Marketability of Manziel

Charlie Merry

Marketing Blog #14

Prof. Popovich

Johnny Manziel Marketability

 

            Football has become a national obsession in the United States. Football is by far the most popular sport with the NFL and college football programs bringing in lucrative amounts of revenue. Sports channels such as ESPN and the NFL network are covering the sport 365 days of the year. Fans tune in all year long and can’t get enough of the sport. One of the most anticipated days on the football schedule isn’t even during the season. Every May the NFL draft is held in New York City. College football’s best players attend the star studded event with hopes of fulfilling a lifelong dream. This year the draft has been garnering even more attention due to some notable players who have entered the draft. However, the most covered athlete this offseason has unquestionably been Johnny Manziel.

 

            Manziel is a quarterback from Texas who attended Texas A&M University for the past two years. Manziel made history his freshman year as he became the only freshman to ever win the Heisman trophy. The Heisman recognizes college football’s most outstanding player annually. Manziel had a similarly spectacular sophomore season and was one of the finalists for the Heisman. Manziel’s success was notable because of his small stature and brash attitude.

 

            Manziel made headlines throughout his college career for his flashy crew. World famous rapper Drake is affiliated with Manziel. Furthermore, he’s been seen attending events such as the NBA finals and partying in clubs with celebrities. Photos have surfaced with Manziel partying with Rob Gronkowski, Rick Ross, and Lebron James just to name a few. Controversy over his personal life has surfaced as he was in the midst of an autograph scandal. The NCAA prohibits athletes from making money off of their name. However, Manziel overcame these allegations and had another spectacular season.

 

            Now entering the NFL draft, Manziel has become one of America’s most marketable athletes. Nike recently signed Manziel to a multi-million dollar endorsement deal. Teams are considering drafting Manziel just because of how marketable he can be. Teams with poor attendance will become relevant instantly if they acquire him. Everyone seems to want a piece of Manziel and wants to capitalize on his popularity. This has shown me that it’s not just always about performance on the field. Professional teams clearly value the marketability of their athletes. Being a fan of the NFL, this was interesting to realize. Despite Manziel’s hard partying lifestyle, teams appear to be willing to pay him millions of dollars not just for his play, but for his brand. Manziel has shown how important good marketing can be in professional sports.

Marketing Saint Michael's

Charlie Merry

Blog# 13

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

Marketing Higher Education

 

                Going through High School it was assumed that College was something that’s necessary. If you wanted a career that produces a high salary, college needed to be in your future. However, I seem to see an increasing amount of people choosing alternative routes out of High School. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it can lead to increased happiness and perhaps a well-paying job. Furthermore, liberal arts schools such as Saint Michael’s are seeing lower enrollment numbers as a result of this. Saint Michael’s sees that there’s a decrease in demand. Students who are attending colleges these days seem to be specializing in something and opting out of a liberal arts education. Saint Michael’s needs to effectively market their brand if they want to solve this problem.

 

                There are many benefits of a liberal arts education. Liberal arts educations provide you with a multitude of skills and you become a well-balanced individual. Saint Michael’s needs to show the public why this is important and market why it’s important. Specializing in something can be profitable, but will it provide you with the skills necessary to be a life-long learner? Saint Mike’s needs to recognize this and market it to those in demand of a college education.

 

                Furthermore, Saint Michael’s can market their location as a selling point. Saint Mike’s is located near Burlington, Vermont. Burlington is recognized as a premier college town that has plenty of young night life. This is certainly attractive to prospective students as they want other students to connect with throughout their four years. Also, Saint Mike’s is nearby to plenty of great skiing in the northeast. Those students who like to ski will certainly find it attractive and Saint Mike’s should market these burgeoning opportunities to prospective students.

 

                Overall, Saint Michael’s needs to effectively market their strong points if they want to fight off declining enrollment numbers. We’ve seen how important effective marketing can be to any company or enterprise. Saint Michael’s is doing their best as it is. However, if they want to continue their steady enrollment they must step up their efforts in the future and the present.

New Shoes Simulation Review

Charlie Merry

Prof. Popovich

Blog #12

Marketing

New Shoes Simulation Review

            For the past few months our class has been involved with the New Shoes simulation. This simulation split our class up into separate groups of three or four students. Each group assumed the role of a shoe company that’s trying to sell their product in different markets. This simulation helped us further understand the financial side of marketing and how decisions are made. Furthermore, it helped us learn how to better work in a group environment. My group included John Mielke and Luke Barkowski and we worked together to make new decisions each period.

            Each week our group would usually have to make two decisions for two new periods. My group had to decide how much to spend on things such as advertising, consumer promotions, and market research. Also, we had to make decisions regarding our involvement in the foreign market and whether or not we should enter this market at all. There were a few disagreements during the simulation but our group worked through these problems in a democratic fashion. The New Shoes simulation wasn’t easy, and we sometimes made decisions that could have used more thought. However, we learned from the issues we encountered during the simulation used this information to make new decisions.

