final entry

Iroic that in my earlier post from today, I discussed my personal experience with weblogging for the first time. I personally took to the idea of blogging. After the first couple of posts and receiving feedback from other classmates, blogging became a habit. Even addictive. I never realized how much I had to write about or how liberating it can be. I found blogs to be informative and very resourceful.
Technology and new innovations are areas that peak my interest. I researched blogs to find information and reviews on the recently released Apple iPhone. The blogs provided different aspects and opinions. Some of those from technology experts in Silicon Valley to those of a lucky sixteen year old, who's parents genorosity or inability to say "no" got the best of them.
Feedback is an essential tool to blogging. I looked forward to getting responses and responding back. Blogs are really an excellent creator for communication. I have connected with a number of people and most of whom, I probably never would have communicated with because I did not know we shared the same interests.
In the future I will continue to use blogs as a resource for information.

Blogging for Understanding

Blogs are a useful tool when researching a new product. There is plenty of information available and everyone seems to have an opinion. New technology and innovations are popular topics amongst bloggers. One specific topic is the iPhone, recently released by Apple, Inc. The iPhone’s versatile functions lend itself as an email system, phone, Internet provider and multi-media player. Due to the anticipation and popularity of the iPhone, there are many reviews in the format of blogs based on the iPhone. I felt it was best to critique a few of these blogs and determine whether they are a credible source for information as I feel that the blogs are a useful piece of information.
Purchasing a new TV, a home appliance such as a refrigerator or washer & dryer, is significant and requires you to do some research. An iPhone is considered a significant purchase with a price tag of $400 plus monthly contract dues. Blogs are a very resourceful tool when doing research. Especially on a new product or technology. Opinions on blogs will vary and it is the reader’s responsibility to discern or interpret the true meaning. Some product reviews will be positive and some will be negative. After reviewing numerous blogs on the iPhone, and in my personal experience of maintaining a personal weblog, I believe blogs to be a valuable resource and excellent communication tool. In Doug Rushkoff’s post “The Internet is Not Killing Off Conversation but Actively Encouraging It,” Doug emphatically believes “content is king.” So in order to keep readers coming back, a blog needs to be honest, clear and factual.
SuperBrian.net recently reviewed the iPhone and had this to say, “when I was first considering buying an iPhone, I thought that $400 was quite a bit to lay down for a phone. It still is quite a bit to lay down for a phone, but the iPhone is more than just a phone.” Brian speaks from his perspective and we can assume he is just your average Joe by the tone of his review. Brian expresses his likes and dislikes of the iPhone. One can only appreciate such an honest response. After reviewing Brian’s blog, I am left comfortable with spending such a significant amount of money by his honesty and overall review of the iPhone. Honest posts such as Brian’s are what will bring me back to read blogs.
While researching blogs, it is difficult to sort through and not always read what you want to read. Subconsciously we are always going to do what we want to do. The path of least resistance is the path of choice. Searching through blogs is the same way. Choosing a review of the iPhone was an easy decision; however, choosing which blogs to browse is a time consuming process. When reviewing a new product, it is difficult not to let your initial opinion of that product affect your decision. Mike Shea posted “24 Hour iPhone Review” on Quillan Review and his opinion of the iPhone can be summed up in one sentence, “The iPhone is the future of computers.” Mike discusses his likes and dislikes and provides great detail of specific features of the iPhone. He declares himself a non-expert technology geek – something most of us can relate to. His perspective is that of a normal consumer, which is the appeal to the blog. I don’t want to read a fancy blog written with certain technology language that I cannot understand. Mike is able to express his opinion clearly and with ease so those of us reading his blog can make a decision ourselves.
Technology and review blogging requires the facts. Us consumers want the honest, factual truth. That is not to say that a good blog requires the facts, but in the technology arena, blogs do require the facts. “Apple iPhone: Finally a Tool for Business,” posted by Jan Visser on salesteamtools.com, details the new features the iPhone includes. Jan clearly states the facts: “Push email, push calendar and push contacts and access to your global address and distribution lists and a whole lot of features that make the iPhone easier to manage for Corporate IT Departments.” The facts are there and are one more reason blogs are a resourceful communication tool.
While blogging may be an informal form of communication, more and more people are turning to the internet/blogs for information. Technology is a great example. New innovations, new technology, product reviews – all are very exciting and blogs provide opinions from industry experts to those of a high school kid. A good blog requires the right content, honesty, clarity and the facts – when related. Therefore I will continue to review and research blogs before making a significant purchase such as an iPhone.

