Business Essay Samples

Casio Marketing Paper

MARKETING STRATEGY

Positioning

We are positioning Dream Alarm as a convenient, affordable and reliable product for personal usage. Marketing will highlight the benefits of our fusion between an alarm clock and an ear plug that blocks out noise but retains the competency to effectively wake up its user. This differentiates Dream Alarm as the first of its kind, and harnesses the power of both items to specifically address the long overdue problem of noise.

Product Strategy

The distinctive name suggests that Dream Alarm is the ideal alarm clock designed to fulfil customer needs. It is highly compact such that it will not interfere with sleep movements. The remote allows for easy alarm settings. There is also a lost and found function which rings the earplugs in the event that it is misplaced. Dream Alarm will be sold with a one-year warranty.

Pricing Strategy

Dream Alarm will be introduced at $10.22 wholesale / $12.90 estimated retail price per unit. It is approximately around the price of an alarm clock but boasts of an additional noise blocking function. Creative has the technological resources, expertise and experience in producing audio products which will increase efficiency of its production that reduces cost. This will give us a cost advantage over our competitors.

Distribution Strategy

Dream Alarm will be pushed to be marketed in department stores, convenience stores and supermarkets for easy access. IT fairs and conventions could also be seen as launch pads to raise awareness of Dream Alarm. We will also leverage on the social media phenomena by holding online promotions, lucky draws and contests. For example, through photo contests to demonstrate how noise interrupts sleep.

Furthermore, we can establish good working relationships with the above-mentioned retailers by designing a discount and wholesale promotional model (Refer to ANNEX K). We will deploy trained employees at department stores, IT fairs and conventions to promote the product.

As one of our intended audiences is the student population, coupons for Dream Alarm could be given to students through selective sponsorship of school events. This would allow Dream Alarm to capture the attention of a segment that will have potentially spending power and also create a fission effect on the awareness of Dream Alarm.

According to the market acceptance rate, the company may consider expanding its operations overseas in countries like China where population density in cities are high.

Marketing Communications Strategy

Our media messages would incorporate push and pull strategies using all types of personal and non-personal communications available: Salespeople, third-parties, word-of-mouth, print, radio, television, display, planned events and social media.

Suspense-inducing advertisements will arouse curiosity and hence create hype. For example, short advertisements demonstrating one’s difficulty to sleep due to loud snoring or inconsiderate neighbours. This could be in the form of television advertisements or bus stop

posters (Refer to ANNEX L). Dream alarm would then be revealed as the best solution after the suspense. A timeline of the advertisement strategy is appended in ANNEX M.

Celebrities could also be engaged as ambassadors to our product. This would help audience identify with the product through leveraging on their influence. Expanding that thought, celebrities would include celebrity bloggers as well. Radio hosts could also discuss the benefits of Dream Alarm on air during peak hours. Dream Alarm could also be featured in movies and dramas to increase subconscious awareness. An example would be having scenes portraying actors waking up with Dream Alarm. Critics from local magazine could be engaged to evaluate the usefulness of Dream Alarm to potential customers.

Groupon deals could also be seen as a form of advertising. Groupon has the advantage of a large subscriber base. Although there is little potential profit involved, it would help push our product out to a wider audience in the shortest possible time.

To tap on Guerrilla marketing, flash mobs could be arranged to demonstrate the functions of Dream Alarm. For example, having 100 “mobbers” to put on Dream Alarm and instantaneously fall asleep on crowded streets. They wake up to the alarm after a while.

For the corporate segments, our corporate liaison department would use email marketing to arrange engagement talks to sell Dream Alarm to corporate offices. Sleep experts and professionals could be engaged to share about the importance of sleep and power naps, which enhances the credibility and usefulness of Dream Alarm.

Marketing Research

By researching extensively on the behaviour of our target customers, we would be able to create advertisements and engagement programmes that will best appeal to them and ensure that the intended and perceived information are identical. We will also ride on the feedbacks

to extend possible modifications to our product in order to keep up with the expectations of our users. For example, information could be gathered regarding comfort and visual appeal.

Marketing Organisation

To effectively market our product, we are adopting the following marketing structure in our organisation.

Art D is alive

Hello!!!! I’m dead inside but very much alive on the outside, or so I think. I kid!! My apologies for not posting earlier but I do take notes during discussions and during my own research. Let me share them now 🙂

From the very first time Edmund discussed with me about the film up until now, I’ve seen a huge progress in terms of character development, and the story as well – be it through shots, sound design or art direction. However, I’m glad that Ed established what he wanted to see in each character from the very beginning which makes it easier for me to plan and source.

