Elevator Pitch Number 4

Final Reflection

 Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

- Overall this class was a memorable experience and it pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I am a shy  person, so the thought of interviewing people with powerful positions terrified me.  But I did it, and I can say that I am proud of what I was able to accomplish!

- The lowest part for me would be interviewing customers, no matter how hard I tried or practiced I was so awkward!  There were a few times that when I walked away I asked myself "Why are you so awkward" or

"Gosh dang Bridget it's just one question, and it's about food, good lord"

 What sticks out to you as the most formative experience?

- I would say that the first few weeks of developing our products was the most formative.

The experience that you'll remember years later?

- I'd say the email I received from one of the designers of a label design company, she had lots of good advice and was very kind.

What was your most joyous experience?

- Having this blog was fun.  After a while it became a creative outlet.

What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

- Just finishing this course was a major accomplishment.  I had to push myself and face my fears in order to get a good grade. 

 Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

- I would consider myself to be a person with an entrepreneurial mindset, I enjoy coming up with ideas and presenting them to consumers.  This class has even encouraged me to start up an Instagram and share my photography.  Maybe one day I can create a professional webpage and sell my prints, but for now I enjoy sharing my work with the world.  

What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future?

- Stay ahead and do not fall behind!

What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course?

- Be as organized as possible and to make sure you know what's happening a week or two in advance otherwise you'll be overwhelmed.

-Have fun, believe me it is possible!

What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

- Have a calendar or a white board in your room with due dates listed.

- Make your blog your own!  Personalize it, add pictures you like and share your stories.  By doing this you'll find that you put more effort in your work, it might even become a creative outlet.

Week 15 Reading Reflection

1) The company only gives out loans to women, because they are better investors according research they conducted.
2) I'm just a little bit confused about the pressure system.  I would be worried that with other women paying off others loans that might lead to problems in the household.
3) How are people able to live on $1 a day?  In places where inequality of women is an issue, how would your business work there, wouldn't anger arise from the men?
4) No I don't think the author was wrong about anything, the business article was an interesting read.

Week 14 Reading Reflection

1) What stood out to me the most were the different ways they author provided to encourage innovation in the work environment.
2) I wouldn't say it was confusing but I wish the author provided more examples on how to prepare for failure.
3) With more businesses join social media websites such as Etsy and Pinterest have increased exporting?  (same question), how about with importing?
4) No there wasn't anything I disagreed about.

Very Short Interview, Part 2

I interviewed Paula Herron of Paula Herron Photography in Virginia Beach.  We communicated through email.  Now that I have some idea or knowledge about entrepreneurship I felt more comfortable asking questions.  Three months ago I would have felt I was asking to personal of questions or pushing the boundaries.  This time around I asked her questions that I have been thinking about throughout the semester.

1.  As an entrepreneur in Marketing to a specific target market, what are some of the most important points you must address?

 

Each segment or audience requires a specific tactic in order for me to reach them. Even though I am offering the same photography service, I cannot address single men the same way I address a single female, nor do I market the same way to the “father” of a family the same way I do the “mom” of a family. But when it comes to weddings I target them all the same. They are stuck together like glue and try to please each other so I am really appealing to a couple and the parents.

My business is a very emotionally driven one. So if my images and marketing strategy pulls at their heart strings, I have a better chance of selling myself and my products.

 

2.  Have you had to change your product line much, such as packaging and final product over the years?

 

Yes, it is hard to keep up with trends. While my final product is truly an image, it is displayed in many different ways. My images are framed using paper, canvas or even metal; displayed in albums; cut and are stuck on kids bedroom walls as full size images; or even commercial posters or displays. Not to mention the many images that only are given out as digital files and are placed on the internet for sharing or marketing use. Once they were only 8” x 10” or 4” x 6” images displayed in a book. This have changed and continue to change.

 

3.  You have mentioned you have a small business, how much time do you commit to your sales and marketing?

It is actually a huge part of my business. With my business plan, I have committed several hours each day to working on social media, returning calls to prospective clients, updating digital adverts I may have out there and putting together my monthly e-newsletter to current clients. My best clients are my list of current ones. I send them a monthly what’s up and if I have any specials going on – Holiday treats. They bring me in my “word of mouth” new clients.

