I lost my Sunglasses

Last week I realized that the sunglasses that I really loved, the Ray-ban New Wayfarer Sunglasses disappeared. I bought this pair of sunglasses last year when I was on the way back to Bozeman, in the Soul Airport duty free shop. I had about three hours to wait for another flight, plus my parents gave me some money. When I walk around at the airport, i have just influenced by so many people who are insanely like to shop in the airport because of duty free. I found a shop that sells Ray ban glasses, then I tried a few on. I wasn't sure if I really want to buy, but the sales person, a pretty young cute girl, said I look better in the brown one. This helped me a lot to make a decision. I bought it at $126 after discount, the original price was $140. Not Cheap, but I can afford it. After back to Bozeman, I checked the price online, which it turns out it is only $80 at Amazon, Holy @#$%^&*! Well, I like it though, because all of the shopping experience was very enjoyable. The whole process of buying this pair of sunglasses was a psychological thinking experiences. For example, the magnetosphere that people all like to shop,  enough money, cute sales person, and self benefit exploration have encouraged me to buy this one. I really liked it, even if I spent more money than others. It is sad that I can't find it. Bye, my dear Ray-Ban

Film or Digital?

I like photography. Taking picture is party of my daily hobbies. I have a phone which allow me to take picture at anytime, anywhere. On the other side, I like film photography, because of shooting film is more expensive than digital, which drags me have to think twice before I press the shutter. I enjoyed playing film, and I really like Polaroid, the instant camera. Even though there is type of software may convert a digital picture into the look like a Polaroid picture. However, I feel it is really fake.

Obviously, the reason why film is not so popular today is because it is cheap and convient to share on Facebook. If you a not a photography lover or a professional photographer, film could be a legend in your mind.

Yesterday, I went to a pawn shop and found a Polaroid 600 instant camera at just $4.50.     Then I went to All of the Bozeman photography shop to see if they have any film available for sale. It turn out they did not, which is really sad. I checked the price after, it shocked me, a box of film will cost me approximately $50, I will not spend money on this because I am a poor student. But I still feel sad about can't afford the film and can't really play with it.

There is a demand, there is supply. Without demand, nobody would still liked to stay there. Fiji released a few camera which designed very modern, it turns out very popular in Asia. Shall we keep the old history or just look forward?

Kony 2012

This year is not only the year for presidential election in the United States, but also a year might be the end for Kony, a man who is a dictator and killed millions of people by others. There is a group has advertised a compaine to let US government to get into this issue in Africa, and help to save the people becuase it seems a right thing to do. They have posted a 30 minutes long video, that shows how bad of this man have done to African People. The Producer encourage people to speak loud this name in public and donate if they can to encourge US congress to assign US military to arrest Kony. However, on the other side there is a group people say the short film was a lie. People came from africa did not have idea about such thing, Then there is a fight between those two groups,

What I want to say is the producer used really good format to tell the story and it did make me feel sympathy just after watched the film. Then I donated 10 dollar on their website. Then I realized this was not necessary, I could have spend money in some place better.

Texting and Driving....It Can Wait

Nokia Lumia 900 has dragged so much attention recently, ATT is plan to spend more than 150 million dollar on advertising campaign. However, what interest me was the words appear on the phone every time when I see it when some one is doing an unboxing online. It seems ATT and Nokia is trying to use this slogan to attract or create a emotional sympathy or awareness about driving safe. They took very serious attitude and responsibility to advertising such awareness. Everyone should do it, but lots of people ignore the possibility of getting in to the risk when texting while driving.  From my opinon, after seen this series of advertising commercials, I was really shocked that people got into serious trouble by texting while driving, It reminds me that I had done the same thing before. This commercial really touching and works effectively. ATT and Nokia gives an impression that they are the company who really care about their customers and brought up the social reprehensibility related to the service and goods they provided.

Gas prices actually start falling around the US

Good News, Gasoline prices are starting to fall. According to Associated Press, after a fourth-month surge pushed gasoline to nearly $4 per gallon in early April, drivers, politicians and economists worried that gasoline prices might soar past all-time highs, denting wallets, angering voters and dragging down an economy that is struggling to grow.

Instead, pump prices have dropped 6 cents over two weeks to a national average on Friday of $3.88. Experts say gasoline could fall another nickel or more next week, saving drivers about $2 per fill-up.

Drivers might also get to say something they haven't since October 2009 — they're paying less at the pump than they did a year ago.

Did they copy?

Today I have seen a new says that in China, Nokia has first time dropped its market share from top one to second place. Sumsung become the number one highest market share in phone business.

