Sha Qiang BLOG

The $600 Motorola Xoom is the first slate to run Android 3.0 (a.k.a. Honeycomb), Google’s long-awaited operating system designed for tablets. Motorola wisely refrained from altering the stock experience, which means it’s a chance for the world to see tablet computing exactly as Google intends.

Before getting into the Honeycomb experience, let’s talk hardware. Motorola has put together a powerful slate featuring NVIDIA’s 1 GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor and a gigabyte of RAM. It makes for a slick, speedy experience; apps open instantly and run smoothly.

The only physical keys to be found anywhere on the device are a pair of volume control buttons on the left side and a power button on the back where the user’s fingers curl under the display. Beside the power button is a five megapixel camera capable of capturing 720p video. A two-megapixel camera is centred above the screen on the front side.

32G, 10.1 inches screen,overwhelmed by the 1280-by-800 resolution with Android 3.0 operating system, this one is a better option for tap-pc.

The Xoom can handle all of the things we’ve come to expect from a slate while moving one step closer to a more powerful PC experience. This should make it appealing to users with professional ambitions. In fact, a Motorola rep suggested that he thought it was a “viable replacement” for a netbook or laptop. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but it is one of the best bridges yet between the tablet and PC worlds. I’d wager plenty of gadget buyers have been waiting for just such a crossing.

A while ago, Starbucks changes its new logo with only the female image left. I read blog from Ruth Widjaja regarding the new changing of logo.https://blogs.ubc.ca/ruthirmawidjaja/2011/03/09/starbucks-specializing-in-coffee-no-more/. According to the blog, the purpose of this changing is to “introduce new product categories”. For example, Starbucks has new product “mini cupcakes” and “cake pops”. Overall, they are not focus on coffee, they are doing more. However, the new logo seems not so favorite among the consumers, also some articles pointed that this changing is useless. Anyway, though the Starbucks has not received positive feedback from the market, hope it will have efficient marketing strategies after.

Well, Not only Starbucks Coffee has changed their logo, many famous brand also did that. Let’s have a look.

1. Apple.

Apple’s logo stands for popularity, fancy, technology. But back in old days in 1976, can you tell me what logo stands for?

2. Canon

..I think the first logo is Buddha,  it made a huge change after.

3. IBM

IBM once was not IBM is called ITRC.

4. Nokia

Wired.

5. Pepsi

Pepsi is the one who changes its logo a lot.

Nowadays “more than 90 million members in 200 countries world-wide, LinkedIn’s heaviest users are job-hunters and recruiters”. This means there is a huge potential market behind this, which is as strong as the Facebook. However, the key feature of LinkedIn is regarding the business connection unlike the feature of Facebook which is entertainment and social lives. According to http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/03/10/LinkedIn-Today-Social-News.aspx, now the LinkedIn website proposed that they are going to socialize the news for their members. “Its just-launched news aggregation section, LinkedIn Today, features headlines flagged by other users in your LinkedIn network, along with the ability to follow headlines by media brands includingThe Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, NPR, Bloomberg, Harvard Business Review – and news by industry.”

Even though Somebody somehow doubt that,because with new-release news, the first option  is Twitter. However, my personally think it is quite profitable to implement this suggestion. First, LinkedIn is a business connections based website, in order words, there is a large number of high-value consumers. Especially today, business people are trying so hard to catch up the valuable news, LinkedIn could satisfy this demand. Second, somebody worried about this suggestion is like repeating what twitter has done. I checked some features that linkedin has listed, for example, “Create a personalized newspaper based on industries of interest to the user” this is more useful than twitter.

It is undeniable that, linedin also very popular among the business students, for Sauder school, probably because of comm299. Anyway, it is a very great tool for a business student to connect the business world. I joined the group of Sauder Alumni Group on linedin, I found a alumni who graduated in 1991, now working in Shanghai as VP of a Incorporation. I send a message to him with introduction of myself. Out of expectation, he replied me with kindness. We had a good conversation, and planned to meet in Shanghai.

WOW! that’s how linedin works!

Nokia had been leading the cell-phone industry for many years before Iphone came out. With good quality, innovative, affordable price, Nokia has always been the first choice for consumers. Also Nokia confidently told every that every four second, a Nokia cell-phone is sold in their commercial.

I had been using Nokia phone for many years, honestly, very good quality. One example is that, I dropped it for many times, but it still worked well. At that time, Symbiam operating system was treated as the smart phone system. People can download applications from third party, even though the quantity and quality was limited. Anyway, people love Nokia.

