Week 9 EOC: The Narrative

Crystalline vodka is, even in its name, a drink that is made clean, clear, and crisp. It is distilled of impurities giving our drink its clean nature. It is the idea of vodka enjoyed in its truest form. The idea is our drink is based on the traditions that have been around making vodka, what we add to this is that we use quality sources and then purify them sot that our drink has its distinctive crisp and clean taste that. Our idea for a clean drink even carries over to our bottle design which is a clear glass bottle so you can tell that it is as crisp and clean as we say it is. This drink can be enjoyed without any additions, or it could be used to enhance any drink that might need some enhancement. We thought that it would be great if you wanted a drink to enjoy or enhance another drink without conflicting with other foods or drinks that you may want to enjoy. It is the kind of drink that you choose how to enjoy it. Its clean nature is a way to experience vodka in its truest state, or for you to make out of it whatever you want. Our drink can be enjoyed at home if you don’t want a drink that is too strong but still want to add a bit of an edge to what you are drinking. It can be enjoyed in a club environment as well on its own or to enhance other drinks if it is mixed with other beverages such as soda, juice, or whatever one can think of. It has been tried and tested in the various nightclubs in Las Vegas and the people seem to enjoy it. We thrive on providing a product of high quality that you will enjoy in any way that you want.

Week 8 EOC: Creative Content

I will be making a radio commercial for my final project. I have made this decision since I am an audio major and I feel this would be the best way for me to get my information out there. It will be a fairly straight forward commercial with some music fitting each instance it is mentioned, even changing with the dialogue, various sound effects, and the dialogue. The delivery of this should be at a fairly relaxed but concise rate as the drink is relaxing but the radio spots are typically limited to 15 or 30 seconds. I imagine the music being played in the background to be fairly light or in some cases atmospheric, if I mention a club scene some thumping bass to rise up in the background as well. The drink itself is relaxing however it is not limited to relaxing, that is why for the music selection it shall be relaxed, but when a club or something like that is mentioned there will be other music playing as well. Sounds of smooth liquid being poured. The advertisement would then end with a quick line of dialogue saying please drink responsibly.

This will be posted on in a video with a picture of the drink that I will be advertising. I have some Photoshop abilities so I plan on getting a picture of a bottle and manipulating it in such a way that it would appear to be the actual bottle that I am talking about. I’ll try to make the image as clean as possible as I feel the drink itself would be very clean as well. It being a radio commercial it would only require one person to work on it. I will be doing all the recording and image manipulation for this project. That is what I plan on for my creative content.

Implementation Evaluation Control

No matter how much planning and preparation that you do, it means very little if it is executed improperly. “Planning good strategies is only a start toward successful marketing. A brilliant marketing strategy counts for little if the company fails to implement it properly.” (Pg. 57, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). Planning is very important as it gives you a form of direction and idea of where you will take your product or company, you don’t want to dive headfirst into something and have it completely backfire because there wasn’t any research or planning done; on the other hand you could have a great understanding of what you want done but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t follow the plan and adapt to any changes that are thrown at you. A way for the Crystalline Vodka to monitor if its plans and research on where to place and market itself are working go back to social media; this is to check people’s opinions on the product and to see if it is seeing approval inside its desired demographic and adjust any strategies accordingly. 
“Because many surprises occur during the implementation of marketing plans, marketers must practice constant marketing control—evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and taking corrective action to ensure that objectives are attained.” (Pg. 58, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). While it is important to follow the plans and strategies that are set forth and adhere to them as close as possible, one cannot be limited to function only off the plan, it is important to test the waters every now and then for any changing trends and adjust to best fit the customer’s needs. The objectives of Crystalline Vodka, in this case providing a clean true drink, are to be adhered to, but allow it to be flexible in where it is consumed. After all research is done and it is being promoted through the clubs and other various media when it is implemented it should be monitored in various aspects such as sales and public opinion to see how well it is performing.

Price

“Price and service are the major marketing factors; branding and advertising tend to be less important.” (Pg. 212, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). If the price is too high for a product you could lose a customer base being price out. On the other hand if your prices are too low you put a stigma of low quality around your product, but gain the buyers who would buy this at its lower price. An idea for a price of this drink would be at $30 for a 1.75L bottle. This would put it as a fairly quality vodka on par with other brands, but with just enough headroom in the price compared to those brands to entice possible buyers who want a quality drink for a fairly reasonable price. “A small percentage improvement in price can generate a large percentage in profitability.” (Pg. 275, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). By offering the drink at a slightly reduced price to the competition, there is the possibility that, while still having an aura of quality, it would be perceived as slightly more affordable than other brands. Having the price at this amount puts it in a realm of quality, but it is still a fairly reasonable price not excluding too many people who might be interested in purchasing it.

Distribution

“Beyond creating brand conversations, on their own or by invitation, customers are having an increasing say about everything from product design, usage, and packaging to pricing and distribution.” (Pg. 19, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). Being that one of the main points of this drink is to be distributed inside of Las Vegas clubs there is a mild bit of exposure going on as it is. The design of the product also says something about it as well; for instance this product has a minimalistic clear design where you can see through the bottle seeing how clean the drink is. This could be discussed with customers online and if there are any issues with anything, the quick feedback of the internet can allow us to take necessary actions to correct any problems. 
“Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. These include wholesalers and retailers who buy and resell merchandise.” (Pg. 68, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). For this drink resellers are a main point that needs to be addressed. One of the main points of this drink is to be sold in environments such as clubs and stores for people to buy. “Marketing channel firms—suppliers and marketing intermediaries, including resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies, and financial intermediaries—cooperate to create customer value.” (Pg. 94, Marketing: an Introduction, Armstrong & Kolter). Since it would be in a club environment the bartenders and the club could make the decision to promote the drink and endorse it in such a way for people to want to go and get that when they go off to get a drink they offer this drink up. For the stores, when people go off to buy it for themselves the stores could position this in such a way that it grabs the attention of potential buyers.