Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Tivo a Case Study Essay Example For Students

Tivo: a Case Study Essay The case study was all about the launch of TiVo and the consumer behavior around the product. TiVo was launched in 1999 and didn’t quite receive the response the company had hoped for. As a result the marketing team led an effort to further understand the nature of TiVo’s appeal for existing and potential customers and to encourage other participators such as advertisers and television network to take accountability for TiVo’s relevance in the lives of consumers. The bulk of TiVo’s customer base went from young males to affluent families with the children. The consumer behavior illustrated by the case was all about changing attitudes to reflect perceived enhancements in lifestyle. TiVo users quickly formed emotional attachments to the products as they came to the products as improving their relationships with their families and saving them time for things they enjoyed. A large part of this case study involved consumers as individuals and their attitudes toward TiVo. We will write a custom essay on Tivo: a Case Study specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now After launching in 1999, TiVo received lackluster sales attributed to not only lack of awareness, but just an overall lack of relevant meaning and definition. The TiVo marketing team saw this as a chance to change consumer attitude and reposition the brand in the marketplace as a smart, friendly service that could improve user lifestyle. TiVo recognized early on that users viewed their product as more than just a technology, and even held deep emotional responses to. The attitude is made up of three components: affect, behavior, and cognition and marketers believed there was a gap between cognition and behavior in TiVo consumers: a gap between what consumers understood and what they acted upon. In 2001 TiVo conducted an attitude survey, which they intended to go beyond previous surveys to together information about the deeper impact of TiVo on people’s lives. The survey confirmed that the marketing team had positioned themselves in the market as a life enhancing product and managed to change consumer’s attitudes: 77. % believed TiVo had made their life better in some shape or form. I think there is such a sharp contrast between the inertia of prospects and the evangelical zeal of TiVo users because prospects are still viewing TiVo as a frivolous, unnecessary want or desire and not a basic need. The TiVo user switched from an early, young male adopter to affluent consumers with families who before probably couldn’t watch TV in the manner that they desired, TiVo fixed this problem and now has become a basic necessity for them, something that makes their lives easier. A â€Å"couch potato† might site his or her reluctance to buy TiVo as not seeing a need for it. The couch potato might not see a need for TiVo beyond recording something, which they already watching or could record with a VCR. For these users TiVo should emphasize the ability of the user to fast forward through boring commercials, pause and play at their own convenience, and reward their favorite parts. Today the company could appeal to couch potato prospects as a device that would allow them to â€Å"do it all† with just one box on the comfort of their couch: cable, movies, web, and music. An â€Å"evangelist† might list a cause of reluctance from their friend as a perceived fear of user friendliness. Some people might view the device as intimidating; especially those who don’t see themselves as being technologically savvy. In looking at the fact that 38% of TiVo users report an annual income of $100,000 and higher supports the hypothesis that TiVo is viewed as more of a frivolous want and not a need. This high income is obviously over represented when compared to overall U. S. population; the average person is going to have less of a disposable income. .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .postImageUrl , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:hover , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:visited , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:active { border:0!important; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:active , .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u17aafa9c71daa49ce9f8e9b4ac3ec24b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Today's Woman Vs. Yesterday's EssayThe statistics on education also support my hypothesis about prospects being intimidated by user-friendliness. In 2001 48% of TiVo users reported having a completed college degree of some sort, this over represents itself by 140% in the overall U. S. population. TiVo users seem to be more interested in electronics and science and technology, which supports the hypothesis that they are probably perceived as more technologically savvy than the average prospect. Other insights derived from the data are that TiVo users seem to do a lot more traveling than the average American. This could improve the growth of TiVo by directing them in what areas and locations to place advertisements. Airports would be a great location to place print ads or maybe even hold product demonstrations for travelers who are laid over and have time to kill. As it tried to grow into a mass brand TiVo faced several challenges. The first challenge was creating awareness of not only the brand, but the product as well. In their efforts to create a buzz the TiVo marketing team soon found the challenge of even defining and transmitting clear and relevant meaning for TiVo. Although Microsoft early on was thought to be a threat, their dropping out of the market proved to harm TiVo as they no longer had a large and reputable corporation to promote the category and create even more awareness. In the form of competition TiVo probably lost a lot of market share when ReplayTV re-entered the market with high-end PVRs and their promise to produce a line of affordable PVRs for the mass market. The fact that TiVo was once exclusively sold through Best Buy probably hurt the company in the beginning as well.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Role of the Citizens

