19A - Idea Napkin No. 2

1)    I am Cooper Goetz. I am a hard-working, sport savvy college student looking to satisfy a need of the people. In terms of skills and experience, I have internship experience with professional and collegiate sports teams, with a heavy amount of my time in marketing. My greatest skill is my work efficacy, and while that is not an original “skill”, it is one that I know is unparalleled by others in my field. My aspiration for this business is to turn it into a prosperous industry-creating workplace that changes the way athletes and other celebrities’ approach social media. If I were to take this business from a hypothetical to a reality, it would play a dominant role in my life, and hopefully be my full-time occupation.

2)    I am offering a social media management service to my customers. In short, my company would run social media accounts for individuals, and in doing so, help them build a social brand and avoid problematic posts and uploads. 

3)    For my business, I have two primary target demographics. The first target demographic for my business is up-and-coming athletes. With such a heavy background in the sporting world, I would be most effective starting with athletes. While many of the top athletes may have help running their social media accounts through their agents, I will target any budding or rising stars to find a foothold. In addition to athletes, I will target general, non-athlete celebrities of similar stature to fill out my customer list. I do not plan on discriminating between the sport, nationalities, or dialects of potential clients. However, as I only currently speak English, it would be prudent to avoid representing the social media accounts of any non-English athletes until I have either become fluent or hired someone who already is fluent to the level of a native or bilingual proficiency. All of my customers will have a strong social media base in common. It is likely that only people with a certain amount of public interest or followers will be interested in my services.

      

      My second target demographic is sports agents. Agents already have all the athlete clients, and so if I target them, I can gain access to the athletes. I can serve as a third-party manager for an agent’s client’s social media accounts. Targeting agents directly will allow me to have multiple ways to gain clients.

4)    Customers will pay for this service for the reason that social media has both created or destroyed the careers of hundreds of athletes and celebrities. While “social media” is quickly becoming a new category of celebrity, lack of foresight or lack of understanding of various platforms has damaged or, in some cases, even demolished careers. Simply put, if I am able to make money for my clients through this service, I will be able to convince current and future clients that my services are worth being paid for. 

5)    What sets me apart is my understanding of sport, the culture that surrounds it, and the way that athletes talk and communicate. Managing social media accounts is nothing exceptionally new, but what is new is the idea of managing social accounts for individuals and focusing the branding on the professional sporting world. That is what makes my offering totally different than any other service currently on the market.

My "fit" has, honestly, not changed much since my first Idea Napkin. The first and fifth elements are still where I am lacking. However, the addition of targeting sport agents makes elements two thru four fit together even better than before. Overall, I must improve myself and my abilities before taking my service to the general marketplace.

From my original Idea Napkin, I received two major suggestions. First was to ensure that I had an "in", or a connection, that would give me access to the players. The second suggestion I received was to target sport agents. I utilized these two suggestions into my new idea napkin in the form of a new target market. The new market, sports agents, will allow me to have a new and differentiated way to attract athletes, and will allow me to work as a third party to the agent-athlete relationship.

17A - Elevator Pitch 2

1.

2. I received a lot of good feedback on my first elevator pitch. The suggestion I got the most was to not move my arms around as much. This did not surprise me whatsoever, as I knew that I was moving them too much whilst still filming. The advice that did surprise me was to focus more on the preventative side of athlete social media management rather than the branding side, which was the core idea of the first elevator pitch. I thought all of the feedback I received was helpful, and it all contributed to make my second elevator pitch that much better.

3. I focused less on the branding side of my service, and more about using it to prevent backlash. I also tried to look at the camera more and toned down my arms as to not be distracting from my message.

18A - Create a Customer Avatar

My customer avatar is a junior college baseball player currently projected to be drafted in the MLB Rule 4 Draft this coming June. This customer wakes up early in the morning every day to either attend practices or class. His busy schedule often keeps him busy throughout the entirety of the day, with little time to breathe. This customer became enrolled in college due entirely to his athlete prowess. While he is smart and gets solid grades, his family would not normally be wealthy enough to send him through a 4-year university. While he and his family are not broke, they are certainly in the lower middle class financially. This customer goes to and from campus on a Vespa. When he is not in the classroom or out on the diamond, he is often playing video games or out with teammates. This customer has both Twitter and Instagram accounts that he uses regularly. He has a couple thousand followers on each, but in general gets very little attention to his posts and doesn’t pay much mind to what he is posting. If you were to ask him if he had ever posted anything “controversial” to any of his social media accounts, he would reply back with a blank stare. This customer feels a great need and desire to succeed at the professional level in order to provide for his family. 

            While I may not possess the physical abilities and skills that my customer has, I have a lot in common with him regardless. He and I both often feel overwhelmed by our schedules, and both frequent video games and social media. We both enjoy being out with friends, and due to our current statuses as “nobodies” pay little attention to our own actions. As I stated, I think the major thing we have in common is a sense of social media anonymity and obscurity. Neither of us put much thought into how any of our online content could be perceived in the future; instead we just post what makes sense to us in the present. 

