Traditional Marketing Mix- Creating a Push and Pull Strategy

We already know that “There are four components of promotion-mix i.e., advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations. Thus, promotion mix is a company’s total communication programs which consists of different blends of its components and which is used to achieve the company’s marketing objectives.” (Heenaa 2011)

To explore this further- lets discuss the traditional mix concept of personal selling with the new ‘’toolbox’’ of the web.

“To review - Personal selling is a personal communication with one or more prospective buyers(viewers) for the purpose of selling a product or service. Personal selling is considered to be the most effective tool because of various characteristics” (Heenaa 2011) which are listed below:

- it involves personal interaction, hence feedback is received immediately; (can’t we utilize this concept to ‘’pull’’ info from the client with intent to establish a product that suits their needs (personalization) by utilizing blogs and discussion forums? There are plenty of company blogs and discussion groups which target an audience to pull info with intent of personal selling ‘’push’’)

- it is quite flexible, salesman can adjust communication according to the level of customer’s under-standing. ( whether is be a tangible or intangible product – can’t marketer’s utilize web platforms such as Facebook to ‘’pull’’ information from clients on their needs and just as easily adjust communication online after analysis? And even quicker then with more traditional media? To than “push” a product that is relevant?)

- it is more persuasive; buyers can be convinced about the utility of the product; (through the use of web 2.0 platforms- such as Facebook and Youtube, can’t the web platform be utilized to study market groups-understand client needs and ‘’pull’’ the data together and then offer an “educated” product? And can’t this educated product be persuasive by nature- since it exudes value by satisfying the client’s needs ? Also- can’t the web itself be utilized as a personal selling platform ‘’push’’ – and do an even better job than traditional media- since now you can interact with other people/friends via a 2 way dialogue to get reviews, on-demand product demos and interactive 3-d models of tangible and intangible products?)

- impressive salesman leaves an impression on the prospective buyer; it may increase sales in the future. (Can’t we utilize CRM systems to maintain an attentive impression to the client so that we can continue to ‘’pull’’ data in at attempt at a more successful ‘’push’’ of products?)

As you see in this example, the 4 P’s can be utilized successfully for either a push or pull strategy, and the beautiful thing is that the web has provided an even easier platform to accomplish either task or both simultaneously. The success lays in noting the differences in approach, ultimately by implementing the traditional marketing mix model/framework with the new mind-set of promoting client interaction on a new technology platform.

Heenaa. (2011) ‘’Marketing Mix” Retrieved from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Promotion-Mix/780904

How To Apply the Traditional Mix on the Web 2.0 Platform

In Laudon’s text we learn that a marketing strategy by definition is “ the plan you put together that details exactly how you intend to enter a new market and attract new customers. “ (Laudon 2011) Therefore, I do not see how focus should not be placed on integral components such as product, price, place and promotion when developing and implementing a marketing strategy.

To prove my point further lets use Flickr as an example of why the 4 P’s should remain an integral component in marketing strategies. Notice how each of these sections stresses focus on the customer.

“Flickr has to make decisions about how to tell customers about its product. Should they do advertising? Should it develop features that make it easy to share photos – so customers actually tell other customers about Flickr? Flickr can also embed technology that makes its photos more widely available so that more customers consider using it as a photo sharing site.” (Cannon 2010)

PRICE: Flickr should not neglect important decisions such as level of its pricing and whether to offer some added customer benefits such as services for free. Should they include introductory price promotions, group discounts, freemium models etc.

PRODUCT: “Flickr’s “Product” has evolved over the years. Flickr started as an online massive multiplayer game (Game Neverending) – that had a small photo sharing feature. Early on Flickr was really just a chatroom that allowed for real-time photo sharing. The “Product” continued to evolve in response to customer use, input, and feedback and internal innovation. Flickr has over the years added tags, groups, favorites, and interestingness as features. These represents just some of the product decisions that Flickr managers needed to make.” (Cannon 2010)

PLACE: “How much bandwidth to offer? Do they sell their services through stores – possibly allowing people to go to Walgreens and upload/download photos from kiosks? (Not saying all these ideas are good – but by having the 4 Ps, it opens marketers up to potentially creative new approaches to meeting customer needs.).” (Cannon 2010)

PROMOTION: Flickr can use web and social media such as blogs to promote their product. This creates a personal and interactive experience for the customer- without the cost of personal selling.

As you see through this example, if used properly, the 4 P’s provide successful framework without losing sight of the customer and should remain the focus of a marketing strategy.

Cannon, J. (2011) “Defending the 4 Ps of marketing on the web” Retrieved from http://teachthe4ps.com/marketing-strategy-planning/defending-the-4-ps-of-marketing-on-the-web/

Laudon, T. (2011). e-commerce: business. technology. society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

The Value of Traditional Marketing

It’s interesting to point out that in all the research that I have done this week, it is so easy to find information on why the 4 P’s are dead as opposed to the value the traditional marketing mix brings.

Also, in my research I found many instances where marketing is so misconstrued into the model of “marketing = advertising and selling”. And if you utilize the 4 P’S in such a fashion, then naturally your business model will fail to recognize the customer. (Cannon 2011)

Additionally, with new technology such as the internet, utilizing the 4 P’s poses a much more difficult challenge – leading marketers to want to replace the model.
In the article “Don’t Abandon Traditional Marketing Methods: Integrate and Interact” by Greg writes: While social media is an important element to business marketing, it’s not a replacement for proven forms of promotion. (such as the 4 P’s) With its low cost, easy barrier-to-entry and seemingly widespread reach, it’s tempting to think social media can replace other forms of marketing. But it’s important to remember that social media in and of itself isn’t a marketing strategy: It’s but one promotional tool in the smart business marketing toolbox. (www.bizshifts-trends)

With all that said, do you think marketer’s are quick to dismiss the 4 P’s simply because they do not have a plan as to how to integrate web 2.0 into the marketing mix successfully? Or are marketer’s forgetting the true definition of ‘’marketing strategy”? Does “marketing” need to be redefined to promote and establish a universally accepted model which accounts for web 2.0 – to help marketers adopt this new technology into their marketing plans?