I have my name in the phone book and that also feeds to the online searches which is great and is what links to my website. Google search, SEO, is huge, so I keep checking that out making sure I am close to the top with my Google words.

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked in get me a bunch of leads too. Since I am my best marketing person, I spend about 2 hours with my morning coffee keeping up on things daily. It takes time and between the calls it is worth it. Because, once I grab my camera, I do not have time to stop.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

1) One part of the reading that I found impactful was on page 484.  Here the author arranged a list of what entrepreneurs should ask themselves when starting a business.
2) There really wasn't much that was confusing.  If anything I had to reread over the differences between a manager and entrepreneur's mind-set.
3) Would you say that having a combination of managerial and entrepreneurial mind-sets would be beneficial? Did you write this chapter based on your experiences or did you have to collaborate with others?
4) The description of a small business I feel no longer really applies as it used to.  Now a days a "small business" can have a far reach to customers outside their main location with the help of the internet, social media, and postal services.

Venture Concept 2

Feedback

The feedback for Venture Concept 1 was positive! Readers agreed that The Food Pack would be a great product for students.  I did get great advice from one reader, she brought up a few companies that could be competition, and encouraged me to think of how I would stand out. 

What Did I Change

I added a few more details within the original venture concept, I touched on the possible competitors and how my product differs from theirs.  Along with this I  brought attention to the design of my product and how it will attract consumers.

My Venture

What is one thing that all people on this planet have in common?  Our need to feed.  Unfortunately in the college setting this is in the form of fast food and vending machines.  Many young adults today do not know how to cook or have very poor culinary skills, and their confidence/self-esteem reflects this.  How can we fix this in a world of frozen food, fast food, and convenience mindset?  Three words - The Food Pack - my product provides the consumer with the ingredients they need along with easy to follow steps (or online tutorial) on how to prepare home cooked meals.  They will learn and develop their culinary skills, build confidence in the kitchen, and be exposed to different cultures through their cuisines. I am certain that this product will be successful, and as a responsible, goal oriented, and organized entrepreneur myself and my team will make cooking an experience to remember!

Through research conducted, when given the choice students would rather buy their meals out (which is very expensive in the end) because they simply do not know how to cook.  Many reported that they do not know what goes well together, how to prepare meals, and some are even intimidated by the idea of just frying an egg!  Many of us often stick to what we know, and after a while making what’s essentially supplying our bodies with nutrients has become boring.  How awful is this?  Especially with being in a country that has a supply of fresh ingredients to choose from.  Do you know how lucky we are?  

We need to change this perceptive of looking at making our meals as a chore and rather see it as a way to improve and nourish our bodies while making an experience out of it!

The consumers I want to reach are mostly students between the ages of 17-25.  During this time young adults are living away from home in a new environment, their responsibilities have increased while their budget has decreased.  It’s fair to see why many resort to fast-food or poor quality processed foods, rather than homemade meals.  During this time frame students are making decisions, learning lessons, and developing skills to use for the rest of their lives.  One of those skills that students develop is cooking, as long as they give themselves the chance or opportunity to learn.  Without the basic knowledge of cooking they will be forever reliant on the restaurant chains around them, frozen and premade food, or the person they might live with.

If one does not eat, they will not survive or be healthy, the same applies when a person decides on eating something unhealthy.

Today the grocery industry is far different than what it used to be in the 1940s.  A single grocery store sells all merchandise we need.  The market is ran by consumer demands, people are all about convenience but also want options.  We are slowly transitioning from the packaged food era to fresh food.  In fact a major deciding factor in grocery store choice for 75% of consumers is whether or not the store has a produce department.  This department includes meats, seafood, local produce, and bakeries where they can see the processing and handling of products in person.  

 With a switch in viewpoints on the importance of having fresh ingredients comes along the need and want to learn how to prepare such ingredients. 

