Whatsapp Messenger

Hey, Whatsapp? Slowly but surely, Whatsapp messenger has taken over the mobile instant messaging industry. Founded back in 2009 by two former Yahoo! employees, Whatsapp was developed when Apple made a crucial modification that changed third-party development forever. Push notifications. This allowed third-party applications to alert users when they are not using their phones. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the developers of Whatsapp launched a multimedia messenger that was similar to PC applications such as Skype and MSN Messenger. At the time, instant messaging was at the pinnacle of their rise in popularity. It was an instant success as mobile users were looking for a messaging experience that was more advanced than simply “texting”. With Whatsapp, users are able to send voice messages, pictures and videos without the extra MMS charges that would be applied to normal text messaging. Ultimately, this gave users the PC-esque experience at the palm of their hands. As the seemingly small company of only 55 employees climbed its way and solidified its position as one of the top mobile apps of its time, Facebook Inc. purchased the company for $19 billion US dollars. What started as a small messaging application became what is now an eleven-figure money making machine. Starting out in the Apple App Store as a $0.99 application, Whatsapp expanded to practically every platform available. Since then, the company also made their messenger free, charging users a fee of $0.99 for every following year they use Whatsapp – and of course, everyone renews their subscription because an equally effective alternative simply doesn’t exist. In the present day, Whatsapp is home to 600 million registered users and is above and beyond any mobile competitors. Although Apple has made its Messages application to be almost identical to Whatsapp, it cannot compete simply due to Whatsapp’s multi-platform nature. With the success of Whatsapp, telecommunications companies are watching the “texting” phenomenon fade away into the past as the word on the street is now, “Hey, Whatsapp me.”

Calvin Harris performing at a live concert.

Over the course of 2013, the electronic dance music (EDM) genre has generated over 4 billion dollars in revenue primarily through music sales, live performances and concerts. The EDM phenomenon has evolved from targeting a specific audience to being on practically every mainstream radio station across the globe. The sudden influx in popularity is mainly due to a change in what people look for in music. First off, EDM music is easily accessible. While it is illegal to pirate music files, EDM tracks are widely pirated with minimal resistance. In fact, many electronic artists allow their music to be downloaded for free! Armin van Buuren, one of the most popular DJs of our time, proclaimed that it is more important for EDM music to be accessible for everyone rather than to restrict it to those who can afford to pay. This way, even though many artists lose out on revenue generated through consumers buying music, they gain exposure and the genre continues to grow as a whole. The exposure leads to where the artists thrive, live performances and concerts. Because EDM is so widely accessible, fans are more inclined to spend their money to see these DJs live. It just so happens that the genre produces music that encourages dancing and partying which perfectly targets the audience that primarily purchases music and concert tickets in the first place. According to Forbes magazine, Calvin Harris – a prominent DJ in the industry – made 46 million dollars in 2013. That’s more than pop superstars such as Katy Perry and Jay-Z! His success is mostly attributed to the fact that he played over 70 shows throughout the year and released many hit singles at plagued radios and music players around the world. As the genre continues to grow, it seems that there is only more money to be made. On average, a live electronic music festival can cost around $80-$100 for a single show. With over thousands of people attending each event, it shouldn’t be surprising that DJs are willing to give up a few music sales. With new DJs emerging in the industry and fan bases expanded exponentially, EDM is definitely here to stay.

Tomorrowland Music Festival

Riot Games

In 2009, Riot Games released a multiplayer online battle area (MOBA) game known as League of Legends. With Riot Games being a fairly new company, nobody expected League of Legends to grow at such a tremendous rate with no sign of slowing down. As of today, the game is home to over 7.5 million players daily and is largely regarded by most as one of the greatest video games in history. Between April 2013 and March 2014, Riot Games managed to achieve a revenue of 937 million US dollars  while staying privately traded and keeping their game free-to-play. Riot Games’ success has been a surprise to many, but upon further inspection it becomes evident the company’s success is definitely not a fluke. First off, their product – League of Legends – is literally a click away for anyone interested. By being free-to-play, the game’s player base is growing every single day and veteran players have all the reasons to stay. The game is constantly being updated to keep the content fresh and gameplay is monitored by staff to ensure that the community is friendly. In addition, Riot employees are constantly interacting with the online community through Reddit and other forms of social media. This is where the company capitalizes. By having a genuinely fantastic product and unparalleled customer service, Riot Games is able to run a free-to-play game while making incredible profit through in-game currency, merchandise and advertisements during their live broadcasts. Recently, the game has also evolved into one of the most popular spectator sports on the planet. Because the game is complex enough to be competitive yet simple enough to easily understand the basics, even those who don’t play the game can enjoy watching the pros. The emergence of competitive League of Legends has turned gamers into professional personalities with large fanbases and sparked a growth in the entire Esports industry. Having the champion skin that your favorite professional player uses is now equivalent to owning your favorite basketball player’s jersey. Now, where does Riot Games go from here? Well at this point in time, it seems like the sky is the limit.

Fans can watch as their favorite teams face off in the competitive scene.

Apple. This five letter word primarily refers to the fruit that fell on Newton’s head which inspired the formulation of his theory of gravitation. Today, we associate the word “apple” with something drastically different. Instead of fruit, we picture iconic electronics with the patented logo of a bitten apple we all know and love. Let’s face it – the reputation of Apple products is among the best in the world. Apple products are simple yet effective and are coupled with exceptional customer service and unrivaled innovation. From a consumer’s perspective, what’s not to love? However, upon further analysis of the corporation, the rainbows and butterflies come to a halt. Year after year, Apple continuously supports the violation of human rights on the other side of the spectrum, its workers. Apple has been chastised for unsafe working conditions in its supplier factories all across the world. This is an ongoing issue that plagues the brand. In reality, Apple has been abusing workers in foreign factories (notably Foxconn) for many years. According to Freeman’s stakeholder theory, it isn’t enough for Apple to simply have excellent customer service and amazing products. A successful business must prioritize all of its components with ethical morals and values which most definitely includes treating its employees fairly. Recently, media reports have heavily criticized Apple’s support for companies such as Foxconn but the corporation continues to strive. Are we, the consumers of today, completely unaltered by unethical actions? With the upcoming release of the iPhone 6 and the corporation’s recent unethical business practices, Apple’s loyal customers will be put to the test. Will they continue to support their favorite products through the commotion? Hopefully not.

A typical Foxconn factory.