Archive for category Market Mix Up
P90X Vs Wii Fit
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on October 27th, 2009
Posted: 10/27/09
By Market Mix Up
With all the hype over P90X and Wii Fit… the question at hand is which one gives you the best and fastest results?
From looking at the picture to the right, it appears that Wii Fit could only be another family game brought you by Nintendo. Even though the Wii Fit offers training programs like Yoga, Balance Games, Strength Training, Aerobics, Skateboarding, etc… Is it even possible to loose that much weight having to keep place on that tiny white pad?
In comparison to P90X, we were able to find more training programs, faster results, and a true workout. From their website, P90X offers 12 highly diverse and intense workouts; Chest and Back, Plyometrics, Shoulders and Arms, Yoga, Legs and Back, etc… The list goes on and on. And at the same cost of the Wii Fit, $119.99, it looks like P90X could be the best bang for your buck! Or Wii Fit just takes longer to see results….
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Insurance Companies Wasting Money for Terrible Commercials and Advertising
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on October 23rd, 2009
by Jeff Koll - Oct. 23, 2009 11:45 AM
Market Mix Up
Geico, Progressive, and Allstate commercials are featured constantly in NFL games every week. There is an average of 8 commercials per quarter in a NFL game, which gives us an estimate of over 32 commercial per game. I noticed one or two of the 8 commercials per quarter were at least one of these three insurance companies and find the commercials extremely annoying. Figure during Sunday football you will “privileged” to see at least 8 commercials from these insurance companies that waste our hard earned money on cheesy and flat out annoying commercials. The average cost of a “primetime commercial” on one of the major networks is $126,204. The price for a commercial depends on the network, for instance you can get a “good deal” with NBC for about $85,000 (which is the lowest) or pay a prettty penny for Fox which is $253,000 (highest price). Let’s break down exactly how much money they are spending, and see how much money we could save on our policies if they didn’t juse our money for lame and annoying advertising.
If we go off the average of 8 insurance commercials per NFL game and multiply the average “primetime commercial” rate of $126,204 that gives us a total of $1,009,632 per game for advertising. The other thing to keep in mind is only certain games are broadcasted weekly. For instance I usually see two games on CBS, two games on FOX, Sunday night football on NBC, not to mention Monday night football on ESPN. If you have standard cable you would watch on average of 5 or 6 games per week. For out purpose let’s say 5 games. When you figure the average price that insurance companies pay per game ($1,009,632), and multiply it by 5 games, that gives you a total of $5,048,160 spent per week. There are 17 weeks in a NFL season and each team has a “bye” week so each team plays 16 games. So to make it fair and not exaggerate, I’m multiplying it by 16 weeks, and that gives you an unbelievable $80,770,560 spent per NFL season (excluding playoffs and Super Bowl which the price of advertising Sky Rockets)!!!
If you have the “NFL Ticket Sunday Package” you would be paying $300 for the package, but in return you would receive all 14 games (13 during bye weeks). So let’s take our original average of $1,009,632 (price per game for advertising) and multiply that by 13 NFL games, gives you a total of $210,003,456 per season (exluding playoffs and Super Bowl).
It seems $210,003,456 sounds like a lot of money to be wasting on commercials for NFL alone. Especially since most people take a beer break, run to the restroom, or have TIVO and fast forward through commercials. That seems unreal especially since the commercials are so annoying they me hope I never have to contact another insurance agency again in my life! If they were to cut the amount of advertising in half, think of how much $105,001,728 per year could cut down the cost for OUR insurance policies. I’m at the point where I think these insurance companies have 2 options:
- Make “entertaining” commercials which will captivate an audience and in return get consumers to start a policy
- Cut spending on advertsing and lower the premium’s for insurance which will draw more consumers
I believe in advertising but I think these top insurance companies should get their act together, and make their commercials more appealing for the consumer or give money back to the consumer by lowering premium rates. It just makes more sense! I’ve had enough with the annoying Progressive girl, enough from the monotone Allstate guy that lists every option they have, and don’t get me started on the Gecko and Cave Man from Geico. It’s time for change! If you insist on paying for the outrageous amounts for advertising then at least make it entertaining or comical so I don’t get depressed every time I see a terrible commercial and realize that could be saving me money in these tough economic times.
Marketers Think Pink In October
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on October 23rd, 2009
Cause Marketing - Marketers Think Pink In October
Allen Adamson, 10.23.09, 10:28 AM EDT
In the month of October, leaf-peepers enjoy vivid reds and yellows, and trick-or-treaters favor spooky oranges and blacks. But for brand-builders, the color of the month is pink–a powerful link to breast cancer awareness. Hundreds of brands have incorporated breast cancer awareness into their October marketing efforts. From applesauce to appliances, power tools to paper towels, in packaging and product design, pink branding is everywhere.
