18A- Create a Custom Avatar

My customer avatar is a 21-year-old girl who is a junior in college. She is in a sorority so some of her hobbies include Greek life events, other hobbies of hers include going to her college’s sporting events, going out with friends, throwing parties at her apartment with friends, shopping and volunteering. She likes buying one-time use straws for when she has parties at her apartment with her friends, so they can all use them to mix drinks. She drives a silver 2016 Ford Focus and enjoys watching Riverdale, Stranger Things, and any other current popular TV show that streams on Netflix or Hulu. She is a Democrat (who will be voting on November 6th like everyone else should) and enjoys staying up to date on current events and important news.

I have a lot in common with my customer avatar, I am also a 21-year-old in college and have a lot of other similarities to the avatar’s personality that I listed. I don’t buy one-time use straws much, but I can see myself in the segment I would want to target for my product. I think it makes sense that I based my avatar off of myself some because of this.

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

1.) Pitch
Elevator Pitch No. 2

2.) The feedback I received last time was mainly people telling me how I needed to better my sound quality because it was hard to hear, and that I didn't seem excited enough about my product. Nothing about the feedback surprised me too much, I realized this is all points that I needed to work on for my next pitch. The most useful feedback was the person who said I didn't sound very excited about my product, it made me realize to focus more on how I'm saying things not only what I'm saying.

3.) I recorded my video with my computer instead of my phone, I think this made it a lot easier to hear me in the video. I also tried to seem more enthusiastic about my product and talk with more passion and less robotic.

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

My list: 

1.) I am very creative and like to think outside of the box when I am presented with a problem.
2.) I am a natural leader and love delegating work in a group to make sure that we all achieve our final goal.
3.) I am a friendly person and try to get along with anyone.
4.) I am very organized and make sure to never miss a deadline.
5.) I am an emotionally strong person and it takes a lot for me to not be able to handle a situation.

Interview Recordings Link: 
Interviews 

Interview #1 (Friend- Caroline, age 21) Caroline said how I’m a great people person, am a to-the-point person, and am good at staying composed in any high-stress situation. She also commented on my skills in advertising since that is the industry I want to go into.

Interview #2 (Friend- Aly, age 21) Aly said how I’m good at giving feedback and constructive criticism to others. She also mentioned how I am a friendly, people person and when it comes to work, I don’t let my emotions get to me. She commented on my real-world knowledge, most likely in reference to my past internships.

Interview #3 (Boyfriend- Alex, age 22) Alex commented a lot on how organized I am as a person, which helps with how I interact with others especially in a team setting. He also said how I am a great problem solver and am very committed to figuring out a solution to any problem I’m given. He mentioned my extensive experience as well.

Interview #4 (Father- Stuart, age 53) My dad mentioned how I am ethical and a hard worker. He also said how I have great leadership and communication skills, especially from me doing JROTC all throughout high school. He mentioned how I am an emotionally strong person and am very knowledgeable from doing well through school my whole life.

Interview #5 (Friend- Niki, age 21) Niki said how I am very creative and think out of the box. Skills she mentioned are how I’m outgoing and have great communication skills. She talked about how I’m good at working under pressure and have great knowledge in social media advertising, etc.

Reflection: I think how I see myself and how others see me is very similar, all the things I listed were mentioned by the people I interviewed. I don’t see a big difference in how I assessed myself and how others assessed me, there were a few things others mentioned that I hadn’t thought of though. I think they are correct about me because it is very similar to what I said. It was really nice hearing others agree on a lot of the things I thought about myself like my people, leadership and organizational skills, etc. I wouldn’t change my list from part one at all.

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Interview #1 (Female, age 20) She said when buying straws for her apartment price matters the most, she doesn’t really see a difference in one-time use straws quality. As for style, she likes to choose ones with fun bright colors. She only buys in store with cash or her debit card, usually at Publix she said. She said she doesn’t really ever think back to the purchase because it is such a low-cost item. She knows it’s a good idea when she pours a beverage at home and wants a straw to drink it with.

Interview #2 (Male, age 19) He said that the price is the only factor he cares about when buying one-time use straws. The style or quality doesn’t make a difference to him. He only buys with debit card at where he grocery shops in-store, either Publix or Walmart. What matters most to him is that it’s a big enough pack that lasts him a long time, so he doesn’t have to repurchase often. He knows it’s a good purchase because he uses them often and are very useful to him.