Notes from the first meeting with Ed:

12th May 2016

Location

Terrace house, affluent family
Tracy is spoilt at home by her parents

Wardrobe

Tracy

Avoid black and white colours
Decent, looks good, fashionable
Girl-next-door
No-makeup-makeup look in school

Tracy’s Parents

Dad – Polo tee and pants (However, in the recent month, the actor mentioned that he does not look good in polo tee and requested to wear folded up long sleeves collared shirt. I thought that it was possible to work with that – the texture of the shirt, the colour, and the pants to match the shirt with in order to make it look more casual and home-appropriate. It could also look as if he just came back from work)
Mom – Short sleeve tee, khaki pants (pj pants)

Crow Woman

Black shirt, striped pants
Tshirt designed for the film? Worth it or na?
Outfit used to be what Tracy wore when she was younger?
Crow mask has to be cute, big eyes, otherwise will look too serious/scary
Incorporate yellow in the look?

I will upload character boards in my next post! 🙂

Reflection

Just when I thought art history couldn’t amaze me any further, it did. Even though this semester has been gruelling, along with all the other modules and deadlines we have to meet, I’m glad that I’ve managed to take home quite a bit from this module. I have to admit I was a bit clueless at first as to how colonialism can be linked to art, but now I know, because art can convey so many things – in addition to what we’ve learnt in the first 2 years about Western art and Southeast Asian art.

One thing I realised is that I can’t seem to escape Japan. For the first presentation, my group was given the topic on Mapping Asia, and we chose to present on mapping Japan – whether Japan’s maps are a copy of the West. It was interesting to know how Japan initially believed that the world only consisted of 3 land masses: India, China and Japan. And it’s amazing how a country can influence another so much – by the way it portrays its map.

For the final creative project, my group mates were deciding between Christian art in Asia and Japonaiserie. We all gravitated towards the first topic as we were interested in Christian art, and because of our love for Japan, we’ve then decided to focus on Christian Art in Japan. After coming together to research and discuss, we found it quite intriguing how even though Christianity was banned during the 1600s in Japan, some of the Japanese were still secretly practicing it, and artefacts are present to prove that! Even ACM had some hidden Christian artefacts, but unfortunately weren’t on display when we asked.

I was glad that my group didn’t have a problem in choosing a topic we would all enjoy working on. I think one of the most challenging parts was having to think of ideas on how to present hidden Christian art in a less conventional way – tackling a serious issue on a lighter note, where not only adults but also younger students or kids, who will be able to benefit from this exhibition. Another challenge was to find a suitable time where everyone can meet to discuss or build the model, because of our clashing timetables. Personally, I find it more productive when groups meet up and discuss face to face, instead of via whatsapp or skype. But that’s just my preference.

I was worried at first that we wouldn’t be able to finish the model in time for the exhibition but I was glad that we did! I’ve actually learnt quite a bit from Zemin and Vivian who come from different majors, as Joanne and I are in film. Mounting boards can actually work wonders when it comes to building a model. I’m really glad that my team managed to work well together and I must say that it was quite a fun experience 🙂

On the exhibition day, I was really impressed with all the groups’ presentations and amazed at the amount of hard work and thought put into each project. There were some that stood out to me, one of which was the pop up book on European furniture with Asian influence. I really appreciate how it was nicely printed and bound together. It was a different yet refreshing way of presenting a book as an exhibition, and no kidding, I would actually buy the book if it was on sale at the museum shop. I like how making it into a book made it more personal, as compared to going to a museum and sharing the experience with everyone else. Another exhibit that I really liked was the Chinoiserie miniature diorama. I like how they actually had to boil the clay for an hour (instead of baking it) in order for the clay to fix! The intricate painting on the clay miniatures made them look like real Chinoiserie and the final touch of the glossy sealant made them look even better.

All in all, good job everyone! It was a pleasant semester being able to learn from all of you 🙂

P/s, Even though having to post on OSS weekly can honestly be quite hard to follow, it actually forces us to do research and make us learn more.

Team 3 – Progress + Final Exhibition Day

Progress

I must say that I was really proud of our group’s progress with the traditional Japanese room model. As Vivian had prior knowledge of Japan and the styled rooms, and Zemin has experience in making models, both of them were put in charge of building the model while Joanne and I would render help whenever needed.

Here is the timeline of the building of the model:

23rd October – Vivian, Zemin and I met to research and finalise the size and dimensions of the model, what materials to use to create the model, the concerns with regards to building it, where the artefacts and red herrings will be placed, what the extra artefacts (extra objects) will be, and lastly, when and where we should meet to build it.