This amazing fairytale was broken since Iphone came out. Apparently, Iphone is  critical. However, no matter how you don’t like it, how many issues it has, people all over the world are crazy about it, it seems nothing can stop it. Seems people are focusing on the Iphone, or we can say Iphone is so good that people somehow ignore new cell-phone from Nokia. Nokia could be suffering during these years.  Last week, I grabbed a Nokia N8 for using, compared to the Nokia old models , this N8 made a large progress. Sadly,the sale was cold.

Well, Nokia has to do something, otherwise, it may have to make shoes again.

Beginning 2011, Nokia will use Microsoft’s Windows Phone for its main smartphone operating system. The reason for this is that the smartphone battle is now a war of ecosystems rather than just devices. An ecosystem consists of devices, services, third-party providers, a strong app market and delighted customers. Microsoft, Nokia and its other partners will form a strong ecosystem to bring innovation and choice into the market. MeeGo now becomes a platform for future disruption of the market through innovative and different devices. Symbian will continue to be supported and developed as the full product portfolio takes shape.

Let’s wait for some changes.

At today’s global view, the marketing share of Microsoft inc is much larger than Apple inc. Most of families, schools, business are using the windows as their operating system, while mac seems only used by some industries such as music, media. People know mac but they are familiar with it.

It is undeniably that Microsoft has huge success of its marketing strategy. Using China as example, at the beginning of  time when China began to use computers, only Microsoft came with its windows95. As a result, Microsoft has gained huge profit since then. Of course, as we known, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world not Steve Jobs.

However, this situation has been changed since the great product Iphone came out which brought cell phone into smart phone era. The technology,the design, the function of this new smart phone gave people a new experience with using cell-phone. Somehow it changes the lifestyle of people. For instance, with the calender application or other calender application on app-store, people can no longer carry the agenda or notebook with themselves to reminder what’s next event.

Besides its innovative technology, apple’s marketing strategy on iphone is very critical however it is very successful. From consumer’s view, even tough iphone every year has a new product, and usually the new generation is much better than the old generation, but consumers still want to buy it instead of  switching to apple’s competitors. How apple makes that happen?  There are many reasons, I will analyze next blog.

Since iphone keeps attracting people’s attention also extremely satisfies its customers. At the same time, ipad, new ipod came out to the market.

As a result, people are now interested  into other apple’s product, which is Mac. Sooner or later, Mac will become very popular, because in fact Mac is much better than Windows.

As a university student, studying could be either enjoyable or painful. As a matter of fact, the environment of study has huge impact on the efficiency of studying outcome. Studying at home is good choice, but not as efficiency as studying at library or learning center. Besides the quiet, people at library they do study and hard working, this issues probably can push people to study instead of checking Facebook or Youtube something wastes the time.That’s why during the exam time, all library and learning center all full of people, and it takes a long time to find a seat.

For me, i really like the learning place such as woodward or irving at UBC. First they are quiet, comfortable, and multi-functional. I look back in the city shenzhen where i originally came from, it has not a learning place like that. Yes, what i am looking forward to is too open a learning center for public. This is not a library.

Here are some thoughts and ideas about how this learning center works.

1. open to public for free 24*7 free.

2. free wifi and internet access for anyone.

3. join for membership for high-speed internet, private studying area, priority for booking small rooms, discount on food service

4.provide hotel service, which is cheap,clean,and convenient.

5.large rooms are available for rent. people can use it to hold workshop, class, lecture, anything else.

This idea may be a little unpractical, because it costs a lot to run the place like that. However, it can be assumed as a non-profit business, which means it needs donation from government or social organizations.

After all, what i want to do is to provide a well studying place for people.

There are three important notices for starting business whatever a restaurant, a clothing store, or even a huge mall. The first one is location, second is location. The third again is location. Roughly, we can define this kind of business is location-based service.

Today, we have already entered the internet era, which significantly impacts our daily lives, also the business. A new connection between business and customers shows up by location-based service website, location-application on smart phones. One of the famous location service which is widely used by us is Google Map. Usually, it can be used to search to location we looking for with some relative advertisements coming up.

Now with new companies entering this industry, one is http://foursquare.com/. Another one is http://www.facebook.com/places/.

Compared to the Google Maps, these two website actually offers more service or coupon to the customers which is more business related.

