Week 4 - BOC - iPhone App

Do you ever have those nights where you’re feeling lonely, but you just want to stay home and cuddle up close with a companion? Maybe you just want a little bit of lovin’ but, you’re a loner and you have no friends. Well all you lonely loners don’t have to worry about being alone ever again, because now with the new app “Nooky,” you have may chose just about any companion of your choice, on-demand. All you have to do is purchase our app for $0.99. Create an account and log in. Once logged in you will be directed to your home page where you will be featured a plethora of sexy escorts for you to choose from for FREE. But it doesn’t stop there, you will have instant messaging, online & offline notifications and a GPS tracking system so you can see where your escort of choice is located for your convenience.  Oh, and did I mention they’re FREE?! Stop by the app store now to purchase! They're waiting...

Week 4 - EOC - Consumer & Business Buyer Behavior

            When it comes to understanding the consumer buying market, you first need to understand why consumers make the purchases they make, what factors influence the customers purchase and the changing factors in society. The consumer buyers behavior is influenced by four major factors; Cultural, social, personal, and psychological. These four factors cause the consumer to develop a brand preference. Though, understanding the impact marketers create is crucial, it still can’t directly control the factors.

            When buying new products, the consumer subconsciously enters into a decision making process, which consists of fives stages. Stage 1 is problem recognition. Stage 2 is information search. Stage 3 is the evaluation of alternatives. Stage 4 is the purchase decision and finally, number 5 is post purchase behavior.

·                   Now, when it comes to business buying, the decision process is a bit different, but is still a five step process. At each stage the decision process is susceptible to change depending on the cost and as well the strategic importance of the purchase. The process begins by identifying the problem. It may be to restock inventory or to replace a malfunctioning machine. The second step is to develop product specifications to solve the problem. Buying center participants assess problem and need to determine what is necessary to resolve it. Step 3 is to search and evaluate possible products and suppliers. Step 4, select the suppliers, and step 5 is to evaluate the product and supplier performance

Week 3 - EOC - My Demographic

In the past few years EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has been an increasing fad. Growing more and more every year and nobody knows what has initiated this growth spurt, but we do know a few big names who were around to reap the benefits from it. Such as, the infamous Deadmau5. Known for not holding back on any offensive, insulting, crude comments and rants. Definitely had quite a bit to say about this growing trend and admits EDM is “Dying.”

          “As they say, the rat is the first one to jump off the boat when it starts going down, and that’s kind of what’s happening. It’s already been going down the last couple of years, for me. Maybe not in the industry. Maybe there’ll be a whole new herd of sheep following that shit, and fucking good luck. Disco had a longer run than EDM has, to be honest about it, and that died in a fucking hurry. EDM is way more susceptible because that was in a time when they didn’t have mass social media and all that shit. It’s not gonna be me saying, “OK, EDM’s done,” and the whole thing falls apart, but I think it’ll eventually fuck itself so hard.” – Joel ‘Deadmau5’ Zimmerman

          Though, it is saddening for me, since I am a true EDM connoisseur. I have to face the fact that Joel is right. Everything comes in waves, and it all recycles itself. EDM will die out very soon from all the DJ’s and Producers using the same washed out sounds and rhythms. People are going to start fading away from it. 

Week 2 - EOC - Boston Consulting Group - Videogames

            Times are beginning to become tougher for videogame developers. They strived to stay protected, but even the greatest have their weak moments. Oddly enough, the videogame industry was actually thriving months back. Racking up serious growth, releasing new games nearly every other month. Even while other businesses were already suffering through their downfall.

            An article from The Wall Street Journal states, “last month, videogame sales plunged by a record 29% year over year, according to market-research firm NPD Group. Meanwhile, sales of consoles such as Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii plummeted 38%. The steep drops came on top of a gradual sales decline that began in March” Kane, Yukari I. "Videogame Makers Can't Escape." The Wall Street Journal [New York City] 28 July 2009.

            Analysts expect the videogame makers fortune to turn around in on-coming months, but not the near future. Gross incomes are also expected to see a decrease nationwide. Which also means a decrease in sales, mostly impacting Nintendo’s Wii. With some luck for the gamers out there, they may be fortunate enough to see a decrease in sales prices for console. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PS3 has been predicted to cut nearly $100 of its retail price.  Not only because of the recession, but also because the planning of the release of Sony’s brand new PS4.

            Though no representatives from Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft has confirmed these predictions and assumptions. Analysts say it is more than likely to occur.

Week 1 - EOC - My Voice

To some, music is just something you listen to and sing along with. But to me, Music is more. Music is my heartbeat. It’s my drive and motivation to get me up, and going every day. I honestly can say I wouldn’t be where I am today, if it weren’t for my love and passion for music. Music is constantly evolving and ever changing and it is so intriguing to me that you can take any sound in you can imagine and turn it into something absolutely breathe taking. Music can hype you up or it can mellow you out. If you are stressed and catch yourself stuck in your head, making yourself go insane. Don’t worry, you can turn to music to be your escape. I have always seemed to find myself in a state of trance when listening to music, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s as if it’s a form of therapy. I enter into a session with loads of stress and anguish and leave feeling enlightened. As an audiosexual, engineer, producer, fanatic, freak, obsessed, what have you. I take it as my job to try and spread the love and joy I obtain from music and when I write/produce my own original work. I do my best to pass on all the positive energy and emotion music has given me to others. So others can feel a part of me. So they can feel my heartbeat and so we can be on the same frequency.

Week 1 - EOC - Customer Service

An important part of a business is the demographic it appeals to. Unfortunately, at 3 Kings Hookah Lounge I rank this a 3 out of 10 for me because you'll find rowdy, poorly dressed teenagers with obnoxious mouths and bad tempers under the assumption that they're the "Sh**" and should not be messed with. The establishment does nothing about the cacophony and behavior of these "teenagers". In fact, they join in at times as well. On a more personal note, I'm bothered at the fact that the employees of 3 Kings Hookah do NOT wear uniforms to distinct themselves from the general public.
            The atmosphere is mediocre AT BEST. It ranks a 5 out of 10. The couches are uncomfortable and you can't help but think about the cleanliness of the furniture. The HVAC set up yields a poorly maintained temperature setting which varies throughout the area of the establishment. The music was orchestrated by a DJ who thought that late 2000 hip hop and R&B mixes were appropriate. The strobes, lasers, and disco balls depicted radical lighting patterns that reflected a generic scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. If you are epilectic, do NOT enter because it will induce a seizure.
            The hookah apparatus that I had was FILTHY. I don't know if it was dust or grease, but the white napkin i wiped it with proved to me it was not something I want to smoke from. In terms of the hookah, you should just smoke the hookah you have at your house or your friend's house. It was NOT terrible it was just not worth paying for. I'm not picky about my hookah but I know how it should be done. I can attest that the hookahs they have are of HIGH QUALITY. They also have pretty cool hookah tips (they gave me long one that I kept and use periodically). The fashion of which they set their hookahs up is poor. I question their methods and their cleanliness. 5.5 out of 10 in my book.