Store Experience

When I went to the Carbondale mall the other day I went with this assignment in mind. The store I chose to visit was American Eagle. I used to shop at American Eagle a lot when I was younger, but haven't recently due to my change in style. American Eagle sells its own line and every article of clothing has their label on it. When I first entered the store I immediately noticed the loud music. It was so loud that I could barely hear what my friends were saying a few feet away from me. The lighting is very bright so the clothes are very easy to see. The mannequins are all dressed up with the clothes that are in the store. They are dressed up as if that outfit on the mannequin is what you should purchase. Usually, retail stores will promote a certain article of clothing and match it with something that goes with it so you purchase the entire outfit instead of just the shirt or skirt. The salespeople in American Eagle are really hard to find. There were only two or three employees working at the time. One was behind the counter and the other was back in the dressing room. It was almost impossible to find another sales person on the floor. American Eagle tries to convey an extremely laid back persona. The pictures throughout the store show models wearing laid back attire and playing sports with their friends. I believe that American Eagle caters to the younger crowd. It targets mostly towards grade school and high school kids. Not so much a college student like myself. The people that are there shopping are high school age kids. I mostly only saw guys shopping at the time. I feel that the salespeople at American Eagle are not really there to help or assist you. It was hard to find someone in the store that could answer my questions, help me with a fitting room, etc. I think that overall American Eagle is doing a great job with their target audience. There were a lot more people shopping there than other stores in the mall such as Aeropostale, which also is targeted towards grade school and high school kids. The only thing they drastically need to change is their customer service and how accommodating they are to shoppers in their store.

Test Questions

1) Which executional framework uses rotoscoping and clay animation?
A)Slice of life
B)Demonstration
C)Animation
D)Testimonial

2) A Media Planner does all of the above except:
A) Conducts research on audience
B)Stays in constant touch with the media reps
C)Matches media with target market
D)Formulates media program that states when and where to place ads

3)Which is not a convenience incentive:
A)Changes your long-term purchase habits
B)Timeliness
C)Easy to locate merchandise
D)Services such as registries or DIY projects

Answers:
1: C
2: B
3: A

Media Diary

Over the past two days, I kept a media diary containing everything I saw in the media. The first thing I do every morning is check my Facebook. While I was checking my Facebook I made a point to be on the lookout for advertisements. I noticed all the advertisements on the side of my Facebook page. I noticed them now but realized that I hardly ever look at the advertisements on the side of my Facebook page. This way of media is not the best way to target my attention. Another thing I noticed was how companies place advertisements before watching clips of television shows online. For example, Hulu always places ads before the start of watching something from T.V. I hardly ever pay attention to commercials on T.V. I usally am doing other things while watching T.V. like doing homework, reading, hanging out with friends, or just doing other things on my computer. I feel that the only time I ever watch or pay attention to commercials is when I am watching T.V. series online because you can't fast-forward through those commercials. I'm more likely to pay attention to commercials that has something to do with things I'm interested in or if they are humorous and entertaining.

Test Questions

1) Which of the following suggests that there are six steps a consumer moves through when making a purchase?

A) Means-end chain
B) Leverage Point
C) Hierarchy of effects model
D) Visual and verbal imaging

2) Which of the following is not an advertising appeal?

A) Humor
B) Language
C) Sex
D) Emotions

3) True of False: The creative Brief has four main parts, the objective, the message theme, the support, and the constraints.

Answers:
(1)C
(2)B
(3)False

Creative Brief for Fast Food Restaurant

Project Title: Healthy Fast Food Everyone Will Love
Target Audience: With the increase of obesity in people ages 15-35, McDonald’s would like to start a campaign that introduces new menu items under 500 calories each. The target audience is men and women ages 15-35.
Product: Introduce sandwiches that are under 500 calories. No dark meat, only white meat. Sandwiches do not include mayo, mustard, or oils and vinegars. Lettuce, tomato, and other fresh veggies will be included on the sandwich. In addition to the already calorie packed salads, no salad dressing or bacon and other ingredients included in the salad.
Price: Sandwich will average around $4.50 a mean. Sandwich is included with small fries and choice of water or juice. Salads will be around $4.00 each.
Promotion: Create new advertisements including commercials, advertisements in magazines/newspapers. The commercial will be targeted towards men and women ages 15-35 with interviews concerning their weight and how they would like to fix it. Advertisements in magazines will be shown in Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and any other magazine targeted towards young adults.
Problems: The menu will still include all of the same items as before plus the new health menu. Some might still wish to buy those old items instead of the new health ones. However, employees at McDonald’s should always ask first if they would like to try a new item from the health menu.

Test 1 Questions

Question 1:
Which does not belong in the acronym SMART?
A) Specific
B) Measurable
C) Achievable
D) Relatable
E) Time Bound

Question 2:
True or False:
Integrated Marketing Communications is the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company.

Question 3:
Which of the following is when the consumer purchases a product and determines it by performance and importance of each attributes like price, style, service, contract?
A) Evoked Set
B) Affect Referral
C) Multiattribute
D) Inept Set

The Persuaders

After watching the video "The Persuaders," I learned a lot more about advertising. First off, I learned about clutter. In the video, the commentator travels through New York City and observes all the advertisements. The commentator describes these advertisements as "clutter". You see these advertisements everywhere including on buildings, in public bathrooms, in menus at restaurants, on modes of transportation like buses or trains, and even in the golf holes on a golf course. Too many advertisements are being shown to the public that it begins to lack any emotional appeal to its viewers. Also, companies will do almost anything to gain viewers or consumers to purchase their product. Clutter seems to be one of the main issues in advertising. In addition, advertisements are becoming harder to get across. Some compaines feel that a 30 second time slot during commercial breaks are not long enough. Advertisers feel that companies are paying more and getting less. The invention of things such as Tivo make it harder for advertisments to be viewed. When television shows get recorded on Tivo, viewers typically fast forward through the commercials to get back to the show. Those commercials are being skipped which means advertisers are losing money. Some of the ethical concerns that we all need to be aware of are how some of these commercials are being portrayed. Advertisers need to have the consumers interests first, and if they don't then the advertisment will fail. Also, companies need to put ethos first in order for advertisments to succeed.