Final Reflection

Empathy in marketing is not just feeling compassion for your consumer, but really understanding the world from their perspective. Prior to this course I understood the idea of having compassion for the customer, but did not realize the extent to which I projected my own understanding of the world onto them. During our project, as we developed our persona, a first generation American named Natasha, I started to understand why this persona was so conflicted between the world of her parents and a more generic American life. Personally, my parents have usually understood clearly my lifestyle and I have rarely felt this conflict between my parents and myself. As our group began to explore Natasha’s life, and match real subjects to the persona, I found myself wanting to help ease Natasha’s conflict. I finally understood what it meant to develop empathy for the consumer. It wasn’t about trying to relate my own feelings to the customer, it was more like getting to know a friend who I felt compassion for. I felt this compassion not because I had been there myself, but because I had seen her pain through her eyes as she explained it to me.

Prior to this class I understood that social media is an important marker of our generation and is now the primary method through which most of my generation gathers their data. My generation’s daily lives are soaked through with the use social media and the internet, but I was completely unaware of how much data is gathered from us as we squander countless hours on the web. Reading the articles in preparation for class surprised me, but I was even more shocked when we were shown the map in class of Dr. Walls few websites that he visited and the subsequent parties that then collected information on him. The number of groups that comprised that list was astonishing, and even more perturbing was the volume of names that I did not recognized. To balance out my newly sparked fear was the article Bionic Mannequins Spy on Shoppers to Boost Luxury Sales paired with our discussion on data collection. While the gathering of personal information is troubling it also has the potential to bring forth a more personalized and convenient shopping experience, something most Americans seem to be craving. The class discussion and articles exposed me to the great magnitude of internet data collection, and how, like innovations before it, there are both potential dangers and gains to be introduced by this extreme data collection.

I hesitate to say that any part of the project was completely unhelpful because I feel that was gathered a lot of experience throughout the whole project. However, of all of the steps we worked on, I feel we gained the least from generating our own prototype. I understand the idea of wanting to generate a solution to a problem we strived to understand throughout the semester, but this phase felt rushed and scattered. We gained a lot of insights from our research, but after its compiling there were still a lot of questions that felt unanswered. This time limitation kept us from following up with our subjects and forced us to produce a solution from what we felt was insufficient research. I felt because of this our prototype did not appropriately reflect the imagination and intelligence of our team, which lead to a disappointing conclusion of our project. I would have liked more time to generate our prototype and a pre-scheduled opportunity to follow up with our subjects after our initial compiling of our data.

In the beginning phases of our project I think our team was very excited. I thought our persona was unique and intriguing. As someone who considers themselves as a visual thinker I was excited to portray the information in such a pictorial manner. The fact that the lectures lined up with what we were experiencing in our project made me feel that I was really understanding the material and learning valuable lessons that could be applied later on in my career. As the semester carried on the project became a little more stressful. Being a part of a grouped helped us generate the best ideas and learn from each other, but our schedules clashed causing many of or meetings to begin after 8pm, a time where I felt many possible ideas were squashed by exhaustion. As our project became about consolidating ideas, rather than mass generation of creativity, the lack of guidance and work time became frustrating. I felt conflicted between the idea that we were supposed to struggle, but then that there might also be a right answer we weren’t understanding. This conflict became more frustrating as we felt ever increasing pressure of time limitations. In the end, I understand that the project wasn’t going to be perfect and that the struggles lead us to learn in way we might not have otherwise, but in a school where we are constantly held to such a high standard it is agitating to feel so blind to what is the right path. We cared about our persona and producing good work, but were often uneasy of whether we were going the right direction. Now that the project is complete I still wish we had been given more time for the finishing stages and am a little disappointed by our prototype, but feel that the project gave me very valuable insight, that I can carry forward, on how to understand the customer.

