I Salute You, iPhone

For my second “free” blog topic, I decided to focus on something that I use constantly in my life: my iPhone. The topic may be pretty popular considering how many people have iPhones now, but I’m going to focus on how I think the iPhone provides consumers with the ultimate experience.

Apple's iPhone

I’ve broken my ideas down into different categories so my reasoning is easier to understand:

Everything You Need in One Place
I never really thought that I’d want access to the Internet 24/7, but let me tell you, now that I have my iPhone, I’m not sure what I used to do before it. Sure, sure, I would probably be fine if I never gotten the phone to begin with, but it just makes everything so convenient and accessible, which is always appreciated.

Since I’m able to check my email at any time, it’s easier to coordinate with friends, family, group members, and job recruiters, especially when deadlines are involved. Having the ability to look up directions or the weather at any time is really convenient, and of course, the ability to have my iPod built into my phone is great because that’s one less thing I have to constantly be carrying around.

This feature to me is probably the most important aspect of the iPhone that makes the customer experience so fantastic. Nowadays, consumers are always looking for the easiest way to access information, and I think Apple hit the nail on the head with this one. This feature, I think, is important because it’s universal and practical. No matter what type of iPhone user you are, you have the constant ability to check your email, access the Internet, or listen to your music.

The iPhone's Many Uses

Fun, but Completely Unnecessary, Gadgets
There is really an iPhone app for everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. There are the typical apps, such as Facebook or Google Mobile. But then there are apps like the Whoopie Cushion or BubbleWrap, which really serve no purpose in life. But when you’re bored one day and these apps are being offered for free from the App Store, why not download them? They’re ridiculous, yes. But yet again, there are at least a few apps for every single iPhone user, no matter who they are. Maybe somebody secretly loves popping bubble wrap. Now he or she doesn’t have to go through old boxes to find an old stash of wrap. Instead, he/she can download this app and enjoy the popping noise at any time.

BubbleWrap Application

In Your Face, Interface
Although the first aspect I mentioned may be the most practical to consumers, I really think the iPhone interface has catapulted Apple to the top when it comes to touch screen phones. The iPhone’s competitors don’t stand a chance when it comes to their product’s interfaces.

First, the fact that a touch screen phone can be so much fun and easy to use boggles my mind. The keyboard does take a little getting used to (by little, I mean about a week, which really isn’t anything in the grand scheme of things). But more importantly, the actual screen itself displays every single thing in such a great way. My personal favorite is text messaging because the conversation looks like an instant messaging conversation online.

Text messaging on the iPhone

With Love, from Apple
Let’s face it. If you’re an Apple user, you feel a certain type of pride that PC users just don’t understand. In addition to my iPhone, I’ve been a MacBook user for about a year now, and I can’t explain to you how glad I am that I made the transition to the brighter side. The same goes for owning an iPhone. Apple consumers are seen as being cooler and more fun and hip than any other PC or phone company. Consumers LOVE feeling like they’re part of a community, and Apple is probably one of the best neighborhoods to live in.

That’s probably because going into an Apple store is such a great experience. Whether you’re browsing, buying accessories, or going in for a maintenance appointment, it’s so much fun to be in an Apple environment because everything is so customer friendly. When you enter an Apple store, Apple employees make you feel incredibly welcome and comfortable. On top of that, convenience is really valued: users can make appointments online from anywhere so they don’t have to waste time waiting in line at the store.

Apple Store in New York City

For all of these reasons, I think Apple has really created a one-of-a-kind customer experience with the iPhone.

A Song for Rapaille

Overall, I enjoyed watching The Persuaders. Even though I thought the content was a little outdated (since Song aircrafts have already been absorbed by Delta), it was still interesting to learn how marketing plays such an integral part in almost every industry, including politics. It’s funny how the wording of a certain topic can make citizens gravitate towards voting for or against a certain candidate.

One of the more interesting parts of the documentary was the interview with Dr. Rapaille, which I have to talk about for this blog assignment anyway. Basically, Dr. Rapaille has a three stage process that ultimately discovers what a consumer expects from a certain type of product, even if the product differs from company to company. For example, the documentary examined Dr. Rapaille’s work with the word luxury, and what people associated with that word.

