New Gadgets For The Holiday Season

Holiday season is right around the corner and people are already coming up with their mile-long Christmas lists. New, innovated gadgets are what everyone is after these days, so people are trying to get their hands on the most popular, in demand electronics. Manufacturers know people will be willing to spend a little more money on their purchases due to the holiday season. So coming out with and marketing their newest products before the holiday season is a smart decision because people are going to be waiting in lines in order to get a hold of these gadgets. Retailers also try to make these products fairly affordable in order to make as many sales as possible. Products like the Kodak Playsport, which is a pocket-sized digital mini camcorder that sells for $150, or the Roku 2 XS, a box media center that streams movies from Netflix for $60, are going to be definite hits this holiday season.


My View:
There is no doubt in my mind that people will go crazy for new gadgets this season. From the iPhone 4s to the Kindle Fire, people are going to go the extra mile in order to acquire these products for their loved ones or themselves. Companies that carry and manufacture these items will definitely see an increase in their incoming profits from sales. People are going to be spending money left and right and some people won't look at prices. All they will care about is making sure they will be able to find these products and purchase them as soon as possible. 


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-Most-InDemand-Gadgets-This-minyanville-1049531615.html?x=0&.v=1

Facebook Makes Its Next Moves To The North Pole

Facebook has decided on its next move, and that it taking its company to the North Pole. The social networking site decided to build a server farm 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden. Despite the cold temperatures, the location holds a population of 45,000 people and it will be the first server farm outside the U.S. The reason for choosing this location is because Facebook's computers that store billions of photos and updates need to be kept cool. The new server site will allow for faster service  to European users.
My View:
I think Facebook's move will attract more users due to faster and better service. People are always complaining on how slow and inefficient some sites' services are. So now Facebook will now be able to provide people with faster access to their accounts, especially people in Europe. Perhaps Facebook is trying to appeal to its European users and gain a good reputation for its site there.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/facebook-heads-arctic-heinz-shakes-world-ketchup-155046619.html

PETA Fights Againist Captivity of Orcas

Animal-rights activist, PETA, is suing Sea World for treating and holding several killer whales as "slaves." Jeff Kerr, PETA's general counsel, had stated, "By any definition, these orcas are slaves - kidnapped from their homes, kept confined, denied everything that's natural to them and forced to perform tricks for SeaWorld's profit." PETA feels that being held in large swimming pools is not a suitable and healthy environment for these immense creatures. The group feels that these animals should be set free and be able to thrive and grow in their natural environment. PETA also is fighting against the way these animals reproduce. Apparently the male's sperm is collected in order for the females to be artificially inseminated. Once the offspring is born, they are either kept away from their parents or shipped away immediately. PETA feels these type of actions show no care or concern for the well-being of the orcas and they are simply being treated in an inhumane way.


My View:
With this controversy surrounding SeaWorld, the park could face a significant decrease in revenues. When people start to read more and more articles about what is happening within the walls of SeaWorld, they will eventually stop paying visits to the park. All along, people thought they were seeing happy and fulfilled animals performing live shows for them. Little did they know what these animals were actually going through and how they were being treated like slaves instead of creatures with feelings and needs. SeaWorld could expect to see a decline in the number of audience members watching their shows. Unless SeaWorld reaches out to its customers and explains itself in a way that proves these allegations are false, people may decide to stop coming to SeaWorld all together.


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/seaworld-killer-whales-are-slaves-peta/story-e6frf7lf-1226177640551

Rise In Prices Causes Netflix's Stocks To Plummet

Ever since Netflix thought it'd be a good idea to raise its prices, people have started to turn away from the company because they feel that it's unfair that the company felt it was better to raise prices. This price raise backlashed on the company, causing it to lose many customers. Now Netflix has another problem to face, which is the decrease of its shares that went down 40% on Tuesday. Now the company is rethinking its strategies, especially raising prices and trying to divide its online and DVD services into two different companies. Now Netflix is saying it will lower its DVD subscriptions but people who pay for its online streaming service will be charged slightly more. Although Netflix has enjoyed its success with its online and delivery services, people might start to shift towards its competitors, Amazon and Google's Youtube, which offer similar services.