Role of the Citizens Introduction Being a member of a particular state or country provides an individual with rights as well as responsibilities. This means that just as much as an individual expects the government to perform its duties, the same is expected of them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of the Citizens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Famous philosophers have delved into this issue over the past centuries dating back to human existence all in the view of exploring the interaction and relationship between the state and the people. Overtime, most philosophers have influenced the role of politics and intellectual thought with some of their theories and school of thought going a notch higher to become the foundation of modern day democracies and states. This paper has particularly focused on two famous philosophers whose ideas still proliferate and apply in the modern society. These are Karl Marx, the father of socialism and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose famous work ‘The Social Contract’ has been the basis for democracy and the will of the people. Jeanne Rousseau ‘Men are born free, yet everywhere they are in chains’. These are famous words from his widely acclaimed work, The Social Contract. Rousseau was of the opinion that the civil society has failed to bestow upon human beings their natural birthright to freedom but has rather confined them to the false sense of security from the state. According to Rousseau, the citizens are a collective grouping which general views resonate loud in the political sphere of the state and are supposed to uphold the greater aspect of representing the general will of the people. It occurs when human beings as individuals hold dissimilar views and desires respective to their personal positions but the sovereign carry the day, representing the general will of all the people. Rousseau therefore proposed means by which the awareness of the general will would be achieved and this would be through the convening of the sovereign in regular periodic assemblies (Simon 76). This would be done individually or through the elected representatives of the sovereign as reflected in most modern democracies. Therefore, with reference to his definition of the sovereign and the general will, Rousseau was of the opinion that citizens had the obligation to attend the assemblies organized in order to deliberate upon their current state, proposing ways and means of improving their lives as citizens and also to ensure that the general will of the people was respected and achieved by the state. This goes further in indicating one important role of citizens, that of voting.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Simon (308), voting or the electoral process is the benchmark used to determ the democratic state of the country. The outc ome of this process should reflect the general will of the people. Citizens therefore have the customary duty of voting on issues that require a general decision, such as during referendums, as well as electing suitable representatives who would properly represent them in the national arena ensuring their voices are heard. Rousseau concurs with Simon’s view and indicates that it is crucial that human beings exercise their independence by going to such gatherings, for whenever they break the trend, or the elected representatives fail to do so in their place, their independence is lost. Blais Moore (P 431) are also of the opinion that resonates well with Rousseau and Simons view that of the popular undertaking where the government usually goes against the general wills of the people hence the need for constantly surveying the government’s actions. This explains the existence of a frictional relationship between the sovereign and the government. All in all, Rousseau aim to make society as democratic as possible has played a determining role in the evolution and development of democracy in modern states. Furthermore, his discussions of the courts influenced the structure of checks and balances preserved in the instituting papers of the United States. Karl Heinrich Marx Marx, a famous philosopher of the 19th century is known today as the father of socialism (Dick, Blais and Moore 377). Some of his works and ideas were influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseaus but differ greatly particularly where the state and the role of citizens is concerned. His work and ideas are mainly based on the medieval age, where the segregation of society was not due to differences in culture, race, creed or color but rather due to class differences. These differences did not arise due to income or status but rather due to property. He classifies society based on the three main classes discussed below: Bourgeoisie- this represented the owners of the means of production such as machinery and was the first class in the society’s class tier. Their main source of income was profit. Landowners- just like the title depicts, these were land owners, a valuable means of production and they took second place. Their income was from rent. Proletariat- these were the last grouping in the social structure. They were comprised of the peasants who sold their labour for a wage. Marx felt strongly against the selling of labour for wages as it tended to distinguish the individual from his/her real being or nature, an aspect he referred to as commodity fetishism. The role of citizens of the state was therefore in accordance with the place in the social structure as indicated above. For instance, it was a common belief that political power was determined by power over production. The role of the bourgeois class therefore was to use this power, vested upon them in virtue of their power over production (capital).