When we think of the typical shoppers, we tend to think of women who spend tons of time browsing through accessories and clothes. Of course there are also men who shop but tend to give less of an effort in the process. When it comes to mobile shopping, one would assume that it is in the woman's nature to take on the heavy user identity. Right? Wrong. A recent survey showed that men tend to shop via mobile devices a lot more often than women do. Why is this so you may ask? It simple, men shop quickly, therefore mobile shopping provides them with the perfect platform to do so.
Think about it, us guys are sitting on our couch watching the game while the women are out window shopping or browsing in stores and trying on dresses. Guys like things to be simple and efficient. So when we're sitting at home, we are more likely to work right from our comfort zone. A recent poll was taken asking men and women if shopping was a form of therapy for them. The results are the following: 46% of women agreed while 27% of men agreed. There is a clear discrepancy with the way each gender views the general idea of shopping. Women clearly enjoy the experience more than men do and look at it as a way of comfort.
Another survey was taken, this time asking men and women if they primarily shop on their phone through a mobile app. 15% of men agreed while 9% of women agreed. As expected, the men find it a lot easier to get their shopping done in the comfort of their own home. This doesn't mean that men are more tech savvy, but they would rather resort to the easiest form of buying rather than seeing the product in person the old fashion way. As sad as it sounds, technology has caused the average man to become lazier with mondain activities.
Speaking from personal experience, I have also purchased quite a bit from my mobile apps. For example, I recently ordered a basketball jersey from my Amazon app strictly on impulse as I was watching basketball highlights from a pub in the same fashion as ordering it on the computer. The only difference was I wasn't in my house yet it was a lot more convenient than going to a store and trying each size on. Mobile apps offer everything computer orders do in the convenience in our phone. I can choose my size, style and compare prices. Mobile app purchases have made shopping a whole lot simpler and easier for the average man. No longer do we need to make those trips to the retail stores, we not have access on the road.
Google is known as the number one search engine across the world. They are constantly revolutionizing whatever industry they choose to enter, and their latest spectacle will hold that statement true. Google is introducing "Google Glass" - a new glasses design that accesses your Google account and provides the same ability to search for information right in front of your eyes. In addition to its general settings, Google Glass now provides an app that reads story headlines to you.
I am continuously amazed at the advancement in technology. Consumers can now access information on foot just by a few commands to their glasses. Imagine that! Improving sight while providing information at our fingertips. Google Glass brings a whole new meaning to virtual reality by being able to read breaking news reports or having them read to you by the program itself. The glasses are expected to be released to the public in 2014 at $1,500 a pair. That certainly is a heavy price to pay for a pair of glasses.
I'm all for innovation and advanced technology, after all I do consider myself a man of the millenium, however this invention has me scratching my head. My first problem is its purpose. Why do people need to have information accessed from their glasses when they can just as easily turn to their phones or computers? I understand that looking on the computer takes longer, but we carry our phones with us all the time anyway, so how would this introduce additional benefits. The way I look at it is it being hazardous to people on the road. Reading maps and stories while walking or driving is a distraction and takes away the attention of the consumer from his/her environment. As someone who wears glasses, I couldn't picture myself walking down the street and having a giant map in front of my face while trying not to walk into pedestrians. It's just too complicated.
The other problem I have with Google Glass is the hefty price that consumers are expected to pay. $1,500, really? If I want to buy a pair of glasses the most I would pay is $300 for a fancy frame. I don't believe it is necessary to purchase glasses with an additional feature that we already acces on our phones on a daily basis. The combined price of an Android or iPhone and a pair of glasses should be $500 AT MOST! I like where Google's head is at in terms of introducing revolutionizing products, but I can't see too many people buying this one. Glasses are supposed to be simple and overcomplicating it will provide a cluster of junk to our sight. Sorry Google, but some things just aren't meant to be.
It looks like Apple, Microsoft and Google aren't the only technology company making noise in the hardware market. Bloomberg Businessweek tweeted the latest rumor in the hardware world. Following up on their recent Kindle, Kindle Fire and smartphone app, Amazon has decided to launch a line of TV set-top products that will stream Internet directly to consumers' TV sets. Similar to DVR, Amazon hopes to build upon their success of Amazon Instant Video so consumers can enjoy the benefit of receiving news breaking news on the internet directly to their TVs.
