Effective and/or Efficient Employees Wanted

Employers value employees who can improves their firm’s effectiveness and/or efficiencies through technology. Everyone knows how to use a word processor. The person who gets hired is the employee who knows how to write a media release that leads to favorable media attention for your client or company.

Automobile companies among many are looking or should be looking for people who can generate value through the internet. Toyota’s Scion will give Second Life members (residents?) an advanced peak of the redesigned xB and new xD. The Truth About Cars suggests Scion and the other automobile brands should work on their web sites.

Does TTAC miss a bigger point? Why would end customers visit a automobile brand’s web site? Don’t sites like Edmund’s or Yahoo Auto provide information that is more relevant?

It’s Too Much Information for Me

In our discussion on Wednesday, we looked at various sources of information. As was noted at the course’s outset, information is neither free, nor widely available. Is there such a thing as too much information? Does information lead to analysis paralysis?

In The Best and the Brightest, David Halberstam presented this argument in light of the America government’s decisions related to the Vietnam war. More recently, Malcolm Gladwell plumbed this concept in Blink. Gladwell argues that people with less information can make better decisions than people with more information. Autoblog cleanly applies Gladwell’s argument to the automobile business.

Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday

Honda is gearing up for a run on the 2007 Formula 1 circuit (pix linked here) while Toyota starts its engines in pursuit of NASCAR’s Nextel Cup. Does it matter? Do intermediate (i.e., dealers) or end customers (i.e., consumers) care whether Honda, Toyota, or Chevrolet crosses the finish line first, second, or third?

Years ago, Honda dominated the Champ Car Series (nee CART). A survey revealed that end customers did not associate Honda’s dominance with a technological proficiency of the Honda nameplate. Still, Honda decided to badge its entry in ALMS with the Acura brand. What should Honda do differently if Acura dominates ALMS as Honda did in the Champ Car Series?

Quiz link corrected

The links for the syllabus quiz, which appear on the right side of the screen, have been corrected. I apologize for any confussion the errant links may have caused.

Because of the problem with the links, I extended the quiz to Sunday, Jan. 21, at 5 p.m. Good luck.

If you still cannot log in, please let me know.

Group Exercise 1

The points from Group Exercise 1 will be posted on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Please look for the grade file around 11 a.m. An updated groups page will also be posted at about the same time.

Overall, I was impressed with responses. Since I was not present for the assignment, your responses for each question received a four (a thorough response) or a three (a less than thorough response).

Keep up the good work.

Incipio

Welcome to Marketing 3352, customer behavior, for the Spring 2007 semester. I am excited about working, learning, and teaching with you.

We will discuss the use and purpose of blogs in general, and this specific blog, in class.

Spend a few minutes exploring this blog. As the semester progresses, the amount of content available on the blog will expand.