In analyzing this semester’s course and overall experience, I have enjoyed reflecting on all of the concepts that I really benefited from learning and applying. I found myself sectioning a part of my notebook off for concepts I desired to take with me to the workplace in my new job beginning this summer. Through the project throughout this semester I feel I have gained a greater understanding of how to approach providing the customer with a product that is ideal due to the insights gathered through research and other methods.
One of the core concepts I felt I gained a greater understanding of was the research concepts of learned during the Gaining Insights phase of the project. Through learning about observational and ethnographic techniques, I felt that the most interesting concept that emerged was the photo journal research methodology. After our group conducted a thorough survey concerning the bedroom experience of single fathers, we asked respondents to complete a photo journal. This journal would serve as a means to document the current experience and living conditions within the bedroom. Because our sample was not very accessible, this is a very helpful tool, as we were not able to observe our sample very easily. Not only were we able to gain insights from this process, but we were also able to evaluate our initial assumptions made in the earlier parts of our project. One of the setbacks in this process was the lack of responses from our survey participants. Many felt that a photo journal was violating their privacy and was too exposing and intimate. In future utilizations of this tool, it may be essential to utilize direct observational methods after gaining trust from participants as an alternative.
Secondly, I feel that through utilizing the SEM framework, we were able to make use of this model to very analytically evaluate our room and the experience had within the room. We were also able to think creatively about the multiple appeals to the SEM model, or strategic experiential models, discussed in Schmitt’s article A Framework for Managing Customer Experiences. Most specifically, taking a look at the Relate aspect of the model gave us some important insights to the single father’s relationships and how parts of his home influence and interact with these relationships. One of our major research questions surrounded the social life of the single father, yet another key question of the relationship and interaction with his children inside his bedroom lead us to our prototype. Overall, the SEM model was very comprehensive and extremely helpful in our process and discovery of customer insights for single fathers.
I feel that this experience has been extremely interesting and very unique from any other project that I have completed during my Marketing education. I really loved that class time was given for the assignments. This really allowed for less stress and tension in scheduling time for group meetings. I also felt that Professor Wall’s participation, input and interest in our learnings and concerns really added value to the project as a whole. I really believed that he truly cared about my education and about me as a student in his classroom. It was obvious that he has a passion for the subject matter he teaches. This is evident through his enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication he brings to the classroom each day. Each of my teammates were very different in the way they thought and approached each phase of the project. I felt that the random assigning of groups really added an excellent dynamic in the diversity of our team and therefore inspired creativity. Additionally, I felt that spreading the project out through the semester allowed each group member to really lead each phase and contribute equally. I found it important that we were applying key concepts that were learned through articles and lectures in our projects. I feel that doing this allowed me to better understand the concepts as a whole and therefore write them to memory. Thank you for a wonderful last semester!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Paper Update: Part II
While drawing on the articles I have read and the research materials I have gathered, I feel that the best way to position this paper is to describe what exactly Second Life is and how it is being utilized by both residents and companies and then make a recommendation to companies as to how best utilize this new and quickly growing technology and medium. One of the most helpful articles I have uncovered has been Keeler’s article entitled, “Out of This World.” He claims that, “the companies that benefit will be those that are visionary enough to see the real potential in the virtual.” I feel that this is a great theme to incorporate throughout my entire paper. The following is a concise outline of my paper.
Second Life: Simply A Game?
A. Introduction: Another emerging technology and innovation sparks
B. What is Second Life:
a. Blurred lines between virtual world and actual life
b. Representation of self through Avatar
c. Practices within Second Life
d. Currency
C. Real world Business enters the Virtual Marketplace
a. Business adapts to new technology and uses it to leverage business
b. Corporate presence booms
c. Examples of business entry, success and failure
i. Entertainment industry creates buzz
d. Business entry troubles Second Life participants
D. Marketing within Second Life
a. Who is the target audience?
i. Actual user or avatar?
