Monthly Archives: November 2014

Image from ActivePBX

In Duct Tape Marketing, a blog for small businesses, Abby Perkins talks about how using social media can enhance customer relationship and build better reputation for businesses. When using social media, companies can approach customers on a more intimate level and also respond to concerns or requests faster than in-store visits. Using it also allows customers to provide their opinion on the businesses faster and thus enhancing the chances of more circulating positive feedbacks about the company.

In my opinion, despite the many potential growth areas that social media can provide small businesses, it is also in a way limiting the businesses. Because most active users on social media are 18-29 years old, focusing customer service on social media is in a way limiting the customer segment of the business, especially if the business is related to products that can be used by people of all ages. Also, in order to invest in a strong customer service on social media, companies will have to be successful to a certain point so that it is capable of hiring a team that devotes its time to responding to customers on social media. Thus, using social media as a platform for customer service may not be the right move for every company.

If I casually tell my friends at UBC that I have helped the people at where I am from construct their houses before, most of my friends would be be in awe of the difference in experiences. This is not because my friends are particularly wealthy or because they are ignorant; this is because the fact that there are so many people who need the help of others to provide them shelter, even the help of students, is not made aware enough.

During the construction of the wall of a house | Korat, Thailand 2013

Because I grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, I was exposed to not only the advanced technology of the modern world but also to the extreme poverty of some people with the lack of education and opportunities. I strongly believe that this is why social enterprises are necessary. Not a lot of people are even aware of how difficult it is to start a business for some people; they may not have access to funding, innovative ideas, or well-formed business plans. Thus, even if the United Nations was fully funded, often times the funds are spent on issues that are widely known. Other small issues that are critical to some people are often ignored, and this is where the Arc and social enterprises need to step in in order to make changes to people’s lives.

Starting off strong, then sharply losing its popularity for a while, BlackBerry recently came out with the Passport and has been trying to come back into the game in the smartphone market. Chen, its current CEO, is seeking to expand into China’s market, which he describes as huge but highly competitive.

In China, Xiaomi currently tops the percent share in the smartphone market. Chen recently met with Xiaomi’s CEO in order to discuss a potential business between BlackBerry and Xiaomi. China’s smartphone market is huge due firstly to its vast population and secondly to its rising standard of living.

CEO Chen holding the BlackBerry Passport

I believe that the BlackBerry Passport, which utilizes the focus strategy (differentiation), sets itself different from other smartphones by targeting mainly businessmen who seek convenience and efficiency while using smartphones. This conforms nicely to China’s market, and I think for BlackBerry China’s market would not be too hard to enter. This is because the rising standard of living in China leads to more businessmen and thus more demand of devices that would make business more convenient.

By potentially working with Xiaomi, BlackBerry is redirecting its course after losing popularity for a while in North America. I believe that with product uniqueness, BlackBerry can easily target businessmen of China and establish a position in China’s smartphone market.

Image credits: CBC News

Starting off as a hotel and restaurant tea supplier, Tealeaves redirected its business to include the individual tea lovers in their consumer segment due to market pressure. How? By investing $1.5 million into short films that would direct its consumers through the tea journey, from the tree to the cup.

In their short films, Tealeaves features activities such as yoga, touring, and even eating, to allow consumers to feel like the tea story is relatable. This, in the long term, can contribute to brand recognition and even brand loyalty, as long as consumers think about Tealeaves’ tea when doing such activities.

Videos from Tealeave’s Website

Coming from a culture that drinks tea daily and a family that is also a tea supplier, I feel that Tealeaves’ redirection of consumer segment was necessary if the company wanted to expand. A lot of individual tea lovers, like myself, take joy in the ability to brew tea whenever and wherever, at a restaurant or not. Thus, Tealeaves’ redirection is making this ability its value proposition.

Tealeaves is also using the differentiation strategy, because what makes Tealeaves’ products different from other tea companies’ is that its products are relatable, via short films, to its consumers. Thus, by investing in short films, Tealeaves is allowing its customer segment to expand and building its reputation in the tea industry.

It is no small news that Taylor Swift recently removed all her past music on Spotify, making it unavailable for streaming to Spotify users. However, her music is still available on several other websites, such as Rdio and YouTube. The main reason as to why she and her label decided to make her music unavailable for free streaming is because if it is available for free streaming then no one would buy her actual album. In my opinion, her action is justified by the fact that her music, which is her product, should be able to bring in revenue. If consumers are able to use Taylor Swift’s products for free, like any other producer, how is she going to make a living?

Taylor Swift is not the only or even the first artist who are unwilling to provide music for free streaming online. But what I believe Taylor Swift and these other artists are failing to take advantage of is the fact that free streaming can potentially contribute to publicity and popularity. By allowing free online streaming, artists can target the younger customer segments who are active Internet users. Thus, there are pros and cons as to artists making their music unavailable for free streaming online.