consumer this way, his company is sure to make some profit. “…a company’s mission should not be stated as making more sales or profits—profits are only a reward for creating value for customers. Instead, the mission should focus on customers and the customer experience the company seeks to create.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p. 41).
The next mission statement that caught my eye was from Laura. The name of her vodka drink is Gem. “Gem caters to those who know value when they see it, and enjoy the finer things of life…” It sounds like it could be a more high end vodka, but it still markets to the consumer very well. What person doesn’t want to enjoy the finer things in life? This sounds like it could be a very successful vodka.
The final missions statement I found to be one of the best is from Christine with her Slender vodka. “Creating an amazing tasting low calorie cocktail to simplify any woman’s life” What woman doesn’t want something simplified? This is a great business mission statement. It meets the consumer’s needs.

Week 9 EOC: Cyber Monday

The Cyber Monday deal that I found on Amazon.com is the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. The lens regular price is $640.00 reduced down to $374.00. There is an obvious super sale on this lens. As its original price is so high, you know that this is a quality lens from Canon. I have asked around about this lens and it is one to get. If it is not one a photographer cannot afford, they could always try for the 50mm 1.8 lens. It usually runs around $100.00. The depth of field is so low that this lens makes for a perfect portrait lens. It keeps your model or subject in focus, and whatever is behind it out of focus. I would like this lens because of how low the depth of field is. I’ve seen photographs taken with it and they have been somewhat amazing. My passion is photographing people, so what better way to do it than with this lens. There are so many other lenses to choose from, but this one to me is cost effective and can be used for many different things. I don’t know how anyone can lose with buying this lens. Even though I said it can be used for portraiture, it is also great for many other subject types. It is good for still life subjects, food, and whatever other objects you can think of. Again this is an amazing deal that Amazon is offering and I would hate for anyone to pass it up. It will give you a whole new perspective to what you are photographing. This is definitely something I will be investing in in the future. It will be a great add on to my family of camera lenses.

Week 8 EOC: Creative Content

My Vodka product is called Elegance. My target audience will be women from age 25 to 35.  I want to take and use my photography skills and photograph for an ad in a magazine or a billboard. My goal is to find a unique bottle and photograph it on a white backdrop with maybe some of the exotic fruit lying next to it or a pair of pearl earrings and a necklace or something else that conveys elegance. I will place the logo over the bottle in Photoshop. The logo will contain the word Elegance in a script type face that will flow elegantly. Another idea that I have, but may not be possible is to have a woman of this age group dress in a very beautiful flowing dress. She will be in an outside luscious green atmosphere with the bottle either in her hand or near her. She will be sitting and relaxing on the ground while feeling beautiful and elegant or standing with the wind blowing her dress. Maybe as an extra part I could add in a well-dressed man in the background waiting for her. The overall photograph will have the main focus on the bottle with the background blown out and the women somewhat in focus with the bottle. I want to convey that this Vodka will allow a woman to feel like a woman. In the real world, women face all kinds of day to day struggles and I want them to forget these struggles with drinking some Elegance.

Week 7 EOC: The Pitch

The meaning of elegant is: characterized by or exhibiting refined, tasteful beauty of manner, form, or style.

Elegance is a Vodka drink designed to allure women between the ages of 25 and 35. The majority of  women in this age group are at a stage in their life that they want to settle down or have already settled down with a husband, and some with kids. These are women who are still young, but are starting to feel life’s struggles and want to feel like a woman should feel.  All women want to feel beautiful and elegant, but this feeling is not always possible.  Elegance is formulated to make a women feel these things.  Its ingredients are specially mixed with exotic fruits which give it a light and fruity taste which seduce the senses. It is made with less alcohol because a percentage of women like the taste of a lighter alcoholic beverage. Along with the flavors, the appeal of Elegance’s unique bottle will bring about a curiosity to women in the desired age group and encourage them to buy.  Elegance will be sold in most stores that carry alcoholic beverages. It’s price will range around thirty dollars. It is meant to reach women who can’t afford a high priced bottle of Vodka. These are the unspoken heroes of our day. They work hard to get where they need to be to provide for not only themselves, but also their families. These are the women who want to feel elegant, but on a regular basis, do not. Elegance is meant to make a woman feel like a woman. With its unique look and flavors, Elegance is sure to do just that.

Implementation Evaluation Control

“Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions. Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 54). “Because many surprises occur during the implementation of marketing plans, marketers must practice constant marketing control—evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and taking corrective action to ensure that objectives are attained. Marketing control involves four steps. Management first sets specific marketing goals. It then measures its performance in the marketplace and evaluates the causes of any differences between expected and actual performance. Finally, management takes corrective action to close the gaps between its goals and its performance. This may require changing the action programs or even changing the goals.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 58).  Elegance Vodka will do whatever it takes to make sure its consumers are satisfied with the product they receive. If there is something that needs to change then it will go through a process of change in order to meet consumer’s needs. Elegance Vodka wants to give a feeling of letting a woman feel like a woman, and it will do whatever it takes to get that feeling out.