Creativity

Creativity is freedom with guidelines. It is approaching something unknown without fearing failure, yet knowing improvements always exist. There are no wrongs, but usually something that is more right. There is a road-map to lead you, but the path is vague as if you are zoomed out, far above the picture giving you, the navigator, only a general idea of the direction. The path is open to your interpretation and will be affected by your decisions. You will take some wrong turns along the way and most likely will double back once or twice. But these ostensible mistakes will show you something new as you come closer to your destination. No two people will navigate exactly the same, leading every person to slightly different destinations. But that is the beauty of creativity, no one is wrong. Some paths might be more abstract or more beautiful, some more thought out than others, but no path is wrong as long as you eventually arrive at your destination.

Because of this inability to fail I believe anyone can be creative, although you must choose to be, which not everyone does. Creativity comes easier to some than it does others, and not because of the common misconception that you must be crafty or artsy to be creative. A creator must be able to part with reality temporarily and ask “what if”, a question that often makes the more grounded individuals uncomfortable.

I consider myself a creative individual as I am not willing, but eager, to look past the walls of reality. However, I have often felt limited and unable to be original. While I appreciate a base foundation to build from, I often feel my creativity is stifled by superiors who have presented me with a full framed and built idea and has simply asked me to paint on the few remaining details. I experienced this feeling this summer during my internship. All twelve interns were divided into groups of four and each group assigned a specific problem that the organization was facing. At first, the assignment appeared to be a wonderful opportunity to impact a large organization in a powerful way, but as the project went on we received criticism from the higher-ups. Our original idea would have add extra costs, making it too expensive. It would have required an extra hour of work monthly, making it too time consuming. Finally, it was targeting the customer directly rather than aiming internally at the employees, which was not the desire segment in the company’s eyes. In order to receive the approval of the corporate leaders we revised our project. Our final idea focused on the employees, took only five minutes of their time, and was incorporated into an already existing meeting, making it a solution that would spur no extra costs. Our solution fell into their strict framework, but left our group with a dissatisfied feeling. Our original solution addressed the real issues of the problem and could have improved the business, while our final result was just a presentation that resulted in a pat on the back from the corporate office. The company limited our innate creativity and in turn crushed any possible monumental change we could have triggered.

While I have had copious projects and assignments like the one during my internship, I have had many that have encouraged me to explore past what I am sure of, allowing me to create something new. I had one project in particular that stands out in terms of creativity that I did while in high school.  The project was a mock Project Runway exercise. The assignment was to create an accessory, but of course had a twist that made the project more challenging. You had to do it only with the materials that were included in a “mystery bag”, with the exception of any bonding agents like glue or thread. The bag was chosen by the individual, but was sealed keeping the contents a secret until we were simultaneously allowed to open the bags, revealing the array of seemingly unusable items within. In my bag I found poster board, two kinds of fabric, ribbon, and, (the real kicker) tongs. The combination of items in each bag seemed ridiculous, yet were the resources we were given to guide our journey. The original ridiculousness of my bag forced me to reach past my comfort zone, resulting in an item I never would have imagined otherwise. My accessory came to be a tong purse that opened using the mechanism the tongs used in ordinary circumstances. I won the competition for my ability to combine all of the objects in my bag into something practical, but imaginative.

Creativity can be spurred through group collaboration, with one individual building upon the thoughts of another, or equally in the mind of one person slowly building off themselves. In either instance it starts with the absence of fear combined with guidelines meant to direct an individual or team to an end goal. Revision and constructive criticism is essential the best successes, but failure is never possible. Conventional “failures” are only opportunities to improve and move forward.

Red Meat Trends

Pocock Racing Shells is is a member of the rowing industry and provides mainly products, but also services. The company produces rowing shells along with parts and accessories for the boats. The company will also repair heavily damaged boats. Pocock positions its products as high quality with a competitive price, and falls into the middle of the market with both higher and lower end competitors surrounding it. This makes Pocock products a good choice for rowers with some budget restrictions looking for a durable boat and is hence most commonly found in collegiate boathouses.

