Creative Content

For a sample of a radio commercial for Lave'.  Please click the audio clip found in my profile.

Week 9 EOC: Creative Content

For the creative content of this project, i've decided to do a radio commercial.  The practicality of a radio commercial, with me being an audio major, is obvious.  One, radio commercials would be the most inexpensive way of advertising.  T.V. commercials costs too much, and without the right clips and editing, you could have a million dollar item look like a ten dollar one.  Without the visual aid, picking the right music and style of delivery would give the interpreter their own visual and imagine what type of product is being sold.  With my vodka being as tasteless and smooth as water, I want my commercial to give off the same effect.  It needs to be soothing, luxurious, and suave all while getting the point across of what I'm trying to sell.  Hopefully it comes out well, and will have people more intrigued to the product, and remember the product name.

Implementation Evaluation Control

"Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 39) 
This is when all the hard work put into Lave' comes to fruition.  Plans are just idea's and thoughts written on paper.  Once you implement them, they define the company and is the true evidence of where you want your product to go. Once your plans are implemented, there are two things to do, but can be done in one step.
"Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 39)
Everything you do can sound, and look good on paper, but once those plans are implemented you won't find any flaws in the plan.  And the plan will always have some sort of flaw, or problem that needs a solution.  This is where evaluation and control play their roles.  To keep a company alive, you need to not only see your flaws, but take actions to correct their flaws.  Listen to customers, if they see a problem you might not consider to be one, take a closer look, maybe there is an easier solution.  After all they are the ones paying for our product.  If we can make changes that will keep the customer satisfied and coming back, consider it done. 

Price

At Lave', we go through the most strenuous steps to ensure our product is the finest on the market.  In doing so, we don't want only a select group of individuals to taste this extraordinary beverage, we want everyone with a mouth to taste heaven.  When you break down the pricing scale, Lave' falls under Competition-Based Pricing.

"Competition-based pricing - Setting prices based on competitors’ strategies, prices, costs, and market offerings." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 280)

This pricing throws us in the shark tank, competing with all the major vodka brands.

"For most purchases, consumers don’t have all the skill or information they need to figure out whether they are paying a good price. They don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to research different brands or stores, compare prices, and get the best deals." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 294)

We want our product to be side by side with the leading competition.  We want to show the consumer the grade of alcohol their getting compared to what they're offered for the same price. This will cement into the consumers mind that you can buy exceptional quality, with average money.

Promotion

"Today, in the average consumer packaged-goods company, sales promotion accounts for 74 percent of all marketing expenditures." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 37)
Our promotion for Lave' comes from radio and banners, and television commercials.  A big part of our promotion would be giving liquor stores tons of different banners to put up throughout the store, to put the name of our product in that consumes head.  Next would be a display in the liquor store of just Lave' Vodka so it stands out, and the customer can get a hands on look at our product.  Next would be luxurious radio commercials to entice the listener and put it in their heads that Lave' is the only vodka worth buying.  Lastly, the use of television commercials.  However it would only get played a few times a day on select channels during prime-time. With this combination we are sure that Lave' will become a house-hold name.

Distribution

In the case of Lave', our product distributes all over the country, and can be found in your nearest liquor outlet. "Widespread distribution, convenient locations."(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 212)  By doing this, We here at Lave' want everyone to enjoy this astounding vodka.  We make it simple and easy for the consumer to get a bottle into their hands.  Just because Lave' is the best vodka in the world, doesn't mean you should have to travel the world to consume it.  Were bringing our brand into your community.  Because we market our vodka to be as pure and delectable as water, here at Lave' we want our product as accessible as water.

Product

"Products and services fall into two broad classes based on the types of consumers that use them—consumer products and industrial products." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 211)
Lave' is a consumer product, not an industrial one.  Our vodka is unique and one of a kind.  To get our product you would need to visit the nearest liquor store.  You wouldn't find it at a grocery store unless specifically ordered. To further separate us from the pack we categorize our product again.  We see ourselves as a Shopping Product.  Meaning you wont have to go to poland to enjoy this delicacy, instead you'll find it at the liquor store in the vodka aisle.  We care about customer convenience.  "A consumer product that the customer, in the process of selection and purchase, usually compares on such bases as suitability, quality, price, and style... Shopping products marketers usually distribute their products through fewer outlets but provide deeper sales support to help customers in their comparison efforts." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 211)

Target Market Strategy

In order to perform the Target Market Strategy, you need to segment the market.
"Market segmentaton: Dividing a market into smaller segments with distinct needs, characteristics, or behavior that might require separate marketing strategies or mixes." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 175) 
Once you take a look at the various segments and decide which road you want to follow, you then develop the Target Market Strategy.
"Market Targeting: The process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 175)
At Lave', we have decided to go to the pond with the most fish.  Meaning to enter the market world with the largest amount of consumers.  We want everyone that enjoys alcohol to try Lave'.  From the college student, to upper class aficionado, it pleases any tier of pallet. 

