Response to Kevin Provost's post- Product To Market

I think Kevin brings up a good point that many consumer do not realize how difficult it is to bring a new product to the market. It takes a lot of time and effort for a new product to be launched. A lot goes into it, financially with cost control, plans and designs are drawn out through methods of quality control. I product is put through a series of tests that make sure it is usable or not. Then market research is done, is there really a need or desire for this product? Where should it be distributed? What is the target market? Time is the number one factor in this equation. It takes time for a new product to be released and distributed. There are so many great ideas that simply go to waste. I watch the show "Shark Tank" occasionally and I see all these wild ideas unfold right in front of me and I think to myself, wow this is incredible. I would invest in a lot of companies if I had the capital to launch new products. Some ideas may be a fail but others are genius that do not see it to their full potential. Consumers need to realize that it took a lot for that product to hit shelves then and there. It took a large thought process, a whole team of experts took the time to focus on this product and what to do to launch it. How successful a product does is determined on how much of the product a consumer purchases and what they may be willing to spend. Look at Razor scooters, a few years back young consumer had to spend over $100 dollars on a cheap metal object with two plastic wheels that broke easily. But yet, everyone had to have it. It was the latest things because the engineers that designed it knew that kids would love it and the market research showed that it would do well.

How do you feel about launching your own product? Would you be nervous?

Products & Branding- Nike

Everyone knows when they see the signature "swoosh" trademark, they think of Nike. A company that promotes active living by providing consumers with a wide range of products geared towards fitness. The slogan "Just Do It" is a way for Nike to brand itself. Nike promotes that anything is possible by the consumer purchasing the product anyone can really "Just Do It." This athletic apparel and footwear company has a high level of brand equity. Their products sell and by advertising their catchy slogan and by selling large quantities of the product to consumers it advertises itself. It has developed a global brand for itself, everyone all over the world knows what Nike is. From the streets of New York City to Beijing, China. Consumers genuinely enjoy the product. Its flashy colors draw in consumers attention, the trendy apparel that everybody wants to wear. Nike has really made a name for itself. The footwear packaging is easy to distinguish because it is always in an orange box. The informational labeling tells the consumer what the shoe is made out of, where it is made, the use of the shoe and what size. It is easy for consumers to tell that Nike's product mix is apparel, footwear, gym and fitness equipment. They even use "cause-related marketing" with a cancer foundation known as Livestrong. Through marketing a yellow "Livestrong" slogan stated that all income from the sales of the Livestrong product goes towards a cancer foundation. I feel as though Nike overall does a great job at branding and marketing their product. It is easy to identify what Nike sells and how they branch out and sell and what they specifically make. They are a successful company in many ways, but mainly by identifying themselves from competitors. I would not have a problem referring Nike products to other friends, family, etc.

Do you think Nike does a good job at branding themselves? Is there product is easy to identify and distinguish itself from competitors?