Too Much Testosterone Leads to Greater Luxury Purchases

People who have more testosterone are much more oriented toward status symbols than those who don't. That is, at least according to a study of men and increased hormone levels. Those who took the hormone bought more stuff (Nave, et. al. 2018). This could help us determine who are the type of people who are willing to pay big bucks for items.

I guess there is something neanderthal about being a cave man that pushes us to buy status symbols to raise our status and attract mates. It seems like at our core we may be a little closer to the animal kingdom than we think we are.

While our psychological make up and culture determine much of what we like and don't like our biological characteristics may push us to buy certain products within our culture perspectives.

High testosterone individuals look at status even when quality is comparable. If it costs more and people think it means wealth and power they are much more willing to buy it.

If you are a marketer you may want to consider how certain brands attract certain types of individuals and their need to buy similar products. For example, people who spend money on fitness supplements and high status clothing may also want luxury cars and watches. Trying different combinations may lead to greater sales associations.

Nave, F. (2018). Single-dose testosterone administration increases men’s preference for status goods. Nature Communications, 9. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/4/17534124/caltech-testosterone-luxury-status-symbols-study-report

Fourth of July and Honoring Our Soldiers

The 4th of July is a time to honor our warriors. While the world has become increasingly complex we are removed from the necessity of defending our villages and towns through citizen-warriors. Today's military is professional requiring significant training and specialization to function well. It wasn't long ago that the average farmer donned a rifle and defended his land to create a revolution that led to our current nation. Honoring our present and past helps us keep in touch with our responsibilities to defend our way of life.

Once upon a time the sign of manhood and loyalty was the ability to be productive and still act as a warrior when needed. Now society has changed and much of this requirement has gone by the wayside as a huge percentage of people no longer need to join the Armed Forces or defend home and hearth personally. We sometimes forget that if we must not actively engage in combat that there is a significant commitment by those who choose military careers.

There is tradition within the military that helps grounds soldiers to a code of conduct and a code of honor. They are trained to work together and respect diversity within their ranks. The military was one of the first places to accept different races, religions and ways of life. The need and right to protect our country is open to just about every physically capable person.

Those in the military often have values that isn't seen among many in the general population. They have a commitment to a belief system that is ingrained in their psyche the first day they step off the white bus and meet their drill instructor. By the time they complete their terms and careers these value systems are completely installed into their view the world.

Honoring the military means having some thankfulness for both the current military and those in the past. They have fought, bled, and overcome challenges to protect our national beliefs. While you may not agree with how our military is always deployed we must still respect the individuals who choose this path. They are an absolute necessity in a turbulent world where the "games" played by countries in their paths to gain influence impact American interest around the globe.

Smart Phone Pop Up Holder and Mount

The Rise of Eco Tourism in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Over the past few years I have gained a greater appreciation for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the activities it holds. Having a beautiful cabin just outside the City of Escanaba and engaging in many of these nature oriented sports I realize that there are few places on the Earth like here. From the pristine forests, waterways, and Great Lakes there isn't much a visitor can't do.

Some of the activities include....

Tour Fishing: Fish the Great Lakes with a tour guide.

Big and Small Game Hunting: Lots of preserves and natural forests to shoot pheasant, deer, buffalo, hog, and bear.

Sailing: Excellent sailing opportunities on wooden ships in traditional style.

Ship Wreck Tours: View sunken ships over a century old from a glass bottom boat.

Kayaking and Hiking: Kayak the Great Lakes and waterways stretching miles.

Hiking and Camping: Plenty of places to hike and stay right on the water.

Iron Mine and Natural Springs: You can view the Iron mines and springs in one afternoon.

Bonfires and Cabin: Stay at a log cabin and sit by the bonfire most of the night.

Nightlife and Cuisine: Enjoy the local nightlife and cuisine of perch, smelt and more.

Waterfalls: Hiking up to local waterfalls and enjoy nature at its best.

If you are interested in renting a cabin and having a package put together for you and your friends/family just send me an email or give me a call. muradabel@gmail.com 619-540-0501

Value Communication and Promotion Tips When Evaluating Tools in Online Marketing

Online marketing is one of the best ways of selling products. With the huge amount of different tools out there it can be difficult to evaluation which one's are the best and which ones are sort of "hype". Sometimes the newest ones are the not the greatest but by understanding the purpose of these tools it provides a method of evaluating their work.

According to a study in Economic Science the purpose of online marketing tools should be value communication and promotion (Laura, 2015).

This means that as we review the potential of different tools you will want to compare them against their ability to create communication with current and future customers as well as the ability to promote products.

A couple of tips when reviewing the benefits of potential tools

1. Does it allow for two way communication?

2. Does it provide useful information to current customers?

3. Does it promote the best aspects of the product?

4. Is there a way to track the effectiveness of such tools?

Laura, P. (20150). A classic framework of online marketing tools. Economic Science, 25 (1).

What Eye Scans Can Tell You About Promoting Your Products?

How does eye scans relate to overall interest in websites , their content and their products? When we focus on certain topics we spend more time in search mode scanning for information to make purchasing decisions. A study of website visitors found that customers who spent more time in directed searchers used longer eye sweeps and alternative based processing methods (Etco, et. al. 2017).

Alternative based processing is comparing products based on a number of alternatives.

Attribute based processing focused on a single attribute while comparing different products.

Why is this important to businesses?

Those businesses that seek to attract one or the other may want to design their sites based on the way people scan for information. For example, if someone is using directed search approaches with alternative processes the business may want to highlight the multiple features when compared to competitor products. Those who are browsing the net may be a little more attracted to a specific attribute they can highlight like price or quality.

Etc, M. et. al (2017). The Influence of Online Search Behavior on Consumers’ Decision-Making Heuristics. The Journal of Computer Information Systems, 57 (4).

Amazons Selling of High Demand Products May Push Some Vendors to Limit their Sales

High selling products are one way to make money online. Amazon provides a powerful platform for retailers that desire to move into the eCommerce world. One of the potential problems with a selling platform that also sells the products is that it can take over products that sell well leaving the vendor without options. Research suggests that Amazon takes over high selling products and this may push vendors into selling less through minimized servicing to not attract competition (Baojun, Kinshuck & Srinivasan, 2011).

Successful sellers on Amazon complain that when they have a "hot" item Amazon begins to sell it. This is great for Amazon but not so great for sellers. Its like hijacking a good idea.

Of course none of this is illegal. It is actually smart of Amazon because they have most of the online business in the U.S. and can squeeze out competition to maximize profits.

It does show there is a lack of true competition. Wal-Mart is working on some alternatives but as of yet it hasn't been made into fruition. Sellers can't jump ship or hedge their networks.

Online retailers that are selling well may want to reduce the amount they sell in order to ensure they don't attract competition from Amazon. Almost seems counter intuitive. However, if you are trying to corner the market on these products it may make sense.

The advantage Amazon has is that they don't need to take risk on finding their own products. They don't invest in purchasing and risk failure like sellers. They just watch the sellers and put their financial muscle into buying what works. The sellers bring it to them!

Jiang, B., Jerath, K. & Srinivasan, K. (2011). Firm Strategies in the "Mid Tail" of Platform-Based Retailing. Marketing Science 30 (5).