Customer Experience Audit and Prototype Reflections

The Customer Experience Audit and Prototype was truly a fun learning experience for me. There are many course concepts and skills that I learned from this project, but two that had the most impact on me are generative (qualitative) research techniques and Kotler’s lateral marketing.

The most important skill I learned is using generative (qualitative) research techniques to gather insights about customers, or in our case our persona and research samples. Rather than just learning about the different types of generative research, utilizing it first-hand allowed me to better understand the benefits of it. Kate Canales’s presentation is what first got me interested in this research method. According to Kate, generative research “inspires new ideas, uncovers latent needs, focuses on individuals, happens in natural contexts, promotes dynamic conversations, and is valuable early in a development process.” Employing generative research techniques really helped my group and I to gather insights we would not have been able to by only using quantitative research methods.

There are many generative research tools, such as tours/”in-homes,” analogies, journals (photo or written), walking in someone’s shoes, foreign correspondents, and image collages, to name a few. For our project, we used written journals and our variation of image collages. Every family was given a journal where they would keep a log of activities and emotions experienced in the family room. Through this technique, we were able to see when specific family members were in the room and the emotions felt as they were doing particular activities. For example, we discovered that one child felt bored when watching T.V.

Instead of doing real image collages (with magazine cut-outs), we had the kids from our research sample draw a collage (with crayons) of how they currently perceive the family room. We also asked them to draw what they would like to see in the room that is not already there. This exercise helped us gain insight of the kids’ untapped desires. Across the board, all of the kids drew lots of electronics such as televisions, game consoles, and computers. One boy based his entire drawing on the theme of electronics and drew a large T.V. that was the main focus with an Xbox, PS3, and sound system surrounding it. He also drew two chairs in front of the T.V., and when asked what those were, he said those were vibrating chairs to be used when playing video games. This really demonstrated not only that the kids wanted more electronics, but the extent to which they desired it.

Using generative research also helped me understand the concept of, “don’t ask what customers want, but what do they want their products to do for them.” Throughout the course of the project, I reminded myself of this concept and tried to employ it when conducting interviews with my research sample family. For instance, once I realized the kids in my family wanted more electronics, I dug deeper and began asking why they wanted more and what they wanted the electronics to do for them, both physically and emotionally.

Another course concept I understand better as a result of applying it to this project is Kotler’s lateral marketing. This is when you manipulate a product to create a new innovation, which can be seen as a variance of the product that is manipulated. There are six ways to manipulate a product, including: substitution, combination, inversion, elimination, exaggeration, and reordering. For our project, we were able to manipulate traditional board games, electronic games, touch screen technology, and coffee tables by substitution, combination, and elimination to create our digital game board. Substitution is “removing one/several elements and changing it/them,” combination is “adding one or several elements,” and elimination is “removing one or several elements.”

For the process of creating a new product for our family room, we started by thinking of the key items most used in the family room, traditional board games, electronics, and the coffee table in the center of the room. In addition, we thought of what families wanted from the family room, more family time and increased organization with less clutter. First, we tried to think of ways to substitute traditional game boards with something more electronic. Then, we decided to combine the coffee table with traditional game boards since that is where the games are usually played. This was done by somehow being able to play an electronic version of the traditional game board built-in to the coffee table, through touch screen technology. Finally, we decided the game board built-in to the coffee table was too big and not portable, so we decreased the size and eliminated the legs of the table, creating the portable digital game board.

Through the use of lateral marketing, we were able to create a product that included all of the most-used features of the family room while addressing the needs of more family time and less clutter by developing an all-in-one digital game board. This tool was extremely helpful in initially brainstorming our product. As a result of this tool, we already had an idea of what to make during our prototype work session day.

Initially, I was not very excited about this project because I thought it would be near impossible to create a product that has never been developed. But because we had several phases of completion, it divided up the project in a way that was more clear and feasible to me. In addition, the outside resources such as Kate Canales and her generative research techniques and the lateral marketing tool was really beneficial to my group in gathering valuable insights and developing our product.

