Nov.15

1. I would like to hear your thoughts about the best ways for companies to use social media to do one or both of the things we talk about in class often - gaining insight or creating experiences (or both).

- You can certainly focus in on a company or two that you think are doing a good job incorporating social media into their marketing strategy.

- You can also focus on any type of social media - Facebook, Twitter, blogs, other user generated content. Just try to keep some sort of focus in your comments rather than hopping around haphazardly among the different types of media.

There are a lot of ways companies can gain profits. For example, a company can implement various marketing strategies using social media as a tool. For example, a company can give discounts to customers who visit its Facebook homepage and leave a comment.

However, in order to gain insights and create experiences, companies should do more than just promoting its Facebook homepage. That is, companies have to pay attention to how their target customers live, how they interact with their friends, what kind of companies or products they "Like" (which you can see in the left side of a Facebook user's profile), and how they spread the words between friends. People's profile is a really good way to find a lot about their personal likings, information and details about their persona. Not only that, but Facebook allows users to see all the people who are interested in the same category of hobby, interest, and etc. In short, companies can use Facebook to make a deep relationship with customers, in a sense that the Facebook is a "Social Networking-Based" tool. You can be friends with customers, share interesting information, and etc.

As for Twitter, in contrast, is often perceived as a "Phrase Social Media-Based" tool. To restate, Twitter is a social media program well designed for companies make a lot of followers with a short and simple message in a short and brief time. So there are some deep interactions between the company and customer that are missing. Some say that Twitter is good for making a quick and shallow relationship with customers, but not really recommendable for making a deep relationship with someone.

Therefore, my personal opinion is that, it would be better for companies to use Facebook as a communication tool between customers in general preferable to Twitter because Facebook helps the company to get a closer relationship with customers than Twitter does. However, if the company is big enough to influence people through short and strong messages, such as Apple, Twitter could also be a good option. Like we talked about it in the last lecture, it would be a good idea to hire some employees that take care of communication between the company and customers through social media. For instance, a company can hire employees that comment on people’s feedbacks on their Facebook homepage 24 hours. Or, a company can have employees make their own Facebook accounts and use them as individual message deliverers or feedback receivers to see how customers are thinking about the company’s products or services.

I would like to say that IKEA case in Sweden was one of the most successful cases for a company using social media as a marketing tool. IKEA was opening a new store in a place called Malmö(pronounced, MAL MUEI) in Sweden. IKEA used Facebook tagging function to promote their each showroom section and it became tremendously successful. Basically, IKEA took a photo of each showroom section, and then tagged each photo on Facebook like we tag our friends on Facebook and succeeded in promoting its products and drawing customers into buying its product.

Oct. 29

Two words that I received from my friends were : the cello and the Statue of Liberty.
Thanks to: Cuewona Angel, and Aram Sisoian :)

Here are my brainstormings:

Cello - Resin, pine tree, wood, stick, strings, instrument, violin, viola, cell, free cell, orchestra, big, chair, girlfriend, music, classic music, old, bass, low voice, cherry, alcohol, food, cry, sad, promise, contract, college, UT

Statue of Liberty- Freedom, flame, smoke, ice cream, woman, crown, elevator, sight, night, New York, people, tourists, Independence Day, Empire State Building,

And these were the combinations of words that I could think of:

1. Elevator with chairs - Elevator from Statue of Liberty and chair from the cello. I always wanted to take a seat while I'm on the elevator, especially when you live on the top floor. Sometimes I just want to sit in the elevator and relax until I get to the top floor.

2. Ice Cream that tastes like pine tree - I came up with this idea with the ice cream from the Statue of Liberty and pine tree from the cello.

3. Wooden Crown - Wood from the cello, and crown from the Statue of Liberty. It doesn't sound really nice, but at least it can be made into a toy for kids.

4. Charcoal with pine tree scent - I came up with this idea with the smoke from the Statue of Liberty and pine tree from the cello. Meat would taste pretty nice when it's smoked with the pine-scent.