Interview #3 (Female, age 21) She says the price and style matter to her, not really quality. She likes pretty colored straws that are cheap. She only buys this product in store (Publix) and buys with debit or credit card only. What matters most to her is that they come in big packs because she uses them often when mixing drinks at home. She is starting to think it is a bad purchase and says after she finishes the big pack she currently has she’ll probably switch to reusable straws after learning how bad the one-time use ones are for the environment.

Conclusions
I would describe this segment (college students who buy reusable straws) in terms of alternative evaluation as price being the biggest deciding factor. I think as long as the price is low, college students would buy my reusable straw alternative. As for purchase decision, I think college students would only buy my product if it was in grocery stores where they already do their food shopping. Finally, as for post-purchase evaluation, as long as I make my product in large quantity packs and they work the same as regular plastic straws, there will be no complaints.

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

I read Coco Chanel’s biography by Lisa Chaney. The thing that surprised me the most about her was her childhood and upbringing. She had such a hard life, and I had no idea. Her father was never there for her and her mother died when she was only 12 years old, so she had to live the rest of her childhood growing up in catholic convent. After the convent, life was still hard for Gabrielle (Coco) because she was born poor and in a low social class, meaning it was hard for her to make money without finding a man to help take care of her. I never knew how hard of a life Coco Chanel led before her fame and success. I admire how she overcame a life where people viewed her as poor and low-class, and instead of living off of men, she wanted to make something of herself and gain influence over others. I least admire how she lied and kind of bent the truth about a lot of her background and early childhood throughout her life because she was embarrassed. I hate liars and I think if she didn’t want people to know about something she should have just not discussed it instead of lying. Gabrielle experienced adversity throughout the beginning of her first hat business for sure because she had to convince her lover at the time to invest in her, and people of her status didn’t usually work so it was very unusual.

Gabrielle’s main competencies were that she was determined, and once she set her mind to something she wouldn’t give up until she was great at it. One thing that was confusing to me was all of the French words throughout the book, I know nothing about France so all of the French places, sayings and words used often throughout the book were pretty confusing to me. If I were to ask any two questions to Gabrielle, I would ask—what her one regret in life was? And what advice would she give someone at the beginning of their career? I think Gabrielle’s opinion of hard work is that it is necessary if you want to succeed in life. Everything she did she worked so hard for, she never settled for anything other than first place.

14A- Halfway Reflection

Some behaviors that I have that have helped me keep up with the course and not miss any assignments is my strive to do the best that I possibly can. I never want to feel like I am not putting my all in, especially in school. I am also a very grateful person, I received a full-ride scholarship to go to this school, so I always make sure to do the best possible work I can in order to make the most out of my time here. From this course, I have developed more of a desire for routine which helps me ensure that I never miss a deadline for this course or any others. I like that this class is very structured, and the assignments are due the same time each week, it pushes people to get into a routine of getting things done on time.

One moment I felt like giving up was actually for the other assignment due this week which requires us to read a biography. I immediately thought, “I don’t want to read an entire book for this one assignment I’m not going to do this.” Then, I read the list of book options and realized there are many people on the list that I would enjoy learning about their lives and how they became so hugely successful. This really perked me up and got me excited for the assignment instead of dreading it.

I think I’ve developed a tenacious attitude this year because it is my senior year. This class has helped with it but I mainly think it is because I am getting closer to the real world and am getting very excited for it. I know in my career I won’t be able to slack off like I did sometimes in past years as a student, and I don’t think I will want to because I will be working in what I want to—Advertising. My internship over the last summer and the reality that this is my last year at UF is what really contributed to this new feeling of tenacity in me.

Some tips I would give to students for next semester is to remember why you are doing all of this. Taking this course, going to this school—its all for a huge payback in the end that will help you in the next step in your life journey, so why not enjoy it and do the best at it while you can? Developing the tenacious mindset really just takes you believing in you and what you can accomplish. Don’t stop at acing this class, ace all of your others, and ace everything you set your mind to. That’s my advice!