27th October – All of us met in ADM to start building the base of the model – cutting up mounting boards according to the measured dimensions to create enclosed space, cutting up and glueing tiles to be put in between boards for elevation.

Within the course of the next 2 weeks, Vivian and Zemin adjusted their schedules to meet and continue building the model. On the other hand, Joanne and I were in charge of finalising and editing the wall texts and object labels.

11th November – Joanne and I consulted Sujatha on the wall texts + object labels and also updated her on the progress of the model.

^ Secret hiding space under the tatami mat

^ The sliding doors were very patiently cut up and put together by Zemin and the shelves and cupboards were done up by Vivian. I was really impressed when they sent over the pictures via whatsapp!

^ We also took into consideration our classmates’ point of catering the exhibition to people who won’t be keen on taking part in the game but just want to learn about the artefacts – thus, we came up with an additional walkway in the museum that will lead museum goers straight to the gallery.

16th November – All of us met again to put in our individual artefacts and the red herrings we have made beforehand. Zemin kindly helped to build the casing for putting her Maria Kannon artefact and my Magic Mirror artefact. Vivian designed the handout to be given out before each game, in the form of a scroll. I was in charge of collating, reformatting and printing the wall texts (model version and exhibition version), individual object labels and catalog entries.

Exhibition Day

^ Our exhibition on Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians of Japan) consists of:

Wall text part 1: Basic intro on hidden Christianity and the game
Wall text part 2: History of Kakure Kirishitan
Model of game in a traditional Japanese room + garden + gallery space
4 Object labels
4 Catalogue entries presented in a file for easy browsing
10 game handouts

^ Game plan by Zemin, design by Vivian

^ The magic mirror sitting on the table like an ordinary mirror for day-to-day use until light is shone upon it to reveal a cross.

^ Sliding cupboard to put futon and other hidden scrolls to be used as red herrings

^ Another mirror used as red herring, hidden scroll and flower vase. Joanne’s Maria Kannon scroll is hung on the wall with a plant in front of it.

^ Vivian’s lantern sits at the corner of the garden

^ Gallery space with all the hidden Christian artefacts and their object labels

Thanks to my groupmates who made this exhibition possible, as I never thought that I’ll be able to work on something like this. Also thank you to those who have given constructive feedback and comments during presentation and exhibition day on how we can improve. : )

Week 8 – Favourite Object in ACM

My favourite object from ACM would be the Osa Osa. I was immediately drawn to it when I first spotted it sitting in the dark with a spotlight shining atop from it. As we studied Southeast Asian Art History last semester, I got really interested when we got to the topic of furnitures or artefacts made for the dead. I still remember researching on Tana Toraja, a tribe that was well known for their culture of death, going through great lengths in organising rituals, processions and funeral for the dead. Even after death, the deceased were remembered by having wooden effigies called “tau taus” created after them.

Here are the pictures I’ve taken at the museum:

I like the way it was being presented, having a spotlight shone from directly above and especially with the huge backdrop at the back, it gives us a sense of the environment where the stone seat was located at. For a moment I could somewhat imagine being in that place and how important ancestors were to the people living in Nias Island. Being able to finally see an artefact that was discussed during art history lectures in its original form was such a privilege!

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1988.125.1

Week 7 – Chinoiserie / Japonaiserie

If you could have a room of your own, how would you go about decorating it?

Should I have a room of my own, I think I will definitely decorate it with Chinoiserie. Even though I really love Japan, its food and minimalistic artistic style, I’ll have to pick Chinoiserie because of the entire look and feel it gives as a whole. I really like the Chinese influence on European art pieces – giving it a whimsical mix of antique and vintage look.

I came across this image on an article on Wall Street Journal and I was amazed by how this interior designer, Ann Getty managed to incorporate Chinoiserie into her room decor in such a chic manner. Quoting the article, “What makes today’s chinoiserie feel especially fresh is the degree of luxe: Materials are rich, prints are intricate, carved-wood details are exquisitely refined, colors and textures are bold. Think gold and crimson, nubby silk and high-touch velvet.” And I totally agree. I really like rich and bold patterns that are also intricately design. Imagine the amount of effort put into carving each furniture or art piece!

I personally won’t decorate my own room with Chinoiserie as I prefer a more edgy yet rustic theme. However, Chinoiserie would fit perfectly for a dining or living room setting. I would love to have a Chinoiserie cabinet like one shown in the above picture. Next to it I’d like to have a Chinoiserie drop leaf desk – where people can do their writing or work on. I’ll then mix it up by placing a few victorian style armchairs, and a coffee table in the middle.

