Twitter is a relatively new phenomenon to hit the internet but since its inception in 2006, the social media outlet has changed how people communicate.

The real-time social media site is used by many businesses as a way to communicate with customers. With around 140 million users, these businesses can access a wide range of people with just the click of a button. As John Jantsch, the Duct Tape marketing founder said, “(1) I get great insight when I ask questions, (2) let’s face it, I get traffic and (3) people on Twitter spread my thoughts to new places.”

With the ability to reach millions of people, businesses who use Twitter can update their followers instantly. Especially with high profile celebrities “tweeting” as well, businesses can gain a huge advantage just by being involved in their Twitter account.

It is important to note though, the possible problems that may arise from poor Twitter etiquette. Because people are always watching, one wrong move could mean bad press for companies. One bad tweet–like Kitchen Aid’s tweet about President Obama’s grandmother–could ruin a companies image, even if the tweet is deleted in a matter of seconds.

What makes Twitter so special then, is not only its ability to communicate with millions, but also its ability to make a company or brand feel more human. No longer are brands lifeless entities seen in commercials–Twitter gives them a voice they never had.

I am writing in response to Eddie Yoon’s post in the Harvard Business Review in which he describes the diverse tastes of consumers and how you cannot just appeal to one ethnic group.

I found it very interesting, but not surprising, that President Obama won the election with most of his votes coming from minorities. The United States is such a diverse country that appealing to only one group of people–even if they are the majority–will not win any elections.

As an Asian American, I fully understand the diverse amount of people companies need to appeal to. Being of two very different cultures, I balance both rather than throw one away completely. As a result, I love hamburgers, but I also love sashimi and other Asian cuisines.

Thus, a marketing team can’t look to the white demographic anymore for a full understanding of their market. One point of difference in the company may appeal to one group of people, but an equally large group could hate it.

Now, with society becoming more and more diverse, a new problem in marketing will arise. With so many different people, how can companies appeal to not just one group, but many and maximize profits?

This post is in response to Daniel Trakulhoon’s post on product placement.

Normal advertisements like commercials, magazine ads, and pop-ups are annoyances as they tend to distract from what you really want to see. How do people react to these types of advertising?

They they change the channel, flip the page, or download an adblock on their computer.

Product placement though, puts the product right into what you want to see. While sometimes, it is quite obvious and forced. The Coca-Cola cups placed on the judges table in American Idol are a good example of this.

While this type of product placement does not really convince viewers to drink Coke, it still gets the brand advertised.

Great types of product placement though, link the product with the piece of entertainment the consumer is watching. Companies that do this well are able to get the attention of entire fan bases. For example, the Mini Cooper was extremely well advertised in The Italian Job, as it was a focal point of the movies plot.

In my opinion, good product placement acts like a fictional sponsor. If the product works well in the context, then viewers will see the product as it was used in the movie. Thus, if kids want to drive Transformers, they can just buy one at their local Ford dealer!

Everybody knows Hostess for Twinkies–the delicious but unhealthy cream filled pastry. So, when I saw that Hostess had gone out of business, at first I was surprised. But then I realized how changes in market behavior have made Hostess less and less popular.

Michael Kelley of Business Insider notes a variety of problems the Hostess brand had before its demise. These problems though, arose from changing times and its inability to adapt.

Now, both the cost of labor and ingredients skyrocketed. Especially since the company had bargaining agreements with 12 unions, they were paying off a lot of their earnings rather than taking in profit.

The main problem though, is the changes in consumer preferences. As of late, Twinkies has developed a poor brand image in which consumers have put Twinkies and unhealthiness hand in hand. Twinkies represent 13% of the daily recommended saturated fat intake and is made of up 42% sugars, 21% complex carbohydrates, and 11% fat.

Now, with many consumers looking to have a healthier diet as well as healthier substitutes, Hostess and its products have become out of taste.

With this, I wonder how a brand may survive when their product goes out of taste or style. How do these companies adapt?

The GoPro brand started with only eight employees in 2009 and has grown into an industry leader with over 230 employees and a revenue of $250 million after just two years. While GoPro has been around for a decade, only recently has it become popular among consumers.

What sets GoPro apart from other cameras?

Two things set GoPro’s apart from other cameras: size and quality. These two things allow for a variety of different uses that satisfy many consumers. As Woodson states, “It’s becoming the norm to document more and more of our lives,” and GoPro is taking advantage of this new norm. Since the camera is so small, it can be put practically anywhere.

