In Response to Nikki Perry

Many opponents to this are arguing that it would “take away from the area of pristine beauty and change the region’s historic character.”  In my opinion the wind turbines would be slightly visible off the shores and not take away from the beauty of the ocean.  Even if they were more prominent in the view I would stand for them, if it meant lowering the use of fossil fuels.  I have heard many people say that wind turbines are ugly, recently there were 2 constructed at the community college in my hometown, and there was a lot of criticism.  I don’t understand how anyone could complain about how something looks when it is in fact providing energy and is overall good for the environment.  Would you criticize something because of how it looked?

I 100% agree with Nikki on the use of wind turbines. I think this is a resourceful thing thing, that the US should install these wind turbines in more places than we already have. A few years ago I went on vacation to California and saw wind turbines in-person for the first time. This is how lots of places in the beautiful state of California get their main source of energy. There are numerous large hills that are covered with them. I believe this is an ingenious way to save money and to lower the use of fossil fuels. In my hometown, Wrentham, MA, we have one wind turbine and it's great! It generates so much power. Personally, I don't understand why people think they are an eyesore; an added bonus is that they are pretty much silent when in operation. Another place that I have seen them in our area in on the drive to Sunapee Mountain.

I think wind turbines should be supported way more than they are currently. I don't buy in to them "ruining the view" or anything like that. Having these turbines would cut costs for many different things and could ultimately lower many citizen's costs on utilities in places that have wind turbines. Also, I think that they should go ahead with the wind farm off the coast of Nantucket. For those who disagree with it, they just need to see that there are many more positives that will come out of the wind farm than negatives.

Product Placement In Spears' New Video

Recently Britney Spears came out with a music video for her new single, "Hold It Against Me." Growing up with Britney Spears songs all over the radio and always being excited to see what she has in-store for her videos, I was anxious to see what she would do this time. Personally, I always like her music videos and her songs get stuck in my head easily; just like "Hold It Against Me" has been since I first heard it this past January. When I first saw her new video I was strangely disappointed. Besides it not being as creative and entertaining as her many other music videos, there was too much obvious and in-your-face advertisement for a few different products. Watch the "Hold It Against Me" music video below:

It has been reported by NYDailyNews.com, as well as other sites, that Spears received $500,000 for product placement in her video for "Hold It Against Me." Products that were featured were Sony, Radiance perfume, Make Up Forever cosmetics, and Plentyoffish.com. In Britney's new video it is hard to even notice anything else besides the overload of product placement. Each time one of these products is used in the music video the camera zooms in to show the brand label. It is so over done that at one point the Sony label takes up your entire television screen.

Do you think this is a good way for music artists to make money? There will always be product placement in music videos and movies but there are ways of doing it so that it doesn't bombard the viewer and is not obnoxious. What are some ways that product placement can be done more efficiently?   

New Marketing Route For Disney

I recent found an article in the New York Times about Disney and their new target market - newborns. 'Disney Baby' is a new roue that Disney is taking. In 580 maternity hospitals all around the US there is a Disney representative that comes and gives the new mother and her newborn a brand new Disney Cuddly Bodysuit. These bodysuits are completely free! They also come with the incentive to sign up for their emailing list that send out promotions for new mothers. Soon these baby bodysuits will come with formula and other staples needed for newborns.

Disney has never gone down this road before. Generally their products are geared towards children of all ages but now they are specifying their new target market of newborns. This could generate billions of new income for Disney. The Disney brand has always been trusted and welcomed into homes all over the world with open arms. Having this loyal brand produce for newborns will entice mothers so also but Disney stuff for their toddlers as well as their newborn babies.

I believe this is a good step for Disney and will generate an abundance of good feedback from consumers. Do you think this is a good step for Disney? What are some ways that you think Disney could build upon this new endeavor? Also, do you think there could be any downfalls?

Read more: Disney Looking Into Cradle For Customers

In Response to Abby Hajec

The controversy is whether this ruined the Groupon name or if it is actually helping them generate sales. In my personal opinion, people are very clearly talking about this controversy, which will lead them to the companies website. I believe they have a mission accomplished: people know about them now. Whether it is a good advertisement or a negative one, they were able to generate commotion. What do you think? After watching the three commercials below, do you think they crossed the line? Or were they creative with their mockery?

I completely agree with Abby; the Groupon commercials during the Superbowl were offensive and harsh. I remember seeing these particular commercials during the Superbowl and being confused; but after I re watched them on Abby's blog, they made me upset. All three of the commercials show famous people talking about troubling things going on in our world today. Then in the next scene they are shown having a lavish meal or spa day and saying how they are "helping" the at-hand situation. I think this is completely insensitive for Groupon to do. This is NOT the way to market your product or service. In my opinion, these commercials show just how arrogant and ignorant people can be. Groupon sure got attention from these ads but not in a positive way.

In Response to Kristen Begin

"Should companies continue to spend billions of dollars on advertising, when surveys are showing that the effectiveness of television ads are decreasing?  Or should they rely more heavily on finding some other way of communicating to potential customers?"

I believe that companies will lose a lot more money if they cut television commercials all together. I believe cutting down on them won't hurt and could possibly help them. By using banner adds on the Internet, billboards, and other types of common marketing, companies can flourish. The money that they save by cutting down on TV commericals could be used for other types of innovative marketing.

Doing the research to see what type of marketing is the most effective will cost some money but in the long run the company could get their message to many more people and potentially boost their sales.

