WEEK 8 EOC: The Adventure

On my glorious adventures I've encountered quite a few amazing things. As I continued to embark on this once in a lifetime excursion, I had found myself moving along the Miura Peninsula of Japan in Yokosuka. It was a beautiful day with a few clouds near and far. As I cleared way through these clouds, the imagery of naval ships had started to surface. One of the ships had just pulled out from dock and I could see the sailors all formed around the edges of the ship as what I would believe to be friends and family waving goodbye until their return. I landed in a neighboring city called Yokohama. I strolled along for about an hour and came across this wonderfully spirited local who laughed as I walked past her. She was the only one who acknowledged my attire (being so different) and thought it hilarious. Her name is Keiko meaning "blessing" and that she was. She happened to be a local who spoke English quite well and asked me if I was lost. I asked if she could tell me about some of their most popular snacks. As I was bing escorted, there was an earthquake that lasted what seemed to be forever. We ran for cover anywhere we could find. It was so huge, buildings were crumbling and I had never seen people scatter so fast except that time Godzilla came to visit them. From what I could tell no one was severely injured. After all the commotion had settled there was this thing from afar. A character of some sort. It turned around and it was this big dirty Hello Kitty character roaming the streets with a busted cart of some type of food. Turns out to be a trail mix cart of different flavors. I had an epiphany. I had come up with a party mix of peppered bacon and pretzel crisps.

Implementation Evaluation Control

It was fun while it lasted doing the project or at least what I was able to get done in the end. I feel, honestly because I have some really weird friends that this would possibly work. People all over the US have tried different things including real authentic MEALS from other countries. I don’t see why snacks would be any different. Especially the fact that it’s just pretzels and bacon and then you have a Japanese twist with wasabi rice crackers. Doing this project has actually got me interested myself in what the status of this development would become. "Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions. Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed" (Gary Armstrong, 54). New things are being created every day and things that look just downright disgusting many people love. So you never really know how things could go. I have actually mentioned this project to a couple of friends and once I said bacon they were ready to spend. Who doesn’t love bacon? It was pretty cool getting that reaction. I didn’t even think to ask my mom for the simple fact according to her, I’m one of the weird people. It was quite interesting though, if in fact that this was to be carried out, I would stick with it and see how it goes. It would be really cool to build a business that you thought of and planned out to share with the world. The most rewarding thing about the whole thing is the look on people’s face once they’re satisfied with your product. Who knows maybe one day I will actually give this a go and see what happens. It would be awesome to look back on it one day and say “Yea. I did that.”

Marketing Mix: Price

"Price is the amount of money customers must pay to obtain the product" (Gary Armstrong, 53). As far as price goes, if sold in stores it will be $1.50. If it’s a family size it will be $2.25. As for bars, if ordered will be $3.15. It will serve up to 4. There will be discounts along the way every once in awhile. For being a snack and nothing of where the price would really need to fluctuate much. The stated prices above are pretty much the only prices that they will continue to be. There is no allowance or discount prices for these snacks.

Marketing Mix: Distribution

 “Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers” (Gary Armstrong, 53).This touches base with distribution. Being that it’s just a snack it will be greatly be advised to score with convenient stores such as 7-11 and pretty much any gas station. I feel it will also do great in bars especially because this is the kind of snack that goes great with numerous kinds of beer. We will have our own moving shipment trucks from the company and as of right now being just local i'd say about 5,000 bags shipped to start off and see how fast that goes that we can then determine roughly about how much we will need throughout the day and roughly calculate how many we would need a hold of and how often we would need a shipment to restock. In other words we would need to keep a highly up-to-date inventory of the product.   

Marketing Mix: Promotion

Promotions will be advertised in stores on "new" stickers. We plan on buying billboards to post pictures and buying spots on radio channels to help advertise as well. We can turn to social media also. It will be great to have all these outlets for promotion but its said that word of mouth is the best way of receiving information. So naturally we will start spreading the word and for people not to forget we will be passing out flyers with the picture of the product and price on it. "Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it" (Gary Armstrong, 53-54). We will try everything in our power to get customers on board to try our new product because we absolutely know that they will enjoy it to the fullest. They will be so excited. They will tell their friends and family and then their friends and family will till their friends and family. "An effective marketing program blends all of the marketing mix elements into an integrated marketing program designed to achieve the company’s marketing objectives by delivering value to consumers" (Gary Armstrong, 54). With the power of promotion everyone will get a sense of who we are and what our company is about. More times than not without promotion, you usually don't go far. We can promote personally and through social media of pretty much any kind. Good or bad, news always travels fast.

