BOC Week 10 - Les Paul

It is June 9th and today is Les Paul's birthday. Do you know who THEE Les Paul is? Les Paul has changed this world with his creativity and originality through his songs as a musician, as well as a songwriter. He is known as the Father of electric guitars which made what we know today as Rock 'n' Roll. He experimented with overdubbing, delay effects, tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording. It was then where everyone had the attention on these new ideas and him as an artist. He has been with us since June 9, 1915 until August 12, 2009. Historically, music was evolved through him throughout the decades. I send my respects to Les Paul.

Google's page for today is a guitar in remembrance to Les Paul. You can record and play the virtual guitar. Here's my make of it!  http://goo.gl/doodle/QAuw

EOC Week 9: Creative Content

So far for my creative content I have come up with a bottle design. It'll look like it's sliced in the middle and moved over to the side.The reasoning for it is because for my Buzz Vodka it's the "disorienting thrill." The color of the bottle is going to be clear. But also because the color of the bottle will stand out against other bottles at the bar. I'm going to use Adobe Illustrator and/or Photoshop to create my design. If I have more time, I'm also thinking about doing a commercial to advertise my vodka. It won't be a a very long commercial, probably around 10-15 seconds.  The commercial will be someone trying to buy either a bottle or a cup of Buzz and as soon as they touch it, they get shocked and their hair will be electrified and then the person will smile.

EOC Week 9: Three Great Mission Statements

"A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an “invisible hand” that guides people in the organization." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler printed page 39)


"It is our responsibility to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural, hand selected Vodka and with a continued commitment to incorporate wholesome, all natural ingredients and promote business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment. Which in turn, will give you the most natural experience On the Rocks." I like Keri's Business Statement because the name literally explains exactly what the experience is going to be. I like that it's taking an environmental ground and that it makes it seem like it's so natural like water. "The mission of Verb Vodka is to give a quality beverage to accent a good time, as well as promoting responsibility when consuming alcoholic beverages and participating in sexual activities." Grover's Business Statement is right to the point and is already upfront about letting you know that VERB is what you do and promoting sexually that it is a verb to do while drinking VERB vodka. "IN-SEASON Vodka celebrates life on every level. You are fascinated by the freshness that comes with this Strawberry flavored spirit, from the smoothness and subtleness as it hits your pallete.The complexity of the freshly distilled strawberries draw out and complements the flavors of whatever is mixed with. Add to that the distinctly clean finish of and absence of alcohol burn, and you have the most celebrated vodka cocktail experience IN-SEASON takes great pride in all the fine detail that comes with this product, aside from the freshness,and the uniqueness about the bottle packaging and presentation." I also liked Luis' Business Statement because it's advertising the "cool" factor and "what's in". I also like the fact that it says that you experience the non-burning of alcohol in your throat.

Implementation Evaluation Control

"Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 39) Here at Buzz Vodka we will maintain close relationships with our bars and nightclubs (where the scene is taking place) through our networkers and our marketing teams. We believe we can take control of what people want as well as providing what we produce. "Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed."  (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 39)

Marketing Mix: Price

"Pricing may play an important role in helping to accomplish company objectives at many levels. A firm can set prices to attract new customers or to profitably retain existing ones. It can set prices low to prevent competition from entering the market or set prices at competitors’ levels to stabilize the market."(Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler; 9 Pricing Understanding and Capturing Customer ...; pg. 18 of 59) Based on the fact that our distribution is going to be strictly selective to only bars and nightclubs, our price range will not be cheap, but will not be super expensive either. We don't want people to think that cheap means it's not that good, and also on the contrary that if it's expensive, that noone will buy it. Therefore, our bottle price for Buzz Vodka will be $24.99. It's an affordable price for an exclusive experience to Buzz in and Buzz out. "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. Instead, they may rely on certain cues that signal whether a price is high or low" (Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition pg 292)

