In response to Antoine Masse’s blog, I disagree that the Samsung Galaxy Note will be the phone to finally compete with the iphone. In a blog, The best and Worst of Superbowl Marketing Strategy 2012, Samsung Galaxy was given an award for the best marketing strategy with their “iSheep” campaign. The Samsung will only be successful in competing with Apple based on this campaign. Yes, Samsung has created a phone that can rival the iphone with its 4g technology, but it hasn’t differentiated itself, especially in design. Comparing the iphone and Galaxy Note, we see a very similar looking phone.

Apple has also spent the last five years creating and securing a fan base based on innovation and hype. By releasing products that had never been seen before they attracted a very loyal following. A following that has been impenetrable until now. I don’t think that by marketing a similar phone, but simply promising no lines will allow Samsung to break into the iphones market share.

Another aspect, which has been securing sales for other smartphone’s is a cheaper price point. With a $650 price tag, iphones just aren’t affordable to most. Samsung realizes that by offering their phone at $200 with a three plan from Bell, they can secure some of these customers looking for a more affordable phone. Unfortunately, with Apples plans to release a cheaper line of iphones, which we read about in “Is a cheaper iphone a Good Bet for Apple,” Samsung’s chances of capturing the Apple market may diminish even more.

In response to Stephanie Herdman’s blog I agree that Apple has done an amazing job at becoming an innovator in the electronics market. They have created not just a brand, but a culture that is built on innovation. If we compare Apple and PC products we find that Apples hardware is inferior to PC’s and compatible with much less software, so what has made it so popular? Apple is tapping into a market that doesn’t exist. Rather than doing market research and finding out what the consumers want based on what already exists, they are making new products.

In an article of Fortune Magazine, the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, claims they don’t do market research or use consultants, but rather figure out what they would want and then they create it. In Steve Jobs biography released last October, Steve describes the company goals as making good, innovative products and if they do this correctly the customers will like them and the money will follow, but it can’t be about making money first.

Everywhere we look we can see examples of this business strategy paying off. Look around any classroom and you will see a sea of Apple computers, with only a handful of PC’s in between. Apple users often encounter problems with the programs needed for classes because they aren’t compatible and the school is set up for PC’s, but this doesn’t stop the students from buying the Apple computer. This is because Apple has done a superior job of marketing the innovative features of their products and tapping into the products that it’s consumers really want, products that make up for the hardware inferiority and compatibility issues.

As seen in the recent articles on Seventh Generation and Ali Baba’s Pizza, environmentally friendly practices are becoming a prominent marketing strategy. Society is increasingly more aware of the environment and many customers are actively seeking out companies with environmentally friendly practices.

Another example is the marketing component of recycling. In the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, there is a small recycling company called Cowichan Recyclists. It is a two person company that helps businesses set up recycling and composting programs. After initiating a system they will pick up the waste once a week, but rather than picking it up by car, they come on bikes towing a trailer. They have created an emission free way to recycle. The businesses that use Cowichan Recyclists benefit in two ways: having their waste taken away in a sustainable manner, but also by marketing their use of the Cowichan Recyclists, they can attract environmentally conscious customers. It is especially effective in places such as the Cowichan Valley, where environmentalism is a major priority for the residents. Similarly, Ali Baba’s new eco-friendly pizza box will most likely thrive in Victoria because the residents are eco conscious.

As environmentalism becomes are growing priority, we are finding more companies that are benefiting from marketing environmentally friendly practices. Whether the company roots its mission statement in environmental practices or introduces a line of environmental products or just simply a company that recycles, by marketing their practices they can increases profits.

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