However, when I ran through the communities that I am a member of 5 of them related to being member of CEMS MIM, the double-master program where I am currently enrolled. From an outsider this might seem like just a random education and you would not think twice about. However, a great part of the CEMS idea is that the students enrolled create a sense of belonging and a special bond with other people in the CEMS community. This little community actually does create an identity and creates interrelations with the people in the group. It does provide security in a somewhat confusing environment online. Through our online community we are able to communicate, have online conversations, collaborate on mutual issues and cooperate to improve the CEMS network

The funny thing is that CEMS students come from all around the world and haven’t necessarily met before. The only thing that linkes us together is being a CEMS student and going through the same study program. But hospitality and friendliness are things that characterize the bond between the members and if I was to ever visit another country where I knew other CEMS members lived I would feel completely comfortable contacting them and asking them for advice or any sort of thing. This sense of belonging and being part of the same are quite unique, I believe. This is exactly the benefits of being part of a virtual community.

In terms of marketing strategy I have noticed that numerous adds often appear on the side of our forum. It is often adds that appeal to us as business students almost ready to go out into the real business world. This just shows in how many ways these groups and companies can interact – but of course to gain pass into our little exclusive network the companies have to prove their worth before we let them in……

This was all for now, hope you enjoyed by blog..

XX Frederikke

But does pretty makes perfect? Is a pretty face all you need to sell products or are there other ways to come around it? This is an element that we briefly touched upon in the last class. After viewing a video of what airbrushing can do to a girl and how drastically it can improve your looks I came to wonder about perfection and if pretty necessarily means perfection….

My thoughts wandered off and I came to think about two companies in particular who try to brand themselves on imperfection, namely Beneton and Nivea. Both of them have tried to draw attention to the unorthodox and brand themselves on the imperfect. I like these two companies since they question the traditional perception of beauty and create brand awareness from a different beauty perspective. Beauty is numerous things and Beneton and Nivea have initiated the idea that beauty does not necessarily implies flawnessness. Just take a look at the commercial I included below..

xx Frederikke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXoDXte3kQ

In class we touched upon an interesting element, namely how the online communities help companies updated on consumer preferences. It has been interesting to observe how online community for teens have popped up everywhere and how an increasing number of teens use it on a daily basis. These online forums are a unique opportunity for companies operating online to keep up to date on what consumers want.

In Denmark one specific forum stands out. In Denmark the travel agencies have teamed up and created a very popular online community for the younger generation. An immense number of the younger generation has signed up and they use the forum  to share all sorts of information regarding traveling. The Danish travel agencies understood that they have to be more modern if they should capture the younger generation. Their online forum enables the younger generation to share travel advice, recommendations, find travel buddies ect. When they sign in, a questionnaire is filled out about travel preferences, previous travel experience and so forth. This insigh information is used for the companies to do direct E-marketing and target the preferred customer segment.

This illustrates the unique opportunity for doing E-marketing in the future. If you can willingly get possible customers to give information about their preferences as the travel agencies did through their questionnaire, many doors are open for expanding the E-marketing business….

Frederikke

However, despite all these advantages I am beginning to worry a bit. When I skim through the pictures uploaded on my profile I must admit that some of them are less flattering than others. More than a few are from a night in town and my face it thus accompanied by some sort of beverage. These less flattering images makes me wonder if the boundries of what you put online still has the same validation. All over the news we are now being reminded that once something a photo, a blog or something else is posted on the internet it never goes away! No matter what you do they will never go away. I think people, myself included, are becoming a little bit scared of how this could affect you in the future.

I recently read an article about how managers use facebook when avaluating their candidates. Facebook is such a good and valid to to show the “real” person behind the application so an increasing number of companies actually use facebook to “scan” their candidates applying for a position. I do fear that when employees skim through my profile they might get the wrong idea. Do my photos in facebook really illustrate the real me or should I start to think twice about what is put out there?

These 430 pictures ARE part of me, but im not I want my future employee to only take that into consideration when deciding whether im the right person for the job. That being said, I think I should start limiting the vast amount of photos on my profile…

The market today is booming with various products and services. Thus, for any company to stand out the best strategy must be to create a buzz around what they are offering. In terms of publicity word of mouth is probably the best PR you can get. No marketing campaign – no matter the size will ever have the same positive affect as if consumers recommend the product to friends and family.

After class I started thinking about hyped products and the “buzzing” around them. The first example that comes to mind when talking of companies who have been execellent in creating a buzz around their product is Apple. Rarely have I seen a company who is more skilled in hyping their products. Just think about it…within a few years everybody wanted their own ipod, Iphone, or Apple computer. The white-coloured ear phones became the color associated with apple – and even from a distance or on commercial board, white ear phones was proven in various tests to be associated with Apple – even if their company name wasen’t present on the add.

Within a few years Apple has been able to establish themselves partly based on the white colour that is connected with all Apple products.  I terms of creating a hype of buzz around a product I truly find Apple serves as a source of inspiration for any company.

