The iPod revolutionized the way we listened to music. It introduced the mp3 player and eliminated the CD and Cassette Players.  Over the years, they upgraded and changed the mp3 players into touch screen mp3/video player that did almost everything a computer does with the iPod Touch.

Along with the iPod, they introduced a new music service called iTunes.  iTunes changed the way music was distributed.  iTunes changed the distribution of music, before it was hard-copies of CDs (compact-disc).  After the introduction of iTunes, CD sells dropped, consumers began to download music, it is cheaper, and they can download the tracks they want instead of the entire album.  Along with music, they can download video, apps, and games.

A few years after the release of the iPod, Apple introduced the iPhone that again revolutionized the tech-world. The iPhone is a touch screen all-in-one phone and multimedia player that allows you to talk, browse the web, listen to music, watch videos, and now video-chat and do many other things with their collection of apps and features that they continue to add.

In the past year or 2, it revolutionized the tech-world again by introducing the iPad, which is a tablet that changing the world in many ways.  The iPad is changing the publishing world by slowly eliminating the hard-copy magazines, books, and newspapers.  Now, it is being introduced in schools and colleges as a way to get online books, take notes, and use it for many other educational purposes.

As for Apple’s business point of few, it positioned itself as a unique product that is based on quality, and it continues to provide top quality products.  Every time Apple has a conference, people expect Jobs to be there and introduce a product.  Even yesterdays conference, people were talking about Jobs for not being there and not the product. Now with Jobs gone, the new CEO has a big shoe to fill and will need to continue to provide quality products and hopefully new innovative products like Apple has been doing for the past decade.

Apple has been revolutionizing one industry at a time for over a decade, the music industry, mobile, and publishing industry, so what’s next?

Rest in Peace Steve Jobs, October 5.2011. The day the world lost an innovator. Thanks for your innovations.

I am impressed by it so far….but it’s trial product, not the final product.  It already implemented the [+1] on the web to share content.  Supposedly, their is video chats on Hangouts, cool.  I’m sure there are other features I’m not aware of yet.  The circle’s is impressive, now we don’t have to filter who see’s what from our profile, it does it for us.  What would be great is if Google integrates some of the other Google products into G+, such as voice, which allows you to make calls from your computer.  This feature along with Video chat feature can potentially be useful for conference calls between friends, classmates for a project, or even business purposes.

I am looking forward to seeing how Social Network wars are going to play out between G+ and Facebook. I don’t consider Twitter to be affected by this war because it has its own thing but with clutter.

+Amar

A PS feature that never gets used is the ability to play your music from the HDD during game-play, as far as I’m aware I haven’t played a game that allows that…I want that feature for all GAMES.  Playstation also should allow users the ability to customize the PS3 interface to the way we want it. I would like to change a lot about XMB.

PS Move looks horrible for NBA 2k12. Personally the only games this seems good for are Baseball and Golf games, and fighting games with swords. I would like to see a Move compatible Star Wars game. PS Move has not impressed me yet.

PS Vita looks great.  Features are something everyone will enjoy, but limiting it to AT&T might be deal breaker for some such as myself.  The competitive pricing for it seems like a great deal and something I want. The prices are $249 for the WIFI version, and $299 for 3G are great.  Sony needs to make PS3 and Vita integrate with each other, it will be more appealing.

Kinect for the X-Box 360 looks amazing. Microsoft did impressing people with the kinect, giving a completely remote-free experience is great. For many games such as Dance games, sports games, and fighting games it will be enjoyable. NBA 2k12 or NBA Live games should take advantage of this and allowing players to shoot the ball instead of pressing a button.

Nintendo I think won this years E3, they along with Microsoft provided a lot appealing products for the consumer.  I figured out Nintendo’s strategy, it works great for them. They invented the Wii Motion Control in 2006 when no one had it. They have been the top-selling console since and has been very profitable. Now that Microsoft and Sony is focusing on Motion Controls, Nintendo just invents something different that is very appealing to everyone, takes the focus of the other companies because they already have motion control.  Some of the new features such as ability to draw on the new touch screen controls to the television looks amazing. I am going to be looking forward to this product when it releases.

First of all, Movado.  I like there watches, the design is classic.  So I was watching Comedy Central, noticed they were running ads during Colbert Report and The Daily Show.  I thought it was kind of odd to see a Movado ad during that time.  Although, it was the first TV ad from Movado that I have seen. I seen the print ads, simple and classy.  They usually target ages 25 and up, I assume that demographics watch the those shows at that time.

Secondly, the new Comedy Central logo…It’s been out for a few months now.  They do realize it looks like the COPYRIGHT symbol right? Just the circle is cut off.

That’s all for now. Take Care

Evolution of Starbucks Logo.

To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, Starbucks has changed their logo…or updated it. I don’t see why some people are complaining about it since they can’t do anything about it and I am very certain that those people will get over by the time they have their next cup of coffee.

I am all about change, it’s sign of evolution and progression.  The new logo is just the image of the siren that used to be inside a circle with the Starbucks name. The Starbucks name has been now removed along with the outline of the circle.  I think it is a very good strategic move by Starbucks because it has been around for 4 decades and everyone know the name Starbucks and knows the logo, and now it is a household item, so you probably have it at home as well.  They have come along way, they have grown as a business and removing the name and displaying just the siren is smart because people will easily know it’s Starbucks without the name.  For example, NIKE.  All you need is that swoosh and you know it’s Nike without the name, or the golden M for McDonald.

