Cash Diet Challenge Update

It has been a little over 2 months now and I have purchased a majority of my consumer goods using only cash. As mentioned previously, the objective is to think of cash as a physical and tangible tool and if you can see it go, supposedly you will spend less as compared to other common transactions involving credit or debit cards. When I initially tried this, I decided to try working with a living budget of $75 per week. I excluded my rent, phone and a couple of other expenses that I pay directly online. Every week I would just use cash and it seemed to work out well. I found that I was put in a more conscious mood when making purchases. All of a sudden my daily coffee purchases turned into occasional weekly purchases and I would start using coupons and look at weekly flyers for discounts on product I normally use.

           

            I decided to continue this trend, as I believe it is important too have self control with your personal finances. Smart consumer habits will allow me to save money, invest wisely and assist me in reaching my future financial goals. I will have a better chance at buying a big item such as a car or qualifying for a mortgage or retire early if proper saving habits start young. As a result of this experiment, I was able to save $166.90 in just 2 months. That might not seem like a lot but that is over $1,001 per year in additional savings.  I was busy this morning rolling this money as most of it was loose change.

I hope that I will be able to save even more in the future with some reliance on a cash diet method. I think that my proportion of savings will continue to grow incrementally as my income goes up and my ability to live within means stays consistent I think it is true that using plastic to cover purchases is convenient and secure but we really don’t think about how quickly or money goes.

Air New Zealand: Communicating to keep the Sky Safe and Spicing Up Safety Demos

I fly quite often and it is the law for airlines to present a safety presentation prior to take off. Sometimes it is a pre recorded or rehearsed demonstration done by the cabin crew and it may be a video that is presented on your inflight entertainment screen. I typically find these presentations to be quite bland and boring. When I look around the cabin, I don’t even see the attention of other passengers and they typically look out the window or read the inflight magazine during the pre departure safety presentation.

For the safety of passengers on board, it really is at the best interest for everyone to follow and comply with safety procedures but your limited when you cannot force everyone to listen to the demonstration. As a result, the sender is not effectively delivered the message to the receiver. In this case, the sender is the airline or government body regulating the procedures and the receiver is the passenger. Recently, Air New Zealand completely changed their approach to inflight safety. Air New Zealand is a small airline in the South Pacific. Regardless of their size, they started a new advertising campaign called the “Bare Essentials”. It was given the name to promote bare bottom fares with no extra addition on prices. The commercial used humour appeal as every employee was completely naked but their company uniform was painted on them. In addition to the ad, the body painted cabin crew participated in a new company safety video. The video was very popular and is a great example of changing your message to attract viewers even during typically bland and regular events.

Photo Taken from the "Lord of the Rings" themed demo

Air New Zealand could have stopped with this viral campaign but they added variety to their safety videos. Keeping the same safety demo video could have caused negative perception as repetitive viewing and repetition for frequent flyer viewing may eventually burnout the message over time. Instead, the airline added new videos to the portfolio that featured videos not just with humour appeal but also with pop culture and reliable sources. Air New Zealand launched a Lord of the Rings themed video, All Blacks football video, workout themed video featuring Richard Simmons, retirement home video featuring Betty White and recently a Men in Black themed video.

Photo taken from Delta Airlines new 80's themed safety video

            While Air New Zealand pioneered the trend, Delta Airlines followed and started launching safety demonstration videos with humour appeal. I think that it is important to communicate safety. Typically demonstrations are very useful in saving lives. Aviation is typically safe but they are always unlikely rare instances where the difference of attention to procedures can make a world of difference.

The Decision Making Process of Buying a new Phone

I have had the same cell phone for a little over three years now and I’ve been looking at new phones for a few months now. My current I phone 5 has served me well but it has become out dated and I am having problems with the battery. I’ve had problems charging the phone since September and I already purchased a replacement cord, which worked at first but is now proved to be unsuccessful. A new phone is a big purchase for me and I honestly would still keep my I phone 5 if it still worked well. Regardless,

The iPhone 6. My Product choice

I realized that I needed a new phone and I started an information search in October. Buying a phone is a bit of a complex situation because it is not only the model of phone but also the provider and plan you choose to accompany your mobile needs. Initially, I researched the I phone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy edge. Apple is in my evoked set because I use an apple computer and I like being able to sync my apple devices together. It makes my life a little easier. The Samsung Galaxy edge looked pretty cool but I felt unready to switch to an android device.

