Crua Stone Class Project Featured on Etsy.com

Vanessa Bertozzi, now Director of Community & Education at Etsy, followed our marketing project for Crua Stone and helped with priceless advice and feedback on Mike's Etsy shop during a cool virtual lab session. On July 2nd she blogged about our project and featured the promotional video we created:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/reviews/students-from-stone-to-store-at-ringling-college-of-art-and--8780/

Don't miss the comments of fellow Etsy members. Everyone is supportive and excited about the project and about Mike's art.

Print and Online Ads

Crua Stone Promotional Video - PREMIERE

Crua Stone LOGO

Here is the image of final logo.

Also, available to download at:
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~ltan/crua_stone_Final.pdf

Disney Homework-For partial credit

Disney has created such a strong brand image by reaching out to kids through the use of cartoons, movies, parks, rides, playing dress up...ect. By growing up to this life style of wanting to go to the next Disney movie or Disney World, we are blinded by what some critics are projecting that there is racism and sexism flowing through out the story line of the films. I am pro Disney because back in the day (1950's)- we as a society thought about things in a different way and it was of "the times" to express these issues in a subtle way because we could. Racism was wide spread and woman where staying home and raising a family. My point it is, is that those things were going on at that time and Disney followed (in a subtle way) those story lines because they were real!
Also, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And if they can find something to criticize they can do it, and will find a way.
As a consumer of Disney products, it is natural for me to expect that Disney would reflect our today's society- I believe that Disney knows that they have these critics and are realizing that they could be ruining their reputation. But in all reality...it is Disney and Disney will stay strong by coming out with the latest movie,new ride, doll, costumes...ect. Every girl wants to be a fairy-tale princess.

Extra Credit Homework Assignment-Facebook

In the U.S. there are about 100 million visitors that check out Facebook almost every month. Facebook was once only accessible to valid college students and now the majority of Facebook users are business owners. Many businesses and entreprenuers use Facebook as a social network to promote their companies and create relationships with customer communities. For Cura Stone, advertising Mikes work on Facebook ( currently in the processes of doing so)- here are the benefits of what is going to come with Cura Stone advertised on Facebook:
Facebook allows the visitor to pick and choose groups and ads that companies can target customers based on a user's profile information. With Cura Stone it is important that it targets the right people. "Zeroing in a specific audience lets you get the most bang for your advertising buck!"
It is important that Cura Stone reaches out to college students and people of the Florida area. Since Mike's necklaces are made out of stone and natural hemp it is afordable and fashionable for beach wear. But i also agree that we should advertise Cura Stone and test various target demographics. Advertising on Facebook will bring more people to check out Mike's jewlery because Facebook reaches out to everyone!
When advertising Cura Stone we need to make the ads POP on Facebook. Things need to be carefully considered: color, Line, Text. Cura Stone cannot be a traditional ad on Facebook because it will be pushed to the side ( i don't think it would be a traditional sign since we are a very create bunch!)
This will be very exciting for the weeks to come with Cura Stone. I am glad that i am apart of the advertising team!
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/how-to-advertise-on-facebook.html

Disney Discussion

1) How, in your opinion, has Disney created such a strong brand image that we are having hard time associating negative intentions with the company's brand?
2) Do you as a consumer of Disney products expect from the Disney corporation to better reflect today's society and to be socially responsible. Why or why not?

In class we watched a documentary about the stereotypes Disney portrays in its movies and the potential negative influence it could possibly have on children growing up. This is something that isn't new to me because of my previous studies of the book "Fast Food Nation" and how large corporations like McDonald have a specific niche to target children to create lifetime customers. If you tell someone that something is good, and that's the way it's suppose to be done, and repeat it hundreds of times over years, then someone would believe what ever you said and hold it to be true because you've managed to established it over and over again.

The same is true for Disney. If Disney decides to keep reestablishing the same character archetypes in their films time and time again, children expose to this material would tend to behavior in the same manner. Disney has a distinctive charm that the film talks about that creates life time consumers who are willing to turn a blind eye over because they believe whole heatedly that Disney is good and that's it.

Human beings learn through imitation, and children even more so soak up everything around them in order to elevate right from wrong and how to live their life. Disney films are not produced for for kids, by kids. These people who create these films are grown adults who understand the world and try to make their films as universal as possible, whether or not they want to incorporate sexual or racial themes to lure in a universal audience that not specific to children anymore because life time customers do inevitably grow up.

The Disney Documentary

I agree with the statement that everything you have ever seen in a Disney movie is completely intentionally put there. So when Jasmine uses her body to distract Javar and gets what she wants, Disney is intentionally putting that in kids faces for a reason. I believe that through their movies and with their more exploiting scenes, Disney is trying to reflect a certain reality. There are women out there that use their bodies to get what they want, but there are also many women who know where the line is. This is why I say Disney is somewhat reflecting reality, but in very exaggerated and generalized way. I think that cartoons to most people are suppose to reflect on some kind of reality, like a boy learning a lesson or the good guy winning. But I think we can also agree that because essentially Disney is producing entertainment, these cartoons and stories are exaggerated for our joy in watching them! If Disney wholly reflected reality in there movies they wouldn't be so successfully known for their innovative and magical, unrealistic ways.

disney

the movie was interesting, but i personally think that man was just looking for attention. No one is about to mess with my childhood. Disney may be some corporation whore, but at some point, they aren't everything that those people claimed it to be. Sure, every corporation out there has something to hide, but there is a time where you exaggerate a little. First of all, who putting a race on an animal is absolutely ridiculous. Animals don't have a race, its a freaking' animal! It is what it is. And sure I understand how a Mexican would get mad for them portraying a chihuahua like that, but its not like they were wrong. Besides, a child doesn't know that. All they see is a dog that has a funny accent or whatever. Kids at that particular age, probably don't even know what really is going on. I know my nieces and nephews, when they watch Disney movies, they don't even know the storyline. They just love the talking animals. But they can differentiate reality with fantasy. ... i had a lot more to say. But I'd get to the point where i would insult that poor, sorry man.

Disney

The movie was quite insightful when you stop and think about it. I mean at times they went overboard but a lot of it did make scenes. And when you really stop and think about it those sort things are out there and you can't just ignore them. Parents need to step up and let kids know the difference right and wrong, good or bad. . . . . but also not deprive them of their childhood. Let them be kids Its not just disney though tons of companies are doing this.  But also the same can go with over analyzing them as well. I think the class was defending not just defending Disney, but most of all our childhoods. . . . its what we grew up knowing and people do not like change.

