A fun update from my latest Montucky meeting. I like sharing with my peers since we're a huge part of their target market and it's nice getting feedback.
We met yesterday to determine advertising and events for the summer. A slogan one of the owners, Jeremy, coined was "Hot Nights, Cold Snacks." We're thinking of a poster with a girl in an old F150 with a Montucky, of course, with mountains and fields as the background. That's what we have so far. They also have the traditional "F@*k Sunny White Beaches" slogan as well which is fun. Because we get mountains in Montana.
Yes, I will be soliciting over my blog for Montucky Cold Snacks. I've recently started working with them and helping out with event planning, marketing ideas and such. It's ran by two thirty-year old guys who wanted to give back to Montana while creating a refreshing light beer. Montucky consistently donates money to charities or donates beer to charity events for them to keep the profits. It is brewed in Wisconsin, however, it has to be that way for the moment to keep costs down so it can compete with PBR. It's not a crafty micro-brew, just an easy-drinking beer with an awesome goal.
Recently, they've been talking about what Montucky actually means. It's a slang word for Montana, yes, but what does it mean? They've been conducting photo contests through facebook for people to send in their best Montucky photos to win some beer and schwag. What do you guys think as a consensus from marketing students? If anyone's out and about, order a Montucky not a PBR.
I had a difficult time writing my ritual story last week. I kept thinking: "What do I do all the same, the exact same way?" And I could barely think of something. Then I thought that I change my beauty rituals rather frequently, but the less frequent was my hair style.
In October, I cut off thirteen inches of my flowing, blonde hair for a "spunky" and "edgy" cut. Really, I just felt inspired after living in Europe to cut my hair and don't particularly consider myself spunky or edgy.
1. Don't interrupt a conversation.
2. Don't compare Finland to other countries (especially Sweden).
3. Tip less.
4. Don't brag.
5. Don't wear clothes in the sauna.
6. Limit public displays of affection.
7. Don't show up unannounced.
8. Remove your shoes.
9. Don't comment on the Finnish ice hockey team (unless they win, of course).
10. Don't stare at Nordic walkers.
After living in Finland for a year, I found these to be quite true. Particularly not comparing Finland to other countries, Sweden likes to act like a "big brother" to Finland, and it drives the Finns crazy. Also, you can talk about the Finnish ice hockey team particularly if they beat Sweden.
Everyone has them. The brands that can make you buy just about anything... or in Stephanie's case a horse. :) *waves to Stephanie*
Well, here are those brands for me: Victoria's Secret and Free People.
I don't know how they do it, but I take one look at their way too cute everything, particularly bikinis, and think that I need to buy it. Right now. I've gotten better and controlling myself because I recognize my irrational thinking. But really, look at how sexy they are. Maybe I'll be just as sexy as them if I wear their stuff? Oh, consumerism... it's a hilarious thing.
Now, there's Free People. I could look through their hippy-dip blog all day long and feel inspired to live in a van then binge on thrift store clothes because anyone who's 22 and in college can't pay for their clothing. But of course, the one FP dress I got for my birthday is cherished and treated with more love than a dress probably should. My name's Mariah and I can be an irrational consumer. Bring on the sexy hipster extended self.
On the topic of different cultures, after living abroad I feel that I have some fun culture shock stories.
In Finland, the sauna is a huge part of their culture. Even in countries like Germany and Sweden, the sauna is away of relaxation. It's the norm to go naked, when I was in Germany it was typical to go to co-ed saunas naked even. Yes, at first it's a little odd and discomforting but then it's significantly more relaxing to go naked and skip messing around with a wet swimsuit.
Once I got used to going naked it always baffled me when someone refused to go without a swimsuit on. When in Finland, do as the Finns do, right? I guess that part of Finnish culture was something that seriously stuck with me: to always be comfortable with yourself, naked or not.
I found some hilarious/terrible marketing campaigns and thought they'd be great to share. There are some ill attempts at contacting consumers' extended selves or offending cultures.
Abercrombie and Fitch offending the Asian market.
Absolut encouraging Mexico to take over part of the U.S.
Nivea telling people to "civilize" themselves.
Glad to see women can't read The Economist. Anybody else giving them the middle finger?
Hopefully nobody minds me posting things about customer service or the hospitality realm in general.