I am offering a product that contains all the ingredients students will need to cook along with directions/video links on how to prepare the meal.  The product will have an attractive label that is geared toward attracting the younger demographic.  On the front of the boxes will be images of the meal the consumer will be making, and it will be realistic.  By this I mean an accurate representation of the finish product.  Within The Food Pack will contain the necessary ingredients to prepare a meal.  There is no need to go and buy 20 different items that you may only use a few times.  There are so many venues we can go with this product!  We can teach students how to cook healthy meals while expanding their culinary taste buds.  We can have lines for Indian, French, South American, African, Middle Eastern foods you name it!  Not only can they make themselves dinner or lunch but we could also have Food Packs for deserts, breakfast, and snacks.  Imagine they could make their own granola bars, crackers, and for breakfast they could even learn how to make Beignets from Café Du Monde!  How fun does this sound? Unlike other pre-made boxes that only focus on desserts or breakfast, The Food Pack covers it all. There will be options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and my personal favorite snacks.  Unlike companies such as Blue Apron, my product if available when they want or need it. 

They don't need a membership to use our product. The Food Pack is there when they need it!

Now that students have the ingredients in The Food Pack, the next thing they need is equipment to prepare their meals.  Our next venture is My Kitchen, the kitchen essentials set. Nothing's worse than not having the proper equipment for cooking. That's like showing up to a baseball game with a hockey stick. Sure you can improvise but it's not the same and your performance will reflect this.  I want to sell a set of all the necessary and must have cooking tools.  None of this broken up, buying separate items, let’s get it over with and give you exactly what you will need, the essentials! People will feel even more confident and more likely to want to cook.  Nothing's better than using your new set of knives that actually slice through chicken rather than mutilate them.  It will increase consumer loyalty, and we can have the tools color coordinated to make it easier for people following The Food Pack recipes.  For instance “To slice the chicken use the purple knife.  To chop the carrots use the orange knife. Sauté the green beans in the yellow pan”. 

They will carry the skills and techniques they learned from preparing meals with The Food Pack and My Kitchen. They'll gain confidence in what they are doing and continue to develop their skills.  Who knows they might then pass on what they learned to their children one day!

Week 12 Reading Reflection

1) The amount of planning that goes into a business was surprising.  I know that it takes a lot of planning, but I didn't realize what all you had to take into consideration.

2) The part about fatal visions of having no competitive advantage was a little confusing.  I mean it makes since but I'm not sure if it applies to generic brand options.  Such as Publix, they offer basically the same product just slightly cheaper.

3) What is the difference between a CEO and a president of a company? With the one-person-band syndrome, is that necessarily a bad thing for small businesses?

4) I don't think the author was correct about having no competitive advantage because grocery stores who basically mimic products are just as competitive perhaps even more.

Google Gold

• Strategy to search engine optimization (SEO)

• I tried my best to make each post easy to understand and somewhat enjoyable to read.  Nothing is worst than reading boring pages of nonsense, and having to reread to get an idea of what is going on. 

• What were your keywords. 

• Throughout my blog I used: health, healthy, food, grocery, encourage, experience, learn
• These words embody what my venture product is all about! 

• How did you use social media to enhance your SEO efforts? 

• I did not use social media.  If anything it might have posted on Google + 

• What was your most "viral" post? 

• The most views I had was for my post for My Unfair Advantage, I received 40 views. 
• This post was organized, easy to understand, and had pictures that added affect. 

• Finally, did you make it to the first page of Google results for your keywords?

• No most of the websites are government websites that deal with healthy eating, nutrition, and food experiences. 

Celebrating Failure

•  List of my Failures  

• Interviewing customers was the worst! I would write my questions down on a note card, practice, and fail miserably.  People do not want to be interviewed!  I have been turned down for interviews so many times, it's a real confidence killer. This was the worst part of the course going out and interviewing people, entrepreneurs, and people in the industry.  It is so difficult! 

• What I learned

• Get it over with, do not wait!  If you stop in the middle of getting interviews the more you dwell on it and your nerves/ anxiety will grow.  I found that it's best, walk around, and look for groups of people.  Usually when they are in groups they're more open and you'll get the number of interviews you need faster.

