My wife had sent a text right before I arrived in Genoa City to see if everything was okay and to let me know of her growing concern of the inclement weather headed our way. I sent a text to let her know all was well and picked up my pace as the clouds started to roll in. The next 7 miles were at a fast pace, so fast I had forgot about the limestone underneath my vulnerable tires. I finally reached the paved trail and increased the pace as I felt the first drop, as I rode through Glacial Park I knew the storm was coming fast from the two unanswered phone calls from my wife to the photographer who was setup near Glacial Park awaiting the photo opportunities the storm was sure to provide. The one rain drop turned into two and two turned into thousands, I was 2.5 miles from my house when mother-nature unleashed her fury. I was soaked, visibility was non-existent as I peddled to find the nearest shelter; not to get out of the elements but to make sure my cellphone was not getting soaked and to contact my wife. I was able to get a hold of my wife who was already in the car on the way to pick me up; the lighting was getting bad so I agreed to meet her as the temperature had fallen and I was sure to be hypothermic at this point. I learned some very important lessons on this long bike ride; 1) CHECK THE WEATHER, 2) if the weather is worrisome put the cellphone in a plastic bag and 3) Check the weather.

The following day after a long hot shower the night before to get my core temperature up to livable levels it was back to the gym to do some brick training, which by the way I had never heard of this definition until a conversation last week despite training this way for quite some time. Monday’s workout was a leisure run of 3.23 miles and a half mile swim pretty uneventful compared to the Genoa City bike ride. Tuesday through Thursday was of similar workouts that rotated bricks altering in cycling class. Thursday night, I decided it would be a good idea to include all three disciplines (swim, bike, run) for Friday’s workout. I completed 50 percent of what the event is going to be, .25 mile swim from there I transitioned to a stationary bike. I cycled for 8 miles which seemed like a breeze, yes I was sweating but my heart rate was not as elevated as expected. I transitioned to the run, somewhere between the stationary bike and the treadmill my legs decided to increase in weight tenfold-this is where brick training pays off in the end (so I am told). I finished the 2 miles and stretched out; feeling confident that the training is on target and this race will soon become a reality. This past weekend I was able to go for a short ride with my training buddy in tow on the mountain bike (pictured) at Moraine Hills, the thought is if I can pull a carrier with an extra 50 + pounds the cycle part of the triathlon should be a breeze on a 19 pound road bike. It is amazing what the body can accomplish in such a short amount of time as long as you stick to a plan and put in the work.

-Jason

As it turns out my last name is still Stevens

The obvious question to those who are unfamiliar with this type of lifestyle, is Why compete in a triathlon?  I have always competed in sports my whole life and after competing in a couple 5K races over the past few years it seemed like a natural progression plus I missed the competition.  I see the training as more of a challenge than the actual triathlon.  The triathlon is one day and will require less than 2 hours of my time to complete (.5 mile swim, 15.5 mile bike, 4.0 mile run).  Training on the other hand will require weeks of preparation and perspiration to ensure my readiness.

Living in Chicago requires one to become acclimated and flexible with the frigid winter temperatures.  Thus, I decided to find a new gym-health club seems a more appropriate term, to allow me to train for these varying events I will be competing in.  It only seemed natural to join the local YMCA where there is a lap pool, cycle classes, indoor running track and treadmills.  My first day going to the new facility was reminiscent of attending the first day of school.  I was extremely eager to jump in the pool and start where I left off many years prior, as it turned out my last name is not Phelps.  I muscled through 5 or 6 laps (50 yards=1 lap) and swallowed enough water to keep an Olympic swim team hydrated; maybe I should invest in a snorkel!  Two months later these same 5 or 6 laps are a warm up, I don’t swallow as much water as I once did and usually will complete 17-20 laps per training session.  The moral of the story is to take a new form of training, a job, what have you with a positive attitude and see it through.  You will amaze yourself with what you can accomplish with a positive mental attitude. Next week’s blog will entail the past week of triathlon training and the little biking outdoors miscalculation.  Stay tuned…

-Jason

Going green could increase profits

Preserving nature’s resources has been around for centuries yet the whole going green concept is relatively new strategy businesses are starting to utilize. Going green (aka sustainable initiatives) translates into a firm taking initiatives to make their business more sustainable from how it operates to the products it consumes/produces and how resources are maximized. The premise behind going green is reducing the firm’s carbon footprint and possibly costs as well.

The costs of going green could be minimal or they could be drastic depending on how the firm wants to be positioned. For example, to change out faucet heads in all the bathrooms within an office building or installing hand dryers in lieu of towels is less expensive than replacing suppliers or machines that operate more efficient. The benefits of going green can allow a firm to capitalize on the new fad and earn more revenue because of this hot button amongst consumers today.

