Just some girl and her blog.

Blog #6: Project Reflections

Social Media for Food Trucks

Food trucks are the newest and hottest craze in the food industry all over the nation.  Specifically, Austin is widely known for its food trucks.  Storefront restaurants are always in the same place, but food trucks are always on the move.  Some say, storefront restaurants have customers, but food trucks have “followers.”  This is supported by the amount of social media that food trucks engage in to communicate with its followers.   For this topic, I will use a local Austin food truck called Chi’Lantro, which is a fusion between Korean and Mexican cuisine.  They currently have a company website with information on the company, menu, schedule, press, and more but they use social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to attract followers. 

Numerous companies create Facebook pages so that customers can visit and “Like” their page.   Also, the Facebook page serves as a place or forum where customers can post pictures, comments, and discuss new ideas that they’d like to see.  There is an option to pay a small fee and advertise on Facebook, but Facebook is free to the open public, including companies.  Therefore, it costs little to nothing for companies like Chi’Lantro to create a Facebook page.  Furthermore, Facebook allows customers to share their experiences with other “Likers” and suggest new locations that the food truck should stop by. 

Mobile apps have become increasingly popular as well.  Location-based apps such as FourSquare and Facebook Check-Ins have also worked in favor of Food Truck popularity.  Businesses are able to sign up for these apps at a very low/affordable expense.  When consumers check-in, their location is visible for others to see.  This is considered to be a form of advertising or promoting because it exposes the restaurant to a new group of potential customer, thereby using “word-of-mouth” to spread the news.  For example, I have never heard of the food truck Chi’Lantro until I saw that one of my Facebook friends checked-in and wrote a comment about the food.  When I found out that it was a fusion cuisine food truck, I visited the company website to view the menu, and then became a follower because I liked what I saw. 
                

Food trucks use Twitter to pend upcoming changes in their menus or upcoming locations that they may be near to stimulate customers to come by.  They also use this social media tool as a way for followers to participate in any event that they may have coming up or to generate discussions on the overall experience of the business.  Furthermore, Twitter can be used as a means of advertising to get word across from consumer to consumer.  Chi’Lantro may tweet something interesting or new and if a follower likes it, all they have to do is retweet it and that information is instantly communicated to the customer’s followers. 

Blog #4: Business Model Canvas

I have chosen to develop a business model canvas for Austin360.com. I discovered this website last year through a network of friends, and I immediately became a fan. In this blog, I will introduce the customer segment that I will focus on and discuss the value proposition, customer relationship, channel, and revenues that represent the right side of the business model canvas for Austin360.com.

Customer Segment
The customer segment that I wish to focus on for the purpose of this business model canvas is college students between the ages of 18 and 24 years old with an income range below $35,000. I chose to focus on college students because there is a huge turnover rate of consumers within this target segment every year (incoming freshman at UT). Freshman students move to Austin from all over the nation (and even the world — foreign exchange and international students) to go to UT, but are not familiar with what goes on in Austin or where the best places to hit up are. We are constantly looking for new recommendations and events to attend whether it’s from the television, the radio, and especially online.

Value Proposition

Austin360.com allows customers residing in the Austin area to search and discover different entertainment activities and events that are coming up.  

Customer Relationship

I believe that there is a very good customer relationship between Austin360.com and its customers based on the amount of word-of-mouth advertising I’ve heard about the website.

Channel

Austin360.com is an online website, so it uses the internet as a channel to reach its consumers.

Revenues

It does not cost anything for customers to visit the website. Austin360.com receives the majority of its revenues from promoting and advertising other companies on their website.

Blog #3: Paper Topic

I am torn between two possible topics for my current topic report.  I hope that after reading my blog post, you are able to help guide me in the right direction. 

The first possible topic is about Apple.  