• How I handle Failure 

• Even with all the failure I have gone through, I'm not the best at recovering from it.  But I will say persistence is key and do not let the negative thoughts take over.  The moment you start thinking "This is pointless", "Is the world against me", "I'm giving up" is the moment of no return.  
• When I read my assignments for the week I get the interviews done on the same day I open the assignment.  This way you don't think about it for days, just get it over with! 
• Just think of it as one minute of your life, it's just one minute!  Plus these people are students who have classes just like you, they understand this!  They know your not just doing this to bother them, it's for a grade.  If they don't want to be interviewed then move on to the next person. 
• This class really hasn't changed my perspective on failure.  I will take risk, but with caution and making sure I'm prepared in advance. 

My Exit Strategy

1.  I think I would sell my idea, I don't have a strong connection to this industry and it's become more of a hassle or a chore.  I don't look forward to working on this product at all.  I would probably sell my product idea to Publix or a grocery store that has fresh ingredients that they prepare for consumers.

2.  I want out!  I have done everything I can and every-time I revisit my product I am exhausted and uninspired.  I think I have more of the "idea maker" or "inventor" mindset.  I like moving on to future  projects.

3.  I haven't really thought about my exit strategy before this. It hasn't really influenced me on my decisions. I guess if anything it has pushed me to come up with a product that doesn't need much improvements.

Venture Concept No. 1

What is one thing that all people on this planet have in common?  Our need to feed ourselves.  Unfortunately in the college setting this is in the form of fast food and vending machines.  Many young adults today do not know how to cook or have very poor culinary skills, and their confidence/self-esteem reflects this.  How can we fix this in a world of frozen food, fast food, and convenience mindset?  Three words – The Food Pack- my product provides the consumer with the ingredients they need along with easy to follow steps (or online tutorial) on how to prepare home cooked meals.  They will learn and develop their culinary skills, build confidence in the kitchen, and be exposed to different cultures through their cuisines. I am certain that this product will be successful, and as a responsible, goal oriented, and organized entrepreneur myself and my team will make cooking an experience to remember!

Through research conducted, when given the choice students would rather buy their meals out (which is very expensive in the end) because they simply do not know how to cook.  Many reported that they do not know what goes well together, how to prepare meals, and some are even intimidated by the idea of just frying an egg!  Many of us often stick to what we know, and after a while making what’s essentially supplying our bodies with nutrients has become boring.  How awful is this?  Especially with being in a country that has a supply of fresh ingredients to choose from.  Do you know how lucky we are?  

We need to change this perceptive of looking at making our meals as a chore and rather see it as a way to improve and nourish our bodies while making an experience out of it!

The consumers I want to reach are mostly students between the ages of 17-25.  During this time young adults are living away from home in a new environment, their responsibilities have increased while their budget has decreased.  It’s fair to see why many resort to fast-food or poor quality processed foods, rather than homemade meals.  During this time frame students are making decisions, learning lessons, and developing skills to use for the rest of their lives.  One of those skills that students develop is cooking, as long as they give themselves the chance or opportunity to learn.  Without the basic knowledge of cooking they will be forever reliant on the restaurant chains around them, frozen and premade food, or the person they might live with. If one does not eat, they will not survive or be healthy, the same applies when a person decides on eating something unhealthy.

Today the grocery industry is far different than what it used to be in the 1940s.  A single grocery store sells all merchandise we need.  The market is ran by consumer demands, people are all about convenience but also want options.  We are slowly transitioning from the packaged food era to fresh food. In fact a major deciding factor in grocery store choice for 75% of consumers is whether or not the store has a produce department.  This department includes meats, seafood, local produce, and bakeries where they can see the processing and handling of products in person.   With a switch in viewpoints on the importance of having fresh ingredients comes along the need and want to learn how to prepare such ingredients.  This is where my product comes into play!

