Difference between Marketing and Advertising

According to Don Draper from the television show, Mad Men, “Advertising is happiness.” Well if advertising is happiness, then that makes marketing the sweat, tears, blood and grit to achieve said happiness. To be more concise, advertising is happiness, marketing is pain.
The difference between the two closely related subjects can be explained somewhat simply. Marketing is the whole thing. It is all the planning, strategizing, research and development that goes into properly placing a product, good or service in its appropriate place within a specified market of potential buyers. So where does that leave Advertising? As happiness? Perhaps. It is an apt metaphor to use when advertising is looked at in relation to marketing. Advertising is the part that puts the same product or service in the eyes of the public. It is the campaign that follows the rules and ideas set out by the marketing strategy in order to reach the very same customers that the marketing plan identified as the product’s target market.
So in a way, advertising is happiness, because it plays upon that little bit, that image, that ray of sunshine that is the product that makes it shine ever so brightly in the eyes of the intended audience. Advertising is happiness because that is what it projects to the people who buy the product. With a good advertising campaign along with a well devised marketing plan, the target market is effectively reached…and all they see when they buy that product or service is their own happiness.

Should America have a strong or weak dollar?

The answer, in my opinion, is neither. As in many things in life, business and inter-country relations included, balance is key to all things. My own reason for this conclusion is that I stem from experience in the holistic healthcare industry, specifically studying Ayurveda. One of the principle teachings of Ayurvedic medicine is balance or harmony between the mind, the body, and the spirit. So is it with economics and world trade. Balance between nations is key to a healthy relationship between the individuals that make up this world. If one is completely dominant over the others, balance is thrown off and the results can have very negative effects on those near the bottom rung of the social ladder. However, when more balance is introduced into the equation, then that allows for more important interactions between countries such as trade and commerce which fosters more growth for all parties involved in the system.
What I believe will happen is that balance will begin to return to the world-wide economy. The American dollar will strengthen, but not so much as to overpower the other countries that we do business with. Meanwhile, the value of the other monetary symbols will soften and allow for the balance between countries to adjust accordingly which will in turn foster that mutual gain and cooperation amongst countries. As I said before…it’s all about balance!

EOC Week 2 - Customer Service Experience

Bad Customer Service Experience:
One poor customer service experience that stands out in my mind is a time when I dealt with Adobe. I was contemplating obtaining A.C.E. (Adobe Certified Expert) certifications for several different pieces of software available through their software suite. Unfortunately the explanations for the certifications or the education were not very clear so I called the support line. After several minutes of very frustrating dialogue with two different operators in India, it was determined that they neither had any information on what was looking for (information on their certifications and training available on their website), nor did they even have a phone number for me to call their corporate office to speak with someone that would know. Needless to say, while I like Adobe products, I would rather trim my fingers nails with a hacksaw then call Adobe customer service again.

Good Customer Service Experience:
I have owned Dell computers for a number of years and they have always been used to run Adobe software products. Typically they have been very trouble free. However, on rare occasions when I have had to call customer service, as in recently when my mother board began to burn out, I have met with swift and pleasing results. Point in fact, on this last occasion when I called, I was connected to a representative in India (which I'm not overly fond of considering the unfortunate language barrier), and after only a few minutes of testing via phone, a conclusion was met that I required a certain level of service (replacement of my motherboard). Less than 24 hours later a technician with new parts was on my doorstep and my computer was fixed. A perfect example of why you always pay extra for the warranty when it comes to delicate and important electronic equipment.

For the past seven years following my graduation from Seattle University with a degree in English, Creative Writing, I diverged from the path of writing and worked as a graphic designer. After years in the industry I have a desire to move onwards and upward in my own experience. Currently I am working towards a degree in Web Design as a means to an end for bridging the growing gap between graphic art and communication over the World Wide Web. I am also working towards finishing writing my first science fiction novel which I hope to have completed in first draft form by the end of June. Following the completiong of the novel draft I hope to utilize my abilities as a web designer to market and display my writing in new, interesting and effective ways as I continue to grow both my graphic and web skills, but my writing and storytelling skills as well.

In the past my graphic desing approaches have focused on working with small businesses. My goal in this industry has been to use design to effectively display the true nature of the company in a clean and clear way that optimally represents the mission and personality of the company. During this pursuit I have worked as the creative director for both a nationwide hospitality and room service company, as well as a regional holisitic healthcare center. Working in different genres of the industry has given me a unique insight ingo the needs and desires of individual companies and what to expect in many reals of the industry.

As a writer, I have been working towards completing and publishing science fiction and fantasy novels for the past ten years. Until recently I have given up on my pursuits before the job was finished. But now I have found true drive and work ehtic combined with a truly great story idea that is pushing me to the end until is is completed by the end of June of this year.