I regularly buy coffee from International Coffee Traders (ICT) since I live a few blocks away and it's on my way to campus. Their coffee and baked goods are perfect. They're the only place that has bran and zucchini muffins, at least that I know of. I'd say I buy two drinks per week for about last seven months. Needless to say, I've spent possibly too much money on soy lattes.
Today after class I felt like treating myself since it was a busy week and a soy chai sounded delightful. I walk in and the barista doesn't say hi to me when I walk up to the counter, nor did she even say thank you after I paid. I felt myself get a little annoyed. How can I be a semi-regular and someone who more than likely recognizes my face can't put the tiniest bit of effort into her service?
I've come to think that this "no service kind of service" is deemed to be cool. Not cool in my standpoint though, and here's why: we live in a country that being independent is how we live. Hence, tipping is a large part of our culture. Did I ever tip in Finland? Nope. It's not the way things work there and service was quite a bit less than it normally is here in the U.S.. There isn't an incentive to go above and beyond for one customer. So, when you're working for tips, wouldn't you want to be, at the very least, a little charming or nice? Since I'm not someone to stiff, unless they make me angry, I will always tip at least 15% even for coffee. And the person has to be pretty bad to not get 20%. Nova has the same kind of service, I'm frequently disappointed in it, but go back because the food is outstanding.
On another note, I also like to go to City Brew to study since it's open a bit later and has space to spread out. I might go in two to three times per month. And they always remember me, by name might I add. They even notice that my hair's grown out a little bit. Their service usually wow's me and they're consistently just kind. If I lived out that way, I'd definitely go there more often.
I'm tired of being annoyed with the lack of service at ICT that I'm trying to avoid it, unless I really want a bran or zucchini muffin. I'm starting to question my motives though. Did I create expectations based upon how I am? Did I make these up because of my hospitality experiences? I have worked in a restaurant since I was 16, so maybe I do expect a little too much. But on the other hand, I'm still able to be blown away by another place. And that's where competition takes a huge role in our society: I'm most likely going to go to City Brew whenever I can instead of ICT. Is this fair? Or am I just not ICT's "type" of customer?
I'm not quite sure if this strictly goes along the lines of consumer behavior or not, but it's something that totally baffles me: utterly rude people that walk into restaurants.
I work about 25 to 30 hours a week at The Bay, which I love, but while I was working late on a Sunday night I couldn't help but wonder why people think they're entitled to things with regards to service. I love serving at The Bay because I make great money for somebody who doesn't have a degree, who goes to school full time, work with my friends, and I don't have to be there until 2:00 a.m. like other service industry folk. And since I'm there quite a bit, I see it all: the good, bad and the ugly.
Normally on a Friday or Saturday night I'm there until 11:30 at the very latest. On Sundays, the kitchen closes at 10:00 and the bar will stay open if there are still people hanging around. As a server, the time I leave depends on the business within the restaurant. So, at 9:45 four people who looked like they just flew in from L.A. (one women who had way too much plastic surgery, super blonde hair, and an enormous fur coat) and ordered food. That's fine, they were the only table in the restaurant but I had no problem being kind to them. Until they decided at 10:15 they wanted more food in which I proceeded to tell them our kitchen was actually closed. "Well, can't you just do a dessert?" Joan Rivers asked. I hesitated and responded "They may be able to do something, but they're about to leave." While I'm thinking that we can absolutely do a dessert because they're so simple but how rude can you be to ask that when I wasn't indicating, I actually said that our kitchen was closed. So, she goes with a mud-pie and I go back to the kitchen to complain about her. After that, at 10:30 she demands another dessert and now I'm annoyed. Since The Bay wants people to come back we have to make her a creme brulee. I had a hard time forcing a smile and saying thank you for their business because I didn't even want their Yellowstone Club quality tip anymore, I wanted them to leave.
Second, on the same evening, two people came in at 10:00, on the dot, to get a few drinks. Naturally, I have to stick around for them and the Joan Rivers' posse table. They order a mojito and a Hurricane Bay. Let me point out to everyone how ridiculous these cocktails are: they're normally one shot and filled with juices and that's it. They're not special. Our mojitos are $8.00, that's the price of a BLT with fries! They're just hand muddled with fresh mint, woo hoo. Why don't you go and chew a stick of gum instead. By 11:00 they had more juice and Blue Curacao than anyone should have in one sitting and had racked up about $35 worth of drinks while only getting about four shots total. Since Yellowstone Club Cali's had left they were the only people in the restaurant and all of the kitchen crew had left by then. I had their bill in hand, and ask if they wanted anything else tonight. They giggle and look at each other, completely oblivious to what's going on, and say "We may have another one." Really? Can't you just go home and cuddle with each other already? Again, totally annoyed, I'm having a hard time understanding people. Since I was annoyed with mankind, I transferred their tab to our casino attendant who has to stay there until midnight anyways.
