Recently I was interviewed by Marketing Magazine, a local magazine in
Singapore that keeps close tabs on the marketing strategies companies of
all sizes use to reach out to their consumers. I thought that this is
an excellent case study of how important positioning, branding and
marketing are for your business.
For their feature story on Branding, the magazine asked for my comments
on Creative Technology's (renowned for its sound card and MP3 players,
and most recently for its legal tussle with Apple) branding efforts.
While I'm a fan of Creative, I have to say that their branding leaves
much to be desired. In particular, comparing the arch rivals of Creative
Tech's MP3 players vs. Apple's iPod, it is easy to see where Creative's
branding efforts had gone wrong. Below is a simple comparison of its
rival's branding moves.
Apple
(A marketing and branding savvy company)
1. Understands the target market--young people want to be hip and cool.
So they created a hip and cool positioning for iPod.
2. Very sleek and minimalist cover design--enhancing the hip and cool
image.
3. Great ultra hip and cool TV ad, using black dancing silhouettes (all
the better to contrast with Apple's corporate white) against a colorful
background + hit song of the moment 'Hey Mama soundtrack performed by
one of the hottest groups, the Black Eyed Peas.
4. Very focused in the beginning, starting with only one color, one
model: The white iPod. This makes it very recognizable and easy to brand.
5. Special edition signed by U2 (very hip and cool band).
6. Featured in many hip TV shows.
Creative Tech
(A tech focused company)
1. Don't understand their consumers' desires, preferring to focus on
product features, etc (appealing to logic, instead of emotions) and with
no strong positioning.
2. Tacky cover designs. Responding to iPod's sleek design, they asked
their own engineers to design their new cover design! Huge mistake!
Naming their products 'Zen' doesn't mean that they will inherit the Zen
essence.
3. Bizarre TV ads that consumers can't relate to: one series of ad went
along the lines of 'something you really need' and 'Panda Rhapsody', an
ad using a panda bear listening to its MP3 player.
4. Unfocused and fragmented: Zen Jukebox, Zen Nano, Zen Touch, MuVo
Slim, MuVo TX.. etc (confusing consumers with too many choices)
5. Special edition signed by Creative Technology's CEO Sim Wong Hoo...
(what?!?)
6. Almost non-existent.
While Creative Technology first came up with MP3 players, they lost out
their pioneer status advantage due to incompetent branding and
marketing strategies. Apple has always been an innovative company when it comes
to technology. But more important than that, it has always been a
company that is close to their consumers, understanding their desires.
On the other hand, Creative has no strong retail experience. Its
earlier massive success, the SoundBlaster, was a technological breakthrough,
but it was not really a retail consumer product. Most people who buy
computers don't know whether the soundcard inside their CPU is a
SoundBlaster or not. Of course, there are those who demand technological
excellence and insist on having the SoundBlaster. Unfortunately, they form
the minority.
Sadly for a hip product such as an MP3 player, Creative chose to take
the same approach--focusing on technology only, instead of combining it
with a massive branding and marketing campaign. It is important to note
that Creative's MP3 players have received many awards and critical
acclaims. BUT it sorely lacked the 'street cred', the approval from the
target market. How many times did you hear someone say "I really want to
get the Zen / MuVo / Jukebox"? You don't hear much of that because they
all want an iPod.
That is why Apple's iPod holds near to 90% market share. Just take a
look at the TV ads from both rivals and you'll understand what I mean by
Apple understanding the consumer's mind, while Creative missed it
totally.
So the next time you think that by focusing only on delivering the best
product, you will be guaranteed success, think again. Creating powerful
positioning, branding and marketing strategies for your business can
make a HUGE difference!
Magento Web Development Services: The Numerous Advantages They Bring Along
Sunday, July 21, 2013 4 comments
Magento web development has caught up with online business owners like a house on fire. The ecommerce platform offers tremendous potential to the business owners and that is the basic reason why we witness a surfeit of websites on the World Wide Web. So, how is it possible that online businesses get noticed and sustain the interest of the visitors? It is possible through efficient and effective development frameworks which offer cutting edge technologies with the help of which one can usurp the place of other in the competitive world. Magento web development platform too offers such an advantage to the online business owners.