My View:
It seems that Netflix is in dangerous waters right now and they must be very cautious with their next move, which could potentially cause the company to come crashing down. Many of Netflix's customers have already turned away from the company and are choosing other alternatives over Netflix's services. The company made a bad move by increasing its prices and ever since then, Netflix has had its share of bad luck. Even when the company tried to create two different services, one that's online and one that deals with DVD serivces, it didn't prosper from the move like it hoped it would. Seeing how the chain of events panned out for Netflix, there's no doubt in my mind that the company has to do more research and really dig deep when making its next move.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/nflx-netflix-stock-plummets_n_1030335.html

Hunt Begins After Shark Who Killed An American In Australia

An American man was killed while diving off a boat into the Australian waters this past Saturday. This has been the third, fatal human attack in recent weeks. Now shark hunters are gathering together to catch the shark or sharks that have been causing these attacks. Marine experts doubt that a shark caused all three attacks. Amy Wilkes, a marine biologist, has said, "The idea that a shark, once it has tasted human blood, would continue to attack is just completely false. That's not that way it would work." Others say the attacks happened due to people being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, people have been refusing to go swimming in those waters since the attacks. Now the Western Australia state government is taking the matter into their own hands and they're using tuna-baited hooks to catch these predators. Others are against this action saying that great whites are already endangered and we should work to preserve their existence, instead of pushing it towards extinction.
My View:
Seeing the chain of actions, I can see why the government is taking such drastic measures. They know that is tourists are scared enough, they won't come to the beaches and thus, the state won't make as much money off of tourism. I still don't agree with them going after these endangered animals because people have been working for many years in order to keep these animals reproducing and safe. Killing sharks who may or may not be the attackers in simply ridiculous. Not only is this depopulating the great white population, it also proves that people are starting to care less and less about the environment and more about keeping revenue up.


http://gma.yahoo.com/texas-man-george-thomas-wainwright-killed-great-white-025609558.html

McRib Comes Back Once Again

McDonalds is coming back with the McRib sandwich which contains boneless barbecue pork. It has not always been available in stores but it will be sold in all McDonalds through November 14. The McRib sandwich  first came out in 1982 and last November, sales showed that this sandwich was in high demand. So  McDonalds made the it available for about three weeks, which led the chain to decide to bring it back this year. Although there are no specific numbers to show how it is doing for McDonald's sales, people have shown high interest and liking for this sandwich. People on social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have voiced their demand for the return of this sandwich. So if people like it so much, why not add the McRib to the menu for good?  Marta Fearon, McDonald's U.S. marketing director, has said, "Bringing it back every so often adds to the excitement." The name itself also has some irony to it because the sandwich is called "McRib" even though it doesn't contains any bones. Marta Fearon also commented on that saying, "That gives it this quirky sense of humor."
My View:
The strategy is see is adding a new product to an existing market and it's quite different than any other strategies I have seen. The company claims that people love this sandwich and are eager to buy but they are holding back from adding it to their menu. Perhaps they want to build people's demand for the product so when they do finally decide to put it on their menu, sales will sky rocket because people will be so excited to have this sandwich available whenever they want it. Also, the name of the sandwich is ironic but it does add some humor to it and humor always grabs people's attention. So in a way the name was designed in order to grab people's attention, thus bringing in more consumers.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-McRib-makes-a-apf-3131095863.html?x=0&.v=3

Prices Of Whole Foods Goes Up

Although the price increase hasn't affected people yet, consumers of whole foods should expect to pay more for their goods in the near future. Since producer prices have increased significantly, it has caused wholesale prices to increase as well. This has been the biggest rise since June 2009. U.S. wholesale prices increased all over the nation due to the rise in energy costs and in everyday products such as grain and coffee. Prices of vegetable increased by 10% and beef and veal prices rose by 5.4%. Analysts are saying that consumers won't feel the increase right away and that supermarkets will include the increase into their prices slowly. Even though food prices have been growing higher this year, grocery stores have decided to wait on the price increases because "they don't want to scare price-sensitive customers." Michael Keara, an equity analyst for Morningstar, said "...expect to see supermarket prices edging up in six to nine months."

