Airport Monopoly

Recently, on my way back to Wake from Texas, I got stuck at the airport in Atlanta for five hours.  Why is this significant?  Well, at one point, I got pretty thirsty and headed over to a snack shop to pick up a coke.  After waiting in line for about 5 minutes, I was finally able to purchase the drink I was craving: a Diet Dr. Pepper.  I was thoroughly disgusted, however, by the ridiculously high price of $1.99 that I was forced to pay for the 20 oz. treat.  So at that point, I started thinking about the whole decision making process and why I had gone ahead and chosen to make such a fiscally irresponsible purchase.

First, I know that there were certainly different options around the airport other than the little shop I chose, but I also know that I want a DDP for a variety of specific reasons.  First, I wanted a caffeinated beverage so I could stay up since I'd started my journey back to Wake really early that morning and so that I wouldn't miss any updates on my delayed flight.  I chose a DDP specifically because it is not only one of my favorite drinks but it reminds me of good ol' Texas as well.  Additionally, I was drawn to that specific shop to purchase the beverage because it was close to my gate.  Unfortunately, the price was increased due to the convenience factor and the fact that in an airport there is little competition since the customer is basically being sequestered in one area.

That said, though, I was still willing to pay the high price and made the purchase decision without regarding that aspect of the decision process since all I really wanted was a Diet Dr. Pepper and to be close to my gate.

Skinny Girl

As cliché as it may be I love Bravo TV. I follow Top Chef as if they were all my family members and get personally offended when a millionaire breaks the rules on The Millionaire Matchmaker. I feel loyal to Bravo partially because I feel that I am personally indebted to them for introducing me to Skinny Girl Margarita’s, Bravo star Bethenny Frankel’s creation.

Bethenny with a bottle of Skinny Girl Margarita's 

For those of you who aren’t addicted to everything Bravo comes out with like I am, Bethenny was an original New York City housewife. She is loud, crass, and brutally honest and I can’t get enough of her. Previously struggling to make it as a natural chef on ‘The Apprentice’ she emerged as a favorite housewife because she was entertaining and funny but still real. She was single and working to make a name for herself and her brand. After meeting her fiancé and becoming pregnant Bravo saw the opportunity and gave her her own show. The show killed the Housewives in the ratings and Bethenny became a standalone star. Now with a baby, a husband, and a growing brand in natural cookbooks, recipes, and her infamous Skinny Girl Margaritas she continues to share her whole live with her fans and consumers. People see who she is what she stands for and how she lives. Her willingness to share her whole life on TV and with her consumers and fans has done wonders for her brand.

Skinny Girl Margarita’s are great! They are light and refreshing and can be served over just ice while still being less than 100 calories a drink. My roommate and I swear by them and her and everything she stands for. The alcohol business is extremely hard to emerge in. With household names like Grey Goose, Smirnoff and Absolut the liquor department is even harder. What made Bethenny’s brand succeed is that buying each product is in turn buying into her and the 'Bethenny brand'.  She created a brand around herself because she lives every day with her products. If it has Bethenny’s name on it I will buy it and although I have obviously never met her I feel like I completely trust her. Her success is a testament to transparency when promoting and making a brand successful. She has genuine fans of the brand that is her life which translates to being fans of her products which is remarkable. While some may say this is similar to any celebrity who has a brand that is themselves I think this speaks to something else. Consumers want genuineness.  Any celebrity can come out with a clothing line and put their name on it hoping to capitalize on their fame but it’s not that simple.  Consumers don’t take your word for it anymore you need to live breath and exude your brand if you want it to succeed. More and more it is becoming evident that in order for a brand to succeed the people who run it must in term become a brand themselves. Bethenny does this in a unique way by living completely for her fans and in turn building trust with them. Building trust that translates to her products that aren’t just bottles with her name on them but a genuine good product that you can tell she knows you will enjoy.

Emily Kieczykowski is a BEM major with a concentration in Marketing and a minor is Psychology at Wake Forest University 

The "F-an"

With the winter fast approaching and the warm weather behind us, many people are starting to yearn for that hot sun and beach breeze of the summer. While cranking up the heat in your apartment and having a baby pool doesn’t quite make the cut as far as faking the experience, a growing trend is beginning to fake other parts of the past time. I am of course referring to the growing fascination with fake tanning, more specifically spray tanning.

Fake tan is the fastest-growing area of cosmetics with new brands coming out every other day. Whether it’s Jergens gradual tan builder, any of the L’Oreal sublime bronze lotions, tanning towelettes or Mystic tanning at a salon the consumer trend seems to be towards the most natural fake tan for the cheapest price. The mentality being: why spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation when you can tan at home for $10.99 a bottle or in a booth for $30! It is shocking how many girls on campus you can obviously tell have had fake tans gone wrong.  The orange skin or streaked application of a color that is obviously not natural leaves me to wonder as a consumer… What were they thinking! There are many students who have successfully navigated the consumer jungle of tanning products and so I decided to see what the draw was to it.

