My Reflection

After taking this course and learning about Consumer Behavior I have a new perspective on how we view advertisements. Also, in how the consumer looks and reacts towards the Ads. Being in the advertising world you really need to know how people think and how they will react to certain Ads. It takes a lot of skill and talent to come up with the perfect commercial to grab your viewers and say come buy me. This course has really opened my eyes to why we buy things and how we relate with the advertisements. The Ads not only show you the product make you want the product for certain reasons. I have also learned how we reason between one product or the other. It is all kind of a game we play but a very interesting one. I am PR major but can definitly see myself going into the advertising field at one point in my life.

Reference Groups

For Reference Groups this advertisement show community consumption that belong to hospitals. This Ad is very humorous and shows the viewers that they have seen it all. Nothing will stop them from helping you. It also refers to young boys getting in trouble and being reckless. He seems to be in a lot of pain and I do not know how any one would be able to do that. He seems also content and knows that this hospital will help him get through this. I found it interesting when looking at other advertisements a lot of them referred to reference groups but a lot did not. It was difficult to get a good Ad with a reference group behind it. It was also fun going through all the advertisements and commercials to look for a perfect Ad to show this.

My VALS

My primary VAL that I got was Experiencers. The Definition of Experiencers is: Experiencers are motivated by self-expression. Young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers, Experiencers quickly become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally quick to cool. They seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities.Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis that they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff. I would say that this fits my very well and was not surprised to get this as my primary VAL. My secondary VAL that I got was Innovators. Innovators are: Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem. Because they have such abundant resources, they exhibit all three primary motivations in varying degrees. They are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies. Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life.

Both of these VALS fit me perfectly and I feel that they reflect my personality and also makes me realized that I have a lot going for me in my life. I have to be able to use my VALS and reflect it on my life project. After reading the definitions and understanding them I feel that my life project is on track and I will be able to do anything if I put my mind to it.

PRIZM Segments For My Home Town

Sonoma California is a very unique and beautiful town in the heart of Wine Country. There are many PRIZM for this 95476 zip code but the one that caught my attention is the "Second City Elite" Sonoma the town its self is very wealthy and has many different winery's the local families own. When this PRIZM came up I was not surprised to see this. It is very easy to get caught up with the social elites in Sonoma. There is also another PRIZM "Brite Lites, Li'l City" which makes since because this is a very small town but with a lot of action. People will come up from San Fransisco to escape from the big city but when the reach Sonoma its still has a lot of commotion. I love my town but their are a lot of different PRIZM's that effect how Sonoma social class works.

Possession & Identity

Clothes are what you own, wear, see and want to have for most girls. They are a freedom of expression and a form of identity. I love clothes and love to shop. It's how I form my since of style and by being independent from other people. It's a certain style that I feel comfortable with and it's how I express my personality. It is not always about having the latest fashion trends or having the newest pair of Tory Burch Flats. It's about being your own person and creating a since of who you are through those clothes. Every one has a different since of identity and being creative through what you wear can have a positive reaction or negative depending on what you wear. I wear clothes that make me happy and that I enjoy being in. I also love bright colors because I feel that I am vibrate and outgoing person thats not afraid to show my true colors. However, I also love brand names and designer clothes and purchase them when I can afford them. There is nothing like walking out of a store with a bag full of cute clothes that you bought yourself. Clothes are very important in creating my since of identity and being who I am.

"Framing"

When I was abroad in Australia I was so used to buying groceries in America that when I went to the store in Australia everything was so expensive. Daily necessary items like milk and bread were so out of control expensive that I did not even want to buy them. Going to Australia the America dollar was worth more, but in the end it all equaled out to be more expensive and costly. In America I was used to going to get coffee and getting a large cup but in Australia even a cup of coffee is much smaller and more expensive. I was so American oriented and framed by our society and how things cost that when I went to Australia I was in shock. It was hard to explain to my parents that the cost of living their was much more expensive that they didn't understand why it was more expensive. I told my parents that I was only going to need about 2 thousand dollars in spending so they were primed that was all I was going to need. In the end I spent over 3 thousand dollars and about 2 thousand of that was on food and necessary items. Hopefully when I go to New Zealand next semester that I will be more prepared and not be as framed to the american cultural.

"Joining In or Staying Out"

Being Student Ambassador for our University is a great group but also very selective to who they let in. It is a privilege to be apart of the Student Ambassador because you get to work for the president of the University. You are also a advocate for other students and people look up to you as a leader and as a person who knows a lot about the school. People know we are Student Ambassadors because we wear these high class navy blue blazers that have a big student ambassador logo on the right hand side of the jacket. We stand out in a crowed and people look for us when were at events for the school. Not everyone can be a Student Ambassador. You have to be very comfortable with talking to complete strangers and having a out going personality is very important. We are a very tight group and work hard to look good for the school and having the blazers are a big part of looking the part.