Disney

When we were watching the Disney video I was shocked that they were even attacking them like that because I had always imagined them as wholesome and well put together. I mean when I was younger I did hear rumors that they were sending out subliminal messages of sex or of racial comments. But, I never knew that they were making a huge deal. I never knew that they had made movies, or books or even had people talking about it as much as they did. All in all even if they are corrupt I still love disney for becoming what they are and how they have gotten there. I feel that they are a good example of a great business strategy.

Influences of Media

When we were watching the documentary, i was a little offensive about the whole Disney manipulating or having bad influences to the children. It is because i have been grown up with Disney animation like everyone else. And all the animation and characters are dreams land to me. It is a place where i can escape the reality and believe on happy endings. When the people in the documentary tearing apart each characters, especially Beauty and the Beast, and Mulan, I was a little angry and upset.

However, after i sit down and start thinking about it. Maybe it is true that Disney is not putting too much concern on the social messages that they created either intentionally or unintentionally to the children. Disney animators and designers need to think about their responsibilities before creating their pieces. Though, they might be sending the wrong messengers or being little racist on some of the animations; not all of the points made by the people in the documentary make sense. It is also has to due with how diversity and culture influences to each country. We all can't really know each different culture or country tradition or practice unless we live there long enough. Our resources to this kind of information is limited. The stereotype for each country and culture will be there no matter what. We sometimes have to accept that there are too much to cover.

Besides Disney to blame on, our media in general has played a huge role. Music, TV, Magazine, social Media and many other media that children today surrounded with. Many kids are all about following what's the hippest or updated styles and might not even know what they are actually mean. It is the parents job to educate and guide the children on what they seen and hear. Letting them know the reality and not spoil them by accepting what media is do to us.

As a designer, i do feel that i am part of the responsibility to change the problem we have with media. We have to know what we are creating and publishing and do it with morals and values. We should also bring more awareness to the people that media can be manipulating but it is about how much the kids and the parents willing to take action to break away from the controls.

Most of us grew up with Disney and we all still turn up fine. I believe at some point of life, we will learn that what media provides us might not be 100% real. It is about not being ignorance but open-minded to accept every culture and be wise.

Facebook as an adveritsement tool

Facebook has been around a while now and has over 100 million visitors. This social networking site can become a powerful tool to advertise. Big companies to self proclaimed entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the benefits a facebook profile can do for your product or service. First, it can help you look for a target audience since a lot of people list their interest and other personal information which can be used to help you collect potential customers. AD PRICE can be used to track and record how many people click on your ad and what happens after they do. Facebook has something similar but it does not track what actions are taken after they have clicked on your ad. The ads that you create for your product or service must be carefully crafted in order for them to pop out to your audience. Being different is key when advertising. Some companies have several ads run back to back or next to each other. This can guarantee to grab different types of people not just a certain group. All these techniques can be applied to Crua Stone and the marketing that Mike is doing for his product. Especially being for the demographic that his product is primarily for.

You have been Yelped (extra credit)

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/youve-been-yelped.html#

The article was talking about website Yelp.com . It is the customer review website for business owner. I didn't know about this site until I read the article. I think the website can be a very powerful thing that can make or break the business. It gives the customer a voice to talk about their experience with a business PUBLICLY. The advantage that have the your business on Yelped that if you get good previews, then bingo, it's a way to market your business. It's another form of WOM, it spreads online instead. Vice versa, bad reviews will for sure affect the business. Even though it give a customer an idea of what they are getting into there are also trust and honest issues. There is no way that the website nor business owner can control what is being posted on the website, nor confirm that the info is truth or just a lie. That can lead to a dilemma like Diane Goodman from the article. But I don't think her first reaction by emailing and cursing at the customer was appropriate. That is the reason things got worse from there.

I can see how Crua Stone be on one of those website to receive feedback, I think it is a way to market Mike's jewelry and his business and spread the world out there. As long as we are good with customer service, I think we will get good feedback. It is also a way to improve by taking in customer's suggestion.

Mickey Mouse Monopoly

This movie really left me thinking... how important and influential a company can be, not only on peoples childhood for on the culture of the country.

i remember Wanda Chavez told us about an article she read that said that Disney world had become the Mecca of America,  a place to which every family wants to take their kids at least once. I thought this was interesting, I HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE, but i have heard of it my entire life. However in Uruguay ( all the way to the south of the south american continent) Disney is not so present in our daily life. We do get the movies and they are indeed classics, i bet 90% of the population has seen the lion king, but i don't think anyone knows the songs to it for example.

One of the things that surprised me the most wen i came to the USA was to see how submerged everyone was under the world of entertainment and it did not take long till I realize who was the most important; specially here where many people have grown up in Disney.

It was while we were having the class discussion when i  notices how most of the people felt part of their movies, how everyone defended their concept and did not even want to consider the idea that maybe their productions where not so innocent and magic like they seem.

This makes me think of the power they have and how not only they might have shape the culture of its country but by showing other cultures  in their movie, they create an image for them.

It is hard to get people to get interested in other countries issues and cultures. i honestly think that if you show a movie set in Africa ( a huge continent) in which everything looks yellow and there are many wild animals running around, that will be the image the audience will have of africa, which is not necessarily true. I understand that most of the movies are not based on  the present 2010, but do we really think of that when we watch them? do 8 year old kids think about that? How many times do we back up our toughs and opinions based on movies?, how many people became vegetarian after watching Food inc.

In any case i think it is up to the parents to decide what to expose their kids to. But they also need to be aware of the power of this media.

I think a great example of this "power" was when we watched the vide, a documentary that made us all think and want to say something about it.  Some people did not even want to watch it anymore, some were mad at it, some might have agreed etc.  Some think that TVs are not harmful at all others think it is a good education source ... 

I do like their movies, i think they have a very talented creative group of people that are passionate and work hard on the movies. I think that they just need to be seen as art and entertainment being open minded enough to know that is nothing but a fictitious story been  able to pass that thought to our kids.

Mickey Mouse Monopoly

It is not letting me post this as a comment, so here you go:

1.)
Disney has created a strong brand image by listening to their consumers with each movie, toy, or theme park that they produce. They have molded their products around a stereotype of American culture, shifted slightly by feedback - and the nature of needing 'new' material, which might very well be the same story made fresh with different characters, settings, etc. In most cases, they are simply pulling from classic folktales adjusted for modern society. We are clearly attached to strong female lead characters who exemplify Barry P. Powel's description of the Foltake in his book "Classical Myth"

"Often the main characters in folktale have low social status, at least in the beginning of the story, and are persecuted or victimized in some way by other characters. The folktale hero may be an outcast whose intelligence and virtue are not recognized by those in power. The hero is often the youngest child, the third of three brothers and sisters, abused by siblings or by a wicked stepmother. Very often, the end of the story brings a reversal of fortunes, the "happy ending" for which folktales are well-known. Initially taken to be stupid and ineffectual, the folktale hero triumphs over all obstacles and receives an appropriate reward." (p9-10)

We grew up with these stories and had parents smart enough to pull us away from the television long enough to grow up with an understanding of reality and the true hardships we would face as we got older. The perception of negative intentions on Disney's part grows out of a parents lack of proper guidance of their children. They are handing their children over to Disney, putting them in front of the TV for hours and thus feeding the company's ability to grow and produce more and more each year. Parents are the ones purchasing the Snow White sheet-sets, the 101 Dalmatian wallpaper, the 7 dwarfs stuffed toys, the Lion King play sets, etc. They are funding Disney's development and then blaming them for growing as a company.