As a curious consumer I couldn’t help but try it out and see what all the fuss was about. I researched and decided that I would splurge for the mystic tan considering I would be sporting the ‘Fan’ (Fake – Tan) for a few days before it wore off and was skeptical about how it would look. First and foremost the process of getting a spray tan is not trivial. It takes quite a while and involves a fair amount of planning. Not only can you not shower or get wet for four hours but you are also covered with the actual die for that period of time.  This creates the challenge of wearing something that wont give you marks in the tan and also wont be ruined from the brown die.  The weather is also crucial because when they say you can't get wet this include rain.. I've had visions of leaving behind an orange trail and having my face appear to be dripping off. It’s cold and dark in the booth and the mist has a less than ideal odor. If you can get past those things there are still the very crucial instructions that you must follow or else risk the infamous Ross debacle from friends (see below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOLCwaHVtWs

Overall I was pretty happy with the result. I looked freshly bronzed while not orange and the tan was even without any streaks. I could see why people went through the uncomfortable process to get the tan. However it brought up in my mind what consumers will do for a desired result. As we see on Black Friday every year consumers will go to crazy lengths to get something that has a high intrinsic value. While I was happy with the outcome, as consumers are happy with the half price TV they get after waiting 6 hours in the rain, I was surprised that I had not heard about the annoyances of getting a spray tan. Don't get me wrong its safe to say I would probably go and get another one but it really is a testament to consumer habit of putting up with uncomfortable things in order to get what we want. Inconveniences aside we as consumers will do what we have to get what we want.

Emily Kieczykowski is a Senior BEM major with a concentration in marketing and a minor in Psychology at Wake Forest University

Shape-Ups

Shape-ups

Lately , my eyes have been unwillingly subjected to more sightings than ever, of the grotesque design of Skecher’s new prototype, the Shape-Up. Their mysterious  increase in popularity has lead me to ask one question ….why?  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Shape-ups , they are fitness shoes with an egregiously large sole that supposedly are healthier than shoes with regular, normal sized soles.  From taking a self-proclaimed objective view, I can say without hesitation that there are three main problems regarding these shoes.

      1. Their Aesthetic appearance,

      2.Their true benefit

      3. the fact that they're made by Sketchers.

Figure 1: I can guarantee that Shape-Ups weren’t responsible for their healthy appearance, good looks , nor their ridiculously large smiles.

Their Aesthetic Appearance

I am a fan of diverse styles and fashion trends; however, I think I would be hard pressed to find someone that could look me in the eye, and honestly tell me, with a straight face, that Skecher Shape-Ups are stylish. If I happened to find this person(under  the unique circumstance that this individual could be found outside of Jim Carey’s “Yes Man”), I’m sure they would also tell me that shoes resembling rocking chairs are innovative.

                      Figure 2: A Look into the Mind of the Designer of Shape-Ups

                              Figure 3: The only way this idea could have been validated

Now we all know that in order for this design to have been developed further than a dinner table napkin sketch, two things had to have happened.

1.       The designer thought the idea was so ingenious that he felt the need to show others

2.       The others that laid eyes on this design thought it was cool enough to tell the designer to continue developing it.

 I can’t begin to think who should hold more blame for the advancement of this atrocious idea/design, the person that thought it was cool enough to have others lay eyes upon it, or the person that co-signed on the design after viewing it. I’m sure both acts of idiocy could  be logically backed, creating a ‘who is the bigger putz’ debate. I could see these explanations becoming so ridiculous that soon it might take the place of the age-old, timeless debate of ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg’.

'Benefits'

Despite the despicable image that remains imprinted in my brain after a sighting of these, dare I say, shoes, I wanted to try to take an unbiased view on them so I began to look into the benefits they offer. The first thing I came across was this…

Figure 4: The Benefits of Shape-Ups

Wait…isn’t that the same girl (from figure 1)?!?! Well if it is, at least we know she’s benefiting from the Shape-Ups by receiving two paychecks for her two advertisements. Regardless of this, I tried to shy away from holding the frugality of the sketchers’ marketing department against the shoe itself, so I continued to analyze their benefits. “Improves Posture” , “Strengthens the Back” , “Firms Buttocks Muscles” , “Tones and Firms Thigh Muscles”..Wait…Hold up….! You mean to tell me these shoes give me the same benefits I can receive from exercising more…nothing like giving money to a company, for a product, with benefits I could otherwise get for free...

to affirm my position, let’s take a look at the opportunity cost of buying Skecher Shape-Ups. I searched Shape-Up prices and the lowest one I came across was $75.00. So what opportunities are forgone by paying $75.00.

