http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123509028580728229.html
Comcast Cable and other cable providers have been in discussions with major TV networks to see if they are interested in expanding their web based TV programs. The cable companies are trying to see if the networks would like to start offering all of their programs and other previously lost programs on the Internet. The cable companies are doing this to try and compete with the free TV shows that are currently being offered on Hulu.com a partner of NBC and other Web TV sites. The cable companies have developed a plan where paying cable customers would be able to sign on their sites and watch shows whenever they would like.
The Problem that I see with this is that there are many online sites that currently offer this feature. Even the TV networks like ABC and NBC already offer some of their more popular shows online for free on their personal websites. I dont think that customers will be willing to pay a large fee to have this service. I personally dont like the idea unless it is free. Because I can go to Hulu.com and watch basically anything I want. And there are other websites like MyP2P.uk where I can watch basically any popular show from the last 10 years. These cable companies would just have to make their money from the advertisements on their sites on during the online shows.
I think that it is important for cable companies to start focusing their efforts of growth towards the Internet. But I think charging a price to watch these shows will not work.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sirius XM Bankruptcy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123440851532776029.html
I am going to write about one of my favorite pieces of technology. I am going to talk about "The Best Radio On Radio." Sirius Satellite Radio. I love my Sirius Radio. It is a shame that the company has so much short-term debt. Sirius really is a disruptive innovation in it's infancy. The fact that consumers are willing to pay to listen to radio shows that this business model can survive.
Sirius Satellite Radio is so much better than regular radio. First there are no commericals on the music channels. There is a wide variety of music channels to listen to. They have everything from 40's era music to Bluegrass and Techno music. Another great aspect of Sirius that I like is the fact that when I am traveling I do not have to hit the scan button to hopefully find some kind of music that I like. My Sirius works everywhere. Last but not least my favorite part of Sirius is Howard Stern. I know that his name brings to mind so negative thoughts. But it is a great show to listen to. He truly does get a bad rap. Howard is well versed and very knowledgeable in many different fields. He provides good insight on life and helps you forget about the troubles that you are experiencing in your life.
I hope that an investor will come through and save them from this attempt at a hostile takeover. I believe that this product can survive in the market. Sirius just has to lose some of its major debt. They have over 200 million subscribers and that number is still growing. So there obviously is a demand for this product. Sirius is the new way of radio and I think if more people would try it they would feel the same way. Trust me Sirius is worth the $9 or $10 a month.
I am going to write about one of my favorite pieces of technology. I am going to talk about "The Best Radio On Radio." Sirius Satellite Radio. I love my Sirius Radio. It is a shame that the company has so much short-term debt. Sirius really is a disruptive innovation in it's infancy. The fact that consumers are willing to pay to listen to radio shows that this business model can survive.
Sirius Satellite Radio is so much better than regular radio. First there are no commericals on the music channels. There is a wide variety of music channels to listen to. They have everything from 40's era music to Bluegrass and Techno music. Another great aspect of Sirius that I like is the fact that when I am traveling I do not have to hit the scan button to hopefully find some kind of music that I like. My Sirius works everywhere. Last but not least my favorite part of Sirius is Howard Stern. I know that his name brings to mind so negative thoughts. But it is a great show to listen to. He truly does get a bad rap. Howard is well versed and very knowledgeable in many different fields. He provides good insight on life and helps you forget about the troubles that you are experiencing in your life.
I hope that an investor will come through and save them from this attempt at a hostile takeover. I believe that this product can survive in the market. Sirius just has to lose some of its major debt. They have over 200 million subscribers and that number is still growing. So there obviously is a demand for this product. Sirius is the new way of radio and I think if more people would try it they would feel the same way. Trust me Sirius is worth the $9 or $10 a month.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Ever Improving Web Ads
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379182761749823.html
With the struggling economy companies have been decreasing their advertising campaign dollars and marketing departments are having to find new was of getting their messages out to the right people. Internet advertisements are a great way of doing this. There are several different styles of web advertisements, pop-ups, search ads, and scroll over ads.
Pop-up ads are not really that effective because most people just ignore them and they are not usually directed towards a single buying group. Companies are starting to shift away from this style because it is expensive and not very effective.
Search ads are very popular and appear on Google, Yahoo!, and other search engines. The ads that consumers see are dependent on what the consumer/searcher is searching for on the engine. This helps companies promote their products for the most part to the right target audience.
Scroll over ads are a new style of ads. These ads appear when a person is reading a particular section of an article and the ad get scrolled over by the mouse. This lets companies decided what customers they are trying to reach and allows the company keep easy track of how many times certain consumers click on their ads. This allows for a more focused and direct message reach the right people.
Personally, I think that all ads are annoying and I HATE!!!!! Scroll over ads because they pop up when you are in the middle of reading an article.
With the struggling economy companies have been decreasing their advertising campaign dollars and marketing departments are having to find new was of getting their messages out to the right people. Internet advertisements are a great way of doing this. There are several different styles of web advertisements, pop-ups, search ads, and scroll over ads.
Pop-up ads are not really that effective because most people just ignore them and they are not usually directed towards a single buying group. Companies are starting to shift away from this style because it is expensive and not very effective.
Search ads are very popular and appear on Google, Yahoo!, and other search engines. The ads that consumers see are dependent on what the consumer/searcher is searching for on the engine. This helps companies promote their products for the most part to the right target audience.