Personally I used to like Samsung a lot when I was in middle school, because its design looks pretty good, and very fashion. However, I do not like Samsung in the last few year, because I think they have copied a lot from Apple's design. As you can see the features from their products , there is a strong relationship to relate their products with Apple's. Expect a display product from Samsung, which they are really good at this, I do not buy any other products from  this company.

Nokia, however, on the other side, has struggled long time to find its own way to compete with Apple and Sumsung, it turns out it didn't work well as they expected. They have lost large amount of money in smartphone or high end phone business. the things I learned from Nokia is that they tried to become a company like Apple, but they still prefer to stay with its own creative design, even if it did not response well in the market, but as a result after so many years of competition, Apple did not sue Nokia, but declared a huge war with Samsung.

So, my question is, is this really the era that the person who steal from others could make a good business? Who is gonna be a winner  in the end?

Creative or Conservative?

Recently, I have read a news about Nokia's company value has dropped from 110 billion euro in 2006 to 11billion dollar euro this year 2012.

What's happened to Nokia? Is the company lack of creativity?

To me, in my own experience, Nokia was always being famous for reliable, tough resistance, cheap, and easy to use. However, compared to Apple iphone and Samsung's smartphone, Nokia really did not find themselves a spot in smart phone business. Is Nokia failed to invent advanced technology or failed to understand the market demand? Actually, what I have heard is the problem of their management team. For example, apple is the first one who introduce multi-touch technology and first one who brought app store to make it become popular. However, Nokia has actually developed those technologies before Apple, but it is just management did not want to introduce  too soon. Then Apple took the chance and succeed. This thing actually happens to a lot of technology companies that has a great number of advanced technologies but did not perceived that customer want. they are afraid to introduce new products and not wanted to give up the old technologies. Some technologies are too old to use and also impact on system performance.

Apple, a company likes to introduce new technology and also brave to abandon old ones. Such as they are the first one who brought CD rom, now they are the first one who decide to abandon such storage medium. because they always tend to introduce the latest technology to customers, their company has increased its value to most valuable company in the world.  People go crazy on what their products.

Gas Price Influences

Recently, the gas price all over the world has gone up, up, and keeping up. How does it affect to your life or your lifestyle? I have heard a news that after the gas price gone that in an Asian country, the traffic jam issue has been reduced in the major cities, because people cannot afford the gas price. It will cost more money if there is traffic jam on the road in terms of wasting gas. Before the price gone up, the government was the subject to be blamed. Now, the problem solved, but people is starting to blame the high price. In my opinion, this is good for the environment and faster transportation by taking advantages of public transportation. However, on the other side, these might not a good new for the family who has to rely on car to transport, especially for the people who live in North America, the public transportation still not very much due to the lack of demand. A news from the MSN.com indicates that people might not travel to far away from home this summer due to the high gas price. More details here 

What do you think?

How good are those commercials?

Some of commercials are really good, people love it, and will influence consumer to make a positive action on it. However, there are many commercial are not so well as it supposed to be. For example, the commercial from Bud light Platinum was quite a impressive one. High quality, cool environment,  nice background music have demonstrate the product effectively.

Another bad example is General Insurance, they could have not done such poor quality. because of such commercial, it made me hate this company and sometimes I would make fun of it.

What do you think?

$14.99 or $15 ?

Updates on JC Penney's new movement. I saw an Ellen's commercial with JC Penney this afternoon, which noticed that the company is using a new strategy called "No Games, Just great Prices". The commercial starts with Ellen DeGeneres noticed that nowadays seller prefer to set a price with the end of .99 or 99cents, for example a $7 dollar shoes is $6.99 on the list price. However, JC Penney choose not to trick the customer, just round up to a dollar. Does it work? How customer feel about it?

When people started using 99cents strategy because it could boost the sale for 15% more decades ago. Now, when we go to every shop in the world, the price is ended with 99, 98, or 95. It is tricky, but sometimes people just feels like it is cheaper even it is one penny less.

I checked the price on JC Penney Website, and it looks good, but I do not feel it is cheap, well, I am not sure if this is a right strategy to use.

Here is the commercial that reminds me.

What do you think about JCPenney?

JCPenney just made a big change in its marketing campaign. What do you think about it? What was JCPenney in your eyes before?

Comared at Macy's, I barely shop at JCPenney. I think I have only bought two things from there in the last few year, a sweat-pant and a jeans. JCPenney always gives me a type of impression of old fashion and old people would buy from there. So, they were quite suffering on their sales because everyone had the same feeling on this as I do.