     1.    A gym membership for $30 dollars a month

     2.     Walking more without spending $75.00

     3.       Time lost while looking for these shoes

Opportunity 1 will give an individual the aforementioned benefits , with more results, while spending less money. Opportunity 2. Will allow one to achieve the same benefits while saving $75.00. and opportunity 3 is the ultimate deal breaker, there is nothing like getting back lost time, especially if that time was spent looking for a shoe that looks like it has a boat hull on the bottom

From analyzing the physical ‘benefits’ of the shoe it seems to me that there is only 1 truth…THERE ARE NO BENEFITS. However, I didn’t want to write off the shoe in its' entirety  just  yet, so I begin looking over other possible ways in which the Shape-Ups could be seen as beneficial.

Eureka!!  It finally hit me, I found the true benefit of Skecher’s Shape-Ups....The "Shallow Hal" Effect (as viewed in figure 5)

Figure 5: Wearing Shape-Ups (On Left) , Not wearing Shape-Ups (On Right)

People didn’t buy the Shape-Ups because they seemed healthier, nor did they buy the shoes because they were comfortable, they bought the shoes because it allowed them to neglect the gym, and still be perceived as physically fit. So essentially, Skechers isn't selling a shoe, it's selling a sorry ass excuse to not exercise. No way! This couldn’t be true. As many times as my logic and intuition has lead me to this belief , I still couldn't believe it, so I decided to look at an old commercials I remember previously seeing to invalidate my conclusion. I found a 15 second commercial and begin to watch it until…

I heard a man utter “Get in shape, without stepping foot in a gym” within the first two seconds...WTF?? This statement turned a 15 second commercial into a 2 second one, as I instantly disregarded the rest of the advertisement. Not only did the commercial make me think less of an already horrible brand, but it reaffirmed my suspicion that Shape-Ups were just a tool used by sedentary, lazy, obese Americans as a “Get out of exercising free” card…I never would have thought…

The Fact that they're Made by Skechers Doesn't Help Either.

            1. (Nikes, Skechers, Reeboks) – Pick one

              2. (Skechers, Pumas, Birkenstocks) – Pick one

              3. (Walmart shoes, Payless Shoes, Skechers) – Pick one

Although this study hasn’t been officially conducted , I am able to say with 100% certainty, that if you picked Skechers in any of these three scenarios you are amongst a 0% minority...Sad, but true...In addition, when has anyone ever talked about going to a store/website at 12:00 a.m. to buy/order the new Skechers??? Don’t worry...ill wait (in the words of Katt Williams). When has anyone ever said, “those Skechers are ‘fresh’”??? again to quote Katt Williams, NOT NEVER!

Written by Ajalon Elliott

Wine? What's Wine?

In the spirit of our binge drinking class project, I decided to conduct an experiment on the effects of wine.  Not having consumed wine other than in church and there wasn’t exactly heavy drinking occurring there (the stereotype of Catholics being alcoholics apparently didn’t apply at mass), I wanted to branch out and relive the learning experiences associated with drinking a foreign alcohol.  Before you make any hasty judgments, the point of the experiment was not to binge drink but rather to revert back to the days of not knowing my limits.  My experiment about learning my limits with wine morphed into a dizzying shopping trip that spurred my questioning of wine advertising.

I began my shopping at Harris Teeter, a reputable grocery store with a surprising large selection of wines.  My roommate and I walked through each aisle at least twice searching for the perfect wine for my test.  Since neither my roommate nor I were wine aficionados, many factors severely slowed our progress.  Neither of us had ever purchased wine, consumed wine regularly, or had any information about wine.  Our 5 minute shopping detour turned into a 25 minute session filled with picking up and replacing bottles, reading labels, asking workers, calling family members, and exhausting nearly every other outlet of information available to us.  For once I found myself wishing for a commercial to pop into my head urging me in a direction. 

At that moment I felt as if I had been transplanted into an age before television, radio, and internet advertisements existed where a product’s success was based purely on its past performance spread by word of mouth instead of high priced commercials.  I honestly could not recall a single advertisement for wine.  Beer advertisements flood every possible media outlet and constantly invade my television. Televised sporting events remain entrenched with beer advertisements.  Yet not one wine advertisement has reached my 50” television screen trying to gain my loyalty.  North Carolina is considered a “wine country” isn’t it?  If that is true then where is the advertising, where is the invasion of my television, radio, internet, and print? I believe this is because wine maintains an air of sophistication, not stooping to the levels of beer producers flaunting half naked girls around their products.  Napa Valley, wineries, good years, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, these concepts mean nothing to the average non-wine drinking person.  Only the wine connoisseurs link these words together to find meaning.  This lingo terrified me as I approached the aisles and looked imploringly for guidance.

After gathering all the information offered from outside sources, I still stood facing 4 aisles 12 feet long with 5 shelves each jammed with wines - no 2 seeming the same.  Armed with information I finally selected a wine that received a gold medal in taste at an international fair.  I knew this thanks to a tiny 3 inch gold colored shelf advertisement.  My shopping decision heavily depended on my brother’s input, but ultimately culminated in choosing a wine heralded by wine connoisseurs across the globe in the form of a tiny shelf sticker. I am embarrassed to admit that after 20 minutes of wine searching I purchased a bottle without any knowledge of its age, type, or region of birth.  I simply caved in and trusted in a little shelf sticker.  Luckily, that tiny sticker provided me with a delicious wine and I repeatedly return to wine shopping completely committed in trusting that beautiful gold shelf label.