Self-Marketing

As I watch the Grammy's the first thing I cannot help but notice, along with everyone else watching, is Lady Gaga being carried down the red carpet inside of a fake egg. If this was any other artist the public would be so confused. Ever since Lady Gaga came into the spotlight she has been doing crazy things with her clothing choices, songs that she writes, and gives outrageous performances. Lady Gaga has marketed herself in a very unusual way that gets her noticed and keeps her popularity alive. Every person has a certain way of marketing themselves but some do go to great lengths to make sure their name is known.

I believe self-marketing is very important to everyone, not just celebrities in the spotlight. "Selling yourself" in a job interview is a very important thing that we all need to make sure we do. You can market your knowledge, skills that apply to the job you are interviewing for, and show that you have good work ethic. Now you obviously won't need to go so far as to wearing a dress made out of meat to get noticed like Lady Gaga did but you do need to show that you are the BEST candidate for the job.

What are some ways that you think you can market yourself in the business world after graduation?  

Is there a time and place for certain marketing?

Recently I found an article on the American Marketing Association's website about drug companies and their advertising now moving to social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. For quite some time now pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to put up banner adds on Google and various other websites but moving to social networks is a whole new step. I think that marketing your brand is great and every company should have the freedom to do so-but drug companies on Facebook and Twitter? There have already been problems reported with this type of advertising. In the article, Drug Companies to Get Social Media Marketing Guidelines, it states that drug company's Facebook pages have contained comments from their prescription users talking about adverse effects or untrue statements about the company's drug. This can cause serious problems and give the public the freedom to post false content on these social network pages that millions of people see. Another problem, that was first seen in 2009, is that the drug companies do not have enough space on their online adds to put side effects; this is another big concern for consumers seeing these adds while casually surfing the web.

Personally, I think places on the Internet, such as Facebook and Twitter, are the wrong places for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their product. I believe banner adds are good and can be educational but not Facebook pages that are open for the widespread public to comment on.

So, do you think there is a time and place for certain marketing?

Article: Drug Companies to Get Social Media Marketing Guidelines

Marketing Mix Strategies: The 4 P's

The Marketing Mix can be related to many different things in life especially when it comes to bussiness and the job market. The 4 P's of the Marketing Mix are product, place, price, and promotion. As we come to the end of our college careers we can now go out and put everything we learned in our college courses to use and look for a job. This is an exciting time in our lives but also a very competitive task.


While searching for jobs, handing out resumes, and going on interviews we have to think of yourself as the 'product'. You basically have to sell yourself and your skills to potential employers. Marketing your knowledge, work ethic, and professional behavior are essentials that you must 'sell' in a job interview.


The second part of the Marketing Mix Strategy is 'place'. This is also known as the 'distribution' variable. Location, coverage, transportation and costs all make up the 'distribution' variable. 'Place' is very important when making a job decision. Your potential place of work must be in a area that you are willing to work in. Some jobs you choose from may require you to relocate completely; this is a big decision and you must do a lot of research. If you have to relocate for your job you must look at your finances to see if the move is possible, make sure you will have proper transportation, and that the job you are choosing is worth uprooting your life for.


'Price' is the third part of the Marketing Mix. The 'price' variable is based upon decisions and actions associated with establishing pricing objectives, policies, and determining product prices. In the situation of youself as the product, the 'price' variable would be your salary. Job offers come with a set salary or wage that can usually be negotiated. Normally, you will have a salary in mind as the minimum that you are willing to be paid for doing the job, and the salary that you believe will make you the happiest. Hopefully, the job offer comes with a 'price' that satisfies you.


The forth and final part of the Marketing Mix Strategy is the 'promotion' variable. In the marketing world we think of promotion as advertising, publicity, and public relations. This can be easily related to oneself in the business setting. When you work at an organization for some time you will want to move up in the company and work to show management that you should be promoted. Just like you would do to market a materialistic product, you must advertise your skills and knowledge and maintain good relations with upper management and your coworkers.


Marketing is not only used for brands, products sold in stores, or for companies. All aspects of marketing can be related to you and your everyday life. The Marketing Mix is especially helpful when entering the job market. This can keep you focused during interviews and help you put your best characteristics forward.

Differences Between Marketing, Advertising and Propaganda

There are many differences between marketing, advertising and propaganda. In the Pride and Ferrell text, Marketing Express, marketing and advertising are defined. Marketing is defined as "the process of creating, distributing promoting, pricing goods, services, and ideas to facilitate satisfying exchange relationships with customers and to develop and maintain favorable relationships with stakeholders in a dynamic environment." Advertising is "paid nonpersonal communication about an organization and its products transmitted to a target audience through mass media." Propaganda is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution."

As you can see, these three terms have all very different meaning but they do connect to one another. Marketing is the thought process behind selling your product or giving your service to your customers. Marketing also involves the research that your organization does about the market that your product will be sold or provided in. Advertising is a form of communication that is used to actually sell your product or service to customers. The first word we think of when we talk about advertising is media. The media is constantly showing us ads for different products and stores. Just like advertising, propaganda is a form of communication. Propaganda is a form of communication that is used to influence others. It is the most bias form of communication. Often times, when a consumer has a strong opnion about a company or a product they will share what they think, trying to sway another consumers thought about the company or product. 

Marketing, advertising and propaganda are three different terms used in the business world. These terms always somehow connect but we must make sure we do not get them confused with one another.