Pocock was the main brand of boat found in my collegiate boathouse when I rowed for The University of Tulsa my freshman and sophomore year of college. We had a couple of boats each from two or three competing brands, but the majority of our boats were Pococks. In my four years of rowing leading up to college I had not rowed a single Pocock and was not very open to trying them. However, what Coach said you did so I was forced into the boat just the same. Throughout my first year my resistance to the brand died off, but I remained unattached. It wasn’t until my second year that positive feelings started to develop. That spring I was put into a lineup that began as tangle of negative emotions, but grew over time into a lineup that believed we could conquer any challenge another was brave enough to hand to us. As our lineup’s attitudes transitioned, so did my feelings for Pocock. All 5 of us became attached to our lineup and to our boat, Judy.

Judy was the sixth member of our lineup and was just as important to our success as any other member. In the few instances where our coach forced us to abandon Judy for the day our practice lacked something intangible. We were missing a link in the chain that took us from individuals, to a unit. Judy helped us demolish our competition and bring home a bronze medal from the Conference USA Championship. To this day that is the only medal the Tulsa rowing team has brought home from that race despite several years of participation in the Regatta. Judy brought us through one of the best days of our lives. I have never felt so invincible. I will always love the Pocock brand and jump into one of their boats every chance I get.

 

Like my team, many collegiate teams own Pococks and are the brands biggest segment. While collegiate men do row these boats, Pococks are found mostly in the boathouses of women’s rowing programs. Women collegiate teams can range from 20 to over 200 rowers, although most programs have at least 45 athletes. Most of these programs compete in only one of the two types of rowing, which is called sweeping. As a result, their boathouses are comprised of mainly bigger boats like fours and eights. 

 

A smaller segment for Pocock is rowing clubs around the country that function similarly to a gym. Often, there are many different levels of rowers who pay a monthly membership to use the equipment, and perhaps pay an extra fee to participate is classes and practices. These members usually have a variety of backgrounds. Their age alone could vary from a junior (a student enrolled in high school) to a master rower (an athlete that is at least 21) well into their 70s. These clubs usually house all types of boats, which could be anything as small as a single or as big as an eight. 

An even smaller segment for Pocock is individuals looking to purchase a boat for themselves. While most rowers would love to own their own boat the hefty cost of a shell, with the cheapest single being about $4,000, keeps most athletes from purchasing one (2). The individuals that purchase a boat vary in many aspects, but are usually at least in the upper middle class, which allows the individual to have the proper funds to purchase a boat.

Each of these segments has a separate value proposition. Collegiate teams are looking for durable equipment that can fit their very specific demographic, while catering to an outlined budget. This makes Pocock valuable because the boats are designed to last for several years and yet are only in the middle range as far as price. Rowing clubs are looking for longevity as well and have even more budgetary restrictions, but, in contrast, are looking to appeal to a variety of rowers both based on skill and body composition. Pocock offers all types of boats and offers a base level that is cheaper and can effectively act as a mass targeted product. Individuals interested in purchasing boats are often less restricted monetarily than the other two segments, but are looking for a high level of customization in order to own a boat that fits them perfectly. Pocock caters to these individuals by having different boat types, price ranges, hardware variances, and aesthetic design customization.

Sources:

1) http://www.pocock.com

2) http://www.wintechracing.com/index.php?target=/boats/racingshells/1x.php

Generative Research

My family provides me a safe haven whenever I have doubts or insecurities. There is comfort in knowing they are just as weird as me. They don’t mind being odd and neither do I when I am with them.

My cell phone keeps me connected to the large amount of family and friends who are dispersed across the globe. Three members of my immediate family are out of state and one of those out of the country. My cell phone keeps me connected and helps breaks the distance between us.

Rowing livens the champion in me. The sport gives me a feeling of invincibility that I have never found in any other activity. The few times I have taken a break from the sport I feel that I have lost a instrumental part of myself.

Facebook: I use Facebook in a variety of ways. Through private messages I keep in touch with friends. The news feed, often full of shared videos and memes, provides me entertainment through my phone during small downtime periods like waiting in line for coffee or for the bus. I have also used to site for a handful of classes for group project conversations. Occasionally I will share photos, but I mainly view the site and use it as a communication tool.