As you know, Apple has completely revolutionized the world of technology.  The innovative products that they introduce is so different in appearance and functionality that one would think it took decades to think of, but in reality, they come out with a newer and better version every six months.  For example, the first Apple iPod was introduced in 2001.  Since then, there have been several versions and upgrades for the Apple iPod such as iPod video, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle.  After watching all of Steve Jobs’ product introduction speeches, I am fascinated by the thought process that Jobs and his team at Apple go through in order to come up with these brilliant ideas.  Apple has successfully created two different kinds of customer experiences; one experience for when consumers use their products and another experience for when consumers enter their storefronts.

 When you walk into an Apple Store, you encounter the same sort of experience you would get as when you use any Apple product: simple, efficient, and enjoyable.  Apple Stores are never short-staffed.  They always ensure that there are enough employees on the floor to assist customers.  Additionally, all employees are well trained and well educated on all the products, its features, and its functions.  All their products are put on display and readily accessible to consumers to test out.  The layout of the store is simple, you enter the store, walk up to the product you wish to test, if you like it, then you walk further back to add on any necessary accessories, and, finally, you check out at the register located in the very back.

Questions in mind: 

• Has Apple done anything in the past decade or so to change the customer experience associated with the brand? 
• In order to cater to customer needs, where does Apple gain customer insights? 
• What is the difference in one person’s experience using an Apple product versus another person using a non-Apple product, or a product that is designed to be similar to Apple products? 

I found an article from the Harvard Business Review that discusses the importance of customer experience.  In one example, the article used Apple’s ability to create customer experience for a consumer even before a consumer uses the device.  I find this fascinating because it ties into the efforts Apple puts into its promotions, advertisements, and storefront in order to achieve such effects. 

 If chosen, this paper would cover how Apple used market research and customer insights to create the existing customer experience.

 The second possible topic is about marketing research in general.  I want to discuss the reasons why I am so interested in marketing research first.  Then get into how it is useful for companies.  Finally, I want to narrow down my topic by choosing a particular company in which I find marketing research would be especially useful in expanding (or contracting) a target market for a particular company.

 I realized my passion for market research after taking the information analysis course (MKT 460) last year with Professor Ter Hofstede.  The reason why is because it involves statistics, analyzing existing data, as well as performing experiments, focus groups, or field studies to identify patterns and trends in market segments and use that information to increase a company’s profitability. 

Blog #2: My Customer Experience at the Local Pet Store, Pets Place

When I was younger, my mom would take me with her to run errands around town.  Fortunately, as big as Houston is, our home was not too far from the places we needed to be.  We lived just a few minutes away from a huge shopping center that consisted of Gerland’s (Food Town now), Eckerd’s (CVS now), a dentist office, and several other businesses.  

One day after running into Eckerd’s to grab a few things, my mom decided to walk me over to the store next door as a treat for being patient all day.  The windows of the business had hand paintings of different animals like a cute dog, cat, fish, and birds.  Once I entered the store, I realized my mom was taking me into a pet shop.  

Just to the left of the entrance, there was a huge display with a different dog in each window.  I remember getting super excited because I thought that I was going to go home with a pet dog that day.  Instead, I found out that we were just taking a break from running errands.  

Apparently, my mom was good friends with the owner.  She gave me permission to walk around the store and check it out while she chatted it up with the owner at the back of the store where all the fish were held.  

I started my way at the front, admiring all the small puppies in the display windows.  There were all kinds of breeds jumping, barking, and playing around in their cages: toy poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Maltese puppies, and other pure bred dogs.  The next section was dedicated to hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, and reptiles.  I have always had a big fear of rodents, so I quickly glanced over this section and moved on to the next section, the fish.  As I mentioned before, all the fish were held in tanks in the very back of the store; this was the biggest section in the small, family owned business.  So, I stopped at each section of the store and observed all the different animals, but the one animal that I was most interested in was the talking parrot that was kept in a large cage in the very back corner.