2.)
A point that I touched on previously states that we, as consumers, are the ones putting money into Disney's pockets. I think that there are countless consumers who have spoken out against Disney, asking for them to change their ways toward a more socially-responsible company. We can "expect" them to be more socially responsible, but if they do not change their ways, it is most certainly up to us as consumers to purchase from other companies that we might trust and believe in.

For example: If Publix produces a pasta product which is not organic, they might provide us with an organic option (or we might purchase from a different organic food store), but that original product will remain on the shelves just as it is. People are willing to forgo their option to purchase organic products in favor of cheaper and, in their opinion, tastier pasta.

Although Disney is not dividing their company into socially-responsible and consciously reformed divisions, the "organic option" in this case is to watch movies, purchase toys, and go to theme parks that are produced by a company that IS more socially responsible in the first place.

***

I love Disney and I find this conversation (and the movie) hard to swallow because I grew up watching their movies and collecting their toys - and I turned to be a strong, successful woman. One who clearly doesn't think every woman should have a four-inch waistline or give in to abusive men (and yet I watched Beauty and the Beast 1,000 times. Curious). It's difficult to deal with people who have had personal and positive experiences with Disney and ask them to look back on their own childhood and agree to arguments stating that the company they trusted is evil and out to take over the world with their demon ways.

"Mickey Mouse Monopoly" - discussion

We are continuing the class discussion on the documentary Mickey Mouse Monopoly online.
While some of you were able to relate to the ideas expressed in the film, most of you felt very uncomfortable with the suggestion that the Disney conglomerat has a role in shaping kids perceptions of gender and race.

To focus our discussion on marketing and social responsibility, please answer the following Qs:
1) How, in your opinion, has Disney created such a strong brand image that we are having hard time associating negative intentions with the company's brand?
2) Do you as a consumer of Disney products expect from the Disney corporation to better reflect today's society and to be socially responsible. Why or why not?

For my digital rendering class mid term we each had to design a kiosk based on a product of our choice. I chose Mike Decker’s stone jewelry. At the time we had not finalized the name yet so that is why it is Crua Nature.

Also it will be in the Best of Ringling show so keep an eye out for it.

Creative ideas and testimonials for Promo Video

As we are planning the promotional video for Crua Stone, we want to capture your creative and sincere thoughts. We are looking for:

Music options

Student's testimonials about the process of developing the marketing for Mike

Customer's testimonials about Mike's jewelry

Any other ideas you want to share

Etsy Virtual Labs

http://www.etsy.com/virtual_lab.php?room_id=500

observational research

I think for Mike observational research is the way to go. Watching consumers interact naturally with their surroundings is key.Usually, the consumer is not aware that they are being watched so they behave naturally, and you can catch how they really react to things they like or don't like. You can find what people like now, and what new trends work or not. you can stay on top, but just watching. :)

Chapter 8 : Survey Research

Survey research would be best for Mike product since Mike audience is mostly the younger generation. Most kids today are more communicate actively using internet especially the social media like Facebook and Twitter. They like to express their opinions and thoughts, search for the new things, meet friends, online shopping and more. Survey will be good way to get them involve and it should be quick and easy. The questionnaire design should be open-ended question where they get to express themselves more freely.
Besides that, survey will get to reach out further and more responses. Listening to what his audience thoughts and ideas about what they like might be helpful and inspiring for his new design.
Social Network especially Facebook and Twitter are widely use by many big companies nowadays. So let's Tweet about it!

Chapter 8, Casey Ligon

I think that one of the best resources for Etsy users to guage user interest is Google Analytics. Their ability to track and display site traffic with your Etsy pages is amazing. My favorite part of this style of observational research is where you can see what pages have been clicked on the most. This is particularly useful for seeing which designs are the most popular. Perhaps more importantly is the ability to see which section of jewelry people are clicking on most by deciding his products into sections (necklaces, rings, etc) and seeing which section gets the most hits overall.

Observational Research

Observational Research is a good tactic for Mike to use. Looking who and what people buy will help him improve is product line. If he sees people wanting something selling well he might make a limited addition having the consumer want to buy it before it is gone. Or even what's not selling so well and maybe do something else in place of that item. This way he can branch out as well and know what people like or dislike  . . . . . what would be a successful sale and what he might be wasting his time on.

This is a personal thank you to everybody in our class. Everyone has done an amazing job so far and has put more effort into this project than I could have ever hoped for. It is an honor for me to have so many extremely talented people working with me and on my business. I understand that we all have very difficult schedules at school and finding the time to do all the fantastic work you have done is awesome! I would like to personally thank Li Mei Tan and her group for the wonderful job you did on my logo. It is something I would have never thought to design that way but the more I look at it the more I love it. It has a sense of class and grace without losing its masculine feel, which I like very much. The flow of the text and image are very nice in the way it moves your eye through the logo. I would like to personally thank Alex Terry and his group for the amazing job they did on the packaging and the tutorial movie. Both are going to be extremely helpful to me and are in themselves an extension of my brand and feel. Very nice job guys. Next I would like to thank Aless and her group for the fantastic design of the banner. It looks very eye catching while maintaining a clean look which I like a lot! Also I would like to thank everyone that worked on my bio and announcement for my page. It is hard to write things about yourself because it is hard to evaluate oneself. You have made that extremely easy on me and done a knock out job on pin pointing who I am as a person. Also thank you Justin for your fantastic drawings and storyboards. They are very cool and reflective of my style as a person and I appreciate that. Thank you to the countless others who have been posting weekly on my product and pointing out things I would have never noticed or payed attention to. The insight you have all given me into my own product is priceless and something I never expected. All the time and effort of the class has blown me away and I would just like to let you all know how much I appreciate it because I may not convey it very often but I am truly thrilled by the work we have done as a class. Thank you.

Decker

Chapter 8, Mail Surveys

Mail Surveys could be a way to follow up on a purchase as well as gaining research for Mike's product. This could even be done over email. A short questionnaire could be sent to anyone who buys something from Crua Stone.
The questions could be as simple as: "what attracted you to buy from Crua Stone?" or "was your purchase for yourself or for a gift?"
This feedback could help us understand the fan base Crua Stone already has, as well as helping develop the SWOT analysis further. Even if the customer chooses not to fill out the survey, they still will have seen the name CRUA STONE at least one more time.

observational Research

The observational Research Method applies to Mike’s jewelry very well, it is based on watching what people do, who buys what kind jewelry and were. It could also include what kind of people wears what kind of jewelry.