Magneto CMS development offers a lot of benefits to the owners as well as the users. It is therefore essential that as a business owner you understand the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages that come in along with the different development frameworks and make a choice of the one that would bring you the best of results. Magento development has carved a special place for itself in the web arena. Therefore as we are not well equipped to carry out the finer technicalities of the development process, it is beneficial to hire the services of an accomplished Magento developer.
When you hire the services of a reliable Magento web Development Company you can be assured of getting a fully functional, highly usable and easily navigable website that gives you high return on investment. Magneto is one such platform which makes the management of the website very simple. Regardless of whether it is a single website or a string of websites that your online store represents, you can be assured of tremendous control over all of them through one single administration panel. Changing the website content becomes easy, and also changing the themes too whenever you feel the necessity for the same.
With Magento development you can have a huge array of automated features like the shipping process, payment and checkout too along with the shopping cart features. When you are using the Magento platform, browsing through the products and catalog management becomes very easy. The professional services offered by Magento developers will facilitate easy navigability on the website for the visitors and thereby give them a pleasant shopping experience.
Magento development is therefore considered to be perfect as ecommerce solutions and remains as a main key to various online stores development. Innovation is the key to success of this development platform and hence it is also highly essential that you outsource the job to a reliable company. Looking into the past history of the companies will give you an insight into the kind of work that has been carried out by them. However, you should seek customized solutions if you want your business to stand out in the crowd. Through the Magento web development services it is very much easy to get a search engine friendly website too. When there are experts at the helm it is easy for you to convey your idea and they will take care of the execution part and get you top search engine rankings with their efforts.
Magneto CMS development offers a lot of benefits to the owners as well as the users. It is therefore essential that as a business owner you understand the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages that come in along with the different development frameworks and make a choice of the one that would bring you the best of results. Magento development has carved a special place for itself in the web arena. Therefore as we are not well equipped to carry out the finer technicalities of the development process, it is beneficial to hire the services of an accomplished Magento developer.
When you hire the services of a reliable Magento web Development Company you can be assured of getting a fully functional, highly usable and easily navigable website that gives you high return on investment. Magneto is one such platform which makes the management of the website very simple. Regardless of whether it is a single website or a string of websites that your online store represents, you can be assured of tremendous control over all of them through one single administration panel. Changing the website content becomes easy, and also changing the themes too whenever you feel the necessity for the same.
With Magento development you can have a huge array of automated features like the shipping process, payment and checkout too along with the shopping cart features. When you are using the Magento platform, browsing through the products and catalog management becomes very easy. The professional services offered by Magento developers will facilitate easy navigability on the website for the visitors and thereby give them a pleasant shopping experience.
Magento development is therefore considered to be perfect as ecommerce solutions and remains as a main key to various online stores development. Innovation is the key to success of this development platform and hence it is also highly essential that you outsource the job to a reliable company. Looking into the past history of the companies will give you an insight into the kind of work that has been carried out by them. However, you should seek customized solutions if you want your business to stand out in the crowd. Through the Magento web development services it is very much easy to get a search engine friendly website too. When there are experts at the helm it is easy for you to convey your idea and they will take care of the execution part and get you top search engine rankings with their efforts.
Let A Degree In Information Technology Change Your Life
Sunday, July 14, 2013 0 comments
The class of Information Technologies continues to grow and expand each year to encompass new mediums, avenues, jobs, classes, and ideals. There are those who have noticed this exponential growth and decided to take advantage of it to the best of their ability. This can be done by pursuing an education early on in this changing field. Once you've learned these skills you'll be prepared for a huge variety of jobs across all different fields and styles.