My opinion- In general, I think it is pretty silly to dismiss the framework the traditional mix provides- a framework that has been used for decades, and proven to be a successful foundation in marketing. I also think marketer’s need to learn to embrace the new challenge and keep in mind that a house cannot stand without a strong foundation.

Cannon, J. (2011) “Defending the 4 Ps of marketing on the web” Retrieved from http://teachthe4ps.com/marketing-strategy-planning/defending-the-4-ps-of-marketing-on-the-web/

www.bizshifts-trends (2011) Retrieved from http://bizshifts-trends.com/2011/02/21/is-traditional-marketing-dead-age-of-internet-clicks-views-tweets-blogs/

Why Companies Fail at Business Model Innovation

I found various reasons why companies fail at business model innovation. In example, product focused business models are vulnerable to being disrupted by models that “blend both product and service to significantly change the value proposition.” Also, organizations fail blindly to take cannibalization off the table “even if a new business model may have significant upside potential.” Additionally, ROI hurdles are too aggressive for fledgling models and lastly, organizations “shoot their renegades. Or, if they don't shoot them, they wear them down until they leave.” (Kaplan 2011)

This was an interesting post because it pointed out a perspective which is very different from the focus of my research this week. I learned that sometimes it’s not the tools we need to adjust but our attitudes to new and untested waters- in the sense that perhaps organizations need to look at all the ways that a new business model CAN work instead of focusing on how it won’t.

Do you think a shift into such a more positive attitude to change would inspire more acceptance in implementation of new models? How can we inspire this shift?


Kaplan, S. (2011) “Five Reasons Companies Fail at Business Model Innovation” Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/10/five_reasons_companies_fail_at.html

Too Much Content on a Site

Many people do not realize that the reason behind a ton of content on websites is SEO. (Search engine optimization) The more keywords a website has, the higher they rank on Google (some will argue this, as the actual process of Google ranks is quite cryptic.) The following article takes a pretty good tackle on the process. (http://www.redfusionmedia.com/google_pagerank.htm )

Although SEO is an integral component of a successful website, designers need to be sure that there is a balance between SEO and content. One way this can be done is through keeping the main content on the website and implementing secondary keywords in pdf’s. There are various steps designers need to take to ensure the pdf’s are optimized correctly.

These steps include:

1. Make Sure the PDF is Text-Based

2. Optimize the Content As You Would For a Regular Web Page

 3. Fill in the Document Properties

4. Take Advantage of Tags

5. Make Sure The PDF is Easily Visible

 Harris, K. “5 Ways to Optimize Your PDF for SEO” Retrieved from http://slodive.com/design/5-ways-to-optimize-your-pdf-for-seo/

The Case For Use of Black Color for a Website

I appreciate a minimalistic approach to good site design, I also agree that a good site utilizes design elements such as rhythm, repetition and color to balance the site and to establish a hierarchy of information. I did not agree with the aspect of staying away from black/dark colors on a site. Black, when used correctly, can be a very grounding and elegant color. It can also inspire an aura of creativity.
Additionally, if we look at the color culturally, for Australian Aboriginals black is a color of the people. For the Feng Shui , black represents Yin, water, money, career success, income, stability, emotional protection and power. (Zennand) It is important to point out that a large majority of people prefer light websites because the black ones they have seen are just not designed well, but the trick to a successful and differentiated black website- is to hire a designer who understands color theory and good design.
Here are some stats on black sites: “10% of those surveyed said that they always preferred dark backgrounds for websites, while another 36% said that the best choice would depend on the type of website… with such a large percentage of users saying that dark website designs are tolerable and sometimes even preferred, we as web designers have to learn how to create effective dark designs for ourselves and our clients.” (www.webdesignerdepot.com)
So, what does a successful black website look like? The answer will vary, depending on cultural differences and personal taste.
Here is my opinion of a successful black website: http://www.blackestate.co.nz/
For non-designers- check out this article for a summary of why this is a good design as well as tips on how to successfully implement black in a website: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/08/the-dos-and-donts-of-dark-web-design/
Zennand, T. “Colors in Web Design: Choosing a right combination for your Website” Retrieved from: http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/colors-web-design-right-combination/ www.webdesignerdepot.com “The Do’s and Don’ts of Dark Web Design” Retrieved from: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/08/the-dos-and-donts-of-dark-web-design/

Good Site Design Examples

when I first started in the advertising and marketing, I was tasked with designing a website- back then, I did not understand many of the integral components of site design as my specialty was print design, therefore I did not account for components such as SEO or proper structural components. Was my site beautiful, of course- I had skills for the beauty, but function- a disaster. So once I gained the education and skills I was able to correct the many mistakes which I made. Now that I have tons of learned experience I am able to suggest the following as far as successful sites. (But, keep in mind that "successful" will always be an opinion- different strokes for different folks.) So I will suggest sites that stick to basic design elements. Check this article out for an explanation of elements: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/

As for good design sites:

For a site which brings character into design check this site out..I particularly like the life section. http://www.austin-williams.com/agency-work.cfm

 For a super e-commerce site, check out: http://www.broadway.com/

I also really like the following e-commerce site- which I use all the time- because the site organizes a ton of products effectively. http://www.orientaltrading.com/

Web Design-There Must Be Brains Behind The Beauty

As a designer with plenty of websites under my belt, the most important consideration in web design is establishing clear business objectives of the website and choosing a relevant design team.