E. Creating Customer Experiences
a. Tailored experiences for each individual
b. What does Second Life give to residents to keep them coming back?
F. Recommendation: Looking Forward
a. Parallels to the internet boom
b. How should companies respond?
c. Lack of physical constraints
G. Conclusion
Sunday, April 15, 2007
www.FlyLite.com
Innovative. Creative. Original. Inventive. Inspired.
All of these words are accurate descriptions of a most innovative and unique service found at www.flylite.com. Fly Lite, “the world’s only wardrobe manager for frequent travelers,” serves a distinct and significant customer need. Fly Lite’s services allow a customer to get from one destination to another without carrying heavy and burdensome luggage. After utilizing the online database tracking system, a customer’s belongings will all be place in their hotel room upon arrival.
This service is targeted directly at the frequent traveler who has an income that would allow for this pricey service. This customer also highly values time savings, high levels of customer service, and convenience. Fly Lite’s competitors are the traditional means of baggage transportation including shipping services like FedEx, UPS and DHL. Other competitors include private airlines and individual assistants to transport and carry luggage. Fly Lite is extremely differentiated as it serves its customers with innovation and extreme insights to come up with a comprehensive travel solution.
According to lecture over creativity and innovation, creativity is an idea that is both “useful” and “novel” versus “appropriate” and “original.” I believe that Fly Lite closely fits this model for innovation. As an extremely useful service, Fly Lite caters to customer needs as travelers are able to board a plane for a vacation or business trip without the difficulty and inconvenience of carrying large luggage or baggage. Furthermore, Fly Lite’s service is one-of-a-kind, therefore satisfying the novelty component of innovation.
Additionally, the lecture examined that there are two key principles that are the framework for innovation. First, ideas are simply new combinations of existing elements and second, new combinations are enabled through understanding relationships. I feel that Fly Lite has succeeded in the combination of existing elements of a travel and hospitality service to aid its customers in all of their travel needs. Thus, utilizing an online database system and shipping service, combined with excellent service, has resulted in an innovative solution to traveling without luggage. The article Innovation Begins with the Eye, demonstrates that, “once you start observing carefully, all insights start creeping up.” Through a thorough understanding and analysis of these relationships and the process and challenges of travel, Fly Lite has an all encompassing travel answer.
All of these words are accurate descriptions of a most innovative and unique service found at www.flylite.com. Fly Lite, “the world’s only wardrobe manager for frequent travelers,” serves a distinct and significant customer need. Fly Lite’s services allow a customer to get from one destination to another without carrying heavy and burdensome luggage. After utilizing the online database tracking system, a customer’s belongings will all be place in their hotel room upon arrival.
This service is targeted directly at the frequent traveler who has an income that would allow for this pricey service. This customer also highly values time savings, high levels of customer service, and convenience. Fly Lite’s competitors are the traditional means of baggage transportation including shipping services like FedEx, UPS and DHL. Other competitors include private airlines and individual assistants to transport and carry luggage. Fly Lite is extremely differentiated as it serves its customers with innovation and extreme insights to come up with a comprehensive travel solution.
According to lecture over creativity and innovation, creativity is an idea that is both “useful” and “novel” versus “appropriate” and “original.” I believe that Fly Lite closely fits this model for innovation. As an extremely useful service, Fly Lite caters to customer needs as travelers are able to board a plane for a vacation or business trip without the difficulty and inconvenience of carrying large luggage or baggage. Furthermore, Fly Lite’s service is one-of-a-kind, therefore satisfying the novelty component of innovation.
