Monthly Archives: October 2016

by | Monday, October 24, 2016 · 12:19 pm

Viral Videos for October

videos

We are used to seeing Samsung’s marketing and advertising on the Viral Video Chart. The company has had some of the top viewed videos on a consistent basis. But, right now, Samsung appears in the news only in relation to its Galaxy 7 problems and recalls. Taking that a step further, the company’s washing machines (also with popular videos) are under review as well.

But, no fear of a void on the viral charts: Shell, Walmart, Google, T-Mobile, and Kleenex are happy to take over the top five spots.

There are three key factors for viral video success:

  1. Reaching the tastemakers.
  2. Building a community of participation.
  3. Creating unexpectedness in the video.

Regardless of the type of product or service, the country of origin, or the importance of the message, what matters is reaching the audience in a way the both entertains and informs. It might be YouTube, and more often now, it’s on Facebook and other social media. Check out this week’s top videos and discuss what makes them “go viral.”

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Bring up Ad Age’s weekly Viral Video chart: http://adage.com/article/the-viral-video-chart/samsung-goes-dark-viral-video/306251/?utm_source=daily_email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=adage&ttl=1477093970?utm_visit=226837
  2. How effective is each video at getting the company’s brand and message across to viewers?
  3. In teams, have students design a viral video for a product of their choosing.
  4. What are the elements that are needed to go viral?

Source:  Advertising Age, Visible Measures

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by | Friday, October 14, 2016 · 7:33 am

Amazon.com in India

india

Amazon launched its Web site in India in 2013, but faced some significant problems. Notably, roughly 67% of the country’s billion-person population lives in remote rural areas with little infrastructure services. In India, only 35% of the population has Internet access and the country is still a cash-based economy, making it hard for e-commerce companies to gain traction. India also has a strong foreign direct investment policy that restricts foreign retailers from selling directly to consumers online.

To get its business rolling, Amazon needed to get local sellers to sell their products online. Again, a difficult task when so few people and companies in India are online. To gain suppliers and merchants, the company took a unique marketing approach and developed “Amazon Chai Cart” – a fleet of three-wheeled vehicles that served as mobile tea carts. Using this approach, the carts traveled more than 9,400 miles of streets in 31 cities. They served 37,200 cups of tea and signed up 10,000 new sellers of merchandise.

But it still needed to do more in order to make shipping easy and efficient. To do that, Amazon opened more than 20 warehouses and partnered with local companies for delivery. These, plus other initiatives, have helped Amazon India to become the country’s largest online store, carrying 80 million products from 120,000 merchants.

It might not be fast, easy, or cheap to open operations in another country. First, you have to listen and learn. Then, you can act.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the methods for companies to open operations in another country.
  2. Discuss with students how companies such as Amazon could open operations in foreign countries. What are some of the difficulties these companies face?
  3. Show Amazon’s site that is focused on gaining sellers in India: https://services.amazon.in/services/sell-on-amazon/benefits.html/ref=az_footer_soa?ld=AWRGINSOAfooter
  4. Show Amazon’s chai tea cart: https://services.amazon.in/services/sell-on-amazon/benefits.html/ref=az_footer_soa?ld=AWRGINSOAfooter
  5. Also show videos: Buying (ad) –

https://youtu.be/cJdTop6VZao and Make in India –

https://youtu.be/3wCK3xs_rqc

  1. Finally, discuss how these lessons could be applied to opening other foreign markets.

Source: Brandchannel.com   

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by | Wednesday, October 12, 2016 · 7:29 am

Break Smartphone Addiction: Try the NoPhone Air!

phone

Look around you. How many people do you see on smartphones? How many students in class are on their smartphones? Are you tired of all the distractions? If so, then the new NoPhone Air is meant for you!

Recently announced at a technology conference in Canada, the latest NoPhone Air drew gasps of astonishment from the audience. The simple plastic rectangle looks like a space-age smartphone, but it does nothing. That’s right – you heard us. The NoPhone Air does absolutely nothing.

The NoPhone Air is ideal for people who are tired of either seeing others glued to smartphones, or want to break their own smartphone addiction. While some people have gone back to old-school flip phones, others use mobile apps or bags that block cell phone signals.

Researchers have been studying the impact that technology has on social interaction. About 70% of college students use their phones during class, which can result in lower grades than for those who refrain from smartphone use.

More than 10,000 units have been sold in the past two years at a cost of $10 per unit. Place your order now before they all sell out!

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: How often do they check their smartphones in an hour? How do they feel when they cannot use their smartphones? Are they willing to give up their smartphones?
  2. Show the NoPhone Air: http://www.thenophone.com/blogs/news/introducing-the-nophone-air (make sure to view the video at bottom of page).
  3. Also show the Kickstarter campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nophone-usa/the-nophone-air

  1. Get students’ reactions to the NoPhone Air.
  2. Next, discuss promotional tactics.
  3. Divide students into groups. For NoPhone Air, have each team select three different tactics. For each tactic, explain why it was selected and how it will be used.
  4. Debrief by putting together the entire suggested lists on the white board. As a final step, have the entire class vote on the top three tactics to use.

Source: Wall Street Journal

 

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