            Another aspect of the New Shoes simulation was the Excel spreadsheet portion. Excel is a program that allows users to input information and formulas into cells that will help produce answers on a large scale. Learning how to properly use Excel is an extremely important skill to have in today’s world of business. Many companies wouldn’t even consider hiring you if you don’t have a command over Excel. Throughout the New Shoes simulation we were supposed to be constantly inputting our information into a spreadsheet after each period’s decisions. Our group waited until the last second to complete our Excels. While I did learn a great deal about Excel, it would have definitely benefitted my group if we had completed our Excel’s earlier.

Overall, I thought that the New Shoes simulation was an important assignment that I learned a lot from. I didn’t feel as if it was too hard or too easy, but it found a good balance. There were some aspects of the simulation that I didn’t like. I thought that there might have been an overload of information in the simulation, making it hard to locate specific figures. Another problem was just finding enough time to make decisions before the 9PM cutoff time. Despite these problems, I thought that I learned a lot of relevant things from the New Shoes simulation.

Final Four Defends Brands

Charlie Merry

Marketing Blog

Prof. Popovich

Final Four Defends Brands

 

            Every year sports fans throughout the nation anxiously wait for March Madness to come around. March Madness is the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament that’s held annually throughout March. This tournament has become a huge spectacle and it attracts more viewers than any college sporting event during the year. Yesterday’s semi-final game attracted over 16 million viewers, more than Game 4 of the NBA Finals this past year. This undoubtedly attracts numerous brands and companies who want to become affiliated with this successful event. The NCAA partners up with these companies during the tournament and provides plenty of exposure.

 

            I’ve been watching March Madness as much as I can this year. I wouldn’t really consider myself as a huge college basketball fan, but I love watching these games unfold. Smaller schools who aren’t typically on television routinely give larger schools a run for their money. The David vs. Goliath tale is seen numerous times during the tournament. Anyways, this year I’ve been paying more attention to the advertisements and brand placement throughout the tournament. Sixteen companies are paying the NCAA hundreds of millions of dollars to be dubbed as official sponsors of March Madness. This may seem like an excessive amount of money, but due to the high viewership, these companies are getting massive amounts of exposure. The NCAA will go to great lengths to showcase these brands on the court.

 

            Many coaches and trainers in the tournament have received warnings for surprising reasons. Coaches who walk onto the court with specific brands of bottled water are quickly reprimanded. NCAA officials will quickly ask the offending parties to put their water into an official NCAA cup, instead of providing that water with free brand exposure. This may seem like a silly thing to do, but these companies are literally paying millions of dollars for the right to be showcased.

 

            March Madness is a marketing bonanza that rivals the Super Bowl. Everyone across the country is watching, even those who don’t care about college basketball. Even if you don’t care about college basketball, you likely filled out a bracket and will be more inclined to watch than before. March Madness is a great time for companies to advertise new products and unveil new product developments. Successfully showcasing your product through March Madness can produce a big time marketing win for your company.

Snowboarding Season at Sugarbush

Charlie Merry

Marketing Blog

4/2/14

Blog #9

Snowboarding Season at Sugarbush

 

            One of the main reasons that I came to Saint Michael’s College was to have easy access to the mountains in the area. Saint Mike’s $60 student pass to Smuggler’s Notch is a great deal that many students take advantage of.  I grew up snowboarding frequently and it’s definitely one of my favorite wintertime activities. Growing up near mountains such as Sunday River and having parents who ski certainly helped get me into snowboarding. I can even remember coming to Smuggler’s Notch for skiing vacations when I was younger. However, this year I chose to buy a pass to Sugarbush in addition to Smuggs, which has turned out pretty well.

 

            The main reason that I bought a pass to Sugarbush was because many of my friends decided to get Sugarbush passes. I was a little skeptical buying the more expensive pass because I didn’t get the chance to ski very much last year. Playing a sport at school takes up a lot of free time, and sometimes you just need the weekend to rest and relax. However, I’ve been able to ski a decent amount this winter and justify spending the extra money on the pass. Skiing with friends on a day with good snow is a recipe for a great day. Also, my roommate has a ski house at the base of Sugarbush, so he’s a longtime skier of the mountain and knows it very well. My roommate also has his car at school, so getting the Sugarbush pass made sense because I’d always have a ride to the mountain.

 

            The ski season thus far has had its ups and downs. I couldn’t negotiate a schedule this semester that left me with weekdays on which I could go skiing. Also, it seems that whenever there’s a storm at the mountain I can’t find the time to make it there. For example, the one week we left for Spring Break the mountains got upwards of 20” inches of snow. I couldn’t complain because I was heading to Florida, but it still would have been nice to get to the mountain during that time. Despite these problems, I’ve still had a much better ski season so far compared with last year.

