The article talks about the significance of marketing and how to get the marketing message out. The most important point is making people realize they can have the greatest product or service, but if no one knows they are there, their business will fail.

I strongly agree with author’s opinion. Actually, from my perspective, it is the problem of value proposition and brand identity, which play a crucial important role in the business. First, increasing marketing can make people have a special impression on the product and generate a willing to try it which can increase the selling volume.

Secondly, it may be effective if marketing can be integrated into every facet of building and growing your business, such as newspapers, radio, fliers, word of mouth, networking and testimonials. However, in terms of small or growing companies who desire to be easily recognized and memorized, they would not have unstinted budget to support this kind of marketing. Despite the fact that marketing is the key to business success, production and operating are the basis of the business which is of vital importance.

Therefore, a contradiction exists. New and growing company have little budget to improve their value proposition and brand identity. On the other hand, the giant company uses a lot of money to do it and gains selling volume and the loyalty of consumers. This is an interesting issue.

Sources:

Get Your Marketing Message Out or You’ll Fail. By Glenn Muske (Blog outside Sauder)

http://smallbizsurvival.com/2013/10/get-your-marketing-message-out.html

The article is talking about LG’s innovation—its new smartphones with bendable OLED screens will be released later. This may be a good idea to launch new product after Apple’s 5S and 5C.

Even though the bendable OLED screens is the point of difference and flexible screens may play a big role in the future, however, it’s difficult to consider phones like the G Flex and Samsung’s Galaxy Round an effective application of the technology. There is nothing improved in its point of parity. The new product isn’t even trying to display it as an innovation that fundamentally enhances the smartphone experience. In other word, it is only produced for those who want to show up their new and special phone. However, most showing-up people will chasing after Apple, which is considered as the most fashionable technology company.

Considering the battle between LG and Samsung, in my opinion, Samsung will beat it because Samsung actually occupies 1/3 market share of the whole. Also, Samsung and Android gained a lot reputation during these years, which can enhance their brand identity thereby attracting many potential customers.

It is reported that Samsung is in a quiet push to make its Tizen operating system a part of the technology lexicon as familiar as Google’s Android or Apple’s IOS, which can make a greater difference that the mentioned bendable screens.

Source: LG’s innovation. By Yssa Romero.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/yssaromero/2013/10/08/lgs-innovation/

G Flex: hands-on with LG’s truly flexible phone. By Sam Byford on November 5, 2013 12:00 am

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/5/5067186/lg-g-flex-curved-oled-smartphone-hands-on

Samsung Tizen OS touted as Android alternative. The Associated Press Posted: Nov 12, 2013 11:35 AM

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/samsung-tizen-os-touted-as-android-alternative-1.2423682

This article talked about the Zappos, which has been discussing in our lectures. The author found out some ways that she learned from Zappos which may “put a smile on customer’s face”.

First of all, it may be effective if Zappos can reach customers with different preferences. However, actually, never can it meet everyone’s need and affection. So it seems that it is an unreachable goal. Also, financially, there is no doubt that it should import increasing shoes to meet the diversity of both size and appearance. It absolutely leads to a significant increase in total cost with high risk due to the invisible returns.

Secondly, free calls may be a credible way to improve customer service, but, obviously, it needs a lot of labor—human forces, which is a relatively expensive production factor. Moreover, according to the video we saw in the lecture, employees always received many unreasonable call from customers—maybe just trouble-makers which is a great waste of time and money. Thus, from my perspective, it is not wise to increase profit by focusing on free call.

In addition, even though it seemed very ethic for Zappos to suggest their customers to look at competitor online shops, it did not make sense at all. Customers will hardly be impressed by the company who cannot provide them with tangible goods, especially online shopping.

References

-The Art of “Putting a Smile on Customer’s Face”. By Aylin Senem.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/aylinsenempiskin/2013/11/12/the-art-of-putting-a-smile-on-customers-face/

In spite of the decreasing impact of the globe economic crisis, many entrepreneurs are still confronted with a decline business and seeking methods to go over it. For example, in terms of management, the Hewlett-Packard has issued a new edict calling for more employees to show up at the office more often instead of working at home. Obviously, what Meg Whitman, the CEO of HP, wants is building a stronger culture of engagement and collaboration to improve the business.

There is no doubt that a healthy organizational culture may provide various benefits. Actually, not only can it enhance company’s rivalry by improving innovation and customer service, but also it can improve employee performance which can be more efficient and consistent. A 2003 Harvard Business School study reported that culture has a significant impact on an organization’s long-term economic performance.

Despite the fact that organizations with strong performance-oriented cultures witnessed a better financial growth, as a matter of fact, it would experience a hardship during short term. This is due to the difficulties of organizational change, especially the groupthink of it. If the CEO handled this kind of cultural resistant properly, the company would be survived and relatively booming after its turnaround.

In a word, a good organizational culture is absolutely beneficial to a company. However, in terms of management, it should be very cautious to make any organizational change.

References

1.At HP, Meg Whitman Wants People to Show Up for Work. By Ashlee Vance  October 09, 2013.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-09/at-hp-meg-whitman-wants-people-to-show-up-for-work

2.Organizational culture. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture#Impacts

3.Change management. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_management

As increasing sexual assaults happen all around the world, such as the cases on UBC campus, the whole society are finding a way to protect women walking at night from sexual assaults. At this time, the appearance of “Anti-rape” underwear hits the world. A small New York state-based startup gained instant online notoriety over the weekend for marketing a line of locking, rip-proof underwear that the company is dubbing “anti-rape wear.”

From my perspective, there are two reasons for why the “Anti-rape” underwear becomes a big hit. Specifically, one is that the company has a great sense of marketing and has the ability to reveal the valuable point for its business, like “Anti-rape” for the increasing sexual assaults. In other word, that is the company grasps what costumers need, so the forecast of this product should be remarkable.

In addition, another point is that the owners of the company know the significance of the point of difference. Actually, it has already been amazing for a company to produce this kind of underwear which can be recognized without a second. More importantly, it is closely related to what we concerned about. This is the core which makes it special so that boosts the selling volume of the product.

In conclusion, it is far more important for a company to do marketing research and make what people actually need become the point of difference among other competitors by the results of the research. It is of crucial significance for a growing company.

References

1. ‘Anti-rape’ underwear stirs up storm of controversy online. Tristin Hopper | 04/11/13 11:17 PM ET.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/04/anti-rape-underwear-stirs-up-storm-of-controversy-online/

2. Marketing Research

http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/research/