Author Archives: Germain Soriano

Selling a Lie

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In our marketing class, we’ve learned several tactics to successfully sell a product (also known as marketing). In the movie The Joneses (2010) we get to visually see the marketing concepts we learned throughout the semester in action. For example, we visually see the consumer decision making process in real time and the strategic use of segmenting. At the conclusion of the movie, it’s evident the Joneses family was selling a lie, however that’s just the nature of business.

We become aware that the Joneses family is not a real family, but that they are individual salesman pretending to be a family. They individually have a sales goal to meet and are periodically evaluated by their company. They are assigned certain products to push to their respective demographic. Because of their assigned sales goal and fixed products, the Joneses family was involved in personal selling. During one of the parties in the movie, Steve Jones shared his pictures of his adventures of Mt. Everest on his expensive television with several other male guests. He knocked out two birds with one stone in this interaction. The first being that he sold the idea that was an successful and exciting guy, and the second was he successfully pitched the benefits of the TV set bundle with the ”clearest HD picture”. Everything the Joneses family established was transactional, including friendships.

The friendships made by the Joneses was strictly transactional. In today’s business world, we refer to that as networking. However If i could pretend I was a friend of a Joneses family member before discovering their facade, I feel it would’ve been fun. I would’ve been a genuine friend, enjoyed the activities they set up, and I would’ve asked for business advice to learn from them. I would’ve been oblivious just like all the neighbors. After becoming aware of their masquerade, however, I would’ve felt betrayed and cease all communication with them. The ulterior motives by the Joneses may be considered unethical by many, but I don’t believe so.

The Joneses family moved into a retirement neighborhood with an average income of $100,000 and several golf courses. We can assume the disposable income of the families living in this neighborhood was astronomical (except the neighbors of the Joneses). In our marketing class , we learned that segmenting a product is an effective way to sell your product. The Joneses family, did exactly that. Each family member was tasked with pushing a product to a certain demographic. Jenn Jones (the daughter) was assigned to market female products to her girlfriends, but Mick Jones (the son) was commanded to introduce the alcohol beverage ”Rudy’s Rum Punch” to his next party composed of high school teenagers. I believe the Joneses family acted in a ethical manner for the most part, except selling the alcohol drink to minors and the company attempting to absolve themselves from responsibility. Nevertheless, the Joneses never forced anyone to purchase a product, and the market they targeted had the purchasing power to afford their products. The products they successfully sold, fell entirely on the consumer decision making process, something we see in our everyday lives.

The tactics used by the Joneses to push their products in similar to those used by the companies that appeal to me. Lexus made a limited production super car called the LFA in 2012. I’m obsessed with this $500,000 dollar car. They sold me the idea of having a daily driver with the power of a super car and the reliability of a Lexus. In the consumer decision process, this is called the need recognition phase. This is my rationale – I didn’t have a reason to even consider a car in this bracket because I don’t have the income, but I made the need to have an unrealistic car as a daily driver. Just like in the movie, there doesn’t need to be a special occasion for an expensive gift, but I’m fully aware the LFA is out of league (for now).

The Joneses was a perfect way to wrap up our semester. I felt I had a better understanding of the movie because of the concepts I learned in class.

 

Promotion Assignment

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Germain Soriano                                                                        For Immediate Release: 12/11/2022

AAA

1(987) 654-321

Protect Your Vehicle Investment With Lifetime Premier Roadside Assistance

This December of this year 2022, AAA is offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase lifetime roadside assistance.  The AAA (American American Automobile Association) family is primarily known for our superb roadside assistance. We want to end this year the right way, so we can start the next year off the right way so before this year ends, you can purchase premier roadside assistance (our highest tier service) for the low price of $500.

A recent uptick in abandoned, stalled, and disabled vehicles on interstates have spurred the federal government and insurance companies to combat this issue. This partnership has provided us grants to subsidize the price of owning a membership with us. We can now offer you this:

  • Lifetime premier roadside assistance
  • Only for $500
  • Transferable upon death

About AAA (American Automobile Association): Founded in March 4, 1902 in Chicago, IL, AAA is not-for-profit motor clubs organization that is nationally recognized for offering a range of services from insurance to roadside assistance.  Our organization has over 60 million members and continues to grow every day.

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Product Concept in Shark Tank, the Flufl

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Shark Tank is an entertainment show where entrepreneurs duke it out for exposure and funding. The entrepreneurs showcase their products, and attempt to convince the judges to open their wallets to finance the entrepreneur’s product. Securing a contract with one of the judges indicates the product has potential to be successful. In Season 14, episode 5 of Shark Tank, we were presented with a product with the slogan ”The Dog Bed For Humans”. This product won my heart (and wallet) because of the energetic presentation and the practical application.

Plufl, ”The Dog Bed For Humans”, was made by two college graduates, and I was hooked by their presentation right off the bat. I resonated with these guys because they were energetic, funny, and passionate about their product. Kipper, a dog, was an important actor in their presentation. We were reminded that Kipper is able to sleep anywhere, and that we could sleep anywhere like Kipper with a Plufl unit. I also related to their personal experience of being exhausted after a shift and needing to take a power nap. From their pitch, we can conclude that Plufl is for everyday use.

I believe Plufl woudl fall under sleep attire, like sleep masks. This product would fit perfectly with other products in the market. I feel Plufl is very much needed in the market because we all get that natural urge to nap during the day. No coffee or energy drink can defeat this natural need. Plufl orthopedic memory foam pad makes this a comfortable product to sleep on when that need arises. The worker that commutes should consider this product to nap on, but I also feel that Plufl could provide a similar lower priced product.

