Week 4: Advertising is based on happiness

The one product that seems to make me the happiest and so far has kept me the happiest is when I bought my house. After renting many houses and having horrible landlords that would not take care of their property, I decided to take the plunge and buy a house. I actually could not wait to have something that was mine and did not have to have the dreadful monthly inspections that consisted of getting talked down to because I forgot to dust the top of the refrigerator. The building company that I purchased my house from was great. They were always there to back their product and were available if I had any questions. Overall to date my house purchase has been my favorite purchase and has kept me very satisfied.
On the other side of the spectrum I would have to say the purchase that I got real disenfranchised with was when I purchased my first truck. When I drove to the lot I was very naïve and did not know how the whole car buying think worked. I found a Dodge Dakota with a V8 and was in my price range. On the surface it was clean inside & out. Two days later I my radiator blew, also I had other fluid leaks. I took it back to get fixed and had to pay around $500. About a month later my exhaust pipes were so rusted they fell off. So I had to replaced those another $300.The last straw was when I was driving home from work, something in the steering column broke and cut the wires to the horn. There is nothing more embarrassing than driving down the road and having your horn inadvertently go off while you’re driving.

EOC Week 3: EOC Week 3: Internet Privacy vs. Market Research

EOC Week 3: Companies That Make Money That Gives Back

Companies that give back to society will usually flourish due to fact that they are not seen as greedy and all self-important. Home Depot for example associates throughout donated over 7 million hours of time to work with Habitat for Humanity building homes for low-income families.  They also help teach the elderly and disabled to perform simple home repairs.  The most important item that they provide is through Project Home Front.  Project home front was a way to support the 1800 workers that were called for military service. It was a way that to help military families of those whose family members were deployed.  With that Home Depot also donated $1million dollars worth of power tools and equipment to soldiers overseas.  The project was started when a returning pilot talked with CEO and stated the following: "Bob, this may sound a little strange, but one of the most important things you could send us is a bucket. We're always looking for something to wash our clothes in, something to sit on that's light and durable and a structurally solid tote." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4070/is_197/ai_n6019472/

Other organizations have jumped on board since starting Project Home Front: We are honored that USA Freedom Corps is helping to match volunteers with military families in need," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO of The Home Depot.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-99809829.html

 Since then Project Home Front send out pre-fabricated boxes with personal items, hand tools, 4 5 gallon buckets.  Living up to their motto "You can do it. We can help." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4070/is_197/ai_n6019472/

EOC Week 3: Making Money That Gves Back

EOC 2 Gaming Console Marketing Survey

The Star = the Nintendo Entertainment Company.

Nintendo, Nintendo. I remember playing Donkey Kong at the arcade with the plumber (Mario; that is what he was called in the game) climbed a trestle to save his fair maiden. Nowadays sales of the Wii and DS have outsold all other consoles combined.

The Cash Cow X Box 360

The only thing that keeps X-Box 360 in the competition is the HALO games that it has exclusively. It was the only console that posted a year to year growth in Sept. Quote from Reuters: "Halo" was the best selling game in the month, at 3.3 million units, not including those bundled with hardware.

The Mystery = Phone Application Games

Phone Apps are becoming big due to smart phone technology. Games can be bought for a small fee or even free. iTunes and other mobile stores have these in the hundreds are expected to grow due to demand. Here is a quote from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima:

"Gamers should be able to take the experience with them in their living rooms, on the go, when they travel -- wherever they are and whenever they want to play. It should be the same software and the same experience," - Hideo Kojima; http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6362GF20100407

The Dog = PC games

Let’s face it, back in the 90’s there were some great games that came out for PCs. Games such as Myst, Diablo, And Heroes and Might and Magic at the time they were exclusive to PC. As of now only 14% of the game markets are PC games. “I don’t see it dying, but I do see it taking a back seat to consoles, especially with games delivering first to the consoles, presumably to sell hardware,”  MSNBC quote Douglas Peterson software engineer from Marcos Island, Fla

EOC 2: Video Game Console Market Analysis

Week 1 EOC: Customer Service Experience

Since moving back to the country 3 years ago, I have rarely experienced great customer service across al spectrums of goods & services. In fact I can’t remember the last time I have had great customer experience. I admit that I am very picky and stringent about certain things; however, if I go into a place to purchase an item I do expect that a little bit of courtesy.  My experiences have been either too busy trying to sell the item to the complete opposite where they just can’t be bothered.  While I lived in England, I liked the way of when walked into a shop you got a greeting from the person at the register or by the people walking the floor.  If you had questions or were going to buy the item you went to them. There were no floating salesmen looking for the commission and only the commission.  Also they were pretty knowledgeable of the products they were selling.  For example if I was to walk into a sports shop to buy some rugby cleats, first I would be asked for what position. Then I would be advised of the type and brand or if they were out of stock they would see if there was a substitute or send me off to another store that would possibly have them.  I feel that some companies should go by the quote from the book Marketing: an Introduction   printed page 11 “We don’t have a marketing department; we have a customer department.”

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

Landscape photographers are cliché.  I feel that is partially true. You can only take so many pictures of mountains and lakes before it gets boring.  I first fell for photography when I lived in England.  When my family could not see what I took for granted every day like the view of Ely Cathedral, I decided to let my camera do the talking.  In my lifetime I have traveled extensively through Europe and have been to most of the states in the US.  My favorite passions are those of old ghost towns of the southwest and the great cathedrals of Europe.  While I shoot I like to imagine what it was like to work in the dark, dingy and very dangerous gold and silver mines that so many uprooted their families to find a personal fortune regardless of the dangers that lie ahead. Also I wonder what it must have like when new inventions such as the telegram, household electricity finally made it into the camp if it survived that long.  I have hiked, driven long distances, climbed rocks whatever to get a shot or angle that no one has seen or if I’m lucky, even find that forgotten camp that was once full of people and businesses that just left when the ore dried up.