Cannabis Drinks Confront a Serious Buzz Kill- They Taste Terrible

Cannabis Drinks Confront a Serious Buzz Kill- They Taste Terrible 

As cannabis becomes more popular, we are seeing that it can be and is being substituted for alcohol and prescription drugs. Whether people want to reduce anxiety, cure a headache, or treat their depression, cannabis is being widely seeked after. The only thing in the way of maximizing consumer utility is the taste of the beverage. The compounds that come from cannabis are THC and CBD, the latter is the nonintoxicating compound. Both THC and CBD are oil-based compounds which means they do not mix with water. This problem is the root of many unfavored outcomes. Due to oil and water not mixing together this leads to drinks looking unappetizing to the consumer as well as a bitter taste and long wait time for the effects to kick in which is the sole reason for consuming the beverage. Because the cannabis extracts are oil-based, it is broken down in the liver which can take up to two hours to feel any effects. Many companies are doing research to figure out how to make the compounds mix together, this not only "would be absorbed and enter the bloodstream faster," but also would reduce the "dish soap and urine" taste. The owner of Ruby's restaurant in New York created a cannabis-infused sweetener known as Azuca. This sweetener will mix with any drink due to the oil-based extracts being converted into a sugar texture. Alkaline Co. also joined in on how to perfect the cannabis beverage. They ultimately came up with the idea of a "soaking and straining technique that separates water-soluble CBD compounds from the plant". This approach is straight to the point because instead of converting the oil based extracts into something that is water-soluble, Alkaline cut out the middle man and directly extracted the water-soluble compounds. Other companies are focusing on breaking down the oily compounds to then mix them with chemicals to make then blend easily with water. The big problem that this technique faces is the disturbing taste it creates due to the chemicals. Canopy Growth Corporations, a Canadian cannabis grower and retailer, partnered with Constellation brands, are also trying to get in on the cannabis beverages. The chief executive of Constellation stated that the drinks "could be sold as intoxicating alternatives to beer or liquor, or a nonintoxicating health drink akin to a herbal tea, coconut water or kombucha". While the demand and consumer preferences increase, researchers are testing different techniques to please their market before someone else does. 

This relates to the marketing concept, which is to focus on creating the most desired product by the consumer and making sure that everyone is working to reach that goal. Many of the companies that are selling cannabis products understand the problems that face the beverage category and are working to perfect it. This not only includes the marketing team, but the CEO's such as Bruce Linton of Canopy Growth Corp. and investors such as Constellation brands are all working to reach the same goal. This also relates to product differentiation, as many companies are working to solve this problem they are doing so in different ways to make their product stand out above everyone else in the same market.  

I picked this topic because I like keeping up with the cannabis industry, especially now that it is coming closer and closer to nationwide leagization. In addition, this is an organic way of having a good time as well as a great alternative to pharmaceuticals.

LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cannabis-drinks-confront-a-serious-buzz-killthey-taste-terrible-11552254570?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=2

Uber’s Marketing Plan to Put Its Scandals Behind It

I initially chose this article simply for the fact that I am a huge user of Uber Technology Inc. services such Uber Ride and Uber Eats and I was a little familiar with a few legal troubles the company was up against in the past few years. My generation grew up being told by our parents to not get in the car with strangers and now we are essentially paying a stranger mindlessly to drive us from one destination to another.

Uber has been under a lot of heat, fighting multiple legal cases which involve the failure to act on sexual harassment, theft of trade secrets, and mistreatment of customers and drivers. Due to these incidents that have been on in the past years, a large number of people have began to boycott their services and moved over to their competitor, Lyft. With Lyft competing in the same market, they cut Ubers Market share from 90% in 2016 to 77.5% in 2017. Uber Technology Inc. took a huge hit on their image after being unable to successfully clean up the multiple legal cases and have failed to prove to the public that their number one goal is to promote safety for both the driver and the user. Rebecca Messina was brought on to the team as CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) to help rebuild the brand with her own approach "Be it, do it, say it."