            It is unsurprising that I share this quality with my avatar. Following several athletes being “busted” and harassed for their social media posts when they were in college and high school, I have definitely started to think a bit more about what I am posting. However, I know that most people my age do not currently have that level of realization. That is a major reason that I feel the need to help the customer that I outlined as my avatar. I have said a lot of dumb things online, and I want to help others who may one day be “famous” ensure that their ridiculous posts do not come back to haunt them as they have others.

Photo courtesy of Thomson20192, Flickr

Photo courtesy of Terry Ross, Flickr

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1.    Five ways in which I have human capital

1.    Perseverant 

                                               I.     I, sometimes to a fault, never give up or give in. No matter the obstacle, I attempt to find a solution until all options prove fruitless.

2.    Polymathic

                                               I.     Though I would not say that I am a polymath in the way that Galileo or da Vinci were, I have an extremely wide-range of knowledge in many subjects. Additionally, I am able to pick up knowledge in a subject very quickly.

3.    Narcissistic 

                                               I.     Don’t get me wrong, narcissism, especially in large doses, can be an awful quality. It’s actually one that I often despise in other people. However, I think the amount of narcissism that I possess actually helps me. I tend to not care about the negative opinions of others, which helps me to push-forward in tasks. At the end of the day, in my mind, the most important person to please is myself. Because of this, I am not likely to buckle under peer-pressure, and it also makes me incredibly assured in myself and my work.

4.    Sport-centric

                                               I.     It can be difficult for me to put this down into words, but to keep it short, many of my skills of much of my knowledge is focused around my adoration for all things sport related.

5.    Tenacious

                                               I.     I am never afraid to take command of any situation. I trust myself and my own skills to a degree that makes me unafraid of failure, as I do not expect to find it. This lack of fear compels me to lead in an undeterred way that best creates opportunities for success.

2.    Interviews

1.    Emma

Emma is my older sister who is currently a preschool teacher. In my interview with her, she said that she thinks my creativity and communication skills are my greatest human capitals. She also referenced my work ethic as another positive. She also referenced her assessment of her students in her ability to assess my skills and abilities.

2.    J.R.

J.R. is my older brother who currently works in politics. J.R. is the person who knows me the best. He said that my knowledge of sports and its details is what sets me apart. He also focused on my aspirations as another point of reference. Finally, he stated that my wit and memory additionally set me apart.

3.    Ben

Ben is one of my roommates. He stated my intelligence, my thoughtfulness, and my analytical side are the three major points that set me apart.

4.    Michael

Michael is my other roommate. Michael stated that I am good at looking at scenarios from other peoples' points of view.

5.    David

David is one of my best friends whom I have known since elementary school. David said that my boldness and my vision is what sets me apart in his eyes. Additionally, he felt that my passion for what I am pursuing helps to differentiate me.

3. Reflection

I think other people see me as much more knowledgeable than I see myself. Though I do think of myself as smart, I do tend to have a bit of an inferiority complex that keeps me from acknowledging how intelligent I am. Additionally, several people spoke about the analytical part of my mind, including my memory, in what helps make me stand out. While I think I see myself in a positive light, it is notable that many of my “traits” that I listed came with caveats. On the other hand, those closest to me hold me in a higher regard. Others see me as much “better” than I see myself. I think this is because I often doubt my own abilities. However, I think my interviewees are more correct in their assessment than I am. I think they are able to see me without all the bias that clouds my own judgement of myself. Looking back at my list, I don’t know if I would make any substantial changes. I might add a couple points, or expand in a few different areas, but I would not alter the list. The biggest change that I would make would be to remove some of the negative implications that I included in my write-up of my own traits.

15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1.    Find three people:For this assignment, I was able to track down three more collegiate athletes. I spoke to Ryan, a former college baseball player, Ben, who is a collegiate soccer player, and Coll, a current college baseball player.

3.    Alternative evaluation: I spoke with all of my interviewees first about how they would go about picking a social media management service. Overall, all three focused on what I would refer to as “results”. I would say that falls under quality of service. Ryan stated that if he were going to invest financially in this service, he would want proof of prior clients that had their social media impact grow. Coll also reiterated this idea, and also said that he would want to be privy to the quality of the social media management. Ben, while still concerned with quality, also was concerned with price. Because he is a college athlete who is not currently being paid for his on-the-field activities, price would be a very important factor in determining which social management approach he would choose. 

4.    Purchase decision:In my interviews, I found that potential customers are likely to buy via the internet or through a personal connection (i.e. friend, team, agent). Ben stated that as a college athlete, he would speak to his school first to ensure that he would not be breaking any NCAA rules. This is something that I had no previously thought about, but definitely would impact the way in which I approached new, college level clients. While all three said that they might search for this type of service online, they would be more likely to buy via a recommendation from someone within their circle.