Now, after they got there new CEO, who worked at Apple. Inc. before, brought a new change to the company. First thing I noticed that hey hired Ellen Degenereous for their speak person which lead a series controversial discussion on homo sexual issues and the company image. Second they made large amount of graphic advertising improvement, which use large size of picture instead of too many products shown on one page. It looks pretty close to the idea that Apple is doing. From the marketing perspective is really impressive to me. How does the change in the store, may be I will take look on it.

In addition on the new logo, it seems it is telling me to buy America, or they are selling American stuff? not sure, but it does look like American national flag.

Tired of iPhone

Have you realized that Apple product is all around you, especially, when iPhone become a phone that everyone is using. People used to dream to have an iPhone, every time when Apple introduce a newer version of its products, they will be covered by all medias. Last Fall, iPhone 4S comes out with same looks of iPhone 4, and the company create more channels to distribute product through Sprint, and its official website. The sales of iPhone boost super fast, it hits one million at first day for pre-orders, and I was one of them. After a few month later, I have seen everyone on campus or wherever is using an iPhone, some times I felt too many iPhone around me. I am tired of the design of its look, but I have tied up with the 2 year contract. Something else dragged my attention, on media, they are talking about Nokia Lumia 800 had ranked number 1 in European market for hottest cellphone, I thought it was just some marketing promotion tricks, but when I really look up into it, I love it.   Do you have such issue because of you are tired of the look of iPhone and wanna try something different?

Here is the phone of Nokia Lumia 900, which is cheaper and looks great. The graphic user interface is a lot of different than iPhone or Android, may this is the next phone I will use, cause I wanna be different. What about you?

Why would they want to change the logo?

In 2008, Pepsi decided to redesign the logo which comes out as the photo above.  The reaction that I saw this logo at first moment was 'Eewww, this is so ugly, why would they want to change it?' Personally, I still like the old logo which shows more balance than the new one even after almost four years already. Some of my friends were joking the new logo looks like Obama's logo, which I thought was very hilarious.

Last year, when I was joining the class of principle of marketing by Professor Micheal Kroff, he mentioned that this is a type of marketing campaign to let customer notice the new movement about Pepsi-Cola, Inc. As Kroff said, due to the bad economy right now around the world, people need confidence and encouraging sign to drive the economy back on the right track.  The new logo goes up from lett to right, which gives customer a feeling this looks like the chart for stock price. They hope the good economy could come again, and drinking pepsi would make you feel good and 'lucky'. After his speech, it refreshes the way how I think about pepsi, which is more positive impact to me. I don't know what the company really thinks, but they did suffered a while for letting customer to accept this logo. Different customer think differently.

Why Casio TR100 is popular among Asian but American

Recently, there is an all new design camera attracted a little bit of my attention. It is  non traditional camera called Casio EX-TR100. It came out in early month of 2011 at a price about 350 dollars, but it turns out the US market react as not what the company expected, then it drops to 249.99, after a few month gone to 199.99 online. The design of the camera allows to take pictures of yourself at any angle. There are two model available, white and black. However, they are very popular among Chinese buyers, especially the white one.

The reason why TR100 is not so popular in US I guess are the culture and demographic differences. American consumer does not really understand this Japanese style products, it does not look professional nor tough. The quality of the camera isn't so good and does not even professional. The lens is really small just like a webcam. The shutter button is not at a regular place. In general, it looks and feels like a cheap toy.

                                   (photo: From Casio international Website)


During the Black Friday, Staple had this camera on sale at price $100. Before the sale start, I saw a lot of Chinese were sharing such ad at Chinese social network, it soon gets really popular and the price in China gets really high, up to $400. I bought four of them from local Staple store, and sold them online through Amazon market place for over 300 dollars. According to the buyers' name, they are all Chinese. (because the way they spell their name is exactly how Chinese spell the name in letters).

The reason why TR100 is SOOOOOO popular in China is influenced by Chinese online and offline culture. Girls like taking pretty pictures and post then online, and rumor spread out really fast online said the TR100 is the camera built for taking pictures for girls. So, many girls from rich family bought it without research too much details. After shooting with TR100 and post it online, it looks pretty. This stimulates other Chinese girl would want to have one. The other thing about the camera is the built in software could adjust the quality of the picture just like the function of photoshop. So, it helps them to cover the defects on their faces, which turned out looks pretty good. On a social aspect, once you got a TR100, you can show off to your friends and makes then jealous.

As a Conclusion, this is a very typical case of consumer behavior, very interesting to be shared with you. Same products could be very successful in one country and very such in another one. The company really needs a good marketing team to do all the research before entry to the market.

Here is a video from youtube, it shows you how this camera works.

Hello!

Hi, my name is Peihan Hao, I am from China, studying marketing at Montana State University.