A simply A4 paper matters to all !!!

None of us can refuse the using of A4 paper in daily life. No matter what field are you majoring in, paper always matters. Significantly, writing down any of extraordinary or groovy idea in paper is a beginning of something big, or at least can surely prevent those brainy ideas from being flushed away over a moment, either the idea is yours or from others. Just after I had realized all of above, this was last night … in my bed. Later, in the upcoming early morning, the world’s largest search engine (Google) somehow introduced me one of the most wide range A4 paper brand, Navigator™.

Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5aU_Jhouo

After several clicks are made on Navigator website, I can easily recognize this brand as a premium office paper brand, which also offers a wide range of solutions for any printing application. Its product range can be classified in 3 groups according to the paper’s common characteristics; or 8 references | 3 major setting.

For example, if you are looking for 80gsm A4 paper, let me show you how Navigator offer you choices with care and attention in the purpose of using. Here are your options;

Universal | 80g.m^-2 Multifunctional - Improved surface for better printing quality and lower toner consumption.

Organizer | 80g.m-2 Multifunctional - Ideal for: E-mails, Faxes, Invoices, Manuals, etc.

Hybrid | 80g.m-2 Multifunctional - A special blend of recycled and new fibres gives you winning results.

Unfortunately, Navigator products are not available here, in Thailand, otherwise I will also be one of its customers. According to VALS Customer Segmentation Theory, I believe that Navigator’s theme, profile, and background successfully create motivation among those higher resources groups of buyer to buy its products; which are Innovators, Thinkers, Achievers, and Experiencers.

Sources:

http://www.navigator-paper.com

http://www.amazon.com/Navigator-Premium-Inkjet-Brightness-NMP1124/product-reviews/B001V5J4T6?pageNumber=2

Uni Promark View Higlighters: Say goodbye to sloppy and slanted highlights on your textbooks and notes.

 How often you feel annoying with such problems from your old highlighters; sloppy line, twisted and slanted line, or even accidentally overshoots the end of a sentence on your textbooks? These problems can easily occur when you are using the highlight pen. I believe every student want their textbook or other class materials to remain their nice and clean pages after doing some sentences highlighting. Every student may want to pay their attentions to the new type highlighters, “A Transparent Tip Highlighter”.

By using the Uni Promark View Higlighters, users can say goodbye to sloppy and slanted highlights on your textbooks and notes once you begin using the transparent tip highlighter. The highlighter’s innovative design is made from a see-though material so the user can easily make straight markings on their work. Moreover, the product is universally designed to fit to both left-hand and right-hand users, which can be simply adjusted by the rotation of the transparent tip.  

Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqnJpb8jO_Q&feature=youtu.be

Speaking of myself, I admire the idea that how Uni company had tried to deliver to its customers. To illustrate, rather than just spending their budget at product’s design, the company decide to spend amounts of money in R&D, in order to identify the actual problem, which its customers always have to face whenever they are using highlighters. And finally, Uni can proudly promise those highlighter users an outstanding value that other usual highlighters cannot deliver, which is "users can clearly see through the tip and easily make straight markings on their work".

Sources:

http://ibornforthis.com/transparent-tip-highlighter

IRIS notes Executive 2 – “You write … it types!!!”

   When I was rolling in the early years in college, I usually faced a difficult time finding pieces of paper that I had quickly jotted down from lecture class. Or even worst, whenever I need to work on my research papers, I also frequently wasted almost an hour finding and re-typing what I had already wrote down in paper into word processing software. However, a recent innovation in office supply products offers me a precise way to get over those usual difficulties, especially when it’s the time to work on my term paper. A digital pen is one of those hi-tech stationary products designed to create a joint of handwritten notes and editable text.

   A digital pen from I.R.I.S. offers its customers a smart opportunity to turn your handwritten notes into editable text. As what the product had been defined, “IRISNotes™ 2 sends your handwritten notes and graphs directly to your computer and turns them into editable text (Word, Outlook...) on your PC and Mac.”, (I.R.I.S., 2013). The battery-powered pens capture text and drawings using a receiver clipped to a sheet of standard paper. The receiver records the motions of your hand as you write and uses OCR technology to convert the handwriting into electronic text. (Hodgkins, 2012).