Additionally, the lecture examined that there are two key principles that are the framework for innovation. First, ideas are simply new combinations of existing elements and second, new combinations are enabled through understanding relationships. I feel that Fly Lite has succeeded in the combination of existing elements of a travel and hospitality service to aid its customers in all of their travel needs. Thus, utilizing an online database system and shipping service, combined with excellent service, has resulted in an innovative solution to traveling without luggage. The article Innovation Begins with the Eye, demonstrates that, “once you start observing carefully, all insights start creeping up.” Through a thorough understanding and analysis of these relationships and the process and challenges of travel, Fly Lite has an all encompassing travel answer.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Prada: High Fashion, High Tech
The world-renowned fashion trendsetter and icon has been previously famous for the brand’s luxurious and coveted chic creations. As of 2002, Prada has most recently stepped into a new realm of innovation. Equipped with video monitors, RFID tags, handheld computers and touch-screen displays, Prada is attempting to recreate a most inventive and insightful retail environment. This environment will provide a unique experience that customers have yet to experience in any other store atmosphere. The creation of this environment has alternative motives to up-sell customers and monitor stock, yet the focus of this innovation is to create an experience of ultimate customer service.
According to the article, “Learning from Prada,” the store environment is being altered dramatically in order to reinvigorate the Prada brand. I believe that Prada’s efforts will prove to show the dynamic, innovative and first-mover characteristics of the brand. I feel that other companies, brands or retailers can capitalize on this technology to change and successfully redefine a brand image. Older brand names with more of a “grandfather” image can utilize these strategies to refresh and re-communicate a desire to serve a clientele. I feel that many service oriented organizations will be able to successfully use these technologies.
For example, many restaurants will have repeat visitors. By tracking their clients via a convenience or customer-loyalty cards, similar to the card used by the Prada stores, a restaurant could keep track of past orders, drink information and customer favorites including allergies or taste preferences. Additionally, through the collection of this data, the restaurant could use this information to create and update menus or specials to enhance the customer experience while dining at the restaurant. Based on the Prada model, businesses would be able to, “spend more time attending personally to a customer” (www.ideo.com).
Prada’s brand is extremely distinct in its luxurious, exclusive and high class image. This image that the organization has created, must only be supported by the highest and finest of technology to be consistent and not miscommunicate the branding to Prada’s customers. As Prada hopes to reach high class, trendsetting customers, this technology would excite a shopper and hopefully generate greater customer loyalty and repeat purchase. If used successfully, a Prada customer would walk away from the shop feeling extremely taken care of in a near-celebrity-like manner. With the cost of Prada items, it would be an expectation of customers to receive an extremely high level of service. Additionally, it would be important for the level of technology to be properly aligned with a enthusiastic, knowledgeable, yet non-obtrusive staff.
Overall, I feel that Prada’s attempts are ambitions yet have room for refinement and improved implementation. The articles mention that though sales representatives were highly trained in many of the technological devices, the handheld technology was sparsely utilized. Ideally, if utilized and successfully integrated into the complete branding of Prada, these technologies could significantly enhance the customer experience for shoppers.
http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/prada.asp?x=1
Learning from Prada. RFID Journal. 24 June 2002.
According to the article, “Learning from Prada,” the store environment is being altered dramatically in order to reinvigorate the Prada brand. I believe that Prada’s efforts will prove to show the dynamic, innovative and first-mover characteristics of the brand. I feel that other companies, brands or retailers can capitalize on this technology to change and successfully redefine a brand image. Older brand names with more of a “grandfather” image can utilize these strategies to refresh and re-communicate a desire to serve a clientele. I feel that many service oriented organizations will be able to successfully use these technologies.
For example, many restaurants will have repeat visitors. By tracking their clients via a convenience or customer-loyalty cards, similar to the card used by the Prada stores, a restaurant could keep track of past orders, drink information and customer favorites including allergies or taste preferences. Additionally, through the collection of this data, the restaurant could use this information to create and update menus or specials to enhance the customer experience while dining at the restaurant. Based on the Prada model, businesses would be able to, “spend more time attending personally to a customer” (www.ideo.com).
