Monthly Archives: October 2013

Netflix, Superpower? My Ideas on Possible Future Moves!

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Sony has provided a route in which Netflix can penetrate the cable network and even in creating it’s own media.

Have you tried Netflix yet?

Netflix is fast moving into other segments of the entertainment industry, and with it’s popularity, it is definitely a threat to other companies. Netflix integrating itself into cable could spell big trouble for its competitors, and they might find it worthwhile to partner with Netflix to preserve themselves.

Sony and Netflix Deal: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-15/with-sony-deal-netflix-lands-its-first-big-studio-show

I really wanted to add onto our Comm101 discussion however, and say that in a Google and Youtube partnership with Netflix, Youtube would allow Netflix to bring a whole new added convenience to streaming movies and TV series. Partnering with Youtube and Google could be a very smart move for Netflix, and it is beneficial to keep in mind that Youtube brings with it its own subscription base/viewer segment. Imagine if you, as a Netflix member, could go onto Youtube and search and watch your favourite movie on your already favourite video streaming site. I don’t believe it would be wise to require Netflix membership on Youtube, but it would give Netflix customers increasing convenience that they are ever craving.

Oyster: Want a New Way to Get Books? Subscribe Here.

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News of Oyster, a new book subscription app, has surfaced. The following article compares it to the likes of Netflix and Spotify, as it gives users the ability to read whatever they want (on the app), for a monthly fee.

This app may not be the first app available for reading, but it incorporates the already popular subscription-style usage, with the convenience of your smart phone. Oyster plans to focus on creating an app specifically for your smartphone instead of competing head on with tablet apps and e-readers. In my opinion this is a smart idea because it gives Oyster an opportunity to create a name for themselves in a slightly less competitive market. This creates the opportunity for them to expand in the future to another, more tablet-focused app. Noting that if their app for smartphones is successful, they have a kind of safety net. They are incorporating methods that other companies have used and perfected, but have employed these methods in a new and different way. I thought of access to libraries causing problems for Oyster, but the choice of having over 100,000 titles to read, from the convinience of your phone, creates a much different environment for getting and reading books.

Article: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/09/06/at-last-the-netflix-for-books-is-here/

Replacing Brand Image: High-End, Designer…Crocs?

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That’s right, Crocs is planning on entering the the high-end fashion market with a small line of shoes, priced from $80 – $120. The article mentions that Crocs may have a hard time being successful with their new shoes because they do not have a brand known in the high-end fashion market. 

http://www.zappos.com/crocs-classic-cayman-unisex

 

Crocs is employing a whole new marketing scheme to their high-end shoes. As if they were starting over, and are attempting to separate their new shoes from the common image associated with Crocs. I agree with the article when it points out that Crocs has no brand recognition in the high-end fashion market. People pay ridiculous amounts of money for the brand name, and therefore, I am skeptical that the consumer will choose a Crocs shoe over a similarly priced shoe with a prestigious brand name. This ties in with brand positioning because Crocs is attempting to reestablish an image for themselves, when they are already well known by the consumer for something completely different. Consumers associate Crocs with the classic sandal, and I think it will be nearly impossible to erase and replace that image with high-end fashion. It will require some very strategic marketing in my opinion.

Article: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-13/can-crocs-step-into-the-high-fashion-market