Week 4 EOC: There's an App for that

                                                               FaceIt

I propose an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android platforms that utilize the devices forward facing camera to allow the user to change their appearance.  The camera will take a snapshot of their face and the allow them to edit the features such as hair color, eye color, hairstyle, etc. This will allow them to see what they would look like as a blonde or with a Van Dyke or whatever. The controls will be able to edit any feature of the face so they could use it to prevue how a nose or chin job might look.

FaceIt will help people to make decisions about changes they might like to make on their appearance. It would be equally applicable to men and women.

The App would be free and provide all features. Add-on packs would be available for such things as celebrity noses and hair styles and fashion makeup for an additional fee.  Another revenue stream would be to use the lower 25% of the device screen to stream ads. With this type of revenue stream a pro version could be offered for a one-time fee if the user wanted to eliminate the ads.

The App could be extended to include making changes to the rest of the body including weight reduction or increase or trying out how tattoos and piercings would look.

The App would be tied into social networks such as Facebook , Twitter and Google Plus. The user could get feedback from their friends before making any real changes.

The extended full body version could be tied into clothing manufactures and stores for virtual shopping with the ability to see how cloths look before buying. The revenue stream would be in the form of kick-backs from the stores and manufactures. There are probably many ways to leverage this App that I haven’t considered yet.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

I proudly belong to the Baby Boomers demographic group. Like most Boomers I am very active and feel younger then my years (I’m 63).  I also enjoy the fact that Boomers are a major force in the market. “The post–World War II baby boom produced 78 million baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Over the years, the baby boomers have been one of the most powerful forces shaping the marketing environment.”(Marketing an Introduction, chapter 3 page13).

All is not wonderful though; the recent down turns in the economy first brought on by the “Dot Com” crash in 2000 and then the housing crash in 2007-2008 have devastated my savings as well as the savings of the majority of Boomers.  I don’t believe that the younger generations fully understand the impact this has had on us. Almost every Boomer I know is having to get along at poverty level or is having to continue working past retirement age. This is made even worse with the decrease in health with age and the increasing cost of health services and medications. A good example of wearing blinders is in our own text book, “Based on a large-scale “New Retirement Mindscape” study, Ameriprise Financial developed a Dream Book planning guide that helps boomers to explore their retirement dreams and create a life strategy for retirement. The Dream Book guide becomes one of the first steps in Ameriprise Financial’s Dream > Plan > Track financial planning approach. The company’s “Dreams don’t retire” advertising campaign promises that the company will help boomers identify new strategies and opportunities for navigating the risks to happy retirement.”( Marketing an Introduction, chapter 3 page14). You have to have a minimum of $500,000 in savings to even talk to most financial advisors.

The only upside to all of this is that the Boomers are still better off than most.  Most of us still own our own homes and at least have some money in savings. Also we are healthier than previous generations.

Week 3 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The video game industry has gone through many changes in the last decade but none more so than games available on iphones, ipads and android devices. “Last year, Flurry reported that iPhone and iPod touch game sales surged from 2008 to 2009. From a standing start, and in just one year, iPhone games captured 5% of the mature U.S. video game market.”( http://blog.flurry.com). This makes mobile devices stars in the BCG Growth-Share Matrix.
In the console market Nintendo’s Wii had a bad year compared to Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox. “In the year to the end of Q1 2011 Nintendo’s Wii accounted for 37.8% of the value of Internet home console sales. Its share has declined significantly over the year, losing to Sony Playstation and – more dramatically Microsoft’s xBox.” (http://itcandor.net/2011/06/09/gaming-console-forecast-q211/). I believe that the Wii is currently a cash cow but is in danger of becoming a dog.
Sony’s PS3 has been a steady player in the market staying ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox making it a strong cash cow. "The PS3 is dominant in Japan and Korea, and as of June 2008, has begun to outsell the Xbox 360 in Europe. It is also steadily increasing its market share in all other regions across the globe, including in the North American market". (http://www.industrygamers.com/news/ps3-steadily-increasing-market-share-across-the-globe/).
Xbox had a spurt of growth last year and actually out performed the PS3. “Xbox has been able to gain market share despite competition from Sony’s PS3 as well as Nintendo’s Wii and DS. We expect Microsoft will continue to gain share driven by competitive pricing of its console compared to PS3, and popularity of its Halo games. The growth will however be slower than observed in the recent past due to fierce competition among top video gaming industry players.” (http://www.trefis.com/stock/msft/articles/35039/xbox-market-share-could-continue-growth-trend-but-limited-stock-upside-for-msft/2011-01-19). This may move it from being a dog back into the cash cow category.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

Hi, my name is Larry Clay.  For the last 35 years I have worked repairing and maintaining mainframe computers. I worked for such companies as Control Data Corporation, Gray Research, Inc., Network Systems Corp. and Storagetek. I am currently leveraging my many years of scientific and industrial experience and my training at the Art Institute to provide services as a photographer and post production editor.

My career in computers led me into many different venues such as large corporations, national laboratories, and military installations. I worked with heads of industry as well as scientists and engineers. I have a high sense of professionalism and dedication to the task at hand.

I have a high proficiency in editing and retouching photographs and would be a real asset to a busy photographer who has little time to do his own post production. I can also assist in the studio or on location with lighting and pre-production setup.

I am finally fulfilling a lifelong ambition to express my creativity and am continually exploring the different areas of photography and photo editing.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

I grew up in a family business. My parents bought a motel in Albuquerque, NM in 1957. I was 9 years old. My brother and sister and I all were expected to help in the day-to-day business of running the motel which included keeping the premises clean and doing maintenance. As we got older we learned to greet the customers, manage the desk and even do the books. By the time I was 14 I was working the front desk on swing shift by myself.  But the number one rule no matter which job we were doing was to take care of the customer. Make them comfortable. Make their stay pleasant. Make them want to come back and stay with us again.

In chapter 1 of Marketing an Introduction the implication is that taking care of and satisfying the customer is somehow a new idea. As an example, “Today, marketing must be understood not in the old sense of making a sale—“telling and selling”—but in the new sense of satisfying customer needs”. (Marketing an Introduction, chapter 1 page 4). I do not agree that this is new. There have always been businessmen who understand that without repeat customers there will soon be no business at all. And the only way to get repeat business is to make the customer happy by giving him more the he expected.

We developed a repeat customer base at the motel by maintaining a “triple A” rating, providing amenities for a family such as a restaurant, swimming pool and playground and treating our customer like friends. We had families that came back every summer for 10 years or more.

I will always be thankful to my parents for teaching me this vital lesson. I have used it in all aspects of my professional life.