“Do you know why 85% of all (technology) projects fail to meet all of their critical measures of success?”

The answer is poor or no planning. A website is an integral part of your overall business plan. Too often firms fail to determine a clear objective of a website, which leads to many revisions and driving development costs up. To put things in perspective: “A recent study performed by KPMG Information Technology, a
Toronto-based professional services company, showed that of the (technology) projects that failed, 87% went more than 50% over budget, 45% failed to produce the expected benefits, and 86-92% went over schedule.” (Hamil)

In addition, many times firms fail to hire a design team with relevant skills and experience; who will know to consider integral components of a site such as Accessibility, Compatibility, Navigability, Readability and Usability. (Haque 2010) As important is a design team who will utilize the right tools and platforms to integrate these components on a website. In example, to structure a site “You can use straight HTML, PHP, CSS or other coding options, or you can use a script, such as Wordpress or Joomla. Each of these options presents its own pros and cons, and they can all affect search engine rankings.” (visualscope.com) An experienced design team will be able to decipher the difference and recommend the best option.

Also, designers can very easily get lost within the aesthetic aspect of a site- and if the firm is not very well versed on good site design; it is very easy to fall into the trap of a beautiful but not functional site. (www.visualscope.com)

Trust me, I learned the hard way.

Hamil, D. “Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It: Project Management Excellence” Retrieved from http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/features/mesa1/

Haque, O. (2010) “ 5 Biggest Challenges You Need To Face In Website Creation” Retrieved from http://www.stayonsearch.com/5-biggest-challenges-you-need-to-face-in-website-creation

www.visualscope.com “Web Design is Much more than Designing a Pretty Website” Retrieved from Web Design is Much more than Designing a Pretty Website

Evaluating Kotler's ‘’6 markets model’’

In evaluating Kotler's ‘’6 markets model’’ I think it is relevant for figuring out a specific target market, but that’s just it. Once you figure out the specifics of the target market, success lays in the establishment of the 4 P’S to reach that market.

Also, in my recent research and understanding of Kotler, I do agree that “One selects marketing tools that are appropriate to the stage of the product’s life cycle. For example, advertising and publicity will produce the biggest payoff in the introduction stage of a product; their job is to build consumer awareness and interest. Sales promotions and personal selling grow more important during a product’s maturity stage. Personal selling can strengthen customers’ comprehension of your product’s advantages and their conviction that the offering is worthwhile. Sales promotions are most effective for triggering purchases today. In the decline stage, the company should keep pushing sales promotions but reduce advertising, publicity, and personal selling.”

The 4 p’s will always be applicable, it is why they are a foundation- but we need to supplement the foundation to account for changing platforms and a more educated audience. As mentioned in my response to Roger’s post- “Being successful means learning to manipulate the marketing mix in a proactive manner, rather than merely reacting to what your competitors do.” (mystrategicplan.com) – which in today’s marketing arena means jumping from model to model- looking for a solution- which already exists- 4 P’s.

www.marsdd.com “Marketing mix: Kotler on marketing” Retrieved from http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/marketing-mix-kotler-on-marketing

www.mystrategicplan.com (2010) ‘’Customer Targeting” Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:HWN8dHRIvbEJ:mystrategicplan.com/resources/customer-targeting/+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Marketplace vs Marketspace

I think the point that is being missed is that today – it is not about the marketspace anymore- but rather- the marketspace. With this platform changing, some rules will naturally be redefined- and in my opinion, the marketspace provides a new ‘’instability’’ in targeting messages. Particularly since now marketers need to address new variables, such as a more varied audience and the cultural aspect. With this instability in mind, my opinion remains. The 4 P’s provide a stability- a known variable- that has been proven to work. Therefore I do believe that it is important to test all these new V’S and C’S and XYZ’s, because after all we are an evolving species, but on the same token- these new models should be implemented always as a supplement to the foundation – the 4 P’s.

“Being successful means learning to manipulate the marketing mix in a proactive manner, rather than merely reacting to what your competitors do.”(mystrategicplan.com) – which in today’s marketing arena means jumping from model to model- looking for a solution- which already exists- 4 P’s.

www.mystrategicplan.com (2010) ‘’Customer Targeting” Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:HWN8dHRIvbEJ:mystrategicplan.com/resources/customer-targeting/+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

The 4 P's Need a Facelift!

Implementing the traditional marketing mix to gain a competitive advantage and meaningful differentiation poses quite a challenge in today’s technologically advanced marketspace, yet it is important to recognize that the 4 P’s still offer an integral foundation. That foundation needs to remain prominent in marketer’s decisions yet reinforced with integration of newer models, for a current and successful solution.

The marketing mix is a tool and the web – just a new toolbox. The way you use the tools determines success. To help firms implement marketing strategies successfully we need to remember that , “…. those who fail to fully understand the basics of marketing, including frameworks like the 4 P’s, will ultimately fail in their endeavors. Look at how many startups close down shop because their freemium business model failed to escalate and convert to revenue generation. Or how many companies dismiss the importance of thinking about distribution channels before setting up their business… all of this is part of going through the 4 P’s model and outlining how your marketing strategy will work.” (Kuperman 2011)

Firm’s need to also reinforce the traditional marketing mix with new techniques to account for the challenging shift into customer engagement on the new web platform.