With Apple selling nearly 5 million TVs last year and Microsoft selling 77.2 million Xbox 360 units since their launch in 2005, Amazon feels threatened to the point where the Kindle or Kindle Fire doesn't seem like it is enough to keep them competitive. Amazon hopes to introduce a new side to their company and being involved in the hardware industry allows for further expansion as well as reintroduces Amazon Instant Video subscriptions. Their pricing strategies will most likely follow their previous history's footsteps - being low priced for high content.
So what does this mean for Amazon? How will Amazon be viewed once the TV set-top product line is launched? Well, we should expect Amazon to remain competitive with Apple, Google and Microsoft in the hardware industry. Now that they have officially become the most dominant force in Internet retail, what is stopping them from replicating the same results in hardware? Understandably, it will not be an easy goal considering Microsoft and Apple are known as the two giants in the hardware market, but Amazon will continue to offer consumers with reasonable prices and have the resources to produce an efficient DVR-like program.
Amazon seems to be addressing a need that has already been met. People would rather receive news on their big screens rather than their laptops. Imagine having great quality shows and movies on your laptop or desktop and being able to stream them with perfect quality on the big screen. Sounds pretty familiar doesn't it? Yes it does! Netflix will be directly competing with Amazon as they both offer virtually the same benefit. This is where things become tricky. Why would consumers switch from Netflix to Amazon? They seem to both share the same goals. Amazon has the capability of obtaining Netflix consumers as they are well established in the technology field, but it will not be an easy task. There will need to be some serious advertising and an underlying benefit consumers receive from their product that Netflix doesn't provide.
At the end of the day, we still do not know too much about Amazon's plans to enter the hardware market due to the fact that these are only rumors at this point, but if they were to establish themselves as a competitor, we should be in store for some serious technological battles as each company tries to out-design the other.
AskMen is a Canadian based online men's lifestyle magazine company that offers free services to readers. The objective of AskMen is to make the average reader a better man in almost all aspects of his life. Article topics range from entertainment to relationships and all the way to fashion tips. If one wanted to know the top 10 relationship tips for single guys or girls, AskMen would provide them with that knowledge. If one were to wonder what the newest gadgets in the technology market are, AskMen would have an article for that too. Aside from articles, they also provide video clips of experts in the related areas continuing their asvice on the given topic. AskMen serves to provide the trendiest topics and advice in the average man's life in order to improve their social life and style. When it comes to the services, it is all free. AskMen provides free information that is credible in order to keep existing consumers and draw in potential ones.
According to Anderson's taxonomy, AskMen generates revenue by the advertising, zero marginal cost and gift economy techniques. When it comes to advertising, they make their money in the same format YouTube does with its advertisements. Before most videos actually start playing, there are advertisements from companies related to the content of the video giving tips on the respected topic. So for example if I were to watch a video on proper grooming for men, the commercial that I would have to sit through first would be for a Schick razor or anything along the likes of it. This technique not only generates revenue from the advertising companies but also keeps that product in the mind of the viewers as they automatically relate the commercialized product with the tips they are about to receive.
AskMen uses the zero marginal tactic as well. With this method, they distribute digital content at virtually no cost. Not only does the concept of "free" intrigue consumers and potential customers, but they can see the video over as many times as they want without any implications or hesitance. The method of posting the videos is to provide the readers with clearer insight if the articles weren't clear enough. To give their videos credibility, they bring it experts on the given subject to educate viewers on how to improve themselves in the given topic or to inform them on new movie releases, phones, sports updates...etc. I usually take a look at the health section and try to take notes from the video instructions on how to eat healthier and make the most of my workouts. I find these videos very helpful and the fact that they are free actually keeps me on the website longer due to the fact that I want to gain more knowledge for FREE.
Gift economy is the sharing of talent and content. This is where AskMen gains its credibility and popularity. Not only do they have knowledgable journalists and bloggers covering one's desired topic, but the topics are endless. Basically, anything that a guy would want to know about is on the website. Nothing is more useful than free information. AskMen's free content sharing is similar to Wikipedia's strategy (except not as popular and broad). Other men's magazines such as GQ or Men's Fitness that offer the same advice require subscriptions but AskMen has combined those topics of interests and given it to the public with no charge. The appeal of free information is what we all would want in a company, website, etc.