Situation or SWOT Analysis

"Managing the marketing function begins with a complete analysis of the company’s situation."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 55)
We are very pleased with our S.W.O.T. analysis here at Lave'. Our Strength is that we provide a exquisite product at a price that is affordable to just about everyone.  With that saying, a Weakness of this infrastructure is that our packaging may seem ordinary to some, but we believe that it's the quality of the product that counts.  Opportunity is huge at Lave'.  The price makes it available to anyone, and will keep them coming back.  Our Threat is just about most of the other vodka companies out there.  However, this company believes that if you get a ice cold taste of Lave', there is no competition.
"S.W.O.T. Analysis - An overall evaluation of the company’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 55)

Objectives

"Define product and the major classifications of products and services."(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler page 203)
At Lave', our objective is to give everyone the experience of our drink.  With a price of just $29.99 a bottle, it opens the market up to a much more broad group of individuals.  When people buy more expensive vodka's  they are buying just buying the fancy bottle and excess packaging.  We at Lave' does not believe in cheating out the customer.  We produce the bottles in a simple shape with tinted glass to protect the alcohol from the sun.  We want our bottles in the hands of customers to share the experience of Lave'.

Business Mission Statement

"A mission statement is a statement of the organization's purpose-what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment."(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 5)
Our mission at Lave' is to give the customer the experience of drinking alcoholic water.  We provide an alcoholic beverage that is so smooth, quenching, and original, it's like drinking water.  People mix their vodka's or drink perfumed vodka that is said to taste like bubblegum or cotton-candy to dilute the actual taste of the alcohol.  Our mission at Lave' is to reverse this trend, and bring back vodka to its true form, flavorless.  We carry out this mission and ensure each bottle pasts specifications.  Our product is so remarkable, it's been nicknamed "The Fountain of Youth."  By giving our customers such an experience it will invite any drinker to try Lave'.    "A clear mission statement acts as an "invisible hand" that guides people in the organization."(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 5)

Week 8 EOC: My Vodka is Special Because..

My Vodka is different because its simplicity.  Vodka is supposed to be the “flavorless” alcohol.  We who drink, know every vodka has different flavor qualities to it, but in fact all do have distinct flavors.  My brand is truly what Vodka has been trying to achieve, and that’s alcohol that tastes and goes down as smooth as water.  Getting only the finest grain from the right here in the U.S., the farmland of the world, and water that’s been frozen in time from the glaciers of Canada, we distill our vodka an incredible six times using the highest quality filtration system ever known.  Thus giving us the purest form of vodka anyone has ever tasted.  To properly serve our beverage, we ask to have it served chilled in a shot glass, or on the rocks.  Even some veteran vodka drinkers like their vodka with some type of chaser or mixer, so they don’t really taste the alcohol their drinking, but get the same buzz.  Using such “enhancers” can dehydrate you, or leave you with a nasty hangover.  Our vodka is so pure and so clean that there is no need for anything extra.  You’ll be truly in awe at how amazing it is, you might think you drank water itself, and actually feel refreshed from your beverage.  This truly is the water of life, and increasingly becoming the water of nightlife as well.

