In Response to Ashley Borjeson

What are the biggest influences on consumer buying decisions in your opinion?

The biggest influences on consumer buying decisions in my opinion are definitely what I see around me every day. We all know that technology has continued to rapidly advance, and new devices are coming out all the time. Especially in our generation, I think our friends, family, and classmates are a strong influence on what we purchase. Like Ashley mentioned, the iPhone is a great example of this. Over the past two years, Apple has made the iPhone more available to consumers, especially since newer editions are coming out even faster. I've heard so many people ask their classmates or friends why they chose an Android over the iPhone. 
Personally, when I see my siblings purchase something, I'm curious as to why they bought it and what it offers. Although advertisements for new products are effective in influencing consumers, I think that who we surround ourselves with every day is the main influence on buying decisions.

AT&T Ad Campaigns

Recently on TV, the AT&T commercials with groups of children have been a huge hit. Commercial series like these are an extremely successful way to market your business. AT&T chose to use children in their commercials, knowing that the majority of their target market like kids. These specific commercials are successful because they're both funny, and they attract other people who haven't seen them on TV to look them up online. Even if the consumer isn't looking at the company that's being marketed right away, they'll eventually notice afterwards. A few of these AT&T commercials have millions of views on YouTube.

Here's a link to one of the newest commercials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3RrtWPyJY&WT.srch=1&wtPaidSearchTerm=new+commercial

Has anyone seen any other commercials in a series like this that have been extremely beneficial for the company/organization?

In response to Julianne Braverman

In Julianne's post, she asks if we think we would be able to get through a couple days or a week without our cellphones and being connected 24/7. As much as I would like to say that I could, I am completely dependent on my phone every single day to get things done. Ever since I got a smart phone, I feel like I am constantly able to get in touch with anyone I need to, it's almost like a security blanket. There are those days when I sometimes forget my phone at home when I'm out, and it feels so weird when I don't have it.
Being so dependent on technology and my cell phone is definitely not a good thing. If there were ever an emergency and I needed to know someone's number off the top of my head, I wouldn't be able to do it. Ten years ago, everyone was so much better with remembering numbers by heart, and also with directions. I find myself feeling safer when I have my phone when I drive places, because I know I have the Maps App to help me if I get lost.
Does anyone else besides me feel like our generation is getting worse and worse with directions due to our dependency on GPS devices? What other apps help us get through our daily activities?

Branding and Packaging

After our class discussion the other day about branding and packaging, it really got me thinking about how I chose a product in the store when I know nothing about it. For example. I'm always really interested in different wine packaging and labeling. I don't know much about wine in itself, so when I get a chance to go to the store, a lot of times I find myself picking up a bottle that has an appealing design. I'm sure many other people do the same thing with all different types of products. I think that it's just human nature that we pick something up that is appealing to us when we don't know exactly what we're looking for. Many people don't realize the time and effort that is put into the design of packaging. Like we discussed in class, along with looking good, packaging has to be sturdy, protect the product from damage, but also be cost efficient. There are so many creative ways to package products now a days, but many people just look past it.

Here's a link that shows examples of unique packaging ideas, number 7 really supports what I mentioned above.
http://www.boredpanda.com/creative-product-packaging-part3/

Can anyone think of a time when they bought something primarily due to the packaging? If so, what was it?