You'll learn the ins and outs of different devices and technologies while obtaining your Masters in Information Systems; key knowledge that can seal your career for the entirety of your life. What a lot of people do not know is that this exact same education can be found online as offline, with no sacrifice in education or quality. The online process can be placed on the fast track and finished long before traditional classes. Not because it teaches any less, but because instead it works with your schedule rather than against it.
Jobs vary, as does the education
Most jobs in the field of information technologies focuses on various computer programs and process. Receiving the correct education will teach the graduates how to manage all the aspects of technology in unison with information. This includes various ways to record, receive, edit, and send the data via hardware, software, and applications across different devices.
In the long run this flourishes business relations across the globe and within your own community alike; it all depends on the spectrum of your work. This works full circle because the flourishing of the economy will create new jobs and dependence on new graduates who have obtained a Masters in Information Systems.
Online courses
Online colleges also offer different courses for a Masters in Information Systems through different distinctions as well as certificate programs. These are also used to keep existing graduates up to date as the technological world is constantly shifting and evolving. Even after graduating, an IT professional never stops learning about the changing world around them. Newer, stronger, and faster methods are discovered each day and must be taught to thousands of IT students.
Everything from troubleshooting new theories, problem solving, and changing existing technology must be covered and then constantly re-covered after graduation. The various degree programs offered online are designed to give the same learning experience to students as the traditional method. There's never a lack of dedication or effort on the school's behalf.
Certificate programs
Certificate programs for Masters in Information Systems are designed mainly for refreshing already working professionals in specialized skill-sets that have been newly developed or created since their graduation. As well, they can use it as a simple refresher for other outlets they may not have covered during their education. This just goes to show the power of a degree in Information Technology and how it will continue to impact you even past the graduation process.
A Degree in Information Technology is one of the many great careers that will constantly follow and change with you through your life. You'll always have great opportunities opened up for you in the field of your studies and never spend nights worrying about finding a new career.
You'll learn the ins and outs of different devices and technologies while obtaining your Masters in Information Systems; key knowledge that can seal your career for the entirety of your life. What a lot of people do not know is that this exact same education can be found online as offline, with no sacrifice in education or quality. The online process can be placed on the fast track and finished long before traditional classes. Not because it teaches any less, but because instead it works with your schedule rather than against it.
Jobs vary, as does the education
Most jobs in the field of information technologies focuses on various computer programs and process. Receiving the correct education will teach the graduates how to manage all the aspects of technology in unison with information. This includes various ways to record, receive, edit, and send the data via hardware, software, and applications across different devices.
In the long run this flourishes business relations across the globe and within your own community alike; it all depends on the spectrum of your work. This works full circle because the flourishing of the economy will create new jobs and dependence on new graduates who have obtained a Masters in Information Systems.
Online courses
Online colleges also offer different courses for a Masters in Information Systems through different distinctions as well as certificate programs. These are also used to keep existing graduates up to date as the technological world is constantly shifting and evolving. Even after graduating, an IT professional never stops learning about the changing world around them. Newer, stronger, and faster methods are discovered each day and must be taught to thousands of IT students.
Everything from troubleshooting new theories, problem solving, and changing existing technology must be covered and then constantly re-covered after graduation. The various degree programs offered online are designed to give the same learning experience to students as the traditional method. There's never a lack of dedication or effort on the school's behalf.
Certificate programs
Certificate programs for Masters in Information Systems are designed mainly for refreshing already working professionals in specialized skill-sets that have been newly developed or created since their graduation. As well, they can use it as a simple refresher for other outlets they may not have covered during their education. This just goes to show the power of a degree in Information Technology and how it will continue to impact you even past the graduation process.
A Degree in Information Technology is one of the many great careers that will constantly follow and change with you through your life. You'll always have great opportunities opened up for you in the field of your studies and never spend nights worrying about finding a new career.
Chinese Creative Technology Exported to Britain
Sunday, July 7, 2013 0 comments
When the products logoed with “made in China†landed in London Olympic Games, the Chinese creative technology are also exported to Great Britain.
