Wednesday, June 1, 2011

ASEM Blog Assignment # 8 (25 points)

An NFL 'cheesehead' displayNFL Lockout Threatens In-store Promos for Pepsi, Mars, P&G and More

TV Buyers Can Shift Spots but Grocery Programs Have Limited Window

By, Jack Neff, EJ Schultz, Advertising Age

If you think the TV advertisers are sweating the NFL lockout, try talking to the in-store marketing folks.
After spending millions in advance on multibrand, in-store promotional deals with the National Football League, Procter & Gamble, Mars and PepsiCo, among others, now find themselves faced with the possibility of a truncated season that could do more damage to their plans and brands than those of the networks and TV buyers.

Networks can schedule alternate programming and marketers can apply media analytics to follow their target audiences wherever they go when they're not watching NFL football. But shopper-marketing events have calendars set a year or more in advance. Product has to be produced and displays have to be filled, regardless of whether games get played.

NFL sponsor Snickers is plowing ahead with its in-store promotion plans, although Debra Sandler, chief consumer officer for Mars Chocolate North America, said there's a chance the marketer could "scale back a few accounts."

Read the rest of the article here:

http://adage.com/article/news/nfl-lockout-threatens-pepsi-mars-p-g-s-store-marketing/227830/

In a 2 paragraph response (a minimum of 5 sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questions.  In paragraph # 1, summarize the article in 5 main points.  Which one do you think is most interesting?   Why?
In paragraph # 2, what is your opinion on the NFL lockout?  As an NFL fan, has it changed your opinion of the league and how they do business?  Why or why not?  What are your thoughts about the the NFL fan base and how they are reacting as a whole?  Do you think the NFL will lose fans as a result of the current labor issues?  Why or why not?  Be specific with your thoughts.

Please sign your name to the bottom of your blog entry.

Marketing 1 Blog Assignment # 8 (25 points)

The Sporting Sail: Speed, Wind and Skateboards

From Time.com

Watch the following video on this new and innnovative product.  After watching, in a 2 paragraph response (a minimum of 5 sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questions.  In paragraph # 1, summarize the video in 5 main points.  Which one do you think is the most interesting. Why?  Be specific with your thoughts.  In paragraph # 2, provide your thoughts and opinions on the product.  What do you like or dislike about it?  Why?  Do you feel it can catch on?  Why or why not?  What does it have going for it that might contribute to it's ultimate success?  What do you think?  Be specific with your thoughts.

Please sign your name to the bottom of your blog entry.

SEM Blog Assignment # 8 (25 points)

Review: Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play is a phone with gamepad

By, Edward Baig, USA Today

For many people, playing games on smartphones is a perfectly satisfying experience. But Sony Ericsson is banking on the notion that serious gamers might prefer a dedicated gaming device such as Sony's PlayStation Portable.

Enter Xperia Play, which hits Verizon Wireless stores exclusively in the U.S. today. The device has been highly anticipated — at least among gamers — and dubbed the PlayStation phone. Actually, to be more precise, Xperia Play is the first "PlayStation Certified" smartphone, meaning it is a hybrid that combines cellphone genes with DNA from Sony's handheld game system. Indeed, Xperia is baked with Android version 2.3 or Gingerbread, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system for phones.
Sony Ericsson announced Xperia earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. (Sony Ericsson is a 50-50 joint venture of Sony and of Ericsson.)

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2011-05-25-sony-experia-play_n.htm

In a 2 paragraph response (a minimum of 5 sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questons.  In paragraph # 1, summarize the article into 5 main points.  Which one do you find to be most interesting?  Be specific with your thoughts.  In paragraph # 2, provide your thoughts on this new product.  What do you like or dislike about the product?  Why?  Do you feel it will be successful?  Why or why not?  Is the price competitive? 

Please sign you name to the bottom of your blog entry.