I am offering a product that contains all the fresh ingredients students will need to cook along with directions/video links on how to prepare the meal.  Within The Food Pack will contain the necessary ingredients to prepare a meal.  There is no need to go and buy 20 different items that you may only use a few times.  There are so many venues we can go with this product!  We can teach students how to cook healthy meals while expanding their culinary taste buds.  We can have lines for Indian, French, South American, African, Middle Eastern foods you name it!  Not only can they make themselves dinner or lunch but we could also have Food Packs for deserts, breakfast, and snacks.  Imagine they could make their own granola bars, crackers, and for breakfast they could even learn how to make Beignets from Café Du Monde!  How fun does this sound? Unlike other pre-made boxes that only focus on desserts or breakfast, The Food Pack covers it all. There will be options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and my personal favorite snacks.

Now that students have the ingredients in The Food Pack, the next thing they need is equipment to prepare their meals.  Our next venture is My Kitchen, the kitchen essentials set. Nothing's worse than not having the proper equipment for cooking. That's like showing up to a baseball game with a hockey stick. Sure you can improvise but it's not the same and your performance will reflect this.  I want to sell a box of all the necessary and must have cooking tools.  None of this broken up, buying separate items, let’s get it over with and give you exactly what you will need, the essentials! People will feel even more confident and more likely to want to cook.  Nothing's better than using your new set of knives that actually slice through chicken rather than mutilate them.  It will increase consumer loyalty, and we can have the tools color coordinated to make it easier for people following The Food Pack recipes.  For instance “To slice the chicken use the purple knife.  To chop the carrots use the orange knife. Sauté the green beans in the yellow pan”. 

They will carry the skills and techniques they learned from preparing meals with The Food Pack and My Kitchen. They'll gain confidence in what they are doing and continue to develop their skills.  Who knows they might then pass on what they learned to their children!

Week 11 Reading Reflection

1) The importance of having an innovation strategy was very surprising to me, and the consequences of not having one.

2) I'm just a little bit confused about the organization of the innovation strategy.  Wouldn't it damper creative thought if there are limits set?

3) Do doctors come together and come up with innovation strategies or is that management's responsibility? Do innovative collaborations have to follow set rules or are they free to do what they need to get the creative juices flowing?

4)  I do not believe that routine innovation is necessarily the best.  My reason for this is that the company may or may not have enough time to come up with a better product.  Sometimes time constraints can cause upset with the public as well.  For instance those who bought the iPhone 5 (which wasn't much of an improvement) were upset when just a year later Apple introduced the iPhone 6 (an entirely new design/idea).  Many were not able to get the phone because of the plans they were on.  So introducing new phones every year is not necessarily a good thing.  It would have been better for them to introduce an entirely new product every 2 years, than to release slight improvements on already released models every year.  Routine is fine as long they give themselves the proper amount of time to create the best.

The Amazon Whisperer

• Describe the revenue drivers you currently include in your business concept for this class. Revenue drivers are the different ways you make money. 

• selling my version of ingredients, not having to rely on competitors products 
• Examples
• purchase chicken from suppliers or packers or have my own spices. 

• Describe what kind of product offering you believe should be next. What's the next thing your customers want?

• I am offering a product that contains all the ingredients students will need to cook along with directions/video link on how to prepare the meal. 
• Next: Nothing's worse than not having the proper equipment for cooking. That's like showing up to a baseball game with a hockey stick. Sure you can somewhat improvise but it's not the same and your performance will reflect this.  I want to sell a box of all the necessary and must have cooking tools.  None of this broken up, buying separate items, lets get it over with and give you exactly what you will need, the essentials!  

• Describe how this "next" thing will enhance your existing product/service offering. Does it improve the user experience, does it increase customer switching costs, does it foster customer loyalty, etc.?

• People will feel even more confident and more likely to want to cook.  Nothing's better than using your new set of knives that actually slice through chicken rather than mutilate them! 
• It will increase consumer loyalty, we can have the tools color coordinated to make it easier for people! 
• Ex:  To slice the chicken use the purple knife.  To chop the carrots use the orange knife. Saute the green beans in the yellow pan. 
• It could have a colored handle, it doesn't have to be that color entirely. 

• Go to Amazon and try to find a product that is similar to the one you want to offer next. Describe the product. Include a picture of the product.

