20820014 Entry-11

Predicting the Apple brands by 2013
Apple Daydreaming Report Predicts Move Toward Home Devices
/ summary /
According to the Apple fans purchasing tendency, the Forrester Research draw a crystal ball in a new report that imagines the Apple products of 2013. The research firm uses the company's recent history as a guide to forecasting.
Forrester's conclusion: While much of Apple's great successes have been mobile products such as the iPod and the iPhone, the company will seek to colonize rooms throughout the home.
Among the new products Forrester predicts Apple will create are wall-mountable digital picture frames with small high-definition screens and speakers that wirelessly play media, including photos, videos and music, stored on a computer elsewhere in the home.
For the bedroom, Apple "clock radio" pipes in music and other media across a home network. Possible, too, is an "AppleSound" universal remote control, also with a touch-sensitive screen, that lets users browse their music collections and change the songs playing through their stereo as they stroll around the house. This latter technology is already available in primitive form through an application of Apple's iTunes program.
Forrester also thinks Apple could extend into the home the technical assistance currently offered by "Genius Bar" personnel in Apple retail stores. Apple in-home installation services will become especially important as its array of products for the home grows.
Moreover, one long-running prediction proved that Apple might make a television set. Apple will one day get into the business as conventional TV makers start to integrate into their sets the ability to surf the Web. Apple already designs computer displays that are as large as some HDTVs.
Researchers think Apple could simplify the traditional functions on TV sets, like the bewildering electronic programming guides that list the hundreds of channels available to viewers. "Most people find operating high-quality TV systems incredibly awkward”
My opinion
It's interesting thinking about what could be Apple’s next digital invention in five years. Apple has already built strong sustainable competitive advantage its world of delivering display devices. The iPod remains the top MP3 player, with more than 70% of the market, and Apple is now the top retailer of music in the nation. Less than a year after entering the cell phone business with the iPhone, Apple became the second-largest provider of smart phones in the U.S. I don’t know exactly whether my opinion is right or not. But since the company has succeed its current market, it should innovate new products for its not only existing market but also new market to increase its wallet share. As time goes today’s star products sale rate would be decreased. At that time use its large lucrative products as cash flow to produce new star product to remain its competitive advantage and number1 retailer position.
Reference: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121140284684611795.html?mod=fpa_mostpop,

Apple Daydreaming: Report Predicts Move Toward Home Devices by Nick Wingfield, May 23, 2008

20501005 - Entry 11

Jeju seeks investment to become business hub

Promote Jeju!! Make Jeju a place where everyone wants to visit and do businesses.


Summary
The Jeju government said yesterday it will focus on three key development projects -- medical tourism, technology based-industrial complex and English town -- to develop the resort island into an international business and tourism hub. Calling the island, "the land of promise," Kim Tae-hwan, governor of the Jeju Special Self-governing Province said in an investment seminar held at a hotel in Seoul yesterday that he will make the island the most favorable place to stay and to invest in East Asia. The investment forum, which drew about 600 participants, was jointly hosted by the government of the Jeju provincial government and the Jeju Free International City Development Center.

My Opinion
This is an article about how Jeju tries to reposition and create value for attracting foreign people and investors . It seems to me it is very similar to what president. Lee said couple of weeks ago in Korea investment forum. In that forum, President Lee suggested and promised he will reduce many barriers such as tariff and many taxes to attract foreign direct investment. It was very impressive that president. Lee stated “Welcome all of you to Korea, please invest to Korea! I am CEO of Korea and I am here to promote Korea!” He seemed to be a marketer who sells the product ‘Korea’ to foreign companies. I think he did very good job. This is an era in which Korea is suffering from economic recession. I think we can't overcome the economic difficulties without F.T.A or direct investment from foreign companies. Like president. Lee did, Kim Tae-hwan, governor of the Jeju Special Self-governing Province is doing good job. He emphasize on Jeju’s strengths; medical tourism, technology based-industrial business and tourism hub. I was very surprised that Daum, which is one of biggest IT companies in Korea, has moved its head quarter to Jeju Island.
To sum up, these efforts might be very helpful to Jeju. All leaders should be a great marketer and promote well. This is how we can survive in such competitive era.

Reference:Jeju seeks investment to become business hub by Cho Chung-un(christory@heraldm.com), May 22, 2008, The Korea Herald

20820007 Entry – 11

Your Employees Are Dying To Be Heard

Poor communication could be costing you business in more ways than you might imagine.

