Dae Spradlin

     Sure, most of us have all heard about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: physiological, safety, belonging,  self-esteem, and self-actualization needs. Usually we think about it in terms of science and psychology, but we don't normally consider the everyday implications of the theory. In reality it is used everywhere, especially in marketing. That commercial you saw about health insurance? Safety. That Coca-Cola commercial with a group of friends hanging out sharing a drink together? Belonging. The hierarchy of needs falls in, well, a hierarchy where one level can not be addressed unless the prior levels have been satisfied.      The first level is physiological. Those are the fundamental needs that we all have that will keep us alive: food, water, shelter, sleep, etc. These are the needs that we seek to fulfill before anything else. When marketers choose to target this need, they emphasize how important their product or service is to your basic necessi...

Sure, we all have places we have to go out of necessity, like to pay bills or buy gas, but we don't go there because of the friendly service, but instead we just go because we have to. On the other hand, the reason you keep going back to your favorite mom and pop restaurant isn't just because of the great food, but also because of the kind smiles and personal interactions. When you have a business that you frequent for pleasure, such as a restaurant, cafe, pub, etc., the service usually plays a big part in why you continue to go back. More often than not, when you are offered or are giving a restaurant suggestion, you usually mention whether the service was good or bad. That's because in today's service based society, we expect good service, and if we don't receive it, then we won't go back. Bad service results in consumers venting to their friends and associates through their favorite outlet: social media. This can spread like wildfire and result in a drop in t...

In today's market, it's so important to be able set your business apart from your competition. The main way that a lot of businesses do this is not only through product differentiation, but also having a unique brand image. Consumers are no longer interested in the traditional advertisements of the past. They want to see more genuine, relatable content. Some choose to do this through their social media presence or the use of user generated content. Through social media, companies such as Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Denny's have created a sassy, sarcastic image that consumers love. Whenever these brands respond to tweets or comments with a creative response, users are more inclined to share these comments with their peers which is exactly what the brands are aiming for. Interacting with your customer base through social media helps garner a loyal customer base by presenting your brand as more than just a company but also as a "friend." Creating a unique image will ...

So, you know those strangely specific ads that you see on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that seem like they're talking directly to you? Well, you can thank big data and targeted display advertising for those. It always seemed that these types of ads were just to be used by big companies, but the growing popularity of the software has made them more readily available for small businesses as well. This has been a huge advantage for small businesses. You can use a variety of criteria to determine whom your ads will target. Anything from age, location, time, interests, etc. can be used to target individual consumers. Maybe there's a big event happening in your area; well, you can arrange that the attendees of the event see your advertisement on whatever social media platforms that they use. Or maybe you're trying to draw the attention of young parents or middle aged outdoor enthusiasts. You can easily do that with these types of advertisement programs. This type of adverti...

Okay, so get this. Sustainability is a big thing these days, as it should be. Consumers are becoming more and more environmentally conscious, and businesses are taking notice; however, eco-friendly beauty products are still a little more difficult to come by. Just think of the billions, that’s right, BILLIONS of Q-tips and cottons swabs that are produced and discarded each year. While these products may be biodegradable, it’s hard to ignore the harm that the production and chemicals do to the environment. The UK has even taken measures to ban cotton balls and cotton swabs. I have asked a couple of people how often they use cotton swabs to adjust their makeup, and nearly all of them said yes. The ones that said they did not said it was because they didn’t like throwing them away after every use and buying new ones all the time. Imagine if this was solved. A reusable, eco-friendly, and recyclable makeup adjuster, or cotton swab, if you will. The stem would be produced from recycled m...

I recently encountered a marketing technique that isn't new, but I never really noticed how clever it was until now. Like many others in the area, I am a member at planet fitness and make frequent visits to the gym. When you sign up for your membership, you are given the option to sign up for a rewards program. With every visit to the gym, you earn points that can be exchanged for goods such as protein drinks, snacks, and most interestingly to me, t-shirts or a free month of membership fees. The reason that I find these two particular rewards so interesting is because one month of membership fees is only $10 while a t-shirt carries a $20 value, however, the t-shirt requires far fewer points to earn. It costs more for the company to give away a free t-shirt, yet they will do so for very few points. The reason for this is because people will be able to earn the t-shirt quicker than the free membership, and it is something than can be used for a much longer period of time, therefore, ...

As a hopeful future owner of a coffee house, it is very important to keep up with trends and standards in the industry. I have always loved the comforting atmosphere of coffee houses and the smell of coffee and baked goods wafting through the air, so that's why I have always wanted to be able to help bring that same feeling to others by opening my own coffee shop. This desire led me to work in the coffee industry as a barista at a locally owned coffee house for the past year and a half so that I could learn more about the inner workings of a shoppe. I also try and visit other shoppes when I'm out traveling to see the different ideas and approaches that other shoppes take. As a barista, not only is it important to provide a quality product but also to present the customer with a beautiful beverage. There's nothing quite as satisfying as handing someone their drink and seeing them smile and take a picture of it. While that may be a bit of an ego booster for the barista, that...