So the big thing right now that all the buzz is a bout is back to school.  Most schools in the metroplex are starting the week of 8/24 so it’s pretty much down to the wire for back to school parents.  You have so many stores advertising like crazy.  The competition is big right now for back to schoolers from school supplies, clothes, to cell phones even.  There’s sales up the wazoo for everything and anything dealing with school.   And there should be since this back to school season is more than likely going to be the lowerst it’s ever been.  Parents are buying what is needed now.  Social media is even going big on back to school…

So who has some of the most effective back to school marketing strategies.  HMMMM let’s see!!!  Off the top of my head and from commercials and direct mail…definetly Kohl’s, Walmart  and Target are on the top of my list fore sure.  Kohls has the cool Avril Lavigne commerical where the girls have the Abby Dawn clothes on and the school bus drives up the Avril Lavigne’s tour bus and the girls see her with her guitar and it’s like WOW!  Kohls also has the mail outs that are gears towards juniors.  Even the 15% or 20% cards that I get in the mail had a teenage boy with a skate board and the girl on my other coupon card was dressed in the Abby Dawn clothing.  As for Walmart well come one it’s Wal-mart.  Their direct mail out is gear again for teenage and college bound kids.  They have flashing through out bright colored items for a dorm or tween room.  They advertise on the cheap school supplies and back to school “roll backs.”  They even sale school uniforms now that the majority of the elementary and middle schools are now uniform.  Not to mention the commercials for the back to school labtops in a variety of colors.  Target pretty much evolves their commercial around the all around experience where you can get all of your back to school items plus items for the home such as snacks, groceries, etc.  Also for all 3, their websites are back to school themed.  It’s pretty neat. 

I would like to say as far as the Office Depots and Staples kind of store, I really haven’t hear much.  I mean yeah you hear about the Staples “First Bell” promo.  But really I didn’t get much advertising or see many commercials from them this year.  Maybe it’s a word of mouth thing or they are depending complety on social media.   But even at that Office Depot is the only one I’ve seen by far that is doing the whole back to school theme as far as office supply stores.  They just didn’t really do it for me this school season

Now in my opinion the reason some of these back to school pitches don’t make are simple they dont’ advertise enough.  I mean come on, you got to get you stuff out there if you want it bought.  Also not having everything you need at one stop.  The thing one hates most is having to go to different stores to get what you need.  For example Walmart, not only do they have the cheap school supplies but they have the labtops, undergarments, shoes, plus the uniforms that start at about $6.  That a one stop shop unless of course they don’t have the size you need. LOL!  Another thing is the pricing.  You have to have a reasonable price.  I’m sorry I’m not going to pay $40 for a white shirt at Aeropostle when I can buy at Walmart for $5.  These competitors have to make it better.  The main thing especiall right now when everyone is struggling is pricing.  I’d make sure that the pricing is at a reasonable price to not only have them during back to school season but all year round.  I’d also promote towards the tween age.  Come on after all they are the top buyers right now, well the parents are but the tweens are the reason for the spending.  And definitely more social media.  Alot of these tween are turning to the web for the coolest trends, etc.  Back to school…gotta love it!!!!

Okay so on the flip side of fear and trade of globalization we can also determine the benefits of globalization.  There is always a flip side to everthing…right???? Many companies move their businesses to countries where labor is cheap but can produce what is needed.   So you could say in turn for these countries it essentially helps the with economic welfare, opportunity and COMPETITION.  Trade as a percentage of gross world product has risen from 15 percent in 1986 to nearly 27 in 2006.  Also in the past two decades, the stock of foreign direct investment assets has nearly quadrupled as a percentage of gross world product. 

Some say there are many advantages that pretty much make the world go round.  Such as goods and people are transported with more easiness and speed, the possibility of war between the developed countries decreases, free trade between countries increases, and global mass media connects all the people in the world just to name a few.  So global mass media is HUGE, I mean big now a days.  I mean you put a website and you are literally worldwide.  Anyone, anywhere can purchase your product.

So another benefit is the improvment of the living condition of these people.  There has been advancements in medicine, new public health policies, and increase in food supplies.  Over the past 20 years, 200 million people have left absolute poverty — defined as living on the equivalent of less than $1 a day.  Child labor has declined and woman are stepping up in their world.  All in all if we are living good why shouldn’t they, right?  We’re all just trying to win somehow, some way.  They get work to survive and we get the reasonable prices, which during the so called stopped recession, it helps.  Win/Win!