This is the book on Ann Getty’s interior style I’ve seen online, don’t you feel tempted to get it? Because I could marvel at her designs all day!

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444100404577643553858386614

Team 3 – Catalog Entry Draft 2

MAKKYO (魔鏡), The Magic Mirror

Edo period (16^th-17^th century)

Kyoto, Japan

Bronze

Back in the 1600s, when Tokugawa Shogunate decided to ban Christianity was when the term Kakure Kirishitans (Hidden Christians) came about. Due to the ban, the hidden Christians of Japan came up with several ways in order to still keep their faith. That was how hidden Christian art came about during one of the most important periods in Japanese history. Other than the renowned Maria Kannon – a merge of Buddhist bodhisattva, Guan Yin and Virgin Mary, there were other ways in which the Japanese used to identify themselves and to practice the religion. One of which that will be covered here is the Makkyo, also known as The Magic Mirror.

The Makkyo was used as a means for the Christians to identify themselves with each other during gatherings and also for praying to the reflected images of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary.

These magic mirrors are made of bronze material – a highly reflective alloy of copper and tin. The making of such bronze mirrors dated back to early 2009-2000 BCE in China and were widely used during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 24 AD). It is known that Queen Himiko of Japan was gifted numerous bronze mirrors by Emperor Cao Rui of China at that period of time, which explains how the Japanese came to know about these intriguing artifacts. One of Japan’s three most precious treasures is the Yata-no-Kagami, a sacred mirror that is part of the imperial Regalia of Japan known to represent “wisdom” or “honesty”. In Japanese mythology, this mirror was known to have coaxed the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami out from the cave she retreated to after a fight with her brother, Susanoo, God of the storms and the seas. Both Gods, together with their brother Tsukuyomi, God of the moon, were known to be very popular in the Shinto religion. The mirror is currently residing in Ise Grand Shrine, and is off-limits to the public in Mie Prefecture. This is probably why mirrors were first seen as rare and mysterious objects in Japan back in the days.

The Makkyo is made by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen and the skills of such makers were passed down onto the next generation to carry on the tradition. The mirror is designed in such a way that one side is brightly polished while the other side is bronzed surface. The bronze surface could either be smoothly rendered or embossed with a design – however, having to conceal their religion, the image will never be one related to Christianity. The way the hidden Christians utilize the mirror is by shining light directly onto the shiny panel, angled in such a way that by reflecting it on a flat surface, an image would magically appear. Either a crucifix, a figure of Jesus Christ or Virgin Mary will be portrayed on the flat surface. How the magic mirror is able to reflect an image is due to the unevenness on the polished surface—too subtle to be detected by the naked eye—as it reproduces patterns on the back when sunlight reflects off the front.

Resource: http://www.kyotojournal.org/renewal/the-magic-mirror-maker/

Team 3 – Presentation + Consultation Update

We have revised our proposal after taking into considerations the feedback given by Sujatha and the class during Thursday’s class presentation.

Think about targeted audience, it’s impossible to cater to everyone
Think about those who just want to visit the exhibit and not participate in the game – Should we let them go through the corridor of objects to learn about the objects first?
Think about how we can balance play and learning at the same time
Putting wall text at the entrance of the game to give people a brief introduction on what the game/exhibit is about
Scroll/floor plan to add more obvious hints so that it caters to kids too – they get frustrated and parents feel stupid if they themselves can’t find the objects
Put a picture of silhouette or “look for something that looks like this” picture (e.g. a different maria kannon figure)
A book/pamphlet for people to take home with them after the game and exhibition?
Will the real artefacts be placed in the game for people to touch? Or will there be replicas?

Targeted audience. We understand that it’s hard to cater to every museum-goer’s needs and so far, based on the feedback we’ve got, we added another route for people who are only interested in looking and learning about the hidden Christian artefacts without participating in the game. There will be a pathway for people to directly head into the gallery where the real artefacts are, with their respective object labels. We are targeting students, families, and people in general who are keen in learning and enjoy participating in hands-on activities.
More user-friendly. We understand that it can be frustrating not being able to figure out something even when clues or hints are given. So in order to make things simpler and more efficient, we’ve decided to add pictures to aid in looking for the hidden artefacts. Hints will come in easy-to-understand short sentences and also a “look-a-like” picture or a picture of a silhouette of the object that is supposed to be found. Should the participant not be able to figure out the clues, we will reveal all the artefacts at the end and he/she can bring home a pamphlet for reference.
Replicas of artefacts. To make it a more interactive experience, replicas of the original artefacts will be placed within the game exhibition so that participants can not only look, but also have a feel of it in order to better examine them.
Placement of wall text and object labels. We will be putting the wall texts at the entrance of the exhibition, so participants or museum-goers will be able to get the gist of what the exhibition/gallery is about. Our wall text comes in 2 parts. 1 to give a brief explanation of what the exhibition is about and part 2 will be about the history of Hidden Christianity in Japan.