• Rachel Ray's 14 Piece Hard Enamel Nonstick Cookware Set 

• Contains: 4 pots, 4 lids, a spatula, 3 prep-tools, 2 saute pans, and 1 baking pan. 
• Description of Material: aluminum and a carbon steal baking sheet, prep-tools are made of silicone and nylon. 
• Oven safe to 350 F

• What are the customer reviews for the product? What, exactly, do customers not like about the product? What do they like about it?

• Reviews: 231/317 gave it 5 stars 
• However, when reading responses people are not happy. Multiple people have reported that the color washes off/ burns. 
• The sizes are too small. 
• Reviews were mixed overall 

• Describe what design/usability changes you'd make to the product. 

• I would give the consumer pans that are larger in size, not too small
• I would not use the paint based coloring (I think that is what her company used).  If there is any colored pots I would make them ceramic or use a non-stick ceramic coating. 
• Also I would change the design of the prep-tools
• Spatula would have a rectangular end and be a bit wider 
• The silicon spatula would have a flexible end allowing it to conform to the shape of the bowl when scooping mix out. 

• Describe why you think this product would make a good addition to your current product/service offering.

• It's another way to get student's ready for life! 
• Students will not have to feel limited to what they buy because they might not have the tools necessary to prep ingredients. 
• They will use these for as long as they want them.  

My Unfair Advantage

• Contains quality ingredients 

• Ingredients within The Food Pack are of good quality 
• Other prepared packets only provide you with the mix, not all or a majority of the ingredients.

• Contains all to most of the ingredients the student will need 

• Will contain everything from meat, baking powder, seasonings, powdered sugar, you name it. 
• Milk and eggs will be a bit tricky though. 

• Provides students a recipe and access to online tutorials 

• Unlike other products, The Food Pack will provide the student with a recipe which can be saved in a recipe book.  If they would rather watch how to prepare the meal , there will be a link they could go to. 

• Can be sold in refrigerated, frozen, or normal shelf areas 

• The Food Pack is not limited to one section of the grocery store, it will be everywhere!

• Choose any culture's food

• Students can choose classic American cuisine, or take their taste buds on a culinary travel to South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, you name it! 

• Can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, or snacks 

• Unlike other pre-made boxes that only focus on deserts or breakfast, The Food Pack covers it all. There will be options for breakfast (such as Beignets from the French Quarter),  lunch (goat cheese salad with crasines), dinner (corned-beef hash with cabbage or chimichangas), desert, and my personal favorite snacks (granola bars,crackers, chips, etc).  

• This is my TOP RESOURCE 

• I'm not limited to one sector of the grocery industry 
• I can be a competitor in every aspect of the industry
• My product is seen throughout the store 
• Variety of food types we can provide (seasonal, holidays, celebrations, year round, or special occasion)

• Student doesn't buy other competitors products 

• I no longer have to deal with competition from others, students will buy my product over others.  I will become a major competitor! 

• Budget friendly 

• With keeping the student's budget in mind we will try our best to make the price as budget friendly as possible!  

• Students will have a lifelong impact 

• They will carry the skills and techniques they learned from preparing meals with The Food Pack and make their own meals for the rest of their lives. They'll gain confidence in what they are doing.  Who knows they might then pass on what they learned to their children!

• People save money by not buying ingredients

• In the end it will be cheaper to buy The Food Pack that contains the ingredients you need rather than buy 20 ingredients that will stay in your pantry for years and expire. 

Growing My Social Capital

(All emails were sent Monday)

1) One person must be a domain expert in your industry. 

• I sent an email to Brian West, a Publix spokesperson who is responsible for answering questions about the business.  Unfortunately the feedback I received was not good, he told me due to policy he is not allowed to give advice on the grocery industry. 
• I found his email on Publix's webpage under contacts
• Email Response: 

Hi Bridget!  I hope you’re doing well.

 

Thanks for thinking of us, and for being a loyal Publix customer.  Unfortunately, we really can’t share anything over and above what you could figure out on your own.  The grocery business is very competitive, and anything we shared with any substance would be proprietary.  I’m sorry.  I really wish we could help.

 

I wish you luck with your project.

 

 

Brian S. West

Publix Super Markets, Inc.

Public Affairs
Media and Community Relations Manager

 2) One person must be an expert on your market.