Written by Shane Popham.  Shane is a senior BEM major, who has found an affinity for wine – Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio, and Chardonnay, just to name a few.

Rayvens Town

As some of you may have noticed by this point, I am an avid NFL fan.  There are few things in this world that I enjoy more than the NFL, I will take this statement even further to say, there is practically nothing in this world that I enjoy more than the Baltimore Ravens.  My entire fall semester hinges on the performance of my beloved birds.  You can rest assured that if they do step off the grid iron victorious you will hear about it, and if they lose (doesn't happen often) you can also be rest assured I can be found in my room which is definitely an "enter at your own risk" zone.

A question that I hear quite frequently is, "how do you care about a team that much when you aren't even on it?"  Good question...in the past my answer has been simple, they are my birds, they always have been and always will be.  However, I have recently given more thought to this question because I feel there is a more in depth answer than I am not allowing myself to see.

While to the outsider my dedication and Ravens fanaticism is way over the top, one would be surprised to know that I am not far beyond your average Ravens fan.  Why is this exactly, why does every other car you see in Baltimore have a Ravens decal or flag?  There are plenty of surface answers, but when you look at the team, the city, and the atmosphere at M&T Bank stadium on a Sunday afternoon the answer leads to one place, one person... #52 Ray Lewis!!!

 

Ray Lewis... I could go on forever.  He has been the constant in any Ravens fan's experience, 14 years of Ravens... 14 years of Rayvens.  

As I have been thinking about the Ravens, and consequently Ray, I find myself contemplating what really makes the Ravens different, what makes Ray Lewis different, what makes the city of Baltimore so different?  The answer I have arrived at is this: his intensity, his will to win, and most importantly his ability to turn the mentality used in the game of football into the mentality used in the game of life.  It is a rare occurrence to witness a player or coach that is talented enough to the point where he can use his trade to preach about life, but I...and the city of Baltimore have been lucky enough to have that opportunity for the past 14 years.

If one were to take a trip back in time to Baltimore 14-15 years ago, you would find exactly what the stereotype expects it to be.  Miles of abandoned homes, crime ridden neighborhoods filled with violence and all the things that accompany this environment.  However, fast forward to the present and you will see a place well on its way to erasing those stereotypes.  

What has changed?  The mentality of our city, everyone wants to see change, and everyone wants to be known for something other than what you see on HBO's The Wire.  You wouldn't be able to understand it, until you lived it, but I truly believe the city of Baltimore has taken on the mentality that Ray Lewis preaches everyday.  If you need proof, take a stroll to the inner harbor.  A once run down and dirty area that struggled to show any signs of life...is now booming.  Countless new restaurants, bars, hotels, and attractions have been brought to the downtown area.  Take a look at our decorations that can be found lining the streets of the Inner Harbor...

This is what caught my attention...how the mentality of one man can affect a team and how the mentality of that team can affect an entire city.  All Ravens fans have a few things in common... 1. We love our birds and will let you know it whenever we have the chance despite how annoying you find it.  2.  We all have more than one Ravens jersey 3. We know all the best Ray Lewis and Ed Reed YouTube videos by heart (give me a call if you have an hour or two of freetime) 4. We will all attempt to imitate Ray's intro dance despite dancing being a talent we were not blessed with, and 5. We all love our city beyond question.

So as you see, the Rayvens have given the people of Baltimore something that we can all love.  No matter what part of town we come from, no matter what tax bracket we fall under, if you were born and raised in Baltimore, you love the Ravens.  That is just the way it works in the 410, always has and always will be this way.

As Ray gets older the time for retirement seems to be closing in, and it has left me to wonder, what's next for Baltimore?  What will a Sunday look like with the defense taking the field and #52 being noticeably absent?  I can honestly say I have no answer to either of these questions, but what I do know is that Ray has played an integral part in turning Baltimore around for the better. 

-Steve Simms is a Business and Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing.  And among all else a life long Ravens fan, "we are goin to the ship"

We All Fall Down

This weekend I took a trip to Chicago to visit my mom's side of the family, and to partake in the feast that is Thanksgiving.  The last time I had been to Chicago was right around the time that the recession had hit full stride.  I remember driving through various parts of town and thinking, "Oh how the mighty have fallen."  It was at that moment that I realized something was missing.  Aside from the obvious answers, I could not manage to put my finger on exactly what the missing piece was, but that all changed this weekend.

We were back in Chicago, making the same drive to my uncle's house that we made years ago.  However, this was not the same atmosphere that I had witnessed years before, while there are still a few empty stores, and vacant homes..there are signs of life, signs of fighting back.  What had changed? The answer came mid-way through the 2nd quarter of a surprisingly entertaining Patriots vs. Lions Thanksgiving Day game...