My View: 

With people having so little money to spend these days, rising prices of essential food items might just make matters worse. Unless the price increase doesn't affect people dramatically, consumers might start to abandon their usual supermarkets and look for cheaper deals on the foods they buy most. Everyone knows the economy is in a fragile state right now and increasing prices is the last thing people want to hear about right now. I think when people find out that there are prices increases on certain items, they will refuse to pay that much for something they have been paying for a lot less. Unless the price increases a fair amount, supermarkets can expect to see a decline of shoppers in the near future.

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113688-11401-3-supermarkets-may-sneak-in-price-increases?hp=true?ywaad=ad0035&nc

Holidays Are Bringing In Lighter, Cheaper Computer Models

With the holidays coming up, manufacturers know that people are willing to shell out more money than ever. So they are taking this opportunity to create new and improved computers that people will be sure to buy.  Companies are inventing new laptop and desktop models that are containing more innovations, smaller sizes, and more touch screen technologies. Many people are crazy for these newer technologies such as notebooks, which are basically computers that are thin as a notebook. For example, the Gateway NV57H26U is one of the newest computers on the market and they go as low as $500. If you're interested in purchasing a laptop, companies are creating these ultrabooks, which are similar to notebooks except that they are newer laptops that are supposed to be thinner, lighter, and less expensive than most laptops. 
My View:
Companies know that people will spend large sums of money on gifts with the holiday season coming up. That is why they take advantage of this occasion by coming up with newer, more innovative ideas that they know consumers will love. Everyone these days is crazy for new technologies and the newer a technology is, the more demanded it is. When companies launch their new products during the holiday season, they know their sales will shoot through the roof because consumers are going to want to get their hands on the latest, most popular gifts. It is a smart move for companies to start marketing their newer products before the holiday season because by the time holidays roll in, these products will be in high demand.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/721/computer-prices-keep-falling/

Obama Take Finally Decides To Remove Troops From

President Barack Obama has made a final decision on taking American troops out of Iraq by then end of the year. President Obama addressed the nation, saying "Today, I can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home from Iraq at the end of this year. After nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over. Over the next two months our troops in Iraq--tens of thousands of them--will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home." The President and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, along with the Iraqi government, agreed that American troops will be withdrawn from Iraq. Ever since we invaded Iraq in 2003, the war has taken the lives of 4,478 American soldiers.
My View:

I am very glad that the U.S. troops are finally being sent home after years of fighting in the Iraqi war. So many lives have been claimed by this war and it is about time that it all ends. The war has not only affected us emotionally, but economically as well. Billions of dollars have been used up on this war and our economy has been bending under the debt we've been put under. Because so many of our dollars go towards this war, the economy has taken a great hit and many people are suffering due to lack of employment and rising inflation. I think that once this war is officially over, we'll start to see some positive changes, not just in our economy but in our nation as a whole.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-announce-full-troop-drawdown-iraq-164843571.html