Some of these technique models include:
Personalization: mass customization to gain more profits (iMark 2008)

Participation: customer democratization of information (iMark)

Peer-to-Peer: customer networks and communities where the brand is being talked about. Brand engagement happens within the conversations among the users (iMark)

Predictive Modeling: neural networks algorithms, successfully applied in marketing problems (typepad.com)

Here is a challenge:
Pick any product you’d like and try to develop a marketing strategy where the 4 P’s are irrelevant. I can guarantee that in one way or another you will find that these building blocks are still very much alive.

iMark (2008) “New 4Ps of marketing in Web 2.0 era” Retrieved from http://marketingoverinternet.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/new-4ps-of-marketing-in-web-20-era/

Kuperman, D., Cannon, J. (2011) “Defending the 4 Ps of marketing on the web” Retrieved from http://teachthe4ps.com/marketing-strategy-planning/defending-the-4-ps-of-marketing-on-the-web/

Typepad.com (2007) Retrieved from http://mootee.typepad.com/innovation_playground/2007/07/wen-20-and-the-.html

Social Media- Info Overload!

Too much of a good thing is sometimes not such a good idea when it comes to social marketing. I think that companies need to focus on finding a balance between customization and maintaining the integrity of the brand. In my opinion adjusting a message needs to be subtle, additionally, bombarding an audience with messages can deter attention because after a certain point the client goes into info overload.

“Nearly a third of social networkers say they are fed up with the constant requests to join groups and try new applications, according to research by the Internet Advertising Bureau in the U.K. That means marketers will need to work harder and keep innovating if they want to harness the consumer power of social networks and persuade people to join their sponsored sites or pages." (incontextmultimedia.com)

"When asked “What do you dislike about social networks?” by far the highest response, at 31%, was that there are too many invites to install applications, followed by 16% who said “when advertising isn’t relevant to me.” Slightly more than 5% complained about messages from brands and another 5% actually lamented the addictiveness of social networks. About 12% said they had no complaints. The research showed that 7% of respondents sign up to find out about brands.” (incontextmultimedia.com)

Perhaps the solutions lays in use of transactive content, where a customer is introduced to a message through combination of traditional content, such as articles and product descriptions, with dynamic information culled from product databases, tailored to each user. (Laudon 2010) The reason why I think this is a good solution, if executed correctly, is that the marketer can gradually introduce a message and build brand awareness while already having a pretty good sense of the viewer’s preferences. Instead of blatantly bombarding arbitrary messages to the viewers, transitive content provides a seamless experience between content and interactivity. (Laudon 2010)  It creates a sense of value to the user- since the content is generated based on user preferences- the user is more likely to have a need/interest in the message.

Laudon, T. (2011). e-commerce: business. technology. society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 “Social Media Message Overload”  (May 2009) Retrieved from http://blog.incontextmultimedia.com/2009/05/social-media-message-overload/

Risk in Social Media

In the realm of new marketing, it is no longer acceptable nor functional to just talk about a product. Today’s audiences are best captured via rich content and web 2.0 marketing platforms such as social networks which are far less expensive than traditional marketing channels. These networks are utilized to generate an emotion and in turn establish a connection with the viewer, ultimately strengthening the position of a brand. However, It is very important to recognize that there are still risks marketers need to consider when implementing social networks. In the case of Sunsilk Gang of Girls, the audience is immediately drawn to the emotional connection of a culture. The marketing strategy focuses on implementation of Indian opinion leaders on social networks to capture the audience of young, trendy Indian women. Sunsilk implemented web 2.0 technology to enhance brand salience and positivity.

In the case of Ford Fiesta movement, the audience is drawn in to the emotional connection of social status, feeling cool and hip. The marketing strategy focuses on implementation of ‘’customer agent’’ opinion leaders on social networks to capture the audience of young and hip ‘’Millennials’’. Ford implemented wed 2.0 technology to build brand awareness and buzz.

In the case of Lady Gaga, the audience is connected to the star iconography, in which an emotional connection of belonging and acceptance is established by the icon. The marketing strategy focuses on implementation of the persona of an icon on social networks to capture the audience of people who feel that they don’t fit in. Lady GaGa used web 2.0 technology to create ‘’mass intimacy’’, thus creating a connection and expanding her brand.

The success of all of these marketing campaigns is in the flexibility of the Internet in the ability to adjust messages according to the intent of the campaign. The social network platforms utilized, provided a channel which established a deep personal connection between the viewer and the brand. An emotion was established, drawing the viewer in. Additionally, another beneficial factor is knowing your audience. All of these strategies focused on establishing user generated content, through which marketers learn about their audience and are able to establish a concise message in order to keep the brand alive. As with any new technology, marketers need to be sensitive to the risks in implementing social media.

Some of these risks can include:
Social Media Risks for Businesses
1) Viruses and malware — Data leakage/theft. Prevention: Make sure antivirus and anti-malware controls are installed and updated daily. Create updating policies, standards, and training. 
2) Brand hijacking — Customer gets exposed to hijacked and fraudulent presence. Prevention: Find a firm that can protect your brand. Update customers on potential fraud.
 3) Lack of control over corporate content — When employees post wrong or improper information on social media sites. Prevention: Establish clear policies that dictate what can and cannot be shared. Create the capability to capture and log all communications.
 4) Unrealistic expectations of customer service at Internet-speed. Prevention: Make sure staff can handle traffic associated with social media presence. Create notice with clear timeline for responses. 
5) Mismanagement of electronic communications that may be impacted by retention regulations or e-discovery. Prevention: Establish policies and processes that ensure all communications are tracked. My favorite part of this report lists the risks of employees’ personal use of social media. (ilanaarazie 2010)

Take for example, the Tony La Russa,Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals Major League baseball team impersonation and name squatting case. In May 2009, La Russa sued Twitter for trademark infringement for allowing an impersonator to use La Russa’s name as a Twitter profile name and post offensive “tweets” under the name. (Hawkins 2010)

Social Media Risks for Employees
Inappropriate use: Using personal accounts to communicate work related information. Harmful brand management: Posting pictures, videos or information that could damage a company’s reputation and Brand. Time Management: Time taken by employees using social media at work. (Spence 2010)
And so I pose the question, do the benefits outweigh the risks? Are there any other viable solutions to alleviate the risks?