Prada’s brand is extremely distinct in its luxurious, exclusive and high class image. This image that the organization has created, must only be supported by the highest and finest of technology to be consistent and not miscommunicate the branding to Prada’s customers. As Prada hopes to reach high class, trendsetting customers, this technology would excite a shopper and hopefully generate greater customer loyalty and repeat purchase. If used successfully, a Prada customer would walk away from the shop feeling extremely taken care of in a near-celebrity-like manner. With the cost of Prada items, it would be an expectation of customers to receive an extremely high level of service. Additionally, it would be important for the level of technology to be properly aligned with a enthusiastic, knowledgeable, yet non-obtrusive staff.
Overall, I feel that Prada’s attempts are ambitions yet have room for refinement and improved implementation. The articles mention that though sales representatives were highly trained in many of the technological devices, the handheld technology was sparsely utilized. Ideally, if utilized and successfully integrated into the complete branding of Prada, these technologies could significantly enhance the customer experience for shoppers.
http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/prada.asp?x=1
Learning from Prada. RFID Journal. 24 June 2002.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Consumer Goods Manufacturers: Slaves to the Wal-Mart Enterprise
We are the generation of automation. RFID tags, or radio frequency identification tags , “often as small as a grain of rice, now hide in ID cards and wristbands, windshield-mounted toll tags, gasoline quick-purchase tokens, and electronic ear tags for livestock, and they have begun to appear in auto key-chain antitheft devices, toys (Hasbro Star Wars figures) and other products” (Want).
RFIDs are rapidly changing the way mass sellers conduct business and are forcing their business partners to respond without question. According to Roy Want, writer of “RFID: Key to Automating Everything”, “Wal-Mart announced that it will require its top 100 suppliers to place high frequency tags on cartons and pallets shipped to its stores.” In the eyes of Wal-Mart, this will ideally help cut back on labor costs, minimize and track store shrinkage, including theft and damaged goods, and monitor shelves to ensure more consistent sales. Many shoppers complain about Wal-Mart’s infamous out-of-stock items. Wal-Mart hopes that through smart-shelf systems, aided by the RFID technology, the stock levels will be constantly monitored and when items are few in number, new orders can be automatically placed directly to manufacturers without any human interface.
As we explored this cutting-edge concept of RFID technology in class, I felt that it was important for me to discover how this technology was impacting the industry that I will soon be working for upon graduation, consumer goods. I have found that consumer goods manufacturers have become slaves to Wal-Mart’s dictatorial authority due to sheer volume alone. According to “Wal-Mart's RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess” a consumer goods company, such as General Mills, gets 13 percent of its $10.5 billion in annual sales by doing business with Wal-Mart. This number is so significant that not obeying the wishes of the super-power Wal-Mart would take a costly hit on the entire business of General Mills and other consumer goods companies.
The article also uses Campbell Soup Company as a benchmark in the industry, and further states that, “moving to radio tags won't be simple. Analysts say Campbell must deal with an immature technology, unclear messages from Wal-Mart and the basic difficulty of adopting a new system to identify all its products, after the decades-long introduction of the UPC system” (Dignan). Furthermore, these companies utilize scanner data, received from barcodes, to track when each item was purchased and goes home with a customer. Without keeping the barcode data intact, consumer food companies will be loosing out on a major resource for research and sales data. Thus, while bar codes are not a priority for Wal-Mart currently, manufactuers’ products may not be missing them, even with the addition of RFID tag technology.
Thus, consumer goods companies are at the mercy of Wal-Mart’s demands. This deadline to place RFIDs on each SKU is extremely costly. “Wal-Mart’s RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess” says “leading consumer goods manufacturers will spend from $13 million to $23 million each in 2004 to comply with Wal-Mart's mandate”. Not submitting to this powerful and lucrative customer will be detrimental to one’s business and allow for competitors to gain a competitive advantage with the largest global customer. For most consumer goods companies, going against the grain is simply not an option. As I move into my new career in consumer goods, I am interested to see how General Mills responds and serves Wal-Mart as both a customer and as a superior.
Dignan, Larry. Wal-Mart’s RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess. www.eweek.com. December 15, 2003.
Want, Roy. RFID: Key to Automating Everything. Scientific American. 2003.