Because of my brand loyalty and current technology use, I decided that the I phone 6 would be my product choice. I chose this phone because it was sleek, stylish and it was virtually similar to my previous I phone. It operated in a similar way but it had some updated technology such as a finger pad sensor that makes it easier to unlock the phone without typing my password. It is also more secure and I don’t have to worry so much about theft or someone accessing my personal information.

I am generally cheap so I decided to wait until Black Friday to actually purchase the phone. I knew what I was getting for sure in Mid November so I figured waiting for an extra week would pay off and perhaps I might get a better deal. Fortunately for me, I was right. On Black Friday, all the networks and stores were selling I Phone 6’s at a steep discount to liquidate the previous year models. I was able to purchase my Phone for about $150 less at Best Buy by waiting.

I learned a few things from my previous experience purchasing a new phone. I learned not to purchase apple care or an extended store warranty. I always take good care of my electronics and its not commonly mentioned by my phone has a automatic 1 year limited warranty.

McDonalds Reposition to Adapt Brand to Personality, Lifestyle and Values

As a young child, I remember once a week my family and I would splurge on the luxury of dinning out at McDonalds. The iconic Happy Meal always fascinated my sister and me and I think I was more motivated to go for the toy rather than the meal. The fast food giant has been a very good example of changing their brand to adapt to the needs of consumers of every culture.  McDonalds primarily motivates consumers on a basis of the Biological Needs theory meaning that every human needs food to survive. Even a basic theory such as Biological needs can become more complex as societal changes require an evolution in the Fast Food Industry.

McDonalds PlayLand as I remember as a Child

            As a young child, I related well towards the companies marketing tactics towards children. I remember it was a treat going to the McDonalds Play Land and having fun in the coloured ball pit and climbing though tubes and various obstacles. The McDonalds brand however as adapted well towards the changing needs of consumers and the pysopgrahic needs of multiple target markets. Recently, the company has been successful in their worldwide expansion efforts. They now serve India and even have adapted a menu towards the vegetarian demographic of the country. They even removed beef extract from their deep frying oil.

            Fast food generally meets the needs of those with a fast paced life style or those who require more of a convenience need. McDonalds has also been good at delivering a pricing strategy to meet a variety of income earners. In North America, they have a value picks menu with a large selection of items priced $1.89 allowing low-income earners such as students to use their product. In Asia, The Company has adopted a luxury model. In Japan, the McDonald’s operates a full service at the “Restaurant M” with an upscale menu.

New McDonalds design in Rotterdam 

            The Interior’s of most restaurants have also been given a facelift to reflect the new brand. Most restaurants have a crystal bed fireplace, Wi-Fi, and bar stools. The menu has also responded reasonably well towards social needs. The chain was a muse of much controversy when the documentary “Super Size Me” was released. While the nutritional value of fast food is still questionable, McDonalds has responded with new healthier alternatives to meet the needs of health conscious consumers.

            I don’t eat McDonalds every day but I am a huge fan of their McCafé line. When I was working In Sault Ste. Marie ON last summer, they were a McDonalds across the street from my office. I loved being able to get a large coffee and a muffin for under $2 every day and sometimes two times daily. I also like the design of their McCafe cups. I find they keep my coffee warmer for longer and they also have a rewards sticker. I probably have over a dozen free beverages now. I used to have a Starbucks reward card but I loose those frequently and it’s hard to keep track of gift cards and reloading my card periodically. I like the tangible stickers you place on your rewards card. I’m old fashioned but it works well for me.

McDonalds ad responding to Green consumer movement with healthy menu items.

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/mcdonalds-high-end-tokyo-sit-pop/story?id=32592353