A huge vision she is putting into play is for more story telling in the companies marketing and more ties to cultural moments such as when Uber ran a Super Bowl promotion offering free rides to loyalty members in the losing teams city. She is also pushing a lot to let customers know how much they working to ensure customer safety and equity. Also Rebecca, mention that it was important to show the public how Uber is working to expand their services from what they have now to Uber bike, Uber for Business, Uber freight, and autonomous driving. Ubers goal is to expand their brand meaning and show the public what good they are doing for their customers on every socioeconomic level to help move past those legal cases they had and to keep telling their timeless story of what Uber stands for. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ubers-marketing-plan-to-put-its-scandals-behind-it-11550852776?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1&ns=prod/accounts-wsj

"Amazon, Microsoft Tighten Grip on Enterprise Tech"

"Survey says the two tech companies are preferred vendors in over 30 IT services and products"

WSJ Article published March 18 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-microsoft-tighten-grip-on-enterprise-tech-11552949379?mod=hp_minor_pos6

Photo source: https://betanews.com/2017/11/21/amazon-is-becoming-the-new-microsoft/

Analysis by: Nancy Rodriguez 

Analysis posted March 20

According to this article posted on the Wall Street Journal, Author Angus Loten reports that the market-research firm ETR found that Amazon and Microsoft are the leading information-technology companies, because they first introduced the cloud and are a part of consolidations. 

He also reported that the firm said these leading companies are preferred for information technology basic needs by many high-level corporate officials. He noted that these two companies' head start on the cloud market has produced nearly $50 billion a year in combined revenue and could double by 2020. 

Because these companies provide many different basic technology products, it is easy for consumers to shop in one place. This is something some are worried about, such as the Marty Boos, CIO of StubHub, because big consolidations give consumers limited options to purchase from and eliminate competition. Merging and acquisition done by companies such as Amazon and Microsoft only allows them to become more and more powerful. Although some may be opposed to consolidations such as these, the convenience of a getting many products from one place outweighs the opposition. 

I chose this article, because technology has become a staple need for everyone. However, I am surprised Apple is not one of the two leading companies. I also believe the consolidations done by big companies need to be regulated by the government when it begins to harm competition and the consumer. 

This relates to our marketing class, because the topic of this story is the product. The introduction of the cloud by these companies means that they entered the life cycle of this new product first and are able to receive the most revenue. These popular brands are also preferred to other companies, because they have established a brand name and are trusted brands by consumers. Further,  their convenience of having many different basic IT products and services allow these companies to be the best places to buy all kinds of products. I believe these companies are strong conventional internet retailers, because of their popular expanded assortment and reduced margins. 

“Who Needs Gender? Why Men and Women Are Dressing Identically”

  

By: Lucy Reyes

WAKE UP! Today there are many people who are challenging the gender binary, and fashion industries are taking notice. Gender is now being viewed as a spectrum to many millennials and the younger generations.

Shoppers have increasingly crossed these virtual gender lines. For instance, data shows that girls will go in the men’s section and the men will go in the women’s section, according to Fanny Damietta, vice president of brand and marketing for its parent company, Richmond, Va.-based NSTO. As these changes are happening fashion industries are adjusting quickly to the customers who are challenging the gender binary.

Fashion companies have to study the psychological influences of there customers by specifically looking into their psychological needs which includes self-expression. As a result, fashion has become more fluid by having shared wardrobes and less gender-specific clothing.

The strategy planning decisions that the fashion industry is making new products, while changing the existing products. For instance, “Parisian brand Celine described all the clothing in its recent men’s show as unisex, and labels like Dior and Balenciaga have started marking handbags a genderless”.

 Traditional men and women wear are currently fading away while gender roles are being broken down. Mindsets are evolving and the fashion industry is taking note of popular social influences that can impact the style of this time.

The idea of what it means to be dressed like a man has been thrown away and left in the past. Many social influencers such as A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Ezra Miller have made bold moves with their fashion choices, causing a movement to where menswear blended into womenswear. These influencers impact society by shifting peoples social needs about their status and esteem—things that involve a person's interaction with others.

