NOVEMBER 6, 2014

REFLECTION REPORT #1
SPECIAL SAUCE

PRESENTED BY: MIGUEL ANGEL CHURA

REFLECTION REPORT #1
We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.
Anas Nin Nice!

THE PURPOSE
The purpose of my reflection report is to examine how well is positioning of taxi service in Madrid.
Trying to relate with memory, how we construct our perception and then how it helps to build a good
positioning on the market. Sounds interesting!

SITUATION
Almost all the time our perception, which is constructed, is developed by the intention to explain our
world with previous experiences, learning or over exposure to something or someone. Good
description. Positioning takes advantage of it because the goal is to establish the brand in the mind of
consumer in order to maximize the potential benefits1. Good. According that definition companies are
trying to set up or reconstruct a profitable perception. Sometimes that kind of efforts come from nonprofitable organization such as government or city council. In order to provide better conditions of life,
even if positioning were not the objective.
In this case taxis in Madrid come from an extensive history which began with hire mules through
multiple technological changes until now. Interesting. During these years the service were improved
with several characteristics such as gps, condition air, publicity on cars and payment by credit card o
debit card. In addition cars had been changed of colors, since black to white with red lines. Okay.
The first approach it can be related to how our perception was constructed during the lifetime. In my
case my first years of childhood all my memories over taxis came from television or movies. As other
children through repetition of images related taxis. I learned that all taxis were yellow, all of them had a
taximeter and seemed a little old. Why I remember that? Even if in my country we don't have any taxi
in that color. One approximation are related to controlled attention because TV programs grabbed our
attention, especially when we were children. In those times cartoons, TV series and movies there are
action sequences using taxis as vehicles who help the heroes to save someone who are in troubles. In
the same way sometime taxis perform important action sequences in the movies such as a hero
developing a persecution. Interesting argument. So related to the idea of product placements taxis in
movies were more salient, interesting, and memorable for you than the real live taxis in your street.
Was it also just a question of exposure e.g., you saw more taxis in TV than you did on the street? Had
you ridden in taxis as a child? To answer the question I grew up and lived in small valley with my
parents in a small town (almost 19 families) the place was provided by the company where my father
still works. At school age we moved to La Paz city, this time taxi service was poorly developed. Also
there is a key factor to convert it to permanent part of our memory because those scenes are
repetitive, even in action movies what are oriented to youth, producers use related scenes (e.g. taxi
movie) so there is a lot or repetition of the general themes and these themes are salient (saving the
bad guy in a taxi), so they stick in your mind. How does this information combine with your actual
episodic memory and experiences of taxi use? Good point thanks

Marketing Management, Philip Kotler Kevin Lane Keller Mairead Brady Malcom Goodman Torben Hansen

11/6/2014

Reflection report #1

For positioning both concepts are important (controlled attention and long-term memory). Controlled
attention gives the possibility to provide information to determinate group of people. Those are
triggered by a specific type of information such as knowledge, some interest or emotions. On the other
hand there is long-term memory what is reinforced by continuous repetitions of a determinate
message. Okay there are other elements that help us remember (think about what we discussed in
class the strengths of memory). In our case, the previous positioning of taxis the message are related
to color, use, how it is and more. Besides that the long-term memory were maintained by a continuous
exposure to information/message.
Whats the transition to this idea? Sometimes our automatic attention what is unconscious,
uncontrollable, immediate and short lasting receives information/message. And reinforce the links
between the principal idea and other ideas receives another idea which is complete differs and change
the meaning of principal idea. For Example In my country there so many cases of robbery in taxis.
People sometimes distrust in taxi drivers. That piece of information which is relevant change our
general perception of taxi use. Okay this is definitely a relevant piece of information, however I dont
understand how this relates to automatic attention. Furthermore, shouldnt this piece of information
be incorporated into your network of memory for the concept taxi or do you think it gets stored in a
different place? I dont understand how this fits into the rest of the paper and why here. I mean that
characteristic is strongly related to taxi brand that changes my perception of any others taxis around
the world (why is this strongly because One of my friends was stolen in a taxi)
Another important point is how easy/difficult our perception can change. I arrived to Madrid with no
reliability in taxi use, but in these days when I used it and everything is right, in addition all my
classmates who are currently living in Madrid tell me that taxis are secure and trustworthy. My
perception changed about taxi use. So why do you think your perception of taxis is so easy to
manipulate? Is it because your memories were mostly positive e.g., tv shows relative to your
experience? Or is it you trust other peoples judgments? Or what? This is really key to your core
argument. Good point thanks. In my case I trust in people jufgments and their personal experiences (I
think this is the core point) and other characteristics related to brand contruction such as color etc.
Some other issues about why I trust again in taxi service are related to key factors. Such as equality on
colors, extent care of attention, rate of professionalism, security issues. According to many
investigations color have enough power to modify our perception. Taxis in Madrid are white, these
color shows calm, balance and confidence. Another factor is the similarity between all taxis that
becomes useful in positioning because one satisfaction under one product can be other satisfaction
under the same brand. Good so there is extension or inheritance of quality features.I think it is
extension because the features that I experienced one time, will be expected in the next time
Surprisingly there are list of allowed cars to be able to work as a taxi. That factor increase the similarity
between all taxis therefore contributes to build a strong brand which is called Taxi Madrid. So the
similarity between products produces brand image inheritance. How mechanistically does this occur?
The process of positioning joins perception and long-term memory in order to build profitable
connection with customers. In the case of Madrid Taxi Brand, the process was developed by nonprofitable organizations (government). In the specific situation the benefits fall into the customer. So
everyone in Madrid are receive the benefits to live in a city with well positioning brand of taxis.

Miguel
This is an interesting paper on the positioning of taxis. You have described the foundations of the brand
image effectively e.g., longterm memory and perception furthermore, you have connected with a
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variety of different mindware components attention, memory and perception. Your initial description
of the establishment of your memory was effective, however, the rest of the paper fell short of this
standard. Thus, your descriptions as you went on, became confusing or simply under specified. You
have made several important points, but you needed to go further in your discussion and also work on
the cohesion of the argument. At times it seemed we were simply jumping back and forth between
memory, attention and perception without a clear organizing structure or logic. So, in brief this was a
good start, a thought-provoking idea and a good thoughtful start, but I would have liked you to organize
the argument more clearly and analyze the mindware components more effectively.
Thanks for all your comments. My idea was to analyze the taxi brand through my personal perception
and experiences using time elapsed.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

SOURCES

http://www.madridcarruajes.com/index64.htm#color
http://www.fptaximadrid.es/?q=node/57

11/6/2014

Reflection report #1