Hawkins, M. “When Marketing Through Social Media, Legal Risks Can Go Viral” (May 20120) Retrieved from: http://www.venable.com/files/Publication/b4f467b9-0666-4b36-b021-351540962d65/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/019f4e5f-d6f8-4eeb-af43-40a4323b9ff1/Social_Media_white_paper.pdf

Anthony La Russa v. Twitter, Inc., Case Number CGC-09-488101 (Cal. Super. Ct., San Fran. Co., May 6, 2009). Ilanaarazie “5 Social Media Risks for Companies and Employees… And How To Prevent Them” (2010) Retrieved from: http://socialtimes.com/5-social-media-risks-for-companies-and-employees-and-how-to-prevent-them_b14745

Spence, T. “The Risks of Using Social Media in Business” (2010) (Retrieved from: http://blog.wsidigitalmarketing.com/index.php/social-2/the-risks-of-using-social-media-in-business/

Traditional Marketing vs Web 2.0

In my opinion, using traditional channels is just as important as using web 2.0 technology and ultimately, a mix of the two is the best solution. If you remember the purpose of any marketing is to develop a response of establishing a relationship and encouraging purchase. (Laudon 2010) Traditional media does just that and with the right message and concise target audience, traditional communication can be an integral part of a marketing campaign.

In example, you can use direct marketing to drive consumers to other relevant content and offers on your web site or to send them to video on your You Tube channel. (Ruiz 2010) By the user responding to the call to action, isn’t that a 2-way stream?

Laudon, T. (2011). e-commerce: business. technology. society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ruiz, j. “Is Traditional Marketing Extinct?” (2010) Retrieved from http://www.strategicdriven.com/marketing-blog/bid/77104/Is-Traditional-Marketing-Extinct

Some Thoughts on Global Wallets

I have actually looked into this technology and I think it is beneficial but there are still issues to consider.

For example, I own an I-Phone, and I charge my phone at least twice a day. What would happen if I needed to use my phone wallet in a dire emergency and the battery died? I would be stuck with no way to pay for my purchase.

I actually wound up looking into this out of curiosity and the problem has already been considered.

Places of interest would have to have inductive charging zones, "which would enable wireless re-charging of mobile devices either on or in the proximity of a charging station built into various surfaces. In other words, surfaces in restaurants, on trains, airplanes and anywhere that people are on the go, will be equipped with inductive charging technology, keeping devices charging while idle." (Stephens)

Functional, yes- but I don't know if I like the idea of so much radiation around me.

Stephens, D. Retreived from http://www.retailprophet.com/blog/2011/11/14/the-problem-with-mobile-wallet-no-one-is-talking-about/

Biometrics and Internet Security

Biometrics are a great security option. But I have found that finding scanners that are reliable is always a hassle. You can check out parabit.com- click on kiosks- on the right hand side you can see security kiosks- this application is used for visitor management for companies like NASA. The visitor would come into the facility, scan either a license / passport / fingerprint scan (biometrics) / business card - or if they have no form of id they can register at the kiosk by having their picture taken. They would get a prox card /temporary badge for the time alloted at the facility. The temp badges have a time limit- once the time limit is up- the user cannot gain access to any parts of the facility they are in. You can look at easylobby.com for a more info.

You can also pre-register visitors day-week-month before their visit.

In the past we have found that retina scanners are just not developed enough for a reliable read, and theytend to be expensive.

The Real Issues with SOPA/PIPA

The issue I have with this policy is the extreme power that corporations would have to decipher between what's copyrighted and what is not. And with the way our laws can be twisted for the wrong intention instead of seeking true justice, I can already see the headlines " lawsuit: 10 yr old girl sued over interpretation of Kelly Clarkson song on Youtube"....Stealing is stealing and there should be boundaries, but those boundaries should be made based on common sense.

Additionally, I was watching the Polish news tonite and I found it interesting that the youth in Poland is protesting against these acts as well. Actually, with the research I stumbled upon throughout the week, I am really surprised at how involved Poland is in Internet Security. - protests everywhere, government website hacking - websites going black...it's quite a phenomenon.

(http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/forget-about-sopa-pipa-acta-already-owns-you-poland-protests/)

Do Developing Countries Care about Internet Security?

Indeed, developing countries do care deeply about liability risk and based on my resources, internet security in general. There have been many steps taken towards establishing legislation, including:

In Jamaica, one large telecommunications company was hit hard “when a 26 year old computer science student hacked into its computer system and stole approximately $10, 000, 000.00 in call credit. His lawyer when interviewed, asked which legislation his client going to be prosecuted under.” Additionally, corporate espionage ran rampid, “corporate entities were either engaging computer hackers or buying information from them which was stolen from competing businesses in order to gain market advantage.” In recognition of liability risks, the country developed the Jamaican Cybercrimes Act 2010, police also set up the Cybercrimes Investigation and Research Unit (CIRU). (Gibson-Henlin)


In the case of Malaysia, where the focus is to push for a knowledge-based economy, legislation has been passed to combat cyber crime and to control liability risk. In passing the Malaysian Computer Crimes Act 1997 (CCA 1997), the desire to control security is there, but the true solution lays in maintaining close cooperation between different organizations and countries, passing laws is just not enough to fight cybercrime. (Chong 2002)

Also in the example of the Pacific Cybercrime Legislation Workshop (2011), where participants from the region's communications, justice and police departments attended a three-day summit, where the focus was “to ensure our citizens are protected from crimes that can be committed through the simple use of a computer and a network." (click-tongatoday.com)

Additional legislation:
The Computer Misuse Act of Singapore criminalizes unauthorized access to computer material, access with intent to commit or facilitate an offense, unauthorized modification of computer material, unauthorized use or interception of computer service, unauthorized obstruction of use of computers, and unauthorized disclosure of access code. (wikibooks.org)
In India, the Information Technology Act of 2000 prohibits tampering with computer source documents and hacking. (wikibooks.org)