Ben & Jerry's Bans New Flavor

There is some rising controversy over Ben & Jerry's new flavor, Schweddy Balls. The term was originally created from an SNL skit that starred Alec Baldwin as Pete Schweddy. The ice cream flavor contains fudge-covered rum balls and although it may be good, the One Million Moms group is against the launch of the product. They believe the name of the product is vulgar and inappropriate for children and they refuse to allow their kids to consume this ice cream. They are also encouraging other mothers to see the that the name "is nothing but locker room humor that's not appropriate for young children." Stores already have decided not to carry the flavor while others say that if consumers would demand the product, they would put it on their shelves. Even though some stores ban it, Schweddy Balls has already become the most demanded, limited-edition product that Ben & Jerrys carries. Even though many stores don't want to carry the flavor, Ben & Jerrys still will continue to supply their product to any willing carriers.
My View: 
Even though people were offended by this ice cream's name, Ben & Jerry's couldn't have wished for better exposure for this product. Controversy sells and the million mom's walked right into it. By going against this product, the One Million Moms group actually made this product more well-known and heard-of to people all over the world. Even though it may not be the most appropriate name for a product, there still will be people who enjoy its humor. I think Ben & Jerrys should take on a specific target market, which is teens and men because they are the most likely ones who will enjoy this humor. I suggest they make their next advertising campaign more focused on a specific target market so their product sells more. 


http://news.yahoo.com/stores-freezing-ben-jerrys-flavor-213431173.html

Outrage Over Slaughter Of 49 Animals

Conservationists have expressed their anger over 49 animals being killed by an animal farm owner, Terry Thompson. Thompson was an owner of several animals, including lions, bears, monkeys, and tigers. It was reported that these animals were being mistreated and that they weren't being handled properly. On Tuesday evening, Thompson set fire to over 49 animals, killing all of them instantly. Among these animals were the rare and endangered Bengal tigers. People are becoming fed up with animals being improperly handled. Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, said, "These animals belong in accredited facilities with people who can handle them appropriately." When the animals were released from the animal farm, police had no choice but to put them down. By late Wednesday 49 animals were dead. Conservationists feel that private people are not equipped to handle these type of animals. It is important to keep these animals in conditions that will preserve their existence rather than diminishing it. 
My View:
The killing of these animals is an unfortunate occurrence that could have been avoided. People are taking these animal's existence for granted and soon enough, there won't be any animals to take for granted. The tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world right now and people are killing them as if they existed in massive numbers. The existence of these animals is important but it is more important to keep people safe at the same time.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-police-kill-escaped-lions-tigers-bears-020951746.html

America's Dissappearing Restaurant Chains

America is known for its vast variety of fast food restaurants, but recently many people have noticed that a lot of these places have been closing down, and in significant numbers. Ever since restaurants, like Chipotle, have emerged, people have been shifting towards newer and different tastes of food. Chipotle offers fresh, organic ingredients and allows you to customize your own burritos, unlike McDonalds, whose foods are fatty and variety is smaller. Fast food chains, like Burger King or McDonalds, don't allow you to see how your food is being made, while in places, like Chipotle, your food is made right infront of you. The reason Chipotle has become such a hit is because they differentiate themselves, using fresh and organic ingredients. With today's economy, people cannot afford luxuries such as organic food but chains like Chipotle allow people to enjoy better quality food at a reasonable price.
My View:
Being a huge Chipotle fan myself, I can see why it is one of the most successful chains in the nation. People love that they can see what is being put into their food and how it is being handled. It allows people to customize what they want to eat and how they want to eat it. People are ditching the old fashioned fast food chains and they are turning their attention to the future of fast food. I think Chipotle's strategy is one of the smartest I have seen in my lifetime. Chains like Big Boy's, Bakers Square, and Ground Round Grill all have shut down because people aren't dining in their restaurants as much, thus causing the chains to go bankrupt. If these chains differentiated themselves from the competition, perhaps they would have been able to stand out amongst competition and attract more customers.


http://247wallst.com/2011/10/12/america%E2%80%99s-disappearing-restaurant-chains/

Gap Set To Close Stores In The U.S.

