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Really great ad to watch!

I really enjoy watching Chipolte's advertisements. I think it will make consumers more aware of thinking about where their food actually comes from. It brings me back to the article we read about "our generation" -- millennials and Toms, a think a new trend is what companies can do for others and our environment beyond the purchase. Like Sarah said it created an emotional reaction out of me -- which is a great way to connect with consumers.

I really love this ad! I think more and more companies need to focus on where their food comes from as well as what they can do for others and not just the bottom line. This ad created an emotional reaction from me and has strengthened my connection with Chipolte. I think there is something to be said about companies who care about the environment as well as their consumers. I think as a society we are becoming more and more health conscious -- Chipolte is just ahead of the game.

Patagonia has built a brand image that focuses on buying less and decreasing environmental harm. The strategy has actually worked so well Patagonia has actually had an increase in sales and caused other companies to follow suit and pledge to decrease there own harm to the environment. Patagonia has done a great job communicating with their consumers and have created a brand loyalty and great image while using this market strategy.

This truly blows my mind with it's level of genius alone. By urging people to live out their Patagonia jackets to the full extent of their life, they are not only conveying brand quality, but the 'idea' brands that millenials swoon over. By representing themselves as a Eco-conscious and 'caring' brand, they are inspiring more sales by urging the opposite. It's damn brilliant.

I agree with Patagonia's approach.. Society is becoming more and more green oriented and this approach targets that market. This is boosting sales and I believe will continue to raise sales because more and more people want to at least say they are trying to save the environment

Really interesting article about how our favorite fast food restaurant really responds well to the socio-cultural environment and adapts there products and presentation to win over the population- including famous chefs in this case.

What stood out in my head was the woman who was offended by the breading. Rather than taking this new food item as an insult, I think that the she should realize the efforts McDonald's makes to accommodate peoples' needs. Yes, it is not the same as homemade or some bakeries, but it is up to the French people to know the difference. McDonald's is only trying to create a low priced food that appeals to people considering the hard times that they have had.

Fantastic article. One important thing to remember for their new campaign however, is to remember the relevance of those commenting on their products. It's awesome that they were able to have the acceptance of a world-famous baker, but it would be even more influential if they could analyze cultural trends within France to see who really has an impact on the people. Is it this world known baker? Or, the friendly baker down the street. If they could grab a combination of positive expressions about their baguettes and other products, McDonald's could produce a positive message that would be received throughout various demographics of their target markets.

This was really interesting to read especially because my friends and I just spent the afternoon roaming around Mass Ave and not one of us made a purchase. We decided to spend the day at the City Market and then walk around downtown. I think that in relation to this article our generation is becoming for concerned with experience as opposed to purchases. While none of my friends made purchases in stores downtown, were were willing to pay the gas and food prices ect. in order to contribute to our overall experience downtown.

This article made me really think about my purchasing habits, and what I value when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. What really stuck out to me in this article was the idea that the millennial generation might be becoming more frugal. With the heavy focus on online shopping, I think it provides customers with more options. You have the ability to go to a store find something,not purchase it, but still have the experience the "shopping" experience. If you saw something while looking that you want, there is the option to go online to seek out better deals with other companies for the same product. So the millennial generation may be more frugal in the sense that there are many ways of obtaining the items they want, but they utilize the internet to seek out better prices.

I agree with Megan, Sarah and Lina. I view shopping more as a social experience than anything else. It is very rare that I ever go shopping by myself because I enjoy having someone there with me when I am trying clothes on and walking around etc. With that being said, after a day of shopping or being in a shopping environment I do not base whether I had a good day or a bad day based on how many items I purchased but whether I had a good experience shopping. Whether that be based on the people I was with, or if my food was good or bad or if there was good or bad customer service at the stores I was at. I also personally think there is a completely different experience shopping for clothes in a store vs. shopping for other retail items (electronics, jewelry, appliances, books etc.) in a store. A lot of people (myself included) like to try on clothes to see how they fit and how they look on so I enjoy shopping for clothes in-store. However, when it comes to other items that do not need to be personally fitted to me, I enjoy online shopping just for the pure convenience.

Exciting to know that college students began the company and have stuck to their values ever since. It is interesting to hear that they prefer art students over business students (us). Makes me think that we should become more well-rounded so that we are not stereotyped as only "analytical" which the article mentions at least twice. We can be creative too!

