Critical Reflection

With the end of the semester approaching, it is important to reflect on some of the lessons I have learned from this course. In my final blog post I hope to connect the content I chose to cover in my marketing blog as well as other experiences during the semester to the stated outcomes and objectives in this course.

            In the BU-215 Marketing class syllabus it states that students will “Understand that the marketing process starts and ends with customers and consumers.” I think that this is an extremely important concept in Marketing. A lot of people assume that Marketing is just selling and advertising a product. I touched on this idea in the mission statement of my blog; marketing requires businesses to think in terms of their customers needs and wants. Marketing is so much more than just sales and advertising, and revolves around the consumer. In my first blog post I discussed Dunkin’ Donuts rebranding strategy, which involves changing the brand name to just Dunkin’. This decision to shed Donuts in the brand name exemplifies that Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t just offer donuts: they serve hot coffee, lattes, breakfast sandwiches and more. By changing the brand name, Dunkin’ Donuts is hoping to create a new restaurant image which will reach a new range of customers. Dunkin’ Donuts is hoping to stay relevant in the fast food industry and keep up with competitors. At the end of the day, the best way to do this is by building customer loyalty, and satisfying their needs and wants.

            Another course objective that this class met was to “Understand the functions, roles and responsibilities of marketers.” In class we learned about the Marketing Mix, which includes Price, Product, Promotion, and Place. Marketers are in charge of these four controllable factors, and they are often used in several advertisements. For my Ad Presentation I chose a 1995 Nike Ad titled, “If You Let Me Play.” In this ad Nike was trying to sell an idea rather than a product. This ad dared parents to let their daughters play sports, and illustrated how sports can improve one’s self-esteem, and allow individuals to develop leadership skills. Through the marketing mix, Nike delved into areas that were unexplored by sports advertising.

            In addition, the objective of “putting marketing into action via team and individual projects” was met with the Marketing for a Cause project. My group’s event was Doggie P-Day, which hoped to raise money and awareness for All Breed Rescue Shelter in Williston Vermont. By tabling in Alliot, spreading information about the event through word of mouth, and posting on various social media accounts we successfully advertised our event around campus. We also hung up flyers around campus and in Burlington. Overall, this project showed me how rewarding it can be to raise money and awareness for a local non-profit organization and how crucial it is to advertise.

            Financial statements and business formulas such as profit and ROI are extremely important in marketing. This cognitive outcome was achieved with the financial analysis project, where we had to build an excel document based off of a company named Torbole Gelateria. My partner and I learned to analyze several different metrics during the process and noticed trends in the data set. These skills will be helpful in future classes we take at Saint Mike’s, and in future business careers.

            Lastly, this blog allowed me to “examine and convey basic and emerging marketing concepts and terminologies.” When picking a topic for my blog each week, I tried to relate it to something we talked about in class that interested me. In my blog I was able to illustrate how several different companies such as Amazon and McDonald’s have differentiated themselves from competitors. I used many marketing terms in my blog posts, and incorporated videos and graphics to enhance my analysis of the material in relation to marketing.

            This class has introduced me to many marketing concepts and tools used by marketing managers in society today. Through this blog and the in-class presentations, I truly believe my written and oral skills have improved immensely. I really enjoy writing this blog and sharing my insights and knowledge with all of you!