Wk 4 EOC - There's an App for that...

There are so many advances and new technology out and still being released in this day and age. Mankind is living in the now and demanding things instantly. With everything in the fast lane, our technology is trying to keep up with that. So, to incorporate that demand into our daily lives, and have those demands met in those instances companies developed "Smart Phones". In a sense, your digitized self in the palm of your own hand, which is why people have a hard time putting them down, giving them up, or letting others touch them - because they are you. However, we are made out of flesh and bones and are limited by our physical capabilities - not like our new smart phones, which can dive into an invisible, yet vastly deep field of infinite knowledge of Know-Hows and gadgets. Simply said, there are moments that we realize just how little we can really do, and probably know, but are not sure at the time. Your "digitized self" can cover that up for you.
"...information by itself has little value. The value is in the customer insights gained from the information and how these insights are used..." [Marketing: An Introduction by Armstrong. Ch. 4 Pg. 3] We as humans want to know, we are naturally hungry for answers and do not like being left in the dark. This is especially true, when our paranoia peeks and we are suspicious of a person lying. Our human body does not have a built-in monitoring device that can tell you, "hey, this person's lying. Don't believe them." Unfortunately... But, our smart phones can because technology gave it that further potential. The companies of these phones were smart about our paranoia for that nagging thought in the back of our minds. "... marketers must first gain fresh, deep insights into what customers need and want. Companies use such customer insights to develop competitive advantage." [Marketing: An Introduction by Armstrong. Same.] 
There's an App for that can detect if a person is lying to you. The cheaper app from the Champion that has a lie detector that answers Yes or No questions by checking the frequency of a person's nervous pitch in voice, and a slightly more expensive one from Agile that claims it was developed by the military that helped detect if an enemy was lying.

Wk 3 EOC - Making Money for Good

There is nothing wrong with people wanting to make money and become wealthy, it's our right to do things that make us happy and are beneficial to us and our families.We as humans have always fought for things we want - even as cavemen. However, it's a rare and beautiful thing when people strive for the benefit of others. It's odd, in a sense. Why would strangers try so hard to work their time and money for complete strangers, who they more than likely won't ever have a major impact on their lives?
Well, needless to say, there are those rare and beautiful people who do use their time and money for strangers for whatever personal reason(s) they may have. It's comforting to know that even a state that's been nicknamed "Sin City" has a few Non-Profit Organizations as well.
There are groups that fight Leukemia & Lymphoma (Blood diseases), groups that help in the development of kids from birth, until they reach school called Mommy & Me, and help for your family member who isn't related to you, or even the same species Nevada SPCA.
All different groups, all touched in a different way, and all just want to help because they recognize a group who's distressed. Helping in Non-Profit groups can variety, from society, to earth, to animals, and to mankind in general. This is all fine and dandy, but effort and living costs money these days, and there in lies the problem of probably why not a lot of people want to "waste" to help out. However, it's these small groups that can take the time to "obtain good marketing insights through observation or informal surveys." [Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management; Ch.4, Pg 41]. to figure out what people want/need and get them to join and help out. Then maybe we won't be suffering as a whole...

Wk 3 EOC - My Demographic

"One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology." [Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10th Edition. Ch. 3, Pg, 17]

This cannot be said, or true enough. I was born in the 90s, so that puts me in between the 1977 and 2000 age group. My neighborhood once had a power out, and I was multitasking playing on my game console, watching TV, and using my computer. It was late, around 9pm, so it was already pretty dark. When the power went out, my first thought was, "Oh my God, it's the end of the world." Everything was shut off, and it was dark. I seriously had no idea what to do (to keep me otherwise concentrated on something, or at least entertained, until the power went back on). Two hours later, I survived the black out and had to reboot my systems, but during that time I had managed to make my house disturbingly spotless.
It's become second nature to use some sort of electronic device in some way or another to do what we need/want to do. New devices that come out are momentarily surprising and interesting, but our understanding on how certain gadgets work, helps us break that wall and use the new devices like an extension of our hands. "The Millennials were the first generation to grow up in a world filled with [Electronics]". [Same Book; Same Ch. and Page Number] 
My parents aren't as savvy as I am, so their lack of being able to comprehend 'how this works' sometimes feels strange to me. It's simple enough for me, as their kid to understand it, how could they not?
As a small experiment to myself, I decided to see how long I could go without using something that required electricity. Needless to say, about 45 minutes into it, I realized I was using my phone out of sheer boredom.
"They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life." [Same Book; Same Pages].

Wk 2 EOC: Video Games

Video game companies are like different sides of the battlefield, however, with the recession causing consumers to cling to their wallets a lot of games aren't getting the attention they once had. People buy games when they have a little left over for killing time, or because they're fanatics, but when even the fanatics can't buy games - it means everyone's suffering. "Sales of consoles such as Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo' Co.'s Wii plummeted 38%." [Wall Street Journal Article - Video game Markers Can't Dodge Recession - Paragraph 3]. It's a sad day for us all, especially if you're a fan of those consoles when you see something like that.
According to the Boston Consulting Group Approach, however, most of these consoles are holding steady and staying in the "cash cow" zone even in this wallet safeguarding period. Fortunately, they all noticed the market with streaming movies and decided to all buy a ticket in that ferry. So, if games aren't being bought as much through these consoles - well, at least movies with Zune, Hulu, and Netflix are.
Mobile games are the future for new generations, but real gamers will always recognize that the real experience lies with the player, console, and controller... Actually, there's a slight change in that as well.
"The purpose of strategic planning is to find ways in which the company can best use its strengths to take advantage of attractive opportunities in the environment." [Marketing: An Introduction - Pg 10 paragraph four.]
Xbox came out with a new feature, and a new experience all together - The Kinect. No wireless remote/controller. It's just you and the screen. People are becoming aware that obesity is a problem, so to appeal to that group, Microsoft altered their course in this direction as well. Unlike the Wii, there is nothing you need to hold to move around and play the game, or fitness game. So, for the people who get sweaty palms during workout, they won't have to worry about "icky" controllers and having to later clean them.
Kinect is fairly new, so there's still room for growth in trying to make new and different game experiences. In addition to Xbox being in the Cash Cow category of the BCGA, it may also have a shoe in the Star category as well. Yay Xbox.

Wk 1 EOC - Customer Service

I’m honestly not the world’s smartest shopper and I tend to not know what I’m buying – much less what I’m looking for, but know that I need something. This was especially true when I got a new puppy and had only the basic knowledge of what to get it.  Basic knowledge is not enough, and I learned that the hard way. I go over to Petsmart on day and spend too long just gawking at the shelves. Apparently, I had a completely lost and “Help me because I have no idea what I’m doing” kind of look on my face because an employee came over and offered her help. She admits that she was circling me for a while, and actually I sort of noticed her approaching, but people kept calling her away. So, when she was done with helping others that sought her out, she came back to me, since I still refused to ask for help and just offered herself.

I was honestly tempted (before she came to help me out) to just buy a lot of the expensive products because I figured, “those are the good stuff, right?”

“Customers often face a bewildering array of products and services from which to choose.” [Marketing: An Introduction pg.19]

Well, that may sometimes be true, but I was desperate at this point, and my puppy was back home waiting for me, so I just wanted to get something quickly.

So, she tells me which brand is best for my type of dog, and helps me save half of what I was planning on spending. I occasionally see her when I go back to the store, and she tells me about the newest products that may or may not be better choices for a growing dog. “…the difference between all the benefits and all the costs of a market offering relative to those of competing offers.” [Marketing: An Introduction pg.19] If she’s working the cash register and I get something that could be cheaper elsewhere, she tells me about it.