Perception

Perception is the process by which people select, organize, and interpret information from the outside world. We receive this information from sensations (such as sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste). Perception of a product can either make or break a sale. Take for example food photography. Wouldn't you think that the food that is in the picture is the food that you will be eating? Well, this would only be true if you wanted motor oil on your pancakes or shoe polish on your steak... This substitution of the "real thing" with these tricky items is only because real food melts, wilts, falls apart, cools down, dries out, and in the end, it look unsavory.

Although these tricks do not add to the appeal of the dish, the sight could still cause your mouth to salivate, the smell could in turn make those pictures seem so real. The issues that come about with these photographs are exposure, attention, and interpretation. Exposure is the capability for the senses to respond to the sight or smell or sound. The stimulus will have to have a previous exposer to the sensory receptors. The attention is the extent to which we are aware of this stimulus and the reaction to the sensory receptors. If we were to look at a picture of a hamburger and think cardboard, glue, and toothpicks, this hamburger would not be appealing to us, but if we simply pay attention to the prior stimulus reaction we have had while enjoying a hamburger, this connection with the actual items in the picture will be ignored. The interpretation is the process of understanding the meaning of this connection.

Data Mining

Data mining is a term used for going through large amounts of information to find the information that is relevant to your marketing research. There are 5 steps in the Marketing Research Project. The first is to define the problem. This includes researching objectives and identifying possible marketing actions. The next step is to develop the marketing plan. The main objective is to point out constraints, realize what data is needed, and brainstorm how to collect the data. The third step is to collect relevant information with different researching techniques. This includes doing primary research (yourself), and secondary research (collecting information from another source). The fourth step is to develop what you have found through marketing research. Analyzing data and presenting findings are very important in this step. The last step is to take action. To take action, the marketing agency needs to identify action recommendations, implement action recommendations, and evaluate the results.

On Amazon.com, the company is constantly performing marketing research. Each time is sign in as my user, I see recommendations according to what I have ordered or looked at. This is a very pro-active type of marketing. This draws my attention to similar products as the others that I have considered.

The Bowflex Promise

Marketing plans set the tone and agenda for the product. This may include who the product is appealing to, how to have this person become aware of the product, and how to incorporate the marketing mix strategies.

Analyzing the marketing environment is one very important key to the marketing strategy. Take a look at the guy to the right. Who would not want to look and feel as confident as he does? This advertisement is targeting those who do not feel comfortable or happy about their bodies, and even those who usually are confident, may lose their confidence when they compare themselves to him. Bowflex would be the answer to solve all those insecurities. So now that the marketers have hit the spot for the consumers, they need to set objectives.

The marketers will look at the connection between the customer and the product. The objectives may be to have the person call their company, or investigate the product on the website. The marketers would then be encouraged to place a phone number or web address on the advertisement so the potential consumer can receive more information.

Now that they have selected a target market (young adults to middle/older aged men and women) they need to develop the marketing mix strategy. The first part to look at are the product strategies. These include the product design, packaging, branding, services, changes, and benefits the consumer will have when purchasing the product. Highlighting the magnificent changes after using the bowflex is critical. Their motto is "Lose weight, build muscles, and increase energy with just 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week." This is targeting those with busy lifestyles who are upset about their body appearance. Putting a male around the same age as those consumers who are being targeted with big muscles and time to work out is the ideal image for the customer.

Pricing strategies need to be analyzed very carefully. Looking at the eating habits of people who are always busy can lead to fast food restaurants or settling for the "not-so-healthy" option. Also, those who have a lower income may be more willing to spend a dollar on the dollar menu at McDonalds than $5.00 on a sandwich at a deli. Those people with lower incomes may not be able to afford the bowflex, but making the benefits stand out may cause the customer to consider saving a few dollars up to purchase one.

An intelligent promotional strategy would be to market the benefits in a health store or next to the vitamins in a drug store. This would target those who are considering changing the way they live their lives, and are taking steps in the right direction. Another place would be at a gym or next to the healthier foods in a store.

Distribution strategies need to be strategic. The decision to distribute through another company (such as a home-gym store) or sell through their own store. Both these decisions could be the correct or more beneficial choice, so providing each option may be the way to go.

Implementation and controlling the marketing plan needs to be firm and strict. This can either lead to success or ruin all the hard work that has gone into the product. Controlling would include looking at performance or the product, comparing the performance, and making changes to help boost the product's sales.