Marketing Mix: Distribution

"In some markets, the distribution system is complex and hard to penetrate, consisting of many layers and large numbers of intermediaries." Armstrong & Kotler (2011). Marketing: An Introduction, 10th Ed. Prentice Hall Publishing pg 325. The way the we are going to distribute Buzz Vodka is fairly exclusive. It's not going to be available at any store of convenience. We want to value the Buzz experience for certain occasions and locations. Buzz Vodka will only be available at bars, nightclubs, and party-type surroundings. We feel that Buzz is not for an everyday house party; it is to disorient your thrill of excitement with others, especially those you don't know so well. Have fun. You'll be looking forward to Buzz in and Buzz out. "Exclusive distribution also enhances the brand’s image and allows for higher markups.( Marketing: An introduction; Armstong/Kotler; 10 Marketing Channels Delivering Customer Value;page 25 of 50)"

Marketing Mix: Promotion

"Sales promotions are usually used together with advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, or other promotion mix tools. Consumer promotions must usually be advertised and can add excitement and pulling power to ads."(Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler; 13 Personal Selling and Sales Promotion; page 38 of 49) Our promotions for Buzz Vodka are going to be radio commercials, TV commercials, magazine ads and billboard ads. The key to all our promoting will be the our "disorienting thrill." On our TV commercials, once you touch the bottle, you get electrified, both literally and emotionally from anything that may worry you. Our goal is to make sure you Buzz in with us to Buzz out bad energy. "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)

Marketing Mix: Product

"Product is Anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. "Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition pg. 208. Buzz Vodka is made from 100% hand cut, three-strand wheat, and distilled six times. Only water from the natural aquifers in the Netherlands mixes it for the distillation process. After distilled, it's then blended with our unique caffeine and guarana formula. These processes ensure no additional flavors, sugar, or carbohydrates. Specialty products are consumer products and services with unique characteristics or brand identification for which a significant group of buyers is willing to make a special purchase effort." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 8) Buzz Vodka is 80-proof (40% Alcohol by volume).
"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

A marketing strategy consists of specific strategies for target markets, positioning, the marketing mix, and marketing expenditure levels."(2 Company and Marketing Strategy Partnering to ... ; Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler; pg 33). For Buzz Vodka, our target audience is both male and females and of ages from 21-45. More particularly targeting the younger crowd because we know that the youth look for excitement and to have a good time. The journey and experience of the "disorienting thrill" does just that. "After a company has defined market segments, it can enter one or many of these segments. Market targeting involves evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter. A company should target segments in which it can profitably generate the greatest customer value and sustain it over time" (Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 50).

SWOT Analysis

"The marketer should conduct a SWOT analysis, by which it evaluates the company’s overall strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T). Strengths include internal capabilities, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives."(Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler; 2 Company and Marketing Strategy Partnering to ... pg. 31) SWOT Analysis is a useful marketing technique for understanding the companies or brands Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you, and the Threats you face as a business. "Planning good strategies is only a start toward successful marketing. A brilliant marketing strategy counts for little if the company fails to implement it properly."(Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions p. 57) The Strength for Buzz Vodka is that it will let you feel completely free from anything that is bringing you down. It'll energize you and will make you feel alive. The weakness is that the caffeinated part is not that healthiest but energy drinks sell very well on an everyday basis, so in a way, even though it's our weakness, it doesn't mean it's not going to sell. "Managing the marketing function begins with a complete analysis of the company’s situation." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 34) 

Objectives

"Within individual business units, marketing designs strategiesfor reaching the unit’s objectives. Once the unit’s objectives are set, marketing’s task is to help carry them out profitably." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 17) The objective for Buzz Vodka is to have the utmost good time. It doesn't matter where you are and what your state of mind is; Buzz Vodka will give you the "disorienting thrill." Your current surroundings will seem enjoyable nomatter at all times! It will make you overcome your fears, electrifying you with self control. "These objectives should be based on past decisions about the target market, positioning, and the marketing mix, which define the job that advertising must do in the total marketing program. The overall advertising objective is to help build customer relationships by communicating customer value." - Marketing: An Introduction; Armstrong/Kotler pg 19

Business Mission Statement

" A mission statement is a statement of the organization's purpose-what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an "invisible hand" that guides people in the organization."(Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, page 5) Here at Buzz Vodka we believe that sometimes you just need a little help to liven your mood. We know that life can be disorienting, but that's why Buzz Vodka is here to give you a "disorienting thrill" to stabilize your fun by Buzz-ing in. It's double your pleasure with the pre-added caffeine for a long-lasting, electrifying effect. Buzz in and Buzz out. "A mission statement is a statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A clear mission statement acts as an “invisible hand” that guides people in the organization." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler printed page 39)

EOC Week 8: What Makes My Vodka Special?

