Author Archives: Carlos Garcia

The Joneses

Would you categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling? Why or why not?

Yes, because one of the main reasons people/friends bought the product they were advertising was because they saw the Joneses as a successful family and wanted to imitate that. They wanted to look/be successful too, just like them.

What similarities do you see between the sales tactics the Jones family employs and the marketing tactics of some of your favorite brands? Give an example.

A good example is how clothing brands use rappers or athletes for advertising their products. They make them use their clothes, shoes, or equipment because they know a certain audience would like to be like that artist/athlete, which will lead to them getting that product.

Based on what you read in the course materials and what you observed in this movie, do you think the way products are marketed in this movie is ethical?

This is a very tough question because even though they lied about being family, that didn’t mean that the products they were advertising weren’t of high quality. And they never forced anyone to buy the product. It was up to their friends to make that decision. A good example is the golf equipment. Steve was really good at golf. When he advertised the equipment he used, his friends improved too, which had nothing to do with him having a real family.

How would you feel if you were friends with someone in the Jones family before you found out their secret? What about afterward?

To be honest, it would not make a huge difference if I knew or not their secret. I don’t let other people influence me when deciding whether I should buy a product or not. They didn’t cause any serious harm. Most of the bad consequences some characters faced were due to their own decision-making. The Joneses should not be responsible.

Promotion.

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Popeyes®, the iconic restaurant chain, is expanding into Eastern Europe.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2021 3:00 AM ET

BUCHAREST, Romania – Today, the Popeyes® brand and Sterling Cruise are announcing a new exclusive development deal in Romania, with a pledge to open 90 locations in the next ten years. This will be the first time the restaurant brand has set foot in the area.

“We’re excited to share big news from Romania, where we have announced ambitious plans to bring the country one of the globe’s most popular fried chicken restaurants,” said David Shear, President, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, International Markets. “Popeyes is one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in the US. Our entry into Romania illustrates our commitment to serving our signature blend of spices, flavors and experience to more guests around the world.”

This partnership continues Popeyes’ expansion efforts in Europe, where the restaurant chain is already present in Spain and Switzerland, with a location in the United Kingdom set to launch later this year. Popeyes’ world-famous items, including the brand’s namesake Chicken Sandwich and more, will soon be available to Romanian chicken fans. For nearly 50 years, Popeyes has followed the same recipe: its famed fried chicken is marinated for at least 12 hours, then battered and breaded by hand before being slow cooked to perfection using a patented cooking technique. An in-house staff of highly trained chefs oversees the menu, with a love for honoring the past while modernizing Louisiana flavor, food, and traditions.

“We are incredibly proud to bring the famous Popeyes brand to diners in Romania. Our guests will love the iconic Popeyes experience and incredible chicken that makes this brand so famous around the globe,” said a spokesperson for Sterling Cruise. “In addition, this new market entry will contribute to the Romanian economy by creating hundreds of new jobs over the coming years. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Popeyes is dedicated to providing guests with a best-in-class guest experience, both in-restaurant and online, in addition to its delectable food. The company is introducing its industry-leading digital experience to Romania, with a focus on making food ordering as simple as possible. Digital Ordering Screens, Mobile Ordering, Table Service, and Delivery will all be available in Popeyes locations, allowing visitors to order and enjoy delicious Popeyes food in the most convenient way possible.

Sterling Cruise is a multi-brand restaurant business that began operations in 2014 and now has around 40 locations across Romania. In 2022, the first Popeyes restaurant in Romania will open.

Place Assignment.

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For the first example, what were the main reasons that the firm reversed their decision and returned to their initial channel mix?

The firm didn’t see any change in profitability. The point of the move made by the company was to boost sales, and this didn’t happen. So they switched back to their traditional channels only. Also, the jeans were marketed as high-quality jeans. Having the jeans in discount stores may have an impact on their brand integrity.

2. Do you agree with their decision?

Yes!, if the new idea wasn’t working, or at least was not more profitable than the previous one, going back is not a bad idea. And besides, marketing your as high-quality jeans and having them in discount stores is not a good idea. In my opinion, it can really hurt the brand to a point where it can be hard to recover from.