Beijing crystal digital technology Co. LTD has become the suppliers and sponsors for the official digital image service of the Olympics. The achievement of “large-scale digital imaging technology development and application for large exhibitionâ€, which gains its fame in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has been determined to use in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games. The products also include the cartoon videos for the London mascots.
As the leader in the field of Ping Pong equipments, the brand of double happiness not only ensures the security for the London Olympic venues, but also provides some professional examination for the equipments like the thickness gauge.
What’s more, the convertible sightseeing bus made by Chinese manufactures, which equipped with speech synchronization systems of 8 countries including Chinese, English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian will also service for the London Olympic Games.
From the above, we can see that the high-end technology of China has been recognized by the world. What we need to do is to make more innovations and meet the international standards. If you want to see more Chinese cultural creative products, please check in http://www.cr8china.com.
In the sports areas of the 2012 London Olympic Games, we can see the logo of “made in China†everywhere, from the athletes’ costumes, sports instruments, the chairs, mascots even to the small badges. We really have to admit that China is really a big manufacturing country.
Many Chinese clothes brands and manufactures not only provide service for the Chinese athletes, but also receive many orders from overseas. The Pick brand would provide the multi-azimuth professional equipments for the delegation of New Zealand. The ERKE has achieved an agreement with the Iran Olympics committee. Jordon will design the podium-wear garments for the delegations of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. The costumes for the entrance of the American Team are produced by an enterprise of Dalian, Liaoning. The costumes of the host, the British Team and the officials of the London Olympics committee and the judges, of which the amount is 11,000 suits and attires, are all made by a clothing factory of Yantai, Shangdong. What’s more, the knitted sportswear of Czech and Slovakia are all from a company of Ningbo, Zhejiang.
From so many examples, we can see Chinese products have become the most popular symbol in the world. And we believe that the tomorrow of China will be more splendid. If you want to get more information about the Chinese clothing brands, please check in http://www.cr8china.com.
Beijing crystal digital technology Co. LTD has become the suppliers and sponsors for the official digital image service of the Olympics. The achievement of “large-scale digital imaging technology development and application for large exhibitionâ€, which gains its fame in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has been determined to use in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games. The products also include the cartoon videos for the London mascots.
As the leader in the field of Ping Pong equipments, the brand of double happiness not only ensures the security for the London Olympic venues, but also provides some professional examination for the equipments like the thickness gauge.
What’s more, the convertible sightseeing bus made by Chinese manufactures, which equipped with speech synchronization systems of 8 countries including Chinese, English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian will also service for the London Olympic Games.
From the above, we can see that the high-end technology of China has been recognized by the world. What we need to do is to make more innovations and meet the international standards. If you want to see more Chinese cultural creative products, please check in http://www.cr8china.com.
In the sports areas of the 2012 London Olympic Games, we can see the logo of “made in China†everywhere, from the athletes’ costumes, sports instruments, the chairs, mascots even to the small badges. We really have to admit that China is really a big manufacturing country.
Many Chinese clothes brands and manufactures not only provide service for the Chinese athletes, but also receive many orders from overseas. The Pick brand would provide the multi-azimuth professional equipments for the delegation of New Zealand. The ERKE has achieved an agreement with the Iran Olympics committee. Jordon will design the podium-wear garments for the delegations of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. The costumes for the entrance of the American Team are produced by an enterprise of Dalian, Liaoning. The costumes of the host, the British Team and the officials of the London Olympics committee and the judges, of which the amount is 11,000 suits and attires, are all made by a clothing factory of Yantai, Shangdong. What’s more, the knitted sportswear of Czech and Slovakia are all from a company of Ningbo, Zhejiang.
From so many examples, we can see Chinese products have become the most popular symbol in the world. And we believe that the tomorrow of China will be more splendid. If you want to get more information about the Chinese clothing brands, please check in http://www.cr8china.com.
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Monday, July 1, 2013 1 comments
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