Scroll over ads are a new style of ads. These ads appear when a person is reading a particular section of an article and the ad get scrolled over by the mouse. This lets companies decided what customers they are trying to reach and allows the company keep easy track of how many times certain consumers click on their ads. This allows for a more focused and direct message reach the right people.
Personally, I think that all ads are annoying and I HATE!!!!! Scroll over ads because they pop up when you are in the middle of reading an article.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Burberry Online Sales
I am currently doing my senior capstone project on the Burberry Company. In my research I came across something interesting pertaining to online sales and the reach of those online sales. I was shocked to see that Burberry does not offer online sales to some of the world's largest and upcoming markets like, Asia, the Middle East, and India. There is no reason for this to be true.
Burberry currently only offers online sales to the US, UK, and some European countries. My capstone group is looking into this situation. I believe that Burberry should begin to offer this convienent feature to these demographics because of the current state of the worldwide economy. By bering able to reach these under penetrated markets Burberry could help lessen the total effects of this economic downturn.
The Asian, Middle East, and Indian markets are important up and coming markets to sell product in. Especially because the luxury industry that Burberry is involved in is starting to feel the pressures of the economic downturn.
Burberry currently only offers online sales to the US, UK, and some European countries. My capstone group is looking into this situation. I believe that Burberry should begin to offer this convienent feature to these demographics because of the current state of the worldwide economy. By bering able to reach these under penetrated markets Burberry could help lessen the total effects of this economic downturn.
The Asian, Middle East, and Indian markets are important up and coming markets to sell product in. Especially because the luxury industry that Burberry is involved in is starting to feel the pressures of the economic downturn.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
EBay's Growth Stalls as Shoppers Pull Back
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123257451678903687.html
Today E-Bay announce that their 4th quarter profit fell 31%, this is the first time in E-Bay's history that they did not have a quarterly growth in profit. E-Bay's CEO John Donahoe, contributed this decline to the slowing world-wide market. I think that using the grave condition of the economy as a reason for the decline is an easy excuse.
In this article they go on to say that E-Bay is losing sales to Amazon and other online sites that prodived fixed prices for their products. I like Amazon a lot for then E-Bay because of it's fixed price feature and the prices are in most cases lower are lower on Amazon. You also deal directly with Amazon for shipping and dont have to worry about not recieving your product that you bought.
Overall, I think that E-Bay's sales will increase but the competition is catching up to E-Bay.
Today E-Bay announce that their 4th quarter profit fell 31%, this is the first time in E-Bay's history that they did not have a quarterly growth in profit. E-Bay's CEO John Donahoe, contributed this decline to the slowing world-wide market. I think that using the grave condition of the economy as a reason for the decline is an easy excuse.
In this article they go on to say that E-Bay is losing sales to Amazon and other online sites that prodived fixed prices for their products. I like Amazon a lot for then E-Bay because of it's fixed price feature and the prices are in most cases lower are lower on Amazon. You also deal directly with Amazon for shipping and dont have to worry about not recieving your product that you bought.
Overall, I think that E-Bay's sales will increase but the competition is catching up to E-Bay.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sprint's Plan To Undercut The Cell Phone Market
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123199251112984943.html
Beginning on January 22, Sprint's Boost Mobile Company is going to offer a $50 a month unlimited plan. This plan includes unlimited text, calling, and internet. I am upset about this because I currently have a Sprint phone and I am paying $99 a month for the "everything plan". This new offer is Sprint's attempt to undercut the market by being the lowest cost producer.
Boost Mobile is trying to change its image from just being a small cell phone company for the younger generation. Their hope is to appeal to consumers who are looking to save money. There is a danger that they can upset their traditional consumer base, but Boost feels like all consumers including their younger audience will enjoy this new offer.
Personally, I would never buy a Boost Moblie phone because I really don't no a lot about the company. But I think this is a smart move by Sprint to try to increase the number of users they have in a struggling sector.
Beginning on January 22, Sprint's Boost Mobile Company is going to offer a $50 a month unlimited plan. This plan includes unlimited text, calling, and internet. I am upset about this because I currently have a Sprint phone and I am paying $99 a month for the "everything plan". This new offer is Sprint's attempt to undercut the market by being the lowest cost producer.
Boost Mobile is trying to change its image from just being a small cell phone company for the younger generation. Their hope is to appeal to consumers who are looking to save money. There is a danger that they can upset their traditional consumer base, but Boost feels like all consumers including their younger audience will enjoy this new offer.
Personally, I would never buy a Boost Moblie phone because I really don't no a lot about the company. But I think this is a smart move by Sprint to try to increase the number of users they have in a struggling sector.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thoughts On The 2009 Consumer Electronic Show
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123138754279863721.html
The Consumer Electronic Show is one of my favorite things to investigate. Every year a company puts something out that revolutionizes an industry. This year I think that the winner at the electronic show in vegas is the powermat wireless charging system. This is an awesome invention. Instead of having 6 different power cords for your cell phone, i pod, digital camera and so on; you can have just one powermat the charges all of your electronic items at one time without any cords. This is a great idea! The product is going to be released in the Fall of this year and is going to be sold for $100.
The Consumer Electronic Show is one of my favorite things to investigate. Every year a company puts something out that revolutionizes an industry. This year I think that the winner at the electronic show in vegas is the powermat wireless charging system. This is an awesome invention. Instead of having 6 different power cords for your cell phone, i pod, digital camera and so on; you can have just one powermat the charges all of your electronic items at one time without any cords. This is a great idea! The product is going to be released in the Fall of this year and is going to be sold for $100.
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