RFIDs are rapidly changing the way mass sellers conduct business and are forcing their business partners to respond without question. According to Roy Want, writer of “RFID: Key to Automating Everything”, “Wal-Mart announced that it will require its top 100 suppliers to place high frequency tags on cartons and pallets shipped to its stores.” In the eyes of Wal-Mart, this will ideally help cut back on labor costs, minimize and track store shrinkage, including theft and damaged goods, and monitor shelves to ensure more consistent sales. Many shoppers complain about Wal-Mart’s infamous out-of-stock items. Wal-Mart hopes that through smart-shelf systems, aided by the RFID technology, the stock levels will be constantly monitored and when items are few in number, new orders can be automatically placed directly to manufacturers without any human interface.
As we explored this cutting-edge concept of RFID technology in class, I felt that it was important for me to discover how this technology was impacting the industry that I will soon be working for upon graduation, consumer goods. I have found that consumer goods manufacturers have become slaves to Wal-Mart’s dictatorial authority due to sheer volume alone. According to “Wal-Mart's RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess” a consumer goods company, such as General Mills, gets 13 percent of its $10.5 billion in annual sales by doing business with Wal-Mart. This number is so significant that not obeying the wishes of the super-power Wal-Mart would take a costly hit on the entire business of General Mills and other consumer goods companies.
The article also uses Campbell Soup Company as a benchmark in the industry, and further states that, “moving to radio tags won't be simple. Analysts say Campbell must deal with an immature technology, unclear messages from Wal-Mart and the basic difficulty of adopting a new system to identify all its products, after the decades-long introduction of the UPC system” (Dignan). Furthermore, these companies utilize scanner data, received from barcodes, to track when each item was purchased and goes home with a customer. Without keeping the barcode data intact, consumer food companies will be loosing out on a major resource for research and sales data. Thus, while bar codes are not a priority for Wal-Mart currently, manufactuers’ products may not be missing them, even with the addition of RFID tag technology.
Thus, consumer goods companies are at the mercy of Wal-Mart’s demands. This deadline to place RFIDs on each SKU is extremely costly. “Wal-Mart’s RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess” says “leading consumer goods manufacturers will spend from $13 million to $23 million each in 2004 to comply with Wal-Mart's mandate”. Not submitting to this powerful and lucrative customer will be detrimental to one’s business and allow for competitors to gain a competitive advantage with the largest global customer. For most consumer goods companies, going against the grain is simply not an option. As I move into my new career in consumer goods, I am interested to see how General Mills responds and serves Wal-Mart as both a customer and as a superior.
Dignan, Larry. Wal-Mart’s RFID Deadline: A Chunky Mess. www.eweek.com. December 15, 2003.
Want, Roy. RFID: Key to Automating Everything. Scientific American. 2003.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Second Life: Simply A Game?
From the MySpace craze to Google power, web technology has completely reinvented communication, entertainment and even business practices. A new marketplace is emerging; according to eBay Inc. founder and Chairman Pierre M. Omidyar, “this generation that grew up on video games is blurring the lines between games and real life.” Where is this marketplace? What can it offer consumers? What are businesses doing to take advantage of this new technology? These answers lie within Second Life.
As stated in the Business Week article My Virtual Life, “participants launch Second Life's software on their personal computers, log in, and then use their mice and keyboards to roam endless landscapes and cityscapes, chat with friends, create virtual homes on plots of imaginary land, and conduct real business”. A player’s virtual representation of self is found in a creation called an avatar. These avatars are free to explore endless areas of the Second Life world for business or entertainment purposes. Thousands of players can play simultaneously. Though this sounds completely absurd to most people upon the first time that they hear about this virtual existence, millions of users are enrolled in Second Life. What is even more bizarre to most is that users actually pay real U.S. currency to play the game. My Virtual Life claims that, “Second Life participants pay ‘Linden dollars,’ the game's currency….players can convert that play money into U.S. dollars, at about 300 to the real dollar, by using their credit card at online currency exchanges.”
