Comment on Kevin Wong’s post

In Kevin Wong’s blog, he has a post:

Facebook: The Next Big Marketing Tool?

He talk about Facebook, the most popular SNS today as a functioning marketing tool. In his opinion, Facebook is so practical  used as a marketing tool that he used the word ‘big’.

In fact, when used as a marketing tool, Facebook is simply a media of advertisements, which users don’t like to see. People normally hate the situation that advertisements appear when they are surfing the Internet. The massive advertisements on regular website have already driven people mad, how could they bear it if more advertisements could be seen on a SNS acting as a tool to communicate with friends?

Also, he ignored the fact that Facebook is not available in some of the countries. For instance, in China, which has been considered to be where the most valuable potential market exists,  Facebook is not accessible due to the government’s Internet policy. They have their own SNS which takes the place of Facebook: 人人网(Renren).

 

 

He also mentioned that Facebook is a good place for some small businesses to deploy advertisements. Actually those ‘stranger’ information on SNS is commonly considered to be fraud and easily ignored.

 

Comments on Yirun(Ryan) Li’s Blog

In one of Yirun(Ryan) Li’s posts:

ThinkPad vs. Think Different: Apple under Jobs was entrepreneurial.

He talked about the Apple company’s products are a great success comparing with Think Pad under entrepreneurial leading of the firm’s former CEO and co-founder, Steve Jobs.

Actually he did not say much about the Think pad, instead, he use nearly the whole post to address the all-known features of Apple company and its products. This makes the comparison in the title no sense that the reader of this post could not have an access to one of the two.

To make a comparison, we should describe clearly both advantage and disadvantage aspects of the two things, so that we could prove our conclusion to be right and true, persuading the reader to agree with our opinion.

What’s more, he indeed talked about Apple and Jobs, but he did not talk about ‘Apple under Jobs’,  which means he didn’t explain why Apple was  entrepreneurial under the control of Jobs. This would make readers confusing after finishing reading his post that they haven’t got the answer of this problem from the author, which should be avoided when writing a business blog.

Aoi Sola, a successful model of Internet Propaganda

Aoi Sola, as we all know, is the most popular adult movie star and actress from Japan. She is quite famous for her charm and devotion to her art career.

Why is her so welcomed by Asians and even people all over the world? Actually, she is quite a good user of Internet as a tool to publicize herself.

She has an official blog website which is mainly intended for Japanese users: Aoi Sola official blog

Also, she has set up a twitter website so as to make global-wide fans happy: Aoi Sola Twitter site

What is more, she even created a Chinese micro blog in order to make herself more outstanding in China: Aoi Sola Chinese micro blog

Although it is a case of an actress, no one could deny her brilliant achievements. The proper use of Internet would undoubtedly enhance the brand image of certain firms. The key point is that consumers would have a feeling that the firm is really between them and care about them.

However, inappropriate advertisements used by some of the firms on the Internet deeply increase customers  antipathy of them. No one would bear it when annoying windows keep popping up while surfing the Internet.

Mass customization-make business different

 

Comparing with customization,mass customization is more popular and relatively cheaper.For instance,NIKE ID which can provide customer with different color and fiber,or Dell computer,etc.

Mass customization, as its definition,could make a certain good customized and available to customer in a short time.Most of this sort of business achieve this by online order of B-to-C sale.With a simple click on the computer,people could check, design and preview what they want,and make a purchase with credit card online.The purchase process won’t take much time,so it is welcomed by those who are busy or don’t want to go outside.

What’s more,online B-to-C sale can avoid the participation of retailers,who would then cut the business’s revenue.Since the profit is higher,business could obviously charge the consumer a lower price,which can stimulate future coherent  purchase.

Absorbing the benefits of e-business,customization and B-to-C business,mass customization has contributed to the success of various figures and cases. So of them who were once at the edge of bankrupt even regain market and save themselves by mass customization.

By the way,we couldn’t ignore the fact that consumers are now complaining about mass customization.The security of online payment,the damage of goods during delivery and so on.They should be considered by all businesses.

 

North Korea:We don’t need business

North Korea is among the most unbelievable nations in current world.No free trade,no private-owned business,and no business man.The country’s economics is just a vivid copy of Stalinist Model in early USSR,and even more serious.State monopoly has been pushed to a new height that the best job is to be a soldier in the army,which means you can at least be fed.

What is ridiculous is that all the countries around it have been targeted as imaginary enemies along side its biggest threat-the United States.While 20%-30% of its citizens die of starvation every year,it would use up to 80% of GDP annually to study and manufacture nuclear weapons,so as to resist the ‘invasion’ of USA.

We people today can hardly imagine a life without business affairs.Free trade itself brings flourish,wealth and convenience.What if we have to wait for months to be assigned with toothpaste for the whole family instead of going straight into the grocery right in the street corner and purchase as much as we want?

It is certain that business is vital for a nation to keep itself developing.The factor in North Korea is that there is no supply of goods,and people are forbidden of demanding.

May God bless people there.