In 1974, first lady Betty Ford began talking openly about breast cancer. Since then, the struggle for a cure has become a successful and dynamic brand story. The reason? A relentless focus on the most basic rules of brand management, from the single-mindedness of its purpose, to the strategic use of the color pink as a branding application, to the association with, and support of, relevant brand partners. The goal of curing breast cancer has become more well-known than any other cause in its attempt to generate awareness and advocacy.
Anyone in the brand business will tell you that the first step in achieving success is to make sure you start with a simple promise that is meaningfully different to the consumers you want to reach. It is the clear and singular fight to eradicate breast cancer–not cancer in general–that is at the core of this brand’s promise. To this promise, add the unfortunate fact that there is almost no one, myself included, who hasn’t been personally affected by watching a loved one do battle with the disease, and you have a strong and motivated target audience for the message.
The mastery of the initiative, however, is in the branding–the “-ing” being the key. A brand is what something stands for in the minds of consumers; the branding, the symbols and the activities that bring the idea to life are what generate this association. And that is where pink comes in.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure introduced the color in 1982, but pink as the mother of all colorful power apps really took off in 1992, when Estée Lauder began distributing pink satin ribbons in stores. The branding has been consistent and, as a result of some enduring strategic partnerships, has only grown in strength over the years.
Corporate philanthropy and cause marketing are becoming more and more prevalent, but the most successful companies see a direct demographic link with the cause and then strategically align marketing efforts with it
Estée Lauder’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is only one of several major corporate initiatives that work. Avon, with its tag line “the company for women,” has raised more than $500 million over the last 16 years through the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is one of its most significant and inspiring branding events.
Take Advantage of These Top 10 Fall Deals
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on September 27th, 2009
By Kimberly Palmer -USNews.com
Posted: September 21, 2009
This fall, shoppers can expect cut-rate prices on electronics, home furnishings, and other popular categories as retailers fight for their dollars. Practical items, including vacuum cleaners and beauty products, are among those being offered for less—but to get the best deals, customers will need to shop around
and be flexible on the timing of their purchases.
In some cases, retailers are even willing to take a loss or earn a tiny profit on certain products (dubbed “loss leaders”) in order to get customers into their stores. “Over the last year, people have gotten used to extraordinary discounts. The way to hook people into coming into your store is with a few loss leaders,” says Dan de Grandpre, chief executive of www.dealnews.com. Another reason for the low prices: Consumers have been cutting back for almost a year now, and retailers with too much inventory are eager to unload it.
[Slide Show: The Top 10 Fall Deals.]
televisions, DVD players, and computers will be heavily discounted this fall as stores kick off Black Friday sales, which traditionally begin the day after Thanksgiving or as early as October. Customers looking for flat-screen televisions will find the cheapest deals on off-brands with fewer features; de Grandpre suggests that those looking for higher-end sets wait until December when pricier televisions will go on sale.
Blu-ray DVD players, which a year ago cost between $200 and $300, are now priced at as little as $100. By Black Friday, de Grandpre predicts, they will hit $49. “They will be off-brands and have fewer features, but for most people, it doesn’t matter. They just want to play a DVD,” he says.
As for computers, netbooks from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo will very likely be marked down this fall. A recent www.PriceGrabber.com survey found that the average price of the 10 most popular laptops dropped to $487 from $599 last year. Over Labor Day, HP offered up to 50 percent discounts on laptops, desktops, and printers.
The recession explains some of the discounts among common household items, such as vacuum cleaners and home furnishings, says Sara Rodriguez, market research analyst for www.PriceGrabber.com. On the site, discounts in the home furnishings category—which includes home décor and rugs—currently range from 15 to 55 percent. Vacuum cleaners are down as much as 37 percent. Jewelry, on the other hand, isn’t as popular right now, so discounts are harder to come by.
Although these deals will probably last through Black Friday, there’s no way to predict if they’ll continue through the holiday season. It’s possible, de Grandpre says, that consumers will start to spend more as the holidays approach because they feel they’ve been frugal for so long, which could cause an uptick in consumer spending and inspire retailers to scale back their sales.
Here comes the Revolution
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on September 17th, 2009
September 17th, 2009
By Market Mix Up
Revolutions have occurred many of times in different variances throughout history. Sometimes it’s for the better, while sometimes it’s for the worse. But this time, it’s going to add new literature to our history books, and make life very painful.