Gap has always been known for being a popular retailer of casual, comfortable clothing in the United States. Recently Gap announced that it is closing down many of its stores, bringing the number of stores in the U.S. to 700. Instead of expanding in the United States, Gap decided to tackle one of the most profitable and fastest emerging countries, China. The company decided to open more stores internationally, seeing that it could make more money in newer, emerging markets. One of Gap's brands, Old Navy, is also opening an outlet in Japan. Since the economy took a downturn, retailers have to find markets that will many their brands profitable and in demand. It also makes the company, as a whole, stronger since it will have international customers who will eventually develop brand loyalty. Besides moving their brands overseas, cotton prices have significantly dropped as well, thus increasing profit for retailers.

My view:
Since people in the U.S. are being laid off and can't afford shopping at places like GAP and Banana Republic, they are just shipping their stores along with their jobs to other countries for a profit. People are saving money instead of spending money and that is why retailers, like Liz Clairborne, are suffering because their products aren't in demand as much. Retailers are left with the decision of closing down their stores completely or taking their stores to other markets.

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/13/8308229-gap-to-shutter-a-third-of-us-stores-expand-globally?gt1=43001

Liz Clairborne Set To Sell Its Name

Liz Clairborne is very known, high-end fashion brand that appeals to women worldwide. Its also owns brands like Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand, and Kate Spade. Ever since Liz Clairborne hasn't been so profitable, the company feels it is in their best interest to focus on their other brands, which also target upper middle class and upper class citizens. Besides changing its main focus, Liz Clairborne might also have to carry out job cuts in order to prevent any further losses. The company has been in debt for a while due to people decreasing their shopping and spending routines. Since Liz Clairborne consists of several brands (Liz Claiborne, Claiborne, Liz, Liz & Co., Concepts by Claiborne, LC, Elizabeth, LizGolf, LizSport, Liz Claiborne New York (LCNY) and Lizwear brands), they are planning on selling these brands in order to generate money to cover their debt. 
My View:
There's no doubt in my mind that high-end companies, like Liz Clairborne, are really suffering during this recession. People aren't so willing to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes these days and companies, whose clothes go for $200 to $600, aren't making much profit these days. It takes a lot of money and time to uphold a company in general, but it takes even more to uphold a company that's slowly falling apart and not as profitable. Since Liz Clairborne is in such debt, it is a wise move on their part to take some of their lowest-earning brands and sell them in order to cover the debt. This money will help the company get back on its feet and since it has less brands under its name, it will be able to shift most of its attention to the brands they want to work on and make more profitable.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2011-10-12/liz-claiborne-sells-brands/50741798/1

Potential For Increase In Jobs In 2012

These days, everyone knows that it's tough to get a well-paying job due to the downfall of the economy. People are competing harder than ever because they want to make sure that once they get out of college, they will have a greater chance of getting a decent job. Due to the long-term recession, there aren't many jobs available and people are struggling to get what they can. Recently, the National Association of Colleges and Employers has shown that the percentage of jobs available went up 9.5% since 2011. Students graduating in 2012 will also have higher salaries. The NACE has said the paid interns had the most success when it came to getting job offers. Also, companies are looking for more fresh, new faces to replace the older employees who are leaving their positions.
My view:
With the economy at such a weak point right now, it is very encouraging to see companies offering more jobs to graduating college students. Many students are fearful of the fact that they might be unemployed when they graduate, seeing how many graduates have failed to acquire jobs in the past. With companies being more open-minded to the situation the economy is in, it brings a little more hope to the future generation. Companies, like Enterprise, can become popular by hiring younger personnel to their team. These people are more up to date on certain technologies and trends and they could be a useful tool for the company to reach a different, younger type of audience.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Job-Outlook-Improving-for-usnews-1629657662.html?x=0