Price

“To estimate sales, the company might look at the sales history of similar products and conduct market surveys. It can then estimate minimum and maximum sales to assess the range of risk. After preparing the sales forecast, management can estimate the expected costs and profits for the product, including marketing, R&D, operations, accounting, and finance costs. The company then uses the sales and costs figures to analyze the new product’s financial attractiveness.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.251).

“Consumers will base their judgments of a product’s value on the prices that competitors charge for similar products…. If consumers perceive that the company’s product or service provides greater value, the company can charge a higher price. If consumers perceive less value relative to competing products, the company must either charge a lower price or change customer perceptions to justify a higher price.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.280).

There were a few drinks that I found similar to Elegance Vodka that I was able to research what price I should place on Elegance.  They fell into the factors of reaching out to every day women. These women are the ones who work hard for everyone around them and seldom themselves. These women don’t necessarily have the high paying jobs, but are striving hard to provide for their family. Therefore, the price that I have set is $25. To some this may be a high price, but worth it in the end. To others it may be the perfect price to have a feeling of elegance. I want it to be easily available to the hard working woman, mother, and daughter.

Distribution

“Companies often pay too little attention to their distribution channels, sometimes with damaging results. In contrast, many companies have used imaginative distribution systems to gain a competitive advantage. FedEx’s creative and imposing distribution system made it a leader in express delivery. Enterprise revolutionized the car-rental business by setting up off-airport rental offices. And Apple turned the retail music business on its head by selling music for the iPod via the Internet on iTunes.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.312).

“The production concept holds that consumers will favor products that are available and highly affordable. Therefore, management should focus on improving production and distribution efficiency. This concept is one of the oldest orientations that guides sellers.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.10).

The best and easiest accessible way for Elegance Vodka to be distributed I believe is by having it readily available in large distribution warehouses. Because of the target market and price, Elegance Vodka will be available in most grocery and liquor stores. This is the quickest and better way to get our product into the homes of women ages 25-35. The placement of Elegance Vodka will be strategically placed with other vodkas in order to be found easily. Most women do the shopping for either themselves or their families and this will make it more accessible for them to find.

Promotion

“Much money is needed to attract distributors and build their inventories. Promotion spending is relatively high to inform consumers of the new product and get them to try it. Because the market is not generally ready for product refinements at this stage, the company and its few competitors produce basic versions of the product. These firms focus their selling on those buyers who are the most ready to buy.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 259).

The promoting efforts of Elegance Vodka will include advertising in women’s magazines and in the future being on billboards when the funds are provided. Many woman buy magazines and most of these magazines have several advertisements that are marketed to these women.  I can’t think of a better way to begin marketing on a new product aimed at women. The creative content will seduce their senses into wanting to try Elegance Vodka in order to gain the feeling that Elegance strives to provide. This is the feeling of “letting a woman feel like a woman”.

“Profits increase during the growth stage as promotion costs are spread over a large volume and as unit manufacturing costs fall. The firm uses several strategies to sustain rapid market growth as long as possible. It improves product quality and adds new product features and models. It enters new market segments and new distribution channels. It shifts some advertising from building product awareness to building product conviction and purchase, and it lowers prices at the right time to attract more buyers. In the growth stage, the firm faces a trade-off between high market share and high current profit. By spending a lot of money on product improvement, promotion, and distribution, the company can capture a dominant position.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 260).

Product

 “So far, for many new-product concepts, the product may have existed only as a word description, a drawing, or perhaps a crude mock-up. If the product concept passes the business test, it moves into product development. Here, R&D or engineering develops the product concept into a physical product. The product development step, however, now calls for a large jump in investment. It will show whether the product idea can be turned into a workable product.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.251). Elegance Vodka is made from various exotic fruits from around the world and is distilled with one of the most superior grains, wheat. Its water is from a source of the softest water on Earth, Lake Ladoga in Europe. All of these elements together make a wonderful drink made for a woman. Elegance is made to market to women age 25-35. This vodka product is made to let a woman feel like a woman.

“The production concept holds that consumers will favor products that are available and highly affordable. Therefore, management should focus on improving production and distribution efficiency.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.10). Because it’s marketed to women in this age category, Elegance Vodka will be made highly affordable and readily available.

“The product concept holds that consumers will favor products that offer the most in quality, performance, and innovative features. Under this concept, marketing strategy focuses on making continuous product improvements.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.10).With its special ingredients and unique bottle, Elegance Vodka will be a favorable choice among many of these women.

Target Market Strategy

“Once it fully understands consumers and the marketplace, marketing management can design a customer-driven marketing strategy….The marketing manager’s aim is to find, attract, keep, and grow target customers by creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value.” ).”(Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 9). “The company must first decide who it will serve. It does this by dividing the market into segments of customers (market segmentation) and selecting which segments it will go after (target marketing). Some people think of marketing management as finding as many customers as possible and increasing demand. But marketing managers know that they cannot serve all customers in every way. By trying to serve all customers, they may not serve any customers well. Instead, the company wants to select only customers that it can serve well and profitably.” ).”(Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 9).  “A target market consists of a set of buyers who share common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. Market targeting can be carried out at several different levels…. companies can target very broadly (undifferentiated marketing), very narrowly (micromarketing), or somewhere in between (differentiated or concentrated marketing).”(Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 186).  My target market for Elegance Vodka is women ages 25-35. These are the women who fight hard every day for their loved ones and seldom themselves. As a woman, I knew I wanted to market to other women. Even though women are more highly thought of today than in the past, I believe we are still a minority. I want Elegance Vodka to give the feeling of beauty, respect and relaxation.  Women deserve to feel like women.

