Implementation Evaluation Control

As for implementing this idea into the real life I know it is possible. Finding the right designers and chocolatiers would be a challenge but there are some experimental pastry chefs that love to try out new flavors of chocolate. With that alone we can also introduce a new upcoming pastry chef included in our brochure. Shedding light on new upcoming talent in the culinary world as well as shedding light onto new designers ( those who would design the box under our label ). This company will have it's roots on diversity and trying new things. Why not bring new talent that we believe in to our product. Advertising that displays the product's superiority over competing brands or guarantees can also help relieve the possible dissonance of someone who has already bought the product. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 96. After we bring the product together we will also team up with videographers, photographers and models (all upcoming) and create a fabulous product with an undeniable burst of new talent and creativity. Working together great things can happen such as LUXX chocolates.

This collaborative chocolate experience can be a part of your life as well! Under our INTERNSHIP tab we will give you a chance to submit your work to us to see if you can be included in our next upcoming design. Brand loyalty, a consistent preference for one brand over all others, is quite high in some product categories. More than half the consumers in product categories such as cigarettes, mayonnaise, toothpaste, coffee, headache remedies, bath soap, and ketchup are loyal to one brand. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 181. By doing this it makes the product more personal and rare as the boxes are not produced a second time. The funding for this project will come from a variety of sources as the box will be a product of everyone that put their work and effort in. Everyone working on the box will be included in the pamphlet and on our YouTube channel. From this product we create a creative collection all in the name of sweet chocolates!

Price

As for the price point of the chocolates we will cater from millennial to a higher middle class. All smaller boxes will start off at $100.00 and then slightly go up in price depending on your desired size and number of chocolates included in the box.   Lower-income consumers are price sensitive, but they will pay for products if they deliver a benefit that is worth the money. Conversely, wealthy customers with money to spend may value the social message of their purchases above all else. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 7. We do understand that millennial do have a much tougher time in purchasing something that is of high value but with the story behind every box and the experience. that comes with it makes it all worth while.

Although the box of chocolates is rated as a high value luxury, we still are quite affordable to those who shop only luxury.  A high-quality product that is available only at a high price will not be perceived as a good value, nor will bare-bones service or low-quality goods selling for a low price. Price is a component of value (a $4,000 handbag is perceived as being more luxurious and of higher quality than one selling for $100), but low price is not the same as good value. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 7

Distribution

As for distribution purposes we will be starting off small. We will be selling our product online on our web store. Place, or distribution, strategies are concerned with making products available when and where customers want them. Would you rather buy a kiwi fruit at the 24-hour grocery store within walking distance or fly to Australia to pick your own? Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 28" But once they sell out, they sell out and we never restock. I believe that the concept of exclusivity will make the product that much more desirable to people. I would prefer for not other websites to sell our product because I would want any and all questions and concerns about our product to come directly to our company as opposed to a second party or third party retailer. As for distributing we would slowly open our own store. Small of course and elegantly dealing with only the finest chocolates. We will only open our store when we are ready and when we believe we have enough money to deal with low margins and enough product to satisfy the high demand we would get in a store. "An Independent retailer is owned by a person or group and is not operated as part of a larger network. Around the world, most retailers are independent, operating singular stores within a local community. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 260" I would much rather have my own independent retailer as opposed to dealing with a franchise that at any moment can change the original methods of  LUXX CHOCOLATES. Slow and steady will win this chocolate race!

Promotion

For promotion we will be using the amazing social media platform known as Instagram. More than three-fourths of Americans have mobile phones, and over one-third of those are smartphones. Fifty-five percent of mobile phone owners access the Web on their phones, making mobile Web sites and apps more important. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 306. We will be showcasing the inspiration behind the boxes with permission of said artist before posting. We will be working with upcoming fashion photographers and models from Instagram and VFILES. We embrace culture and diversity and we welcome new ideas. We are not just creating boxes that follow a straight line in terms of design. Each box is innovative and different than the last. Hashtags are ok but too many hashtags waters down an image and product. We keep it simple in terms of online branding when it comes to hashtags but when explaining the inspiration behind the box we dish it out in the caption. We need to know about product classifications because business and consumer products are marketed differently. They are marketed to different target markets and tend to use different distribution, promotion, and pricing strategies. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 174. Also another plus to advertising on Instagram is that you don't have to pay for it and it'll make it more simple for potential clients to browse through our products in detail and then click the link in our bio that goes directly to our website for purchase. All of our inquires will be through the website.