Thank you for this article Kara! Urban Outfitters is one of my favorite places to shop and I had no idea that it was started and run by college students--I think this is one of the great ways that they are attracting their target market. This was my favorite sentence from the article, "If a manager sees an old wooden crate on his way to work and thinks it would look good in the men's section, he can bring it to work and put it on display." This is wonderful, just wonderful! Going back to what a lot of you have already mentioned, their unique layout and atmosphere is what brings people in and creates that overall "experience" for the customers.

Great article Kara! I agree with Lina and find it very interesting that they prefer to hire art students versus business students. Although I am not a very artist person this article makes me wonder if students should take more classes in the arts along with our core curriculum. I have never actually entered or bought anything from urban outfitters so I cant say I truly understand what the stores look like from a layout stand point, but it is very interesting that employees are allowed a sense of freedom when it comes to creating an ascetically pleasing store. I think it will be interesting to see if more businesses learn toward hiring more artistic individual.

Not only is this a great way to reach a greater target market but also bring to light the culture of hispanics to those who aren't familiar with it. I wonder how many more will be built and if there could be "too much of a good thing", but it seems to be doing well for now. It seems to be implying and mostly Mexican traditions so it would be interesting to go and see what other cultures are incorporated.

I lived in Mexico for an extended period of time when I was in high school and the hispanic culture thrives around the "plaza culture". In Mexico, being together and out of the house is part of their culture- walking at night, dancing, or just hanging out in the plaza is where most of their social life occurs. Cities and towns are build around their plazas. In the United States we do not maintain this aspect, our plaza would be comparable to sitting on our couch watching TV after work- where instead they go out into the community. Altering the setup and store hours encourages and brings the Hispanics back to their roots but also can provide the neighbor hood with some education in diversity and really great foods and products that they may not have been aware of before.

Not only is it a great way for the Hispanic population to connect and revisit their roots like others had said, but what a great way for people from different backgrounds/cultures to have the opportunity to shop at a Hispanic market without having to travel out of the country. I think this is wonderful!

Interesting guide for retailers during economic downturns. Written in 2008 but still applicabel. If you are too lazy to read 6 pages, read at least the tips for retailers on p.6 ;-)

I really enjoyed this article because I could not agree more with the author. I agree with the idea that people born in generation Y and millennials value brands that we can get more out of than just a purchase of an item. The concept of "idea brands" really resonates with me, especially the Toms example. In all honesty, Toms are not the most attractive shoe to me; however, because they are so popular due to the cause they support, they instantly become more attractive to me. Without the cause and support behind them, I do not think they would be half as special as they are to people today.

Paige elaborated well on the Tom's example. This article just continues to agree with what we all keep saying. Everyone wants to participate and experience brands. I hope JCP catches on to this that way they can survive! Doesn't seem to be an option anymore - it's a necessity.

I really enjoyed this article. It just set off a little reminder in my head that as businesses are comming into play they should really keep in mind that "millennials" do really value a brand that is more eco-friendly or helps a greater good, basically anything that enhances beyond the purchase point. I think if a company is starting up it really should consider the buying power millennials have in the market place as well as create a business that "supports" and makes a conscious effort to do good. I completely agree with what Paige had to say about Toms, "I do not think they would be half as specials as they are to people today"

Tesco released a questionable apology ad because they used horse meat in their products which led to some legal and ethical issues.

After reading this article it made me think -- gee more and more companies that sell food need to focus on where their products come from! It is safe to say articles like these are sure to influence customers to be more conscious about where their food comes from.

I remember hearing about the horse meat scandal when I was in Spain, and I would have to agree with their point of how it affected everyones view of packaged meat. I am not even sure if Europe had problems with this, but the uproar from family and friends in the US made me think this was a world wide event. To piggy back off of Chipotle, I think the meat industry needs to look to better ways of improving meat quality and especially make an effort to voice these changes in product quality to consumers so there is trust again.

This article I feel gives a good grasp as to how technology has and will continue to adjust and change the retail industry.

I think this article is a good lead into the article posted about wifi usage being tracked. While some customers can feel theirrivacy is invaded, others really like the personalization that can be received as far as customer service. Technology is going to be a major rule in the future of retailing, or the future in general. With the amount of technology we have today, it seems that there will be no limits as to what we can do in the future, only limits on to what people will accept and partake in.

The newest Chipotle ad. A phenomenal example of Chipotles ability to highlight the unethical practices occurring within factory farming. It challenges the viewer to question the foods they eat and the corporations they support.

This commercial really makes you think as the consumer about the products you consume that are "farm fresh" without even giving it a second thought. It also brings up the idea that by eating at restaurants that use products that are from "factory farms" or by purchasing such products, then you are supporting their efforts in a way. This commercial makes you think twice, and it will have a lot of people thinking of Chipotle the next time they want Mexican on the go!