Designers are now gender-blurring menswear with little details and accessories that would be seen in the women’s departments. Everything is becoming more simplified and masculinity and femininity is slowly being erased in the world of fashion.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-needs-gender-why-men-and-women-are-dressing-identically-11550782766

Estee Lauder Incorporates Innovation with Beauty

Beauty brand, Estee Lauder, Merges the beauty business with technological innovation.

Cosmetics company might use artificial intelligence, data analytics and 3-D printing to be apart of promoting the beauty brand.

By: Quynh Nguyen

There are many companies in the beauty industry mainstream such as Estee Lauder Co. are always looking for ways to improve their products and to promote their brand. One way is technology, by incorporating the use of technology can help them stay competitive among others that are up and coming to which are to reach the younger crowds.

For Estee Lauder, their use of such technology which includes artificial intelligence, data analytics and 3-D printing, has made them more involved in innovation. Chief information officer of the New York based firm, Michael Smith, stated that technology is one of the main key components of the company's growth and that an IT group consolidation had made it easier for teams to collaborate on technology focused experiences.

IT groups may help companies to leverage data to help spot trends early on and to respond to consumer wants and needs. Events such as, design- thinking sessions hosted by Estee Lauder at their Queens location to which many users, developers, and employees are put together to collaborate for upcoming projects. Some sessions focus on how they are able to use technology to create a unique product or experiences that make consumers interested in the brand.

Some ideas that came out of the sessions include, face scanning app to which users will receive product recommendations based on the analysis of their skin factoring in any skin conditions, while in another sessions, consumers can upload photos of a makeup look that they would like to recreate and the app will recommend similar products to achieve the ideal makeup look.

With the help of technology enabled products or experiences, it helps brands stands out to consumers and for the company to remain competitive even though brands such as "indie" brands or up and coming brands are growing fast. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/estee-lauder-revamps-it-merging-beauty-business-with-innovation-11553120039

Published on March 20, 2019

Bitcoin is only going down in value

“Bitcoin Is in the Dumps, Spreading Gloom Over Crypto World”

           The price of crypto currencies and more specifically to the price of Bitcoin and what it appears right now. Depending on where you look the consensus at the moment at least is that the market is not doing well because of the Bitcoin cash civil war as it is being called. First of all Bitcoin cash already has a somewhat negative view by the people in the cryptocurrency space because of what it stands for and now the fact that there is another form of it. This does not bond well with the market at large. So currently the most digestible explanation suggests that the current sell-off was kicked off by a combination of six thousand dollars representing a stop loss trigger as well as the current Bitcoin cash hard from exerting pressure on an already Bitcoin price. Todau sharp correction took Bitcoin to a twelve month low and the market cap has already dropped below one hundred billion dollars for the first time since November 2017.

            Bitcoin was sitting around sixty four hundred dollars or something like that. I came up with the exact number, and the problem is or the problem was that the idea was that six thousand dollars was the bottom like Bitcoin would not go below six thousand dollars and this is why I always say no one can ever tell you exactly what cryptocurrency market is going to go because we have so many factors and one of the factors that wasn’t factored was the Bitcoin cash. Bitcoin cash hard fork scenario that we have right now and so the easiest way to kind of explain this is that I know people who invest in cryptocurrencies. I know people who invest in stuff in general, I can’t even give you the proper wording as to everything that they kind of invest in. One of the major problems that a lot of major investors are having right now when it comes to Bitcoin specifically is the name. I mean the name simply because everyone and their cousin and mother think that they can fork a Bitcoin, and right now is that we have Bitcoin diamond, Bitcoin platinum, Bitcoin shoe, Bitcoin sock and honestly no one cares about these other forks but people do care in some capacity about Bitcoin cash. Bitcoin cash is in the top ten coins and is now in the process of having a hard fork which is going to create even more Bitcoin cash quote-on quote and therefore creating more Bitcoin. It is taking away from the magic that Bitcoin has.

            When I talked to larger investors I listen the main thing that was happening especially two years ago was that Bitcoin was magical because there are twenty one million and there can never be anymore and this is why the price of Bitcoin dropped.