Mr.MaYun tends to purchase Yahoo

Days before,chair man of the board of Alibaba Group,Mr.Ma Yun,gave a lecture in Stanford University,indicating that he has the tendency to purchase Yahoo,which has caused much concern.

After that,Yahoo’s stock price rose by 5%,which is considered to be the first growhth since it has dropped by 20% before.

If he managed to do it,it would be the biggest oversea purchase case of Chinese enterprise ever since Lenovo purchased IBMPC in 2004.

Early in 2005,Yahoo invested 1 billion US dollars to purchase 40% of Alibaba Group’s share,making it the biggest share holder of Alibaba.Today,however,Alibaba is considered to have a better development and future than Yahoo,whose value are estimated to be 32 billion and 20 billion US dollars correspondingly.

Mr.Ma admitted that it is Yahoo who gave Alibaba much help and make it today’s status.Also,he is quite interested in purchasing Yahoo since for him,to purchase Yahoo is to purchase himself–letting him to become the real ruler of Alibaba.

No one is sure that if he can get it done at this moment,but one thing is certain that as a new generation Chinese enterpreneur,Mr.Ma is becoming more mature and confident,leading his bussiness to a new level.

Steve Jobs is gone–a legend dies

Today,apple confirms that former CEO Seve Jobs has died.

Everyone on the street was shocked:jesus christ,he was young!

Not only Jobs was young,but also Apple.It is possible that no one today dares to say that his/her life hasn’t been affected by apple products.The world has actually been changed by a young company,by a man who just leave us.

What will happen to Apple after the co-founder dies?If Apple’s stock price would drop further?Is it a chance for other IT companies to take over Apple?

Jobs,as far as I am concerned,created a sort of culture. All the Apple products which have been so popular are part of his unique culture. Some one said that Jobs is an artist as well as an idol,people are keen to purchase his products just like fans are chasing a pop star.He is the only one can mix technology with design so perfectly that everything he produce could lead a new trend.

Beyond his achievements and contributions,we should consider that if it worths him to devote so much to Apple.Appearently,it is his busy work that leads to his death.As a successful bussiness man,he should have known the importance to balance his life and work.

IPHONE 4S–post apple era

Today,apple announce that their next generation IPHONE–IPHONE 4s would soon come onto the market,along with new IPOD TOUCH(including black and white).

People on the Internet showed great disappointment that this IPHONE is not the same as what they thought–IPHONE 5,which carries a larger screen and new design.Many of them even said that they are not going to buy this to replace their “look the same” IPHONE4.

It is interesting that today,apple’s stock price has dropped by at least 5%.

I think that apple actually underestimated consumers requiremets,also,they overestimated customers’ loyalty to their product.

Apple is facing thorny challenges in all different products:

Android phones are the most competitive rival of IPHONE(The market would be more complicated when taking BLACKBERRY and WindowsPHONE into consideration);

Tablets with Android or Windows system seems to be appealing than iPad;

Ipod is no more equals to music player…

Consumers nowadays are looking for a good-looking/powerful/not so expensive cellphone.They are not just looking for an iPHONE.What a pity that iPHONE 4S may be an epic failure that apple have never incured with

To determine what consumers wants is not a one-time work.This should be carried throughout the entire life of a certain business.

 

The KTV phenomenon in modern China

Knowing that KTV was a way of entertainment,not invented by Chinese.However,as a method of after-dinner activity,KTV now in China is becoming well-received and sort of ‘everyone’s choice’.

It would basically come from the Chinese human nature.We Chinese people prefer to staying with the crowd rather than being along.Meanwhile,a certain group of people don’t want their conversation to be interupted or interfered by strangers in public.It is KTV which provides people with such a relatively comfortable environment for a certain group of people to stay with each other singing or chatting after meal.

In fact,KTVs in China serves people with not only singing equipment,but also snacks or alcohol,which what you can get from a pub.The managers of KTV have realized that it won’t satisfy the critical customers by simply running as a KTV.They do know that to expand service line means to grab more consumers.

They also use sales strategies to appeal customers,both new and old.For instance,free membership for discount is the most popular and most effective method.They make every effort to come up with new ideas to make people willing to come back and pay again and over again.

 

Business Ethics:Who is to be blamed for?

As we know,the case of Sanlu milk powder in China has brought much thinking about business ethics in modern China.

Sanlu case

We commonly refer these questions to a government level,that it is the relevant government agencies who should be blamed for such problems.In fact,it is the firms and business men who should be responsible for their lack of business ethics.

As an individual,one should be responsible for himself(in most occasions).When it comes to a firm or a business,the responsibility is brought to a public level.They do produce goods,they do sell goods,and consumers do purchase their goods because they trust them.Sanlu group used the faith of consumers to cheat them,to sell unsafe goods to them,and finally,to earn more money from them. Sanlu group didn’t take the responsibility to provide consumers with high-quality goods so that they can make sure consumers are safe after using their goods.Instead, they forget about business ethics as a foundation.

I hope this issue won’t be ignored in future days and business men would always respect consumers on one hand and would concern about ethics on the other.