   Here are several major functions of the product that considered useful to its customers’ daily routines:  

“Capture your notes and drawings” - Write your notes anytime, anywhere. When you are back to your computer, simply connect the USB receiver to your computer.

“Works on any standard paper” - Write your notes on any kind of paper! Simply place the receiver on your document and you are ready to write.

“Convert you handwritten notes” - Turn in one click your handwritten notes in digital text. Store up to 100 A4/letter size pages.

“Export to PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad” - Export your notes on your PC and Mac using the USB connection or send it directly to your mobile device.

    Even though that the recent price is considerably high, especially when comparing to others usual pen products, I believe that the price is affordable and will become more and more cheap over the time. As a marketing student point of view, I recognize the strong and successful in the relation between the value of the product and the slogan of the brand itself, which is “Document to Knowledge”.

Sources:

Hodgkins, K. (2012) IRISNotes 2 is like a cheap version of Livescribe minus the special paper. (Online). Retrieve from http://www.tuaw.com/2012/08/23/irisnotes-2-is-like-a-cheap-version-of-livescribe-minus-the-spec/

I.R.I.S., (2013) IRISNotes, Digital Pen | Turn your handwritten notes into editable text. (Online). Retrieve from http://www.irislink.com/c2-2353-189/IRISNotes-2---Digital-Pen.aspx

Learning from business cases >>> Walmart

Background of the case:

Walmart, the giant chain of discount stores, is the third largest company in the world, with over $400 billion in revenue and 2.2 million associates (or employees). The key success of Walmart, was originated by Sam Walton, is the idea of “selling the same products as his competitors but kept prices lower by reducing his profit margin”. Walton’s EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy remains the foundation of Walmart’s success today. In order to survive from other retailing competitors, Walmart relies on three basic beliefs and values; “Respect for the Individual,” “Service to Our Customers,” and “Striving for Excellence”. Walmart’s marketing strategy has evolved over the years. Early marketing efforts were based on word of mouth, positive PR, and aggressive store expansion.

Identifying the problem of Walmart Case:

During the Year 2000 to 2005, Walmart’s stock price fell 27 percent and remained low until 2007. One of its competitors, Target, reemerged on retailing business. Target revamped its stores, merchandise, and marketing strategy to appeal to a more aspirational discount buyer and stole some of Walmart’s top-tier customers. During the time, from 2003 to 2007, Target outperformed Walmart in same-store sales growth by 1.7 percent and profit growth by 5.7 percent. According to the case, Marketing Excellence >>> Walmart, “One analyst stated, “Target tends to have more upscale customers who don’t feel the effects of gasoline prices and other economic factors as much as Walmart’s core customers might.”, Marketing Management by Kotler, P. (p.94-95).

Application:

Let us now introduce you the theory from chapter 3, which is “The Measures of Market Demand”. Basically, there are four major productive ways to break down the market; which are the potential market, the available market, the target market and the penetrated market. During 2000-2007, which is the period when US market were facing with economic crisis, almost every Walmart’s marketing strategies were specially designed for the target market and the penetrated market, which are the medium and low class customers who also served as the major group of customers. Seemingly, this target group was heavily and badly affected by the economic crisis during that time. They were losing their purchasing powers. In contrast, those upscale top-tier customers, or Walmart’s potential and available market were less likely to be affected by the economic crisis. During the time, these small percentages of customer were considerably having high power in purchasing. By unintentionally overlooked to these upscale shoppers, Target successfully stole Walmart’s potential and available markets and gaining some profits from them during that time. After several years, Walmart realized what that the company had done huge mistake and came up with new campaigns and tactics in marketing, in order to bring back those upscale shoppers from Target.

Conclusion:

What we had learned from studying the Walmart’s case is that a marketer should pay his/her attention to every group of demands in the market. Not only just the target market and penetrated market that need to be focused, but also the potential and available market as well. None of them should be overlooked. Otherwise, overlooked in small percentages of demands in the market can cause the company a dramatically loss. Even it just happens in only a short period of time, the damages can also be severe.