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr94zStsk8E
 
"We All Fall Down," GM's newest marketing campaign was introduced to Americans everywhere.  The message is simple and easy to understand, it is the "never give up" mentality that built this country, and unfortunately it is that mentality that has been noticeably absent in the last few years.

GM's commercial is nothing short of perfect for the circumstances our country currently faces.  The worst is over (so we hope) and the time to rebound is now.  By being the first to market with this type of message, GM is aligning themselves with something many feel is far more powerful and valuable than any words, the American Spirit.  This country was built on hard work and the "refuse to lose" sentiment, and GM is reminding everyone what that really means.

A company that was once considered a juggernaut in their industry, GM had zero chance of failing...oh how wrong we were.  GM experienced one of the most drastic falls from grace, and appeared to have little chance of making it through the year.  However, GM is back and clawing their way back into the game.  This commercial acknowledges the support from customers as they continue to fight their way back, but the underlying message is far more powerful, "we are getting back on the horse and so should you."

I immediately turned to my Dad and Uncle and said that this was one of the best commercials I had ever seen, and honestly felt that this could be the kick in the pants that everyone needs.  My Uncle agreed that it was a good commercial, but said it would take a lot more than a commercial to fast track this turn around.  If he did not believe me then, I think he may have been singing a different tune an hour later.  During that hour time frame I received five text messages from separate people telling me I needed to get on YouTube to check out this commercial.  My favorite (direct quote), "Get on YouTube and look at GM's We All Fall Down commercial..tell me that doesn't light a fire under your ass."

I sat there thinking about the fact everyone is counting on the politicians to fix this, but I think GM and their marketing team has the right idea.  Inspire through messages, get people out of their seats, get them out of the sense of hopelessness, utilize those all too familiar inspirational movie clips and get their blood pumping.  Developing the right bill won't fix this, but rejuvenating the never say never mentality will...and that starts with messages much like the one GM is sending loud and clear.

- Steve Simms is a senior Business and Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing

Le-Bernie James-off

Le-Bernie James-off

            A lot has been made of LeBron James’ controversial departure from his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. Everything -  from the way it was handled using a live television event to the idea that the best players in the league wanted to play with one another rather than against one another– was publicly scrutinized all summer. With the Heat struggling early, and their record at just 8-7, the criticism has only increased. However, my aim is not to talk about the Heat as a whole, but rather to consider what we have learned about LeBron the person.

            One of the only things I consistently read without fail is columns by ESPN writer Bill Simmons. In many of his articles, and even his book, Simmons has considered out loud what LeBron’s place in history will be, and, more specifically, who he can best be compared to. Early on, LeBron’s all-world talents led us to automatically compare him to Michael Jordan. James was portrayed as the man who could surpass Jordan’s accomplishments and redefine basketball history and, honestly, through the first seven years of his career the comparison still seemed to hold some water. However, LeBron seemed to lack that “killer instinct” that is so often referred to in sports. He didn’t have the mentality towards his opponent that requires descriptions usually reserved for serial murderers, ala Jordan and, currently, Kobe Bryant. LeBron’s ability to run the show and his willingness to get his teammates involved made us draw comparisons to Magic Johnson. But even Magic had an inextinguishable fire to win burning inside him, and it is not clear LeBron possesses that, especially after he allowed his team to just roll-over and die against an aging and injured Celtics team in the 2009 playoffs. My favorite comparison was one Mr. Simmons came up with – Julius Erving. Dr. J is an NBA legend for his smooth finishes, gravity-defying dunks, and huge afro. He never won as many championships as Jordan, Magic, and Bird, but he brought the flair of the old ABA to the traditionally bland NBA and captivated fans everywhere. To me, that same description fits LeBron, he’s unquestionably the most unstoppable force in the league, but it seems winning is a by-product of this, and not his sole goal. To me, it seems LeBron seeks to be an entertainer. Of course he wants to win, but Jordan never threw chalk in the air or had elaborate celebrations with his teammates. LeBron is a showman. He wants to be loved by all, and he certainly wants to win, but he wants to put on a show while he does it. The thunderous dunks and monstrous come-from-behind blocks that send balls into the eleventh row are all just part of the act.

            This was a perfect description to me up until July 9, 2010, when LeBron uttered the now infamous words “I will be taking my talents to South Beach.” In less than an hour LeBron went from the most beloved and idolized figure in sports to, arguably, its biggest villain. The whole debacle was very revealing about the true make-up of LeBron; here is a man arrogant enough to think he could turn his back on an entire fan base, (not to mention his hometown team), and a man who appeared to be taking the easy way out. Rather than cementing his legend and winning championships by himself, he was going to Miami to play with his buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who also happen to be two of the top fifteen players in the league, and setting an ugly precedent for future free agent superstars. He allowed his inner circle of friends to get in his ear, continually tell him he was invincible, and believed it, leading him to be the centerpiece in one of the most indefensibly stupid PR moves I have ever seen. Tiger Woods wasn’t this hated at his low point, and LeBron did it in one hour.