During the consultation with Sujatha, we showed her the progression of our model for the traditional Japanese room, this time with sliding doors and shelves. We will upload pictures once the entire model is done and artefacts are placed within. We have also settled our wall text, in which more detailed and accurate information can be added in.

A note to fellow groupmates and the class to credit pictures that you’re using for wall text, catalog entry and object labels!

Team 3 – Catalog Entry Draft 1

MAKKYO (魔鏡), The Magic Mirror

Edo period (16^th-17^th century)

Japan

Bronze

Back in the mid 16^th century, when Tokugawa Shogunate decided to ban Christianity was when the term Kakure Kirishitans (Hidden Christians) came about. Due to the ban, the hidden Christians of Japan came up with several ways in order to still keep their faith. That was how hidden Christian art came about during one of the most important periods in Japanese history. Other than the renowned Maria Kannon – a merge of Buddhist bodhisattva, Guan Yin and Virgin Mary, there were other ways in which the Japanese used to identify themselves and to practice the religion. One of which that will be covered here is the Makkyo, also known as The Magic Mirror.

The Makkyo was used as a means for the Christians to identify themselves with each other during gatherings and also for praying to the reflected images of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary.

These magic mirrors are made of bronze material – a highly reflective alloy of copper and tin. The making of such bronze mirrors dated back to early 2009-2000 BCE in China and were widely used during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 24 AD). It is known that Queen Himiko of Japan was gifted numerous bronze mirrors by Emperor Cao Rui of China at that period of time, which explains how the Japanese came to know about these intriguing artifacts. One of Japan’s three most precious treasures is the Yata-no-Kagami, a sacred mirror that is part of the imperial Regalia of Japan. The Yata-no-Kagami is known to represent “wisdom” or “honesty” and in Japanese mythology, this mirror was known to have coaxed the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami out from the cave she retreated to. The mirror is now residing in Ise Grand Shrine, and is off-limits to the public in Mie Prefecture. This is probably why mirrors were first seen as rare and mysterious objects in Japan back in the days.

The Makkyo is made by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen and the skills of such makers were passed down onto the next generation to carry on the tradition. The mirror is designed in such a way that one side is brightly polished while the other side is bronzed surface. The bronze surface could either be smoothly rendered or embossed with a design. The way the hidden Christians utilize the mirror is by shining light directly onto the shiny panel, angled in such a way that by reflecting it on a flat surface, an image would magically appear. Either a crucifix, a figure of Jesus Christ or Virgin Mary will be portrayed on the flat surface. How the magic mirror is able to reflect an image is due to the unevenness on the polished surface—too subtle to be detected by the naked eye—as it reproduces patterns on the back when sunlight reflects off the front.

Team 3 – Updated Object Label

I’ve updated my object label with pictures below to give a better understanding of how the Magic Mirror works.

Updated Object Label

MAKKYO (魔鏡), The Magic Mirror

Edo period (16^th-17^th century), Japan

Bronze

The “Makkyo”, also known as The Magic Mirror, was used by the hidden Christians of Japan back in the mid 16^th century when Christianity was prohibited. The mirrors were used as a means for the Christians to identify themselves with each other and also for praying to the reflected images of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary.

The making of these bronze mirrors dated back to early 2009-2000 BCE in China and were widely used during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 24 AD). It is known that Queen Himiko of Japan was gifted numerous bronze mirrors by Emperor Cao Rui of China at that period of time, which explains how the Japanese came to know about these intriguing artifacts. Such mirrors were made by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen and the skills of such makers were passed down onto the next generation to carry on the tradition.

The mirror is designed having one side brightly polished while the other side a bronzed surface. The bronze surface could either be smoothly rendered or embossed with a design. The way the hidden Christians utilize the mirror is by shining light directly onto the shiny panel, angled in such a way that by reflecting it on a flat surface, an image would magically appear. Either a crucifix, a figure of Jesus Christ or Virgin Mary will be portrayed on the flat surface.

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