Product

Our product will be a thick box made out of wood.  Our first product will be just as shown. It will be describing the great American culture. It will consist of all the amazing flavors that American is wildly known for. It will consist of cherry filled chocolates, white milk chocolates,  coffee infused chocolates and dark chocolates. All will be made by our world renowned chocolate-tiers. New product lines: These products, which the firm has not previously offered, allow it to enter an established market. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 192.This will not be something that has been offered to the public before. Possibly something similar to this during the 4th Of July but this will go more in depth. Including the pamphlet that goes inside the box. The box will be adorned with crystals and be very luxurious. It will be something you can pass down through the family or give it as a wonderful gift to a friend or loved one over the holidays or for a birthday. The marketing concept suggests that customers' wants and needs should be the springboard for developing new products. Companies can derive insight from listening to Internet chatter or reading blogs, which often indicate early trends or areas consumers are interested in seeing develop or change.  Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 193. The box inside will be handcrafted ad hand stitched with the finest velvet's. You are not just buying a box a chocolates you are buying something that is going to stay with you for a lifetime. It will be a part of your every day life as you travel or simply just live. And it will only be sold through our website and no where else. We will not have a brick and mortar store. The pamphlet inside the box will contain a series of colorful campaigning advertisements and a brief background/bio of each designer and creative that was a part of this wonderful project. You get to know us as being a more personal part of our product. You twill know the hard work that each person has put into giving you this sweet box of chocolates. 

Target Market Strategy

Our target market will simply be Millennials. It would be globally but towards millennials of the world. For each culture we would carefully observe the positives and powerful statements creating a special box made perfect. Marketers selling their products in global markets must carefully observe the needs and wants of consumers in various regions. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 92. The market opportunity analysis will be the millennials of the world. The day to day early 20's to possible late 30's female or male. It will emphasize on the brand of accepting of all cultures. Millennials is the generation group that is mostly on the internet so having our brand on website only and not having a brick-a-mortar store is perfect for business. The latest research has examined how consumers use information picked up on the Internet. For example, in Web forums, the information seeker has normally never met the information provider or ever interacted with the person before. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 93. This will also be a big help for when we get in reviews of our product and we have a client that is on the fence about buying our product they can just read the reviews on our website to see whether or not this is the right product for them.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis identifying internal strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) and also examining external opportunities (O) and threats (T)

  When examining internal strengths and weaknesses, the marketing manager should focus on organizational resources such as production costs, marketing skills, financial resources, company or brand image, employee capabilities, and available technology. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 22. 

Strengths: Our strength will be our ability to show the world a new window into life. Meaning that we will be a a company that thrives on diversity and being open minded to those cultures. For millennials this will be a critical attribute. Millennials love to try new and exciting things. This product will be a great way for them to see and be informed about different cultures all through the world.

Weaknesses: Our weaknesses will definitely be that we will have a very small company ti start off with. We won't be working with any other external retailer or third party purchaser. Everything will come from our website. This is a weakness but this is also our strength that our product wont be available anywhere else but our website. It can pose as an inconvenience to people but the idea of our exclusivity is what makes it so special.

Examining External Opportunities: A few external opportunities that this company will be the following; branching out into creating a variety of different hot chocolate flavors. We will also be creating a community of creatives including different pastry chefs (culinary), graphic designers, fashion designer, photographers and videographers. All of us will have a part in creating a one of a kind deLUXX box of chocolates

Threats: Our threats will definitely be other and bigger chocolate companies creating new flavors those similar to ours and mimicking our product. Hershey's, Godiva, and other chocolate companies that are much larger than ours will have an audience advantage to people that are already devoted Hershey's or Godiva fans. It;s getting to those people that will be hard for us. We won't have the money to market as much as our competitors but it won't have the extensive and correct research, time and effort put into each box as ours. Theirs will just be mass produced therefore not exclusive and special as ours.

A competitive advantage is a set of unique features of a company and its products that are perceived by the target market as significant and superior to those of the competition. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 23

Objectives

As a Global organization catering to a mixed and diverse audience we want to simply shed light onto what other cultures there are in the world and to show that we appreciate them. In a time where a lot of cultures are looked down upon we want to view the positive in them, all a while giving the client something sweet they can have. Each box will be revolved around a specific culture and each chocolate will be infused with that cultures most prized delicacy, spice or flavoring.
 An organization exists not only to satisfy customer wants and needs and to meet organizational objectives but also to preserve or enhance individuals' and society's long-term best interests. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. PAGE 6. We do not exist to just satisfy the customers wants and needs for a box of chocolates, we exist to shed light onto other people that the world is a beautiful place that's filled with millions of different cultures. We want to show appreciation for the diversity of the human being. With that we want to acknowledge that you are not alone and that you are appreciated. Bringing everyone together through a box of chocolates. 

Our clients will not only buy a box of sweet milky cocoa chocolates they will simply be buying a sneak peak at a culture they probably never heard of, or maybe they have and they just have a deep appreciation for it. This product is for the people that are curious and are willing to try new and exciting things.Customers do not buy attributes, they buy benefits. An attribute is simply a feature of the product such as its easy-open package, special formulation, or new lower price. A benefit is what consumers will receive or achieve by using the product, such as convenience or ease of use. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. PAGE 301. With the plus side of the box being able to be used even after you finish the sweet chocolates, whether it be to be a place for your jewelry, your keys, your sunglasses, or makeup it will be with you throughout your life. We want to bring people together and show them that the world does not just have 4 or 5 cultures but many beautiful and diverse practices that are greatly appreciated. This is what makes the world such a beautiful place. We are not all the same. 

