Blog 6: Thoughts on Creativity

These days the idea of creativity is everywhere! It is hard to be a marketing major and not take notice of a creative product display, an original jingle, or a cool logo. I think there is some truth to the idea that humans appreciate new, fresh concepts and creativity provides these for us.

I like to believe that I am a creative person. Just give me a glue gun and I’m ready to tackle any craft project. Crafting, baking, cooking-any of these-become an outlet for me to let loose and let my mind flow free. These hobbies allow for complete freedom in what you want to create. The only limit is your ability and through creativity, you can even work around limitations. My creativity does wane, but certain experiences can bring it back. It can be as simple watching my favorite show and noticing something that I can make to browsing through blogs to gain inspiration. I usually feel the most creative when I am given a project for school that requires some sort of design.  Since I know the final product will be graded and judged, it is the push I need to go the extra step and cliché enough, “think outside the box.”

I have not had much luck with being creative in a job setting. As a teenager I worked at Bath and Body Works and going into the position, I thought it would be a creative job where I could help come up with product displays. 

Little to my knowledge at the time, all displays are determined by the company and each store is required to follow the designed setup. Talk about a letdown! Fast forward to the internship I did last summer and I am still stuck in an uncreative rut. There is no better way to describe the office setting than boring. Picture the set of Office Space; cubicles, bland colors, an eerie quietness, and some quirky personalities. Creativity was not going to thrive there.

I definitely feel that I can be creative by myself as can anybody. We all have a right side to our brain that taps into creativity.For the people who think they are not creative, I believe they just need to work on accessing the thought process.

 Likewise, groups can be creative in their own right given that there is not a constrictive set of rules to follow. The creative process might need flexibility to really work and organizations tend to limit that.  

Different creative processes are a must. I would not agree that one size fits all when it comes to the creative process. Implementing the process by ourselves allows for experimentation for which way works best. I also think it is essential when working in a group to not be stuck in one process. Trying different ways to come up with ideas allows for everyone in the group to flourish in their own right. Someone might respond better to a group brainstorm while another prefers to have an individual brainstorm and then come together as a group.

I like to believe that creativity resembles a finger print. No one has the exact creative thought process since we all do it in our own way. It is important for a person to determine how and when they are creative so that tapping into the source becomes easier.  In a group, everyone has to meld their thoughts together to branch and expand of everyone’s creativity and knowing your process can only help.

Blog 5: Visualizing Insights

To practice visualizing data, I created an infographic off of the data presented in a Mintel report about red meat.

Source:  Day Levesque, Sarah. "Issues and Insights: Red Meat.". Mintel, n.d. Web. 21 Oct 2013.

Blog 4: Business Model Analysis-Sephora

Ever since I was 13, I was fascinated with the world of cosmetics. Sephora quickly became the mecca of my teenage free time.

Even Sephora's motto says it all!

Sephora is worldwide cosmetic and beauty store that sells more than 100 different brands in their trademark black and white striped stores. Sephora displays products in such a way that customers can try on and experience the makeup.

The Sephora representatives are knowledgeable on all the products and can direct you to a professional in store makeup artist if you would like a makeover. Unlike other beauty stores, Sephora does not sell drugstore makeup brands, but instead, sticks with top labels or niche products. By doing so, Sephora has positioned themselves alongside department stores like Nordstrom’s, Dillard’s, or Macys.

My interest in Sephora has not waned any through the years and neither has my love for cosmetics. Sephora has been there with me since I was an acne ridden teenager till now.  For me, Sephora is one of those stores you cannot leave without buying something because there really is a product for everyone and everything. Say you’re just going in for eye shadow, you’ll have to pass every variety of makeup there is, makeup tools, nail polish, and fragrance options.

Each display more and more tempting for you to try out. It has also been interesting to see Sephora from the view point of a marketing major. The way they reach and draw in consumers is fascinating. For instance, Sephora has created a successful rewards program allowing customers to turn in their points for product samples. From the initial advertising email to the great customer service, Sephora truly creates an experience.

As I mentioned before, Sephora has something for everyone, even men. With that said, there are a few primary segments they try to reach.

• The young preteen who is just getting into makeup.
• A young working professional who needs to redefine her makeup look into something more mature.
• The middle aged woman who wants to look young, but still her age.
• A man who is interested in a skincare routine.

I believe that most of the value Sephora can provide benefits the young working professional and the middle aged woman. There is more of a need in these two segments for the one-on-one help with the numerous product choices Sephora can provide. The issue for the preteens is the lack of necessary funds to afford to buy what Sephora is offering. Sephora does provide more affordable brands, but in order to purchase all the products you need to complete a look, one would almost need to take out a small loan. Finally for the man who may be interested in creating a beauty routine, I believe they may not be completely aware of the value Sephora could provide to them. Sephora quite understandably has a stigma of being a place for women.

Though with one quick look around the store, one can see an obvious men’s section has been portioned out.