Week 4 EOC: There's an app for that

In today’s technology-driven world, we find ourselves struggling to survive a day without the helping hand of modern technology. Smartphones have become actually that, smart; smart enough to run our lives for us. Apps are simple yet useful add-ons to smartphones, which give the phone even more value. There are apps to complete everyday tasks with tools that may not be at hand at the moment. With so many useful apps, my idea for an app was not an easy one to come up with. My idea for an app would be one that would make it easier for environmentally conscious people to separate their waste more effectively. In this “green” trend that the world and mainstream media has focused on for the past half-decade, it is a good idea to invest in this industry, because, whether we believe it or not, this “green” industry is growing each day. The app would have all the information available as to whether the container, wrapper, or any other form of packaging was recyclable merely by the physical characteristics. A person would be able to type in the physical characteristics, including color and textures, into the app and get an immediate classification of where the disposable material would fit in the trash container. This app would also be helpful for bigger corporations that handle toxic waste, giving more detailed information about the disposable materials. Ranging from charts, warnings, and general information about the material’s effect on the environment, this app would be very useful to many people who find themselves confused about how to help their environment become a better and cleaner place to live. Advertising would be offered to wildlife conservation organizations and, I might even be bold to say, politicians who find themselves hungry for the vote of this new and growing “green” audience. The creative name for this app would be “Get Wasted” in relationship to waste awareness.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

“One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They don’t just embrace technology; it’s a way of life. The Millennials were the first generation to grow up in a world filled with computers, cellphones, satellite TV, iPods, and online social networks.” Marketing: An Introduction for Education Management Corporation, 10^th Edition. Armstrong/Kotler. Page 74. Being a millennial myself, I have to admit that from a very young age, I found myself sometimes explaining to my parents how a computer program worked back in the 90s. From audio to video programs, I profoundly explained every single detail to my parents in order for them to fully enjoy the wonders of technology. I was raised on technology and in some way did embrace it to my advantage. The whole social network phenomena did however intimidate me at first, but with time, it truly helped me in my social and professional skills. I can fully embrace the millennial demographic without any shame.

Week 3 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The video game industry has been affected by the global recession in the last three years. Many of the video game consoles manufacturers have been constantly changing and thus falling into slots of the Boston Consulting Group Growth-Share Matrix for an indefinite amount of time until, hopefully, the video game market heals itself. Starting off, the iPhone and/or iPad, although not technically video game consoles, have begun to up rise and make a name for them in the video game industry. Why? Well, who would want to pay $60 to $70 for a video game copy? Video game console sold separately. My point exactly, Apple has become an alternative to gaming consoles especially because of the easy and affordable access to entertainment sources. “Streaming mirroring has the potential to turn the iPad 2 from a gaming machine into a game console, just like a PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii or Xbox 360.” (http://www.appolicious.com/articles/8294-new-features-could-make-ipad-2-ios-5-a-contender-against-game-consoles). This places the iPhone and iPad in the question mark slot. Apple needs to decide if they want these devices to turn into stars, which eventually may become cash cows.  For Sony’s PlayStation 3, one would have to classify it as a cash cow, simply because of its ability to maintain itself above other consoles such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360. They maintain themselves up in part due to the “free goodies” they come with such as a Blu-ray Disc player and the accessibility of online gaming without an extra charge. But, Kinect really pushed Microsoft’s Xbox 360 into a cash cow too, adding to the gaming experience. Without Kinect, the Xbox 360 would be a dog without a doubt, partly in due to the fact of the many missing “freebies” the PS3 has to offer. “To really rub it in, it also adopts BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc ROM) with maximum storage capacity of 54 GB (dual layer), enabling delivery of entertainment content in full high-definition (HD) quality, under a secure environment made possible through the most advanced copyright protection technology.” (http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/playstation-3-vs-xbox-360) As for Nintendo’s Wii, I would classify it as a dog by far. Mostly because it is a video game console targeted to a younger crowd, but it still has potential to become a star and even become a cash cow with its upcoming Wii-U, Nintendo’s new HD console. “EA boss John Riccitiello says that Wii U is a ‘stunning breakthrough’ that ‘speaks directly to EA Sports games’ and boasts ‘brilliant HD graphics’.” (http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/wii-u-all-the-latest-details-591807)

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

Many people find themselves bedazzled and confused as to what marketing is and what its real purpose is behind any organization, business, or institution. Marketing to me has always meant a good and honest relationship with the customer. The bitter experiences I have had with many businesses and their customer service have really maintained me away from being a consumer; but in the end, we all need to be either consumers or suppliers to survive in this globalized world.  When I shop, I mostly do it online, but because I’m ordering something through a computer screen, does not mean I’m not expecting interaction with a human being in order to receive good customer service. During the Black Friday madness I ordered a pair of boots online from ALDO. As soon as my order was charged and put through, I became entangled with problems regarding the tracking of my order and my debit card in part due to the website’s heavy traffic, so you can imagine the frustration and desperation I felt since my debit card information was up there. I swooped up the phone and called customer service. Samantha helped me throughout the whole process of finding and solving the problems with my tracking number but not before asking me how my day and my Thanksgiving holiday were, truly making me feel comfortable and familiar to her voice. The simple fact of me remembering her name shows how creating a good relationship with the customer is of utter importance in marketing a brand, company, business, or organization. That is why I have always associated the word marketing with relationship. Building relationships with a complete stranger may not be the easiest task but it certainly is the most important task for a business to truly succeed and prosper in today’s marketable world. “Broadly defined, marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and organizations obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging value with others. In a narrower business context, marketing involves building profitable, value-laden exchange relationships with customers. Hence, we define marketing as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return.” (Marketing An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, pg. 4)

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

What we see is what we hear, and what we hear is what we see. With this in mind, as an aspiring and practicing Audio professional, I have made into my objective to entangle the listener into the full effect sound has on the human brain and senses. Inspired to become a musician at the young age of 10 by my father, who I owe everything I am today to, I have been seeking a career in the audio field. First starting off as a drummer for a small church in the big Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, then becoming a recurring stagehand for my father’s band, and finally a Front of House Engineer around bars in the same south-of-the-border city, sound has captivated me to the feelings it can create in the human mind that no other sense of the human body can achieve. With goals in mind to produce and engineer albums for recording artists, to become the preferred Front of House Engineer for many performing artists around the world, and to explore the magic sound designing for films has to offer I find out that through discipline, organization, and arduous work, I can achieve these goals and dreams. I have been passionate about sound ever since I first picked up a drumstick and played my first beat in that old and rackety drum set of mine a decade ago.