Marketing Mix: Product

The product is a newly created bar snack (which could really be sold anywhere). It's a different taste than most to bring to America. This business has a long line of different mixes and flavors of snacks from all over the world and by selling it in the United States. I believe it will shape up the whole "breaking barriers" situation. Opening up people's eyes and broadening the horizons of our fellow people to be able to explore what other different countries have to offer without having to actually worry about spending money on having to travel to that specific location. "Product means the goods-and-services combination the company offers to the target market" (Gary Armstrong, 53). Our company will be bringing a whole new kind of snack that will accompany numerous kinds of beers for the bar lovers. I truly believe this product will go far and become a most favorite within the first two years of production. Top notch quality authentic snacks that derive from the portraying country on each bag. The logo on each bag will of course remain the same which is a hot-air balloon shape with the name Phileas Fogg written inside. Very simple and very "chip logo".

Target Market Strategy

“The company must first decide who it will serve. It does this by dividing the market into segments of customers (market segmentation) and selecting which segments it will go after (marketing)” (Gary Armstrong, 9). Being that it's a snack and it can be sold pretty much anywhere, our target audience would be of all ages. We would want this to be a fun type of snack for anyone and everyone. As far as target suppliers, we would want to go for grocery and convenient stores, gas stations and bars. I believe that Trail Mix could be a competitor for the simple fact that both our snacks are mixes. Even though they are more on the nuts, oats and small candy side of the mixes, they are pretty much similar but you never know if in fact, they will tend to try and expand into something bigger just because we've come out with our brand of mixes. “The company must also decide how it will serve targeted customers—how it will differentiate and position itself in the marketplace” (Gary Armstrong, 9). We plan on doing little things to put a smile on our customers’ faces. Maybe we will place a small prize at the bottom of the bag. We could include survey codes and/or game codes on the back where the customers could win a few items here and there like McDonald’s and their monopoly bit. Beside that notion being familiar, our snack would still be different because there’s not one close to the taste nor close to the adventure filled job in itself to satisfy customers of a different country. It's unique.

Situation or SWOT Analysis

“In addition to being good at the marketing in marketing management, companies also need to pay attention to the management”(Gary Armstrong, 54). The SWOT analysis is defining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the business. I would say one of our biggest strengths is that we are a company that provides different mixes and flavors of snacks from all around the world. We bring something new to the table and it’s a real attention grabber. Not only is it a snack that can be sold in stores but also a snack that will be a great teaser in a bar. The fact that it’s compatible with numerous beers is a plus especially given the wide range of people that drink. On the flip side, certain things like finances will have to be looked over. It’s quite rare that the ability to return payment to lenders is solely based on profit from the company itself. We want be sure and ahead of the game that we do not fall into such a trap. There’s always that notion of if and when the company does become popular, that we just may be working faster than we can afford. We would of course want to make sure that all of our financials are in order, loans and all, to make sure we are properly prepared for if such an occurrence arises. Our greatest opportunity is the fact of travel time periods and the fact of having our own “kitchens” to duplicate authentic foods we find around the world to turn them into the snacks we will we serve our customers.  “The goal is to match the company’s strengths to attractive opportunities in the environment, while eliminating or overcoming the weaknesses and minimizing the threats” (Gary Armstrong, 55). Of course one of the biggest threats against us is all other types of snacks. No matter what there will always be competition in the food industry just as any other industry. Our goal to overcome that would be to just stay focused on our product and what our customers enjoy. Take heed in their feedback and just do the best we can.

Objectives

The objectives of my company are very simple. First and foremost, I will be a hands-on manager. We will manage to be acquired or go public when we see fit. We want to be in the top 5 best snack companies in the world. We want to create a great enough profit to return to investors. We expect a rapid growth within the next 2-4 years. We prefer to be a niche marketer but in the case of major success, we are willing to expand globally. It will be great for business in the long run and generate worldwide income. “We got distracted from the most important thing: hot, high-quality food at a great value at the speed and convenience of McDonald’s” (Jim Skinner, 41). I want to make sure that our company doesn’t lose sight of anything we have set especially as far as customer value. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. We value their business and to keep them interested we must do whatever we can to make and keep them satisfied with our services. We intend to reassure our company and mission adapt as deemed necessary.

 

Business Mission Statement

My company’s mission statement:

Bakuhatzu World Wide focuses on customer satisfaction first. We offer customers the greatest experience of traveling the world by taste. They get the chance to taste snacks from a favorite vacation spot or a country they’ve always wished to go. The company will take pride in striving unmarked territory for new mixes to provide high quality snacks. We are dedicated to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for employees who seek an entertaining experience for being able to travel to different countries to assist in the exploration and discoveries of new snack mixes to bring and expand in America. We intend to continue, grow and develop not only our products but our company with more opportunities for future employees. Job satisfaction is very important for employees and owners. Due to the intent of the many cultures endured to produce our products, we also maintain a friendly, fair and highly creative work environment, which respects diversity, new ideas and hard work. 

