Tag: apple

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Are Kanye West’s Tweets damaging his career or just a vehicle to promote his next album?

Kanye West
Kanye West

Recently hip-hop artist and fashion designer Kanye West re-emerged on Twitter.  The outspoken rapper has remained quiet on social media for almost one year until now.  Many have known West to have temper tantrums, be outspoken and stir headlines.  His latest press have alienated his public perception more than ever after praising US President Donald Trump in his tweets.  While many predict he is on the verge of a major breakdown, here are three reasons why I think Kanye is in promotion mode.

He is an artist

Mr. West’s body of work cannot be overlooked. He is a 21-time Grammy award winner and has provided countless hit songs and albums as a producer and an artist himself.  His artistry branched off into the world of fashion with his Yeezy line, including his partnership with adidas, who helped the three stripes brand over take Jordan Brand as the number 2 shoe company in the United States.  As an artist, he expresses his thoughts in music and his visuals through his clothing. With Twitter, he’s using the platform to create a dialogue and engaging others whether his opinion is popular or not.

He is creating a buzz for his new album

Kanye was not happy with the album sales of his 2016 effort, The Life of Pablo.  A lot of it stems from the album being only exclusive to TIDAL.  He has since had a falling out with the JAY-Z owned streaming service, which many claimed hurt his bottom line sales in term of availability to the rest of the Spotify’s and Apple’s of the music industry.  So what better way for people to get Kanye talking about him and his music through Twitter?  While his thoughts are free speech, what he’s really doing is to help build a promotional vehicle for his upcoming album Love Everyone, which is scheduled for a June 1st release.


Not even John Legend can stop Kanye.

He likes to feed his own ego

Nobody loves Kanye West more than himself.  He is a confident personality and is looking for approval.  What we know about ‘Ye is that he is a creator, a producer and designer by trade.  He believes in his own ideas so much, that he’s willing to defend them no matter how controversial they may be.  Even his own close friends disapprove of his alliance with Donald Trump, but he wants people to express their opinion just like he has.  It’s ok to agree to disagree with Kanye West. He has built a career on sheer talent.  And while his artistry cannot be questioned, he accepts that his own antics are always met with bi-polar results.

End Point

People tend to jump to conclusions and question why people do what they do.  What are they motivated by?  What causes them to react and behave the way they do?  Kanye West is no different.  Even if he never released any more music, he’ll be considered as one of the greatest music artists of all time.  Despite his current climate of controversy, Kanye is going to  be Kanye.  You can consume all the hype that makes him who he is…you can continue to buy into all the crazy stuff that he tweets.  Or you can see the bigger picture.  He’s here to create anticipation for his next album.  He is releasing product in his own way and is ok to trip and fall regardless of public perception.  A free thinker will take chances despite what others say because its their path and its their story to tell. This is the life of Kanye.

Kanye West  / Charlamagne Tha God interview (05-01-18)

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How Brands can use Instagram to promote their Products

Instagram
Instagram image courtesy of Android Tipsters

Grow your business with Instagram

One of the most popular social media platforms that exists today as of this writing is Instagram.  In this day and age where we document almost everything we do…in almost every place that we journey to, the ‘Gram has a user base of over 400+ active million IG’ers worldwide.  It is clearly a smartphone favourite, with an average of 80 million photos being uploaded each day.

While Instagram serves us to archive our personal moments in time, it is a great tool for businesses to create product and brand awareness.  The video I put together focuses on footwear cleaning product Crep Protect.  I discovered this particular brand through various sneaker brand IG pages that I follow, who would continually praise their products and consistency.   It is almost the equivalent to a digital version mention in terms of word of mouth marketing.  This is really an instrumental measurement of success.  Building a powerhouse brand in a short period of time is the goal.  I was curious to see if their products lived up to the hype and needless to say, the results did deliver.

The smartphone that I used to document my Instagram video was the One Plus One, which debuted in 2014.  OPO has been praised for their low end price point.  Their cell phones are available for $3-$400 cheaper than your typical Samsung/Apple models.

The shooting techniques that I used were very straight forward for this particular video.  There are 23 filters available on Instagram.  I elected not to use any of them since this video is demonstrating a product in action. I relied on natural lighting as I was outdoors while filming.  It was mainly point and shoot, doing my best to keep the shots focusing on the cleaning agent to get the job done.   I would have liked to use a zoom in option, but I believe that feature will be probably happen down the road as they’ve introduced some long requested viewing enhancements this past year.

What’s great about Instagram video is that it allows you to pause your shots and resume recording, similar to how Vine operates.  Previous versions of IG video were only available in one continuous 15 second shot.  The recent 60 second max recording allows Instagram users to tell a better story with ample time that is not too short or too long to lose viewer interest.