By the way, I just joined the “buzz” and bought my first Apple computer…

Frederikke

Twitter, Facebook, Linked-in – we all know them and use one or more on a daily basis. These 2.0 devices have taken over the world. Its difficult to fully understand how much media and electronic devices have changed over the last decade. I still remember when I got my first phone at the age of 11. It was a revolutionary feeling suddenly being able to be in contact with friends and family at all hours of the day. For me it was an overwhelming feeling so just imagine how this technological development must have felt for our parents or even our grand parents. This technological change it has brought along has become part of our existence today. At least I never think of how the world could be without these tools.

Social media such as Facebook, twitter, youtube, blogs and linked-in are all relatively new but acts as if they have always been around. There are so many new opportunities out there just waiting to be discovered. Most of these social media have been discovered by people my age – to me, at least, it serves as inspiration and gives something to think about for the future career path! So simple but yet changes the lifestyle of a whole generation.

These new social media serve as a blessing but also entails new challenges, especially for the companies trying to get in contact with possible consumers. After class I couldn’t help but wonder about this shift in power from companies towards consumers. Today we don’t look for products – they look for us..I kinda like this shift in power – and I think this is the way it should be – consumers deciding the events and not the other way around. Just to think about the number of adds that we are exposed to on a daily basis – 2,000 ads thrown at a consumer – and only 4 of them are remember by the end user. This really shows that creativity and originality needs to be present. However, with this saturation of adds thrown at us on a daily basis, I only consider it fair that the standards are high and certain criteria are set if the companies want to successfully sell their product… But that just my point of view….

Consumers are daily confronted with various commercials; television, radio, boards and on the internet. I cannot help but wonder how a company can set itself apart from its competitors and create the additional value that makes consumers choose your product over another. The idea of personalization that we touched upon in the last class is of high interest to me. How do you make your customer feel included and special – and how do you utilize their special knowledge about your brand to further improve and enhance the product?

After class I could not help but think about the various examples that we are presented with on a daily basis. Just to name a few that I have experienced on my own.

- Starbucks; This particular coffee chain is an expert in making their customer feel special. When ordering a coffee you are asked to specify your name – and your coffee is delivered to you with your name hand-written on the cup. That is a brilliant move where the additional value makes your customer feel at home and appreciated

M&M’s: M&M chocolate brand has shown excellent skills in integrating the customer and adding additional value. They have cleverly acknowledged that customers all need special attention. A few years ago they launched a successfull campaign asking their customers “what M&M are you”… Times Square in New York houses an impressive M&M store where all the different colors and shapes are presented and customers can take a “mood test” to see which M&M color represents them best…

However, trying to bond with your customers also has great risks. Knowing customer preferences can be difficult and changing company image is difficult. I would like to include an example of how it can be done. In 2007 a Danish bank, Jyske Bank launched an extensive marketing campaign portraying a new and more modern take on how a bank could look like. Their bold move was made based on extensive customer analysis showing a preference for more modern and less serious banks. Jyske Bank believed there was a huge marked if they could combine the bank with a more playful and joyful atmosphere. They rebuild the interior of all the banks, creating a “coffee bar” “relaxation area” and so forth. They changed the interior color from white to lime green in the hopes that this would appeal to a broader audience. Jyske Bank succeeded in their attempt to diversify themselves from the crowd and their level of incoming clients raised 67%. However, despite their success it is questionable whether others might not be as lucky…

Frederikke

However, there is one company that stands out when it comes to mind-blowing commercials; namely Coca Cola. In my opinion Coca Cola is a fine example of how commercials successfully reach their primary target. Rarely has one company been soo successfully in creating mind-blowing commercials. Sustainability and inclusivity are two key words that exemplify numerous coca cola commercials. Below I have chosen to include a recent coca cola commercial flourishing the internet. This exact commercial has been sent to me by friends and relatives not once – but twice! This is a perfect example of how consumers actively take part in spreading the message.

This concept was touched upon in class;  Bi-directional referring to the fact that it is not only about watching from a distance. In contemporary society consumers want to be affected on numerous levels; sight, sound, entertainment, humour, seriousness and what have you. The goal for each company must be to engage the consumer; make them feel part of the story – make them feel entertained – and if you are able to do that you have successfully created a long-term relationship with your customer…

Frederikke

This new media entails various opportunities for contemporary companies; and most importantly it poses challenging marketing opportunities. This new media is both daunting, exiting and potentially dangerous. Consumers can now actively participate in promoting or – displaying their disapproval of any company. One quick glance through the various groups on facebook shows that it is full of groups praising various brands. “We love Carlsberg” “Ikea is the best”  and “HM – cloth you can afford”.. However, groups such as “DON’T buy a Nokia Phone” “Group against APPLE” etc. are also present.

Companies no longer control the information and image being sent out to millions of consumers. If customers are not taken care of they can harm the company image in a way never seen before. Thus, facebook is a company’s best friend and worst enemy….XXCompanies no longer control the information and image being sent out to millions of consumers. If customers are not taken care of they can harm the company image in a way never seen before. Thus, facebook is a company’s best friend and worst enemy….