3. In the second example, do you agree with their choice of channel for their new watches? Why?

Even though that the idea is wonderful, I would disagree with the selection of the channel. Most people that attend Jewelry stores are looking for something a little fancier, very high-quality products.

4. Do you think that most of their existing jewelry stores will be willing to stick and sell these new watches?

I don’t think they would. They won’t make a lot of profit since the customer who attends this kind of store it’s not looking for a $10 watch, and it can also damage their reputation as a jewelry store.

5. What other channels (retailers) should they also consider?

Macy’s, Amazon, Costco, Walmart are some good examples, I’d say.

Product Concepts.

Consumer Decision Making

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The first phase is to recognize the need or problem. In this case, I want to get some Italian food. I want something casual, something like pizza or pasta. I’m want to pick up the food, since I’m new in town I like exploring the city and I might meet new people, you never know.

Stage two is where we begin to search for information about the product or service. When it comes to finding a restaurant, my go-to is Google Reviews. So I looked up “Italian restaurants in Salt Lake City.” I’m new to the area, so I used Yelp too, just to see more alternatives.

After checking restaurants on Yelp and Google Reviews, I finally chose a restaurant. A couple of restaurants caught my attention before making my decision. Restaurants like Sicilia Mia and VENETO Ristorante Italiano were options, but they didn’t have what I wanted on the menu or were too expensive. I ended up choosing Settebello Pizzeria Napoletan. They had good prices, great reviews, and their pizza looks incredible!.
When I’m looking for a restaurant before making my purchase, I usually read the first two or three reviews of the place to know what people think about it. I was totally sold when I read this review:

LuDogg T (5 stars):

Sooo good. Stopped by here to grab dinner after my flight. It was next to my hotel. Place is clean and has great service. Very casual.I ordered the brisket pizza and it was fantastic. The brisket and pizza combination gives you the best of both worlds. Crust was perfectly baked. 1 pizza was not enough. Could have eaten two. LOL

This review was posted with a picture attached of the pizza he got. It looked incredible. Adding that to their incredible prices, there was no doubt. I had to order their Marinara pizza and pick it up ASAP.

I realized that the consumer-making process it’s something we apply very often, sometimes without even noticing. Nowadays, with social media is easy to find information about something with want or need, which is incredibly helpful to find a quality product.

In this case, my preferences were really similar to other consumers. A lot of the reviews were from tourists or people that weren’t similar to the city, just like me. Also, it’s a restaurant that only makes pizza, so everyone that goes there knows what they want. That helps because people know what they were looking for, and based on the reviews, they were satisfied.

Ethics & Social Responsibility.

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Ethics and social responsibility are crucial aspects we should evaluate before working for a company. This way can see if the philosophy of the company is aligned with ours. A business should always try to make its employees feel valued. They should feel appreciated. It should feel like a partnership. A way of doing this is helping the employees have a more manageable life out of work, giving them some incentives or perks for trying their hardest.

Let’s take Nike as an example. From my personal experience, as someone who has friends working on Nike’s headquarters, I can tell Nike’s work environment is fantastic. Employees get awesome benefits such as life insurance, health care packages, a variety of educational programs, and even rewards volunteering time, so you can support the causes you care about.

But that’s not all; Nike takes a step further. Recently mental health has been a big topic of discussion. We as a society are starting to get rid of this taboo. This is the reason why Nike took the first step as a company. Recently they are giving employees from one to two weeks out of work, which are paid. This way, employees can take care of their mental health and personal life. I personally think that this is incredible and more companies should follow this and adapt it to their company.

All personal benefits aside, one of the best things about working with Nike is their headquarters, which are huge. Employees get the chance to work out, socialize, play sports, and work, all in the same place. All of this creates an amazing work environment making employees feel like a community, like family.

I hope companies can follow Nike’s lead to create an improved working space. This ultimately can help the success of the company. Employees will try their best to get their job done and contribute ideas to expand the business further.

Nike Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

MAR 100-1900 | Intro to Marketing | Professor Buckler | Fall 2021

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