This is especially important to decide where to sell it (although we already know where we are selling mikes jewelry).

It also helps shaping the profile of the potential costumers and the profile of the brand.

This method is also used to gather information from other companies from the costumer position, this is called mystery shoppers; The researcher goes to a specific store and observes from the way they packed or not the shelves, costumer service all the way to packaging and labeling.

Chapter 8

I think the best research method for Mike or any other small business starting off would be a blog. First of all, the internet is becoming more and more popular. People are blogging and reading other blogs more often. They are constantly on the computer finding new things that interest them. The age range we are looking at for Mike's target are younger and high tech. They are the ones that would understand what a blog is and be interested in it. A blog is also good for Mike because it's speaking to consumers on a more personal level. It's more laid back and fun, like Mike's product. What Mike does is an art and there's a story behind it. There's nothing else out there like Mike's products. Mike can tell little stories in his blogs about what he's working on. People who love his art would love reading the blog about what's new and what he's working on. Consumers can comment on the blogs of what they like about his work, what he should change and what they want out of it. I think they would feel more comfortable being completely honest in a blog. He can take this information and use it to his advantage. I think a blog is the perfect tone for Mike's products. It's real and communicates on a personal level.

Market Research

Please read chapter 8 about marketing research.
Select one research method that can be adopted by Mike Decker or any other creative entrepreneur and explain what data can be collected and how can the research data be utilized to support marketing decision making. Read the other comments and try to be original.

Seth is a genius

I think this applies to Etsy :)

"Telling a Story on the Label"

"Here's a $20 bottle of soap. Functionally identical to a $3 bottle, so what's the $17 for?
Let's assume the people buying it aren't stupid. What are they paying $17 for? A story. A feeling. A souvenir of a shopping expedition or perhaps just a little bit of joy in the shower every morning. Let's dissect:

1. The hang tag. It's special because most soap doesn't have a hang tag. Hang tags come on things that are a little more special than soap. And hang tags beg to be read. This one says a lot (and nothing, at the same time.) It reminds us that it doesn't contain SLS. What's SLS? Is it as bad as SLES?

2. This isn't soap. It's mineral botanic. Both words are meaningless, which means the purchaser can attach whatever feelings they choose to them. In this case, the marketer is hoping for old-time, genuine, down-to-earth and real.

3. It's not made by a soap company. It's made in a Dead Sea Laboratory. Laboratories, of course, are where scientists work, and the Dead Sea is biblical, spiritual and really salty. The company has a name (Ahava) that is onomatopoeic and reminds you of breathing. Breathe deep and find calm. [Even better, I'm told it means 'love' in Hebrew].

4. My favorite part is that it's made from bamboo and pansy. At least a little. Bamboo because it's fast growing and Asian and gentle and wood and grass at the same time. And pansy... well... pansy is for girls.

5. Two really good things here. First, it's for very dry skin. This is brilliant. If your skin is dry, you don't want to hear that it's sort of dry, kind of dry, not as dry as that guy over there... No, you want to hear that it's extremely dry, really dry, so dry it's like sand. That kind of dry. This bottle understands how very dry your skin is, and it's here to help.

Also, it's in French! I love that there's the language of love and sophistication and diplomacy right here on the bottle. I can imagine that models for Chanel are using it on the Rive Gauche as we speak.

6. Did I mention the part about velvet?

It took guts to take this packaging so over the top. It doesn't match my worldview, but it might match yours. There's not a lot of room for slightly-out-of-the-ordinary."

Article

When his sculpture teacher told him that he couldn’t carve anything small with the stone he was using, Michael Decker had no choice but to do just that. It was that type of rebellious and creative spirit that started Decker’s passion for creating unique stone and hemp jewelry. Each necklace, bracelet, or ring is made out of Brazilian stone, and each is different from the next. Long after the sculpture class at his community college in Florida was over, this hobby has turned into the beginning of what could be a lucrative small business called Crua Stone. Before, Decker would make stone jewelry for himself or for friends, but now he in the hands of his Marketing class at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Mike’s jewelry was voted to be the subject of the class’ latest Marketing project. The students have been divided into different groups, each handling a different aspect of the Marketing Mix. Each week the class covers another step of the marketing process for Crua Stone, doing things such as working on the packaging, picking out a name and logo, price setting and understanding the target market. The class has decided to use Etsy.com, an online community specifically for selling handcrafted products, along with the school’s local store, Made By Ringling, to sell Crua Stone’s Jewelry. Etsy.com is tailored to pieces like Mike’s Crua Stone jewelry. This project allows students to experience first hand everything that goes into marketing a product.
Crua Stone already had a small following, but now Mike Decker’s business has the chance to expand with a greater force than ever before. To find out more about this 23 year old from Texas who now resides in Sarasota, Florida, check out his web page!

Chapter 15: Advertising and PR

I think much more in bullet points so i'll initially list the info like that.

Advertising:

*Spending on advertising is different for new and established brands/companies. Emerging products/companies have to spend proportionately more to make themselves known. Big names like Coca-Cola and Verizon Communications (even though they pay nearly $10million a day on advertising) concentrate on reminding consumers of their presence and they are already known thanks to their heavy investment in advertising in previous years.
* The reason for switching advertising methods is that after a certain point diminishing returns set in aka the Advertising Response Function. After this point, money spent on advertising will become decreasingly effective at raising awareness. You can only tell so many people about something new until you start running into the same people basically.
*Serious/Dramatic ads work better to improve negative attitudes from consumers toward positive ones. Humerous ones work better among those who already have a positive attitude towards the product/brand/company presented in them.
*Institutional advertising has been on the rise. These work to promote the company/organization on the whole and preserve their desired identity. Advocacy ads, responses to recent controversies and accusations are included in this type of advertising.
*Product Advertising is something we've been swamped with since our first days in existence. Pioneering, Competative, and Comparative Advertising are all specific angles that are taken in this type of ad.
*For an Ad Campaign: planning, development, execution, scheduling (for tv: flight, pulsing, or seasonal for example), and post campaign evaluation are your basic formula

PR:

*PR can either be set up through press releases and proactive media relations but can also create themselves such as the diet coke + mento mint geyser video. (Mento estimates the online buzz spurred on in fan videos to be worth over $10million. Mento spends under $20 million on advertising. Total.)
*Weapons in the PR Department's arsenal: product publicity, press relations, corporate communications, public affairs, lobbying (oh the dreaded lobbyists), employee and investor relations, and crisis management (damage control for when bad publicity happens)
*New Product publicity - here's where the extra money goes to introduce new products. Publicity stunts such as Henri Desgrange's bicycle race to promote his newspaper (known as the Tour de France today; 100 years later) fall into this category.
*Product Placement: The fun "SONY" logo you see in a movie or phone you see placed into a scene in a show.
*Consumer Education: "informed consumers are better than loyal consumers." Seminars and educational programs regarding services pertinent to the providing comapny/organization fall under this category.
*Sponsorship: Keeping athletes many times wealthier than us since before Michael Jordan
*Internet Web Sites: Convenient yet losing popularity. Many products no longer receive their own site. Instead they may be promoted on the parent site established for the whole company entity. If anything though, companies are moving towards blogs, essentially the newspaper of our generation to promote themselves online in ways aside from advertisement banners and pop ups.

ch 15

After considering our class discussions and reading Ch. 15 on advertising I decided to investigate the advertising techniques of Coca Cola. They use the nostalgia of the brand to their advantage, whether it be through their print or television advertisements. Their message is that coca cola has and will always be there. although coca cola does alot of advertising, some of it we fail t o recognize. product placement in television and movies, as well as other places we wouldn't pick up on. Coca cola does not make its money off of syrups (fountain drinks). They make their money off of the can drinks you buy, so why then do you see coca cola fountain drinks offered in ball parks, stadiums, and many other venues? it's all for the advertising. the amount of money coca cola spends per year to be at fenway park (for example) is enough to cover the price of being at fenway, and that's it. however, the advertising that is provided just by being at fenway is thought to be enough to justify that placement. As far as public relations is concerned, i think their current advertising campaign says it all. coca colas newest campaign features womens heart health and also 'benefits' womens heart health. This is just one of the many ways Coca cola excels in both these areas.

http://www.coca-cola.com/index.jsp

Rough Film Ideas

I've put together a simple and straight forward storyboard outlining the overall feel of what the video for Mike could look like. I was leaning towards a more interview approach where the a majority of the video is about the person talking about themselves and the product mixed in with some shots of the surrounding areas of the school and the Madeby Store. Mike being interviewed on a beach nearby would tie in with the whole "natural" theme of the product and also reflect on the target audience.

Mike's Bio--20 Something

Mike Decker: the 23 year old rebel. Don't tell him he can't do something, he'll just prove you wrong. This is what drives him, along with his supportive family. He never wants to be anything but the best, and he'd willing to work hard for it. This advertiser/artist has a strong opinion (sometimes direct) and when he's passionate about something, no one can tell him he's wrong. When he's not busy carving Brazilian stones, he likes to skim, surf, skateboard, hang out with friends, and loves to do ceramics. Music is an important part of his artwork. Doesn't matter what he's listening to. It's more about mood. Music is half the experience of stone carving. It keeps him going. “The music sets the pace and tone of what I am carving that day. “ Other than music, Mike is also influenced by the natural shapes in nature. He has an eye for finding hidden symbology within the art and makes up his own meanings. It's a very personal type of artwork, requiring both time and patience. Only the most dedicated can do what Mike Decker does. Mike considers his mom a mentor for always being there for him along with his high school art teacher, Patrick Woodruff and technical school teacher, April Irwin. His main goal is to graduate college being the top of his class with the knowledge and skills he needs to revolutionize the industry. After school he wants to obtain a well respected job and earn enough money to retire at a young age to open his own art studio and gallery. The ultimate goal? To live life and be happy doing art.

Chapter 19

In chapter 19, it talks mostly about customer relationship management, which is a strategy used to manage and nurture a companies interactions with clients and prospects.
It's an essential part of modern business management. Termite Extermination Inc was able to develop and implement a marketing plan that increased sales dramatically. Banks introduce the customer relationship management system to become more customer oriented. Maybank has won the customer relationship management excellence award 2010 for its high performance and high return on investment crm. Maybank said it emerged tops under the "growth" category.

Final 3 logo

After developed more variation during the weekend, Mike took a look and preferred these 3 logos.
Here are the final 3.

Chapter 15

Johnson and Johnson is a company that spends a lot of money on advertising, but a majority of their advertising goes towards Institutional Advertising. The company spends billions of dollars on corporate identity and advocacy advertisement. They are a company of reputation and use public relations wisely. They are on top of the consumer reminding them constantly of their effort to help a cause in society. You are more likely to hear of the company's name than a product the are attempting to introduce. Their products hold a major reputation and are for the most part trusted even with babies and need little introduction. Johnson and Johnson has an air tight strategy to keep the consumer on their side and they exercise public relations to the max of their ability. In this attempt to use their public relations to their advantage they utilize a variety of advertising appeals from health to environmental consciousness. Johnson and Johnson also involves itself in noise-free reading and advertisement...{content brought to you by...} In this site I have provided you can see a list of campaigns Johnson and Johnson has launched that focus primarily on institutional advertisement for the company. http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/initiatives/

Public relation is what helps the marketers understand, evaluate their needs and learn about what they want and care about. The consumers and helps the consumers understand, accept and trust on what is being offered to them. When there is good costumer service brand loyalty tends to increase, if we as costumers know that we will be treated good and respected we will give that back to the company and it makes the experience of buying the product or using the service much more pleasant and satisfying. Sales are good to attack costumers that maybe had sassed to purchase or use a certain product for economic reasons or for experimental reasons ( to try other newer brands). When you give the costumer to get something for less money it gratifies them, it is an opportunity they have in a set period of time which influences their decision making.

A company that is very good on sales is Charlotte Russe, their sales go up to 50% and sometimes even more. This is a clothes company and whenever a new collection comes in the prices of the previous one go drop down. This makes a big difference and the stores bloom at that time of the year because their main consumers are teenage girls who might not have that much money but they like to spend it in clothes and if they can get more for less even better. http://www.charlotterusse.com

Chapter 15-Pioneering Advertising and Netflix

When Netflix debuted as a new way to rent DVDs with no late fees and no traveling to a store their initial advertising was considered to be pioneering advertising. As their company flourished and their member numbers increased dramatically they switched from pioneering advertising to competitive advertising, this switch was not only triggered due to their higher membership listing but also by the introduction of Blockbuster Video trying to offer the same services in addition to their store services. The most recent competitive advertising campaign can be seen at this address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nW609P8usA

Quick logo/label design by 4th Group:

iPad Parodies

Behold! The future of Apple products :P I don't know where I first saw this image, but it's one of definitely many iPad parodies out there. I also added a couple links to video parodies on Youtube below.



