Month: November 2010

While browsing through fellow classmates blogs I had encountered quite an interesting one about a new Lamborghini bike for 7,500$:

https://blogs.ubc.ca/yousufali/2010/10/14/7500-lamborghini/

In this blog, it talks about how Lamborghini uses a brand extension line tactic to branch out of cars to now start on bikes. However with this new product they still keep the price relatively high compared to other competitors to hold on to their perceived value.  The launch of the new bike is creating quite the stir for the car fanatics and is a great way to remind its customers that they are still here, and that they are not afraid to try new things. The Lamborghini bike could be bought for riding pleasures in style but also as  a collectible or to show brand loyalty in the means of traveling.  As Yousuf suggested a Lamborghini stroller, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lamborghini come out with shoes and maybe co brand with a shoes company as Ferrari did with Puma.

Recently, I read an article about an upcoming trend that not that many companies know. The article is about website designers charging a fee and agreeing to place their clients’ ads on their website even when they have no space on their website. Many companies do not realize this, and it is unethical or even illegal to do that as they are tricking companies into believing that they are getting good space, and actually showing customers their ads — which is not true.

This shows the power of the internet, and although popups are annoying, it is a large market due to the popularity of the internet. Imagine a website full of popups everywhere, in fact in most websites excluding some limited ones such as Wikipedia, most websites have many forms of advertisements in them, along the sides, on the top, at the near bottom. Even when it is not a pop-up necessary, many companies pay to have their companies recognized on popular websites by paying website designers to put their advertisements on their website.

Here is a funny popup for you all:

This is one of Kobe Bryant’s newest signature shoe, it has a lot of quality built into the product. These shoes are a bit different from most basketball shoes which are high tops (to provide ankle protection), Kobe’s new signature shoes all have been low tops because Kobe focuses on quickness and argues that low top shoes allows more room and speed for the feet, and he further points out that even with high tops, if a player is not careful, ankle injuries can still happen on the court.

This advertisement is clearly influenced by The Dark Knight movie as this shoe is named after it, and the advertisement reflects it as well. The shoe came out after the movie which would help in the sales for Kobe, also Kobe’s signature shoes are all set at a price higher then most shoes, since they are good quality and he wants to set them at a prestige since the buyers believe they are getting value added thinking that they will be like Kobe in these shoes.

I think that quality is important in a shoe and having that extra speed or even believing that the shoes gives you that extra speed may enhance your performance also having the name “The Dark Knight” consumers may buy this and think that they can fight and save the world like batman.

During the Halloween weekend I noticed how companies make that extra effort to spice up thier stores with the holiday spirits. Do they do this because they love the holiday or maybe because it attracts customers? Business owners, realize that holidays and festivals bring neighborhoods and communities together, and is a time to enjoy the company and the holiday together. It also gives the company a chance to grow their business through decorations and adding the holiday into their product. Starbucks is one of these companies and has incorporated this tactic into their products as they have come up with new products such as Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte along with other Halloween type products ranging from toys to mugs. Starbucks expanded their market that reaches customers who take part in the fun and holiday spirit. The customers will respect the fact that you enjoy their company outside of your business and that you are really just one of them. This is a great way to build a reputation with your neighbors and is excellent for business growth. With halloween just finishing don’t be surprised to see Starbucks hanging up the Christmas lights and providing more holiday fun with Christmas around the corner.