Michelle. @mkvenezia - Tumblr Blog

Give me a break.

"Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that KitKat bar!"

Everyone has sung those lyrics over and over again. KitKat is a brand known for producing pretty amazing marketing material. Although it's be awhile since they've created something as catchy as the well known jingle their new partnership has brought something even sweeter along.

KitKat is partnering with Android to bring users the newest software, KitKat 4.4. Android has evolved a lot over the past few years and they seem to always keep their fans guessing what they'll create next.

Anyone who looks at the lawn of the Android office can really see the theme of desserts they use to name their operating system. Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean are the KitKat predecessors.

Every Android forum you read up until the release of 4.4 would tell you that Key Lime Pie was the next name, but then Android surprised everyone by forming a partnership with KitKat.

Released on every candy companies favorite holiday, Halloween, KitKat took the Android world by storm. The new features provide users with a smoother interface and more battery life, that everyone will love.

As far as the details of this new partnership, they're very basic. KitKat promotes Android on their wrappers and Android promotes KitKat by using the brand name as their operating system. No money was exchanged in their partnership, it's simply just a promotional union.

Marketing and promotions are evolving and the Android/KitKat partnering really displays that. To think a operating system and a candy bar could be connected would have been absolutely nuts a few years back, but now it's formed something that everyone benefits from. Plus the more KitKat's you eat, the more you can enter to win Google Play credits and a Nexus 7. A win-win in my eyes!

http://on.mash.to/18oXnKm

#dodd5 #dodd13 #android #google #kitkat

Is Google a monopoly?

A topic discussed in all business classes is monopolies. The textbook definition of monopoly is the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service. Everyone has passed judgments on businesses such as Wal-Mart calling them a monopoly. But when it gets down to the “nitty gritty”, Wal-Mart has competitors and the government purposely placed policies so that our economic system can operate free of monopolies.

A semi-recent article, which just made the top page on reddit, discusses how the Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, thinks that Google is almost a monopoly. Being a huge Google fan I tried to immediately dismiss this ridiculous accusation. I then realized in the marketing field you have to step back and take a look at things from an unbiased standpoint.

So, let’s take a step back and examine the rest of the article before we pass judgment.

“(Google) has this incredible, amazing, dare I say monopoly that we are the only person left on the planet trying to compete with” says Ballmer. When we take a look at the facts Google’s search engine accounts for 67% of search share in the US and Bing is behind them at 17.9%. Obviously number wise Google takes the majority but seeing as how they have competitors, small or large, they do not have a monopoly in the search engine area.

So for search engines we have no monopoly.

Another accusation made by Ballmer is that, “…if we have exactly the same quality of algorithms, but a lot less scale in search advertising, we will get less revenue per search… which means they have more money to pay for distribution on Samsung devices…”. According to a quick search on mobile operating system market shares, Android is still heavily competing against Apple iOS with Windows (owned by Microsoft) close behind.

In the cell phone department Google again doesn’t have a monopoly.

The most recent development by Google is why I personally believe Microsoft is “shaking in their boots”. Google has acquired QuickOffice, an app for iOS and Android that has a free version where you’re able to create and edit documents. Until now Microsoft hasn’t created a standalone version of Office for phones and tablets and Google has now taken the bait. Especially that Google is offering this app for free I think it’s something that Microsoft should be worried about.

All in all, even after looking at the facts Google doesn’t have a monopoly. But just like all press it’s in the eyes of the beholder. I think this just proves that there is still heavy competition in the market and lucky for the consumer, where there is competition the consumer always wins.

Until next time...

Sites Used

http://techland.time.com/2013/09/20/googles-quickoffice-document-editor-is-now-free-on-ios-and-android/

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/20/4751516/ballmer-calls-google-a-monopoly

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1mrsux/ballmer_calls_google_a_monopoly_that_authorities/

#dodd13 #dodd2 Google Android

Blogging, take two

Blogging is something I've dabbled in quite a bit, mainly anonymously. The anonymity of writing online sparked my interest at a young age because it's like having a public diary but no one knows that it is yours. Now that I've matured it is time to take away the blindfold and unveil the blogger behind the text.

So who is Michelle, you're probably asking? Well, I'm an Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) major with a concentration in commerce and communication. When I started my college journey I fell in love with marketing and everything the major had to offer. After two and a half years of business classes I realized I wasn't getting to experience the creative side of marketing. And that's what landed me into IS. I tell people that now I'm getting the best of both worlds.

Social media has a huge impact on everyone’s professional career. According to a case study I recently found professional blogs are a great investment for your company.

“The absolute best thing you can do to drive traffic to your site and create customers is to have a blog, and post regularly. The more you post, the more people will find you online, and not just through ads, but because they are actively searching for what you are talking about.”

Here’s to hoping what I have to say will create a good enough following to have a heavy influence on my future.

As for what this blog will become, I’m not 100% certain, but what I do know is that it will be an amazing adventure. I plan to write and discuss with my followers about different current events in marketing, communications, and especially social media. I will also post the occasional motivational quote or image that inspires me to continue pursuing my dreams.

I’m excited for my future as a more professional blogger and the journey that we will embark on together.

I’ll leave you with this question until next time, how much do you use social media? http://cbsloc.al/17IIlwY

Case Study: //bit.ly/T7rfU2

#dodd1 #dodd13 firstpost

To be a success in business be daring, be different, be first.

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