• I sent out three emails to Publix representives and I did not recieve an email back. 
• Sent to:  
• Maria Brous, Corporate Initiatives and Trade Publications
• Nicole Krauss,  Media & Community Relations Manager
• Dwaine Stevens,  Media & Community Relations Manager of North Florida, southern Alabama, Southeast Georgia, and South Carolina 
• My Letter: 

My name is Bridget Lanier, and I am a Student at the University of Florida.  As a requirement for my Entrepreneurship course I need to reach out to members of the industry that our product idea is based on.  My product, "The Food Pack", contains all the ingredients needed to make a home cooked meal (such as Enchiladas, Shepard’s Pie, flat bread pizzas, granola bars, etc.)  My target consumers are students who have strict budgets and want to learn how to cook.  I want to encourage students who are not confident in their cooking skills to learn how to make new dishes, introduce them to new cultures, make it an experience to remember, and use these cooking skills for life!

 All my life Publix has been my grocery store of choice, I am a loyal customer!  Your business not only provides consumers with what seems to be an unlimited variety of food options but also a welcoming environment.  I understand that it is competitive market when it comes to suppliers getting shelf space, I wanted to know some of the factors that go into your decision on displaying and selling one company’s product over the other? 

I really appreciate your time reading this email! 

Thank you,
Bridget Lanier
blanier@ufl.edu

 3) One person must be an important supplier to your industry.   

• I emailed  Miller: A Branding Industry about the design and marketing of packing and its involvement in the grocery industry.  I received a very encouraging and informative email in the process and importance of a label in the market place.  
• I found them online when researching labels and packing design.  They have been featured on Oprah and are a very interactive business.  
• Email Response: 

Hi Bridget, 

Thanks for reaching out!

As you know, package design requires intensive thought and research—a designer can’t just rely on nice aesthetics. 

Although I can’t give you a list of rules about how to make a package attractive since it varies depending on the product (ie. what would be considered an attracting agent on a toy’s packaging will not work on a wine label), I have summarized the conceptual work we do before beginning a project to give you a feel of the thought processes that go into designing a powerful package. 

We always start our new design projects with a process we call category immersion. 

We gather info from the client on a variety of topics such as what kind of a brand they intend to build up, who their target market is, what makes their product unique, what their design preferences are, how they want consumers to view their brand, and so forth. 

They send in designs that they like and we look for images to use as inspiration based on their responses to the questionnaire we sent them. For instance, if they say their product’s main asset is its authenticity to a certain culture, we will research that culture and its history (as you assumed) and we’ll gather photos of anything that could serve as inspiration for the packaging design. 

(By the way, anything can be used as inspiration—fashion, nature, and as you suggested, history. We do not limit our inspiration to other package designs or we will be limited to package styles that already exist.)

Based on the client-supplied designs and our research, we put together a styleboard showing the look and feel we want the brand to have. This styleboard is a great asset and is frequently referenced during the design phase.

We also research the competitive space—this info is generally available online, but if we can find the competitor’s products in stores, we visit it to see the packaging in an in store setting. 

When researching competitors, we can see if there are certain expectations within the market our client is looking to enter, because often the consumers have certain expectations that must be met. For instance, blue cheese

packaging is always blue. Since consumers have come to expect this, we can’t leave out blue completely when designing new blue cheese packaging or the client might not recognize what the product is. 

We can also find the hole in the market, the design area that hasn’t yet been touched in this product group and we can zero in on that to create a design that stands out from the rest. 

By analyzing existing packaging, you can create packaging in which the product is recognizable for what it is and yet remains unique within the market.

Of course, this is only a glimpse of what goes into designing a package, but it is food for thought. I hope you find this information helpful and good luck with your project!

Nikki 

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Nikki Berger | Junior Project Manager

miller.
704 Candlewood Commons

Howell, NJ 07731 USA
t. 732 201-6030 ext. 703
f. 732 343-7056

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wearemiller.com

facebook.com/wearemiller

Reflection

By far the people at Miller are extremely kind and very informative.  I really appreciated their input and it's inspired me to design my project in a new light!  Nikki's response gave me a better understanding of the grocery industry and factors that play a major role in the selling of merchandise.  I believe that by contacting smaller well established businesses or a company that has created a product that is being sold in the market place is best! I think that Publix might have thought I was trying to find out their "secrets". 