His three stage psychic process includes (1) past reason (2) through emotion (3) to the primal core.

The first stage, past reason, Rapaille just asks people bluntly what their opinions are regarding a certain topic. At this point, people can answer easily and quickly. They want to show how intelligent they are, and are very happy because they can answer all of his questions.

After a short break, the second stage, through emotion, occurs. During this stage, Rapaille asks his participants to tell him a short story as if he was a 5 year old from another planet. This stage is important because people don’t try to be logical or intelligent—they must speak in the most basic vocabulary to ensure that a 5 year old can understand them.

After another short break, participants visit their primal cores, where all of a consumer’s purchase decisions really exist. Rapaille removes all of the chairs from the room at this point so that participants can relax in a room filled with very little light. Participants are forced to go back to the very first time they went through an experience dealing with the topic at hand, due to their environment. According to Rapaille, if these “reptilian hot buttons”, the innate reactions of consumers to certain words, are discovered, companies can use this information to position their product to be successful because they will know what consumers respond positively to. Ultimately, I never learned what ideas are associated with "luxury" since that information is valuable to various companies, which was disappointing.




I enjoyed learning about Rapaille’s findings dealing with his process in general. Essentially, he said he learned that if companies discover successful properties through consumers’ primal cores, this information can really help a company. The reason I found this finding so interesting is because I instantly linked it back to another concept we discussed a few weeks ago from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. We talked about how consumers’ first impressions can’t be trusted because they aren’t experts. Similarly, Rapaille states that during the first stage of his process, consumers’ answers can’t be trusted because they are first responses to situations. Instead, Rapaille travels further into participants’ minds to discover their real desires. I found it really enlightening that Rapaille’s and Gladwell’s concepts fit together.

Friends! Gladwell (above) and Rapaille (below)

Learning about Song Airlines was actually really pleasant. I thought the way the documentary chronicled the progression of Song’s creation through its introduction and thereafter was pretty informative and in-depth.

In case you haven’t heard of Song, it was a subsidiary of Delta Airlines that was aiming to compete with the more hip, low cost carriers in the industry. Song executives wanted to create a new type of culture around their airline by focusing on a different target market: women. Song researched women’s desires when it came to airlines and used the information to make Song attractive by offering low fares, organic food, and various entertainment options on board. In addition to that, Song relayed its culture in almost every way possible—“Song” was considered an adjective that meant "hip" or "cool," used to describe employees. Also, every item related to Song was characterized with pastel colors that would be appealing to women.

One of Song Airline's airplanes

I really thought Song’s ideas on how to enhance the customer experience were pretty great, but that could be because I’m a member of their target market as a young woman. I may not have my own disposable income just yet, but I think Song’s greatest asset was reinforcing its culture in multiple ways so every potential consumer knew what Song meant. I enjoyed watching Song’s launch party at the beginning of the documentary because it looked entertaining and exciting—a great way to get people’s attention.

Unfortunately, there were downsides to Song. Although the company had great ideas, execution of those ideas didn’t go very smoothly. I think the company could have improved the way it first created awareness for itself by improving its ads, which were somewhat confusing and misleading. They never showed airplanes or mentioned travel, which left many potential users in the dark. Also, Song’s parent company, Delta, did not end up doing so well in the long run so all of Song’s airplanes were absorbed by Delta eventually.

Kenna's Dilemma

A few posts ago, I discussed Malcolm Gladwell’s TED talk about creating the perfect spaghetti sauce. This post is about the chapter titled “Kenna’s Dilemma” from his book, Blink. There were two big points that I took away from the chapter—areas I think marketers could really learn from, and I’ve outlined them below.

Lesson 1- It is important to understand if consumers really hate a product because of the product itself or because the product makes them nervous because it is different from anything they’ve ever seen before (pgs 173-174).

The implications of this lesson for marketers are pretty obvious. First, if a company’s product is terrible, it should be taken back to the drawing board for a revision. If the product is beyond repair, it should just be tossed out. It’s extremely important for marketers to find out what consumers want so they can provide them with useful products. Consumers buy certain products for specific benefits, and if they don’t believe a product can satisfy their needs, they won’t buy it.

