Conformity – Phi Kappa Sigma

As a new Freshman, I wasn’t even thinking about greek life. It wasn’t until rush week that I thought about maybe listening to what each house has to say. I saw flyers everywhere about Rush. My best friend, who was a sophomore, was in a fraternity and he had a lot of influence on me too. I went through rush and decided I matched Phi Kappa Sigma more than the other fraternity. At this point in time, I belonged to Queens University of Charlotte and the Class of 2013. I had not taken on any other reference groups that related to college.

I chose Phi Kappa Sigma because I saw a future with them. I felt comfortable with their organization and really believed in their seven core values. My best friend was in it and I knew if that was what he chose, then that is what I should do. I compared him to my values. I accepted him as my friend so he passed my test. If he belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma, then in theory, it should be good for me too. I wanted their name to represent me and vise versa. I am now a fraternity man. I never would have thought I would be labeled that, but I am. Not that I go around flaunting it, but I know at times, I can represent greek life and be a part of a group that others can’t.

At the beginning of my college career, the 2 reference groups I belonged to were important. They were my main focus. Now, as a Senior ready to graduate, I belong to over 12 Queens’ related reference groups, and I’m sure I’m missing some. I love being active and involved. I like to lead and give support whenever I can. I am proud to Represent all of my reference groups. I feel complete and important. My fraternity gives me a home and all the support I need.

Celebrity Endorsements

I used to love watching MTV in high school. I would finish my homework as soon as I would get home from school just so I had nothing to do after dinner. I almost always watch an MTV show at night. My favorite was Viva La BAM. I never missed a new episode. I liked it for many reasons.

1. I loved watching Jack Ass and this was like an extension of that show
2. Bam lived about 45min from me so I was familiar with where he was shooting
3. It was a funny, action-packed show
4. Viva La BAM was great!

After a few seasons, Bam was landing a lot of endorsements. I remember seeing him all over magazines and commercials. I most recognizably remember Bam as the celebrity endorser for Right Guard, the deodorant company. I actually switched my deodorant because the “power strip” looked so cool. Here’s an example of one of this commercials.

Although he didn’t do much in the commercial, I knew him and thought the product was cool. I believed him. I used to play soccer, skate, BMX, snowboard.. anything that was outside I did. I thought that if the deodorant was good for him, it was perfect for me. I even remember telling my mom which one it was and that she had to get it the next time she went shopping.

I understand he probably didn’t even use it, but he was a credible source to me and it looked so cool. I was willing to listen and able to understand the persuasion. It worked because he was in my associative network. I compared my actions to what he was doing at my age. I saw his success and thought I can do it to. He was popular.

Central Processing

The other day I found myself really thirsty. I was walking from class to the library and didn’t want to walk all the way back to my room in South. I was headed up the stairs in Trexler and realized I had three options to get drinks

1) Dinning hall concession stand

2) Coffee house

3) Water fountain in the library

I usually go for water, but I thought to myself that I needed something that would help me focus and that I can take back to the library. I quickly realized the dinning hall concession stand has Red Bull. I love energy drinks, but I’ll usually only drink Red Bull. It is perfect for me. I am WILLING and ABLE to accept their marketing that influences me. It gives me wings! It needs to be served chill so that the drink is perfection! It has caffeine that will help me stay focused and awake.

A willing person must be involved with the message. They must accept the marketing strategy. A willing person must also realize if the source is credible or not. Red Bull is totally credible! They’ve been around and have great commercials!

A person must also have the ability to be persuaded. They must connect with the persuader. I am instantly connected to Red Bull. They speak my language and show me that it is acceptable to drink in my age group. It’s a trendy drink that makes me look cool.

Red Bull has always had me from the start. I’m their perfect customer. I’ll pay for their product and I’ll drink as much as I can. It’s so refreshing. Their commercials always look great. They are usually fast paced and show something intense like skydiving. I’m into action sports and want a drink to go along with them!

I decided to grab a Red Bull and take it to the library. I wanted to get two, but I didn’t have enough money on me at the time. I was right, it hit the spot and I will definitely get another one soon!

World of Beer

Tonight I went to World of Beer to meet a friend. I knew I was going over to talk, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to purchase a beer, let alone which one I was going to drink. When I opened the door, I got hit by a really good smell. The aroma of beer! It was the first time I had ever smelled beer like that. I was happy and ready to drink.

I sat down and thought to myself that I had just been persuaded to drink. I have been low on money so I was trying not to spend anything… but I gave in. I was persuaded due to the environment and the smell that went with it. The environment is so inviting for drinkers. The bar looks like it has over 30 drafts and and endless supply of bottles. The labeling on all the bottles looked so cool. I wanted to try all of them!

Up to this point, no one had spoken to me and I had already been persuaded to drink. So I got a beer. World of beer was able to get me to spend money based on their atmosphere. I thought that was really cool. It was all nonverbal communication. I only got 2 beers, but I want to go back and try a bunch of them. It’s such an interesting concept.

Social Judgment Theory – Motorola

When the Motorola Razr first cam out, I remember thinking it was an amazing product based on all the advertisements. I thought the thinness for a flip phone was impressive. It wasn’t until I held one that I didn’t like it. They felt cheap and I saw everyone’s Razrs breaking. My dad had one and it would bend the wrong way and hang together by one screw. I couldn’t believe how bad it was. From that point on I always disliked Motorola.

