With the introduction of smart phones and mobile network, we are spending an ever increasing amount of time on social media. To some of us, it has become a habit to constantly check out updates on whether Facebook and Twitter while doing something else. However, It is interesting to see exactly what percentage of us are social network multitaskers.

In the recent statistics produced by CreditDonkey on US internet users,  83.7% of Facebook users browses Facebook while watching TV, and 66.9% Twitter users browses Twitter. More Surprisingly, there are 19% of Facebook users that multitasks while DRIVING, and 15.1% of twitter users do the same. Not only are these people risking their own safety, but they are also risking the lives of everyone else on the streets. I admit that sometimes when I drive, I also talk on the phone using speakers, or send texts while waiting at the red light. However, I understand how distracting it could be because not paying full attention to the road will not give the driver enough time to respond to any sudden movements. There were a time when I came close to crashing because there was a right turning car that turned on the red light while I was going straight towards him. I would have noticed him earlier if I had not look down to send out the text I just typed. Therefore, I think it is extremely hazardous to do anything that involves looking at the cell phone while driving; (so I think talking on the phone is okay, with speakers or earsets)

Another interesting statistic from this survey reveals that men, meanwhile, were less hesitant to check in with their networks while at work. They also admitted to a much greater propensity to use social media while drunk or on the toilet.

Here is the original article: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Social-Media-Multitasking-Go-Hand-Hand/1009792

Wow, this term has gone by way faster than I expected. Through these months, I learned a lot about marketing and it surprised me because it was far more complex than I imagined. It really challenged my critical thinking and analytic skills, especially during the Marketing Plan assignment.

The opportunity for me to work in a group helped me to develop into a better team player, taught me when to input my ideas and how to politely voice my opinions on others’ ideas. I was lucky to have worked with an amazing team where everyone was inputting great ideas and willing to dedicate their time to compose everything together. It took some time getting to know each person, but we were able to schedule and delegate tasks quickly and thus we were productive.

If I could do this assignment again, I would give more thoughts when choosing a company, and to choose one with a clearer positioning and target segment.

Overall, the assignment allowed me to learn a great deal about Best Buy, and retailers in general, in terms of its structure and strategies it could implement.  Also, I gained hands on experience in constructing a marketing plan, which would be the core of marketing.

Ideas appear, technologies advance, and gadgets come and go. I consider myself and this generation lucky because we grew up in a fast changing and information rich decade. We had fun times playing similar games that might have been played in our parents’ childhood, and we have also witnessed the advancement of computing and its related services corroding away our traditional pass-time activities.

One of the reasons why I consider myself lucky to be born during the 90s is that my experience of the old gadgets and the new replacements allows me to act as a bridge between generations. The article “25 Things You’ll Have to Explain To Your Kids About Marketing One Day” mentioned in my friend and classmate, Eleanore’s blog, is fascinating because it reminded me of old gadgets that I have long forgotten.

Like Eleanore, I remember the days when I would find a big bundle of Yellowbook outside my front door that has my family’s address listed on it. I don’t know if physical copies of Yellowpages are still distributed today, nor do I remember when I stopped seeing them. But, I realized that Yellowpages have become a website with the same information and a new search function that makes life much easier when looking for an address.

What feels like a sad thing is that names like Yellowpages, which I understand its original form as a thick and heavy address book, will have no meaning for kids in the future. Most of them won’t know the meaning it holds for people that have found Yellowpages useful in the past. But then again, everything around me, such as my computer and cell phone at this moment, will probably be an ancient artifact in 20 more years.

Original Blog Post: https://blogs.ubc.ca/eleanorechang296/2013/03/28/out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new/

Wow, I was surprised when I read this article which said that 70% of US moms who uses mobile network, had shopped using their smartphone or tablet. I always thought that students should make up most of the online shopping segment and moms would rely more on in store shopping and finding deals through newspaper, magazine and TV ads.

This would definitely benefit retailers such as Best Buy, which I am studying for the marketing plan assignment,  that have invested in mobile marketing and e-commerce. They will be able to capitalize on their advantage and increase their sales versus competitors like Walmart and Target, that have not invested in one.

Mobile and online shopping is definitely going to be the lasting and growing trend, especially if they are becoming more familiar and popular to moms. As more people live a fast and busy lifestyle, there will be more demand for virtual shopping due to its convenience. It is a solution to both busy consumers as well as dying retailers.

As I was procrastinating on Facebook (i should really be catching up on readings instead), I saw this Nike advertisement shared by my friend and I felt like it was worth sharing. Unlike many sports commercials, where the marketer had either filled them with endless cliches or confused me of the message behind, this ad managed to persuade me in a clever and concealed fashion.

The ad features their new basketball shoes coming from the Kobe Bryant line; However, instead of showing off the shoes in a series of staged stunts, the ad focuses on the player himself. The narrator begins by stating  “this is how the world works” and is followed by a series of similes between Kobe Bryant and the world. It always starts with a few never-changing facts of the nature and concludes by making a connection to Kobe. The pattern repeats 5 or 6 times in this brief but fast-paced ad and by the end of it, it has planted into the audience’s mind that Kobe’s dominance is the law of nature. The cleverness is how the marketer incorporated the shoes for a brief moment in the midst of all the fast talking and facts about Kobe. As the ad is ended with another strong statement, “this is way it was, this is the way it is, and this is the way it will be”, the focus switches onto Kobe again and the intention of marketing the shoes is delicately concealed from the audience.

The ad ties Kobe with excellence and precisely shines the strong brand image onto its product. The brief sighting of the actual shoes builds a foundation for everything the advertisement says that Kobe represents.

Finally, Fans will count on Kobe, convinced customers will count on Kobe products.

#COUNTONKOBE

Heres the youtube link for the ad,
Nike Basketball | Kobe Bryant: #COUNTONKOBE