Is this simply a game, or possibly just an escape from reality? In my paper, I propose to research the full customer experience that participants receive from taking part in Second Life. I hope to uncover the complexity and dynamic experience of Second Life and how it is used by participants to please their needs. Furthermore, the article additionally discloses that, “a lot of other real-world businesses are paying attention. That's because virtual worlds could transform the way they operate by providing a new template for getting work done, from training and collaboration to product design and marketing.” I would like to expose how companies are utilizing this virtual world to grow their business, cater to customer needs and provide a complete customer experience for their target markets.
"My Virtual Life." Business Week. 1 May 2006. 26 Feb. 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm.
As stated in the Business Week article My Virtual Life, “participants launch Second Life's software on their personal computers, log in, and then use their mice and keyboards to roam endless landscapes and cityscapes, chat with friends, create virtual homes on plots of imaginary land, and conduct real business”. A player’s virtual representation of self is found in a creation called an avatar. These avatars are free to explore endless areas of the Second Life world for business or entertainment purposes. Thousands of players can play simultaneously. Though this sounds completely absurd to most people upon the first time that they hear about this virtual existence, millions of users are enrolled in Second Life. What is even more bizarre to most is that users actually pay real U.S. currency to play the game. My Virtual Life claims that, “Second Life participants pay ‘Linden dollars,’ the game's currency….players can convert that play money into U.S. dollars, at about 300 to the real dollar, by using their credit card at online currency exchanges.”
Is this simply a game, or possibly just an escape from reality? In my paper, I propose to research the full customer experience that participants receive from taking part in Second Life. I hope to uncover the complexity and dynamic experience of Second Life and how it is used by participants to please their needs. Furthermore, the article additionally discloses that, “a lot of other real-world businesses are paying attention. That's because virtual worlds could transform the way they operate by providing a new template for getting work done, from training and collaboration to product design and marketing.” I would like to expose how companies are utilizing this virtual world to grow their business, cater to customer needs and provide a complete customer experience for their target markets.
"My Virtual Life." Business Week. 1 May 2006. 26 Feb. 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm.
Monday, February 19, 2007
An Experience for a Cause
The Susan G. Komen 3-Day campaign is an effort to educate, inspire, convict and encourage breast cancer victims, survivors, families or even those not directly involved. This marketing initiative appeals to multiple SEMs, or strategic experiential models, discussed in Schmitt’s article A Framework for Managing Customer Experiences.
First, the 3-Day campaign targets the model of FEEL. Through the utilizing the testimonies of both the fight to live and the loss of a loved one, emotions and deep sentiments are engaged. According to Schmitt, marketers must understand, “what stimuli can trigger certain emotions as well as the wiliness of the consumer to engage in perspective taking and empathy” (66). 3-Day does just this, as video and song montages that can air on TV or radio, evoke strong emotional responses toward the crisis of breast cancer.
Also, the SENSE model is suggested through the sense of sight. Pink color is proudly painted all over the merchandising items, website and even in the clothing of participants in the 3-Day. The symbol of the pink ribbon is a culturally known symbol for breast cancer awareness. This symbol serves as a memorable touch point reminder in our society today.
Additionally, statistics and numbers entice readers and listeners to think of the severity of the breast cancer cause through the THINK model. These appeals place responsibility in the hands of the consumer. Intellectually speaking, the target market’s mind can be inspired to encourage problem solving though action. The sheer data alone, found in the fact sheet online, is moving as one considers something deeper than simple the surface level of this issue.
While being spurred on to consider one’s individual impact on the cause, the element of ACT is introduced. As we discussed in class, these modules can be overlapping. ACT is intertwined with the various other modules through encouragement to take action, make a difference and get involved in the life-changing, rewarding experience of the 3-Day. The marketing notion behind this model indicates that supporters lives will be fuller and truly different though the experience of the 3-Day.