The Mad TV skit is actually before the iPad came out, it was only announced like a couple years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs

This last link is that scene from Valkyrie (I think), that has become pretty popular to replace the original conversation with humorous subtitles, this one being about the iPad's release. Beware, there is foul language, but only written. :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4&feature=related

PR, sales and customer service

Public relations, sales and customer service are usually separate functions, which reside outside of the marketing department. As the size of the business gets smaller, these functions fall under the responsibility of the marketing manager. Based on your reading and the discussion we had in class, how do you think public relations, sales and customer service compliment the marketing mix? Supplement your answer with a link to a company that excels in one or all of these areas.

Reading assignment:

Last name A-G chapter 15

Last name H-R chapter 16

Last name S-W chapter 19

logo

black mamba: objectives for mikes business

Mikes business objectives for the time being are to create enough revenue from sales of his art to sustain his lifestyle with a profit by August of this year. While other objectives have been discussed, we felt that this was one of the more pertinent, realizable goals for his art for the time being.

black mamba: pros & cons of etsy and madeby

We were assigned to discuss the pros and cons of selling mikes art on etsy vs. the made by store and found a few for each.

Etsy would allow for Mikes art to reach a wider audience, while the madeby store only allows Mikes art to reach a select group of people in the Sarasota area. Another issue with the madeby store (that we discussed in class) was the location, which ends up being another pro for selling on etsy. Another issue that came up was how much it would cost to list his items for sale with each store. Etsy does require a fee, but we did not determine if the madeby store did. Constantly posting new pieces on etsy could become very time consuming, also the shipping could become problematic. Madeby is here in sarasota, and that proximity does make it appealing.

Mike's Pricing

We've thought of a few pricing strategies for Mike's jewelry:



Physical work pay could fluctuate depending on how much you would want to be paid an hour.

The additives of the piece (if any) could be calculated along with the original cost of the Brazilian stone. For example glass beads, decorative wire, etc.
The size and detail of the piece could also be a variable in the total cost.

Mike's Pricing

We've thought of a few pricing strategies for Mike's jewelry:



Physical work pay could fluctuate depending on how much you would want to be paid an hour.

The additives of the piece (if any) could be calculated along with the original cost of the Brazilian stone. For example glass beads, decorative wire, etc.
The size and detail of the piece could also be a variable in the total cost.

M2 - some logo sketches

Still in developing stages but would like to present some idea here.
We were thinking simple but bring out the rawness of the stone.
Since our target audience are parents, we need something that elegant but playful at the same time.

Package Design - Fourth Group

The first set of sketches shows a basic concept that summarized our original emails to each other about package design ideas.

***

We also thought another good package design (alternative to a box) could be a kind of hand folded envelope, that is later placed in a shipping box if sold on Etsy.

The paper would be recycled from paper grocery bags (if everyone in the class gets paper instead of plastic for one week, we'll have enough bags for Mike to last him through the summer. Each bag could provide enough paper for 2-3 packages). The brown paper could be given a colored wash, like watercolor, in earthy tones that would give it a random and organic texture, just like the stones.

The envelope would be hand folded like a large letter, and wrapped vertically with hemp. A small stone charm would be tied at the closure, which could be the icon for mike's designs, or a simple abstract shape. A card would also be tied at the closure and include the following information:
The origin of the stone and explanation of how the materials are all natural.
Information explaining that the packaging is natural/recycled
A quick how-to on how to take the hemp + charm that come around the package to make your own simple necklace/bracelet.

The space inside the envelope would be filled with rafia or another shredded paper material, as padding (the same goes for the shipping box).

***

I believe that we were all in agreement that the larger necklaces would require a sturdier package, even just for the MadBy store, so a box design would work best. We have a few templates for box construction as well.

***

From there, we wrote a few solid ideas that we want to see in the final package design (in either an envelop/bag style or box design):
pendant and hemp closure
card with: stone story, how-to, and package info
texturized brown paper
rafia as padding

***

Mission Statement Take II

"A mission statement is a formal short written statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated."

"(Raw Stone) is a nature-based organization that strives to achieve sustainability with the materials used while being a role-model for social responsibility and staying environmentally aware. We want to change the way you perceive natural resources by wearing some."

-Raw Stone can obviously be replaced by the name chosen by the class/Mike

Feedback?

SWOT Analysis for Mike's Stonewear.

Strengths:

• handmade

• environmental friendly (renewable resources)

• no color fading

• can be custom made

• naturally varied

• handcrafted sometimes makes greater appeal than mass production: people get a sense of love put into the product.

• wide range of audience?

• can be worn anywhere

• if people know that the money doesn't necessarily go to him, they see it as selfless and tend to buy it than something else

Weaknesses:

• Rate of production

• Nature of the stone (can be fragile)

• Limited colors

• Wear and tear (treatment of the product, gets smelly)

• Limited sizes (can't go too small)

• Possible breaking

• Limited edition

• Supply fluctuation

• Post purchase

Opportunities:

• Introducing new materials- would result in new pricing like wires, glass workings, acrylics, stone insets, and new kinds of chains to put them on.

• New stonewear sets- rings, bracelets, anklets, etc.

• New lines (sets with new materials added)

• Beach Themes, Nature themes, Totem themes

• Events and shows (like jewelry shows)

• partnerships

Threats:

• Big jewelry companies

• Cheaper from over seas

• Want something from that specific area

• Activist not wanting the rock/hemp removed from its natural environment

• Economic times

• Other local artists

SWOT - What did I learn from it?

For many art students, using the word SWOT doesn't mean much to them. In the marketing class, I finally got a chance to learn what it means and understand how it works. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat. To be successful in a business, the person has to do SWOT analysis to have a deep understand throughly about their business and what's going on around in the business world, especially for that particular business. Strength and Weakness is more of an internal analysis, to dig deeper and see what we are good and not good at. In contrary, Opportunity and Threat make the business realize the market out their, who are the competitors, consumer market, what are the advantages and disadvantages going on around the company. To me, I learn to extract details, ask as many questions and doing deeper researches. I think a detail and throughout SWOT analysis is very important and it will help direct planning strategies into the right direction.

Mike's Stone Jewelry New Name

Hey guys, we've been brainstorming a new name for this stuff.

Options:
mike stone
mike stoned
first stone
stoned out
rare stone
flex stone
rare nature
raw nature
rawnate
true stone
true nature

Please comment by Sunday night on your favorites..if no one has any preferences, we're just going to ask Mike!

Segmentation (Cont.)

Segmentation

A Market Segment is a subgroup of people or organizations sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product needs.

Market Segmentation is the process of dividing a market into meaningful, relatively similar, and identifiable segments or groups.

How did we come up with the Market Segmentation for Mike's art, and what where the Market Segments?