Biggest Instagram Takeaway

From a business point of view, the main take away is that Instagram is a valuable resource tool for companies. It is a popular communication tool that is user friendly to use, that really helps generate interest in a product.  Especially for the sneaker culture, with the rise of blogs and in particularly Instagram itself in the last 6 years, these platforms really help curate these same users of the ‘Gram to consume more content which can lead to a buyer purchase.  It is a winning formula because consumers are always hungry for new content.  Businesses have this digital outlet to highlight upcoming releases, provide product information and create a buzz all at the same time.

Resources

Chaykowski, Kathleen. “Why Instagram Extended Its Video-Length Limit To 60 Seconds.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 29 Mar. 2016. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2016/03/29/why-instagram-extended-its-video-length-limit-to-60-seconds/#8d22c483cb48

Ratcliff, Christopher. “23 Up-to-date Stats and Facts about Instagram You Need to Know.” 23 Uptodate Stats and Facts about Instagram You Need to Know Comments. ClickZ Group, 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/04/20/23-stats-and-facts-about-instagram/

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Strategy vs. Tactics…You can’t have one without the other!

Failing to plan is planning to fail
Failing to plan is planning to fail / KristenBentson.com

Do you ever wonder how some of the biggest companies in the world maintain a high level of business with their customers? What  did they do differently that separates them from their competitors?  Which business strategy did they use to achieve this?  What specific tactics were implemented to get the results they wanted?  It is imperative to dive in and look at what actually separates a strategy from a tactic and vice versa.  While they may both sound similar and are used usually within the same sentence, let’s dig deeper to break down why both terms differ from one another.

What Do They Mean By Strategy?

The term strategy is often referred to as “a method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.”  It is commonly used when a business sets out an agenda and looks for ways to execute it in a long term capacity.  Some of our favorite brands that we have grown to love and adore have been made possible because of the tactics they have implemented.  Tactics are essentially various processes done in real time that are measured quantitatively and qualitatively.  There is a combination involved of multiple skill sets and tools that are the foundation of a tactic. While strategy involves diligent planning with an end goal, tactics works with given resources that attempts to achieve the objective of a given strategy.

David Kryscynski - What is Strategy?
David Kryscynski – What is Strategy?

Big Businesses Lead By Example

The only way to stand out from your competition, is to literally be different from your peers.  It is about gaining a competitive edge and getting that dominant market share in the financial landscape.  Walmart for example has perfected this.  They evolved from a discount store concept to the largest retailer in the world by using a cost strategy of keeping their operating costs low and at the same time reaping the profits over their nearest competitors.  Apple continues to sell high end tech gadgets and people consume them at record paces.  They have established an identity of selling unique, simplified products which come at a high price point – this cost strategy is known as an Overall Differentiation.  Furniture giant Ikea has also managed to master their market by doing things differently as well, with everything from their design process, to packaging and manufacturing being completely different from their competitors.   Ultimately companies that can address who they compete with, how they can stand out from them, how they will achieve this and what overall value they can bring to the table is what matters most.  The above three mentioned companies incorporate all elements of what is known as the S.M.A.R.T philosophy, which looks at completing such goals by addressing every letter in the acronym with proper validation.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives

From the Boardroom to the Hardwood?

While the terms strategy and tactics may be executed in the boardroom, who’s not to say the same methods cannot be applied on the hardwood floor?  Take for instance the 6-time NBA World Champion Chicago Bulls, who gained a competitive advantage over their opponents by outsmarting them at both ends of the floor.  In particular, their 1996 squad went on hold a then NBA best 72-10 regular season record that was capped off by the franchise’s fourth title win.  Their team strategy was to be the best team in the league.  How they got there was attributed through their main playbook tactic, highlighted by head coach guru Phil Jackson’s use of the triangle offense.  And while some say tactics are often done below the shoulders, the Bulls were so dominant mainly because they had a weapon in a guy who simply played above the rim…his name was Michael Jordan.  In this example, the coach delivers the given strategies and it is the player(s) who are the tactics who must make the plan come to fruition.

1996 NBA World Champion Chicago Bulls
1996 NBA World Champion Chicago Bulls / NBAE Jonathan Daniel

It’s important to understand that strategy and tactics do not mean the same thing.  You always with a strategy of ideas that you set out, but you will need to have a process of tactics to get the job done.  In comparison, the two terms are synonymous with one another.  While they are interchangeable, they also definitely rely on one another.  It is unfavorable to have a set of tactics in place without any leadership of ideas.  The end result will be chaotic and pointless.  When you are able to ensure that you have a solid foundation of tactics which are outlined by an effective business strategy, you will see the desired end result of success.

Citations