My vodka, Buzz Vodka, is unique because it's more than an escape of reality like other alcohol products. Buzz Vodka lets you live life to the fullest, without any restraints or fears. Unlike most vodkas, Buzz Vodka is caffeinated. Not to a dangerous amount, but enough to get you "buzzed" faster than normally. It'll bring you a "disorienting thrill" while you enjoy your surrounding much better, with no limitations.

EOC Week 7: Vodka - Pitch

For marketing class our final project is to create a new Vodka: name, tagline, design, etc. My vodka is going to be called Buzz "The disorienting thrill. Buzz in and Buzz out." It's going to be caffeinated as well. It's the vodka that will get you energized like you haven't been before. It'll make you enjoy your current surrounding and it'll free you for the "disorienting thrill". The design of the bottle is going to throw you off with the middle of the bottle sliced to the side. It'll also have a 3D type illusion on the bottle as well. 

EOC Week 6: Me x 3

Let's talk about 3 things I religiously buy and why. Number 1. American Eagle jeans because being a woman, clothes is not the easiest thing to deal with. Different brands and different stores have different fits to every body type. These jeans fit me best and I rarely buy jeans from anywhere else. It's the first place I look and think of to accomplish the need to have clothes but also to satisfy my need to feel comfortable. Number 2. Electronics. Ever since a young age I have always been fascinated with electronics as a general. Being involved with Audio, I have started to build up my own workstation and the bare essentials to make it possible to do work. Earlier this year I purchased the AKG Perception 420 Condenser microphone. Upon making a decision on which microphone to purchase, I considered polar patterns, frequency response and cost. A huge part of my decision was that I wanted it to come enclosed in a case, not a pouch. This AKG 420 came with a metal case. When buying a microphone, frequency response is essential. The 420 has a incredibly flat line frequency response for all 3 polar patterns that can be changed to. It has a -20dB pad and also a high pass filter. Also, instead of buying a condenser mic with just a cardioid pattern, this comes with all 3: Cardioid, Omni and Figure 8...3 mics in one. Cost was very important. I was able to buy it for only $195. A great mic can easily cost from $300-$1,000. This was a great purchase. I love that mic and the way it sounds. Number 3. The Zoom H4n hand recorder. I recently purchased this about 3 weeks ago. I was considering getting a better hand recorder than the one that I already have so I researched and also by word of mouth, I was recommended with the H4n. This recorder has 2 mics built in which you can change the angles to either 90 degrees, or 120 degrees. On top of that, it has 2 mic/line inputs to directly record from a microphone. You can have a stereo recording, 2-channel, or multitrack. That's major because you can have up to 4 microphones to record just off that recorder. On top of that you can set your recording to true stereo or have a mono mix. It was $300. For the work that I do and intend to do to gather sound FX and have it with me, it was a great buy.

EOC Week 5: Sony Sleuths - Marketing

Have you heard of Sony's big time news across the world? Sony has been hacked twice through the Playstation 3 stations. Their server has been down for weeks now. At first they didn't even bother to tell anyone that it was down and when they did, they didn't admit that personal and credit card information have been stolen as well. "Sony, in a letter to members of Congress released Wednesday, said the hacker or hackers deleted any traces of their attack, which is regarded as one of the biggest data breaches to date." How is Sony currently handling this? And what are they going to do to fix it? "Sony described in a letter to Congress the 'large-scale cyberattack' that pried loose personal informational on more than 100 million of it's online gaming accounts." How long can the people hold out on playing their games and interaction with the Playstation 3? If I were Sony, I would rebuild their system ENTIRELY with new codes and security systems so that it prevents this from happening again, twice. Besides rebuilding a whole new system, I think they need to build their trust and relationships with everyone again. By doing so, everything needs to be FREE. Games should be free unlimited, until further decided, so that people can have a reason to actually consider playing with an "unsafe" network again. Not only will Sony build their relationships back but now with people who didn't have a Playstation 3 before will consider buying one because these games are free. "Whether those who participated in the denial-of-services attacks were conspirators or whether they were simply duped into providing cover for a very clever thief, we may never know," Sony said. In conclusion, Sony needs to get their act together to revive their product and name and build their customer relationships both old and new.