I’m sitting here thinking how silly this sounds, especially because I never owned a Motorola phone. I will not buy one, even though I think some are really awesome looking. My attitude toward the company is poor from previous interactions with their products. Motorola has come a long way with their products. Today their products are mostly known for being “Droids.” Android is my favorite operating system, and yet I have an iPhone. I only look at HTC phones because I loved my experience with my first HTC phone. I am also open to Samsung, but not Motorola. I don’t like Motorola’s “industrial” look of their skin that they put over android. It’s too “techie.” One feature I do like is how well their battery life lasts. The Razr Maxx is amazing! I almost talked myself into buying it, but I couldn’t put my guard down about the company.

I know that Motorola is better today and I’m judging a company based on one product. I am working changing my attitude about their phones. I’ve built an ego of hating them and defending my decision. I think this post has helped me see how stupid I’ve been. Maybe I’ll end up buying a Motorola next time!

 

Credibility – Super Charge Xtreme

Every week I try to go to the gym at least 4 to 5 times. It’s hard to always go when I feel tired. For the past few weeks, I’ve been looking for a pre-workout mix that would give me the energy and endurance I’m looking for. My neighbor, who I look up to, gave me a sample of his pre-workout drink over the summer. I remember it working, but was that the one I wanted to buy again? I’ve been spending time on GNC’s website looking at products and reading reviews. The reason I spent so long looking for a pre-workout mix was because of their prices. It’s not cheap!

I decided GNC was a credible source, and so was my neighbor. I’ve purchased products from GNC before because of their expertise, reputation, history and locations. I listen to my neighbor because he is my friend, he’s experienced when it comes to the gym and he’s trustworthy. I decided to buy Super Charge Xtreme, even though GNC’s website listed other mixes at a better rank. I had already tried it and liked it, the mix was well-liked from GNC and my neighbor and it was also listed at a great price.

I looked for it at the Vitamin Store and another website but they didn’t carry it. I automatically eliminated the random website because it seemed unprofessional. The presentation and usability of a website means a lot to me. I ended up buying Super Charge Xtreme on Amazon.com because GNC stopped selling it and it was a great price online. I am very happy with my choice. It worker great and I will definitely buy it again. I’m not sure why GNC got rid of it, but that should probably be a concern for me. They might have had a health reason to stop selling it. Overall, credibility of the source I’m getting information from is very important when searching for alternatives before purchasing a product.

 

Twitter in our Classrooms

From Google images

I love this idea because I think it’s beneficial and I’m in love with social media. Outside the classroom, I really want to see class discussions happening on twitter. I strongly believe this would be appropriate to use in CORE classes. The teacher can tweet a question and hashtag it to a specific class. The class would need to participate and just have conversations. For example, If a professor asks a question about ethics, I can jump online and share a video or a story that relates to the discussion.

Today, we live online and enjoy sharing content. I think University’s can use Twitter in classes to help share how much we learn and especially how much we all enjoy interacting with our classes. The University would also be able to share this info with incoming students. If new potential students see us having fun with our classes, they’ll want to join!

I hate how we’re in class that only have like 5 people who talk. We can learn so much more from other’s opinions and participation. I think Twitter would allow the students to voice their opinion and not be scared because they don’t have an audience right in front of them. During class, the professor can choose certain tweets to share and discuss with individuals. It’s a way of bringing modern technology and social media into our education. We all like class participation right?

I also like using twitter with professors to keep in touch with them. It’s the same concept as Facebook, but with less personal information they’re sharing with us. Twitter doesn’t ask what our favorite shows and movies are, and it doesn’t care about showing our age or birthday. It’s a simple and streamlined way of sharing opinions and content.

It’s Finally Here!

The other day I was just thinking when Google would release their highly anticipated Google+.  The next day, I saw that they released the beta and had people sending out invitations to very lucky people.  I was one of those lucky guys and have to say, I give Google two thumbs up.

G+ is about to revolutionize the way we use social media and connecting on the web.  From Facebook-like qualities to Skype, you can find everything you want all in one place.   It’s 100% real life sharing.  I’ve only been using it for a day now, but can’t seem to get off of the site.  My favorite features are the circles, hangouts, and huddle.

Circles allows you to group your friends, family, coworkers and any other group you create.  It’s a fun, easy way to view and share content with groups.  Circles also allows for more privacy with each other.  As for hangouts, it’s like Skype, but totally free and can let you chat with multiple people at once.  Huddle is also a social tool that allows people to “text” in groups from their computers or smartphones.

The Google+ App is also really nice.  It comes as an app or widget and lets you post statuses, pictures (which can be instantly uploaded), and of course easy access to your profile and stream.  Let me say it one more time.. I love G+.

I would be terrible if I didn’t mention one of the coolest features of G+, +1′s.  If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s all over Google when you search a key word.  It’s your way of flagging your favorite website and sharing them with your friends.  This has made it easy for you and your friends to recommend sites to each other.  I truly believe we are about to see a lot of “Indi sites” blow up and become well known.

This hasn’t been a full review of Google+, but it’s been a quick first day summary of my experience.  Hopefully soon we’ll see Google totally release G+ to everyone and give Facebook some real competition.  As for now, I’m out! Go try Google+ and check out Koozai’s review and Creativeshed’s  funny video I’m leaving you with!

Read a great review of Google+ Here