And who’s to blame for this… The United States Government. First it was the crash of the housing market. Then followed record breaking unemployment numbers. While this may be looked at as awards for the United States Government, it is clearly unacceptable. But unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. And the Government has to look out for #1, them!
With that said, the younger generation needs to speak up, and fight for their rights! We can’t keep letting the Government take advantage of us. If not, they will end up controlling everything.
Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up on September 17th, 2009
By David Von Drehle Thursday, Sep. 17, 2009
Time- CNN
On Sept. 12, a large crowd gathered in Washington to protest … what? The goals of Congress and the Obama Administration, mainly — the cost, the scale, the perceived leftist intent. The crowd’s agenda was wide-ranging, so it’s hard to be more specific. “End the Fed,” a sign read. A schoolboy’s placard denounced “Obama’s Nazi Youth Militia.” Another poster declared, “We the People for Capitalism Not Socialism.” If you get your information from liberal sources, the crowd numbered about 70,000, many of them greedy racists. If you get your information from conservative sources, the crowd was hundreds of thousands strong, perhaps as many as a million, and the tenor was peaceful and patriotic. Either way, you may not be inclined to believe what we say about numbers, according to a recent poll that found record-low levels of public trust of the mainstream media.
At any rate, what we can say with confidence is that Deanna Frankowski was there. A cheery woman of 49 from Leeds, Ala., Frankowski said she had come to Washington as part of a group of 100 or more protesters. They filled two buses. And they were motivated by a concern about runaway government spending — that, plus an outraged feeling that their views as citizens are not being heard. “We are sick and tired of being ignored,” she said. “There is too much money being spent.”
Frankowski has been hit hard by the economic turmoil of the past year. Short of funds to make the trip, she painted an American flag on a pane of glass and asked people at her church to chip in toward her expenses, with one of them taking home the flag. She would like to share a house with her soon-to-be husband, but first she must figure out how to get free of the house she has — the one with the underwater mortgage. Some left-leaning writers argue that people in her boat must be deluded to oppose Barack Obama, but Frankowski is skeptical that her interests are being served by trillions in new government interventions. So she said, “I’ve paid my mortgage every month. And I’m getting no help. I’m just saying, Let capitalism work.” Then she added, “We just want people to listen to us and care.” (See pictures from a day in the life of Glenn Beck.)
HBO vs Showtime
Posted by admin in Market Mix Up, Mix Up TV on September 14th, 2009
September 14th, 2009
By Tony Pringle
Market Mix Up
The two contenders fighting for “Top Premium Movie Channel” currently are HBO and Showtime. These premium cable networks not only offer great movies, but are now becoming known for “hit TV series”. Lets breakdown these two “Heavy Hitters” and see which one gives you more bang for your buck.
HBO Movies- ★★★★
HBO has 9 movie channels, 2 of which channnels are in High Definition (HD). Their movies combine a good mixture of new releases and older movies. They have a good variety of movies and change their featured movies monthly. HBO has better new releases and looks to have a bigger share in the new release market.
Showtime Movies- ★★★
Showtime has 7 movie channels (including The Movie Channel), and provide a Showtime Channel and The Movie Channel on HD. Showtime has a decent variety of movies, but The Movie Channel lacks in their movies. Showtime offers new releases, but many are inferior to the new releases that HBO is providing.
HBO TV Series- ★★★★
HBO has a lot of TV series that are now featured such as “Entourage, Eastbound & Down”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Hard Knocks”, “Hung”, “Bill Maher”, and “True Blood”. HBO for a long time has been successful in TV series with shows such as “Sex in the city” and “The Sopranos” but these recent TV Series have added to the depth of HBO and make them a top contender for best premium channel.
Showtime TV Series- ★★★★
Showtime is currently featuring 6 TV series which include “Weeds”, “Dexter”, “Penn & Teller”, “Nurse Jackie”, “Inside the NFL”, and “The Tudors”. Showtime has two hit TV Series which are “Weeds” and “Dexter” but the other series leave the condumer wanting more series to the caliber of the two major hitters. If Showtime were able to create more hit TV series they could take the reign from HBO who has been the leader since “Sopranos” and “Sex in the City”.
Judges Decision
This was a tough decision, but we have o give the Fight to HBO. BHO provides more of a variety, which makes it more appealing to the customer. Showtime has done a great job in the last couple of years with the release of “Weeds” and “Dexter” but need a couple more TV series to compete with the reigning champ HBO. Only time will tell, but Shotime is making progress and I think it’s only a matter of time until they conquer the almighty HBO.