EOC Week 4: There's an App For That

One of the largest high growing things in the market are Apps for cell phones, iPods and iPad. Not only are Apps fun and useful but even better that the majority of them are free. In not, it'll only cost you $0.99 for most applications. If I had to choose three Apps that the world needs would be 1. A GPS of some sort. The iPhone has a defaulted one with Google Maps, as well with Andriod phones. Personally I prefer the MapQuest App, which is free, and it is excellent. You can decide how it will calculate distances if you're in a car driving, or even if you're walking. It can talk to you at loud like a real GPS would. It's a great App because you'll never be lost wherever you are or may be. 2. A camera to camera interaction, such as Skype or FaceTime because it's a way the world can connect to each other in different locations from place to place to have that face to face acknowledgement. If an App can do that without having to have a computer in front of you, then it's definitely an App worthwhile and important to have. Lastly but not least 3. Pandora. A music App where you can listen to selected genres of music and artists at anytime and anywhere. Music is a huge part of everyone whether you realize it or not. It's what sets our mood and how it makes us feel. Music also connects people to each other; it's how we interact and can relate to one another through its storytelling. With those three Apps our lives can be golden.

EOC Week 3: Making Money for Good

Do you think there is something more than just making money? YES! There is such a thing as making money for good. Keeper Springs natural spring water exists for the purpose of restoring local waterways. They give 100% of their profit back to keep America’s waterways safe and clean for future generations. One of the most popular products worldwide that we know this to be true is (PRODUCT). The product (RED) is a charitable organization wehre they partner up with businesses that will specialize in (RED) products and will give up 50% of their profits to the Global Fund to invest in HIV and AIDS programs. Some of the recognized partners would include Apple, Converse, Dell, Gap, Hallmark, Nike and Starbucks. The Global Fund was created in 2002 and has committed $21.7 billion to lifesaving programs in 150 countries. This (RED) product is mostly associated with clothes and shoes, although it has a wide variety of accessories, bags, jewelry and electronics that are made too. Another company that I recently learned that money is made for good is with the TOMS shoes. With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. "One for one." Philanthropist Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS upon a visit to Argentina and was astounded by how many people, especially little children, were in need of shoes living off their bare feet. He came back to the US and gathered a small team to create a shoe that was stylistic with only the necessary means to make a simple shoe. The examples of these two organizations are what give life meaning by giving back to the community. Not only by buying things accomodate our wants and needs in our everyday lives, but the lives of others around the world are being drastically changed with a simple, minuscule purchase. It makes me feel important to know that I'm doing something good with every purchase I make but it's better that the people in greatly need of help feel important too in the world.

EOC Week 3: My Demographics

I fall into the category group that's called "Millennials". This gap of people were born between 1977 and 2000. I was born in 1988, a little less than the middle of that group. According to what we are known for from our book, we love and are fascinated with technology. We "have in common utter fluency and comfort with digital technology" (pg 17). This is absolutely 100% true. It all started when I was little when I knew how to navigate through a computer. From then on technology was becoming more advanced and popular where satellite TVs and cellphones and iPods boomed right in front of my eyes and it was normal to easily become aware of the newest technology and how easily I was able to navigate through all these devices. Our world is so wrapped up with the newest and fastest technology that there's no way anyone, even I, could survive without it. In my opinion, technology is great but unfortunately it's something that we depend so much on that slowly us as human beings are deteriorating from having our full ability to speak orally correctly. One thing that my generation lacks, including myself, is communication and interaction. We'd rather text or email instead of expressing ourselves verbally and we do struggle with that because of technology and the way we grew up with it, having it constantly be our communication medium. How many times do you have to check your phone within 5 mins? I know I check it too many times to count, just to see if anything new has happened even though you know nothing has. What's going to become of our future? How much lazier are we going to become because of how technology affects us? As much as I LOVE technology, I also hate it equally for all those reasons.

