In response to kayle's blog

I feel that they are making a big step in trying to define their target market.. but I feel that anyone can relate to the "inner child" idea.. My dad is 62, and he still acts like me, and that's saying something cause I still act 12.  In relating a car to an inner child we can say that cars are fun to drive but blacks, whites, asians, etc can all think that driving is fun.  If they want to better target the black women market they should relate to something that they have as one not that all of us have as a human race..

what do you think would be a better way to target this group?

Reponse to Prof. K ($5 Footlong)

Over the few years of knowing about the $5 footlong, I have had different feelings of this promotion.  I understand money needs to be made, but when you only offer certain sandwiches for $5, you are only targeting certain market groups.  At one point you could only get a BLT for $5, however, I like turkey BLT's, just by adding turkey, I have to pay and extra $2/3.  I like the idea of the $5 footlong, but I felt at the time, that we needed to have some survey done to see what people actually wanted.  Since then, subway has allowed for different sandwiches to be purchased for $5.  I know now that there is a meatball marinara, which always helps me when I'm short on cash and feigning for something.

Do think all subs should be offered as $5 footlongs, just a select few, or seasonal sandwiches allowed for $5??

Actually Store Pricing

In talking about pricing during class, I began to think back to all the stores I worked for.  I thought, we pay so much for shoes, hats, shirts, accessories, etc.  But do we really know how much these products costs for the retail store?  When I worked for Finishline, I learned a lot about how much we make for certain products.  A can of waterproofer sells for $5.00 in the store, however, each can costs .25 (cents).  The boxes come in sets of 20 ($4.00/$100.00).  Also the shoes we buy, usually sell for $80-130.  Even with our employee discount (30%), the companies are still making $30-50 a shoe.  I really feel that with the abundance of products and people wanting to purchase these products that our society could learn to drop prices on things and still make a profit and be happy.

Do you feel things are too overpriced?

Response to Laurie

I have no seen an increase in the speed of my "fast-food."  I feel I have actually seen a decrease (when I go to a fast food provider).  I have had many times where I have sat 10+ minutes to receive a burger or two.  One time, I placed an order, got to the window, received half my order and was told to pull forward because the other half was not ready yet.  However, the people behind me, their order was ready.  FIFO (first in first out), this is something I learned in retail, and the fast food industry says they comply with this, but I feel they don't go along with anything they say.  They say real beef, but it's all knockoff and corn fed beef.  The pace of the food is slow, even though it says fast, and some of the conditions of the stores are not anything close to clean.  I rarely go to eat at wendys, mcds, or bk but when I do, I always seem to find something wrong.  I feel that fast food is just another way of saying "food for the lazy people."  No one seems to want to cook anymore, I love the home cooked meal, even though it's 'slow-food,' to me, its still "better-food."

Do you feel the fast food industry takes it's self serious, or just does what it has to to get by?

Logos/Trademarks/etc

It's weird to think how our culture perceives certain images for certain brands.

When I was younger, there was a brand of skateboard called, "Hook-Ups."  The pictures on the board were images of slutty girls, in skimpy outfits doing something either resembling sex or drugs or both.  When looking at skate catalogs all of my friends would always say how they wanted this board or that board depending on how hot the girls image was.  Even though they are cartoons it never stopped my friends.  I'll admit, I enjoyed them too, but never felt the urge to get obsessed over the board like others.  I always felt, it's a skateboard and it'll end up scratched and destroyed (where the picture is) from all the skating I do.  This company has since dropped off the market.  I feel that there trademark "sex/drug skategirls" did not really help in sales because of the need for parental consent to order offline, or even have the money to buy the board.
I feel many mothers would have reacted like mine in saying, "that is just wrong, why would you want that board."
I feel now that these boards are perverted and that hook ups needed/needs to find a new way to sell without the "sex sells" mentality.

Do you think that too much sex (for the mentality sex sells) can end up being a bad thing?

Response to Aubrey's Post

Is marketing to blame for this increase in consumer spending and increase in personal debt? Or should we hold people accountable for their own decisions whether that is to spend their money or not?

I feel that the serious emphasis put into marketing strategies does have an effect on the spending that happens.  However, people should be able to control themselves and their money without letting it get out of hand.  We are taught as children in simple ways to have self-discipline.  Single file lines in elementary school teaches us to cooperate with others and not cram together in a big mass but to be proper and respect personal bubbles.  This may not have relevance to spending but it's one way that we see personal development in a human.  People need to develop the ability to know what they want and need.  I want a lot of things, however, in the end, I don't NEED it.  I feel that if I have lived without it til now, then what's to not say I can live without it still.  I feel that people should be accountable to for their own money.  I feel that there should be more regulations for those in so much debt.  Maybe more taxes for those over a certain amount of debt could be implemented.  I never knew the American dream was to own so much debt that your children need to take on their parents debt problems.

Do you feel that people look at national debt more than personal debt or vis-versa?

Overspending American

From watching the movie in class about Americans and overspending, it's ridiculous to think how much debt people accumulate.  We heard in the movie that whatever people say for the amount for which they are in debt, it's usually double that.  One man said he was in a debt of $40,000, which could mean that he is actually in debt up to $80,000.  It's amazing that someone could let their debt get that bad.  I hate having debt over my head.  I paid off a $3,000 loan the year after I left Johnson and Wales just because I'd prefer to pay the bulk and not let interest hurt me.
Also, the fact that everyone wants to live like their neighbors.  I agree, I want my neighborhood to look nice, but I do not plan to copy anyone around me.  I feel that proper living is essential.  I don't think that having a huge house and super expensive car; especially if the money isn't present to do so.  I would love to live extravagantly and worry-free, however, I know that this style of living will only come after either the best of luck or careful planning and preparation.
The fact that this overspending is hurting each household separately, but also effecting us all globally is amazing.  We overwork to over spend and then we over waste the things we don't want anymore.  Also, in hearing that we work 9weeks more than Europeans, I see that my decision to move overseas after school is possibly a real good decision.  I know America is the "promise land" for some, but after seeing this video, I see that America is the "promise for over priced land."

Do you think the people accumulating so much debt don't have a real grip on reality or they know the seriousness of what they are doing to themselves and the environment?