Overall, I felt like our group was a bit confused about the project’s main point and process at the beginning, but as we progressed, the confusion faded and we began to understand what our objectives were. Personally, once we had an idea of what we wanted our prototype to be from the lateral marketing exercise, I was not as worried anymore, and became excited about our final product. I really began to embrace the generative research techniques when I was conducting interviews with my sample family. I felt like a real marketing researcher and was excited to hear the responses from my family. It was also pretty cool to be able to dig deeper and gain insights about the “why” aspect of their untapped desires. Through this project, I discovered I really enjoy gathering insights and interacting with potential users, rather than quantitative data which I did more of in my Marketing Research course last semester.

Working with my group also contributed to my learning and enjoyment of this project with the application of course concepts. Although I had great tools and resources to work with, this project would not have been as fun without my group. In addition, I would not have gained as much as I did out of it. Because we had five individuals, we were able to integrate multiple ideas and skill sets. We were able to challenge each other’s ideas, but also work well together without personal conflict, leading us to create an awesome product, which I am very proud of and hope to see out in market one day soon!

Social Media Tools

Between the Google zeitgeist and blogs, I would say both are helpful marketing research tools, but one is more useful depending on the purpose and type of topic or brand someone is researching. Overall, I would say the zeitgeist is more helpful for researchers when they want to observe and analyze trends, especially with website traffic. This would mostly pertain to businesses that have a lot of online activity. For example, online shopping such as Amazon and eBay, rating and review sites such as Yelp and Citysearch, and even in-store shops like Express and Victoria’s Secret who have customers that also shop online or prefer to shop on their online website. Marketing researchers are able to analyze these trends based on month, year, region, city, and even across countries. Then, they can use this information to improve website traffic during slow periods and locations, as well as provide the best deals and opportunities for customers during peak seasons.

Google blogs have a more broad use for marketing researchers, as well as regular customers. Bloggers can pretty much write about anything they wish, so there is a wider range of information that blog readers can access. Personally, I would use Google blogs much more than the zeitgeist as a customer. The blogs are useful to become more aware, learn about the strengths and weaknesses, read about special events, and hear personal stories from customers of various products and services.

Using the Google zeitgeist and blogs, I searched for Victoria’s Secret because it is one of my favorite women’s apparel shops. With the zeitgeist, I found information on trends of their company search and website traffic. With Google trends (a broad look at search query data), I found that the average worldwide traffic was highest at the end of each year, in November and December, and highest overall in the United States and in English. Using Google trends for websites (website traffic data), I found similar data as Google trends, but also learned what other sites Victoria’s Secret customers searched (vspink.com, vsallaccess.com, and bebe.com) and also what search names they used when searching Victoria’s Secret (victoria secret, victoria’s secret, victorias secret, victoria’s secret coupons, etc.). Displaying what customers also searched for may be helpful to a market researcher when deciding what key words will trigger the main Victoria’s Secret website to pop up as the first result in a search engine.

As for Google blogs, I found a variety of blogs with different, interesting information in each, but was surprised that I did not easily locate what I was expecting to find. I was expecting to see a lot of blogs that customers wrote on their experiences with certain products from Victoria’s Secret, but was disappointed to not find much on that aspect. Compared to customer opinions and experiences, I found more blogs advertising certain products (“miraculous push-up bra”), model contests and top 10 finalists, Victoria’s Secret going to the UK, who will walk in their annual fashion shows, and coupons and deals. Although it was interesting to hear about their model contests and finalists, fashion shows, etc. I was more interested in hearing customer opinions about their new and old products. I wanted to hear stories about customers’ favorite or least favorite products and experiences, but did not really find any in the blogs I looked through. The most helpful blogs to me were the ones on their new push-up bra and coupons/deals. Then again, I wish the new push-up bra blogs shared more opinions and experiences, rather than just being another advertisement. Even as a marketing researcher, I believe these blogs left out important data pertaining to customers’ insights which could have been available through bloggers’ opinions and experiences of Victoria’s Secret products and brand. Therefore, Google blogs should include more blogs about customers’ opinions and experiences to give marketing researchers more insight into their data.

Although there are many great social media tools, it is important to consider the products and/or services of your company, to most effectively utilize social media. For example, when working as an intern at Chasse Consulting, a sales strategies consulting firm, one of my projects was to develop a social media strategy. We found that Facebook and Twitter were not good tools to use for our high-end services because they would not have much value to our clients. Facebook and Twitter would be better for a company like Tiff’s Treats to help them with their advertising efforts. These tools would have been useless for our services, which require more face-to-face interaction and past client opinions and experiences. Blogs and ratings & reviews would have been more effective for Chasse Consulting.

