Month: March 2011

The beautiful and legendary Elizabeth Taylor who was thought of as the Marilyn Monroe of her time, was not only well known as a star actress in many big screen roles, but also for her famous line of perfume. It should be noted that Elizabeth Taylor was one of the first female actresses to create and successfully market a line of products under her own brand. She has created a trend in marketing which many of today’s female celebrities have followed, such as Britney Spears with her Curious Perfume line, Elizabeth Arden’s fragrance line and Jennifer Lopez’s Glow perfume line. Due to the fact that Elizabeth Taylor, along with other female celebrities are glorified in magazines, television and the Internet as the most beautiful and attractive women on the Earth, many women often aspire to be like them. For this reason, Taylor and her marketing team has been able to satisfy this desire by creating products which makes its consumers feel beautiful and attractive just like the celebrity behind the brand. There may also be a familiarity factor behind the success of such celebrity brands. Since celebrities often become house-hold names, when we see products with those names on the shelves, we are automatically prone to purchasing those products because we are familiar with the brand. We may also be more likely to perceive value in those brands which our favourite celebrities create.

Elizabeth Taylor rests in peace today, however the brand that she has built will forever remind us of her legacy. It is apparent that although Taylor is no longer around, her perfume lines will still prosper because of her immense fan base and value behind her brand. Long live Elizabeth!

With the recent bankruptcy and shutting down of many movie rental stores like Blockbusters and Rogers, it is quite obvious that the demand for renting movies has declined due to the increasing use of the Internet. Now, Yahoo! Advertising Blog is suggesting that the future of not just movies, but TV is the Internet. I definitely agree with this blog in terms of the direction that our source of entertainment is heading towards. This blog mentions that consumers are already connected, meaning that most people already have internet service readily available in their homes. This reinforces the switch from cable or satellite TV to internet TV because it is compatible with consumer’s traditional ways since the switch is so simple. Internet can still be enjoyed on a big screen TV and also Internet is already available. Secondly, this blog states what most people want from their TV experience. The top things include full-length programs or movies, weather, gaming and music. These all are things which can also be provided through the use of the Internet. On top of that, the Internet has a relative advantage to cable and satellite, which is the ability to allow consumers to watch and then talk about it with their friends. With the emergence of all sorts of social media like blogs, forums and reviews on Youtube and other websites, I am sure that many people will be very enticed with the convenience of watching and then commenting on their shows, all using the same system. Will Internet TV mean the end of service providers like Bell and Shaw? Based on the direction our society is heading, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Blackberry Messenger is a favourite and a key application for most Blackberry owners. Not only can you keep in constant contact with your friends locally, you can chat with people from all around the globe. The Blackberry Messenger application has attracted a huge market share for RIM and has opened the door of opportunities in many ways. Now, this famous application is not only going to be available to Blackberry users, IPhone and Android phone users may also have access to it. Although this will may mean short term profit for RIM, in the long run I think that this is not a very strategic move for the future of Blackberry. Since BBM is a unique feature that no other smartphone possesses, it gives Blackberry a competitive advantage over their competitors. If IPhone and Android phone users can enjoy BBM without owning a Blackberry phone in the future, there will be less of an incentive for consumers to purchase a Blackberry. I, myself own a Blackberry and personally, I feel that BBM played a major part in my decision in choosing Blackberry.  Up until now, when comparing my Blackberry to other smartphones, I’ve always been able to settle in satisfaction because I know that no other phone out there has BBM. Now, I feel a tad cheated due to the fact that BBM will no longer be special and exclusive. I am sure that this news will bring delight to IPhone and Android owners and spread dismay among Blackberry owners.

All week, free small coffees are being given out from McDonalds. This is especially exciting not only because it is midterms season, but also, I will be the first to admit that I’m slowly getting addicted to McDonald’s coffee! Although I’m not even much of a coffee drinker, I feel that the great taste of their coffee coupled with the convenience of the many McDonald restaurants across all of Vancouver, has definitely played a role in suckering me in. Now that I’ve tried their coffee and experienced the convenience, I find myself considering purchasing McDonalds coffee over other alternatives like Tim Hortons or Starbucks.  McDonalds has been able to put itself in the ranks of these specialty coffee companies because they have marketed their coffee product line very well through this promotion which as increased the trialability of their product. However, I’ve noticed a key difference in the giving out of free coffee this time around, namely, only a small coffee is free whereas in previous times, you were allowed to have any size. This is all a part of  McDonald’s tactic to get consumers to warm up to the idea of paying for their coffee, while still reminding of the value they are offering us through the great taste and convenience of their product. It is amazing how a fast food chain like McDonald’s can create so much value in their coffee, that it is able to compete and be considered against the biggest companies of the specialty coffee business.