This was my first encounter with a parrot, let alone a talking parrot.  This parrot was beyond the size of any parrot that I had ever seen or learned about.  Based on my memory, the parrot was about two feet tall and very colorful, with mostly tints of red all-over.  It knew quite a few phrases such as “Hello,” “Thank you,” and “You’re pretty.”  I was so fascinated by the parrot that I knew I had to come visit it again.  

When I grew a bit older, I would walk to the pet store by myself at least once a week to visit the parrot.  I remember swinging the entrance door wide open and walking in with a big smile ready to see my little friend.  The owner was always pleased to see me come by.  I would spend hours at the pet store helping out with various little tasks.  I spent time with the puppies, helped clean up their cages, fed them, and played with them.  When I was not busy taking care of the pets, I sat in the front with the employees and helped greet guests. 

The reason why I chose the pet store as one of my most significant customer experiences (even though I was never really a customer) was because of the memories and feelings that I got from being in the store.  The family that owned the business was always nice and welcoming to their customers.  The store contained anything you would need for any pet you may have.  They were very knowledgeable and passionate about their business and were always willing to answer questions and tend to customers and whatever problems their pet may have had.  I think the times I spent at the pet store heavily influenced the way I feel about pets today.  I care about all pets and animals just as much as the owner cared for his pets and business.  

Blog #1: Persona for Valerie

 Say Hello to Valerie

Valerie is a 21-year-old graduating senior at The University of Texas at Austin.  Valerie has seen it all; she has lived in a suburban neighborhood where all the houses were almost identical as well as lived in a lesser developed neighborhood where stray cats and dogs roaming the streets were seen as normal.  She graduated in the top one percentile at a minority high school with various achievements, awards, and was the recipient of several college scholarships.  Similar to high school, Valerie engaged herself in several on-campus activities such as intramural sports, professional organizations, and even joined a sorority.  Even with all the extracurricular activities, Valerie somehow still managed to find time to study and make it onto the Dean’s List for three consecutive semesters. 

My Thoughts and Feelings

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that my main priority is school.  My parents do not want me to worry about anything besides my schoolwork.  Ever since I was able to comprehend English, my parents have always said the same phrase to me time after time, “Education is the key to success.”  Since then, I knew exactly what I had to do to make my parents both happy and proud.  Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m the youngest daughter of five girls in the family?  From oldest to youngest, here are the standards that have been set before me: art dealer/buyer, lawyer, oral surgeon, and then there’s me.  Ha, no pressure right?

When I’m not working on my assignments for the business organization or the sorority that I’m involved in, most of my time is preoccupied with attending business networking dinners and job hunting.  My biggest worry is that I’ve put all this effort and hard work into building my resume and somehow end up not finding a full-time career upon graduation.  The way I see it is, anyone can get a job, but obtaining a career is a whole other story. 

What I See  

There are more than 1,100 registered student organizations at UT, which are generally distinguished racially.  For instance, there is an Asian Business Student Association, an Association for Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, and a Hispanic Business Student Association.  The same goes for the Greek community.  I see many people bringing up the idea of mixing the different Greek organizations, “Greek Unity” as they would call it, but no one has ever acted on this idea.

I’ve made several friends at UT but I’ve also made numerous acquaintances.  It wasn’t until college that I began to understand the power of networking.  However, most of the friends that I’ve made would willingly do something for me only if it’s beneficial to them or if they are able to gain something in return.  On a lighter note, there are those who just genuinely want to do something kind for you such as help get your foot in the door when it comes to getting an interview.  That said, sometimes, it really is more about whom you know rather than what you know. 

What I Say and Do

If my friends were to describe me, they would say that I have a very optimistic, go-getter attitude.  If something needs to be done, I am usually the person to get the ball rolling.  In middle school, I was seen as the decision maker and caretaker among my group of friends.  I am always offering to help others and sometimes even go out of my way to do so.  Sometimes I think that I may be too nice and that others taken my overly kindness for granted.  Even when my plate is already full with my two leadership positions and full class schedule, I still try to squeeze in a favor or two for a friend just because knowing that I’m in way over my head. 