I believe blogs and ratings & reviews are really great, effective social media tools for almost any company. For every product and service you buy, most people want to hear feedback not only from their friends and family, but also from past users before purchase. Blogs allow readers to hear about what users typically like, dislike about a product or service, the strengths and weaknesses, what a product or service is missing, and even some personal stories and experiences. These can be really beneficial insights not only for customers, but also marketing researchers who are trying to discover how to improve their products and/or services and the experience they bring with them.

Ratings and reviews are a similar tool that allows readers to gain detailed information regarding a product or service. This tool is usually helpful when searching restaurants and movies. Before I try a new restaurant, I like to look at the menu online, as well as hear about past customers’ opinions and experiences to get an idea of what to expect. And if I hear enough bad reviews, it’s enough to persuade me not to go there and try something else. Therefore, marketing researchers should actively manage the information on the blogs and ratings & review sites to use it to their benefit and reduce the negative associations these reviews can bring.

What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits

Based on the “What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits" article by Constance L. Hays and my prior knowledge of and experiences with Wal-Mart, I would say there are more pros to their innovative technology than cons. As a result of their massive amount of data collection, they are able to successfully utilize this information to gather customer insights that serve as a competitive advantage. In addition, their pioneering technology and the data collected from it have a positive impact on suppliers for the most part, making their manufacturing/distribution processes and business operations more efficient and improved. And although there are some privacy issues with the information they have access to, I believe there are more benefits of these data than risks, and that there is not too much need for concern over their motives.

Using the vast amount of data Wal-Mart collects through various technology sources, they are able to capture insights to forecast future business and create great experiences for their customers. They use forecasting methods to plan for a new store (both the products it will need and the number of shoppers it expects to attract) and to determine how many cashiers will be needed at a store during a particular time. And by analyzing trends, they are able to predict popular items for specific situations, such as the increase in sales of strawberry Pop-Tarts and beer during Hurricane Frances.

Wal-Mart has also begun to use their Web site to learn more about their customers’ buying habits. Not only do they gain knowledge on what certain customers purchase (as a result of the personal information required to process an online order), but more importantly, they are able to analyze what collectively ends up in one shopping cart. This helps Wal-Mart know which items are needed and should be grouped together in-store, as well as guiding their pricing strategy. For example, when I shop online on Amazon, I notice a section of the page that refers me to other products I may want to buy based on my current item I chose or even products that typically go with the item I want. This is all made possible through their database which holds information on what products customers bought in the past, individually and collectively with other items.

Wal-Mart’s ability to forecast future business and utilize their Web site to gather data and develop valuable insights has definitely been a major component of their competitive advantage. Effective analysis of their data is what helps them constantly achieve low prices, which is Wal-Mart’s key selling point.

Although Wal-Mart has high standards (that may seem too demanding at times) for their suppliers, it is what makes them more efficient and improves business operations for both Wal-Mart and their suppliers. This is largely made possible as a result of Wal-Mart’s enhanced information technology. Wal-Mart’s innovative technology allows them to share information with suppliers over private extranets to show how their products are doing. They can also track products through bar codes and electronic data interchange that enter their system. And to help Wal-Mart in their efforts to gather data, they are requiring manufacturers to invest in radio frequency identification so that they can track the items they sell.

In addition, Wal-Mart uses their enormous amount of data to attain more efficiency with their business operations. For instance, information is used to decide which products are stocked in the store based on expected demand while details about a manufacturer’s punctuality, or lack of, is recorded in the back of the store for future reference. Their purpose is to “protect Wal-Mart from a retailer's twin nightmares: too much inventory, or not enough.” As one consultant stated, "They track the purchases and very quickly route that back to their suppliers so they can be replenished. They are very strict with their suppliers, but they give them the data that they need." Their technology has also served to help them keep in real time, or close to it, in order to manage their suppliers more effectively. If a truck fails to drop-off or pick-up something, they will be notified within hours to handle the situation.