Men Demand That Certain Drinks Stay Manly

When men think of drinks they enjoy on a daily basis, they think of beer, sodas, and energy drinks. Those are the types of beverages that men want the most because they usually represent strength and masculinity. Diet drinks aren't the most appealing to men because they associate dieting with women and they feel that if they're seen drinking these drinks, then they will "stripped of their manhood". So when Dr. Pepper modified its drink to a diet version, men were were disappointed because they felt that their drink was being feminized.  This outlook could result in a loss of customers for Dr. Pepper since their main target audience was men. Once the male fans of Dr. Pepper see that this drink is being modified against their tastes, this could damage the companies reputation and sales. Bur Dr. Pepper says that it'll still try to relate its new drink to the "macho men" of the world, in hopes that their product will be accepted by both sexes.
My View:
I think that Dr. Pepper made a smart move by trying to advertise their products on ESPN or during football games because men will start to see their new diet product in a new light. Perhaps they won't see it as something that just women could drink and perhaps they will have some faith in the product too. Dr. Pepper has been known for years and many people, especially men, have become very fond of this drink. Now that they see that it's being modified to satisfy women, they are backing down because they don't want to be seen drinking something "womanly". I think Dr. Pepper made a smart move by trying to reach a broader audience, not just the men of the world. This drink could now appeal to people who are on health diets, and that doesn't mean woman only. This move could either lose customers for the company or gain a whole lot more than they had.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dr-Pepper-Ten-No-women-apf-3465249566.html?x=0

Generating Buzz About Acai Juice

Even since POM Juice, people have been crazy about the super-food, acai. People have realized that this food provides many health benefits, the most popular being a strong anti-oxidant. Health foods have been becoming steadily more popular over the years ever since the issue of obesity in America has been more publicized and people are starting to see how it can be potentially fatal if not taken care of. Health foods allow people to have a variety of delicious, nutritious foods to choose from instead of reaching for the old fashioned junk food. Marketers also wanted to introduce something new and trendy that people will catch on to and ever since POM became a hit, people wanted to know more and get more of this food. There are so many products out there that offer health benefits that promise to help you lose weight, cleanse your system, and revitalize your body. All these things sound tempting and they might actually work but researchers have shown that although these drinks can offer certain benefits, it's not the smartest idea to rely solely on these drinks to lead a healthier lifestyle. The only way to really improve you mental and physical state is to change eating habits and to include a bit of exercise in your daily routine. It won't do you much if you rely on just drinking a health beverage to improve your overall state of health.


My View:
I have to say that I agree with these researchers when it comes to analyzing what certain things can improve overall health. Simply drinking a health drink won't do much for your health. It could give you some energy and flush out toxins but it really isn't doing anything to improve your overall health. Obviously this type of information could potentially harm a health food company's product. When people begin to search online and read articles, word can spread very quickly and people might not have any more incentive to buy these products, thus decreasing the number of potential customers for health food companies. This could be a potentially harmful situation that could occur for a company but the best thing they can do to salvage their reputation is directly talk to people through commercials, websites, blogs, and communities and work to communicate all the superior benefits of their products. Otherwise people might start to believe what researchers are saying and turn away from health food companies if they see no point in buying their products.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/debunking-trendy-health-drink-claims-2574301#photoViewer=1

The World Loses a Great Leader, Innovator, Person.

On September 5, 2011, the world faced a tragedy that hit the hearts of all people around the world. Apple's creator, Steve Jobs, lost the battle to cancer after suffering for many months. Being the not only brilliant but amazing person he is, Steven Jobs made the effort, in his already fragile state, to say his farewells to all the people he felt he needed to say goodbye to. Even in his final weeks when he could hardly walk up the stairs, he still managed to say a few final words to  his friends, mentors, and colleagues. During his last few weeks, Mr. Jobs got off work early in order to have dinner  and some quality time with his family. Now the buzz has shifted to what will happen to the company to what will happen to Steve Job's fortune?  Obviously all of it will go to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, but there's speculation that some of it will be donated to education since a couple years ago she started a company that paired disabled students with mentors to help them achieve a college degree.
My view:
A company without it's creator is never the same. Steve Job's had a vision and ideas that not one could ever live up to nor acquire. So it's inevitable that Apple won't be the same without him. Ever since Mr. Jobs fell ill, the company's price per share went down and Apple wasn't functioning as successfully as it was when Steve Jobs was in charge. This could foreshadow trouble for the company's future. The products won't be the same because they won't be made under the genius of Steven Jobs. Perhaps the reason why the iPhone 4s' sales weren't so successful was because the model wasn't made the way Steven Jobs would have made it if he were in a better state of health. He has made the company extremely successful throughout the years and it's a surprise that one of the most sought after products didn't generate high sales.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/With-Time-Running-Short-Jobs-nytimes-175542823.html?x=0