Chong,W. (2002) Malaysian Law and Computer Crime. Retrieved from http://www.click-tongatoday.com/newsroom/press-releases/254-pacific-tackles-cybercrime-laws-and-protection-in-key-workshop-

Gibson-Henlin, G. Retrieved from http://henlin.pro/uploads/articles/Legislating%20Cybercrimes%20in%20Jamaica.pdf

Malaysian Law and Computer Crime. (April 2011) Retrieved from http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/legal/malaysian-law-computer-crime_670

Legal and Regulatory Issues in the Information Economy/Cybercrimes (December 2006) Retrieved from
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Legal_and_Regulatory_Issues_in_the_Information_Economy/Cybercrimes

How to Create a Successful E-commerce Environment

Merchant creation of trusted transaction processes is an excellent idea, but I don’t think that is the ultimate solution. If we are going to create a successful e-commerce environment, it should not be relaxed, but rather confident. We need to give the weakest link (which is usually the consumer) the knowledge and tools so that they can be conscious of cybercrime even before they get to the merchant site.

Below are some stats cited on how unaware consumers are of Internet security threats:

-The 2002/03 British Crime Survey showed that 18% of households with internet access said their home computer had been affected by a virus. This had increased to 27% in 2003/04. One-third said the virus had damaged their computer.

- Less than 1 / 3 users have noticed that their accounts had been compromised, with more than 50% rely on friends for insight

- 62% of users do not know that their accounts have been discredited

- A side note statistic I found and would also like to share is that businesses are also unprepared when it comes to combating Internet Security:

- The biennial Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Security Breaches survey reports that 62% of UK businesses had a computer security incident in the 2006.


Commtouch. (October 2011) Retrieved from http://letsbytecode.com/security/62-of-users-are-unaware-that-their-email-accounts-hacked/

Department of Trade & Industry, Information Security Breaches
Survey: Technical Report, April 2006 06/803

The Home Office, Fraud and Technology Crimes: Findings from the British Crime Survey 2003/4, the 2004 Offending Crime and Justice Survey and administrative sources, September 2006

Is it ok to hire/pay hackers for trying to thwart future hackers?

If we take a look at the word ''hacker'' - amongst many definitions a hacker may be defined as "a member of a programming subculture or one who uses such a style of software or hardware development (referred to as the "positive sense" here)." (wikipedia.org)


I do not think that it is ok to pay these types of hackers for their service, but I do think that using their skill do do good (help thwart future hackers) is an excellent idea.


Countries such as Britain are already implementing this tactic. This article discusses details.(http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hackers-recruited-to-help-fight-against-cybercrime-1719995.html)


President Obama is using hackers as well. The Department of Homeland Security is formed a 16-person advisory council (HSAC) obtain alternative viewpoints on cybercrime. (Evangelist 2009)


Evangelist, F. "Obama Administration Inviting Hackers to Help Fight Cybercrime" (2009 Retrieved from http://www.fireblog.com/obama-administration-inviting-hackers-to-help-fight-cybercrime/


Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_definition_controversy#Hacker_definition_controversy

Can Countries Fight Cybercrime together?

Countries are already working together to fight cybercrime. In example of the US and India, "A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Deputy Secretary for the US Department of Homeland Security, Jane Holl Lute and R Chandrashekhar, secretary for India’s Department of Information Technology will put in place best practices for the government agencies to exchange critical information and expertise regarding cyber-crime. " (zdnet.com)

This includes collaboration of the following agencies:
•Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
•Department of Information Technology
•Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
•Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)

Additionally, the US and China (Can you believe it!?!) are working together to fight Spam. Due to the distrust between the two countries, the first step will be collaborative discussion - to be later transformed into the "Fight Spam to Build Trust'' report. (Higgins 2011)

Higgins, K. U.S., China Team To Fight Spam (2011) Retrieved from http://www.darkreading.com/insider-threat/167801100/security/client-security/229219388/u-s-china-team-to-fight-spam.html

Kakkar, M (2011) Retrieved from http://www.zdnet.com/blog/india/india-and-us-to-work-together-on-datagov-and-against-cyber-crime/633

Social Constructionism

Lets take the case of Internet Explorere's cookie policy.

"Advanced cookie filtering works by evaluating a Web site's privacy practices and deciding which cookies are acceptable based on the site's compact policies and on the user's own preferences. In the default settings, cookies that are used to collect personally identifiable information and do not allow users a choice in their use are considered "unsatisfactory." By default, unsatisfactory cookies are deleted in the first-party context when the browsing session ends and are rejected in the third-party context. In this way, users can choose to enjoy the benefits of cookies, while protecting themselves from unsatisfactory cookies." (msdn.microsoft.com)

I believe that programs such as the above are the key to the success of internet sucurity policy. People like to feel that they are a part of soemthing, that their opinion matters,and that they have a choice, so forcing anything upon them will never be the right solution. If you make people feel that they are part of a movement, turn the idea into a ''social'' thenomenon or in this case policy, they are more inclined to comply.

"When people interact, they do so with the understanding that their respective perceptions of reality are related, and as they act upon this understanding their common knowledge of reality becomes reinforced." This idea is also known as social constructionism. (wikipedia.org)

Which leads me to the connection... Social construction of technology, also known as SCOT, is a theory that has been studied for years. SCOT "holds that those who seek to understand the reasons for acceptance or rejection of a technology should look to the social world."

This theory has been proven successful through the examples of "MacKenzie’s (1990) account of the negotiations over the definition of missile accuracy, Pinch and Bijker’s (1987; Bijker 1995) work on early bicycles, Bijker’s (1987, 1995) studies of Bakelite and fluorescent lighting, Elzen’s (1986) work on ultracentrifuges, and Misa’s (1992) investigation of the manufacture of steel. (Klein/Kleinman)

(By the way I found Klein/Kleinmans paper to be fascinating!)

