Week 4 EOC: There's An App for That

Living and working in Las Vegas, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and see a lot of interesting people. Currently, I am a hostess for a popular bar on the strip, and apparently, this also translates to guide, or direction giver to some people. At work, I am constantly bombarded with questions like, “Where should I go for the night?” and “Do you know of any deals going on for this place?”. This led me to the idea that there should be an app for that.

Night life is something really important to people coming and staying here in Vegas. Unfortunately, after being here for a few days, guests find that there is little else to do besides drink and find adventures for their night. With my idea of the Night Life app, people will be able to find out exactly where they should go, and what is going on for the night. The app will include different ways to search for this by allowing the user to type in a type of place, different deals they want, a location they would like to be near, and even a price and time they would like to stay within. 

There will be no coupons that places could post. This is what will differentiate my app from others already out there. Locales would simply post what they have going on for the night, and why people should come there. For example, if a woman wanted to find ladies night deals, she could type that in, and be able to go to ladies night every night. This is a new way for places to be able to advertise themselves without necessarily having to create an entire campaign. The user could download the app for free, while different locations would pay to place their ad with the advantage of gaining new customers. 

Week 3 EOC: My Demographic

As of right now, I am striving to be a successful advertiser. Because advertising is about sales and figuring out what people relate to in order to achieve those sales, it is important to know the difference between demographics and how they think, or rather, how they spend and focus their spending habits. According to Marketing: An Introduction 10^th Edition by Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler, “demography is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, occupation, and other statistics.” With this in mind, I am a “Millenial, or Generation Y” because I was born between the years 1977 and 2000.

One thing that distinguishes Generation Y from the previous Generation X, is the advancement of technology and how much we use it. Generation Y, for the most part, has never been without certain technologies. We’ve never really had to write letters because we have emails and text messages, we always are in reach with the advent of cell phones. We’ve always been comfortable with transportation by being able to have air conditioning in our cars and radio or iPods even to keep us entertained while on the road. We are used to having things our way, and don’t always understand if we cannot have them right now. Technology has made us increasingly demanding because it has changed the way we’ve gotten our information.

Apart from the advances in technology, familiar structures have changed with our generation as well. We no longer expect women to stay home and take care of the children. They do that, and work. We are out in society as well as a great presence within the home, and we like it that way, or at least, I do. I like the idea of being able to do and have it all. Generation Y’s description fits me perfectly. 

Week 3 EOC: Boston Consulting Group- Video Games

In a society where many people are jobless, or having their hours cut at work, there is a need for more at home entertainment. People are turning to their video games to keep them occupied at a time when they would normally be doing any other mundane activities they may have no interest in. However, due to the recession, it is expected that many people will not be able to spend the money necessary to obtain these games, or rather that was the projection back in 2009. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Videogame Makers Can’t Dodge Recession, it is explained that videogame sales have plummeted while people are “tightening their purse strings [waiting for game makers] to cut the prices of their consoles." Although this article was written a few years ago, part of its meaning is still relevant, and still applies today.

Just as we are coming out of the recession, the gaming industry seems to have taken a turn for the better. According to an article by Jay Green called Microsoft Earnings Meet Expectations as Windows Sales Dip, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, “We delivered solid financial results, even as we prepare for a launch year that will accelerate many of our key products and services.” About three years later, people are now spending more on home entertainment as it becomes available. As people are spending more time at home, it seems to be more important to allow themselves to generate a way to be entertained. As job rates are increasing, people now have the money to spend on games and gaming consoles.

After studying the Boston Consulting Group matrix in Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10^th Edition, by Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler, I believe that the video game market is a question mark meaning that they are in a high market growth rate and a relatively low market share. “Management has to think hard about which question marks it should try to build into stars and which should be phased out.” Video game makers have constantly tried to revamp the gaming world with new technology, while recognizing which is not working. 

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

Have you ever been to a place that has had a remarkable impact on the way you continue to view everything else? I responded to an ad on Craigslist one day, looking for a job, and had this experience happen to me. I was going in for a potential photography job in a local bar. Given my actual expertise on the subject, I did quite well in the interview, and landed the job. Apart from my first night, the job was horrible. The managers were extremely frustrating to deal with, and I soon quit. Now, I found myself in need of another job, and began wondering where I would turn to next to find my newest endeavor.

After my first shift that night, I stayed in the bar for a little bit, eating, relaxing, and getting the overall feel of what I thought would be a more permanent placement for me. The servers were friendly, and the food was delicious, at a very reasonable price given its location, the Las Vegas strip.  The atmosphere offered something different in that it was relaxed, but energetic at the same time. The team created an environment that I definitely wanted to return to. In short, they were able to market themselves in such a way that was appealing to the type of clientele they were after. “Simply put, marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. The aim of marketing is to create value for customers and to capture value from customers in return.” Everything I have mentioned above, added up to me applying for a hostess position. I am now very fortunate to be able to say that I love my job. The whole experience of first, going to, and then, eventually working at PBR Rock Bar & Grill has certainly been one of the best I have every had within the customer service industry. 

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

Since a very young age, photography has always been a part of my life. My mother was a photographer, and often carted me around to work with her. Being in that environment helped shape me into the artist I am today. I recently graduated from Las Vegas Academy, an art school that helped me hone in my skills, and develop new ones. It was there that I realized photography was something I didn’t want to give up. I was faced with the challenge of figuring out how to make it a career. Let’s face it, photographers’ worth only increases after death. Although it’s not all about the money for me, I do want to be able to survive in today’s society, working at a job that I love. This is how I landed on the idea of going into the artistic side of advertising. I am currently studying this field at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. Here, I plan to spend the next four years learning the skills I need to make it in the advertising world. I know there is a lot more to it than just the creative aspect, and I know I have the patience to fulfill these extra requirements. Having the opportunity to create something will allow me to achieve my dreams of bringing photography to a modern day career.