5.    Post-purchase evaluation: In my interviews, I found that customers, in post-purchase evaluation, will look purely for results. This sentiment was stated, in one form or another, by all three of the athletes that I interviewed. Ryan and Coll focused in on the success of their social media accounts post-purchase, while Ben focused on the strength of communication between him and the social account manager post-purchase. What made the service a good or bad purchase was how successfully the manager was able to expand the client’s brand and gain exposure.

6.    Report findings:From my interviews, I came back with several findings. For most customers, a social media management service would only be purchased if they could be assured that it would expand their image. Additionally, success in the post-purchase period would be necessary to maintain and attract new clients. Finally, I found that the service would have to be at least slightly altered when presented to collegiate athletes, as it would be imperative to assure that no NCAA violations are committed.

7.    Draw conclusions:I would describe the segment of collegiate athletes as having their purchase behavior impacted by the price and proven success of the service. In all three areas discussed, the quality, success, and price of the service are the deciding factors for whether or not the customer purchases the service.

14A- Halfway Reflection

1.    Through this course, I have continued to develop my hard-working behavior. I have always had the ability to buckle down and get work done when my back was against the wall, but I have definitely become a much harder worked in this class. I also think that the constant blog assignments have helped me become a better writer, and the comment feedback has shown me how to improve my work.

2.    Soon after choosing my “main idea” that I wanted to focus on in my assignments, I found out how difficult it was going to be to deliver good information based on my choice. So many of the assignments asked for interviews with relevant individuals, and my focus on a social media management service for athletes made it difficult at times to find interview subjects. There was a point where I really just wanted to step away, but I would have never forgiven myself if I would have done so, so I kept trying to move forward. I was able to be creative with my interviews, finding some out of the box subjects, and work harder to find more relevant interview subjects. This is the experience from the semester that has most contributed to my tenaciousness in the class.

3.    Tips for next semester’s student:

a.    Think ahead: Do not simply be working ahead on your assignments but be thinking ahead in your spare time. The more time you spend preparing, the better your assignments will turn out.

b.    Set specific “class times”: With the class existing as more or less as an online only class, you need to set a time throughout the week to work on the class. If you do not, you will fall behind and not want to catch back up.

c.    Push yourself: It may sound like a cliché, but if you do not push yourself and your work as far as possible, you will never know all that you are capable of. The harder you work, the more satisfied you will become.

Photo used with permission by Kyle Pearce from his website, DIYGenius

13A - Reading Reflection: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

1.    I was most surprised about how much of a well-rounded polymath Steve Jobs was. I knew he was obviously always good with electronics, but hearing about his interest in other areas, especially while growing up, was fascinating. I was also amazed by the several different reasons that Steve Jobs and his company decided on the name Apple was fascinating. It is such a simple but iconic name that I was very interested to hear the reasoning behind the name. I really admired Jobs’ ingenuity and his “never say die” attitude. Even after he was fired by his own company, he quickly began to work on new projects, which would lead to him becoming a billionaire. There isn’t much about Jobs that I do not admire, but I guess if I had to pick a trait it would be his tendency to chase those closest to himself away with his commanding behavior. If you look at the falling out between Jobs and Wozniak, I think that could have been prevented by Jobs. Finally, it is obvious to anyone who knows anything about Steve Jobs that he faced adversity. He was put up for adoption when he was born, he was fired by the company he founded, and he had cancer for the last several years of his life. However, Jobs never stopped working.

2.    In terms of competencies, the most evident one in Steve Jobs was his ability as a visionary, inventor, and a leader. Jobs was able to see the world and the tech industry in a way that no one else was able to, and he created success off of that. His ability to lead is evident, especially in his return to Apple. Jobs helped turn Apple, upon his return, into the trillion-dollar goliath that it is today.

3.    I felt like I understood a vast majority of the book, the thing that was confusing to me was Jobs’ unrelenting hate for Android and Eric Schmidt. I understand that Jobs felt that Android simply stole the iPhone, but I feel as if that is the way the industry works. Even if you are the first to market and have complete legal control over your product, someone else will undoubtedly find a way to change your product enough to put it into the marketplace themselves. I was simply confused by the fact that a savvy business man such as Jobs wouldn’t just accept that this is the way industry works and move forward.

4.    If I were able to ask Steve Jobs two questions, I would ask him:

a.    What were the biggest internal and external driving forces in his life?

b.    What figure in history inspired him the most?

                                               i.     I would ask Jobs these two questions to gain further insight into how he was able to succeed as an entrepreneur. I think knowing someone’s inspirations and reasons for their drive can tell you a lot about how to find success.

5.    I think Jobs saw “hard work” as the chance to do something amazing. Jobs never stopped his work and search for something better, and that is an opinion I definitely share with him.