12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Interview #1: Male, 22-years old
He becomes aware of his need for a one-time use straw when he orders a drink out somewhere, in a restaurant, coffee shop, etc. He also becomes aware when he shops and is out of them at home because his girlfriend likes having them in the house. He usually just uses whatever straw the establishment he’s at has, or just buys the cheapest ones when shopping at the grocery store. As for sources of information, since its such a small item he doesn’t seek out information about the products. Although, he said if he saw my product on the shelves he would probably look up the benefits of it on his phone while in the store and probably buy my straws because of their benefit to the environment.

Interview #2: Female, 20-years old
She becomes aware of her need for a straw every time she drinks anything, at home or out. She knows she needs more for her home when she sees she is running low. Although she loves using straws, ever since she learned about how bad that plastic is for our oceans she has stopped using them (in and out of her home). She sometimes uses the washable straws at home, but says they are a hassle to clean. For sources of information, she just has googled and has found expensive biodegradable options, but nothing that is recyclable or comes in pack options for individuals’ homes. She loved the product I came up with because it wouldn’t only be targeting businesses, but also would be available for individuals in stores. If she saw my product in stores she would research it and most likely buy them to keep in her purse to use at restaurants and keep at home for drinks there.

Interview #3: Female, 22-years old
She becomes aware of her need for a plastic straw every time she gets a beverage out and when she drinks her smoothies she makes every morning. She knows she needs to buy more when she is low or realizes she has run out. She always has one-time use thick smoothie straws at home because smoothie is hard to wash out of reusable ones and she hates drinking smoothies without straws. She doesn’t research or seek information for the straws she buys at the grocery store, she just makes sure that they are thick enough to use for her thick smoothies. She says that if the alternative straw I came up with had a smoothie-straw size option she would definitely look into it and try it if it wasn’t too much more expensive than the ones she usually buys.

Conclusion: After interviewing the three people I found in the segment I chose (college students who buy straws for their homes), I learned that once they realize they are low or out they will buy more from the grocery store for the most part. They all said they since straws are not a big-purchase item, they don’t do any research into what they are buying they usually just go off price. Although, if they heard about my product or saw it in the store they would all look it up and most likely go with my option because of its advantages for the environment because it is recyclable.

11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

1.) You. – My talents include delegating in a team setting and making sure that everyone is on task and of our goals are met by their deadline, I am a very organized and dedicated person. My skills are creativity, hard worker, team player, and that I am highly motivated. I have experience in leading a team and working with clients. I am interested in account management in advertising, which means I am an organized person who works hard to make sure to meet others needs. If I were to attempt my business idea my aspirations for it would be to get every business that sells beverages to use my biodegradable, recyclable straws instead of regular plastic.

2.) What are you offering to customers? – My product would solve customers needs by providing an alternative, one-time use straw that replaces plastic straws that are bad for our environment. This isn’t a straw that consumers would have to reuse, so it wouldn’t cause any extra effort on their part. Businesses could feel good using this straw knowing that they can recycle it or it will simply biodegrade hundreds of years faster than normal straws.

3.) Who are you offering it to? – My customers would be two types: individual consumers who buy straws at the store and business owners who sell beverages. Individual consumers demographics are most likely parents with children, college students who use straws for parties, or other individuals who enjoy using straws in their home. Any business that currently uses plastic straws to give their customers would be someone who I would offer this product to.

4.) Why do they care? – My customers would care to buy my product over regular plastic straws because they are also one-time use, so they are just as convenient, but they don’t have the same negative effects on the environment once they are thrown away. Businesses would especially care because they could advertise in their restaurant, bar, etc. that they use straws that are recyclable and biodegradable. This would be a big plus to customers who care about the environment which would make them want to go back to their establishment over others who maybe don’t use my product. Individuals would buy my product for the same reason—so they don’t add plastic to the environment from their home.

5.) What are your core competencies? – I am different from my competition because no one else produces straws out of the material I have suggested for my product. It would be the first of its kind that is one-time use and doesn’t negatively affect the environment like plastic straws.

I think all these elements fit together very well, I honestly think my product could really work and people would want to buy and use it. Some weaker aspects of my product idea though are that it might be hard to find a manufacturer for my straws that would allow me to price them competitively against regular plastic straws. I think that unless they are around the same price as regular straws, many people and businesses wouldn’t spend the extra money for my alternative.