Lastly, much like the Lance Armstrong Livestrong campaign that was exemplified in class discussion, becoming part of one’s survival story is so much greater than living for one’s self alone. This RELATE component desires to involved a greater number of individuals to acknowledge the cause and come into a community of hope. An ideal self in this context is a giver of self, an inspired believer, and part of a journey of optimism for a solution.
The 3-Day reaches to its audience through various touch points including an extensive website, an inspiration DVD that can be mailed to you upon request and the event itself. Additionally, the Susan G. Komen foundation also has other events, such as the Race for the Cure, with very consistent messaging and an overall similar experience. Susan G. Komen has also utilized other mediums such as Yoplait pink yogurt lids to provide opportunities to act on behalf of this cause.
I believe this is a very successful, in-depth non-profit campaign. It is significant that easily I could find all 5 SEMs within this campaign. The Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness campaign has virally spread into our culture’s awareness with great speed and with great purpose. Other non-profits should use this as a bench mark to increase knowledge of a problem or issue and to engage others to desire to participate in the solution.
I realize that in this process I may be biased to the actual awareness of this campaign. I have participated in the Race for the Cure and have had a close friend participate in the 3-Day. This may have hindered my assessment. I believe strongly in this cause, knowing many women that have been affected by it.
First, the 3-Day campaign targets the model of FEEL. Through the utilizing the testimonies of both the fight to live and the loss of a loved one, emotions and deep sentiments are engaged. According to Schmitt, marketers must understand, “what stimuli can trigger certain emotions as well as the wiliness of the consumer to engage in perspective taking and empathy” (66). 3-Day does just this, as video and song montages that can air on TV or radio, evoke strong emotional responses toward the crisis of breast cancer.
Also, the SENSE model is suggested through the sense of sight. Pink color is proudly painted all over the merchandising items, website and even in the clothing of participants in the 3-Day. The symbol of the pink ribbon is a culturally known symbol for breast cancer awareness. This symbol serves as a memorable touch point reminder in our society today.
Additionally, statistics and numbers entice readers and listeners to think of the severity of the breast cancer cause through the THINK model. These appeals place responsibility in the hands of the consumer. Intellectually speaking, the target market’s mind can be inspired to encourage problem solving though action. The sheer data alone, found in the fact sheet online, is moving as one considers something deeper than simple the surface level of this issue.
While being spurred on to consider one’s individual impact on the cause, the element of ACT is introduced. As we discussed in class, these modules can be overlapping. ACT is intertwined with the various other modules through encouragement to take action, make a difference and get involved in the life-changing, rewarding experience of the 3-Day. The marketing notion behind this model indicates that supporters lives will be fuller and truly different though the experience of the 3-Day.
Lastly, much like the Lance Armstrong Livestrong campaign that was exemplified in class discussion, becoming part of one’s survival story is so much greater than living for one’s self alone. This RELATE component desires to involved a greater number of individuals to acknowledge the cause and come into a community of hope. An ideal self in this context is a giver of self, an inspired believer, and part of a journey of optimism for a solution.
The 3-Day reaches to its audience through various touch points including an extensive website, an inspiration DVD that can be mailed to you upon request and the event itself. Additionally, the Susan G. Komen foundation also has other events, such as the Race for the Cure, with very consistent messaging and an overall similar experience. Susan G. Komen has also utilized other mediums such as Yoplait pink yogurt lids to provide opportunities to act on behalf of this cause.
I believe this is a very successful, in-depth non-profit campaign. It is significant that easily I could find all 5 SEMs within this campaign. The Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness campaign has virally spread into our culture’s awareness with great speed and with great purpose. Other non-profits should use this as a bench mark to increase knowledge of a problem or issue and to engage others to desire to participate in the solution.
I realize that in this process I may be biased to the actual awareness of this campaign. I have participated in the Race for the Cure and have had a close friend participate in the 3-Day. This may have hindered my assessment. I believe strongly in this cause, knowing many women that have been affected by it.
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