AskMen's free pricing strategy is clearly working for them.
Fun facts: AskMen has over 6.8 million viewers per month which generates over 65 million page views. The average viewer spends 4.5 minutes on the website, browsing around 10,000 features. AskMen recently conducted a competitive analysis that showed they encompassed 34.58% of the online men's lifestyle market share. In second place was Maxim Online who had 17.09% of the readers interest.
Leading the online market in most views just goes to show how loyal their consumers are. They have become so popular in fact that they have partnered up with top companies such as Google, AOL, MSN, Netscape and AT&T. Offering free content is clearly working for them and if I were the head of the company, I wouldn't change a single thing. AskMen exemplifies quality translating into quantity.
Isn't it great to receive e-mails regarding promotions and limited sales from your favorite companies? Every morning I wake up to tons of e-mails on my phone from the same companies regarding limited offers and great deals I can purchase from them in order to save money. Companies like Macy's, Century 21 and Amazon usually have valuable products to offer, but when do these promotions turn into information overload?
Well, just ask Travelocity. Every morning I wake up to my alarm set by my phone. I check all of my e-mails and low and behold there are five e-mails before 10:30am from Travelocity offering me worthless deals that I never end up using. Honestly, it has gotten to the point where I don't even bother reading their e-mails, I just delete or ignore them on sight. There is an App for Travelocity, however that is the last thing I need in addition to the number of e-mails I already receive. Although I might not be their typical candidate for offers, Travelocity is clearly taking full advantage of mobile marketing so it's time to examine their intentions and strategies behind these bombarding promotions.
Let's start with why Travelocity decides to promote through mobile marketing. It's actually pretty simple. It's more convenient to track e-mails and other information on our phones rather than on our laptops. Our phones are right there in our pockets nearly all the time; we just take them out and access information on the spot. A laptop is bigger, more trouble to take out, takes a while to connect to an internet server and use immediately. The popularity of mobile marketing is taking over and not only is it easier for consumers to respond, but it's very cost effective for Travelocity. Sending out chains of messages virtually costs nothing. Who doesn't like free advertising? It saves companies thousands of dollars which works to everyone's advantage.
Their primary audience are travelers and people who are always on the road. Typically, those who vacation a lot or work from the road range from their mid 20's to those old enough to retire. Chances are that those businessmen are already on their phones scheduling and arranging business meetings so why not hit them with a deal on the spot? The same goes for the world travelers; if they were to spontaneously fly or drive to new territory, why not take advantage of these traveling deals? Travelocity hopes to catch the interest of these travelers with promotions in order to get a quick response from them. A large audience frame provides a company like Travelocity with many opportunities to advertise through mass customization. It saves them time and resources as well as consistently generates enough interest in their primary audience to take action.
The types of phones Travelocity targets are smartphones. The reason being is that iPhones and Androids receive the fastest connection and provide better personal services to users. Think about it, smart phones store personal information that require constant monitoring and having an app that fits in that category of a consumer's life makes it that much useful and important. Here is a fun fact: nearly 80% of cellphone users in the United States have a smart phone, therefore Travelocity is aware of the time and culture changes and is wisely acting on it by strategically adapting to their convenience. In addition, the majority of their primary audience own smart phones so it's like killing two birds with one stone when they advertise.
So far, the mobile app and e-mails strategies have tremendously benefited Travelocity, making significant improvements in their revenue and profit streams. Approximately 60-70% of bookings are being made by mobile devices on the same day customers receive these promotions compared to the 10% that are made on computers. Those kind of numbers truly prove how much mobile marketing is breaking through in today's world especially for a travel booking company such as Travelocity. Since their consumers are always on the road, they know that it is the perfect time to hit them with these promotions in order to stimulate a quick need of finding a place to stay overnight or for a few days. These promotions serve as credible to their slogan 'you'll never roam alone".
I commend Travelocity for their mobile marketing techniques...I just wish they would stop coming after me! Oh well, I guess I can't really blame them when they are thriving with this technique. It wouldn't surprise me to see their sales numbers continue to increase from phone and app purchases. As the world continues to grow, technology will remain the main source of connection and business transactions globally. Better now then never to embrace change!