In one of my past marketing classes, we discussed products that failed miserably, and one of my favorites was Harley-Davidson perfume. Why would anyone want to buy Harley-Davidson perfume? The brand caters to rich professionals who buy motorcycles to access their “wild” sides. When you think Harley-Davidson, what comes to mind? For me, I think of dirt and sweat. I wouldn’t want to buy perfume from a company that advocates riding a bike out in the sun. This was a brand extension that just wasn’t thought out completely.

Harley-Davidson Perfume

On the other hand, if the product just makes consumers nervous because it’s something new or different, then that’s a great place for marketers to step in. Companies should provide potential consumers with as many samples and trials of these types of products at stores, expos, etc., as possible. Consumers need to be exposed to new products repeatedly so they can see the benefits provided. If they see those benefits, they’re more likely to purchase the product.

I have a personal story when it comes to a product that I thought was going to fail miserably, but actually has been doing pretty well in the market. I’ve always been an avid Coke drinker, but I never liked that one can of Coke has so many calories. I went home to Houston one weekend, and my dad had bought a case of Coke Zero. The first thought that came to mind when I thought about Coke Zero is that it would taste nothing like regular Coke, or worse, it would taste like Diet Coke (which I absolutely cannot stand). When I took my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised. Coke Zero actually tastes pretty similar to regular Coke, and it doesn’t have any calories. This example actually leads to the second lesson I learned from the chapter.

Lesson 2- Only experts can “reliably account for their actions” (pg. 179). Essentially, only experts’ first impressions are real.

As consumers, we don’t really understand what happens during the creation of a product. This isn’t our fault at all—we’re obviously busy living our lives, which rarely includes researching in detail each product we buy. After trying a product for the first time, we may think we know the product well enough to decide whether we like it or not, but the truth is that we don’t.

Back to my Coke Zero example. Coke Zero may taste the same as regular Coke to me, but then again, I’m not an expert Coke drinker. Yes, I may have been drinking Coke for many years, but my life does not revolve around tasting different Coke products and determining which ones come out on top.

I think marketers can really use this lesson to position their products perfectly in the minds of their consumers. This lesson is essentially saying that if a product is not successful immediately, it’s alright…Use that second chance to take a step back, figure out how to expose consumers to your product correctly so they can figure out whether or not they actually want to purchase your product. Determining the right marketing mix is essential for a product’s success. Marketers need to be sure they’re selecting the right combination of promotions and distribution channels when introducing any product.

When I was trying to come up with a personal experience dealing with experts, one stuck out in my mind. It’s a little out there, but I think it supports my ideas. I think judges at dog shows are really fascinating people. Imagine, your whole job is to determine which dog is the best based on its body structure, fur, personality, among other things within a very short period of time. My dog, who was part of my family for 11 years, passed away last May, but I can still remember when we first brought her home. That’s because when my sister and I first saw her, we knew she was supposed to ours. She was a really beautiful dog—her breed was Shetland Sheepdog, so she was destined to look like a mini-Lassie. The thing is that even if she didn’t have that innate beauty, my family and I still would have thought she was beautiful because she was part of our family.

My dog, Shellie

This is where the dog show judges come in. The judges’ perception of beautiful can’t be determined by how much love they feel for a dog because that wouldn’t be fair. They have to judge the dogs using specific criteria within a few hours. That’s why sometimes the winners at these shows aren’t necessarily the most attractive dogs. No offense if you own one of them, but I personally don’t think that the Bull Terrier (the 2006 winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show) is particularly nice to look at. However, judges look past that and determine the best dog because they’re experts in the field.


















A Bull Terrier

Disney Theme Parks: A Closer Look at the Happiest Places on Earth

When I was trying to decide what topic to write about for my current topic report, I wanted to make sure that I was really picking a brand that meant something to me. For as long as I can remember, Disney has been my favorite brand.

The Disney arena that I have the most familiarity with is Disney movies (which I am sure is the case for most people). I was first exposed to Disney movies at a very young age, and I still love to watch all of my favorite characters on a regular basis. It is especially interesting to see how Disney has evolved even since I was a child. The style of movies has moved from traditional cartoons such as The Lion King to computer animations like Finding Nemo.