The fear of trade and globalization is real and one way or another each American has felt it.  I know myself with job outsourcing that’s the worst.  Thank God there are some companies who will not allow their contracts for customer service business be outsourced.  Any one of our jobs can be outsourced especially in my line of business as a supervisor in a call center and working for the company that I work for.  The company I work for has some lines of business outsourced to India, Mexico and other locations.OMG and I hate it.  Do you know how hard it is that you have to speak to someone in India to get your a password reset when we have IT people in our same building.  GRRRRR!!!   Any how back in 2004 a poll was done and six in 10 Americans (61%) currently say they are concerned that they, a friend, or a relative might lose a job because the employer is moving that job to a foreign country. Forty-one percent say they are “very concerned” about this happening, and another one in five (20%) say they are “somewhat concerned.” That was just in 2004, can you imagine now.   Bottom line for most Americans, outsourcing is not only something to fear, but it is also something that is incredibly difficult to anticipate.  But either way its a 50/50 chance that your job will be eliminated regardless of your degree, skills and pay.

Another fear for me regarding trade and globalization is the greater risk of diseases being transported unintentionally between nations. Each year more than 76 million Americans get sick from eating spoiled, contaminated or adulterated food resulting in about 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths annually.  There was what the dog food that was poisoning the toys that had lead paint, toothpaste, I believe there was even a flip flop issue a few years back and all of this stemmed back to China and other areas.  So why do they keep doing it, cuz it’s good for business.  I mean seriously does the safey and health of our fellow citizens not count anymore.  After all we are the ones dishing out the money.  More testing, more laws are needed in the trade business.  And for the safety of me, my family and my pets I have to say if were in this for the long haul I would pay the extra cost to assure I’m purchasing non-contaminated item.

So many companies today use sampling as a way of getting the consumer to purchase their item.  I for one was a sucker for sampling this weekend at Sam’s club.  The employee was giving samples of Talipia fish that was seasoned with rosemary garlic.  OMG, it was delish.  I am a person who loves sea food and I just so happned to already have a package of Talapia in my buggy.  So what do you know she got me… I bought the rosemary and garlic seasoning.  Sneaky little employee lady. 

So again why do they do this…HELLO who doesn’t love free besides it’s a great way to drive your sales.  Making samples of new products available to the public is one of the most powerful promotional tools that manufacturers have.  As I mentioned earlier Sam’s club is really good about giving samples of their products.  Go on a Saturday and just about every other aisle in the food and candy area has free samples of something.  And as a consumer I would have to say I would like to sample the product first before I make a purchase.  Now don’t get me wrong, free samples are good but be very careful on the web, make sure you check out the site and it’s not just a scam sight to get your information.

On a seperate note regarding samples.  It’s also spilled over into the Pharmaceutical world.  You see the commercials of getting a free sample of certain drugs.  One other great thing I love is that if you have a good doctor they will actually give you free samples of meds.  Which is great Free pharmaceutical samples can give physicians valuable first-hand experience with new treatment options. And free samples can help patients begin treatment sooner, find the right medicine, and offer an option for those who have difficulty affording their medicines.  Who doesn’t want to save a little money especially now a days when meds are just so high even if you have insurance. 

Your going to spend money one way or another but if you get to sample before you buy that’s an even greater advantage for the consumer.

Coupons are a great savings tool to any household.  I mean there are so many websites that offer free coupons not to mention the mail inserts that come in the Sunday paper as well as during the week.  Yes it’s time consuming to sit and clip coupons or sit on the web and search, well at least it is for me but I guess every dollar saved can go a long way now a days. LOL.  But you got to be careful, watch those expiration dates.  The coupon patrol are starting to get a little stricter on the dates, they expire quicker now.

Okay so It is a common misconception that only lower income shoppers use coupons to save money.. In fact, a recent survey by NCH Marketing Services revealed that 75 percent of customers in all income brackets use coupons sometimes and the highest rate of coupon clippers have an income of $25,000 – $50,000.  And this is so true, especially in the economic situation we are in today, every household is trying to see where they can save a dollar her or there and many start with clipping coupons.  When you hear the stories on the news these couples save in the hundreds… now i want to know how they do that.  What websites are they going to..I only end up saving like $5.00 or so.  Anyhow, some reports even say that coupon users are down from years past, which for me is hard to believe.  I mean come on when you see someone use a coupon to buy a coke, you know we’re in hard times and we are trying to save any which way we can.

Okay so something that I get really excited about but am so bad in collecting is rebates.  They often provide more savings than coupons by slashing the price at the time of purchase or providing a partial or full reimbursement after the purchase.  I don’t know how many products I’ve purchased and either forgot or passed the deadline to turn in for the rebate.  You gotta watch out for those expiration dates on rebates as well, they’ll sneak up on you, believe me I know.  I’m more of a in store rebate kind of gal, they are so much easier. LOL!  Well either way you decide to shop, there is always a way that you can save whether through rebates or coupons.  Channel 11 news, I think its channel 11, well anyways they even have on their website in Survive in 09 websites that they’ve checked out and are legit for coupon savinings.  Check it out you may find a good deal!