And so, I think the right approach would be to take the users and the corporations of the world and compose study groups to get feedback and come up with a policy which takes their concerns into account.

And why not throw hacker criminals in the group? After all, most hackers are in it for the thrill or fame (answer.com), and I am sure their ego's would be satisfied with the fame of helping develop a global internet security policy.

"Why Do Hackers Hack" Retrieved from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_hackers_hack

Klein, H., Kleinman, D "The Social Construction of Technology:Structional Considertions Retrieved from "http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~hk28/Klein02-SciTechHumanVal.pdf

"Privacy in Internet Explorer". Retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/ms537343(v=vs.85).aspx

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_constructionism

EMV Cards- An Amazing Little Chip

EMV cards are a front-runner in heightening security and convenience in the near future. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and VISA, a global standard for inter-operation of integrated circuit cards (IC cards or "chip cards") and IC card capable point of sale (POS) terminals and automated teller machines (ATMs), for authenticating credit and debit card transactions.) (wikipedia.org)


According to EMVCo, approximately 1 billion EMV cards have been issued globally and 15.4 million POS terminals accept EMV cards. (http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/publications-card-payments-roadmap-in-the-us)


Primary purposes of including a chip in a bank card are:
-to store cardholder data securely,
- protect data stored on the chip against unauthorized modification,
- reduce the number of fraudulent transactions resulting from counterfeit, lost, and stolen cards. (smartcardalliance.org)
Although this technology is great, there are still significant issues that need to be addressed. In the example of retailers in the U.S., “most aren’t in a position to transition from magnetic stripe to EMV chip + PIN cards in the immediate future. Javelin Strategy & Research estimates the transition cost would exceed $8 billion. What’s more, other countries have shown that it takes upward of five to ten years to fully transition to EMV”. (http://www.firstdata.com/downloads/thought-leadership/one-time-card-star-cert-wp.pdf)
“Chip cards are more expensive than magnetic stripe cards, POS terminals require
additional features to read the card, and legacy back-office systems must be upgraded. Without a perceived fraud problem and given the cost of implementation, U.S. financial institutions and merchants did not make the investment required to convert the legacy bank card issuance and acceptance infrastructure to the EMV standard.” (smartcardalliance.org)


Although, with the increasing amount of card-related fraud losses and the cost of enhancing security features, the US has been reconsidering into adopting this technology. Visa says that accelerating a switch to E.M.V. technology in the United States will not only enhance security when credit and debit cards are used, but also will help prepare for increased use of mobile systems that let shoppers pay by waving their cellphones at a payment terminal. (Systems that let shoppers pay with their phones use E.M.V. chips, too). (http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/visa-wants-u-s-cards-to-catch-up-with-the-world/)


In the recent spike in ATM skimming, these cards are worth exploring. In my research, I found it interesting that developing countries are using these cards. See article (http://www.gemalto.com/financial/cards/emv_poland.html)


I am actually looking forward to exhibiting at the International Security Convention in March 2012 to talk to vendors who are applying this technology.

Geographical Scales and Internet Security

Geographical scales and the state of the economy most certainly can have an affect on both the consumer and the criminal. In general, human behavior is affected both by genetic inheritance and by experience. The ways in which people develop are shaped by social experience and circumstances ( i.e. bad economy) within the context of their inherited genetic potential. Each person is born into a social and cultural setting—family, community, social class, language, religion—and eventually develops many social connections. The characteristics of a human’s social setting affect how he or she learns to think and behave, by means of instruction, rewards and punishment, and example. ( Science For All Americans Online, 1989/1990)

Furthermore, in looking at Forensic Psychology, there is an actual method to profiling criminals based on geographical data. This primary geographic technique is a computerized system known as Criminal Geographic Targeting (CGT). Forensic Psychologist, Kim Rossmo states that in relation to criminal activity, an offender has to know about a particular geographical area before he or she begins selecting crimes to commit; and where the offenders movement patterns intersect within this geographical area, will to a large extent determine where the crime takes place.

American Association for the Advancement of Science ( 1989/1990) Retreived from: http://www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/chap7.htm

Rossmo, K. (2011, March). Geographical Profiling. Retrieved from http://www.all-about-forensic-psychology.com/geographic-profiling.html

SOPA/PIPA- Internet Mafias?

It is important to recognize the significance of the 2 acts.
PIPA, if passed, “will give U.S. corporations and the government the right to seek affirmative legal action with any website that they see as enabling copyright infringement whether of U.S. origin or not.” (Jamal 2011)

SOPA, if passed, “will work in conjunction with PIPA. As described by such entities as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SOPA is nothing more so than the U.S. government and private corporations black list.” (Jamal 2011)

It is the flexibility of the Internet in the sense that we can share thoughts, ideas and opinions freely that defines the beauty and function of this platform. If we give governments and corporations the power to control what information is put on the Internet, then the dynamic disappears. We might as well adopt the practice of the “The Great Firewall of China”. If these acts are passed, the freedom of expression will be greatly altered. For example, a blog’s content/imagery which may be meant to just educate the audience can be shut down if a corporation does not like how it is referenced, including visitor comments! (Jamal 2011) Apparently we will now have to be responsible for others thoughts.
It is also interesting to point out that social sites such as our beloved Facebook, are built upon references of products, companies and organizations, with these acts passed- you can say goodbye to the dynamic of social networking. And forget about publishing your best rendition of Kelly Clarkson on YouTube, without written consent, record execs can simply twist the law and claim copyright infringement.
In general, I can see how the response of the ‘’internet community’’, supports the preservation of the Internet’s flexibility. I can also really appreciate that instead of complaining and letting the issue slip, both users and companies such as Google have taken a definitive stand in opposition of this legislation. It is nice to finally see America take a stand.