 

Elevator Pitch No. 3

• Pitch

(sorry it's a little corny... ok maybe a lot)

• Reflection

• Many people on the last elevator pitch seemed to like my video, so this time around I wanted to follow the same format.  I presented my product idea in the manner of making the viewer imagine what it would be like to use The Food Pack and how it would benefit them.  One person mentioned that Publix has a recipe they hand out that are to easy to make, perhaps in a later video I can tie in the recipe cards to my product.  I can have a potential partnership with Publix recipe cards. 

• What did I change?

• Since the feedback was positive last time around I decided to up my video by presenting the audience with a "sample" meal they could make with The Food Pack. I felt this would help my product standout.

Week 9 Readding Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

• What stood out to me the most was the Marketing Research Question.  This will come in handy in a future assignment when I have to contact people who work in the same field as my product idea. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

• The models for Pricing in Social Media are a bit confusing.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

• For starting or young businesses is it recommended to hire a person to predict sale forecasts?
• Has the marketing industry been suffering since social media has given entrepreneurs the ability to make and market their products for free?

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

• The only part I disagreed with was when the author mentioned that new businesses have constrained resources.  Now a days you can run a business at home and use social media websites such as Epsy and Instagram to share their products.  Entrepreneurs no longer need to have a store!

What's Your Secret Sauce?

1) Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique.

• I'm pretty good at sports and I can catch on after a day or two.  All my life exercise and sports have played a major role in my day to day activities.  I was one of the top three runners in cross-country, a starter sweeper in varsity soccer, and a top runner in track.  
• I am introverted and I don't like being the center of attention. My actions speak louder than my words for sure!
• When there's an animal in need I am there to help.  I have raised many orphaned birds that fell out of their nests.  Many of them lived to adulthood and were set free! 
• I like order and structure.  This plays a major role in my day to day life. It helps me stay organized and have my priorities set.
• Nature is a passion of mine and I love documenting it.  I share my images of wildlife and share it with the rest of the world. 

2) Interview the five people who know you the best. 

• The truth of the matter is I struggle with opening up to people.  I am shy and it takes me a long time till I'm comfortable sharing my life-story or who I truly am. I wish I wasn't this way, but sometimes your mind can be your worst enemy and won't let you be yourself around everyone. I'd say that the people who know me best is my family. Since I am up in Gainesville I had them record a message.

My cousin Caity up in North Carolina

Takeaway:  Caity describes me as a person who enjoys making people happy and adventurous.  I enjoy anything and everything outdoors and it's important that people are happy and don't have ill feeling toward me.  I'm also open in sharing my cartoons and photography!  

Caity's fiancé Steven up in North Carolina

Takeaway:  Steven describes me as a person who shares my opinions in a joking or comedic way, much like his video.  I'm also someone who shares my opinions with others even if they are as minuscule as my taste aversion to cilantro.

My mother Margaret down in Bradenton, FL

Takeaway:  Creativity and nature play a central role in who I am and how I interact with people.  Just as Caity said in the first video, I did not realize how much my family has noticed things about me that I didn't even realize.  I share many interesting, random facts and I enjoy sharing new things I have learned with others.

My father Sid down in Bradenton, FL

Takeaway: Once again creativity plays a major role in how people view me. 

My brother's video is not loading properly 

Takeaway: As I said before, people view me by my actions.  My brother mentioned that I am good at drawing and sports. 

3) Reflect on the differences. 

After hearing the videos from my family members I didn't realize just how much my creative outlets and my storytelling played a role in how people view me.  In all of the videos they mentioned my drawing and that I am creative.  They never really went any deeper than what I present them physically (if that makes since) through my drawings and sports.  That's on me though, I need to work on opening up more even to family and sharing with them who I am on a deeper level. 

All of the points they made are correct, even my taste aversion to cilantro (which in my mind taste like how feet smell mixed with expired sour milk).  There is nothing else I would add to my human capital list.