As further proof of their impact with suppliers, Wal-Mart meets with each of their suppliers to discuss sales goals for the year, where suppliers are encouraged not to miss sales targets. If sales goals are not met, suppliers can expect difficult terms with Wal-Mart in the future. This may seem too demanding, but I believe it is Wal-Mart’s tough stance that allows them to be more efficient and successful. Even at my job at Sushi Sake, my manager is extremely strict with the details of the processes and methods required to perform my job effectively. This work environment pushes me to be more efficient and pay attention to details. Therefore, although my managers are demanding, I believe it is necessary and it is what helps me be more successful in the long run.

For the most part, I am not too concerned about the privacy issues associated with the amount of personally identifiable data they gather about customers, but there are limits to what I feel is necessary versus going too far. Because Wal-Mart is a huge multi-national global corporation who has a lot at stake and because I have shopped at Wal-Mart all my life, I do trust them with my personal data. In the article, it states that Wal-Mart is “capable of capturing a huge amount of outside information about them that has nothing to do with their grocery purchases,” but it never said that they actually do that. Similarly, Ms. Dillman said that “she did not think Wal-Mart had ever tried to squeeze data from credit cards to learn more about customers’ buying habits” because they could still do that by analyzing their market and competitors’ markets without the credit card information.

If all of this is true, I am not concerned with the ability of Wal-Mart to gather information unrelated to my buying habits and will also continue using my credit card to make purchases. And if I needed to cash a payroll check at Wal-Mart, I would even enter my Social Security and driver’s license number, because I feel that information is necessary for this situation to keep appropriate financial records. Then again, if Wal-Mart began to take advantage of their access to personal information, I would definitely become more concerned and not wish to use my credit card. Although it is essential to collect some personal information, especially with online purchases, I do feel it is somewhat unnecessary for Wal-Mart to even have the capability to access our court dates, driving record, creditworthiness, etc. because they do not need this information to develop customer insights. If Wal-Mart’s true focus is on the products it sells and not to whom it sells, personal information unrelated to buying habits to gain customer insights, in my opinion, is never necessary.

Overall, Wal-Mart is doing a good job of employing a wide variety of technology to gain information in an efficient manner, but there is always room for improvement. Their immense data collection serves them as a competitive advantage through the insights and experiences developed and their innovative technology aids to improve business operations with suppliers by increasing efficiency. As for the privacy issues associated with the personally identifiable information they have access to, I am not too concerned as long as they do not begin to use this information or take advantage of their access to it. If it became known that Wal-Mart accessed the personal information frequently or have alternative motives, they can expect to face tough repercussions with unhappy customers worldwide.

The Evolution of Domestic Cleaning

Who uses mops, dusters, scrubbers, and buckets full of water nowadays when you can use the Swiffer? I don’t know about you, but most of the people in my social network owns at least one kind of Swiffer, if not more. Basically, there is the Sweeper, Duster, and WetJet within the Swiffer product line to perform various functions. Depending on what you need your Swiffer for, you can use the Sweeper to sweep, Duster to dust, or WetJet to mop. In addition, there are designated cleaning supplies to go with these cleaning tools, such as the dry and wet cloths that go with the Sweeper so that soap and water are not needed. Instead, you simply put one of these cloths on your Sweeper and you can start cleaning without the mess, not to mention the fact that you are saving water! I think the Swiffer is an extremely creative and innovative household tool that has changed the world of domestic cleaning. Not only is it convenient, but it is also fun to use.

I own a Sweeper and mostly use it with the wet cloth. Although the Sweeper is supposed to be used for sweeping, I actually use it to “mop” the floor as well with the wet cloths. I noticed that it wasn’t really doing a good job of mopping, and now I realize, after doing some research on the Swiffer website (http://www.swiffer.com/en_US/home.do) that there was another Swiffer (the WetJet) that was designed to mop which I never really knew about. I had just bought the general Swiffer (the green one) and thought it was supposed to mop. But even though the Sweeper wasn’t intended to mop, I still use it to sweep and mop. This demonstrates that one Swiffer can be used for multi-purposes. Procter and Gamble uses technological innovation to develop the Swiffer in a manner that makes it easy for consumers to use. They can also measure consumers’ attitudes towards the Swiffer more effectively through information systems, tracking, and their interactive website. In addition, they are able to quickly test new products such as the Swiffer because of innovative technology. In “The New, Faster Face of Innovation” by Brynjolfsson and Schrage, they state that “they can stick features on Web sites and tell within hours how customers respond.” The Swiffer website contains promotions, cleaning solutions, and tips. So they not only offer the product, they also provide information on how to effectively use the product so the user can make the most out of their cleaning experience.