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample o n Role of the Citizens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marx’s time was characterized by the rise of capitalism, practiced by capitalists, whom he described as vampires sucking workers’ blood. He was a widely acclaimed critique of capitalism and a protagonist of socialism and proposed a communist society that would replace the capitalistic one. He viewed socialism as the means to achieve development without the exploitation of the workers (Berlin 249). Marx proposed a new society where capitalism would end through the organized actions of an international working class and individuals would be in a position to act short of being restricted by the labor market authorities. Comparison between Marx and Rousseau on the role of citizens Similarities According to Garsten (p 430), although the two philosophers differ in means of approach and methods, they agree on the following: Both philosophers deliberate on the issue of inequality. Rousseau advocates for the establishment of a regime that will arbitrate problems associated with disparity in community. Marx is of the opinion that class division in assets should be eliminated through the communal possession of production means. Both focused on the requirements of the society and not personal wants. Differences Rousseau was of the opinion that the existence of the government was due to the need to conduct the executive duty of imposing laws and overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the state (Workler Gorsten 248). Marx, on the other hand, theorizes on the collapse of the government or the state in general due to the revolt of the international working class. According to Marx, political power is determined by the power of production, meaning that the more means of production one had, the greater was the power. Rousseau however indicates that the political power of the state rests with the people as they reflect the general will of the sovereign.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marx views the society as being segregated on the basis of social classes. Rousseau, on the other hand, views society as comprised of a collective unit of people whose general will surpasses the will of the individual. They also differ on the areas in society where change is needed. For Rousseau, it was the political realm that needed change whereas for Marx, it was the radicalization of economy that would eventually do away with inequality. Wise words ‘Brothers, we all belong to one family; we are all children of the Great Spirit; we walk the same path; slake our thirst at the same spring; and now affairs of the greatest concern lead us to smoke the pipe around the same council fire’ (Reisert 65). This represents a part of Tecumseh’s speech, an iconic Indian leader who strived for an independent native Indian state. He advocates for unity to achieve a common goal, that of protecting the Indian territory from encroachment by foreigners. Marx and Rousseau would ag ree with Tecumseh’s views since both are advocates of unity and equality. Berlin, Isaiah. Karl Marx: His life and environment. New York: Sage Publishers, 1978. Print. Dick, James, Jeffrey Blais and Peter Moore. Civics and government. New York: McGraw-Hill publishers, 1996. Print. Reisert, Joseph. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A friend of virtue. New York: Oxford Publishers, 2003. Print. Simon, Thomas. Democracy and social injustice: Law, politics and philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill publishers, 1995. Print. Workler, Robert and Brian Gorsten. Rousseau, the age of enlightment and their legacies. New York: Oxford Publishers, 2012. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What are the marketing strategies of Amazon Research Paper

What are the marketing strategies of Amazon - Research Paper Example Political environment is slightly unfavourable for Amazon as several political parties in several countries opposing FDI due to several political interests. These oppositions may affect the global business expansion strategy of Amazon. Economic environment is unfavourable for Amazon. Recent financial crisis and global economic recession affected the economic condition of common people. Low disposable income and limited purchasing power are the major consequences of this economic crunch. People trying to save more rather than consumption. This may affect the business performance of Amazon. Social environment is favourable for Amazon. People are trying to consume products through internet and web-sources due to increase in the number of internet and social media users. This favourable socio-cultural aspect can help the organisation to maintain its business growth. Technological environment is favourable for Amazon. The business operation of Amazon requires effective support of advanced technological applications and web sources. Recent technological revolution is helping Amazon to enhance effective business operation activities. Legal environment is slightly unfavourable for Amazon. It is a multinational organisation. Therefore, the organisation has to follow different legal policies in different countries. Sometime, it affects the communication process among the employees and employers within the organisation in different market places. Government of each and every country is developing environmental sustainability policy in order to reduce the level of carbon foot print and carbon emission. The management and officials of Amazon are trying to follow the policy by integrating sustainable business approaches in business operation process. Government is supporting the initiatives that have been taken by the