Week 7 EOC: Vodka Pitch

This Vodka is LITERALLY for EVERYONE!  (21+ of course)  Who does not like water? Nobody! We need water to survive, and we drink it every day.  Now what if you could take the convenience and ease of drinking water, and have it be alcohol? We here at Lave', had the same vision, and after 20 years of attempt, we’ve nailed it.  Lave':  The Flavorless Vodka.  When served chilled, some may mistake it for water.  Made with The ancient waters from Canada’s Glaciers, and the finest grain from the pastures of America’s farmland, Lave' Vodka, is truly the water of life.  Using a Platinum Filtration system, Favor-Less is Distilled and incredible 5 times to reserve the High organoleptic properties.  We’ve gone all over the world to find the purest ingredients to use.  And remarkably, found out they were right here, in North America.  Vodka’s and their companies have tried to make easier drinking vodka’s with every flavor under the sun.  We’re here to bring vodka back to its roots, being flavor free, and incredibly delicious. When you take a shot, you may think someone is playing a trick on you.  Being that Lave' is 40% alcohol,  give it a minute and you will surely know that this is the not only the best Vodka, but best alcoholic beverage you have ever come across.  Mix it with any juice or soda of your choice, and simply laugh at how delicious it is, with all the effects of a standard alcohol.  However, we encourage you to taste this vodka how it’s meant to be, on the rocks, with additives.  You will never think of trying anything else because this IS the water of life.  Lave' Vodka  is priced at $29.99. 

Week 4 EOC: There's an App for that

After finding out that phone applications have reached the point to where you can pee on a device and it tells you whether or not you have an std, and which std it is, there truly is an app for that.  One idea for an app would be for fashion freaks, a customizable person where you can enter the brand/type of clothing items you have, and switch tops, bottoms, shoes, and even accessories such as hats and watches to see how it looks and how the color scheme works together.  I think people would like to see what items work together that are in their own wardrobe, that maybe they never though of putting together.  This way they could create multiple outfits out of the same clothing, instead of always having a certain shirt that goes with certain shoes.

                Another idea for an app is a breathalyzer.  You could have a device that plugs into your USB in your phone that allows you to blow into it and it shows your alcohol count.  Then, if your count is too high for  you to legally drive it would bring up a list of cab companies in your area and how much they would charge from your location to certain destinations.  I believe the pricing is very important because nobody wants to spend money on something when they don’t know exactly how much they’ll be spending.  This would have people make more conscious decisions when they see exactly how drunk they are, and how much it would cost to get home safely.

                Lastly, I would love to design an app that involves audio, which is my profession.  So being able to upload pluggins on your phone and messing with effects by recording sound on your built-in microphone.  This app wouldn’t necessarily be for a specific purpose, but would be great fun.  It would  be able to record and modify your voice would be great for people that want to get a quick idea of what something would sound like with the effects processor on it, and knowing the parameters of the settings, so they can save it and upload it at a later time when they’re at their work station