The following is a Travelocity commercial proving why they are different from their competitors:
Kanye West is known for his outspoken personality and making great music (most of the time). There is no doubt he has changed hip-hop and the form it has currently taken. One of his most successful songs was "Stronger" that was released in 2008. "Stronger" arguably launched Kanye's career into superstardom, continuing to pave the way for the creative genius Just when we thought Kanye's musical intuition had struck again, a little hiccup occurred when Kanye was being called out for stealing a song from an unknown artist. Kanye West was charged of copyright infringement at the hands of Vincent Peters who claimed he had written the original song and placed in on MySpace back in 2006. Peters stated that his song was also titled "Stronger" and Kate Moss references were also made in his song.
West was being charged with stealing lyrics that had been altered slightly, yet the overall concept of the song had remained the same. After the case was all over, the charges were dropped on a few counts. First of all, titles of songs are not legally protected as well as references of people (Kate Moss). Second of all the lyric "that does not kill me makes me stronger" was not protected due to the fact that it is a common saying. The final reason was that the word "wronger" is a typical word that rhymes with "stronger", therefore there is no right to keep that word.
Vincent Peters was apparently on board with one of Kanye's executive producers, John Monopoly, regarding producing his album however the partnership never officially formed and Monopoly dropped out around the same time "Stronger" had come out in December. Sounds a little to coincidental right?
With all of that said, let's focus on the legal aspects that Kanye was facing and what constitutes as official copyright infringement. When it comes to digital property, websites like MySpace that are known for music postings therefore there are specific violations for cases to be considered eligible for legal action. It is true that trademark is concerned with specific words, but as stated in the case there weren't any lyrics that could be marked as "trademark" so the case had to be dismissed.
According to the 1976 Copyright Act, the artist must perform the song in public to give the song credibility and security. Vincent Peters was not reported of playing the song out in the open or distributing it which falsifies his claim for originality. The only proof Peters had was his post on MySpace, however that was not enough to convince the jury that the song was an original with trademark characteristics.
At the end of the day, one could easily form an opinion based on the facts that Kanye did in fact sample the song and commit copyright infringement. Due to the great number of coincidences and weak foundation of the song, illegal action could easily be misconstrued, putting Kanye in hot water yet again.
Now, it isn't like Kanye West hasn't been linked to sampling music in the past. Older songs such as "Touch the Sky" and "Gold Digger" were sampled from Marvin Gaye's "Move on Up" and Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" so this law suit did have some credibility at first. West has acknowledged however that he was aware of sampling those classic songs and remix his own version. With the remix movement increasingly becoming popular in today's music industry, we must ask ourselves, when does it get get out of hand? The remix culture consists of dubbing, sampling, open source, peer-to-peer and mashups. West's songs thrive on the remix culture for the most part.
The idea of taking a song and implementing personal changes is a very risky one to play around with. I do think it can be done, however serious alterations must be made. Based on the information in the case, I have a gut feeling that there might have been a little illegal remixing and sampling involved. There are just too many lyrics in the song that sounds exactly the same as in Peters' version. On the other hand, there are unknown artists who are willing to sue celebrities just to make a quick buck so the outcome can sway either way. I do not have a problem with remixing as long as an acknowledgement is made in the song and gives credit to the original artist. I have a lot of respect for Kanye West but again, his musical history proves that he does use samples often. It's a sticky situation and just to be safe, musicians should just stick to creating their own original songs. What happened to the good old days when musical content was new and fresh?
Amazon is the world's largest e-commerce online retailer stationed in Seattle, Washington. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 but officially launched in 1995. Nearly anything can be found on Amazon, from books to clothes all the way to electronics. Amazon's great success has resulted from smart business strategies, business models and strategic marketing. Of course, we all hope to be as successful as Jeff Bezos one day so it is only necessary to analyze the strategies he has taken to bring Amazon to the elite status that it has deserved.
