Week 4 EOC: Advertising is based on happiness

Purchasing the Nintendo Wii was an incredible experience for me; it really gets you off the couch and places you into the game. When I saw the very first ad for the console, I just thought “here we go again” to me it was just another device to get children to terrorize their parents and addictive gamers to add another console to their already massive collection. It took me a while, it wasn’t until they announced that the price had dropped significantly that I decided to get one for my girls. I had a 32” flat screen HDTV, so after hooking it up, I decided to test it out, I fell in love. To this day, every opportunity I get, I slip some playtime in. It is now used religiously on family game night. Everyone gets involved and enjoy spending the time with each other. Most of all I love it because I burn calories. Whenever I don’t feel like going to the gym, I just jump on the Wii and life is good.
On a different note, previously the only system I had owned was the Nintendo Gameboy. I won it in a raffle at a Christmas party from my job, and it was an absolute joy to have. I took it everywhere I went. It was this cute little hand held device that provided hours of play and happiness. I never left home without it. About two months later, I started getting less and less interested in playing with it, the game cartridges are too small, and the screen was getting quite hard to look at. It has proven to be a burden rather than a pleasurable device. I no longer use it; it is currently in a basket with all the other devices I no longer have an interest in.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group-Video Games

Video game systems have come afar way, back in the sixties through early eighties, there were such games like the brown box, the odyssey, the pong, and the popular Atari. As we stepped into the nineties they started taking on a more complex form. They made the switch from 2-D to 3-D, which stirred excitement in grown-ups as well as children.

“The launch of the Sony PlayStation marks the arrival of the most popular console of the 32 bit era of video-games.” (http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050523/console_timeline/)

It has gotten from having to be in an arcade, to being in homes, then hand-held portable devices. It’s inescapable.

Based on the Boston Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix, I place the Nintendo WII as the STAR. Reason being, it has become the most popular console to be purchased and played, people gravitate towards it because it offers a new experience, it is interactive, it puts one in the game. This system also falls under the Cash Cow category. Another competitor for this category would also be the Playstation3, which also falls under both categories.

As for the category of the dog, I see it to be the X-Box system. A lot went into the production and development of this system but the revenue generated wasn’t enough to take the company forward, their profits were very minimal in comparison to the cost to develop this product for placement on the market.

Now,as for the question mark, that would be PC games and telephone games. This has made a huge break through. these offer free downloads and hours of play, manufacturers entice the gamers with free trial versions, then once they have your attention, purchase is inevitable.

EOC Week 1: Customer Service Experience

Recently, I returned a dress I bought in a well-known Department Store. To tell the truth, I was extremely nervous doing so, the story was, I had bought the dress for a specific occasion three months prior to the event, just to be prepared and to make sure I wouldn’t  gain any weight between that time. The event never happened and I was stuck with a dress I had no place to where it to. Good thing is, I always keep receipts for purchases until the ink wears out of the paper or a year or two had pass. I took the receipt and tried to read the back for the return policy, but was unable to read it because there was a spill that caused the writing to be blurry. After many days of torturing myself what to do, I built up enough courage to try taking it back, but only anticipating a store credit. When I handed the dress to the customer service representative, I started babbling about why I had to return it, I noticed she kept smiling, she excused herself And returned with one similar and scanned it for the new price then gave me a slip of paper to sign, then handed me my full return. I was astonished. Also, getting my money back was ideal since it was time for my girls to return to school and I had limited funds to do their school shopping.

I strongly agree with the Zappos marketing consultant on this quote:

“Customer relationships and value are especially important in today’s tough economic times, when more frugal consumers are cutting back and spending more carefully. “The challenge facing us is not just one of consumers being more-value conscious,” says one marketing consultant. “It’s how we gain … a renewed relationship with consumers who have less inclination to listen to [companies with whom] they do not have strong and valued relationships.” (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10^th Edition,7)

In an economy such as this, we the consumers need to know that you can rely on good customer service when spending your hard-earned money or dipping into your savings. Personally, I want to know that I can go back to this store and shop with ease and comfort that I can get satisfaction with my purchase and not worry about losing my money.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

My area of expertise as an interior designer is residential design. I’m an artist, I may not be Picasso, Michelangelo, or Leonardo da vinci, but we all create. Design is my life, my passion, and my pleasure. It goes way beyond throwing a few pillows on a bed; it’s taking a blank canvass (space) and making it accessible. Design with intent, making my client feel every bit as important as the space I’m creating. What I do is amazing in the sense of accessibility and efficiency. On a broader spectrum, design is uniqueness in every step, comfort, and style. I pride myself in knowing and caring about my client’s needs. They get the best every time, but the best can only be described as satisfaction and relief when presented with my skills. I acquire these skills not just as a hobby or something to do, but as my profession and to make my name known. My goal for myself is to one day have an elaborate spread in Architectural Digest and to host my own Design show; Possibilities are endless once you are determined and strong-willed. To dream is never wrong, but waking up from a dream and going back to sleep is inadequate, but waking up and making an effort is key to ones success.