VALS

Last class, I took my first ever VALS test - a Values, Attitudes and LifeStyles Survey.  This is a great tool for marketers to really get inside their consumers' brains and can help with strategies like targeting, positioning and communicating to a specific audience.  VALS classifies U.S. adults into eight distinct consumer segments based on their psychological

After the short questionnaire, my primary VALS type is "striver," which is my dominant approach to life and my secondary type is "experimenter," which presents a particular emphasis I give to my dominant approach.  

I learned that "strivers" are trendy and fun loving people who are motivated by achievement.  They are also concerned about the opinions and approvals of others.  As consumers, they are impulsive as their financial circumstance will allow.  I would agree that my personality accurately matches this description.  I tend to be frugal with my money because I have to work for it, I am unfortunately not given money by my parents whenever I call them up.  I have been working since 7th grade and definitely know the value of a dollar; I am career oriented and motivated by achievement.

"Experiencers" are motivated by self-expression.  I can agree with this too because I am very right-brained in that I consider myself to be creative.  Experiencers are young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers who seek variety and excitement.  I too find energy outlets in exercise, sports, and social activities.         

Possessions & Identity

After reading the Qualitative Inquiry article about the woman losing all of her possessions in a horrific house fire, I paused to think about what is important to me and which of my things I could live without.  I had a hard time coming up with a list, but I do know that one of my possessions that is closely tied to my sense of identity is my cross necklace that my dad gave to me and this symbol acts as an extension of myself. 


Whenever I think of my cross necklace, it makes me think of my dad who gave it to me on my birthday.  He has a very special place in my heart as the stable male figure in my life.  Growing up in a house of all girls with my mom and two sisters,  I always felt a little sad for him, having to sit through so many dance recitals and listen to our dramatic stories about friends or boyfriends when I'm sure he would have much rather watch a sports game with a son.  


Something I am trying to improve is the relationship I have with my dad.  Sometimes, I feel like I don't even know him at all.  Since I moved into college, it's been hard to stay in communication with him.  We both need to work on putting more effort into staying in touch.  Not to say that we don't get along or that there are any grudges or hard feelings at all, I just never really see him and I think that living away at college has really made me realize how much I miss him. 


So now, whenever I wear my cross I think of my dad.  It makes me think of who I am and who I want to be.  I was raised Catholic and made my Confirmation in the Catholic Church my sophomore year of high school.  My faith is important to me and I really became more aware of it during my senior year of high school when my grandmother (my dad's mom) passed away from cancer.  I saw my dad cry for the first time during her sickness and that is when I really started to focus more on my faith. 


I wear my cross when I am hoping for good luck, when I miss my family, or when I want to feel safe.  It grounds me and conjures up many emotions, good and bad.  My cross is one of my possessions that helps me to put things into perspective and think about my personal identity. 

Priming

In January I went to a retreat in Quincy, MA for the annual Winter Org Retreat.  There were about 100 RWU student leaders who were there to discuss plans for the upcoming spring semester for their student-run organizations.


I found an example of priming during the weekend at the retreat.  To start our weekend, we participated in many ice-breaker activities because there were many students who we did not know. In order to feel comfortable with each other, we played many getting-to-know-you games.


The exposure to group activities and talking about our personal experiences was good priming to make me feel more cooperative and open in our group settings.  The ice-breaker activities made me more willing to share my thoughts and feel comfortable voicing my opinion.

[kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

On the Roger Williams University campus, I consider myself part of many groups.  However, my favorite group that I participate in is the Inter-Class Council (ICC).  The members of ICC represent the interests of individual classes and voice class concerns to the University Student Senate and Administration.  ICC also plans effective programing appealing to each class that fosters class unity and school spirit.

Our logo for this student run organization showcases school spirit by using our school colors, blue and gold.  Any time that ICC uses advertisements, the logo is incorporated into the design of the flyer/poster/banner to brand its event to make sure everyone knows that the event is by ICC and not another organization.  This logo sets us apart from other six student organizations on campus with its unique design.  This logo is the only one that uses blue and gold, so that makes us stand out more as the "spirit org." 


The ICC logo helps to resolve the tension between individuality and community.  I feel part of the group as a whole, but I also play an important individual role as the Public Relations Chair on the Executive Board.  My individual skills are needed in order for the org's success, but there is a great feeling of family and closeness with each member of the organization.

Alternatively, there is a group that I would love to be a part of once I have my life sorted out and I am looking to buy and decorate my own house: Martha Stewart Living.  I know, I know, I'm such a nerd.  But I love the simplicity of her interior designs and cute arts & crafts tips.  When I am older, I would love to be living in the preppy, perfectionist-mom, suburban lifestyle that you can find flipping through the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine. 


Both of these logos have characteristics that make their brands community worthy.

The Pretty Good Problem

Great restaurant, great food, great service. 
Overwhelming menu.

My last visit to the Cheesecake Factory was very enjoyable; however, once the waitress handed me a menu, I started to feel stressed out. 

Not only did I want to eat everything listed on the menu, but I felt pressed for time to read all 40 pages.  There was an abundance of options and I found that it was hard to navigate through the menu to find what I wanted most because there was no "purple cow."

In interest of time, I decided to order a simple dish of chicken and pasta.  I was very satisfied with the meal, but I experienced consumer remorse, wishing that I had tried something new.    

Branding

Tito's Handmade Vodka http://titosvodka.com/

Produced in Austin at Texas’ first and oldest legal distillery, Tito's is made in small batches in an old fashioned pot still by Tito Beveridge and distilled six times.  This American handmade vodka developed in the early 1990s.  I thought that Tito's seems like a very country, classic American, summer drink.  The website was aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.  However, it did not create a brand community culture like Sailor Jerry does.


Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum http://www.sailorjerry.com/rum/

Celebrating 100 years (1911-2011), SJ is a well-known brand designed to honor the legacy of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins by bringing his artwork to a wider audience.  The brand "espouces his traditional value system, supporting all different walks of creative individuals."  SJ summons feelings of hard work, community and craftsmanship.  Sailor Jerry's has more of a nautical, history-rich feeling, with more of an "idea" attached to the brand.   

OM NOM NOM

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!


Football, friends and food.  What more could you ask for?

To celebrate Super Bowl XLV my friends and I decided to order some pizza from Leo's Ristorante (http://www.leosristoranteri.com/).  Conveniently located in downtown Bristol, Leo's caters to every college student's level of energy by actually delivering right to his or her dorm room!  


How can you go wrong?  Plus, RWU students receive a 5% discount with a valid school ID.  It is safe to say that everyone loved the cheese pizza and we will definitely be ordering more take-out from Leo's ... PS, Paul Mancieri from Leo's loves working with RWU students and often donates to on campus events.  Thank you!!


All we do is win - see theme song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF5-l7bz64I ... ok so it's not the original, but hey, it's still catchy.