Plufl is priced at $399. That’s an expensive price for most people. This could be financially unfeasible for some interested customers; perhaps they could make a similar high quality product with less features, and a lower price. Adding different trims to the Plufl could make this appealing to a broader customer base with different income levels. In conclusion, Plufl is a product that’s needed in the market.

Consumer Decision Making

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In today’s day and age of the internet, the consumer has the advantage of comparing businesses and reviewing the consumer’s experience of a certain business. It’s no longer a word-of-mouth recommendation from a biased local. In a hypothetical scenario, I’ll research Italian restaurants in Salt Lake City, and choose a restaurant I would spend my hard earned money on. This process of elimination would be based on the first three steps of my consumer decision-making process.

The first step in the decision-making process is the need recognition phase. In this phase, the consumer recognizes a need for a service or product. In my scenario, this would mean that I identified my need for a tasty Italian dish in Salt Lake City. This need could be possibly met because there are numerous Italian restaurants in Salt Lake City. The need recognition step is satisfied. The next step of the consumer decision-making process is information search.

The information search phase is when the consumer may want more information regarding their need. For my Italian restaurant research in Salt Lake City, the first step I would do is open my web browse and access google.com. I opt for google.com because the reviews are plentiful, recent, and made by real people. The alternative review source is Yelp, but it’s in a state of decline so it isn’t as robust as google. Next I would search for Italian restaurants in Salt Lake City. From that list, I’ll narrow it down further to restaurants having a 4.5 stars rating or higher. This is done to reduce the chances of having a bad experience based on the experiences of previous consumers. Not all reviews are truthful, so it’s best to be alert for this possibility. Finally, I’ll choose the dining experience that best suits my personality. My dining preference is a casual setting. I can find my casual preference from reviewing the photos of the dining area, the attire of the restaurant staff, and reviews from customers. I selected my three choices and am ready to spend, however it’s wise to have an alternative option should my plan go south.

In the evaluation of alternative steps, the consumer may deem a alternative service or product as a viable choice. The factors that lead to this conclusion stems from the difficulty of narrowing down options, time wasted, money costs, or buyer’s remorse from the belief of a choosing a bad product. My alternative option for Italian food is Applebee’s, a chain restaurant. Applebee’s provides a feeling of safety because this chain is known throughout the nation as a family friendly restaurant that serves quality food. The Italian dishes may be limited, but you can certainly find a pasta dish in their menu. However, I’m sticking with my guns and want to eat at a non-chain restaurant in Salt Lake City.

I chose Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana as my choice for eating Italian food. I made this choice via the research I made on google. Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana met all the criteria I was looking for. This restaurant has 2,800 reviews and has an average rating of 4.5. Moreover, the pictures show that dining here is a pleasant and casual experience. The consumers are dressed in casual clothes and are seated in front of delicious looking dishes, The tables seems like tables you would have at home, adding to the casual atmosphere. Overall the experience can be time consuming, but with internet (specifically google), the decision-making process is smooth, and more preferable than the ancient method of targeted paper ads that I get still get in my mailbox.

Amsoil – Responsible Oil

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Amsoil Inc. is an American synthetic lubricant manufacturer founded in 1969 by Al Amatuzio that ”specializes in developing synthetic lubricants that offer innovative answers to the greatest challenges vehicles and equipment present.” In 1972, Amsoil achieved a feat by becoming a world first synthetic motor oil company that met American Petroleum Institute service requirements with their release of their Amsoil 10W-40 synthetic oil. Amsoil remains a leader in the synthetic lubricant industry with their quality assurance practices that includes heavy testing on their products both in the lab and out the real world. In addition to their top tier products, Amsoil exceeds their corporate social responsibilities and sustainable business goals.

Employees are crucial, so treating employees ethically and fairly should be at the corporate social responsibility forefront of every organization. According to Amsoil’s career page, Amsoil strives to hire career-minded individuals to increase company growth. The benefits to joining Amsoil includes a generous list of benefits: full benefits package, product discounts, and a collaborative work environment, Moreover, Amsoil is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.  It’s apparent Amsoil treats their employees well. However, I feel Amsoil’s greatest contribution is in their environmental impact.

Out of 250 millions vehicles, less than 1 percent are electric in the United States. That means more than 240 millions are ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. ICE vehicles require lubrications like oil for daily operations.  The consumer has several options for oil – conventional, synthetic-blend, or full synthetic. Conventional oil is refined from crude oil so it naturally has contaminants such as sulfur and nitrogen. Synthetic oil on the other hand, is chemically made so it doesn’t have the impurities conventional oil does.  The lack of contaminants in Amsoil’s synthetic oil translates to reduce emissions from Amsoil customers.

Amsoil’s synthetic oil reduces friction in engine components, increases fuel efficiency, and allows for extended oil change intervals. For the consumer, this leads to longer lasting engines, increased fuel mileage, and reduced maintenance costs. For the environment, this means less engine parts at the local dumpster, less barrels of used oil at your favorite oil change spot, and less vehicles at the gas station needing to fill up. The overall benefit from Amsoil’s synthetic oil is reduced emissions and a lower carbon footprint. Amsoil’s increasing customer base could mean an exponential reduced carbon footprint all over the globe.

Amsoil Inc. is a company that is ethical to their employees, customer, and to the environment. However, I feel they could do more by consulting rival companies to improve their lubricant products for the greater good. That greater good being reduced emissions from ICE vehicles all over the world, so we may all have a cleaner future.