EOC Week 2: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

According to the Boston Consulting Group items can be analyzed both by market growth rate and relative market share, which are defined by the following four categories: Star, Question Mark, Cash Cow, and Dog. The Star has a high market growth and a high market share. Essentially you'd want a Star for an item to be completely successful. An example of a Star item would be Apps for the iPhone. "There are some $200 million worth of applications sold in Apple's iPhone store every month, or about $2.4 billion a year" (Om Malik). It's completely successful, convenient and it works. An example of a Question Mark would be Nintendo's Wii; it has a high growth rate, but a low market share. "Worldwide sales of the [Wii] have nearly reach 30 million - not that much less than Xbox 360 and PS3 sales combined" (Tom Bramwell). Lots of households have a Wii but is it really making money?? No, we're waiting on the next big thing that we can do with it. Xbox would fall under the Cash Cow because it has a high market share but low growth rate. An Xbox forum online stated that "Xbox's market share has jumped 4% in the Japanese Market." Not many people own Xbox's, therefore there is no growth but because of their popular games Call of Duty series, their market share is high. Lastly, a console that would be considered a Dog is the Nintendo DS. It has a low market growth rate and a low market share. Not many people own DS's because there really isn't anything that exciting that make people want to pick it up and play with it. Therefore concluding that there's no growth leading to a low market share. Video games are not that popular anymore because phone applications are what's making money and growing day by day. 

EOC Week 1: Great Customer Service

I want to share with you a great customer service experience that I have encountered recently. Considering that I need to develop my own workstation at home for all my work, I have, a little ashamed, seemed to be on a shopping spree for a few of audio equipment lately. I contemplate on the pros and cons of buying equipment whether it's a necessity or a desire, because in this economy, you have to triple think about spending money. With the new release of Pro Tools 9, I decided to crossgrade from LE to 9. Within that same week I ordered new studio monitors (Yamaha SM50ms) which I lacked, and also bought a new set of headphones (Sony MDR-7506) for mixing. To buy all these new and exciting toys, I decided to purchase them through Sweetwater.com. What I didn't know before I made these purchases with them for the first time is the customer service they provide. Shortly after I clicked "checkout", I had already received an email from the Senior Sales Engineer letting me know I needed to show proof that I am a student to be able to get the student discount for the crossgrade. He then also called me and left a message explaining the same thing verbally. I called him back and settled everything. He was extremely nice and helpful. Within days upon my arrival with all my goodies, I have received THREE calls from him randomly to check up on me and that all that I purchased was working fine. "Customer relationships and value are especially important in today's tough economic times, when more frugal consumers are cutting back and spending more carefully" (Marketing 4). I believe that this is true and through my experience with Sweetwater, I have their trust and value their direction with customer service.

EOC Week 1: My Voice

Hello everyone! My name is Norell Garcia and I am currently practicing and applying my skills as an audio professional at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. In the process of finding my niche and what I want to do to contribute my work and passion, I have excited my juices within me to love and admire audio. I have come to acknowledge the importance of audio in post-production scenarios with precision and quality that make music and film a great piece of art. Two standard industry programs I use are Avid's Pro Tools and Media Composer. I have worked with some Digital Audio Workstations such as the Control 24, DigiDesign 002, Yamaha MG166cx, Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro, and the SSL Duality. With these operators and mediums, I record, edit and master my work. I enjoy the process of putting something together where I can utilize my organization and unique ideas for a successful final product. I especially love the craft and artistry of Foley and Sound Design. My work seems less like work because it's fun and enjoyable for me. Feel free to follow me via Twitter/norellgarcia or email me at norell.audio@gmail.com!