The Swiffer is creative and innovative for several reasons. First, the look of the Swiffer itself is creative and innovative. Most cleaning supplies look dull and boring, but the Swiffer has a sleek look to it with bright colors which contributes to the feel that it is fun and easy to use. In addition, some cleaning tools look so dirty and used that I don’t want to touch it and even feel icky because of the way it looks. Also as stated before, the Swiffer line of products limits the amount of tools and supplies you need to clean. You get rid of the mops, brooms, dusters, scrubbers, soap, and water, and instead replace it with a simple stick (Sweeper and Duster) or light-weight vacuum (WetJet) and cloths for the Sweeper and brushes for the Duster. And don’t forget the fact that the Sweeper can be used to sweep and mop. This makes cleaning easy, especially because these tools were designed in a way that users can get to hard-to-reach places. All of the Swiffer product lines are flexible and bend in ways that standard mops and brooms cannot. This simplicity and ease-of-use is often demonstrated in the Swiffer television commercials where a woman “dumps” her old, messy cleaning supplies for the simple, flashy Swiffer. These ads aim to influence consumers’ physical and behavioral actions. The Swiffer “enriches customers’ lives by enhancing their physical experiences, showing them alternative ways of doing things,” from the ACT element of the Strategic Experience Module. Another key reason why the Swiffer is innovative is because it has even changed cleaning terminology and has become a brand of its own. At my apartment, when my roommates and I talk about cleaning, we don’t say “we need to mop our floor,” but instead say “we need to Swiffer our floor.” The word Swiffer translates into mop, clean, and sweep. It’s almost like Band-Aids. People don’t usually say “I need a bandage,” but instead say “I need a Band-Aid.” Band-Aids are just one brand of bandages, but most people seem to think “Band-Aid” is the general term for “bandages.” Maybe one day, the Swiffer will become so popular and common that it replaces “mop” and “sweep” as well.

The Effects of Expectations

In “Predictably Irrational,” Dan Ariely speaks about the different effects expectations can have on individual experiences, whatever it may be. Marketers want to create products and/or services that enhance customer experience and they know that expectations and beliefs, pre-existing or new, can either positively or negatively impact their experience. As stated in “A Framework for Managing Customer Experiences,” experiences are “private events that occur in response to some stimulation (e.g., as provided by marketing efforts before and after purchase),” “involve the entire living being,” “often result from direct observation and/or participation in events—whether they are real, dreamlike, or virtual,” and “are usually not self-generated but induced.” One cause of expectations that can affect experience is knowledge which has the power to change our expectations and beliefs. Marketing is all about “providing information that will heighten someone's anticipated and real pleasure,” but the timing of that information, or knowledge, is key. Knowledge does not just inform (as the term may suggest), but also changes the physiology of the experience itself. Recently, my sister and I went shopping for a couch. My sister picked out two couches she liked and then asked me for my opinion, one was new and the other was used (but also looked new). I preferred a couch that was new and comfortable. My sister told me which one was new and which was used, and I immediately liked the way the new one looked and felt better. Later, we went to a different store, and my sister, knowing I am biased towards new things even though the used one looks and functions exactly the same, chose to not tell me which couches were new and used. This time, I ended up liking a used couch the best. When I was informed prior to making my decision the first time, I was biased towards the new couch. But when I was informed after I tried out the couches, although I was a little disappointed at myself for choosing the used couch, I admitted that the used and new couches at the store were pretty much the same, and was content with my choice the second time around. In addition to knowledge, expectations can also enhance experience through in-depth descriptions and eye-catching presentations. For instance, if a product, in this case food, has a rich description and has a gourmet presentation, it is more likely to be considered better than a different dish with the same exact ingredients. People simply have or form expectations based on previous knowledge and current information (the description and presentation of the food). Overall, I believe the primary lesson from this chapter is to not let expectations get in the way of the true experience. Or, because it is impossible to not have preconceptions or previous knowledge most of the time, we should be able to acknowledge that we are biased, so that we can try to have a more open mind and accept the facts and experience products and situations for the way they truly are. Knowing that expectations exist and are hard to get rid of, marketers can use this to gain valuable insights. By manipulating situations and experiments based on the biases, marketers can discover what consumers expect as a result of pre-existing knowledge, stereotypes, product description and presentation, etc. We can then use this data to continuously design valuable holistic experiences for the consumer with the sensory, emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical/behavioral, and relational aspects combined. One way to create a lasting valuable experience is through strong branding. Knowing that expectations exist and cannot easily be thrown away, a strong brand can be extremely helpful when trying to persuade consumers to purchase your product over another. Take the case of Coke versus Pepsi. As studies have shown, the expectations, or brand, of Coke created by marketing gave Coke an advantage over Pepsi, even if the taste was not necessarily better.