First of all we must assess the approach Amazon takes towards identifying its consumers. How do they make customers feel comfortable and appreciated? Do they use mass customization or on-to-one marketing techniques? Well seeing as how they thrive on repeated business, it is only natural for them to take a one-to-one marketing approach. One-to-one marketing means identifying a consumer's needs as well as being able to recognize a buying pattern. For example if one were to buy the Harry Potter series, Amazon would refer them to a similar genre of books such as Lord of the Rings in order to maintain their interest levels. Another example would be if one were to buy a fitness DVD. The following web page would recommend something along the lines of an ab machine or a dietary book. Not only does this usually lead to consumers continuing their research on Amazon but it can lead to future purchases. Another advantage of one-to-one marketing is the idea of being cared for. Amazon personalizes each account by welcoming users back to the website thus giving the consumer a sense of individuality and reliability.
One-to-one marketing clearly seems to be working for Amazon, given their track record. The reason why this technique works so well for a website such as Amazon is because there are so many different types of products sold and narrowing down the number of options to the very few that would best suit the user makes it a lot easier to shop.
When it comes to wikinomics, Amazon uses the principles of openness and sharing. Amazon applies openness into their organization by inviting companies to sell their products on their website. For instance, if a customer were to type "Adidas" in the search bar, they would come to find Adidas apparel. If the item is purchased, then Adidas makes a profit however part of that profit goes to Amazon for letting them market their products. Amazon is always looking to improve on delivery speeds, quantity and uniqueness of the product. The final aspect of having an openness principle is bringing in a third party into their transactions. As most of you know, Amazon makes a good amount of its revenue from those who are selling used or new products from their homes. Not only does not having to create products save Amazon money, but it encourages interaction between buyers and sellers which gives both sides a better understanding of what the other has to offer.
Another type of wikinomics principle that Amazon is known for using is sharing. Sharing includes free usage of the website as well as collaborating and leaving products to the public. This means that everyone has access to the website without any fees as well as keeping all products unrestricted. This type of wikinomics is a great way for Amazon to keep consumers interested and on the website longer. Sharing property creates more value and enables everyone to engage in business, competitors included.
Every successful company has a strong business model. In Amazon's case, there business model contains product value for the customer, variety, uniqueness and a profit driven mentality. Their business model has clearly worked which is why they are at the top of the online retail pyramid. Honestly, I haven't heard too many complaints about Amazon doing business. Amazon starts by taking care of the customers by offering a plethora of goods. Not only do they offer a number of payment methods, but if there is ever a problem with shipping or canceling a purchase, they instantly respect that order within a certain period of time and even provide a commentary section in order to receive feedback which is crucial in the growth of a company.
As far as technology goes, it is the foundation of their business model. Amazon was able to recognize the direction the Internet was headed towards and the shift in which business transactions were done. Originally a bookstore, Amazon smartened up and remained one step ahead of everyone else. Amazon realizes that people would rather shop from their homes. Not only does it save time and energy, but it can be an enjoyable experience. Websites usually offer more products than the actual stores carry which is why Amazon expanded from books to nearly everything.
The advertising that Amazon has been able to encompass into their website is outstanding. If you pay really close attention, EVERYTHING on the website is advertised. There are always pictures of products lingering around the page, leading to constant exposure that may eventually lead to a revenue. The competitive advantage that Amazon has over other online retailers is nearly unstoppable. Why buy an item for an original price when Amazon most likely has the same item discounted? It's a genius tactic!
Continuing along the lines of advertising, Amazon is up to date with the social media trends by connecting through Twitter and Facebook. The social media platform gives potential and existing customers the ability to read about new items that are on sale or any changes they make be making to their website. It keeps the users engaged and is a great way to interact with everyone. Nowadays, social media is the BEST way to reach a large market.
Amazon's overall business model gives them the ability to reach broad markets as well as small niche markets that other businesses would have a tough time getting to. I wouldn't change a thing about their business model seeing as it is clearly working for them. The billion dollar company has encompassed all the necessary characteristics to maintain their business for years to come. From covering advertising to being prepared for market or economic changes and all the way to the initial goal of making a profit, Amazon remains an online force to be reckoned with.
Think about it, us guys are sitting on our couch watching the game while the women are out window shopping or browsing in stores and trying on dresses. Guys like things to be simple and efficient. So when we're sitting at home, we are more likely to work right from our comfort zone. A recent poll was taken asking men and women if shopping was a form of therapy for them. The results are the following: 46% of women agreed while 27% of men agreed. There is a clear discrepancy with the way each gender views the general idea of shopping. Women clearly enjoy the experience more than men do and look at it as a way of comfort.
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