Here are a few highlights from actions taken:
Sites including Wikipedia and Reddit launched site blackouts on January 18, while protesters hit the streets in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) drew more than 7 million signatures for an anti-SOPA and PIPA petition that it linked on its highly trafficked homepage. (money.cnn.com)

As an immigrant from a former communist country, where everything was controlled- My opinion stands: Leave my freedom of expression alone!



Jamal. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/how-sopa-pipa-can-affect-you/
Retrieved from Pepitone, J. ( January 2012) http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/technology/SOPA_PIPA_postponed/index.htm

Psychology and Internet Security

The role of security in the Internet should be to ensure secure e-commerce and to protect privacy by providing accurate, reliable resources and international policies needed to maintain a trusted environment.  

In order to provide a solution, we need to first understand and address the psychological behaviors of cyber criminals. Understanding the actual and potential behavior of criminal groups allows creation of appropriate risk mitigation strategies, countermeasures and other safeguards. (Dudek 2011)

Understanding the criminal is not enough, we also need to understand user behavior. Why do people fall for Internet attacks? In example, an online phishing survey conducted by Sheng (2010) concludes that women between the age group of 18-25 are most likely to fall for phishing attacks. Research of this type is crucial in establishing proper security policy and securing payment systems both in established nations as well as developing nations.

One security challenge which prohibits growth potential of future Internet activities such as e-commerce is the disconnect of security policies between countries. In order to provide a secure international business infrastructure, governments, Internet users and technology ecosystems should work together to create common policy, as opposed to a dictatorial intervention that governments are currently presenting. Consumer behavior studies such as Herley (2009) found that users rationally reject security advice, stating that the extra effort needed to comply with security procedures outweighs protection. To solve lack of compliance from the consumer, perhaps involving the consumer in the process of establishing security procedures, by conducting valuable behavioral research, would enable policy makers to form a more accepted policy.   

Dudek, J. (2011, January). Forensic Psychology and Fighting Web Threats. Retrieved from http://www.itp.net/583549-forensic-psychology-and-fighting-web-threats

Moore, T., Anderson, R. (2011, March). Economics and Internet Security: a Survey of Recent Analytical, Empirical and Behavioral Research. Retrieved from ftp://ftp.deas.harvard.edu/techreports/tr-03-11.pdf

Herley, C., 2009. So Long, and No Thanks for the Externalities: the Rational Rejection of Security Advice by Users. Proceedings of the New Security Paradigms Workshop (NSPW), pp. 133-144.

Sheng, S., Holbrook, M., Kumaraguru, P., Cranor, L. F., Downs, J., 2010. Who falls for phish?: a demographic analysis of phishing susceptibility and effectiveness of interventions. Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 373-382.

Facebook and Privacy

I am reading a course textbook required towards my International Marketing Management degree. The book is titled "E-Commerce - Business. Technology. Society." by Laudon/Traver - 7th edition. The first chapter really opened up my eyes to all the privacy issues which exist out on the web! Particularly Facebook!



Did you know that Facebook sends your privacy info to 3rd party websites such as Pandora?! Without even asking your permission!



I also found it interesting that there have been several privacy policies which Facebook has changed due to protest from both users and other organizations...When was this on the news? The only news I have heard the past few years were all of the complaints over template changes...well my friends I highly recommend you wake up and recognize that Facebook is quickly becoming the new market research platform- and you are freely handing out your personal info - probably without even knowing it!



I don't find it a surprise that individuals such as senator Shumer are reaching out to have social networking sites such as Facebook investigated, and quite frankly good for Shumer! Personally, I was a bit outraged that I had no idea of all of these Facebook privacy issues, and now that I am aware I feel quite violated!



When I signed up for Facebook it was for the purpose of connecting with family and friends in Europe and for experiencing a different form of socializing...I am curious to know at what point did my individual rights and quite frankly security- become the property of Facebook?! Does anyone else see a problem with this?



At this point, I am quite concerned over my privacy rights.
Facebook! Stop selling access to my personal information!

Lipstick and Marketing

My name is Joanna Asia Zoe Pawlowska and I reside in New York. As an established international model, advertising professional as well as a graphic design guru, it is not until recently that I recognized my hidden talent and interest – marketing.

You see, I made it a point as a nerdy teenager to one day become a model. Such a transition required lots of "branding". From hair and makeup to walk, speech and poise; I managed to market myself straight into the interest of some of New York’s most sought after agencies and pageant systems. It is not until recently that I discovered that I have been marketing myself for years! But don't let this pretty face fool you!

I attained my dream career of an art director by the time I was 23. In fact, I am very blessed to say that I rarely don't achieve my goals. My current main areas of concentration professionally are software development and evaluation for self-service systems, brand development and technology solutions such as Cloud Computing.

I work with various globally recognized clients.

I am also involved with various professional associations such as:

- Long Island Forum For Technology

- Association of Information Technology Professionals

- The National Association of Professional Women

- Diaspora Models International

Through my 13 years of advertising and marketing experience, quick adaptation to change along with the prestigious Master's Program at Boston University with a concentration in International Marketing Management, I attained the skills needed to continue succeeding in the advertising and marketing field. I aspire to become a global brand manager and eventually expand my own business.

In my free time, I enjoy volunteer work with (among many) organizations such as First Company Pink, Woodbury Magazine Pink Book, Federation of Organizations, Toys for Tots. 

I also enjoy wine tasting, traveling, jazz, dancing and naturally- art. You can see some of my artwork here (digital portfolio)

What you can expect from me...

I am a perfectionist, a hard worker, honest colleague and fierce competitor!