Response to Suzanne Koval (DPS)

Suzanne asks "Would you buy a new product from a company you know has satisfied you in the past?" My answer is yes, and I feel I can speak for the majority when I say that. Customer loyalty is one of the strongest assets a company has when introducing new products. Repeat customers are a tool that a company will use to cheaply market a new product via word of mouth. Companies with a large marketing mix will have the easiest time with this form of customer loyalty.

Response to Will Ferguson's "Sexism vs. Marketing"

To answer Will's question, "Do you think gender specific marketing is sexist?" I say no, gender specific marketing is simply a form of market segmentation. I too have been involved in many heated debates on this topic. In the end it all depends on what the company is trying to accomplish, when a company or business introduces a product they most certainly know who their intended buyer is going to be which causes them to tailor their advertisements. In these arguments sexism shouldn't be the only thing in question, for example, a product intended for the black community.

How do ethnic groups fair in market segmentation?

Mercedes's Bold Move for 2013

First seen during the 2012 Super Bowl the Mercedes Benz CLA is breaking the Mercedes tradition. Historically Mercedes Benz has numerous lines of luxury sedans, SUVs, and coupe style vehicles that carry the hefty luxury price tag, targeted toward an aging generation and adults with well paying careers. However this 2013 CLA is putting a dent in the Mercedes legacy, or is it?

With the majority of Americas purchasing power coming from you adults in the beginning stages of their professional lives, I feel that Mercedes is on the right track, People buying cars today do not fit the Mercedes tradition. To introduce a four door sedan that has the beautiful Mercedes look and luxury and target it towards young people who have just started their careers and still have a ton of school loans and start it at $29,995 is an effective strategy. But will this tarnish the Mercedes name? or does it promote a strong future? and is their intended target market for the CLA the right population to go to?

Check out the commercial that spiked my interest!
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/video/mercedes-super-bowl-ad-features-willem-dafoe-usher-18396869

A Greater Economic Advantage Due to Location of Sports Stadiums

 Do you think that the location of a professional sports stadium can a have a greater economic advantage depending on its location? If you answered no, then I hope to help you think otherwise. Lets compare Gillette Stadium with Fenway. Both venues are extremely popular in the New England fan base but there is something about Fenway that is just more advantageous, and that is location. Gillette is located just on the outside of the metropolitan area and is surrounded by a sea of parking lots, and that is it.While Fenway is in the center of and at the end of the popular shopping street, Newbury, in Boston, on of our nations favorite cities. Now, why is this more of and economic advantage? Because of the surrounding businesses, when someone visits Fenway, chances are they will vist a business in the immediate area. this way that area of Boston will see major economic succes.

Positive or Negative Advertisement?

Recently I was watching Saturday Night Live or SNL. This program is by far one of the oldest running and well known and respected comedy program. During their hour long time slot on television they perform numerous skits and shows, some in the form of phony commercial advertisements. Now on one of these phony commercials they jokingly played into a stereotype for New Balance sneakers in the form of what type of people typically purchase them. Although this was meant to be comedy, it played on the fact that obese people tend to wear New Balance sneakers, thus making a commercial gearing it towards the obese population.
Even though this is not a direct advertisement from New Balance it still carries their name and logo. Do you think this is insensitive? Do you think they should have granted SNL the rights to portray their brand this way?

Response to Jade Brulotte

In response to Jades article on the addition to Wisk detergents product line with the detergent that is said to remove unseen dirt and body oils left behind in our clothing. I have actually seen commercials littered all over television for this very product and could only think to myself how over the top it was. I feel that it is just and added chemical that will just be increasingly harsh on our clothing. So, to answer Jade's questions, I feel that this is just an unnecessary addition to their product line and something that only curious consumers or germaphobes would purchase.

Revenue to the Rightful Owner

This is not a most recent topic, however, I feel that it is one that justifies discussion. In the NFL or teams that play in the NFL have marketing and income conflictions. When a team wants to create revenue for itself it is unfortunately not allowed to make and sell apparel with its team name and players names. Why? Because the NFL requires that any affiliates brand their teams apparel with the NFL logo, thus turning all revenune generated from sales on these products in now dircetly the NFL's as whole.

Do you feel that this is justified? Do you feel that teams of the NFL deserve the rights to the revenues derived from the sales form their teams products, regardless of the NFL branding?