RCS 362 Reflection

I will say that I learned a more out of this class than I thought. And in reality, just about everything that I learned in RCS 362, has in some way, shape, or form connected with my MKT 424 Consumer Behavior class. True, it is a marketing class, but I believe that it tied in everything to make more sense of what was taught in RCS 362. I enjoyed the class discussions which helped to cause what was taught, to be applied to everyday life situations. With that being said, I think I am ready for RCS 261...I think.

Black Friday

So, clearly Black Friday has been done and over with for some time, but I thought that I would reflect on it from my stand point. I work for a store called FlyButter Boutique. In the store we sell men's and women's clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Even though we had $5 off hats, $10 off all jeans, 25% off of purses, and so on...business was not as great for us. Why? Well the reason I believe is that people were so caught up with sales as larger locations, that they didn't take the time to think about how they could purchase the same types of items for a much lower price. So, the conclusion that that experience has shown me is that, it's not always about marketing and the advertisements...it's about consumer behavior as well. It's about why a consumer buys or does not buy a particular item. It amazes me how people (especially in Greensboro, NC)want to look the part of living a glamorous life, but don't want to pay the price for it...it does work that way...all the time.

RCS 362 Exam...

So, oh my gosh, I didn't get every question on the exam correct, but I feel as though it went well overall. I really appreciate the exam review that was given the week of Thanksgiving...it really helped. There were a few questions that stomped me, but for the most part, everything was clear and straight to the point.

Class Presentations

I must say that I enjoyed everyone's presentations through out the 3 day process:-) I can honestly say that I learned some new information that I did not know before. I appreciated the groups that went out of their comfortzones and did companies like Kodak. Since the majority of everyone in the class are retailing majors, it was nice to see people apply what we have learned to different areas and fields of life. But, I will say that the Kodak group was the one that stood out to me the most. The reason being is because, they didn't do clothing, they presented themselves as an actual ad agency, and they were very professional. It's presentations like that, that makes professor happy...I'm sure. So, kodos to that group.

NYTimes News vs. BBC News

I guess I can already say that my opinion of this particular subject is bias. I have honestly never heard of BBC news...am I wrong for that? Perhaps, but because of that simple fact, I can already say that I favor MYTimes better. Why? you make ask. Well, one because it's familar and I have a connection with it. The connection is that it makes me think of a pariotic vibe. For example, some people feel that same connection because of events like 9/11. It just makes you feel as though the information that they provide is accurate that you can trust. And I think that, that is the main issue. People want to be apart of what's going on around the world, it's just that they are looking for a source that they can trust and rely on.

Real Beauty...Where Is It?

I'm all about exposing our society for the type of people that we can be. The above DOVE commercial, I must say is one of the best "tell all" commercials that I've ever soon. The whole purpose of this was to show the women of today and the upcoming women (who are currently little girls in middle school) of today that real beauty is natural. Now, please don't get me wrong, I am pro-make-up. I wear it...just not everyday...mainly on special occasions.

But I think that people have gotten this twisted idea that real beauty is what we see on the TV and in magazines...the truth is, it's the complete opposite. So, I commend DOVE for opening our eyes to the type of world that we are really living in.

The Size of the Package

In chapter 7 of our textbook, we talked about packaging...a very important piece because if your product or service is not viewed to the consumer as appealing, then you're not going to sell that product or service. Lets take McDonald's for instance. The commercials that they make are apart of their package. The purposely make the fries, drinks, and burgers to look extra-juicy, delicious, and everything that our minds think that those items will be when we eat them. But, then when we get to the stores...they look nothing like the pictures. But, McDonald's still did their job of getting you to the store.