For the foursuare which started two-years ago now having over 5-million users allows users to “check in” from various locations, ranging from ballparks to coffee shops to hotels. The service relies almost entirely on smart phones and other mobile devices. On the other hand, for business users, Foursquare offers a compelling branding opportunity.Businesses can claim their virtual locations on Foursquare, and offer deals that encourage customers to visit the physical storefronts more often.Businesses can also offer special deals based on frequency of visits, or a one-time deal when a customer visits for the first time.

For the facebook.com/place. One of its advantage is that it is the largest social networking tool in the world which is very attractive for business owners who want to advertise their product or service. However, facebook just cooperate with group0buying site such as Groupon and Teamsave. Usually there web-site offer a great deal to customers. Users can check in to various locations, and see nearby discounts from participating businesses.

Nowadays, one of the values of consumer adoption of cell phone technology is that many companies are beginning to develop cool-style and useful applications. However, not all cell apps are useful but the latest app offering from Microsoft is an interesting one and the way they are making the offer is sure to trickle to other app providers. Customers can download the Top 100s by Year by Bing apple-app for free. As the name of the app implies, customers can actually listen to the Top 100 songs from 1947 to 2010, again for free without strings attached. To be able to listen to thousands of songs for free, I think this is something all users can live with. I can only imagine how royalty payments are tracked and how long Microsoft will offer this for free. Do you think this free giveaway will help Microsoft increase Bing app installs? Only time will tell but giving mobile users the ability to listen to thousands of Top 100 songs for free is definitely a great incentive for any campaign, and one that only few companies can even consider offering. Therefore, download one and enjoy the music.

Toyota is recalling nearly 1.7 million cars, the bulk of them in Japan, for various defects that may cause fuel leakage. This time though products are mostly in Japan, still they also include the IS and GS Lexus luxury models in North America, where the world’s No. 1 auto maker faces the biggest obstacles to winning back customer trust.

This is not a good news for TOYOTA at the beginning of the new year which also greatly spotted the reputation of the Japanese cars “AGAIN”.

This news reminds me of the consumer behavior issue we have learnt from the marketing class which is the attitude of consumers. One characteristic of the attitude is that it is hard to change once it is established, yet it can be changed in one night if there is safety or healthy issues.

Well, Alberta Steak is a very good example, people wont buy anything due to the rumor regarding the mad cow disease. However, what we need to highlighted here is that how the Alberta Streak fight back the predicament. The company didn’t jut let it go, they tried every approaches to clarify themselves as the most safe beef in the world. Fortunately, their effort paid off after all.

Also, TOYOTA tried to redeem the situation last year. After its Prius having the break issues, TOYOTA recalled over 5 million cars, though it greatly damaged the confidence of the customers, but I think it was the right to step to rebuild its reputation. After a short time, It was easy to see its advertisements and publications on TV, radio and newspapers. TOYOTA  retrieved itself by the press, and slowly people began to trust it back. Regardless the product, a good company should do something positively against the difficulties.

Still, TOYOTA this year has a long-tough way to go, but It can make it.

I love coca-cola, probably the same as other people do. This amazing pop has greatly influenced many generations. Warren Buffet likes it, and he had been kept investing its stock. While on the other hand, its only competitor – Pepsi-cola, now seems its momentum has become less powerful in the market.

How coca-cola is getting so successful today?

The answer is its high-efficiency marketing strategy.

One of is successful marketing strategy is that it catches every big sport-competition, which is the culture issue of the macro-environment. Well, we can look at the recent three big sport-game. 2008 Beijing summer Olympic games, 2010 Vancouver winter Olympic games also the coming 2012 London summer Olympic games. Without any doubts, the most brand people saw or will see on the street on the TV and radio most frequently is the coca-cola sign.

With Olympic,Coca-cola  now is more than just a pop-drink, it adds sports value to it. Also we can see, coco-cola is the honor supporter of the Olympic games, and it spent much money on its advertisement and activities regrading the Olympic. People sub-cautiously accept the relationship which connects coca-cola and Olympic. As a consequence, when talking about Olympic, naturally coca-cola will comes up. Does anyone will think about the Pepsi-cola? I don’t think so.

The next coming 2012 London summer Olympic, Coca-cola again will become a honor supporter. At that time, people will again see coca-cola’s advertisements and activities. This huge marketing success is incomparable by any other beverage company. When we look into it, it is simply just focus on a little aspect of the macro environment which is the culture.  Also a great partner- the “Olympic”

coca-cola also was the one of  honor supporter of Vancouver 2010 winter Olympic games.