Month: March 2011

In Rohit’s Blog “Overtweeting: Are We Becoming Socially Antisocial?” he discussed how social media impacted every aspects of our lives. We shared the menu list of a restaurant on Facebook; meanwhile, we post pictures on Twitter. The next minute, we update a video on YouTube. However, Rohit concerned about whether this is anti-social behavior, when we are so focused on our virtual life on the social network. Should we just be in that moment without worrying about sharing, editing and updating?

I think what happened recently around us gives us a strong signal that the line between virtual life online and the real life is so blurred. In Egypt, from the beginning, social media has been a crucial part of the uprising. Protesters signaled their intentions and plans on social networking like Facebook and Twitter that helped organize mass demonstrations.

Also, after the earthquake in Japan telephone lines are reported to be down for most of Japan, and getting a hold of loved ones is a difficult task to undertake. For many Facebook and Twitter became the best link to worried family members. And thousands of earthquake-related videos and tsunami-related videos had been uploaded to YouTube in the hours since the disaster began which enabled the whole world to know how serious the situation was. Also, Libya inspired by Egyptian revolution, uses social media in midst of protests. As tensions in the region increase and social networking continues to play a significant role in the escalation, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has cautioned his citizens to hinder their Facebook use. Has Facebook become so powerful that a dictator is threatened by what it’s capable of?

Social media is launching a revolution in our lives and create a whole new platform for companies to promote their products and services. The companies who can seize this opportunity and know how to use this “powerful weapon” effectively will generate huge profit in the future.

Web link: http://www.rohitbhargava.com/

Picture source: http://www.rohitbhargava.com/

http://flatclassroom10-3a.flatclassroomproject.org/file/view/Social-Networking4.jpg/174490175/Social-Networking4.jpg

Lauren talks about “Roll Up the Rim to Win” (RUTR) promotion at Tim Hortons in her blog, and she thinks this is really a fantastic idea which helps Tim Hortons to increase its revenue.

And I agree with her that “Roll Up The Rim To Win” is a key pillar of the company’s marketing strategy, a none-too-subtle retail push at a time of year when winter-weary consumers are just trying to survive until spring. Also, Lauren mentioned how everyone on the Facebook and Twitter are talking about the “Roll Up the Rim to Win” and the prize they get, which is another free promotion for Tim Hortons.

However, there are also some critics towards Tim Hortons’ RUTR. People points out that the environment loses when coffee drinkers are encouraged to Roll Up The Rim. And due to the campaign that people who drinks coffee in a mug will get an empty coffee cup as well; therefore, we would like to see a lot of coffee cups being used here in Canada. A lot of resources go into making a coffee cup and too often they end up going into garbage. Therefore, it’s a contest that requires people to consume a product that obviously creates a lot of garbage and uses a lot of precious natural resources.

Tim Hortons responds to this by emphasizing that the contest is not about encouraging waste but about saying thanks to the customers for their business by giving people a good chance to win a prize. However, I think companies have the social responsibilities to create a more sustainable environment and when they design the marketing campaign, they should think about reducing the waste and pollution as much as possible. Also, Tim Hortons should help their customers to establish a good habit by encouraging them to use the mug and avoid paper cups.

Web link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/lbruce/

Picture source: http://cd989.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/roll-up-the-rim-to-win.jpg

Quicksand is the loose, water-logged sand which yields easily to weight or pressure, and it is the most dangerous clayey sediment that may liquefy during an earthquake. When the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011; we just see how vulnerable is the whole distribution system in the country and worldwide. And just like those buildings built on the quicksand are destroyed in an instant during the natural hazard.

The estimated death toll from Japan’s disasters climbed past 10,000 Sunday as government raced to combat the threat of multiple nuclear reactor meltdowns. For Japan, one of the world’s leading economies with ultramodern infrastructure, the disasters plunged ordinary life into nearly unimaginable deprivation. Hundreds of thousands of hungry survivors huddled in darkened emergency centers that were cut off from rescuers, aid and electricity. Million households had gone without water and food since the quake struck.