I like the new logo, it’s very simple. I don’t know where the siren came from….but it’s all good.  Or maybe she is thinking about coffee…enjoy your coffee people.

- Amar Fazal

2011 – Is just beginning, hopefully marketers and advertisers will step up and create some memorable campaigns and less annoying ads, and the Superbowl is right around the corner, so we will see then.  As for me, hope to blog more often by diversifying the blog to a wide range of interest then business and marketing.  Thinking about displaying my photography for you to enjoy as I continue to improve on it.  Going to try to travel to some places to capture more pictures outside of New York City.  Also, hoping to hear better music this year, more rock music, and overall good music.

Honda was promoting the new Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe that will be in the game Gran Turismo 5.  So they displayed about 6 or 7 cars on the street along with a Photobooth, a Game Booth so people can try out the game and the car in the game, and a screen-print shirt booth where people can get free shirts (didn’t have the patience to wait on the long line).

Sony was obviously promoting the Playstation 3 game Gran Turismo 5 along with the noticeable 3D Televisions that the game played on….GT 5 in 3D is AMAZING!! Almost all GT games look realistic this is taking it to the next level. Of-course, you would have to own a 3D television to the game in 3D, or else you can play it on a normal TV.  Also there was large LCD 3D Screen on the stage that showing 3D Advertisements of the game and the car which was cool.

This is a very good marketing especially being in the heart of New York City, it will get a lot of attention and lot of people were present at the event.  The car looks great, and the game plays great. Hope to check out the game in the future.

Here are some the pictures from the event:

STILL A VIRGIN?

So this “STILL A VIRGIN?” ad that has been plastered all over the nation is getting a lot attention, of-course if you place it in public area or a highway it will definitely get reaction.  Many people are actually believing that it is actual advertisement for people who virgins.  When I saw this at many subway station and many others, I had a feeling it couldn’t be an actual PSA ad, I doubt they would have approved it.  It’s actually an ad for an upcoming movie by Will Farrel called “The Virginity Hit.”  Obviously people are more focused on the question asked then to actually look at the poster, where I believe in the bottom is a small print of “rated R.”

I think it’s very good guerrilla marketing.  It grabs attention from the provocative question it asks , the font is large enough for people to seem and the word in red stands out, also to make believable the toll-free number is also red.  This reminds of the KANYE WEST – Absolute Vodka campaign called ABSOLUTE WORLD, the ad contained a headline with kanye’s image “BE KANYE” provided a number and website address which linked to ABSOLUTE VODKA.

Now for a advertisement that I truly hate and is VERY ANNOYING! The QUIZNOS TV ad with the annoying kittens. Kittens are cute, I understand that…but what in hell do kittens have to do with food or sandwiches? I don’t even like Quiznos, now I hate it. If you are going to compete with SUBWAY or any other fast food chains, you got to be more creative.

Another thing that is annoying is Product Placement, I mean it’s fine I don’t mind it but why would Bud Light and BMW place their product in TV show and have it zoomed in it like one of really old TV ads, or the way they did it in the TRUMAN SHOW.  BMW is a classy car, I would expect them to have a classy way of showing their cars, and most people would know BMW without the logo and model #.  As for BUD LIGHT, my explanation is that labor day around the corner, and they need more sales….

Playstation 3 “It Only Does Everything”

Playstation 3 current slogan hits the mark.  It literally does everything with a price between $299 – $499. It allows you browse the internet, watch movies (DVD/Blu-ray), Listen to music, view photos, play video games, and download games and movies through the Playstation Network.

It is currently the top selling blu-ray player, which makes it the all-in-one entertainment system.  Also with Sony creating 3D-Televisions, Sony is expected to update the ps3 to be able to project 3D movies with Televisions that are capable of the 3D viewing.  3D televisions starting price seems to be over $1000, plus if you want a 3D player or 3D-Blu-ray you would have to pay another couple hundred dollars.

For many weeks, I have been hearing about Obesity and how to prevent it.  One way is taxing sugary food/beverages. Not a bad idea, but will it be affective? New York State is planning to take the initiative and implementing the Taxes on these beverages.  Personally, I don’t think it will be affective in the short term, maybe in the long term.  People will be upset, and eventually they will get on with their life.  Some might think twice about purchases the next bottle of soda, some might not.  People who are throwing a party, they might be upset paying 10 cents per bottle of soda, others might not.  But we won’t know until it is implemented.  The Government taxes Cigarettes right? people are still smoking? In the long term, Smoking probably has decreased, but I don’t know for a fact.

Today, Pepsi announced that they are planning to remove all sugary beverages from schools up to high schools.  I think that is a good move in their part, maybe too “good.”  But I think High Schools students will have other ways to purchase soda, I use to buy it from the store before going into school.  But what will they replace soda with? Milk? Vitamin Water? Slim Fast?

Why I think Taxes will be affective in the long-term? I am huge fan of soda, Coca-Cola.  Over the past 10 years, the price of a 2 litter coke went from $1 to $2.  So over the next few years, it will continue to increase, and then it will eventually reach $3 per bottle plus tax.  That seems like a lot of money for a bottle of coke, specially for a party.  So we could be paying more for a glass of Coke and Jack at the Bar.