response to blogging

If you would have asked me three months ago, what I thought about blogs, I would have just kind of shrugged. I would not have been able to give an accurate, honest response because I had never personally posted a blog or commented on one. I had read a few but I was not an avid reader. After posting weekly for the last nine or so weeks, I have to admit that I have grown quite fond of blogs. My main interests include topics such as sports, new technology/innovations and anything marketing related. I recently was in New York City for a conference and while I was there I lost my digital camera. Now the camera itself is not worth much, but the memory card does contain some pictures that are of sentimental value. The reason I mention this camera is because while trying to get in touch with anyone I came into contact with that could have picked up my camera, I started doing some research on the internet. I read a story on CNN about a woman who found a camera in a taxi and by posting a blog with pictures, was able to track down the rightful owner. So I decided to join CameraFound, a website dedicated to people who have lost or found cameras. I read through some of the posts and there are a lot of success stories so I am hopeful that someone will do the right thing and respond to my post and eventually I will get my long lost photos.

Differences in style b/w my posts and guest blogger's

The most notable style difference was the theme of the guest blogger's post as compared to my previous posts. There were some common misspellings such as, the description of a fellow co-worker as a movie biff instead of buff. Aside from my previous post on Office Romance, my posts tend to be very formal or business minded. So I think the main difference was the style of writing, which was more casual.
The guest blogger's post brings up a good point. Something that never really occurred to me and that is that I don't really have a personal connection with many of my co-workers. Most of whom are twenty years older and have families to take care of. Perhaps that is something I should work on.

it's all about presentation

I have spent the last eight months creating interest and building relationships with potential customers. I have to come to learn that this is no easy task. It requires patience, persistence, creative thinking and hard work.

All of this hard work will pay off this week when I have the opportunity to present to these potential customers. My presentation will include a slideshow using Keynote, which is a presentation software on the Mac. Keynote also allows you to incorporate movies into your presentation. I have put together a 7 minute video on the company which will break up the monotony of just looking at slides throughout the whole presentation. I want them to be impressed! My presentation will include a brief overview of the company, our capabilities/offerings, and the environmental impact of our processes. The last part of the presentation will be an open discussion where I plan to display some of our samples/products and brainstorm on how we can work together. I wish selling were only as easy as it sounds!

My goal is to create the interest and provide a better understanding of what my company can offer these potential customers. After all, no one cares what you can do unless you can help them do their job better. It is my hope to work with these companies in designing, developing and manufacturing new packaging or upgraded packaging for their products. The end result will be a stronger shelf presence - the ability to stand out - and for the company to charge a premium. Wish me luck!

Guest Blog - Office Connection

Recently, I was talking to a co-worker and we were having a challenging discussion about horror movies. My co-worker is apparently a move biff, if I heard him right he has over 3000 movies. He lead off with the Friday the 13^th movies and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and how they were, “just really cool horror movies.” I completely agreed with him and most of his other examples, I stated to him that those movies were the core of all horror movies. We went on and on about the older horror movies from the 70s and 80s. Seeing his experience with older movies, I stated throwing in some newer ones. I mentioned, House of a Thousand Corpse and the Saw movies and expressed how those particular movies are the very essence of all horror movies. The co-worker is relatively new to our facility location at work and at first I thought we would probably not have much in common, but I guess I was wrong. Now my co-working and I have a cool movie connection, which is cool for both of us because we both can catch up to all the horror movies we have wanted to see and never got around to it.

office romance

It's that time of year. The holiday with a spark or the holiday that forces many to drown their sorrows away. A bittersweet holiday, if you will. To be honest, if it weren't for the decorations lining the lobby and the office staff's doors, I would have forgotten the so-called holiday entirely. Am I bitter? I would say no but maybe I am in subconsciously in denial. Depends who's asking! I did enjoy some of those candy hearts with phrases on them with my morning coffee. There have been at least half a dozen deliveries of flowers this morning. Every time we hear an "oooohhhh" or an "ahhhhh", some of my co-workers and myself tally it up to a flower delivery. At the end of the day we will tally up all the silly gifts/cards/flowers etc. and whoever guessed closest wins a six-pack. I bet eleven.