Although the movies are a huge part of my Disney background, there’s an area that I love even more—the Disney theme parks. I’ve been to Disney World three times, Disneyland twice, and Euro Disney (which is in France) once. My last trip was to Disneyland in 2006, and I can feel myself wanting to scratch an itch by visiting another park in the near future.

I can’t explain what it is about the Disney theme parks that excites me. It is amazing to me that anyone who walks through the gates of Cinderella’s castle (or Sleeping Beauty’s castle if you visit Disneyland) feels a sense of belonging. Whether you’re old or young, you feel like you’re being transported to another time and place when you’re inside those walls. The only word I can use to describe the experience is magical.

Me in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland

To me, the Disney theme parks really illustrate what it means to give customers the best experiences of their lives. For my report, I would like to focus more on the two parks in the US since I have taken multiple trips to both of them. People travel to Orlando and Anaheim from all around the world just to spend a week living in this enchanted world.

I really want to follow the timeline of the Disney parks and explore how Imagineers and “cast members” have worked tirelessly for decades to create some of the most visited tourist spots in the world. And what’s crazy to me is that the parks were created because of one little creature: Mickey Mouse. Who knew that someone so tiny would be the catalyst for the growth of the biggest entertainment company in the world.

Disney "Cast Members"

Even though Imagineers and “cast members” are the most conspicuous employees of Disney—the ones that are interviewed for TV shows or greet guests once they arrive— there are so many other people working behind the scenes to make sure consumers are happy. Not regular happy, but Disney happy. There is a significant difference. Every little thing done at any of the Disney theme parks has been planned for a specific reason, and most of the time consumers don’t even realize it.

Although I think that one of Disney’s best characteristics is that it appeals to both children and adults, I wonder how popular the theme parks are with individuals from the ages of 18 to 25. I know I have always been an avid Disney fan, but do other people my age feel the same way? Another thing I am curious about is how the parks have been able to stay so popular and successful even though so much has changed in our society since Disneyland first opened in the mid 1950s. What are consumers’ motivations for coming to the parks? These are a few areas that I would like to research more.

While initially researching my topic, I found some very interesting articles about the Disney experience and Walt Disney himself. In Walt Disney: Conversations, the author discusses that the reason the Disney experience is sought after is because its founder, Walt Disney, knew how to connect with the American people. After finding a common thread among children and adults, he used that knowledge to create experiences that every person could enjoy. He was also known to be an artist, which meant he found many new ways to portray original ideas. This eventually led to the creation of the Disney theme park, one of “the most important three-dimensional artform[s] of the twentieth century.” King, M. J. (2007, June). Walt Disney: Conversations. Journal of American Cultures, 30(2), 266-268.

Walt Disney

Prego and Afro

This past weekend I watched a TED talk by Malcom Gladwell, which you can enjoy below:


The talk was largely focused on Howard Moskowitz, a psychophysicist who helped Prego create and launch its chunky spaghetti sauce, which helped the company’s sales surpass those of Ragu. The article discussed how Moscowitz basically debunked three assumptions regarding consumers (he zoned in on consumers from the food business, but I think his information can be applied to any industry).

The assumptions and his findings include:
Assumption 1: People know what they want and they will tell you.
Moscowitz: Consumers have no idea what they want! Some of the time they agree with their peers even if they don’t want to, some of the time they tell marketers the "right" information, and some of the time they have no idea what they’re talking about.

Assumption 2: Products experience horizontal segmentation, meaning there are different varieties of the same product and only one can really succeed.
Moscowitz: Different types of the same product exist to benefit different kinds of people. Each group should be catered to and satisfied.

Assumption 3: Every dish is “platonic,” meaning there is only one way to make it. (Like I said, Moskowitz’s research was based on food, but from my perspective, I took “dish” to mean any product.)
Moscowitz: We must go past the idea of “platonic” dishes and cater to variability based on consumers’ preferences. That means there should be changes to products based on each person’s needs.

All of Moscowitz’s ideas fit together to reach one idea: if consumers’ various desires can be discovered and satisfied, everyone will be happier.

