PART ONE of THREE
A 3 Part Journey Into French Marketing with America's Southern College Students
Product 1:
Slim Sodas
 |
| Many Europeans do no fit the "YuroPoor" StereoType |
Shortly after arriving at our hotel in Paris we were given free time to exchange currency and get a quick bite to eat. Since we had already exchanged my currency, college cranium stopped at a small souvenir shop near the hotel to get something to drink. We asked the clerk for a coke from the refrigerator behind the counter and noticed that the packaging was much different from the U.S. The sodas were tall and slim, similar to a Red Bull can. In the U.S. sodas are short and stout. The tall, slim packaging in Europe is much more attractive.
Product 2:
Dinner on the Seine River
After a long day
of walking and touring Paris we all met up around 8:00pm in the hotel
lobby to go to our last stop of the night. This was the dinner cruise
on the Seine River and probably one of my favorite moments in Paris.
The boat was transparent on both sides to allow you to see the
panoramic night views of the French architecture and monuments. It
was nothing like I have ever seen before. As we floated along the
Seine River dinner was served. I noticed the portions were much
smaller than the portion sizes in the U.S. Also, there weren’t many
options as there are in America. Our menus are much more elaborate
and detailed with entrée and side options. The menu in France was
very limited and did not give you an option to substitute sides. None
the less, the dinner was beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it!
Product 3:
YSL perfume promotion
After dinner I
decided to visit the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was right across
the street from the boat cruise so I purchased my ticket in advance.
I had about forty-five minutes until the time of my tour, so I walked
around the streets of Paris to waste time. The street that ran in
front of the Eiffel Tower was Quai Branly and I explored to sites on
that street to stay close. I noticed that some of the buildings had
large posters on them as advertisements. In America we use different
forms of promotions like billboards to gain the attention of drivers
or pedestrians passing by. In France, they use building to post
promotions and it seemed to be a popular technique.
Services
Service 1:
The Metro
 |
| Riding the Metro was Amazing |
Our first day in
Paris was very eventful. We explored Paris mostly by foot, but we
also used another form of transportation, the Metro. This process is
much different than what I’m used to in the U.S. I drive my car
everywhere I need to go. In France, it is more convenient to use the
Metro. First, you purchase tickets from a booth. (One ticket can take
you anywhere you want to go!) Second, you scan your ticket and cross
through a set of bars. You then go down an escalator to this
underground “subway”. It is important to pay attention to the
direction the train is traveling or you will end up on the wrong end
of town, as I did several times!
Service 2:
Taxi Driver
After visiting
the Eiffel Tower it was pretty late and my torn up map of the city
was not going to help me get home. By this time I had nearly been up
for 24 hours and was too tired to walk to the hotel anyway. I decided
to wave down a taxi to drive me back to the hotel. When the driver
pulled up, he rolled down the window to ask where I was going, in
French of course. I showed him the hotel business card and he told me
to get in the taxi. In the U.S. they would typically open the door
for you and provide better customer service. While driving me to my
hotel, the driver was talking on his cell phone and smoking a
cigarette. This was very different from what I am used to and
extremely unprofessional.
Service 3:
Hotel Balmoral front desk
 |
| This is what our Balcony's looked like, such a great service for foreign college students! |
After checking
into the hotel we received the keys to our room and they were
literally KEYS! In the U.S. if you check into a hotel you receive a
card key that you scan to access your room, the elevator, and even
sometimes the front door to the hotel. You are to keep this key with
you at all times. When leaving the Hotel Balmoral the hotel clerk
held onto the key at the front desk. When you returned, you told him
the room number you were staying in. They then grabbed the key from a
key rack behind the desk and gave you the key to your room.
