17 February 2015
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Give your students the competitive advantage . . .
Get the original competitive event prep apps here.
A small investment in a practice app might make the difference. You've been there before--and one or two points on the written tests can be the difference between sending a post card from Orlando--or getting one in the mail . . .
As always, email me with ideas, suggestions, concerns or complaints!
Help your fellow DECA members . . . Go here and vote!
Marketers navigate a complex world to reach consumers
Consumer choice is at an all-time high, and that is a serious challenge for marketers.
Not only do we have multiple options for virtually every consumer product, but we now can choose between in-store and online purchasing of almost everything.
Just ask your friends. You will find many of them have UPS deliver everything from dog food to toilet paper via their Amazon Prime account.
Having choices encourages consumers. The National Retail Federation reported that American overall holiday retail sales grew last year for the third year in a row. Sales were up 4 percent in November and December to more than $600 billion.
Online holiday retail sales continued to grow, but not as fast as in previous years. Volume was up 6.8 percent, with sales reaching $101.9 billion.
Two concepts have become part of our overall shopping experience:
Webrooming: Where consumers buy in a retail store after researching their purchases on their smartphones and tablets.
Showrooming: Seeing a product in a brick-and-mortar retail outlet and later purchasing it online.
Read the entire article here
Examine each of the changes and look for evidence of the change approaching, or evidence that you believe shows the change may not happen.
Evaluate the "pros" and "cons" for each change form a business perspective and consumer perspective.
If either Webrooming or Showrooming were being used "against" you, how would you fight back?
911? We think the Royals' marketing team is on fire
Nope. No flames. But thanks for letting us know.
That's been the bemused response from the KCK Fire Department, which has spent the past few days fielding concerned phone calls about a burning billboard on southbound I-35.
Yep, the Royals' marketing team may have done its job a little too well. The team's latest attention-grabbing billboard features speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson scorching a path across the I-35 sign. It pairs already-charred wood with yellow, orange and red rope lights to create a (really) realistic effect.
Read the entire article here.
A full-sized version of the "mini" billboard above was used when I taught in Wisconsin. The number connected to an answering machine that had a recording of the sporting events taking place during the week.
I'll admit, this might have backfired, but it didnt.
What must a team consider before "pushing the envelope" with marketing, advertising or events?
Do the factors you listed above vary based on the level of sports (HS, collegiate, pro)?
You'll Never Guess Which Mass Merchant Was Social Media's Favorite Last Christmas
According to enterprise SEO and content marketing analysis specialist Searchmetrics, the social media platform can play an outsized role in helping consumers make product-purchasing decisions. Engagement, as it's called, can help boost a brand's perception, which theoretically ought to lead to higher sales.
Forrester Research found that a third of consumers who engage with companies on social networks use the platforms for brand discovery, only slightly less than the 41% who said they did so through ads placed on social networks. In fact, social networks were almost as important as search engines in exploring and researching brands or products. Users relied upon social networks 37% of the time compared to 40% for search engines.
And just as significant, of all the social networks out there, it was Facebook that was the primary resource used, just behind Google, and ahead of TV shows and advertising.
In an effort to boost sales, mass merchandisers are catching on to this trend. And since brand loyalty is huge in retail, let's dig into which big box retailer enjoys the most social media engagement with its customers.
Read the entire article here.
Discuss the findings and make recommendations to the runners up as to how they can close the gap on the leader.