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

I fall into the age group of a Millennial.  These are children born between 1977 and 2000.  This is a pretty wide gap, so for some the information may not apply, but I was born nearly in the middle at the year of 1989, and the information is pretty surprising on how well it describes me.  According to the book Ch.3 Pg. 17 “One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life.”  This statement is so dead on it’s almost comical.  My parents got a computer right about the time when I was able to understand what it was and how to properly use it.  I was absolutely enthralled by it and the capability of this advanced machine.  I’ve always been a fan of technological things, but this was something that caught my attention on a whole other level, and soon I became the master of the house on how to navigate and use this beast.  It’s sort of ingrained in my blood how to use technology, and figure things out and troubleshoot, because I’ve sort of been doing it my entire life.  It’s pretty crazy to think of how fast technology has grown since that point, from the dial-up internet, hearing the oh so familiar screeching of the logging in, to the high-speed, always on and always expect it to run flawlessly sort of mentality that we live in today.  I’m not too sure if it’s just Americans, but we really are impatient, in the fact that everything needs to be faster, everything.  I’m very much a part of this style of living, but sometimes people need to get away from the technology, and enjoy the little things in life.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy the three most generous corporations in America in 2004 are Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck. Together, they collectively gave away more than $2.6 billion worth.  Pfizer led the way in giving $1,259.7 million in 2004.  In 2003 they made $13,671 million.  This is giving away 21% of their total income for that year, which is far beyond any corporation out there.   In 2003 Bristol-Myers Squibb made $5,971 million, and gave away $666.3 million, they gave away 11% of their entire income, totaling $666.3 million dollars. Merck made$10,717 million in 2003, and in 2004 gave away $979 million.  They gave away 9% of their total income.  These companies were by far the highest in percentage of their total income that they donated to different charities.  As you can see, Merck made a considerable amount more than Bristol-Myers Squibb, but gave a 2% less to charities.  2% may not seem that big of a difference, but at this  amount of money, its about $200 million dollars worth.  However they were still extremely giving, and the world owes them a huge favor.  Bristol-Myers Squibb made a mere $5,971 million, and gave away a stunning 11% of their income!  Considering they made a great deal less than some of the other corporate giants, the percentage they gave really deserves some credit.  Now, for the mother of them all, the world owed Pfizer some sort of worthy accomplishment, because they gave away 21% of their ENTIRE income for 2003!  Equaling more than $1.2 billion dollars of cash and in-kind donations.  This is the first time a company topped the $1billion mark in the 11 years the Chronicle has been keeping track.  This, is truly a feat that no other company could come close, and it shows.  As and example of the companies good will, Microsoft made $18,583 million dollars (the most out of these top companies) and only gave away 2.2% of their total income, making them one of the lowest on the list.  So take these numbers into mind next time you decide on who to buy from, and make a conscious effort to think about others, when thinking about yourself.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The Video Game Industry is ever changing, and currently not going through the best of times.  Big corporations like Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo are all feeling the hard times of the recession. Big game consoles are getting the worst of it, because games are $60-$70 and gamers are being more reserved with their money.  However there is one section of the industry that isn't getting affected, and in fact is growing into a cash cow, are the video game apps people can download on their hand-helds for 99c. or even for free.  Microsoft is trying to take advantage of this, stating that, "The company will also give developers who build apps for the Windows Phone platform broader access to a phone’s hardware, including the built-in camera and motion sensor. This will let programmers build a new range of apps, including augmented reality experiences." (Nick Bilton. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/microsoft-demonstrates-windows-phone-updates/?scp=9&sq=video%20game&st=cse)  It's hard to keep production strong, when nobody wants to spend, and companies like, "AT&T and Time Warner to Tele-Communications Inc. and the proposed Paramount-Viacom combo -- are spending billions." (Philip Elmer-DeWitt;John F. Dickerson/New York and David S. Jackson/San Francisco. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979289,00.html) NPD manager, Matthew Tattle says, "Clearly gamers are becoming much less reluctant to spend on games . . . One would think it is a little unusual to see impulse purchases during a recession but it's clear that hardcore gamers will find a way to satisfy their need for something new, different and  enjoyable." (TimTuri. http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/10/16/news-npd-study-says-40_2500_-of-games-sales-are-impulsive.aspx)    Gaming will continue to find a way into the people's homes, its just going to give the engineers more of a challenge to find what will grasp the consumers attention and keep it.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

My name is Andrew Tabor.  I attend the Art Institute of Las Vegas for Audio Production.  Here at the Art Institute, they teach you about all aspects of audio, from live sound to post production to sound design, the Art Institute tries to cover everything under the sun.  In my first couple quarters I was extremely intimidated on this, I didn’t really know what to expect.  As a Junior, I know feel extremely confident in any aspect of audio.  I’ve worked on projects from sound design of an animation, to recording and mixing an entire band in our studio.  Recording the band was by far my favorite project I’ve had so far.  We were taught to use the SSL (Solid State Logic) Duality, which is a digital AND analog console.  If you know anything about audio, this board is a beast to say the least.  I even surprised myself on how well the final mix was.  At the moment I couldn’t really say where exactly I’d like to take my career, but live sound intrigues me in the fact that its always changing, and you always have to be on your toes because one screw up could ruin a show.  But eventually, and were talking way down the road, I would either like to open my own recording studio, or build a venue that acoustically sounds great no matter where you stand, and you always have a good view of the performance.  I am extremely excited to be in this field, and soon looking to get a job in the industry, and make a name for myself.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

"Marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction." (Pg. 3 Ch. 1 Marketing Creating and Capturing Customer Value).  From my experience, this is an absolute fact  when it comes to buying anything.  My most recent great customer service encounter is due to the great company Sweet Water.  I bought the new Pro Tools 9 over the internet, but needed to get my student discount, and didn't know how to go about doing so.  I called them up and was immediately taken care of with the friendliness and care of the service rep.  He walked me through step by step on what I needed to do on my end, and he would take care of the rest.  Everything went flawlessly, and I had my product faster than expected.  This great service not only showed me that the quality of the company was great, but the service was outstanding.  The man I talked to over the phone, Tim Maus, is now my personal Sweet Water representative.  He sent me his email, and any questions I have about a product, or the company, or anything that is related to audio, he assured me I would get an answer.  I was absolutely stunned by the professionalism of this company.  If I ever have to buy a piece of audio equipment that this company sells, I am definitely buying it through them.  This encounter will have me not only coming back to the company, but referring others to their great service.