Consumers though, don’t have to jump of cliffs or fly through the sky in order to use a GoPro. The company has made sure that its number one goal is to provide consumers with content. No matter what use–some people have used it for weddings–GoPro wants its consumers to film freely and share their content on outlets like Youtube.

GoPro’s marketing strategy then, provides not only a solid product, but a strong costumer-company relationship.

Fellow blogger Matt Chan recently posted on Facebook’s struggle to attain money from advertising.The website has an immense user base, but still hasn’t found ways to implement advertising in an efficient way.

For one, in the realm of media, users tend to hate banners and traditional advertising. I believe Zuckerberg and his team understand that and are trying to stay away from such. The question then, is how does one advertise in other ways?

I think, after reading about the advertising campaigns of Tumblr and other social media websites, Facebook should use more methods that mesh with social interaction among the web. If Facebook were to do so, they would have to enhance the platforms companies currently use to advertise.

The “Page” has allowed Facebook to do so by giving companies a place in which users can reach them. By enhancing this experience on mobile devices, showing companies how to better use this method, and help develop more socially interactive methods Facebook will increase its potential in advertising. If they can find better ways to help companies advertise, then they will be able to make use of their many users and profit from each one.

Tumblr is a website in which users may create blogs and follow others’ in a convenient format. Its user base has grown over the years as it attracts internet users looking for a place to release their own content since they are unable to on websites like Facebook.

As a result of their success, businesses are looking into the website for advertising opportunities. The main struggle though, stems from Tumblrs unwillingness to have traditional advertisements on the website as CEO David Karp has already rejected the idea of banners.

If businesses want to use Tumblr for advertising, they must devise more advertisements that mesh within the social atmosphere of the website. Adidas recently posted advertisements and received immediate attention from users.

To do so, companies need to keep a close eye on their advertisements. If they want to appeal to Tumblr users, they cannot simply show their product. Instead, they have to show the heart of their business and the reason why they sell their product. As a result, companies with poor business models may have a hard time attracting Tumblr users. What attracts users is not just product, but a message they are willing to support in lieu of making their purchase.

Spotify is a rare breed of music provider: they give music for free. This type of service instantly attracts followers, but can it sustain itself with such a business model? While currently unavailable in Canada, Spotify has brought in many new users over the past few years and its revenue increased by 151% from 2010 to 2011.

But, the operating costs nearly tripled over those years, causing an overall loss in profit.

Spotify’s plan is to first attract users with the promise of free music, then convince them afterwards to buy the premium plan they offer. For only $10 a month, users can have an almost unlimited supply of music in their pocket at all times. Yet, the business is struggling to convert users to this plan and as a result, Spotify has been unable to meet to cost of supplying so much free music.

While its fan base is growing at a very fast pace, Spotify may need to reevaluate its business model. As of now, it attracts users via its point of difference–unlimited free music–but needs to figure out a way to do so while getting more money or lowering costs. Even a small change could affect its appeal to followers though, and Spotify will need to sacrifice something huge in order to be profitable.

In this article, Randall Rothenburg looks into the differences between the west coast–the sector that develops products to sell–and the east coast–the sector that develops advertisements for those products. This separation showed during the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which brought together innovative minds in advertising and business.

The west coast tends to simply produce appealing product to the customer and that will automatically bring in revenue. The east coast on the other hand, uses a more conservative approach in which 30-second commercials and billboards are used to advertise. Both sides are innovative, but they are not working together.

As we’ve discussed in class, businesses require communication among many different sectors if they want to be successful. Thus, if these businesses want to progress, they need to communicate between not only consumers and suppliers, but between the product and the business model. While there may be personal benefits to privatizing information, being able to communicate, especially in advertising, is what helps businesses really connect with their consumers and have synergy within the company.

Since the Cultural Revolution, people have been considered Chinese businesses far from ethical as many companies such as Orient Paper, Spreadtrum Communcations, and Focus Media have all been accused of fraud. The Chinese market though, has been thriving and–if it were not for ethical problems within companies–would be a wise investment for investors. Companies hire research firms such as Citron Research and Muddy Waters in order to investigate whether Chinese companies are committing fraud. These firms though, have also been accused of faulty research and the accused companies have argued against their claims.

Because both sides have both violated ethical guidelines, it is difficult to determine which side has the more legitimate argument. As more companies join in on the argument–some of which include IBM and SAP–this disregard for business ethics on both sides could have consequences.

Now, people should be wary when investing in these companies mostly due to their questionable liability. While the Chinese Market does have potential benefits, the risks caused by faulty ethics within companies outweigh them. If these companies want to have a larger impact in the market, they first need to build trust and communicate that they are following business ethics.