Food Inc. - Sarita

The movie we were watching in class turned my stomach. It is hard to know the truth. Once you do know the truth, you are then accountable for your actions. The world is corrupt and businesses out there are just riding on the same trend. It is hard for me to comprehend the vicious cycle of money and the nasty effects that it has to the human race. I was raise eating meat, but the cruelty behind the consumption of the product makes the whole thing seem dead ass wrong! Why are we in a rush to the future?? It looks like we are better off staying behind in times than advancing to the money-hungry greedy destination we are heading to. I do think that animals can supply food for us to eat, but damn! It makes you rethink your morals and even the grocery shopping you do. I went home that night and didn't stop anywhere to eat with fear that I would be eating some poor, abused, mistreated, cloned, weak, animal. It would be like eating sorrow or digesting misfortune. Let me stop before I continue with the overflowing thoughts of how wrong the whole system really is. I could snap and really go off, but I think we all know the lack of ethical practice that is going on in the world, not just in the meat industry and for that I rest my case. Keep your eyes open and your stomach strong! Don't forget to pray for the food you consume.

Food Inc- Sadie

(relocating my comment)
I have been partially vegetarian for most of my life. I lived in England in the middle of the Mad Cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) outbreak. As a result, we ate very little beef. Shortly after returning to the USA, I ate less and less beef, as well as pork, until I stopped completely. At first it was because I didn't like the taste of beef, but as I grew up, it became an issue of health. I started understanding the affects food can have on your body, especially meat, due to it's origins. Now that I'm older, I have looked at many research stories and documentaries focusing on the unsanitary living conditions cattle, poultry, and other animals are raised in. Some people might argue that it doesn't matter how the animals live, it doesn't affect the food made out of them. I disagree. Chemicals get absorbed, especially when they are being fed their own excrement and ground up dead animals, a recipe for massive bacteria. People wonder how something like BSE can occur, but I think it's quite obvious. If you raise your food in filth, it will become filthy. Couple this with our hypersanitary loe for anti-bacterial products, and you've eliminated immune systems defenses and sicced lethal bacteria on our weakened immune systems. The part in Food Inc. where the poultry farmer is picking up dead chickens really shocked me. In contrast to the farmer who prided himself on a small operation where the animals eat what they would naturally and are killed on a much smaller scale, it really seems like an obvious choice as to which one I would buy when I was eating meat. I hope benevolent farming practices become more popular, and that the existing ones hold their ground (like Stoneyfield Organics). As long as they continue to value impact over income, maybe the food industry can change.

food inc ellen

I really can't say my opinions of the food industry have changed since viewing food inc. I've always been aware of the food industry and have tried to be especially careful when selecting where to buy my meat. I even turned to veganism for a number of years when I was younger, but I began to feel that it was not a healthy option. Ultimately, I think you need to be extremely well informed as a consumer. I grew up in a place with many, many farms and have on many occasions, met my dinner. I can't say that it's a good experience but i do think that it's important to make people aware of that at a younger age. As far as humane treatment of animals meant for human consumption goes, I think the best thing you can do for yourself and your food is to raise it. I understand alot of people are uncomfortable with this, but if you can separate yourself from the pre-packaged meat you buy in the store, knowing that it comes from an animal that suffered great trauma then you should be able to switch gears and raise it healthy, ending its life quickly and humanely.

Food Inc - Rakefet's thoughts and proposed solutions

I am so happy we watched Food Inc. together. As disturbing as the movie is, it gives me great satisfaction to watch it again with people who haven't seen it before and watch their eyes open. Awareness is key! It is our responsibility as consumers to educate ourselves and protect our interests. Know what you are buying, read the small type on the labels, keep current with research studies and then make your choices. If you want to eat healthier, you have options: buy from local farmers, go to farmers markets, buy fruit and vegetable that are in season, grow your own food, cook, eat at organic cafes/restaurants, eat in moderation, drink tap filtered water. You can make a difference! 

Below are some links to local resources:

http://www.eatwild.com/products/florida.html

http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets

http://www.sweetwater-organic.org/

Food Inc.

I have always known that the big food companies did not produce our food the all natural healthy way, but I preferred not know where my food came from so I wouldn't always be paranoid every time I ate something.

I feel sorry for all the family farms that are getting put out of business because of the big corporations. I was completely shocked to find out about all of those people in office that stand right behind these huge companies and let things fly under the radar.

Just a few weeks ago one of my older friends where talking about getting a chicken coop. I didn't think it was a good idea because it could start stinking up the neighborhood and I didn't want to know the chicken before I ate it. Although after watching Food Inc. I'm thinking having a place where I know that the chicken lived a good life and didn't just live in a cage isn't such a bad idea. I am still able to eat products from the grocery store, but I try to get organic as much as possible.

Food Inc.

After watching food Inc. i feel the same way about the industry that i have always viewed it before. They tried to show that the other farmers treat their animals in such a humane way, but in the end they all get killed. As to some of the hormones used, that could be changed. Also the large scaled production happened for a reason to meet the constant demand of food, which is why the store are never out of food. All in all i felt more sympathy for the farmers getting abused than anything having to do with the animals, and believe there are more important issues than this. People are not dying at large rates from this, and our health is getting better as is the life expectancy rate, so obviously something is being done right.

Blogging 101

Blogging 101:

Food Inc.

Watching Food Inc. really opened my eyes to the many factors that effect our economy from food production. I was prepared for the killing of animals because living in Texas near a packing plant I have heard and witnessed the mass killings myself. What really surprised me was the way the companies, that need the large quantities of product, bury the farmers in debt. They pay the farmers barely enough to be considered above the poverty line and put them in a debt that basically enslaves them for life. Not only does this destroy our farming community and leave them with little or no say, it kills our banking system. Imagining the massive amounts of farmers required to support our food intake in America, this problem has to be a major contributor to the downfall of our banking system. Allowing huge corporations like Walmart to basically use our federal government and horrible national debt to fuel their small buisiness killing machine really makes me mad.

How to blog!

This is how you blog:

Produced and Edited by: Alexander

We are what we eat...

In response to watching the documentary "Food Inc." I am now fully aware of the potential hazards of being lured into purchases just because of convenience.

Prior to watching the film, I was well aware of large scale food production and the risks it involves. Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser narrates the film and the first moment I saw him I knew what we were in for. He's the author of "Fast Food Nation" a book that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry. It was a required reading for my liberal arts classes from two summers ago. The premise of the book was to outline the history of fast food restaurants and its big impact on the way we look at food in America. In retrospective, us artists were to make sure we we're aware of the social responsibility that burdens us when Eric brings up the topic of companys like McDonalds deliberately targeting children in their marketing campaigns.

In addition to reading the book, I also rented the movie of the same name which is about a Don Anderson, the Marketing Director of a a hamburger chain called Mickey's, learns that there is considerable presence of fecal matter in the meat of the burger he advertises. He travels to the slaughterhouse that provides the hamburger chain and finds out that its guilty of sloppy production techniques.