Is going green the right thing to do for a company? I would say  for the majority yes, this initiative is going to continue to grow with more companies reporting on their sustainability efforts in their annual reports (Triple Bottom Line). The qualitative standpoint can create positive PR resulting in a favorable reputation amongst the public that in turn can affect the quantitative standpoint through increased revenue. The cost of NOT going green can produce unfavorable PR resulting in lost revenue to the competition who have incorporated such programs. Furthermore, going green still could provide a competitive advantage within certain industries where the competition is lagging with such initiatives. We all share the environment; lets sustain it for future generations to enjoy. Go Green.

Understanding local culture could be beneficial

Culture as used in this blog refers to the local Religion, Political Philosophy, Economic Philosophy, Education, Language and Social Structure of a society.  Religion and Political Philosophy go hand in hand in some countries.  A company seeking expansion into such a country should consider the importance of Religion (e.g. prayer times, religious services, religious figures, ethics, etc.) and what type of politics are running the country (in some countries facilitating/grease payments are culturally acceptable).  Education plays a vital role in culture, some cultures put heavy emphasis on education (e.g. Japan, United States) thus, it could be less expensive and advantageous to stakeholders for companies to hire skilled talent outside of their home country.  Language is another important facet of culture; words as well as expressions can have completely different meanings in other cultures.  Thus, if a company ignores local culture and uses their language it could have dire consequences on the success of the company internationally.  Finally, social structure in a foreign country’s culture can limit a company’s expansion and success if they fail to acknowledge the hierarchy, class systems or even caste systems that are in place.  Keep in mind the old adage, when in Rome and abide by the local customs and culture to ensure product/company adoption in an international market.

An age cohort is simply a group of people who have experienced common social, political, historical and economical environment.  There are often six generations that are referred to in the United States including: Pre-Depression Generation (born before 1930), Depression Generation (born between 1930-1945), Baby Boom Generation (born between 1945 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965-1976), Generation Y (born between 1977-1994) and Tweens which marketers have yet to fully define.

Who is your target market

During our discussion there appeared to be some gaps between our generation (my wife and I-Gen Y) and my mother-in-law who is a baby boomer.  I have written about Generation Y in a previous blog.  There are obvious differences between these two age cohorts and from a marketing perspective they are important to comprehend.  We need to understand the customer and their background to effectively target and furthermore service them.

There are roughly 80 million baby boomers today; most of them grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Today, they range in age from 48-66 and often have children leaving home (empty nesters) and or grandchildren.  The “empty nest” is  becoming the norm and for marketers this is a huge opportunity as this cohort has discretionary income and time to spend.  Furthermore, the average baby boomer is highly educated and comes from a dual career household, which translates, into higher incomes.  Things to keep in mind when connecting with a baby boomer:

• Heavily influenced by Kennedy and Vietnam era
• Boomers are considered to be more self-centered
• Economically optimistic
• Skeptical and suspicious of authority
• Focused on the present compared to other generations

What mediums to use to target this generation?  TV is often used to target this generation (e.g. Pharmaceuticals), baby boomers are often more tech savvy than previous generations thus making Internet advertising appealing .  Given the educational background it comes as no surprise this generation has a thirst for knowledge and new skills, which is apparent by 70 percent of this generation using the Internet.  Regardless of the generations your company targets, it is important to understand their “story” so the company can be better positioned to attract and retain customers.  Know your customers, your competition does.

Can you recall what you were doing on December 31, 2009? I can, I was nervously awaiting Travis Pastrana (extreme athlete) to jump his Red Bull rally car (a new extreme sport Mr. Pastrana decided to undertake at the time) over 200 feet of water onto a barge to break a world record. What a way to ring in the New Year, right?

Red Bull, as most are aware is the #1 selling energy drink in the world, they heavily promote extreme athletes and more importantly to marketers they portray a lifestyle associated with their brand. Red Bull not only sponsors professional athletes, they also sponsor local athletes who harness this lifestyle to give a more organic appeal to local markets.  My personal behavior/actions of the aforementioned exemplifies building a cultural brand. What energy drink do you think I continue to consume? In today’s environment brand loyalty is imperative to gain repeat business and favorable consumer to consumer promotions.

Red Bull creates experiences for their consumers; a memorable ad  depicts a motor cross athlete racing around a track accomplishing some amazing feats. All stereotypes would lead the viewer to believe this is a male athlete however, when the rider removes the Red Bull helmet, the rider is a female, shocking to some maybe. What really resonates with the viewer is the athlete, Ashley Fiolek, was born without the ability to hear. Extreme, yes, memorable check, reiterates the Red Bull lifestyle, absolutely!  Red Bull conquers two stereotypes with one ad, a female motor cross extreme athlete that is handicap, very powerful and extremely memorable.

Is Red Bull on target? Yes, in more ways than one. Red Bull continues to dominate the extreme sports segment through endorsing many of the top tiered athletes. In addition, they continue to test the norms of advertising from simply stick figures with powerful messages, “It Gives You Wings” to extreme athletes testing human capabilities.   Red Bull has capture what few brands have been able to do, Red Bull is synonymous with energy drinks much like Kleenex is synonymous with tissue. Does your brand create customer engagement?