Response to Brooke Callaway

Do you think K-mart has a clever way of keeping viewers interested in what they are trying to sell? 

I think that this is a very clever commercial. I agree with Brooke 100% that it is a great commercial and an big attention-getter. Sometimes at home I have the TV on just for background noise while I'm cooking, doing housework, homework, or just home alone and I rarely ever even pay attention. I remember when I first saw this commercial. I was engaged in something else but the commercial got my attention immediately because I thought the guy said something else that sounds similar to "ship my pants". K-Mart has found a clever, humorous, and memorable way to inform consumers that they offer free shipping in their stores.


What is your opinion on this advertisement? Is it humorous and clever or inappropriate? 


Brooke's post can be found here.

Response to Will Ferguson

What is your favorite convenience product and why?

My favorite convenience product is gum. I used to be addicted to gum and would always buy a pack when I was in line at the grocery store, or a convenience store, or paying for gasoline. I'm not a gum brand person but every brand is usually about the same price as everywhere else so you don't really need to think about another place that would sell it for less. There is also a wide variety of brands and flavors so I can buy whatever flavor or brand I'm in the mood for that day. 

How do you feel about having such a wide selection of brands and flavors right at your fingertips? Do you think this excessive amount of choices causes subconscious brand loyalty by consumers always choosing the same brand and flavor without thinking about or taking into consider the other brands since there are just so many?

Will's post can be found here.

Marketing Yourself

Self Marketing

If you are a college student or unemployed you should become a sales person and learn how to sell yourself. There are many ways to approach this. I think that expanding your self online is the best way. You should become more active with social media like Twitter and Facebook (in a professional manner) as well as LinkedIn. Having these accounts allows you to network with people and express yourself. Keep in mind that the reason you are doing this is to attract potential employers.

In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn another great idea is to maintain a blog and develop a fan-base (followers and subscribers.) This shows potential employers your style of writing as well as your personal and professional interests.

The last thing, and I believe this to be the most important, is having your own personal website. Your website should be yourName - .com, .net, .me, etc. You should include pages like "About", "Resume", "Course Work", "Activities", "Contact", and links to your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and blog(s). You do not necessarily even need the basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, Wordpress, or Drupal to make a website. There are many websites that allow you to visually build your website as opposed to writing it with HTML and other languages. It is similar to a template you and just insert images and content. The next step would be purchasing a domain name and web hosting. The most popular place to do this is GoDaddy.com. After your website goes live, you can include the URL in your resume.

With these few things you can get yourself out there and attract more employers.

What are some other ways you can market yourself? Do you have a personal website? If so, what kinds of things do you include?

Response to Kaley DeBoer

Do you agree this commercial is beneficial for the product it is promoting, or is it stretching too far away from it's original product usage?

I think that this Sears commercial is great. Kaley had a great point that it really sucks in movie people since it is set up to seem like it's a movie trailer. I definitely grabs your attention. Like I had mentioned in my previous post on April Fools Day products, these types of commercials target people with a sense of humor. This commercial is silly because a) it tricks you into thinkings it's a movie trailer and b) the two people run into a refrigerator. It may not make people go out and buy a refrigerator when they see the commercial (similar to another commercial where the people run into a refrigerator on the beach) but when they are in the market for a refrigerator or other kitchen appliance, Sears may come to mind when deciding where to shop for the appliance. It is definitely one of those commercials that will just lurk in the back of your mind until you are in the need of the product or see it in the store. 

What is your opinion on commercials like this that are misleading but end up being humorous in the end? Can you think of another commercial that has a similar approach?

Kaley's post can be found here.

April Fools Day Advertisements

Are these April Fools Day Ads working in the brands' favor?

With April Fools Day right around the corner, everyone is planning pranks for their friends and family. Now some companies are even getting in the spirit! P&G's Scope mouthwash brand is releasing a "new" mouthwash flavors...bacon - "For breath that sizzles." It is clearly an April Fools joke and everyone knows it. There has been much talk about Scope's bacon flavored mouthwash and whenever the press asks Scope about it, they refuse to comment until April 1st at 8PM.

Another brand doing an April Fools campaign is American Eagle. Their commercial is saying they are offering "Skinny Skinny" jeans for a limited time only. These jeans are supposedly the most comfortable piece of clothing and feels like you aren't even wearing anything. The commercial is very silly just like the bacon mouthwash commercial.

I think these silly commercials are somewhat helping their sales. Though it may not make people go out and buy their real products, the thought of the brand will lurk in the back of consumers' minds and they will recall a funny commercial when they see the store in the mall or the brand on the shelf. I also think it agrees well with people that have a sense of humor, or else they'd hate the commercials and think the brand is weird. I think mostly younger generations will see these commercials as humorous.

What is your opinion on these April Fools Day products? Are they helping the brands? Why or why not?