Marketing Project (due Dec. 7)

For this project, find a partner. You and your partner will design a five-minute multimedia presentation in English together to propose a new product. Your presentation should follow the format of a persuasive speech and make use of at least one visual prop.

It should also include the following elements:

1) Details about the product you plan to bring to the market (e.g., function, look, design, etc.).
2) An explanation of your "target market" (planned customer base). The more specific this target market is, the better.
3) An explanation of how your product is different from comparable products already on the market (i.e., why will your product be successful?).
4) A plan for advertising and/or promoting the product.
5) A celebrity pitchman/pitchwoman. You should explain why you have chosen this particular celebrity and why you believe they will be effect for your product.
6) A jingle (song clip to accompaniment advertisements for the product). For this clip, you are welcome to use a song of your own or a famous song. Like in #5 (above), you should explain why this jingle will help promote your product.

This project will be graded on the following criteria: 1) Ability to communicate effectively in English, 2) Originality, and 3) Following the directions well.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask (the sooner, the better).

The presentations will be due on December 7. Good luck! I look forward to seeing your work.

Bonus Question (for Nov. 2 homework)

The following quote is the beginning to Don McLean's "American Pie" (recently covered by Madonna):

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

What historical event was he referring to here? I.e., which day is called the "day the music died"?

Homework Questions (due Nov. 2)

Some of these questions have multiple parts. Please use Google to research the questions and hand in your answers on Nov. 2.

1) Who is Stephen King? Where is he from? What movies has he been involved with? What do the critics say about his work?
2) Who is River Phoenix? What happened to him?
3) Who is Kiefer Sutherland? What well-known TV series is he currently starring in?
4) Where did the title Stand By Me come from?
5) Who was Buddy Holly?

Upcoming Schedule

Here is the schedule of our sessions for the next few weeks. All of these sessions are mandatory.

Thursday, Oct. 26-Picnic/Hike beginning at noon. Meet at the library steps. We will be finished around 1:30-1:45.

Wednesday, Nov. 1-Movie showing of "Stand By Me" at 2 p.m. Location: JC205.

Thursday, Nov. 2-Regular class at 2 p.m. We will discuss the movie and poems. The five homework questions are due at this time.

Marketing Terms

The following words are some of the most useful English words for marketing. They are likely to be on the Final so be sure you 1) understand them in a business context, and 2) are able to define them using your available English vocabulary:

PR
campaign
poll
survey
graph
chart
jingle
presentation
promotion
profit
soundbite
pitch
spokesman/spokeswoman/spokesperson
market/market share
e-commerce
budget
brand
narrowcasting
slogan
target audience
word of mouth
ad copy
proof
demographics
generic