Procter&Gamble Re-Design Its Ivory Soap

Procter&Gamble is known for its extensive line of hygiene products and one of their most famous products, Ivory soap, is getting a makeover. Although the soap and promotion message will remain the same, the packaging will be redesigned. P&G updated the Ivory soap products through a new marketing campaign, which will transform the packaging by adding bright,vibrant colors to attract the eyes of consumers. They don't want to change the soap because they feel it cleans very well and people still love its smell and texture. Also, the brand is where P&G's origins are and its history and heritage has been engraved into many people's hearts. But P&G knows that it has a lot more competitors these days than it did 20 years ago. Brands like Dove, Dial, and Irish Spring are are tough rivals and have developed a great deal of brand loyalty from customers, who keep buying their products over and over again. Dove has the "Real Beauty" campaign, which encourages everyone to fell comfortable in their own skin. It also set it apart from other campaigns and gave it a competitive advantage. That is why the Ivory brand is trying to stand out amongst its competitors through creative packaging and create a larger consumer pool.


My view:
These days, it's inevitable that companies are going head to head to compete with one another. Its a tough market out there and many brands are trying to squeeze their products into those markets and promote them to consumers. But a company must have an objective or a marketing strategy that will help them stand out amongst their competitors. Procter and Gamble is making a smart move by trying to re-innovate their product to make it more appealing to consumers. It's obvious that packaging plays a key role in attracting consumers, because the more unique and colorful the packaging, the more likely your product will catch the eye of a customer walking by. For years, the Ivory brand has been a tradition in the P&G family. People have been buying it for years and many have developed brand loyalty to the products. But P&G knows that it is time to redesign its traditional packaging and introduce a new, fresh, and appealing look to their product. There's no doubt in my mind that people will like the new packaging and new, potential consumers, who have not used the product, will also be more interested in seeing what the company has to offer.

http://news.yahoo.com/p-g-launches-ivory-soap-123823235.html

New Home Improvement Tools On The Market

With the state the economy is in right now, people are constantly looking for ways to save money and spend less. Companies see this trend and are trying to come up with products that will help people save money as much as possible. This article targets this type of money-saving audience by advertising the different tools you can purchase that can help take care of maintenance-type things around the house. Companies know people won't want to pay other people big sums of money in order to fix things around the house and that they rather fix it themselves. These certain gadgets will help you fix hefty  problems in a short amount of time. You can purchase the Nextec G2 Hammerhead at $100. It will drive nails up to 3 and 1/2 inches long at 3,600 impacts per minute. Another product is the Dremel Trio which also costs $100 and it's a spiral jigsaw that can cut plywood, tile, and plastic, along with a 90 degree pivoting handle that makes it easy to maneuver. These and other tools are priced around $100, which is far less than the several hundred dollars you'd have to spend on a service to come do the job for you.
My view:
It's easy to see just how much people are struggling to save money and they definitely don't have money to spend on service repairs. So companies are taking the opportunity to come up with affordable and easy tools that can help get the job done in no time. It's a smart marketing strategy because these companies are promoting their products when they're most needed. These tools will most likely be in demand and people will try to get their hands on these products as soon as possible.


http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/701/7-cool-home-improvement-tools/