This is a response to Seth Godin’s blog about Internet advertising.  He makes a valid argument about how advertising on the Internet may not be as effective as one might believe.  Even though advertising on the Internet, especially on popular sites such as Facebook is cheap, it may not be effective for many reasons.  One of the main reasons is that Internet users are constantly being bombarded by ads and associate most ads as “noise”.  Before a company decides whether to advertise on the Internet or other media sources, the company needs to consider whether people will perceive the company’s ads as an annoyance or if it will add value to the brand’s image.

I definitely agree with Godin’s point that even though the Internet has become a popular hub for advertisements, it’s not the best way to position a company’s brand; and brand positioning and value proposition is extremely important to the success of a company.  It is difficult for a company to position itself in the minds of users because there are so many ads on the Internet and many people associate ads in a negative way since they are skeptical or annoyed with them.

Sources:  http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/11/moving-beyond-impressions.html 

This is a response to Kevin’s insightful blog about Corporate Social Responsibility.   I agree with Kevin that companies should not feel obliged to support a social cause because it is unfair to shareholders and consumers.  A corporate executive’s main responsibility to shareholders is to use capital to maximize profits, “the only social responsibility of business is to earn profits while following the laws and basic ethical customs” as stated by Milton Friedman.  It is also unfair to increase prices for a product or service in order to support a social cause because the customer buying this product or service may or may not support the cause.

Just because a company isn’t obliged to support a social cause doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t.  Corporate Social Responsibility can benefit a company by boosting the morale of the company and possibly increasing sales.   Every company has a set of fundamental values and beliefs and if the company supports a social cause that reflects these values and beliefs, it will boost the morale of the company.  Also if a company supports a social cause that its consumers support, consumers will most likely support the company as well thus increasing sales.  In addition, a company that associates itself with supporting a social cause creates a good brand image in the minds of its consumers/target market.

Sources:  https://blogs.ubc.ca/kevinwong/2011/11/16/is-corporate-social-responsibility-truly-socially-responsible/

This is a blog response to Naaz’s blog about annoying advertisements on YouTube.  YouTube currently has 4 main types of advertisements running on its site, including home page advertising, promoted videos, banner ads and recently introduced preroll ads (which run 15-30 seconds before the video starts).   Users are constantly bombarded by advertisements.  So the question remains, are YouTube ads really necessary?

As a frustrated viewer myself, I thought that YouTube ran too many ads on its site and that this took away from the viewer’s experience.  However after reading Naaz’s response and the linked article; I realized that YouTube is a fairly new company and would definitely benefit from advertising.  There are 2 billon views on YouTube everyday and a video being uploaded every minute, all this activity wouldn’t be possible without the support from advertising.  YouTube also have a competitive advantage over other media sources because YouTube can easily identify a specific target market based on the type of video being watched.   Since the Internet and websites like YouTube are becoming increasingly popular, YouTube will have the ability to experiment with different types of advertising over other media sources.   In conclusion, yes ads are necessary for the continued growth and expansion of YouTube.

Sources:  http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/10/17/YouTube-Wants-Big-Brands-Advertising-Bucks.aspx 

Which is better:  the IPhone or the Blackberry?  Research In Motion products haven’t been doing so well against its competitors Apple Inc. and Google Inc., especially with the launch of Apple’s new iPhone 4s and the increase in popularity of Google’s Android phones.  RIM’s share of the U.S. smartphone market has dropped from 24% to 9% this year due to the disappointing launch of the Blackberry Playbook, a server crash on the Blackberry network this October and slowing sales of Blackberry smartphones.

However there is still hope for RIM, a new report from Gartner Inc. found global Blackberry sales have “stabilized” and RIM continues to see strong growth in areas such as Asia, Europe, and Latin America.  RIM is hoping to increase sales this holiday season by putting nine new Blackberry devices on sale and slashing prices on the Blackberry Playbook, with some retailers offering the Playbook for $200 as an alternative to the $499 iPad.

In my opinion, RIM’s plan to reduce prices during the holiday season to increase sales is a tactic, a quick fix to a long-term problem.  One of the main weaknesses of RIM products is the lack of innovation, especially compared to Apple products.  RIM needs to change its strategy if it wants to compete successfully against its competitors.

Sources:  http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hoping+Black+Berry+Friday+sales+comeback/5748424/story.html 

Brothers Raja Tuli and Suneet Tuli, owners of Datawind, have an ambitious plan to provide Internet access to the less fortunate in India.  The UbiSlate runs on low speed networks with very low bandwidth costs because the Internet data is compressed. The tablet is also solar powered and only requires two watts of energy per day for the device to fully charge.  The UbiSlate will sell for $60 and unlimited Internet access will be provided for $2 a month.  Providing India with access to the Internet is life changing because the spread of information and ideas is the key to modernization.

As social entrepreneurs, the Tulis applied market base strategies to create a product that would achieve the social purpose of modernizing India.  They integrated market trends such as the increased popularity of tablets (i.e. iPad, Playbook, etc) and the shift towards sustainable products. By providing an affordable and easy way to access the Internet, the people of India will benefit from the access of information on the internet.  The Tulis have created a truly innovative product that will enrich the lives of many, they are currently working on a number of projects to provide UbiSlates in different countries.

Sources:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/11/21/technology-datawind-ubislate.html