I couldn't help but think about these peoples' behavior. Am I the crazy one? After all, The Bay is a restaurant and we were open, they did have a right to be there. But on the other hand, where's the sense of community and recognizing that I'm most likely a student and shouldn't have to hang around (I was literally just sitting around, talking to the bartender, waiting for them to leave) until 11:30 for only an extra $100 in sales, which equates to maybe $20 that goes into my pocket. Am I just that psycho server? Do these people really think they're entitled to something because they're the customer and I'm the server?
Has everyone seen Waiting? It's hilarious and true, it's hilarious because it's true. Restaurant life is an interesting one.
Warning: the video is really crude and gross. And The Bay would never, even to the world's rudest person, do anything like this. I solemnly swear that we would just talk poorly behind their backs to take out our anger and inability to understand.
Well, we all (almost) made it through our first week of classes. Go team MSU! I found myself jotting down so many different things as we talked about peoples' ideal and actual selves.
Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies and it's ironically circled around people hiding their identity to pursue the personality they want to have. A couple of scenes came to my mind:
Ms. "Penny Lane" is a band-aid, not a groupie, and follows bands for the love of their music. William is a 15 year old trying to make it big writing for The Rolling Stone. He's a sweet, innocent and charming boy who clearly doesn't fit in with the rock'n'roll craziness but attempts to anyways. "Penny Lane," whom I put her name in quotations because it's not her true name, where she later confesses her mother wanted her to live a suburban Southern life with a husband and kids, which is why her mom named her Lady Goodman. She turns out to be a bonafide hippy and "true" lover of '70's music. As we were talking in class two questions came to mind: Does Penny Lane actually love the music or is she being the opposite of what was expected of her? Why does she take on a "hippy" persona?
As everyone knows at some point in their lives, rebelling is cool. Doing something out of the ordinary is exhilarating and refreshing, even if it's just a haircut. But Ms. Lane took her new self to the extent of changing her name and never looking back, because a true hippy would change their name to an iconic Beatles song; whereas William wanted to be dark and mysterious but it didn't fit his actual self. The entire movie was centered around characters being who they thought they should be: William as a badass, Penny Lane as the best band-aid around, and the band as a group who only "plays for the love of music."
I figured I would make an introductory post to start off. Here are a few things about myself that I may or may not have missed our first day of class.
1. Probably the most interesting thing: I studied abroad in Finland last school year. I believe everybody should at least travel abroad.
Now who knows where Finland is? :) I saw this goofy ad in the metro in Paris this past May. It reminded me of the "Visit Michigan" commercials. A fun Finland fact: they're always stereotyped as being quiet and shy, I couldn't help but laugh at this ad. If anyone is interested in reading my blog while I was in Finland, here's the link: afinnishtale.blogspot.com
Painting cultural Easter eggs with friends in Finland.
2. I have three younger sisters and a younger stepbrother.
Step brother is excluded from the photo. But these are all my sisters and I with my mom.
My sister, Alyssa (far right), graduating high school in June.
3. Has anybody heard of a "Tough Mudder?" They're almost too much fun.
4. I LOVE traveling.
A reindeer sleigh ride in Lapland, Finland. I also swam in the Arctic Ocean.
Traveling in Prague with my boyfriend, Ian.
Climbing a peak in Glacier this past summer.
Checking out the Moulin Rouge with my mom.
5. Lastly, I work at the Bay. Everybody come in and say hi!
6. Someday I would like my entire wardrobe to be Lululemon clothing. Seriously though, check it out. Amazing Lululemon Gear
7. I can speak a little French (and a very tiny bit of Finnish). :) Parlez-vous francaise, anybody?
8. Bodyrock.tv (and zuzkalight.com) completely changed the way I look at fitness. If anyone is ever looking for an exciting and short routine, please check out this website. They are amazing workouts. I haven't stepped foot in a gym for over six months. On a marketing side: for this site, sex sells.