Learning from business cases >>> NIKE

   

Background of the case:

Nike product was firstly introduced into the market at the year 1962. The original name was known as Blue Ribbon Sports. The company focused on providing a high quality running shoe, which can be sold at competitive price. With an idea of “Pyramid of influence”, Nike believed that preferences of a small percentage of top athletes influenced the product and brand choices of others. After that, Nike has continued signing many top athletes as internal workers; such as rookie guard, Michael Jordan, as a spokesperson in 1985. Moreover, Nike also launched out ads campaign, which known as “Just Do It”.  Not only being successful in US market, Nike also expanded its market into other regions; such as Europe, Asia, etc. By focusing on various types of sport and working with top athletes, Nike can successfully create demands of its products in worldwide.

What theory we can apply from the textbook:

Nike can apply the Holistic Marketing, which is considered as the new age marketing very well. Instead of just spreading out the products to its markets like many other organizations in the past had done, the company can manage all four functions of Holistic Marketing properly; which are internal marketing, integrated marketing, performance marketing, and relationship marketing.

Application of theory in the case:

There are four major categories of Holistic Marketing theory that Nike had successfully applied. Let me guide you through each of them.

Firstly, internal marketing, Nike hired top athletes to work for them as an internal employees. By doing this, Nike can design and create a best shoe for athlete by athlete. Moreover, these top athletes also achieved their top performances after wearing Nike’s products.

Secondly, integrated marketing, Nike provides customers with many types of campaign and offer products in various types of sport. Also, many top athletes in each kind of sport are hired to develop Nike’s products. This simply means that the company can communicate many messages through many channels; such as NBA, Olympic Game, Major soccer leagues, etc.

Next, performance marketing, by having a strong brand, Nike dominates the athletic footwear market with a 31 percent market share globally and a 50 percent market share in the United States. However, being a leader in technology can be difficult for Nike to encourage and support the eco-friendly concepts. New technology usually means new invention and new product. Thus, Nike cannot make its new shoes from recycling process.

Lastly, relationship marketing, Nike also build strong relationship with customers through many channels; such as in 2009, it launched a Tiger Web Talkback session at nikegolf.com, where fans could ask questions and hear Tiger talk about golf. The session was part of a nationwide Nike Golf consumer experience day, which included equipment demos, long-drive contests, and in-store specials. Also, Nike running category gains about 60% of market share by launching Nike+ (Plus) with an exclusive partnership with Apple.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I think Nike manage its marketing concept as a new way through the Holistic marketing theory which made Nike becomes one of the worlds’ largest athletic shoes company. However, by running with the high-tech running shoe attitude, Nike still has to face with problem about eco-friendly concept. It is very hard to provide its customers some high-tech products with an eco-friendly process; such as recycling.

How can SBU becomes helpful in marketing?

          Talking about SBU or Strategic Business Unit, what is the meaning of SBU? To simplify the word SBU, Strategic Business Unit is how a business company divides itself into several small units or brands depending on the type or categories of its products. Each unit also has its own unique strategy. The importance of doing SBU is that the company can select the best business strategy for each product separately. Now, it is the time to relate SBU to Marketing. How can SBU help Marketing?

          Speaking of myself, I think that there are two major reasons to support the idea that SBU is helpful in Marketing. Firstly, SBU can fade-out the name of the company and then fade-in the brand of each product. This is a nice way to put in your target customers' minds with pictures of your products. Instead of focusing on the company name, SBU can increase the importance of each product’s brand and image. Secondly, SBU makes marketers do the marketing easier. This means that marketers can focus in each brand of the company. By doing this, marketers will know where to market each product, what strategy should be used in each brand, and who will be their target audiences for each product. Also, marketers will be able to analyze and implement some strategies with more effectiveness and more efficiency.

          Let me give you an example that will help you understand the idea of what I'm trying to say, the Unilever Thailand Company is a company that offers wide-range of products for customers in Thailand; such as food and drink, soap, shampoo and conditioner, detergent, dish-washing liquid, etc. Now, you will see that whenever you try to buy a product of Unilever Thailand, somehow the picture of  brands of Unilever Thailand's products will automatically appear in your mind. To illustrate this, when you want to buy a deodorant spray, a picture of AXE brand will automatically appears in your mind instead of the Unilever logo. Also, when marketers of AXE analyze the market of AXE products, they will pick a strategy that has been specially designed for their target audiences, which are men. For example, AXE had launched many ads which try to convince its customers that AXE deodorant spray can improve men’s attractiveness. As you can see in the ads, many sexy women are used in the AXE commercial films.