SWOT Analysis

“Managing the marketing function begins with a complete analysis of the company’s situation. The marketer should conduct a SWOT analysis, by which it evaluates the company’s overall strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T). Strengths include internal capabilities, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives. Weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the company’s performance. Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage. And threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance.”  (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p.55) Every business should go through this process of SWOT analysis. Elegance’s strength is that it will be made and sold in Las Vegas, Nevada. A large portion of tourists come to Las Vegas every day and many of these involve women ages 25-35.  The majority of all alcohol sold in the United States is sold in Las Vegas, Nevada. This kind of speaks for itself.

Elegance’s weakness is that it is only targeted to women preferably ages 25-35. A way to overcome this weakness is to advertise to men in order for them to buy it for their women.

An opportunity that can come from Elegance is also its weakness. Targeting women of these ages allows more women to feel like someone is looking out for them and not just the male perspective. Women drink Vodka too; why not make a drink specifically for them.

Finally, a threat to Elegance is that there are other female Vodka drinks directed towards women of these same age categories. Elegance needs to find a certain niche to fulfill whether it is in flavor or the marketing aspect in order to stand out from these other female based Vodka drinks.
"The main section of the plan presents a detailed SWOT analysis of the current marketing situation as well as potential threats and opportunities. The plan next states major objectives for the brand and outlines the specifics of a marketing strategy for achieving them." (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 55).

Objectives

“The first step is to set advertising objectives. These objectives should be based on past decisions about the target market, positioning, and the marketing mix, which define the job that advertising must do in the total marketing program. The overall advertising objective is to help build customer relationships by communicating customer value.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.386).“An advertising objective is a specific communication task to be accomplished with a specific target audience during a specific period of time. Advertising objectives can be classified by primary purpose—whether the aim is to inform, persuade, or remind.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, p.386).Elegance Vodka’s objectives are to satisfy the consumer’s needs. This will be done by doing whatever it takes. Without satisfied consumers, there will be no product. We want our target market (women ages 25-35) to feel like women. With the unique flavors and bottle that have been produced to make Elegance Vodka, it should persuade women to want to feel like women.

Business Mission Statement

 "Letting a Woman Feel Like a Woman"

Elegance in itself will present the notion of feeling beautiful. Who wants to feel beautiful? Women want to feel beautiful. No matter how tough or dirty of a job a woman has, at the end of the day she wants to feel like a woman. This can be defined in many ways. Women go above and beyond for their families and friends more than they ever would for themselves. Our company strives to make Elegance make women think about themselves for once.  “An organization exists to accomplish something, and this purpose should be clearly stated. Forging a sound mission begins with the following questions: What is our business? Who is the customer? What do consumers value? What should our business be?”  (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p.39) Our customer target market is women aged 25-35. These are the women who are working hard for a future and their families. A majority of these women value life, everyone, and everything around them. “Some companies define their missions myopically in product or technology terms (“We make and sell furniture” or “We are a chemical-processing firm”). But mission statements should be market oriented and defined in terms of satisfying basic customer needs. Products and technologies eventually become outdated, but basic market needs may last forever.”  (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p.40) Our business should be striving to do what women are doing for everyone else around them: making them feel beautiful. Our business mission statement is “Letting a woman feel like a woman”. It’s not about what we can do for ourselves, but what we can do for our consumers. We want to be fully committed to our consumers no matter how many products come and go.

Week 6 EOC: Me x 3

Every person today has something/s that define them. This is something I’ve had to really think about of myself. I grew up in a really small town, so I buy usually simple things. I buy to where I can save for other things. As a woman though, I buy also to make sure I look good for my husband. I want to be a good representative of him. One thing that has always made me comfortable is jeans. Growing up in a conservative home, I never wore jeans. My mom let me wear her old bell bottoms around the house as a teenager and I loved them. Not only the fit, but the bell bottom shape. After I moved out and started college, I began to shop for jeans, and it kind of was a process, not knowing about the very many different types. I knew that I liked bell bottoms, but they did not exist anymore. I found that I like what is called flare jeans. These are jeans that I absolutely feel I need to have to be myself. As a tall skinny person, I have a hard time finding ones I like, but seem to manage overall.  As for the next item, I guess I would go with chewing gum. I always have some in my purse. It’s not just any chewing gum, but fruit flavored gum. I’m not sure why this started, but it is something that makes me who I am. The final product would be a hair dryer. This started after getting married. I began to care more about how I looked around my husband every day. I now don’t know what I did without one. It makes me feel more put together and like a woman. It’s amazing the things we “need” to feel like ourselves.