The primary example Ariely gives to explain the effects of expectations is between Busweiser (later Sam Adams)-beer A versus MIT Brew (Budweiser plus balsamic vinegar)-beer B. Two students were offered both of the beers, but in a different manner. Jeffrey did not know that beer B was mixed with balsamic vinegar and ended up choosing beer B as his choice of beer, but Mina was offered information that beer B was laced with vinegar, so she chose beer A. This study demonstrates that people choose what they expect to be good based on prior knowledge of what vinegar tastes like. “When we believe beforehand that something will be good, therefore, it generally will be good-and when we think it will be bad, it will bad.” Another study was conducted with the two beers to demonstrate that beliefs can also change the physiology of the experience itself. This time, students were not informed that beer B was mixed with vinegar until after the beers were tasted. If knowledge merely informed people, then the students who were informed after tasting the vinegar-laced beer should have the same reaction as those who were informed before. This was not the case. The students informed after tasting actually “reshaped their sensory perceptions to align with the knowledge” and instead, enjoyed the vinegar-laced beer. A similar experience that I frequently encounter is when I go eat out at restaurants that serve authentic food. For example, I prefer authentic Mexican food and expect it to taste better than Tex-Mex. Because I have this expectation, even if the restaurant looks more run-down, I still think the food tastes good and better than it would at a nice restaurant that did not serve authentic Mexican food. In fact, I associate the run-down looking style as more “authentic.” If somebody told me that a particular dish was authentic when it really was not, but presented it in such a way that it was, I would believe them and probably still enjoy the food thinking it was authentic. Knowing that I can be very biased, I try not to hold preconceptions in mind when trying to make choices where I know expectations obviously exist, but it is admittedly very hard to let go of those biases.

10 Things a Marketer Would Find Helpful About Me

Just to introduce myself, I am a 21-year old Korean American who was born in South Korea and moved to America when I was about a year old. I have one younger sister who is the total opposite of me that also goes to UT and parents who live in Dallas. I also have 4 dogs: 2 toy poodles that live here in Austin with me and 2 Jindo dogs (a type of Korean dog) back home in Dallas. Here are 10 characteristics, behaviors, etc. that would be helpful to a marketer when trying to create a persona related to me (not in any particular order)!

1. I love the color pink. And I also like it with a combination of black and/or white as well. A lot of what I own is pink. My bed sheets, iPod, laundry hamper, laptop, backpack, and even Bible are all pink, or at least have pink in it for the most part. When a product comes in a variety of colors and the color pink is included, you can almost bet that I chose the pink one.

2. I am very indecisive when choosing between two or more items. Having variety is great and gives buyers a lot of options, but sometimes when there is TOO much variety it sort of stresses me out. I’m very picky and indecisive when I need to choose because I want the best option, and when I can’t seem to decide what that is, I don’t feel as satisfied about my purchase. For example, when I’m choosing between shirts with more than one color that I want, I stand at the store contemplating which one I want for longer than I should. Even after I purchase it, I find myself wondering, “should I have gotten the other one?”