Gladwell’s videocast caught my attention for a few different reasons. First, after reading his article, “True Colors” for class, I thought his work was entertaining. He has a knack for telling a good story. That being said, the lecture I watched was also really engaging since he talked about Moskowitz’s research for well-known companies such as Campbell’s and Pepsi. Hearing about how Pepsi tried to find the perfect Diet Pepsis, not Diet Pepsi, was really eye-opening because I didn’t realize how hard Moskowitz worked to satisfy multiple consumers’ needs instead of worrying about creating one perfect product.

Next, I thought his views were the complete opposite of Barry Schwarz’s views in his lecture, “The Paradox of Choice,” which I wrote about in my last entry. As I mentioned last time, Barry Schwarz wrote that people now suffer from a paralysis that results from having too many choices when trying to purchase products. I felt that Gladwell’s lecture was saying that that idea itself is what Moskowitz was trying to advocate: that people feel happier when they have the ability to pick from a variety of products because they’re more likely to find what they’re looking for.

Also, I also thought Gladwell’s ideas were fascinating because they supported another article we read in class, “Eager Sellers and Stony Buyers.” That article discussed how companies try too hard to come up with new and exciting products that they think will entice consumers, when in fact consumers are only interested in products that they can truly benefit from. I think Gladwell really hit this one on the head when talking about Moskowitz. Like I said before, Moskowitz helped Prego come up with chunky spaghetti sauce. The success of the chunky sauce really skyrocketed because Moskowitz learned how to benefit consumers by learning what they wanted. If companies could just learn that consumers want to get something out of their products (not just fun), they would be much more successful.

Finally, the last thing that caught my eye about Gladwell was his unforgettable hair. Be proud of your afro!

The Paradox of Choice: Another Reason for Consumers to Rip Their Hair Out

I really enjoyed listening to Barry Schwarz’s lecture on the paradox of choice. Essentially, Schwarz talks about how individuals think they are experiencing freedom because they have an endless number of opportunities to choose from. In fact, sometimes as consumers, we have so many different product options to choose from that we ultimately end up not choosing any option at all. And, by some chance, if we are able to pick one of the available choices, we feel unhappy with our choice because we think one of the options we didn’t choose is better than the one that we did choose. Confusing? I think so. I’ll give a personal example.

A few days ago, I was having some allergy issues so I went to CVS to buy some medicine. When I reached the allergy aisle, I was shocked to see how many different types of allergy medicines there were. There were at least three different brand names (Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc.), along with the generic brands. On top that, within each brand, there were at least a few different types of medications for people who wanted non-drowsy or nighttime medicines. I literally spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out which brand and type of medicine to buy. I finally settled on Claritin non-drowsy tablets.

I hurriedly came home and took one of the pills, which should have taken effect within 30 minutes. Needless to say, 6 hours later when I was getting ready to go to sleep, the medicine still wasn’t kicking in as well as I would have liked. I was so angry with myself! How was it possible that after spending so much time trying to select from such a variety of medicines that I picked the one that didn’t work!?

That’s Schwarz’s argument. It’s not that the Claritin didn’t necessarily work. It’s just that in my mind, I had set such high expectations for the Claritin that after it didn’t live up to my standards, I felt regret and anger for not choosing another brand. And that anger could only be towards myself because I was the one who decided which brand to buy.

I think Schwarz’s ideas are really enlightening when it comes to consumer decisions. I think his ideas have even bigger implications for marketers. Ask yourself this: how many brands can you think of that only offer one type or version of any product? I honestly can’t think of any. That means that marketers have to work incredibly hard to make their product stand out in consumers’ minds. In department or grocery stores, that’ll be almost impossible for them to do unless consumers already have preconceived notions before entering the store. If a consumer comes into a store similarly to how I did for my allergy medication, it’s really the luck of the draw for which brand he or she will end up picking. That means marketers have to work harder than ever to elevate their brand over the competition.

On the other hand, I do think there is a way for some marketers to take advantage of this paradox of choice idea, and it deals with marketing to consumers online. Like I mentioned in my Generation Y post, it all comes back to technology. If I, as a consumer, am guided through the many choices from which I could potentially choose, I think I would be less frustrated with the choice I end up picking. Usually this guidance doesn’t happen when you physically go to a store because half the time you can’t find any store clerks, but online it is possible. For example, in the picture below (click to enlarge) you can see that when you go to a popular retail website such as OldNavy.com, you have the option to narrow down what’s available by providing the specific sizes you are looking for. Additionally, you can also narrow down the type of clothing you’re interested in, such as pants, tees, skirts, etc., which will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for.



