Sunday, November 22, 2015

Advertising Confusion

Advertising can be a very difficult job, especially when a product has been around for a long time, or there are many products similar to yours. So I can understand how it would be difficult for companies to come up with memorable, effective ads, but there are some companies whose ads are trying so hard to be memorable and different that they are not effective. This is something that I've noticed a lot when it comes to ads geared toward children, such as commercials for candy and cereal. Two commercials come to mind when I consider this topic. One commercial for candy is often inappropriate and somewhat disgusting, which are two things that should be avoided when trying to sell candy to children. Another commercial is a cereal advertisement that features people singing an annoying song while sitting at a table and eating the cereal. When compared to the candy ad, the cereal ad is much more tame in terms of what is appropriate for children, but nevertheless, it's still annoying, and I don't think children, or their parents, would respond well to the ad. Advertisements geared toward adults aren't exempt from these advertising mistakes. There are plenty of ads that don't focus on the product they are selling, and focus instead on the people who are selling them. It's fine to use attractive people to sell your product, as long as your product is the main point of the advertisement. When creating an ad for your product, try to be creative, but remember that your product should be the focus of the ad, and people should walk from your ad feeling positive about your company and the product you are selling.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Opinions In Business

Voicing your opinion on social issues is commonplace in our society. It's perfectly acceptable for someone to state their dislike of a new law, or voice that they dislike the president. Sometimes behavior on social media can get people in trouble with their employers, but it's riskier if the organization itself voices its opinion on social issues. An employee may say something on social media that can result in the loss of their job, but when an organization says something controversial, the entire organization can be affected. For instance, a few years ago, the COO of Chick-Fil-A made comments opposing same-sex marriage. It was then discovered that Chick-Fil-A was using part of the funds from a charitable organization to fund anti-LGBT organizations. These discoveries led to major backlash, including boycotts and protests. Eventually, Chick-Fil-A made a statement that they would leave the debate over same-sex marriage to the government. Is it wise for business owners to voice their personal beliefs, considering that their organizations cater to a variety of consumers? On the one hand, Chick-Fil-A did have support from those who oppose same-sex marriage, but on the other hand, by stating their opinion they limited their customer base. It's tempting to state your opinion, especially when it concerns your beliefs, but it does not make good business sense.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Employee Appreciation

The greatest asset an organization has is its employees. Employees are more than just people who do a job for a paycheck. Every employee, regardless of the task, is an important part of any organization. I believe that some organizations fail to recognize this, and fail to realize that showing appreciation for your employees is very important. In the long run, it costs more to continuously hire new employees and train them than it does to ensure that your employees are happy and satisfied within their positions. Organizations can show employee appreciation in many ways. Something as simple as telling your employee that they are doing a good job will go a long way in ensuring that your employee feels recognized and appreciated. Another way to show employee appreciation is to develop a rewards program. Studies show that employees who feel recognized and appreciated are more likely to stay with their company, and are more productive and efficient. Some organizations feel that spending time on employee appreciation is a waste of other resources, but I disagree. I believe that spending a small amount of time on employee appreciation will lead to efficiency and greater productivity.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Organization In Business

Businesses cannot thrive without organization. Organization can help prevent lost inventory, fraud, and lost time. Time is money, and wasting time by trying to find lost inventory costs your company money. I know of a very successful company that has been in business for many years. You might think that a successful company would have good organizational skills, but this is not the case. At the moment, the company is scrambling to find lost inventory and purchase orders, which is costing the company time and money. It isn't hard to be organized. The best way to ensure that you don't lose purchase orders or inventory is to create a system that every worker knows and follows. Every business should have its own organizational system. Without organization, there is chaos, and chaos cannot allow a business to flourish.