By Carmine Gallo

/Summary/

A firm which is working 60 year on research - Opinion Research (IUSA) found that ‘poor communication’ is main factor that makes employees to annoy. And unsatisfied and unhappy employees may cause danger in your business that you will never imagine. So they are suggesting some suggestions how to make better communication between your employees.
Solicit opinion. In U. S many employees think that they can not participate and influence in the organizational activities. Also in 2007 research showed that employees were annoyed by their managers who are failed to talk about company’s news.
Communicate change. We are living in constant changing economy so that managers should communicate with their workers and tell them why the change is necessary and how should they implement changes to prevent further danger. It makes positive atmosphere even it is not acceptable by all of them at that time. If you do not do these it may cause negative perception, disengagement and makes changes tougher to implement.
Include employees in feedback loop. Many companies do surveys to get feedback from customers by via the Web, over the phone or with suggestion box to make sure how their products and services perceived in the market but they usually do not communicate and inform results to people who are actually doing the selling and presenting the brand. This situation produces no chances to implement the necessary changes.
Make communication personal. Many managers are loosing chances to make good impression to their employees just sitting in their offices instead of meeting them face to face. Opinion Research are suggesting to contact personally with your employees at least once a week.
Finally, if you want to know whether you are communicating enough with your workers Reilly director of Opinion Research recommends you ask: “Are you getting enough information to do your jobs effectively?” Then do not forget to make special attention to the answers.

Opinion

In text book says that we are not living in vacuum, we are interacting with other people and we need a communication with others especially with our staffs in the organization. Definition of Business is achieving organizational goals through people. And this article reveals what is the main internal problem in the organization that makes consequences to achieve these goals. The problem is communication. I also agree that when people feel comfortable and confident work hard and achieve their full potential. Comfortable and confidence comes by communicating and by knowing thought of others and putting it into action that they can know they are important. Also I understand that it is very important to always to make sure to which direction company is going, what kind of changes they should do in order to reach the final point and what they think about the process. In other hand there might occur the questions when employees have not sufficient information about products and services they presenting. In this case book focuses to educate employees before present our service and product so we can succeed and gain customers trust.

Reference: http://www.businessweek.com/

20400442-Entry 11

"Marketing Bullet" vs "Customer-motivating Design"

Johnson & Johnson's, one of America's most prominent Fortune 500 companies, is focusing on the packages and overall design; previously Johnson & Johnson's hasn't have their own design derictor, but they have outsourced their packages and design.

Apparently simple repackaging of J&J's flagship brand keeps the iconic teardrop but adds cleaner type and tinted bottles. Furthermore, big box stores considered Band-Aid's previous cardboard bulk package to be forbidding. The new version features a set of interlocking plastic cases—and is now stocked by stores such as Costco. Johnson & Johnson acquired the Rembrandt brand in 2005, revamping the product line before relaunching it last May. All these changes are to focus on the customers' value and as a result design truely motivates the customers to take the product home.

The article says, Hacker has always had the support of management, but changing the company's approach to design hasn't been easy. "We're bringing a problem-solving process to our marketing partners that they aren't used to," he says of his centralized approach. "It's been a challenge."

Hacker also hopes to change the way designers and corporations think about sustainability. "Everything we do is as sustainable as we can make it," he says. "It's part of the process, but it's not the definition. We're designing to create positive consumer experience, and while we do that—by the way—we're also making it sustainable. I'm on a mission to tell designers that sustainability has got to be a part of what they do."

Opinions

The whole point of the design-driven marketing and design that truely meat customers need is to produce sustainable advantages and competitiveness. As we learned in the class, design of the products and the packages of them are becoming one of the best promotion that can improve the perceived value. It is worth noting the importance of the design one more.

Reference:
Johnson & Johnson's Big Design Challenge by Mark Lamster , May 21, 2008, Business Week

20501034 Entry 11

American Idol's Ads Infinitum

Original Article

May 22, 2008
by Ronald Grover from Businessweek

Summary

Seven years into a monster ratings run, Fox Entertainment’s American Idol has become as much a marketing showcase as musical slugfest. Many prestigious companies like Apple, AT&T, Coke put huge amount of money for product placement in American Idol. This year advertising agencies figuring out which age group is watching the show and the age group was proved as a mom. So, American Idol added Apple considering their purchasing pattern.


My opinion

PPL(Product Placement) became very effective method in advertising. The first time I realized Product Placement for the first time when I was watching the movie “ Shiri”. It was very nice movie, but sometimes the movie directors too much emphasize on particular brand name. So it wasn’t easy to just concentrate on the movie.

To maximize the profit, for the advertisement agency, their best interest is to show their product as frequently as possible. However, lots of product placements on the show discourage people to watch the show because no one would want to see commercial through the show. The relationship between the number of commercials which placed on the show and the number of audience could be regarded as an inverse proportion. If we put the number of commercials on x axis and put the number of audiences on y axis, it is vital to find the point or spot on this inverse proportion that maximize the square. In this point, audience not only enjoy the show but also tolerate many commercials.