            This led me to compare LeBron to someone completely unrelated to sports – Bernie Madoff. LeBron wasn’t as vindictive or conniving as Madoff, but it seems to me the two have a number of undeniable comparisons. First and foremost, both, at some point, were unquestionably the best at what they do. Madoff was seen as having the golden touch, and as far back as 1989 Forbes’ Magazine was praising him as the golden child of investments. LeBron has been headed for greatness since he was twelve, and, despite everything else, is still arguably the best player in the game. Predictably, both also have or had the aforementioned feeling of invincibility. LeBron had been God’s gift to Earth his entire life, and thought he could do anything and always be praised. Madoff thought he could go on forever lying and stealing, and that his gimmick would never collapse on itself. Needless to say, arrogance is the underlying quality of this attitude. Both men were too arrogant to think anything bad could happen to them. Secondly, both men appear to be completely obsessed with their image, ironic, seeing as both have managed to destroy theirs. LeBron has always made it known that he wants to be a “global icon,” which has no relation to basketball, and has used his fame to hang with the likes of Jay-Z and other celebrities. Madoff similarly parlayed his fame into the inner circles of celebrities and the wealthy. His client list is staggering, including names like the Spielbergs’, Kevin Bacon, and literally thousands of other individuals and organizations, most of which are household names. Finally, both men have experienced an enormous fall from grace. Madoff received a 150 year prison sentence, and while LeBron did not commit any crimes, he is so hated that the Cleveland Cavaliers owner wrote a scathing letter following his departure, made LeBron’s Fathead poster cost $17.19 because that is the year Benedict Arnold was born, and he is now booed every time he touches the ball in any opponents arena. Here are two men who were at the pinnacle of success in their respective professions, and the same pride, arrogance, and blindness to realities caused both men to ruin what they had. LeBron is certainly no criminal, but when people wonder how to place him in history and who to compare him to, I think the best comparison of all is not to Jordan, Magic, Bird, or even Dr. J, but to the most notorious embezzler of all time and the face of our country’s financial corruption.

-          -- Zan Smith, an avid Celtics fan and self-admitted LeBron hater

We Already Know what We Want

I was doing work for my internship last Thursday and found myself at the New Balance store in the Thruway Shopping Center on Stratford Road. I was setting up a small display with rack cards and coupons for the UNCSA Nutcracker Ballet downtown when two ladies walked into the store. They appeared as if they were in their 60s, and they meant business.

One of the floor salesmen greeted them and asked if they needed any help. One of the ladies, already wearing New Balance I might add, replied, “Hi, 846 wide, size 10, black”. That was it. The man and I were both surprised by her response, but I guess it was all she really needed to say. He said “wow, alright then”, let out a little laugh, and went into the backroom without wasting anymore of her time to find her the pair of shoes. How could anyone anticipate a customer knowing the exact product specifications like she did? I wouldn’t put it past her if she knew the exact SKU and I’m honestly surprised that she didn’t go back there herself to grab it. Had she memorized the bar code too?

I noticed a few things during this extremely brief and interesting observational experience. She may be a very busy lady that likes to get things done. She may have an extremely regimented schedule that needs to be followed in a timely and efficient manner. Both could very well be true, but I don’t think either of these explain her behavior, or what I believe that behavior might ultimately symbolize. I realized two trends through this example, neither of which are revolutionary or ground breaking, but provide support for current themes in consumer behavior.

More and more consumers are doing their homework even before setting foot in the store. People are going to the store more to buy something in particular, than to browse and figure out what they might want or actually need. Consumers are becoming more involved than ever in their purchasing decisions. The advent and growth of the internet, including social media, has contributed to this more than anything else and we are seeing its affects on consumers now, even in the older and less technologically advanced generations. People are looking to online reviews by fellow consumers to learn what they need to know, the positives and negatives, the benefits and the problems. They aren’t looking to commercials or traditional advertising to understand how a product works. Online recommendations are powerful, and it shows that people trust real people over companies. Data from Nielsen’s Global Online Consumer Survey reveals that 90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people that they know, with 70% trusting the opinions posted online by unknown users.

Traditional advertising is still powerful and necessary, and point of purchase displays are equally as important. Consumers are changing however. They do more research, read more reviews and opinions, expect more, and know competitor’s prices before they walk into a store. Going to a store without any intent on purchasing a specific item can be fun, it can be appealing as a shopping and browsing experience. Many now have smartphones, they need to multitask 24/7, and have a daily to do list longer that is so exhaustive it has no chance of being completed. The modern consumer, holiday shopping and some exceptions aside, values their leisure time and like to get what they need, and be in and out as fast as possible. The internet has certainly proved to be a useful tool in this regard, and it will be interesting to see how consumer behavior continues to evolve.

