Blog Post #3: Netflix and Chill

Hello everyone!

It's another rainy day here at Saint Michael's College. Lakes have sprung up all over campus and it takes some serious effort to avoid the large puddles. But there's one thing that can get me through rainy day blues (and this awful cold I'm fighting), and that's Netflix. I'm sure you've all heard of it, and might even watch it from time to time. With demanding classes and two jobs, it's been difficult for me to find time and binge watch my favorite shows. But once spring break arrives, I hope to finish the many seasons I've started to watch.

Netflix hasn't always streamed videos and TV shows on demand; it started out by mailing DVDs to subscribers. When my mom first subscribed to Netflix, we ordered movies online and the DVDs delivered right to our mailbox. It was convenient because we didn't have to go to a store and rent movies, but it took time for the DVDs to transport through the mail. Then I discovered the magic of videos on demand. I could watch whatever movies and TV shows I wanted at the tip of my fingers. Once I got to college, I burned through every season of Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, and Orange is the New Black (a Netflix original series). I was completely hooked, and I didn't even have to leave my bed.

One of the marketing concepts we've been talking about recently is competition. Netflix has sure given TV providers a run for their money. As technology becomes more advanced, it's easier to stream videos and shows from phones, computers, and tablets. Many people have been switching from cable and satellite to internet TV, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, and more. One of my best friends switched to Hulu a few years ago and enjoys it much more than the satellite TV provider she had before. She can watch full seasons and current shows.

Now I'm not shooting down cable and satellite TV at all. I think one of the biggest weaknesses about Netflix is the fact that I can't watch shows that are currently playing on the regular TV. What's worse is that the latest seasons often take months to appear on Netflix, way after the season has ended. I think if Netflix added this component to its website, it would be more appealing and draw in more subscribers.

So what are some of the strengths of Netflix? Well for one, if my computer is not working, I can stream movies right from the Netflix App on my phone or iPad. Upon signing in, users can choose their profile and find all of their favorite shows readily available to watch. When I first made my Netflix profile, I took a survey about movie and show genres, preferences, etc. Now when I'm searching for a movie to watch, Netflix recommends shows based on my survey answers. Pretty cool huh?

Since all my homework is finished for tomorrow, I will be chilling in my bed and watching my latest show: Nurse Jackie. See you soon!

Courtney

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix 

https://localtvwghp.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/netflix-logo.png?w=1200 

http://cdn.breathecast.com/data/images/full/27907/greys-anatomy-cast.jpg

http://www.netflix.com/browse 

Blog Post #2: Sweet Treats from Lake Champlain Chocolates

Hello everyone!

It's that time of year again. Store aisles are overflowing with heart-shaped chocolates, giant stuffed bears, and adorable Valentine's Day cards. I can smell the red roses from my dorm room. Although I do love receiving these cute little gifts for Valentine's Day, I always find it so difficult to shop for my significant other. I'm sure many people agree that Valentine's Day is a woman's holiday, where the women are showered with gifts from their lovers. But I also believe that men should receive something in return too. That's why this Valentine's Day, I'll be getting my guy some seriously sweet treats, in the form of chocolate.


But before I introduce my favorite chocolate shop, let me share with you some interesting statistics for Valentine's Day:

• The average annual Valentine's Day spending is over $13 billion.
• It's estimated that $1.7 billion is spent on candy alone 
• For gifts most given on Valentine's Day, candy makes up 47.5%
• Number of places producing chocolate and cocoa products: 1,233

My go-to place for anything sweet is Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC). Located on Church Street, this small shop has everything that will satisfy your sweet tooth. My personal favorites are the truffles (expensive but worth it) and chocolate-covered pretzels. When customers walk into their store, a display is set up in the window that shows what the employees have been making recently. When I visited the store in the fall, caramel apples were on display in the window. Although I didn't buy one, they caught my eye and made me want to look around the store for other sweet treats.

If you visit Lake Champlain Chocolate's website (I wouldn't suggest doing this while you're hungry), the front page is covered with their signature Valentine's Day assortments and gifts for loved ones. If you click on the "Shop Valentine Gifts" link, it will bring you to pages and pages of different chocolates to choose from. Chances are, I will buy my guy an assortment, so he can get a taste of everything that Lake Champlain Chocolates has to offer.

Since Lake Champlain Chocolates was founded in 1983, it has developed a strong brand name, which is any word, device (design, sound, shape, or color), or combination of these used to distinguish a seller's products or services. If anyone has heard the name "Lake Champlain Chocolates" they would think of a quality chocolate shop from Vermont. But I also think the packaging distinguishes them from other competitors. In my mind right now, I imagine a box of chocolate with brown and green designs and the Lake Champlain Chocolates logo on the top (I was spot on). How did I remember this off the top of my head? It's because LCC has built up a powerful brand that will stick in its consumers' minds. Of course other consumers may imagine a different packaging style, but this one will always remind me of the delicious chocolates that LCC has to offer.

Tomorrow I will make the trip down to Lake Champlain Chocolates on Church Street and try to restrain myself from buying everything in the shop. But I'm 99% sure I'll be walking out of there with a few raspberry dark chocolate truffles in hand. Until then, my mouth will be watering at the thought of all those chocolates waiting to be taken home.

I'll see you next time!

Courtney




Sources:

http://www.valentines-daycards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Valentines-day-clipart.jpg

http://www.statisticbrain.com/valentines-day-statistics/ 

http://www.business2community.com/trends-news/valentines-day-spending-statistics-2015-01153592#5rSXjty1fKgJbr78.97

http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com

http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/350x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/h/chocolate-truffle-heart-box_2.jpg

http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2012/06/18/9614329/24pc%20Choc%20of%20VT.jpg