“Mission statements should be meaningful and specific yet motivating. They should emphasize the company’s strengths in the marketplace. Too often, mission statements are written for public relations purposes and lack specific, workable guidelines” (Jack Welch, 40). With what Jack points out as far as what a business mission statement should entail, I would only hope my version has been justified. 

WEEK 7 EOC: The Pitch

JAPAN - Batzel Bakuhatzu

A new snack creation of America meets Japan. A new snack creation of America meets Japan. It’s called Wasabi Batzel (which is the first half of bacon-BA and the second half of pretzel-TZEL combined). Bakuhatzu. Bakuhatzu is Japanese for “explosion”. It’s called “explosion” because it’s a mixture of peppered bacon bits, pretzel sticks and mini wasabi flavored rice crackers. It’s one of the best mixtures that will be served greatly in a bar and with any choice of beer. Who doesn’t love bacon?  Nowadays people eat pretty much any kind of snack with beer but it doesn’t always taste right. There are many beers to choose from that will match with the flavors of this magical mixture Japanese or otherwise. It can be a solo snack, great choice for a party or maybe even make a random little game as a one on one challenge to see who can eat the most. It’s kind of rare to have a taste of Japan around America. Although we do have a few things lying around stores, it still goes unnoticed of where they come from. This snack will be another face of barrier breaking of this one minded country where we can start allowing people to realize the many different tastes countries all over the world have to offer. That not only do snacks from around the world have to be completely different but it can also have an American twist. Batzel Bakuhatzu will only be the beginning. This creation can be the opening door to so many other snacks from around the world that America could grow to learn and love. By acknowledging how amazing this Japanese mixture tastes, I’m more than positive that it will able them to broaden their horizons and appreciate the world around them. So many people are wrapped in a bubble and are completely ignorant of the fact that there is so much more to admire. Starting with Batzel Bakuhatzu.

WEEK 6 EOC: Me x3

I absolutely love cereal! I’m the one that goes straight for the kid cereals with all the sugar and pretty colors. It’s just amazing how they taste. It definitely pours into my personality because I’m a big kid at heart and I love to play games, go out on adventures and I have a bright, poppy persona about me that seems to attract a lot of people. Full of life and color. I also love the fact that some of the cereals actually still come with toys every once in a while. Thank God for FAMILY SIZE! It’s what I always get when it comes to cereals.

I started going to music festivals back in 2008 and I fell in love with the people, the music and the BEADS! I had friends teaching me how to do them and you can easily find tutorials on how to make beaded bracelets and peyote stitch (flat creations). Although time consuming at times, it’s a great way to connect with friends if you have a group session or if you’re just in the mood. You can make all types of things and you can make them for yourself, for friends or even to trade for new ones from other people you meet. 

Cool Water cologne is BY FAR one of my favorite colognes and Pure Impact body wash is one of the most amazing body washes I’ve ever used. Noticing they are both for men, I’ve never been a girly girl (although sometimes I would have my rare moments). I honestly don’t remember how I came about discovering Cool Water but I’m very excited that I did. As for Pure Impact, I was with a friend of mine from the military and instead of having hand soap in his bathroom, he had the body wash. Ever since then it’s been magic. I have both pictures because I always use both hand in hand. It’s a great combination and I love how SUPER FRESH I feel after every use.

WEEK 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

The author Joe Light stated "More companies are trying to tap Facebook Inc.'s 750-million-plus user base to find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with LinkedIn Corp., which has dominated the online professional networking arena." I think job recruiters are quite smart in the sense of using social media to hire people. It's pretty much what everyone uses and you would think it would be the easiest thing. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. Facebook isn't the ONLY social media website but it is indeed the post popular alongside Twitter. The CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner said, "Users tell the company they want to keep their personal and professional networks separate". You would think that is still true for a lot more people than it really is. LinkedIn also posts job openings on Facebook but Mr. Vijungco said that they actually "have had more success finding employees through LinkedIn".  As smart and convenient as it all may sound I believe that personal and work life should be separated. There might be times in keeping them both together where it might affect getting a job because of social media. Some employers don’t necessarily care to see beyond the person you are in your personal life. That can tarnish your credibility for a job depending on the type of person you are on a regular basis. You could be a really fun outgoing person who loves to go to parties/raves but at work you are 100% professional and dedicated. It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words so if an employer happens to see a picture depicted in a way they do not approve, you most likely won’t get that job. You have to be careful these days especially on social media and if you just so happen to link your social media page (most likely Facebook) to your account for looking for jobs. My thing is if you have more success with an actual professional job site than social media, why mess with a good thing? Social media is definitely a double-edged sword.