3. I consider myself more of a trend-follower rather than a trend-setter. I guess you can say I don’t really take “risks” when it comes to fashion. But that’s because I’m not really that into it, my sister is the fashion queen, not me. Whether I’m too scared to try something bold or I just don’t view a certain new trend as cool or pretty until I see it on more people, I tend to not jump on the bandwagon until the trend is in the growth or maturity stage of the product life cycle. To give a somewhat recent example, the mini dresses with a plaid skirt and a sort of tank top attached to it did not look “pretty” to me when I first saw it, and I definitely did not see myself wearing one. But after seeing more girls wearing it, I started to think it looked good and eventually bought one myself.

4. I like flashy electronics, but I like simple clothing-styles. So I’m probably similar to most people my age when I say that new, shiny electronics are fun to have. I love Apple’s iPod, iPhone, and MAC laptops (the latter two which I don’t own). In general, I like my electronics and things like it to be very sleek and modern looking. This is why I chose the Apple iPod instead of some other MP3 player; the iPod just looks way cooler. Then again, I am the complete opposite with my clothing. I don’t like outrageous styles and colorful clothing, but prefer simple clothing-styles whether it is a shirt, pants, or dress. I hate it when there are too many weird colors or beads and accessories attached. My sister says my choice in clothing is boring and that I have too much black and white. I just think black and white looks good on me!

5. I enjoy the night-life and eat late at night a lot. I love going out to eat with my friends and having a few (or maybe more than a few) drinks at night. It’s a great way to meet new people and just let loose from all of the stress during the day. Going downtown or any other social gathering is exciting to me and I’m sure it is for most college students, right? I don’t know if it’s because I don’t wake up early enough to eat breakfast and pretty much have to eat a really late lunch after classes, but I always eat late at night. This is pretty much my third meal since I skip breakfast. I know it’s really bad for your diet and health, but I can’t help it! I feel like I’m the only person with this problem, but then I forget that I’m on a college campus with a lot of people who also eat late at night. Or maybe there really isn’t, and that’s just what I would like to think.

6. I am not very careful with my car and electronics. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl, but I suck at taking care of my car and electronics. I have bird poop stains on my one and a half-year car that won’t come off because I left it on too long during the summer and it pretty much melted onto my car (I’m stupid and didn’t know bird poop did that even after you wash and scrub). I drop my phone pretty much every day (one time in a toilet too) and I can tell it’s not working at optimal performance at times when it’s only one-year old now. I am recently having problems with the LCD panel on my year-old pink laptop so I may have to replace the whole screen (and before this one, I had a laptop that didn’t even last me two years before it completely stopped working; the cost to repair was not worth it, so that’s when I bought my pretty pink one). And also, my digital camera is not working probably because I dropped that sometime as well, but I don’t even want to try to fix that! This is why my dad got this special insurance on my car, I am not getting an iPhone (the screen would probably crack in half the first day I get it), and I may have to get another new laptop (would be my third one in my fourth year of college). Overall, I have bad luck (and I’m sure a lot of it is my fault) with electronics and I need strong, sturdy products that won’t break easily!

7. I would say I fall for name-brand items. I don’t know why, but I just don’t trust non-brand items as much as I do name-brand ones. Marketers have definitely done a good job brainwashing me to stick with brand names. Whether it’s a bag of chips or a new pair of shoes, I almost always go for the name-brand instead of the store brand.

8. Music is a part of my everyday life. It’s hard to walk on campus without listening to my iPod. Sometimes the walks to and from campus are long and boring, and I love listening to my music, it starts and ends my day well. I also can’t drive my car long without listening to music. Driving is also boring if you’re alone and it’s fun to sing while you drive! And of course, I listen to music a lot at home too.

9. I like products with a clean scent to it. I don’t really like the flowery or vanilla-y scent. I prefer the clean linen and breeze (the ones that come in a light blue color) smell for Febreze, laundry detergents, etc. The “blue” scent just makes me feel fresh and clean. It also does not have as strong of an odor as some of the other ones and has a more natural feel and smell to it.

10. I listen to people’s opinions over advertisements. When it comes to purchasing anything from a commercial item like gum to a high-end product like a new laptop, I always ask friends for their opinion. Advertisements introduce and make me aware of specific products, but it’s mostly a result of what I have heard from others that helps me in my final decision to buy or not. No matter how great a T.V. ad is, if someone in my social group had a bad experience with a product, I will probably not buy it.

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