playing catch-up

I feel I am playing catch-up due to my recent travels overseas.  I was the victim of a stolen laptop while exhibiting at a trade show in Shanghai.  There was plenty of security (pavillion security guards with walkie talkies), but that did not seem to distract the peddlers.  Every half hour I was propositioned to buy a Rolex for the price of a good steak.  Too good to be true!  Our booth was large enough to seat ten people comfortably, but was not too big for four people to manage.  However, during an afternoon coffee run, my laptop somehow disappeared from the coffee table in our booth.  I am fortunate that it was password encrypted so none of the information should be able to be accessed, but I am guessing that they were not after the information.  Whoever took it was just looking to make a quick buck.  So for the duration of my trip, I was without my computer and more importantly I had lost all the information I had gathered on my trip.  It was a company laptop and it was insured so it only took a week before I could get a new one.  This time I will be sure to back everything up on our internal server and portable storage device.  The positive side of the story is getting a new laptop and being able to customize it.  I received a MacBook.  I am still learning the basics but I like the multimedia software which it came with.  It will be a valuable resource for doing presentations and incorporating other forms of media such as mpeg4 or video into a slideshow.  

cultural differences

Recently I attended a trade show dedicated to the cosmetic packaging industry in Asia. Business men and women traveled from across the globe to display their products or browse in search of suppliers. I would say most products were to be used locally and service the Asia marketplace. Of course companies from Europe and the US are always looking for cheap alternatives to sourcing but there are many concerns for these companies when sourcing from Asia. The socially responsible concern is that of moving jobs from their native countries. Other concerns would be the quality of the product, the logistics and the environmental impact. Most of the companies I saw or met with, are current customers; however now we will serve them as a global supplier. It is not uncommon to see business people with a Chinese interpreter; although, most companies prefer to hire someone from the area who is educated, familiar with the area and a good communicator.

As expected, the cultural differences were vast. I was very fortunate to have fellow coworkers who were willing to spend time outside of work to help me acclimate. Getting around town, communicating with the taxi drivers, ordering food - none of which would have been possible without having someone who spoke the language. Fortunately, most of the hotel staff spoke English. I look forward to the next trip and seeing the sights and taking part in more of the traditional Chinese activities.

in response

In response to various comments regarding my previous posts, I feel the need to clarify what it is exactly that I do. The company I work for is a packaging manufacturer - a supplier. Mostly known as a tier 2 supplier - meaning we do not deal with the end customer; that being said, my marketing plan would not include targeting the public or your average consumer. Why bother?! It would be a waste of my time and of theirs. So you need not worry about receiving spam email from me!

Aside from marketing, I work in business development. My goal is to pursue new markets. Ultimately, supplying different industries with our product. Most everyone has had some experience at one point in their lives of having to sell something. Whether it be selling yourself to your teacher to try and get a better grade or even selling magazines as a kid to earn money for your school. Surely, you know it is difficult. I am now experiencing the difficulty of being the little guy in hopes of trying to supply corporate giants such as Apple, Procter & Gamble and Absolut. David vs. Goliath!

The second week of the New Year has begun and at my job that means I have to develop a marketing strategy for the entire year. Marketing in any industry, revolves around the internet. Therefore, the medium of choice will be the internet. I plan to do away almost entirely with trade publications and advertisements. Why spend the money, when you can get more of a response for relatively no cost. ie the internet and email. Mass emailing is a highly effective tool. Every time you open your mailbox, I am sure there is unsolicited messages. Perhaps, just from purchasing something at a website. In our industry, keeping customers and colleagues up-t0-date is a full-time job. What better way then to send a newsletter featuring good visuals and informative content. That's my plan - my marketing plan.

Blog possibilities

A weekly blog with a focus on recent job experiences and my upcoming trip to China to visit my company's new manufacturing facility located near Shanghai. Upcoming entries will include my expected culture shock, many reviews of authentic Chinese cuisine, the black market, and of course my experience on the job. In addition, I plan to compare the difference between an American manufacturing facility and that of a 'typical' Chinese facility. Other topics to include daily tasks and responsibilities, which sounds mundane, and presentations I make as I visit potential customers throughout North America. I want my readers to be able to visualize my job experiences and understand how great school really is and stay young - never grow up!