After exposing myself to such materials, my personal perception and behavior of what I eat has changed dramatically a year ago. I have refrained from drinking soda entirely to only consuming water and have limited myself to eating fast food to one or two times a week. When purchasing groceries at the local supermarket, I look for whole wheat products and avoid any processed food that could potentially carry a genetically modified crop. I also attempt to make all my meals from scratch, avoiding the need of processed foods in striving for a healthier lifestyle.

Food INC

I know it's crazy late, I know I would get fired, but in my defense..I had helped an old lady cross the street the other day :). The movie FOOD INC opened my eyes to what the food industry is really about. I understand that fast food isn't good for you. I know big name companies are doing things they should to the food that I consume and could cause side effects on my body. I hear it all the time when I tell people I'm going to go eat at Burger King, but I never really think about it. The movie FOOD INC revealed a side of the food industry that should be fully exposed in every right. The movie goes into explaining the farmer's role in the fast food market. I feel for those poor people who don't have anywhere to turn to for help and decide to trade off their resources for a little piece of change. Not only is it a little piece of change, but they end up borrowing more money from the bank than they receive from those big name companies. Next my heart went out to those poor little critters. They're feeding chickens something to make them more fatter and it's not good for the chickens let alone for the farmers. It's true that it is a job and someone has to do it, so they hire... "minorities" to do the job. I mean why not? they'll do it for low pay like their lives depended on it, or better yet the citizenship for all of the aliens they have working for them that is. When it's all said and done I'm starting to see what's going on around and what the truly the process in which the food industry is taking to make sure their pockets stay full.

Food Inc. - Casey Ligon

Most of the concepts and imagery from Food Inc are not new to me. I've seen plenty of news articles and films detailing the farming industry. I think it's sad that I've seen these images and heard this same message over and over again without taking a step toward a better consumer lifestyle. I go to whichever grocery store is closest and pick out whatever food is cheapest or looks good to me at the time. So many consumers buy into this that big cooperation get bigger and immoral trends continue within the farming industry.

I went Organic for a few months at one point, but I wasn't able to see the results of all my new shopping choices, so I went back to just buying whatever was most convenient.

One part of Food Inc. made me realize that even a small change makes a difference. At one point in the film, the chicken farmer refused to 'upgrade' to a less humane bird enclosure and she lost her contract with the company that bought her stock. Clearly Tyson didn't care at all about the welfare of the chickens, so when their producer refused to make a 'small' change, they were able to drop her without a second thought and move on to another supplier willing to sink to lower animal rights convictions (or lack thereof). This simply made me think of all the small steps that buyers have made toward allowing less-than-desirable animal living conditions, and how far they will be able to go if consumers continue buying their foods.

Now that I am in a new city, I have options for buying groceries at markets that provide only organic and natural foods. Because this provides me with an easier buying process (rather than scouring the shelves at Publix for the occasional organic product), and because one part of the film truly made an impact on me, I am more likely to start eating organically. Not for the sake of a healthy diet, or to go with the green trend, but for me to feel good about the way farmers and animals are treated in the process of getting that food from the farm to my dinner table.

Food Inc.

Throughout my life I have gathered much information from my surroundings and experiences, and before watching Food Inc., I had already realized that the food industry is not an entirely honest one. Unfortunately it seems too much to ask of those who run the entire thing, to do so with the public's well-being in mind. As a consumer, while it does seem like we have almost infinite choices in what we buy (brand, quantity, price, etc.), in reality we actually don't. Not when huge corporations own practically everything we buy, and multiple brands as well. For example I have heard that big name brands also own their equivalent store brand products as well, so it creates competition with itself. In addition to this, just the general knowledge that corporations as a whole aren't entirely honest with the public, has left me desensitized and cynical of everything I see, though I also believe in giving some the benefit of the doubt. Because of this cynicism, it is hard for me to believe that something is really fat free or all-natural...since according to Food Inc., they don't have to label everything entirely, so why can't they put on labels that aren't entirely true, like beefing up a resumé? There are many more thoughts I could express about this whole subject, but we only did see a few clips.

Food Inc.

Before watching Food Inc., I sort of knew that the meat industry was sketchy in this country, but I've always avoided the fact by not thinking about it. A couple of my close friends are vegetarians and their actions have made me think about it a little bit in the past year.

What really shocked me about the film was that it doesn't matter whether you order meat from a restaurant or buy in a supermarket, chances are it's coming from the same place. This was disturbing to me because I won't order meat in a restaurant simply because I don't trust the people handling my food. However, I can't even select my own meat in a grocery store without thinking about some of the images from the film now.

The other thing that made me mad was that in some states you can't have a negative opinion about the meat or you'll be sued. I'm already not a fan of the lies, greed, etc. in our government, but this just disgusts me even more. The fact that our government is so controlling, rather manipulative of our food industry and its businesses, I honestly don't know who or what I should trust anymore.

Food Inc.

I have heard rumors about the food industry and what they do to excelerate the animal's growing but this was the first time I watch the movie and see for myself. It was very upsetting to me what the food industry are doing to the animal. All they want to do is to maximize their profit, they don't care about the animals, the consumers' health and the farmers' health and living. It has to deal with ethic issues and humanity. What they do in the food industry is crucial.
However, looking at the other side of the blades, we are such a consumer culture. Coming from a different background, Americans use, spend and waste so much comparing to other country. To serve the public's demand, industry had to try different ways even when it's is unethical. It is a sad fact. I like how the movie make people realize the truth of what they really are really consuming. Public need to be more informed and educated, it was terrible how the big food industries and the government hide things from us. And to me, a little positive part of the recession is people start to reserve, save more and not being wastefull on anything they can.
The movie won't change the way I eat, but I will be so much more conscious of where the food I eat coming from. How was it grown and if it is organic? I will try to support more of local farmers and less on the big meat industries such as Tyson.

Food Inc...

I have never seen this movie before, but I have heard a lot about it and the impact it had on peoples life, some people even changed their life styles, changing their diets and so on.

It was interesting to see how big companies control and exploit smaller producers, employees and animals.

It was also interesting to see how some small producers deny the imposition of radical rules of the big companies like that small producer that did not want to change the cages of the chickens, it was shocking to see that the big company terminated the contract.

I left me thinking about how everything we eat everything that sits in the grocery store probably has been manufactured that “cruel” way. I wonder if we will eve know where those things really come from other that the little sticker on the package.

I was surprised by the size of the food industries in here I am used to a much smaller country in which big industries are nothing compared to this ones.

It is a move that I recommend people to watch! But we also need to be very thoughtful when we watch it and pay more attention to what we buy and where.