Online Video: I use Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, and Wimp to view videos almost solely through my computer. Like Facebook, these sites mainly contain entertainment value for me. They give me an opportunity to wind down after a long day or a lot of work, but can also be a topic for conversation and a way to stay current.

A Regretful Journey

Throughout Maria’s college experience she has kept the same degree of marketing, but has still continually questioned and refined her path. During her time at University of Texas her major went from a broad, exciting idea to a dynamic choice that would hopeful lead to career. She will be graduating this December and even now has doubts about her choice of major.

Her journey to decide a major began her senior year of high school when she realized that her degree choice would be a determining factor in where she went to college. Her primary influence was her father, who himself works in business. During her childhood Maria took regular visits to his office, giving her ample opportunities to observe what the daily occurrences of the business world looked like. Maria’s father also directed her choice through discussion. Maria and her father bounced the variety of option she had back and forth through conversation. It became a process of elimination:

“Do you want to get a degree in computer science?”

“Yes, if I want to hate my job for the rest of my life.”

“Do you want to pursue some sort of art degree?”

“Well, that would be fun, but who’s going to pay my bills when I can’t find a job?”

Finally she came to marketing. It struck the balance between fun and practical. She would have freedom to be creative, but also could make a living out of it. The conversation with her father also landed her a runner up of International business. She had rarely been out of Texas and international business would give her an opportunity to experience new cultures and scenes.

Maria’s interest in international business was quickly abandoned in her first semester of college. McCombs does not allow double majors and she had no doubt that marketing was her preference. She briefly considered the other business majors that she could pursue, but, once again, quickly came back to marketing. Finance and accounting seemed bland, while marketing offered the opportunity for variety and creativity. She was fairly certain this was the right business major for her, but had little idea of what marketing actually consisted of. Her enrollment in core classes like history and government kept the major a mystery throughout her first year of school.

It was not until the Maria’s sophomore year, when she took a long internship with a well-known company that she began to understand the range of aspects that comprise a marketing career. During her internship she worked with multiple marketing managers on a range of products. Despite causing her to realize for the first time that marketing carried an analytical component, the variety of the internship helped Maria reaffirm her aspiration to work in marketing. While the internship was encouraging, McCombs’ career services were not. Maria had always had a passion for television and film, and was looking to combine this passion with her major in hopes of placing a job in entertainment marketing. However, this dream was quickly crushed when career services told her that it would be a very difficult industry to enter, and that she was on her own.

Despite her setbacks Maria continued working towards a marketing degree and in her junior year began taking marketing electives that exposed her to the varying sides of marketing. Highly analytical marketing classes caused her to realize that she was interested only in the creative aspects of the major. The more classes she took the more she realized that spreadsheets and number crunching were a large, and growing, component of marketing. At the time this gave her pause, but being too far into her major to change her mind she forced herself to believe that marketing could lead to an enjoyable career. In the spring of her junior year she discussed her major with a friend, Sophia, who had recently graduated and started a marketing career. Sophia described her job, which revolved around market analysis. This confirmed Maria’s feeling that market analysis was not the path for her.

Maria is now in her final semester of school and having many doubts about the possible careers that lie ahead of her. Originally she thought marketing would be a lucrative career, but companies recruiting through the business school want mainly finance and accounting majors. Of what little marketing jobs are listed, most of them are looking for analysts. Maria is also aware, more than ever, that any marketing job will require her to crunch numbers. Fearing that a dissatisfying job might loom in her future, she wishes she had chosen a major in advertising or public relations. She is continuing to make the best of her major and is applying to consulting jobs, which she believes will restore part of the original appeal of her major. Consulting would give her the opportunity for creativity and variety, even if she might have to look at a few numbers.

After reflecting on her journey Maria wishes she had been given more information on what in meant to be a marketing major. Like many who have limited knowledge about the major, Maria thought it was going to be solely about creativity. With her graduation date coming fast Maria doesn’t have to convenience of changing her mind. Since she can’t go back she can only hope that forward is better than it seems.