 

            I’ve been able to get to the mountain 16 times so far this winter. That’s not bad considering that I can’t go during weekdays and I can’t go sometimes due to scheduling conflicts with tennis. Hopefully I can finish the ski season strong and get out there another 10 times before the mountains close. Sugarbush has proven to be a great mountain and I’ve discovered some awesome terrain throughout the winter. I love winter and pray for snowstorms, which might seem crazy for those who despise the winter season. However, winter provides me with some of my favorite activities, mainly snowboarding and pond hockey. Overall, the ski season thus far has been good and I’m excited to finish out the year with some warm spring skiing.

Spring Break

Charlie Merry

Spring Break

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

Blog #9

 

            Every year college students around the country eagerly await spring break. This year spring break at Saint Michael’s College was from March 14^th to March 23^rd. This time allows students to relax and take a brief pause from their hectic lives. Some students simply go home while others choose to go on vacations with their friends. This year, I was fortunate enough to go on a training trip to Orlando, Florida with the tennis team. I had an amazing spring break this year and it was definitely nice getting away from the bitter Vermont winter.

            Both the men’s and the women’s tennis teams made the trip to Orlando this year. The men’s team was busy throughout the week with matches. We played five matches throughout the week and usually practiced afterward. The schools we played included Colorado College, Hobart, Hope, Hamilton, and Onondaga College. Each match began at 8 AM so we had an early start each day. However, this didn’t bother me because it allowed for time afterward to chill by the pool or play beach volleyball. Also, it was definitely good to play our matches in the morning, before the intense Florida sun reached the middle of the sky.

            I had a relatively productive training trip in Florida. First of all, it was great to finally get back outside and play on some real courts. Our indoor tennis facilities at Saint Mike’s are absolutely terrible. The surface is used for multiple sports, so it’s not built with tennis in mind. Tarrant center’s surface is rubbery, which makes the ball skid and explode on you faster than normal. Going back outside was one of my favorite parts of the training trip. I ended the trip with two wins, tied for the team lead. Also, I lost two 3 set matches during the trip. Losing is never fun, but going 3 sets proved I could play with these teams and I felt I should have won both of those matches. Overall, I felt that I got better, and I ended the trip with the most games won during the week.

            Another highlight of the trip was when both the women’s and men’s teams made a trip to Universal studios. Universal is an extremely entertaining theme park with cutting edge roller coasters and simulation rides. I especially enjoy the huge roller coasters such as The Hulk, and the Dueling Dragons. My favorite part of the park was probably the newly constructed Harry Potter world. I grew up reading all of the Harry Potter books and it was really cool to see this world brought to life through this part of the park. The park recreated the Hogwarts castle as well as the marketplace in the series, Hogsmeade. This part of the park also had extremely entertaining rollercoasters as well as simulation rides. After the park, the team ate a delicious dinner at the Hard Rock café. Ending what was a great day in Florida. Spring break this year was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had, and I hope the teams will choose to return to Florida again next year.

Studying Abroad

Charlie Merry

Blog #8

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

 

Study Abroad

 

Studying abroad is an extremely appealing option to plenty of college students throughout the country. Studying in a foreign country is a unique experience that could be very beneficial for anyone. More and more students are choosing to study abroad, realizing that it could help them increase their cultural awareness. Over 4 million students are now choosing to spend a semester or more abroad. I have plenty of friends who are currently studying abroad or are planning on studying abroad next year. Saint Michael’s has a very supportive staff who encourage studying abroad to everyone who has the chance. I went through the simple process of applying for study abroad and was recently accepted. I’ll be spending the fall semester of my junior year studying in Barcelona, Spain.

 

Students are choosing to study abroad for a number of reasons. For example, some just want to become a better speaker of a different language. I’ve taken Spanish courses since 7^th grade and consider myself to be an above average speaker of the language. However, living in Spain will undoubtedly help me become a better Spanish speaker. I’ll have no choice but to learn the language if I want to get around the city or ask for directions from a stranger. Learning another language is something that’s important to me. I think it could be extremely beneficial for job opportunities, and it would be something that’s just cool in general. Hopefully I can improve on my vocabulary this summer to ready myself for living in Spain.

 

Another reason that students are choosing to study abroad is for the cultural experience. Many people aren’t given the opportunity to experience a different country with different customs and norms. I truly believe that every country can offer a unique way of viewing things and this will be interesting to experience firsthand. For example, the Spanish have a very different way of viewing things such as time, sleep, and what time to eat meals. The Spanish notoriously eat dinner extremely late, and take midday naps during the work week. I’m extremely excited to see how different it can be living in a foreign country. Not to mention how excited I am to take regular naps throughout the week.

 

Furthermore, the program that I’m doing study abroad through offers classes that will help me meet major and minor requirements for graduation. This was extremely important to me because I needed a plan that would allow me to graduate on time. This comes out as a win/win situation. I’ll be able to study in Spain, while also fulfilling the regular amount of necessary credits. I can’t vouch for study abroad just yet, but I’m anticipating a great experience. I definitely believe that Study Abroad should be utilized by more students, as it could be viewed as a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.