Week 3 EOC: My Demographics - MINE

“The U.S. population stood at over 305 million by the end of 2008 and may reach almost 364 million by the year 2030. The single most important demographic trend in the United States is the changing age structure of the population. The U.S. population contains several generational groups…the three largest groups [being] the baby boomers, Generation X, and the Millennials.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 71) 

“The post–World War II baby boom produced 78 million baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Over the years, the baby boomers have been one of the most powerful forces shaping the marketing environment.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 71) I wasn’t born between 1946 and 1964, I was born in 1992, so I’m obviously too young to be called a baby boomer and be among their group.

“The baby boom was followed by a “birth dearth,” creating another generation of 49 million people born between 1965 and 1976. Author Douglas Coupland calls them Generation X because they lie in the shadow of the boomers and lack obvious distinguishing characteristics.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 73) Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1976. Although I was not born around that time, I am somewhat like Generation Xers. According to Marketing: An Introduction, Generation Xers: “seek success, [but] are less materialistic; they prize experience, not acquisition.”, “For many of the Gen Xers that are parents, family comes first—both children and their aging parents—and career second.”, and finally, “They tend to research products before they consider a purchase, preferring quality over quantity, and they tend to be less receptive to overt marketing pitches.”

Millennials: “Born between 1977 and 2000, these children of the baby boomers number 83 million, dwarfing the Gen Xers and larger even than the baby boomer segment.” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 73) Though in ways I am like the Generation Xers – probably because I was raised by Generation Xers – I feel like I would fit in better with the Millennials because they are my generation and, “This group includes several age cohorts: tweens (aged 9–12), teens (13–18), and young adults (19–32).” (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 73)

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

“U.S. videogame industry sales fell 10% in June, as the sector continues to suffer from online competition and tepid consumer demand. Sales of new videogame hardware, software and accessories dropped to $995 million from $1.11 billion in the year-earlier month, according to NPD Group. “ (http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110715-706990.html) Obviously, the video game industry isn’t doing as well as it used to, but at the same time it’s expanding. With phones becoming “smarter”, and access to devices where one can play video games becoming wider, more and more game developers are attempting to make games that are not only more easily accessible – cheap, handheld, apps – but that can also be big hits. A great example of one these games is Angry Birds.  “With a combined 250 million downloads across all platforms the game has been called “the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far”. (http://www.abstract-thoughts.com/tech/angry-birds-factsfigures-links-for-all-platforms/) And it only took eight months to be created by only four people. Looking at the video game industry with the Boston Consulting Group Approach, I’d say older versions of consoles, like the original xboxs and playstations are the dogs because not many people buy them anymore. The question marks are the video games for the consoles because they require a lot of money to make them, and more (for ads) to increase their sales. Big hit video games on the other hand are cash cows for game consoles. If there aren’t good video games for a console, let’s say the Wii, then not many people are going to buy them. Consoles need hits so that people take interest and buy them to play the video game. So big hits produce a lot of money for the consoles. And at the moment I’d have to say handheld games, like Angry Birds, are the stars because they are cheap, fun, and are getting a lot of attention. And according to an analysis, “the market for apps on mobile devices such as phones and tablets has come into its own as a part of the entertainment content market.” (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35923/Analysis_Is_The_US_Video_Game_Industry_Really_Declining.php).

Bryan Ramirez

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

"Many sellers make the mistake of paying more attention to the specific products they offer than to the benefits and experiences produced by these products. These sellers suffer from marketing myopia. They are so taken with their products that they focus only on existing wants and lose sight of underlying customer needs. They forget that a product is only a tool to solve a consumer problem."(Marketing: An Introduction, pg. 7) Selling very popular and great products, Apple can easily be one of these companies. But, they have proven to me that they are not like that at all. Yes they are professional, but they are also very friendly. In the year 2010 when the iPhone 4 was going to come out, I was one of the many who waited outside their store to get it first, and what Apple did when the sun came out in the early morning was unexpected to me. They got their employees to run outside and get us even more excited and then offered us free breakfast! They also provided people with umbrellas because after the sun came out it was clearly getting hotter outside, which doesn't make customers waiting in a long line all night feel any better. And they even paid people to give out small ice creams, also free! Apple really did their best to show their customers hospitality with their positivity and refreshments. That, to me, is really caring about your customers and a great way to show it. And to this day, I consider that one of my best great customer service experiences ever.