JCP failed to convince customers to buy at "everyday prices" so they decided to bring sales back. To do this, they marked up prices then marked them down however people ended up paying more than the "everyday prices" and there is evidence that proves it.

Very interesting article. It seems that JCP has changed their pricing strategy multiple times this year -- I think this strategy could possibly cause JCP to loose more customers. Marking up and down is a good strategy but not when existing customers know what specific items cost -- the worst is that JCP put higher price tags on top of low ones (as a customer I would just be offend and that alone would drive me to shop else where). I think JCP has driven customers to think they are getting ripped off rather than getting good prices and leading them to believe they are getting a bargain. I think it is a very common strategy used by retailers and I am not bothered by it but when I become fully aware of it -- that is a problem.

It makes me sad to think that companies are "tricking" us to get our business. I understand from a "marketing mindset" and psychological perspective that companies get us to think we are getting such a great deal when prices are slashed. Just like the article also mentioned, Kohls may do this too. They always make a conscience effort to circle (in red pen) the amount of money you saved today on our shopping trip. But that number fluctuates so much based on when there is Kohl's cash, 15-20% off mobile coupons, etc. They always make you think you got an amazing deal, when next week it could be even better...or worse.

I think my favorite part of this article is that they are going to include a strip of packing tape to make it easier to return. That is just funny. I would think they wouldn't want to make it easier to return,, I mean, what company wants to have a customer return an item. I understand they want to make it convenient, I just think it's funny.

Be sure you check out the two videos as well -

Technology never ceases to amaze me - how convenient for people who hate waiting in line. I agree that there is a HUGE security concern for retailers and consumers. I think there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed on all ends. It will be very interesting to see if this idea catches on or if retailers and consumers will continue shopping as they always have.

PayPal was a huge success online and I believe it will be a success in the stores too. I hate to wait in lines and if this shortens lines then I am all in. I agree with Sarah the security issue does worry me and needs to be tested and addressed before actual use. Once the security problems are fixed I firmly believe this with great enhance the customer experience and drive revenues in the retail industry.

This is really interesting to me that they would let someone go because of wearing a head scarf- I know that American brands like Abercrombie is really popular abroad- especially in Germany and Turkey where it is considered more of a luxury/high end product because of its American qualities. Abercrombie risks this image because many of their customers abroad, especially in those two regions are muslims and losing their support in the international market could harm their bottom line more then a dress code violation could.

This is awful, especially because the firing came from a district manager who should be trained better and just flat out ethical. While I was abroad I noticed how much Europeans loved Abercrombie and thought of it to be a very exclusive brand because to them it is fairly uncommon. I am glad their sales have decreased that much and if they continue to act like this and discriminate then they are going to go no where overseas.

This is just ridiculous and very embarrassing for Abercrombie. Honestly, I'm surprised their sales are not down more than 10%, but I have a feeling that they are going to keep decreasing if they continue to handle these situations the way that they have been.

I like it! I want to be recognized, greeted, and assisted if I need to be. I can see where some people may feel uncomfortable but employees should be trained when to know when a person wants more help or to be left alone.

I find this kind of stuff extremely interesting. I honestly like that stores can track me like this because this means that they are more likely to send coupons and deals my way for the things I want to buy. I also think this is a great way for stores to get the perfect layout of their store by seeing where certain demographics walk around.

This is significant because it has implications beyond just marketing to consumers. The question is, how far should we trespass into citizens (aka customers) rights in order to improve the customers experience? This isnt JUST another marketing ploy, it's an experiment in eroding consumer privacy... and it's working. Marketers realize how little consumers are informed of their own behavior and by association they realize lengths to which they can go. But as privacy erodes, what do we really gain? Sure, it's great they can send us coupons and build our customer profile, but did companies consult the consumer and get consent to do this? Is this data collection all passively done because companies know the taboo behind privacy issues? What does this type of intrusion open up in the future? I think this is seen as simply "the way things are" because we are all desensitized to businesses (and governments) violating the privacy of information. I would like to point out that historically when masses of people in power simply accept things the way they are that's when really really bad things happen (slavery, child labor, exploitation, etc). Passive accumulation of this information seems to me complicit with those who actively accumulate this information- they're both invasions. We must critically think about how allowing such invasions actually works to shape the physical and mental landscapes of our lives, are we actually prepared to deal with the consequences? So, while it may seem like this is just another marketing ploy, we instead should see this as actually another breach of private information which will continue to shape consumer behavior.