The second observation I had, was the power of brand loyalty, especially with older generations. Brand loyalty is powerful, the aspiration and goal of any company, and is sought after for a reason. The women was wearing New Balance shoes, different that the ones she purchased, and must have been satisfied to stick with the company especially when there are thousands of other shoes and selections to choose from. Although any consumer, young or old, can fall in love with a brand, I have noticed brand loyalty more so in older generations, as this example happens to support.

I feel like the mentality of older generations is more risk averse than average, and encompassed by the cliché phrase, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Other younger people and I have the rest of our lives ahead of us to try new brands and develop a sense of attachment. My parents buy the same brands over and over again. They buy products that their parents trusted, and it has inevitably rubbed off on me. When I needed to buy shoes to go with my suit last year, my dad insisted on looking at Johnston and Murphy for a pair. I had never heard of the brand and knew there that it would be useless to argue. The renowned shoe company was founded in 1850 in Newark, NJ. My dad grew up not far from Newark, and I found out, not surprisingly, that he and his dad had always been Johnston and Murphy regulars. They hooked my grandfather, then my dad, and possibly me as well. Just one personal example, but it represents a very true and common phenomenon.

-Daniel Pogoda is a senior Business & Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing and a Psychology minor.  

Black Eye Friday

Thanksgiving is all about tradition and going home to a sequence of events that I don’t get to do any other time of the year. First any form of diet I may have quickly goes out the door as I remember what it tastes like to have food made by someone other than Lean Cuisine, Asian Bistro, Subway or Wendy’s. I then begin my self induced food coma with a large plate of turkey, honey baked ham, corn bread, various casseroles, vegetables and desserts. I wash everything down with large glass of red wine and have approximately 1 hour to be social with my family before the tryptophan begins to hit me. At this point I move to the den where I fall asleep under a big blanket to the soothing voice of my incredibly sexy Thanksgiving boyfriend Pierce Brosnan. I wake up briefly for leftovers around dinnertime and agree to a game of Scrabble where I question whether or not I deserve a college degree. I head to bed with butterflies in my stomach because the next morning awaits the greatest event in professional shopping (yes, it’s a sport and not everyone can do it well) BLACK FRIDAY.  

For those of you less aggressive shoppers, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year where retailers rake in serious cash and often move from deficits (the red) to profits (black) for the year hence the name Black Friday. My dad has dubbed the day “Black Eye Friday” because it is 24 hours where American’s lose their mind, dignity, and sometimes their children all for the price of a 3 for 1 DVD special. I welcome this confrontation and challenge anyone to get in the way of me and a 75% off cashmere sweater. The average Jane does not realize I have not been in anything other than a JC Penny, Sears, Forever 21, and Wal-Mart in months thanks to retail sacrifice I have made for my education. This is NOT a holiday for the faint.

Now that you have a feel for this pseudo holiday, let’s return to why I love it. The sales are an obvious but the next greatest aspect of Black Friday is the marketing. With Thanksgiving less than 10 hours old, the retail world transports us to a winter wonderland through a alluring array of shopper marketing, commercials, and seductive temporary price reductions. This year there have been an unprecedented number of promotions offered by retailers to customers who use location-based applications and services. Tempting…. Marketers better be part of the social media game this Holiday season otherwise they will lose valuable potential followers to their competition.

I have never been a user to foursquare or Facebook places because I frankly find them invasive and creepy. While I have no interest in telling people I have checked into ZSR library, Black Friday will undoubtedly turn me to the dark side for an additional 20% off. If I am this easy, there have to be hundreds of thousands of other pathetic victims willing to try out new forms of social media for a better deal.

The question is what is your tipping point?  A 2 for 1 deal, 20% or 30% off, a free pair of socks? How low will you stoop for Black Eye Friday?

-Olivia Mills

Who is winning the "War on Christmas" in marketing messaging?

http://adage.com/article?article_id=147195

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it?  If you’ve been to any grocery store, department store, or shopping center parking lot you realize the holiday season is in full swing.  Just as store owners decorate their buildings with green garland, red bows, and glittering snowflakes, mass marketers are beginning to release their own holiday-themed commercials, special offers, and shopping experiences.  However, according to AdAge’s article “‘Christmas’ Winning War on Christmas in Marketing Messages,” this year consumers should except to see more brands featuring Christmas-specific ads than in years past.  This shift away from generic seasonal greetings is a key development in the “War on Christmas” that has been raging between consumers and marketers for years now. 

The same political debate comes around every year: “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays?”  While one is politically correct, the other may be more appealing to the majority of consumers.    Marketers and retailers have to make this decision each year, in hopes of not garnering too much criticism from either side.  This debate is so heated that there are several interest groups, such as the American Family Association (AFA), which are the leading advocates for the use of Christmas in marketing messaging.  Each year the AFA produces a list of “Companies Against Christmas” and encourages consumers to boycott shopping at certain retailers due to their anti-Christmas messaging.  This year the AFA is specifically targeting Dick’s Sporting Goods and their online “Holiday Shop”.  The AFA sent an alert to 2.3 million consumers on Friday encouraging them to boycott shopping at Dick’s and to email the COO and CMO about the issue.  Interestingly enough, this consumer ploy may have worked because as of today, DicksSportingGoods.com has renamed its online hub the “Christmas Shop”.  