Business Mission Statement

LUXX ; TASTE SWEET DIVERSITY & EMBRACE CULTURE
Our motto is embracing diversity. All of our boxes will have inspiration from different cultures from all over the world. We will be working with people that are well informed about the culture and we will also donate a part of our earnings from the box to a charity funded by the culture we are inspired by. A company that does not understand a country's culture is doomed to failure in that country. Cultural blunders lead to misunderstandings and often perceptions of rudeness or even incompetence. For example, when people in India shake hands, they sometimes do so rather limply. This is not a sign of weakness or disinterest; instead, a soft handshake conveys respect. Avoiding eye contact is also a sign of deference in India. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 73. In times like these, we need to stand up together and for each other more than ever. We believe that together as one we are stronger. A benefit should answer the consumer's question “What's in it for me?” Benefits might be such things as pleasure, improved health, savings, or relief. A quick test to determine whether you are offering attributes or benefits in your advertising is to ask “So? ” Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 301. With so much hate in this world we need to be more open minded and respectful of other people's ideals and cultures. Try something new! Like a new specialty flavor inspired by our brothers and sisters in the East. Who knows maybe you'll fall in love all over again. We embrace that sweet diversity!

Week 7 EOC : Final Project Pitch

My design for this new chocolate brand is to put it in a designer aspect.  A product may be a tangible good like a pair of shoes, a service like a haircut, an idea like “don't litter,” or any combination of these three. Packaging, style, color, options, and size are some typical product features. Just as important are intangibles such as service, the seller's image, the manufacturer's reputation, and the way consumers believe others will view the product. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 174. A box you can keep even after you consume the chocolate. Make the product a collectible, a onetime only product that will never be reproduced after the season; making it that much more of a rare product. Only releasing the special flavor and box every season. The price point will start at $400, mind you, you are also buying the box that will be with you for a long time creating a relationship with the product throughout the years and even passing it down to family members or loved ones. The first release will be 35 truffle milk chocolates covered in edible 24k gold flakes that are hand crafted onto every piece of chocolate. Inside the truffles is a smooth caramel or hazelnut filling. The box will be designed elegantly with velvet, natural cowhide leather, with crystal and gold embroidery. These will not be advertised on television or billboards. That is not the market in which these chocolates are intended for. They will be advertised in high end editorials and included in magazines such as Vogue, Jalouse, Paper and Dazed. The market we are reaching is the high end luxury trendsetter. Branding has three main purposes: product identification, repeat sales, and new-product sales. The most important purpose is product identification. Branding allows marketers to distinguish their products from all others. Many brand names are familiar to consumers and indicate quality. Lamb, Charles W. MKTG. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2009. Print. Page 180. We see how we do with the first batch of boxes and then we branch out. We test the waters for new innovations in chocolate with infusing different flavors from Asia such as wasabi, soy sauce and miso into the truffles and have a special edition Japanese box with a Japanese designer designing the box. Throughout the years we will have different chocolates from different parts of the world incorporated in the boxes and including different cultures into every box making it very special upon purchase. Also included in the box underneath is a little pamphlet explaining our craftsmanship and dedication that goes into creating these boxes making it special to every client.

Week 5 EOC: This is what has my interest

Alexander Wang announced his collaboration with Adidas at #NYFW https://t.co/pAsThkuI1u

— francisca evelyn (@rosesandcaviar) September 14, 2016

Alexander Wang is the newest designer to collab with Adidas. This interests me because every designer that has collaborated with Adidas in the past has been super successful. Alexander Wang's garments are alright for a more sporty type aesthetic and having the backup of Adidas just makes it even more cooler. This means more eyes on Adidas as well as Alexander Wang.

Ralph Lauren Goes to See-Now-Buy-Now Format—Check Out the Clothes Here First https://t.co/FA4ZfNXF23 via @voguemagazine

— francisca evelyn (@rosesandcaviar) September 14, 2016

This new trend in fashion has sprung up only within the past year. Burberry and Tom Ford have all known to take on this new fad. The See Now Buy Now process goes like this, the clothes are immediately seen on the runway at all the different fashion weeks. And right when the consumers see it online or in real life it gives them the chance to buy it immediately as in it's available the next day in stores. Before the clothes would be shown a year or 6 months in advance and then they would be available to retailers and the public. Ralph Lauren has just jumped onto this bandwagon. I personally see it as a bad idea. It is making fashion more recyclable. Resulting in more and more designers being put on spot to make more different garments. The value of the product being made isn't being appreciated even though some garments are at a hefty price the see now buy now market is a downfall in the fashion industry.

New Levi's x Off-White collection https://t.co/IKZlVv2X48

— francisca evelyn (@rosesandcaviar) October 25, 2016

This tweet interests me because I have been following this brand (Off-White) for a while now and I have been seeing it grow tremendously. I have followed him all throughout last year and his brand has been expanding at an alarming rate. This is partially because these garments are seen on celebrity bloggers and influencers. But I am very excited for this new collection because I have never heard of Levis ever collaborating with another designer especially a high end designer that sells their garments at Barney's. This is an amazing marketing move for Levis to be put on the spot. First was Guess Jeans with ASAP Rocky's collaboration but this new Off-White x Levis collab is definitely the new competition in town for any denim company including Guess Jeans.