Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

"Millennials may be the most tech-savvy generation yet, spending more time surfing the Web and on social media than they do watching television, listening to radio, or reading newspapers, but they still use and value traditional media. Gen Yers expect brands to be on social media. Two-thirds say a brand being on social media shows it cares about their generation, and fifty-six percent think social media sites are a great way to find out what's new with brands they like. That may be why sixty-four percent have liked a brand on Facebook and follow an average of ten brands or companies.31 Younger Millennials who shop online for apparel rely mainly on price. They also look for positive brand reviews. They typically visit their primary apparel web site forty-two times a year and make seven purchases a year,"(MKTG, 9th Edition) Personally, I believe most of this definition doesn't describe me. While I am tech savvy, I don't spend all my time on social media, nor do I believe I can connect to brands via social media. I personally enjoy hearing about products from people via word of mouth. I like going into stores and discovering at my own leisure. However, I do look for price a lot, and I also value other peoples opinions when making a decision on what products to buy. As a fashion major, I like to create my own look, instead of making purchases from a different brand. I like to make my own personal style, something that cant be described, or taken from me. 

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group Model

Following the wake of the recession in 2009, the video game market has steadily began to recover and fall back into its normal ways, with consoles such as Ps4's and X Box Ones dominate the market.  These two stars  controlling the market nearly unchallenged , leaving smaller start up consoles such as the Steam Machine in the dust. "Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sold over a million consoles their first day on the market in 2013. After just over seven months on store shelves, Microsoft was up to about 5.5 million Xbox One sales and the PS4 had racked up 10.2 million worldwide sales."(http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/06/its-time-to-declare-valves-steam-machines-doa/, Kyle Orland)  Of course this doesn't mean that they can't be challenged from time to time by cash cows such as the Wii, and Nintendo. Their current product Pokémon Go is currently dominating the vast majority of phones world wide,  making the company go up by "25% Monday, adding $7 billion to its market cap in the process. Gamers may be hunting Pokémon on their mobile devices, but investors are hunting another sort of fictional creature altogether: the miraculous turnaround company, that can spin straw into gold overnight." (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2016/07/11/will-pokemon-go-be-the-nintendo-cash-cow-investors-are-hoping-for/#7b3a315f5926, Erik Kain) of course only time will tell if Nintendo will be able to take down, or at least get on the same level as Sony or Microsoft. However, there is a new competitor in the market, VR Consoles, namely the Oculus Rift, Palmer Luckey had this to say, “Pre-orders are going much better than I ever could have possibly expected,” said Luckey. “There are a lot of people who are getting into virtual reality that I think are not even necessarily the gamers who have been waiting; they’re just hearing about it now or hearing about it recently and they’re convinced enough to pre-order. Hopefully they’re convinced enough to actually use it.” ( http://www.roadtovr.com/founder-oculus-rift-pre-orders-going-much-better-than-expected-sales/, Ben Lang) This question mark in the market can throw a wench into the world of video game consoles, and completely shift the market. 

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

What makes good customer service/satisfaction? Well according to the textbook MKTG, 9th Edition, good customer service/satisfaction is "The customers' evaluation of a good or service in terms of whether that good or service has met their needs and expectations is called customer satisfaction."(MKTG, 9th Edition pg 8) Which seems simple enough. However this is sadly not the case most of the time. Fortunately though, there are rare occasions when stores give phenomenal customer service. For example, I was once in Forever 21 looking for a particular top. I approached a sales associate who was immediately helpful and looked it up for me. Unfortunately, the top had been discontinued. However, my experience didn't end there. The sales associate then proceeded to help me find a top that was in an incredibly similar style, along with and entire outfit to go with it. The outfit included accessories, shoe, shorts, and even some makeup. She was extremely knowable when she talked, and she was confident while assisting me with all of my needs.ass This not only left me with a very enjoyable shopping experience, but it also allowed the store to make more money. This is due to the fact that I was persuaded into buying more product then I was originally intending to, which increases the sales of the store. It is of my personal opinion that good customer service not only benefits the customer, but the store as well. It is about meeting the customer's needs above and beyond what they even knew they wanted, while simultaneously benefiting the store in a positive, proactive way. This is because even though it is "customer" service, maintaining the store always has to be a number one priority. Without the store, there would be no customers, so it is a very delicate balance to keep. 

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

I am a fashion designer, what does that mean? That I make pretty dresses? Well, yes, but it is a lot more then that. It is a passion, a lifestyle. Once you truly get into fashion you can never truly get out of it. I got into fashion when I was ten. I picked up a crayon and drew a dress, and ever since I have never stopped. As time progressed so did my skills. I learned about different textiles and fabric types. About patterns and color theory. About body shape and how clothing can changes people mood, and outlook on life. I began to see the world as one giant sketchbook, as an outlet which I can pull inspiration, color, and forms from. As I grew I quickly realized that I was able to express myself via my designs. I am able to convey complex emotions and form. I am able to change the way people look and are perceived by the world.  This quickly became a passion, almost obsession, for me. The father I fell into fashion, the more I loved it. In the future I plan to own my own haute couture company, where I am able to make one of a kind designs that are not only innovative, but move the fashion industry forward.