In Tokyo, one of the most busy and efficient city in the world, people are desperately seeking for iodine, rice, bread, batteries, flashlights, candles,  and gasoline. Almost every supermarkets and convenient stores are being emptied by the residents in Tokyo.

It may be several weeks or months before the full impact of the tsunami in Japan, from an economic or supply chain perspective, is understood. As the world’s third largest economy, the images of cars and houses being swept along by powerful waves signal that there is widespread damage. The closure of airports and ports could have significant consequences.

However, Apple already feels the shock of the Japan’s earthquake because 30 percent of its flash memories come from Japan, and now they have no choice but turns to Samsung, Korea. Also, the price of electronic appliances and cars are believed to increase in a few weeks.

I think effective supply chain management is a critical component of any company’s ability to meet consumer demand. Disruptions to the supply chain disturb the normal flow of goods and materials and, as a consequence, expose firms to operational and financial risks. Companies should back up their supply chain with insurance and more advanced supply chain management system. Also, companies should take natural disasters into account and ask themselves if they are prepared for the worst!

Nowadays, many firms are embracing a paradigm that is shifting the focus of advertising methodology from traditional text and image advertisements to those containing more recent technologies like e-mail, Facebook and Youtube. As a result, advertisers can more effectively engage and connect their audience with their campaigns that seek to shape consumer attitudes and feelings towards their products and services.

I think the reasons that so many firms are switching to e-marketing are the inexpensive and convenience. It is very cheap when examining the ratio of cost to the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and to purchase products and services conveniently. Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly.

Also, almost all aspects of an Internet marketing campaign can be traced, measured, and tested. Therefore, marketers can determine which messages or offerings are more appealing to the audience. The results of campaigns can be measured and tracked immediately because online marketing initiatives usually require users to click on an advertisement, to visit a website, and to take an action.

In addition to the major effect internet marketing has had on the technology industry, the effect on the advertising industry itself has been profound. In just a few years, online advertising has grown to be a billion dollar industry which offers a lot of employment opportunities such as, artists, graphic designers and animators.

However, I think from the buyer’s perspective, the inability of shoppers to touch, to smell, to taste, and “to try on” tangible goods before making an online purchase can be limiting. However, there is an industry standard for e-commerce vendors to reassure customers by having liberal return policies as well as providing in-store pick-up services.

Recently we talk about the subway’s “Five Dollar Footlong” in the Marketing class, but it seems like Tim already noticed this promotion weeks ago. According to Tim, he was amazed at how successful this campaign was; meanwhile, he was quite annoyed by the repeating slogan “$5, $5, $5 footlong” and thought this was the way Subway used to “brainwash” its customers.

We now know that it is not simply a campaign for Subway, and it is also a strategy employed by the company to differentiate itself form a highly competitive industry by adding more value to its products. Every company wants to be a peacock in the land of penguins but only few companies know how to do it right!

Still you can find some successful examples around us and Jean Paul Gaultier is one of them. This company differentiates itself from the competitors, such as Dior, Lancôme and Channel by offering the unique and captivating perfume bottle – curved with a marron glace copper lace corset for a luxurious wrap. The perfume’s attractive shape of the bottle is compared to an alluring lady that embodies the essence of Classique perfume.

Also, Apple is the company that masters differentiation through providing unique design and innovative products, and it is widely recognized that Apple is a premium brand that demands and earns a higher margin. This price premium spans the entire Apple product lineup encompassing the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, software, and accessories.  Apple’s positioning is aligned with targeting a less price sensitive customer.

However, differentiation will not guarantee the firm to make a profit because this strategy entails significant costs! Apple spent billions of dollars on new product development to help itself stands out. Moreover, over exposure to the marketing information may annoy some potential customers; like Tim find the slogan of “Five Dollar Footlong” is not that pleasant after watching it over and over again.

Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/timtse/

Photo source:  http://www.google.ca/images