Some other retailers that have made the switch from “Holiday” to “Christmas” include Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, and Gap.  The AFA says that the percentage of retailers including Christmas in their marketing messages has increased from 20% to 80% in the past five years.  This is an enormous leap considering just years ago I remember having to shop for “holiday trees” and “holiday sweaters.”  This significant switch back to Christmas messaging in such little time must be fueled by something more than a couple interest organizations like the AFA.  Ultimately, I think this switch in holiday messaging boils down to a key consumer insight: More consumers are offended by not seeing Christmas-specific messaging than those who are offended by it. 

When most retailers began announcing “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” years ago to avoid alienating non-Christmas-celebrating shoppers, they ended up angering those shoppers who do celebrate Christmas and who also contribute to the majority of winter-time sales.  According to a NRF/BigResearch survey, this year 91% of consumers will celebrate Christmas with only 5% celebrating Hanukkah and 2% celebrating Kwanzaa.  While I agree that all religious holidays should be celebrated and acknowledged equally, as a marketer it is hard to ignore these numbers.  When you hear that 91% of your consumer base celebrates Christmas and will be shopping at your stores for Christmas gifts, why would you invite them to your Holiday shop or solicit them with your winter deals?  After all, Barnes & Noble, a company still on AFA’s “Companies Against Christmas” list has designed it’s online “Holiday Shop” with red and green text, holly leaves, glass ornaments, and jingle bells.  While brands do have a responsibility to be politically correct, they are ultimately interested in growing sales and building customer loyalty.  If saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” will fetch higher sales and increased customer retention, it may be a smart move for brands this year, especially in this economy.  Ultimately, it comes down to listening to consumers and responding to their concerns, which is the lesson that Dick’s Sporting Goods may have just learned before it was too late.

-Jacqueline Buff is a senior Business & Enterprise Management major with concentrations in Marketing and Arts Markets and an Art History minor.  

The Eye of the Beholder

Any of my friends can tell you that my unofficial school uniform consists of sweatpants and t-shirts. On occasion, I’ll decide to “dress up” and wear jeans, but I always remain loyal to those that are deemed 100% cotton. Because of the countless soccer tournaments I’ve been to and teams I’ve played on, I have never really had to buy t-shirts. Well, I never really had to buy t-shirts until my mom started complaining that I looked like a bum. Most of the shirts were ratty and stained with dirt, I’ll give her that, but I was comfortable and that’s all I cared about.

Striving to be a sophisticated young lady, I took my mom’s advice and decided that I probably should look a little more presentable at school. I found a suitable alternative: A nicer t-shirt. That’s when American Apparel became the cornerstone of my wardrobe.

Based in downtown Los Angeles, American Apparel is a sweatshop free company that manufactures clothing basics. The designing, knitting, dyeing, cutting, and sewing of shirts, sweaters, leggings, and dresses all takes place in their LA facilities. They use solar power and recycle the leftover scraps of organic cotton fabric. Factory employees make an average of $12.50/hour and are offered parking; subsidized public transportation, health insurance (with an onsite medical clinic), and lunch; free onsite massages; a bike lending program; paid off days; and ESL classes. With most companies outsourcing and moving operations overseas, American Apparel takes pride in their vertically integrated business. 

With such a progressive business model, it is only fitting for American Apparel to also take a unique approach to their marketing. Their models are employees and friends of the company, the pictures aren’t airbrushed or altered, and some advertisements are even mailed in by amateur photographers. Walking into an American Apparel retail store, the customer is surrounded by neon colored clothes displayed against bright white walls. The stores are edgy and so are the advertisements, which have become the center of controversy in the sphere of advertising.

American Apparel ads are easily identifiable. Tops are off. Rears are exposed. Girls are spread-eagle in disheveled beds in nothing but underwear and socks. These provocative ads have been described as soft core porn and sexist. Some say that the ads objectify and dehumanize women, as well as contradict the message of social responsibility that the company reiterates through their business practices. 

While feminists and disgusted consumers have organized boycotts and signed petitions, others have embraced these racy images. There are those who refuse to be labeled as the victim. There are those who think the ads are refreshing. There are those who see the ads as empowering: “Real” women with the confidence to take it all off and put their bodies on signs that are 50 feet tall and on billboards in Times Square. 

Depending on your “eye,” these ads can be perceived as inappropriate and degrading, or positive and hip. But American Apparel really has tapped into the country’s conflicting views of sexuality and reminds us that "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder.

Sarah Shelness is junior BEM major with a concentration in marketing. No longer living with her parents, she has reverted back to going to class looking like a hobo.