I want to clear something up here. I’m not saying the paradox of choice is a positive thing for consumers if a company has a website. I’m saying that if a brand’s marketers are able to help narrow down consumers’ choices, consumers will be happier with that specific brand because they will have been provided help to shrink down what initially seemed to be an endless list of possibilities. After shopping online, these consumers will be more likely to go to retail locations and purchase products from the company since they were previously satisfied with their online purchases.

My Generation = iGeneration

It’s odd to me that I can be classified into a group known as Generation Y. My parents are both Baby Boomers, a group I have grown up hearing all about—they’re a part of history. It’s just surreal to hear that I am also becoming part of history by being part of a generation that differs completely from any previous one.
The main difference in generations can be attributed to one thing: technology. My generation is obsessed with anything technology-related. Technology includes actual products, such as computers and cell phones. More importantly, technology includes the Internet, which allows me to stay connected to friends and family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That makes my lifestyle extremely different than people from other generations. I own an iPhone, meaning I can access my Gmail account, AIM, Facebook, text messages, and anything on the Internet at any time and anywhere, thanks to Apple and AT&T.
Even though all of the technological products and applications in the world are entertaining and enjoyable to “play” with, I think the introduction of technology to Generation Y has molded my peers and I into people very different from the past. Technology has led my generation to be more independent, individualistic, open-minded, and unpredictable, characteristics I feel I definitely exhibit. These are characteristics that marketers can focus on to push their products toward us, if they plan and time their marketing efforts correctly.
Companies are slowly beginning to realize this. Unfortunately for some, they may have not been prepared for the frenzy that goes along with catering to Generation Y. The “MySpace Generation” podcast discusses how Friendster was one of the first social networking websites to go live. Soon after, MySpace was introduced with its blogging abilities and profile customizations. Some of MySpace’s success can be attributed to the fact that Friendster was unable to keep up with the changing desires of my generation. Since then, MySpace has become the most popular social networking website in the world with over 40 million users. By listening to its users, the company has been able to adapt its services to fit the needs of Generation Y.
That being said, when it comes to my generation, I think marketers should follow us to where we spend most of our time: online. In that aspect, Friendster was headed in the right direction; however, any company that decides to launch its brand on the Internet must be able to follow through with its goal to satisfy consumers, which Friendster did not.
My favorite brands today are those that have some of the most solid websites that make product browsing and shopping online incredibly easy. These brands also advertise on Facebook or personally email me irresistible coupons. These marketing tactics are very different from the traditional TV ads that my parents grew up watching.
Marketing to Generation Y online doesn’t need to be done only through social networking sites or email. Viral marketing campaigns have also become quite popular because they create a buzz among Generation Y members. One example of a successful viral marketing campaign was the trailer for the horror movie Cloverfield on YouTube. The trailer was intriguing and left me wanting more. The “Generation Y” article discusses how members of my generation are likely to share their satisfaction of products by word of mouth, which is why I shared the movie trailer with my friends.
Marketers have a variety of ways that they can successfully reach my generation. However, they need to be careful not to take advantage of the fact that Generation Y is fueled by technology. The advent of technology has really catapulted my generation into an era of connectivity, especially in regard to how open we are with providing our personal information to millions of people online. Some observers may say we’ve become too open in that regard and that my generation is irresponsible for doing so. I completely disagree. I know we are taking risks by being so easily accessible; however, we are also very practical and realistic as a group. That means we know where and when to draw the line when it comes to interacting with people and companies. Similarly, marketers must be sure not to cross any lines either. Bombarding me with too many coupons could be detrimental to the relationship I have with your brand.
As I mentioned earlier, my generation is a lot more unpredictable and fickle than any previous generation. We know what we want, and if one company can’t give it to us, we will find another company that will. Obviously, marketers have their work cut out for them. One of the biggest challenges marketers will continue to face with my generation is the ability to adapt to our constantly changing desires when it comes to products.