Values

Let me ask you a simple question, what are your values?

This week we learnt about values, and I must say I really enjoyed this week. In fact, the past few weeks have been really interesting as they are focusing on going back and thinking about your past (it has put a big smile on my face in class!).

So values what are they?

“Generally speaking, a value can be defined as a belief about some desirable end-state that transcends specific situations and guides selection of behaviour. (Solomon, 2010)

“If we believe our overall values drive our behaviour, then we should be concentrating on the important, underlying motives that drive consumers to make product or service choices rather than simply product attributes” (Ries and Trout, 1982)

The best way I would describe them are that they affect us, it is our morals, our beliefs and what we believe in that creates our values. An example of one of my values is I care for my family. Values are what you hold on to throughout your life, they come from our culture, our family our friends, the values we have can depend on how we were brought up.

The list below is the values that Kahles (1983), chose as the most important in our lives. Ruth gave us a task in class to rank what value was our most important to the one that was least important to us.

Kahles list of Values (1983)

1. Self Respect

2. Excitement

3. Being Well Respected

4. Self-fulfilment

5. Sense of accomplishment

6. Warm relationship with others

7. Security

8. Fun & enjoyment

9. Sense of belonging

My Values (1 being most important, 9 being the least important)

1.       Self Respect
2.       Warm relationship with others
3.        Being well respected
4.       Self-fulfilment
5.       Security
6.             Sense of belonging
7.        Sense of accomplishment
8.        Fun & enjoyment
9.        Excitement

 Where do you rank your values?

So, how does this relate to marketing? Let me ask you, can you identify any products which you buy to try to achieve these end-states? Like:

1.  Clothes
2.  Car
3.  Facebook
4.  Alcohol
5.     Cigarettes

Week Eleven - Nostalgia

Roll up, roll up! Please come and take a ride on the nostalgia rollercoaster!

I hope your strapped up, because with nostalgia you don't know if it is going to be a bumpy ride!

So what is nostalgia?

'Nostalgia has been described as a bitter-sweet emotion, where the past is viewed with both sadness and longing.' (Solomon, 2000)

' When a stimulus is capable of recreating a personal event, even after many years, there often follows a bitter-sweet sentiment known as nostalgia.' (Dubois, 2000)

So, in this lesson Ruth made us go to the computer room, and take a trip down memory lane.

We had to create a mood board, that represents our childhood!

So I would like to welcome you to my childhood!

Can you relate to any of my memories?

The question is, how does this relate to marketing?

Well, advertisers try to use nostalgic themes, so that consumers link their happy feelings they had in their past, to the product that is being sold. They can also use the five senses, to trigger nostaliga. For example:

Sound - A particular song you remember

Sight - Iconic fashion (Doctor Martins!)

Smell - Perfume you wore when you were younger

Touch - Silk, reminds you of a dress you wore.

Taste - Marmite, how your mum used to make you marmite on toast when you were not well.

A classic example of this is the new advertisement by Hovis.

Take a look and tell me what you think!

'Every time an advertisement or commercial appears, the objective s to have the reader or viewer learn something, and remember what he learned.' (Britt, 1955)

  

Week Ten - Gender

Good morning my fellow bloggers!!!

How are we this fine morning?

Why the flowers you ask? 

Surprise! I gave you all a virtual blogging present!

Unfortunately, as much as I would love to say that was my intention, I am afraid there is another meaning behind them.

I am sure that a large majority of the male readers that read this blog, you have been that pair of hands, holding that bouquet of flowers! 

Possibly for a certain lady in your life?

On that note, I would like to introduce you to my boyfriend Chris!

(Yes, I know what your thinking, complete idiot! His version of the Joker from Batman!)

I wanted to use Chris as a quick test dummy and asked him one simple question, what impresses a woman?

Chris's answers:

1. Buy her flowers. 
2. Take her for a nice dinner. 
3. Buy her jewellery.
4. Make her a card.
5. Be kind to her.
6. Respect her.
7. Treat her like a 'princess'.

(I have him trained well!)

Now please meet my best friend Allena!

(Yes, I do have strange friends!)

I asked Allena the the same question apart from one detail, what impresses a man!

Allena's answers:

1. Make them steak and chips.
2. Turn up naked to their house.
3. Bring them a cold beer.
4. Wear a short dress that shows off your bum and boobs.