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/

The Revolutionized Kindle Is Set To Take On The iPad

Amazon is introducing the new Kindle Fire to the world, which is said to be even better than the iPad. The Kindle Fire is set at $199 and it will have a 7 inch display, be integrated with Google's cloud storage system, and contain an extensive library of books, music, and more. Amazon is using Google's powerful android system and integrating it with the Kindle. The device is extremely easy to use and it allows you to watch movies, listen to music, and access any book or magazine whenever you want, wherever you want. The Kindle Fire will also have a "split browser", which will allow it to have the power and speed of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. If you are interested in purchasing the Kindle Fire or want to know more about it, this link here will fill you in on what you need to know (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/28/amazon-tablet-announcement-live-blog-kindle-fire_n_984780.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008).
My view:
With looking at the marketing aspects of this product, the company gave their new product the name "Kindle Fire" because they wanted to emphasize the reasons why this product is so good. It will pull up any information you want in a matter of seconds and it's not complicated to use at all. The systems integrated into the Kindle Fire stand for the "Fire" part of the product's name because the information can be downloaded extremely quickly and easily. The company knows they have tough competition against the iPad but I believe that with their enhanced and revolutionized technology, they will be able to bring consumers over to the Kindle side.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/28/amazon-kindle-fire-tablet-price_n_984928.html

Cantaloupe Outbreak!

One of the deadliest food outbreaks may have just hit us. On Tuesday, health officials have reported that approximately 16 people in Colorado have died from the illness, listeria, which is commonly found in cantaloupes. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said they there were a reported 72 illnesses and 13 deaths so far, with possibly 3 more to add to the number of deaths. Since Tuesday, more deaths have been reported in states of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas, Maryland, and Oklahoma. Listeria is said to be more dangerous than e-coli and salmonella, even though those two cause more illnesses.  Listeria is known to have a dangerous effect on pregnant women, the elderly, and people who have already weakened immune systems. It is said that more and more people will be reported having this disease because it generally take 4 weeks for the symptoms to progress and worsen. Even if a person ate the food a few weeks ago, the disease could still show its effects several weeks later. The Food and Drug Administration went to several homes of the people who were infected with listeria. Traces of the disease were found in the cantaloupe they ate and in the grocery stores where they bought the cantaloupe.
My View:
This sudden breakout could cause a decrease in revenue for cantaloupe farmers, the stores that sell their cantaloupes, and any other companies that use cantaloupe in their products. People are going to be overwhelmed with the fear that any product with cantaloupe in it will have traces of the disease. Panic and hysteria of consumers is definitely going to have an effect on the profit of companies who make cantaloupe-based products.

http://news.yahoo.com/cantaloupe-outbreak-deadliest-decade-232323377.html

Reebok Sued Over False Shoe Claims

Here is a perfect example of marketing gone wrong. When the shoe retailer, Reebok, came out with its new toning shoes, it claimed these shoes would increase muscle strength while giving you perfectly toned legs. Reebok came out with ads saying these shoes are essentially multi-taskers, strengthening hamstrings much more than regular sneakers while toning buttocks. The shoes were designed to be a little unstable, thus forcing you to work harder and strengthening your muscles. Unfortunately these claims were false because it's a known fact that in order to have a toned, healthy body you need to put some effort and time into working out. Just simply wearing a pair of shoes will not get you the results you are hoping to achieve. People's complaints started to pour in and Reebok found itself in the middle of a controversy. But Adidas, who owns Reebok, defended the shoes, claiming they were accurately tested and they did not falsely advertise their product. They said they will stand behind these shoes because they were inspired by the technique behind balance-ball training. Since so many people complained that they were not fully satisfied with this product, Reebok agreed to cooperate with the FTC (Federal Trade Commision) and pay $25 million to settle the charges made against their product.
My view:
With the situation Reebok has found itself in, I think that they made a smart move by cooperating with the FTC and agreeing to pay the charges. The whole point behind a product is to deliver benefits the product promises and more. When consumers had a chance to try out the new sneakers, they realized the sneakers did not give them the results they had hoped for. Of course some people's expectations could have been too high and that is why they were so easily dissappointed. But the company made the right move by showing their customers that the company cares about customer satisfaction and that they are working hard to deliver promised benefits to customers.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/reebok-paying-to-settle-charges-over-shoe-claims-2571097/

Venezuela's President Fears His Illness Is Being Exploited

Venezuela's President, Huge Chavez, is distressed over the fact that government officials are using his illness as a way to lower his chances of being re-elected in the 2012 presidential election. In June, President Chavez underwent intensive surgery to remove a tumor in this pelvic area. President Chavez claims government authorities are using his illness in order to portray him as being an unfit leader and gain uncertainty from the Venezuelan people. President Chavez went out of his way to address the public by  saying that he is "recovering completely." Still, others aren't convinced that Chavez is a suitable choice for a nation's leader. Lawmaker, Julio Borges, has stated that a country cannot be governed by an authority who fails to show up at meetings and deliver vital public speeches because he is going in and out of hospitals receiving treatment. Officials are concerned with the uncertainty of whether or not  President Chavez will continue to need treatment or another surgery in case the cancer shows up again.
My view:
Especially with Venezuela's fragile state, the people of Venezuela need some sort of reassurance that they will be protected and guided in the right direction. President Chavez has been a popular candidate for many years, but people are starting to question his abilities as a leader due to the government's failure of resolving issues such as shortage of housing, in addition to violent crimes and political unrest. Chavez promised the people that if he were to be re-elected, he would run a national development plan that would run through 2030. These people already fear for their safety and their rights and it is only fair for them to want a strong political leader to help guide them through these tough times.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/venezuela-hugo-chavez-illness_n_982877.html

Wendy's Brings Back It's Very Own Best

When Wendy's first started advertising its hamburgers, their initial slogan was famously quoted by Clare Peller saying, "Where's the beef?"These words were heard worldwide and now Wendy's is going to bring it's famous slogan back in order to answer the question, "Where's the beef?" The answer is in Dave's Hot'N Juicy Cheeseburgers, named after Wendy's founder, R. David Thomas. The new Wendy's commercial, set to air Monday October 3, shows a man wearing a t-shirt saying "Where's the Beef" and he finally finds the answer when he ends up in front of a Wendy's restaurant that has a poster of the new Dave's cheeseburgers saying, "Here's the beef!" Then the commercial ends with Dave Thomas' daughter, Melinda, who is the original Wendy Thomas and she says that because the hamburgers are their "hottest and juiciest ever", they are worth being named after her father. She then says, "These would've made my dad say, 'Here's the beef!' Wendy's knows that with today's economy, people are struggling to find the time and resources to make a home cooked meal, so they turn to fast food.
My view:
Wendy's goal is to provide these people with good quality and quantity. They feel that their food should not only be delicious, but filling too. Along with natural-cut french fries with sea salt, Wendy's made a smart move by adding another new and improved addition to their menu, Dave's cheeseburgers. Of course the ad campaign is  definitely going to cost Wendy a lot more than other ones but when it comes to promoting a product, any company knows that they need to invest their best resources into marketing the product to its full potential. In today's fast food market, competition is tough because of powerful rivals like McDonalds, Burger King, and In-and-Out Burger. Wendy's saw that they needed to refine their slogan from "Where's the Beef" to "Here's the Beef." This is a good move on Wendy's part because it differentiates their slogan from other brand's slogans. People will start to see Wendy trying to improve their quality of service and product and gain much stronger loyalty towards the company.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/After-27-Years-an-Answer-to-nytimes-522602526.html?x=0&.v=1