The Hidden Mind (Assignment One)

Alex’s world seems so quiet when I compare it to mine. He has a multitude of friends, participates in several after school activities, and, when he chooses, provides a level of conversation that I don’t believe I could hold with many other 11 year olds, but more often than not he choose to be alone. He is off in his room building an intricate Lego vehicle, or on the couch completely swallowed by a young adult novel. Even if you are in the same room as him your presence is often ignored, especially if he is entranced by a video game or the computer. However, despite the appearance of Alex’s world, I don’t think it’s quiet to him, just the outsider trying to weasel their way in.

Alex’s mind is constantly churning with observations, ideas, and questions that he prefers to share only with himself. His thoughts are internal. His feelings are as well, until he hits the point of over blown frustration and all of the contained feelings are released in an explosion of noise and movement. What really counts in Alex’s world is freedom.He desires freedom to explore, to create, and to manage his own life. He wants to play video games, go outside, fix and build things, or be absorbed by a book on his own terms, in his own time. He does not want to be dictated by his brother’s desires or his parents’ chore schedule. His greatest complaint is restrictions and rules set by others that he must follow.

In Alex’s busy mind he is logical. He sees the world in clarity. The earth is composed of concrete shapes and structures. 

There is little doubt in his mind to how life functions. He sees many opportunities to create new things and a place to explore. Alex’s silence is broken by his friends. He sees them as a portal to another version of himself.

His friends facilitate an Alex that can set aside the inner musing and become simply a child that can have fun and just enjoy life. The market offers opportunities to both of these versions Alex. It offers tools for creativity and books for silent enjoyment, but also offers toys that can be shared with his buddies.

From these friends Alex hears jokes and laughter. Their conversations aren’t meant to be thought provoking, their meant solely for enjoyment.He has these interactions with his family as well, but also hears words and noises off annoyance. His brother can be a loud, intentional nuisance and his parents institute orders that becoming an irritation or something to ignore. He sometimes hears words and sounds of comfort from his family, but often from his dog, Biscuit. The sound of her paws, her whimper, and the sound of her tongue licking him often provide him solace.

Alex approaches the public world similarly to how he approaches his family. He is quiet and observant. His physical appearance is slightly uncaring and disheveled. He doesn’t seem worried by what he looks like because it is not important compared to the thoughts inside his head.There are times that he will choose to have a conversation with people. Alex is either uncaring of my presences, or fully engaged with me, which makes the conversations I do have with him deeply interesting. Any person can tell quickly into a conversation with him that he is intelligent and creative. He is not always limited by reality, though he is deeply aware of it. His actions and comments make you feel as if you are talking to a much older person.

People are Alex’s main point of frustration. He fears restrictions that authority figures can place on him. He is frustrated by the badgering of his brother, Lou, and the constant stream of noise that seems to run from Lou’s mouth.

His obstacles are the activities put into place by others, like school and chores, and the people that enforce these activities. Besides people, he is frustrated greatly by failed projects. With the world so clearly structures and his obvious intelligence Alex expects his creations to succeed.

Alex’s deepest needs are autonomy and fun. 

 While he doesn’t seek knowledge and athleticism necessarily out right, they are obviously valuable to him.  Alex measures his success similarly to other kids. Time to play outside or a video game is an obvious sign of success. His grades are already a point of competition between him and his brother. A high grade on an assignment is brought up quickly and willingly, while a poor one is hidden. Winning, above all of these, exhibits the most excitement from Alex. In all board games, video games, games outside, or even in instance where the other party was not aware they were in competition with Alex, the bragging rights of a win are the utmost award.   

While rules are an obstacle for Alex, his brother, Lou, can also be a difficult enemy. As his twin, Lou provides built in competition in every activity, school exercise, and game. Alex can also be an obstacle to himself. He becomes frustrated if he feels like he lacks ability in an area and might quickly become unbelieving of himself.

Alex’s world isn’t easy for me to understand. I can’t keep quiet for twenty minutes at a time, much less spend a whole afternoon alone buried in a book, but I’m guessing Alex doesn’t feel alone. Alex’s head is filled with so many ideas and possibilities that often the most interesting and busy place is inside of his own mind.