Position Paper 1: The Way of The MONQ

Recently, the act of creating your own business has become so simple that practically anyone at any age can become an owner. But a business on the rise takes a little bit more contribution than displaying a picture of a product or service with slightly reasonable price. There is a huge difference between a startup business and a small business. According to Forbes, “the biggest difference between these two company types is in their top objectives. Small businesses are driven by profitability and stable long-term value, while startups are focused on top-end revenue and growth potential”. The internet has become a leader in the game of advertising because of its large audience and fast-pace foot traffic, and in this day and age, start-up businesses are popping up all over the world thanks to the expanding usage of social media and to the increase in internet connection. 
One company that has targeted a couple of growing markets is MONQ. MONQ, which is an acronym for “Modifying One’s Natural Qualia” or “Modified Observation of Natural Qualia”, is a portable diffuser or vaporizer pen that uses essential oils as a form of aromatherapy. The magic behind this product lies in its “all natural” ingredients and its “enlightening blends” that are supposed to be tailored to meet specific needs such feeling “Love”, experiencing nature through a “Forest” blend, or even promising to help you “Focus” after using your MONQ pen. The MONQ brand was created by Eric Fishman, MD, by asking himself a few questions: “Wouldn’t it be nice to do something positive for the world, merging new technology and ancient knowledge?” and “What if it were possible to merge science and style to allow everyone to discover the benefits of ancient aromatherapy?”.

MONQ Pumpkin

My first encounter with his product was through an advertisement on my Instagram feed. I would assume that this ad was formulated specifically for me due to App Personalization. This is a very common process where a mobile application will use your personal information, with your permission of course, to provide content that meets the needs of specific audiences. Although this may or may not have been a direct request, the advantage of app personalization is having the ability to sift through clientele and quickly find a fan base instead of randomly placing an ad with hopes that the viewer will be interested. This is a great form of strategized marketing that uses different consumer markets like psychographic, behavioral, and geographical characteristics as well as the more common use of demographic characteristics. Because this is a strictly online business, MONQ has unlimited access to its main audience. The products are targeted towards “an era of unparalleled convenience, unimaginable technological power, unlimited access to data and information, and uninterrupted communication with individuals around the world.”, or in other words, “technostress”.  One of the solutions conveniently place on their blog to help consumers battle with their stressful lives is to distance yourself from technology and to take up a hobby that doesn’t involve it. Right under the information is a suggestion created by Jesse Waddell exemplifying his use of the MONQ pen as a writer and editor. “[He] enjoys being surrounded by the scents and relief that essential oils can provide. When he is not busy writing he can be found practicing the guitar and playing with his Yorkie named Little Terpene.

{Favorite MONQ blend: Mountain}

An innocent yet effective way to incorporate a review of the product while evoking emotion and giving information through their blog.