What I Hear

I would call my parents to tell them good news about me like acing an exam or landing and job interview, and instead of receiving praises or recognition for my accomplishments, my parents reply with bigger and better news about my sisters and their accomplishments.  ”Oh, guess who won a big civil case the other day.  That makes it your sister’s fourth win this month! Isn’t that great?”  All I hear are comparisons to my sisters and seldom hear any commendations, just more pressure.   

My Pain Points

At this point, my biggest fears are not finding a career straight out of college or finding a career that is good enough for my parents.  My main frustration deals with time management because I’m so involved in extracurricular activities that I hardly have time for myself.  

What I Hope to Gain

As cliche as it may sound, I want the American Dream.  I want to be able to find a successful career to make my parents happy, to be able to have a stable home, to be able to pay my own bills, and to find a man to raise a family.  

Conclusion

So, Valerie is the overachieving student that was made this way because her parents have always compared her to her sisters.  Although she has already accomplished so much in both high school and college, she feels like it’s still not enough to make her parents proud.  She struggles to find the perfect balance between being a super involved student and being able to have time to herself to relax and rest.  She finds herself to be surrounded by mostly talkers than do-ers and believes that it’s up to her to initiate things in order to create the changes that she [and several others] want to see.  

Valerie is just one example among countless other students who are experiencing the same pressures of finding a successful career upon graduation and yearning for the chance to make a difference. 

I tend to complicate things…

Why is it that I am in a relationship with this amazing guy, yet I feel inadequate and, at times, unhappy?  

I feel inadequate when compared to him… I feel like I have never had this great of a “catch.”  Now that I have someone that meets my “standards,” I’m so worried about losing him that I can feel myself holding back on things… and because of that, I may end up losing him.  

Not even sure if this makes sense.  I’m just putting more thought into than I should be.  

//venting - done. 

Leo Woman and Virgo Man (Whyyy…)

Relationship of Leo woman and Virgo man is one where the chances of success would be remote. Despite a great initial start, the relationship is bound to run into troubled water as the time passes. While Leo woman will shower Virgo man with love and affection she will seldom reciprocate. This will hurt Leo woman no end and the relationship may take a bitter turn from that point.

Virgo man is not particularly apt at expressing his feelings and this could make the Leo woman sulk feeling unloved as well as uncared for. Since she will not be submissive, it will hurt Virgo man substantially. Moreover, her nature of looking for adventures and excitements will also not go well with the slow and sober Virgo man.

Another point of difference between the two is finance as the rather extravagant nature of Leo woman will be completely opposite to the cautious approach of the Virgo man.

Leo woman is highly fond of admiration and anyone adoring or worshipping her will never be turned away. Any praise increases her already inflated ego and brightens her day but a little criticism could make her furious. If Virgo man wants to change her, he has to move slow and steady. Clean and tidy, the life of Virgo man is always in order and living in chaos can make him ill. Being highly practical he will not waste time on frivolous matters. Calm and serene is what describes his favored lifestyle.

Sexual relationship between Leo woman and Virgo man will not continue without mental and emotional rapport and communication. He is too passive and that will make Leo woman feel insecure and her anger as well as cold response will discourage the man even more. Major problems will crop up and that is why both of them have to adapt the middle path instead of sticking to their respective extremes.

If Leo woman can control a bit of her passionate dealings and Virgo man lives a little bit of his restrictions, normal relationship may be possible between these two.

http://leoandvirgo.com/

loveislikewildfire asked: What the heck is the Mighty Cone and why haven't you taken me there? Tsk, tsk!

It’s a cute little trailer food place on South Congress.  You should definitely check it out.  Tomorrow is First Thursday — hit up South Congress with a friend.  Unfortunately, I’ll be in Houston.