Dr. Johnson's Scenario Questions

I believe John should sell the names. It would not only benefit the purchaser but as well as him and his entire company. After reading the AMA Statement of Ethics, I was able to find two sections of it, that deals with John's issue. The first is under the Fairness section which reads " Avoid knowing participation in conflicts of interest.
Seek to protect the private information of customers, employees and partners." John is doing exactly the opposite of that, because now he is giving up that private information that his customers gave him, so that he can make some money to save his company. Also under the Respect category it reads " Treat everyone, including our competitors, as we would wish to be treated." This is in mostly every companies statement of ethics, and John isn't following this rule either. I'm sure he wouldn't want his name released to a car dealership just because he filled out a simple survey. Now these people that thought their information was kept private will start to receive phone calls asking about their interest in a new car. So after reading all this, if I was in John's shoes and had no other real options to save the company then I would be forced to sell the names.

Response to Doug Kendalls Post

Multiple companies offer deals for buying in bundle or signing up for contracts with them, can you provide examples of any? Do you think phone companies are taking advantage of their customers? What marketing techniques do you think cell phone companies used to make texts become so popular, and what techniques could they use to possibly make even more money from this service?


The one deals that I see from both Verizon and AT&T, is buy a phone get another free. Seems like a good deal when first looked at because obviously your getting two phones for the price of one. But the catch is that both phones have to sign a something like a 2 year contract, which is tough because something could happen where you want to switch but cant. If you try to end the contract early, you will find out that their is an "early termination" fee which can range from anywhere from 50-100 dollars. I do believe that cell phone companies can take advantage of you, especially if you are new to the cell phone world. I currently have the same plan as Doug with unlimited texting, and I am glad Verizon offered this to their customers. I probably could send and receive 50 texts on a daily basis.

Sherwin Williams Target Market

After reading chapter 7 about target markets, I tried to look at our company SW to see what their target market would be. I believe their main target markets is obviously contractors, but as well middle aged individuals because their product is expensive. I feel our age would be more likely to get paint and either Home D or Walmart. I think its because we have always grown up with these big box stores and having everything we need. As to someone a bit older, who grew up when it was just small local hardware stores, where when you walk in you feel welcomed and everyone knows everyone. Although I can say I have gotten paint from Sherwin Williams for my house, but it was because I was with my dad, who always gets his paints from Sherwin Williams, even though there is a Home Depot much closer to our house. I know SW wants to target the younger market because we saw that in class, with them unveiling two facebook groups to attract the younger crowd. Do you think that this is a good business move for SW? How do you suppose that they go about trying to attract to a younger target market?

In Response to Jason Rury's Post

Will scanning bar codes and taking pictures out of magazines be a new fad/trend practiced by consumers?


I believe that it will become somewhat of a hit with people that have the technology and money to do it. I don't see if becoming a huge trend because there are so many people around the globe with regular cell phones, and not smart phones. If they come up with a different way so that all phones can do it, or start to make cheaper smart phones and not charge an extra $30 a month, then I could see it getting big. But with our rapid advancement in technology, we really never know whats next. If you were or currently are a smart phone owner, could you see yourself actually taking part of this new tech fad and get your coupons and advertisements through your phone?

Questions from Readings

1)What are some of the benefits of direct mail compared to electronic means of marketing?
2)Bar codes seem so promising, but what are some of the possible concerns with their use?
3)Do you think e-marketing techniques will replace traditional forms of marketing?
4)Besides the types of business and examples that are mentioned in the article, what are some other companies who would benefit from direct mail efforts? How would they benefit?


When comparing direct mail to electronic mail, it is easy to see the negatives and positives. I think the most beneficial thing about direct mail is that it gives the consumer a personal connection with your company. Also I believe people delete emails within seconds by just reading the subject line. If they actually get something in the mail that’s tangible, more often than not they will at least look at it. Although direct mail is more time consuming and costly, it could be worth it in the end. When reading the article about bar code advertising, I was very intrigued because I haven’t heard of such a thing. I believe that a huge concern is that not everyone has the phone capabilities to access these advertisements. And I am skeptical that for the ones that do have correct phones, how many will take the time to download the software and actually use it when reading a magazine. It is neat to think that they are trying to combine magazines advertisements with the internets. To think that one day e-marketing will take over the more traditional forms of marketing just shows you how much we have advanced with technology. I believe that one day it could become the only form of marketing because of the technology we have, but I don’t believe that will happen anytime soon. Everyone is so used to the traditional ways, that it would be hard to totally eliminate all of them, as some companies are so called “old school” and won’t ever switch to e-marketing. I believe companies such as fast food chains, supermarkets, and small business would benefit from direct mail. Everyone enjoys coupons along with an advertisement, and these typed of companies have been doing this for years. People are more likely to just clip coupons out while reading the paper or magazine, rather than log onto the internet to print out coupons. It would greatly benefit them because although it might cost a bit more then e-marketing, the proof is in the pudding that traditional ways of marketing really are worth the cost. Do you often get emails for sales or discounts, and actually act on them and use them? Out of all the ways to market a product, which way do you think makes the most sense?

In Response to Liz's Post

Do you think that by Nike continuing to sponsor Tiger Woods they are making a statement that they approve of what he did?


I don't believe just because Nike is continuing its sponsorship with Tiger that they approve his actions. I believe that they are in it for the business aspect and are willing to give Tiger a second chance, to return to the role model he once was. It will take a lot of time for some people to get over what he did, but in reality its none of anyone's business besides Tiger and his wife Elin. Nike knows what he is capable of when he returns, and they don't want to look him. They are paying him 18 million a year to endorse their products, and it is by far worth every penny. Even though he isn't even playing golf right now, Nike is still making money off his clothing, although sales could currently be down. What do you think Tiger should do in the upcoming months? During his live apology Friday morning, he never gave a straight answer to when he would return to golf. Do you believe it is in Tiger's best interest to come back to golf asap? Perhaps for the Masters?

E-Marketing: Pricing Online

When reviewing several web sites for our HW, I came across several product catalogs that were available to view right there on their site. But when I came to the Sherwin Williams product browser all it had was the products name. It didn't really give a good description of the item, nor did it have a price. I was surprised, but then got to thinking that maybe they did this as a way to get customers to come into the store. Because most likely if you can't find it online, you will be able to take the trip to the store to find out, which Sherwin Williams believes will increase sales. I tend to think that if they added pricing and even an option to order on their site, then go to the store to pick it up, would also be a valuable option. What do you think of ordering products over the internet? Do you expect to see prices online when looking through a product catalog?