5. Cherry taste ice cream - Cherry from the Cello and ice cream from the Statue of Liberty.

6. Cigarette with cherry taste - Cherry from the Cello and Cigarette from the smoke in Statue of Liberty. There are some cigarettes that taste like vanilla and coffee, cinammon and so on. So why not cherry?

7. Cigarette with pine tree taste - Same mechanism of thought with No.6.

8. Spicy ice cream - This one came from flame(which is hot --> led me to spicy) and ice cream from the Statue of Liberty. I wonder if anyone would like it.

9. Alcohol with the New York Brand - Came up with this idea from alcohol in the Cello and New York from the Statue of Liberty.

10. BGM in the Statue of Liberty - I don't know if they play any music in the Statue of  Liberty because I've been there when I was in 5th grade in elementary school, but if they don't play any music in the Statue of Liberty, it might be a good idea to play some musics for tourists.

11. Seats, or place for lovers in the Statue of Liberty - Came up with the word, girlfriend in the cello, and Statue of  Liberty.

12. Statue of UT - Came up with the idea from UT in the Cello and a Statue of Liberty. Might be a fun thing to watch when you see the Statue of Liberty holding a UT tower instead of a flame torch.

13. Alcohol ice cream - Ice cream with some alcohol contained in it sounds interesting. Not for sale under age 21! Haha

14. Food for Independence Day - Food from the Cello and Independence Day from Statue of Liberty. We eat turkeys and cranberries for Thanksgiving and sweets for Halloween, but I didn't hear anything about the food you eat on Independence Day.

I think about everything I've put up there can all become a product or services
They don't sound bad.
Spicy ice cream, and an alcohol ice cream sounds weird though....

Oct. 11

Facebook as a Social Networking System

Ideas for the topic

1.       How did it come up with the idea of online social networking?

2.       How did it attract so many users?

3.       What’s the difference between blog and Facebook?

4.       How is Facebook different compared to Korean online social networking system, Cyworld?

5.       How is Facebook different compared to Twitter?

6.      Not only does Facebook work as a communication channel between friends, but also between corporate organization and customer. Two-way communication, intimate relationship with customers
→ Is it also a new experience for a corporate organization? Then is corporate organization considered as a customer in this context?

Why is this topic interesting to you? (remember: This is a big goal for the assignment)

I used to live in Virginia for 1 and a half year. Then I went back to Korea when I became a middle school student. I wanted to keep in touch with the friends I made in Virginia. At first, we exchanged e-mails and sent some gifts to each other overseas. However, this hasn’t lasted so long because I changed my e-mail address and deleted their e-mail address by accident. I had no way to contact them anymore since I did not have such things as backup files of their e-mail address or anything. What made it worse was that my family had moved to a different city so there was no way of receiving the gifts my friends sent me overseas. I kept trying to reach contact with them but I just couldn’t. There was no way of getting in touch with them until I found out about this Facebook. Majority of my friends in Virginia were Korean with the US citizen. I tried to reach them with Cyworld, which is kind of Korean version of Facebook, but my friends never made an account. Cyworld was a social network system only people in Korea used. I also tried to use Twitter to find them but failed. Facebook was the only service that fulfilled my needs whereas other social networking systems couldn’t. Therefore, my experience with Facebook was very special to me in a sense that it made it possible for me to reach contact with my friends abroad, part of the reason why Facebook was an interesting topic to me.

What is the connection to the gathering and identification of customer insights and/or the design of valuable customer experiences? (at least, as you see it right now)

I did not quite understand the meaning of the question, but as far as I know, the connection between gathering and identification of customer insights and design of valuable customer experiences particularly in Facebook is quite close. Facebook has identified its customer group as high school students and college students. Therefore, Facebook provides a lot of features that are appreciated by high school and college students. When it comes to designing of valuable customer experiences, Facebook’s one of the most impressive feature, detailed self-profile information database where you can express yourself freely is being greatly appreciated by college students, the age group that is mostly open-minded and seeking for new relationships. The ability to upload unlimited number of pictures, and creation of album is also one of the factor that attracts many students. So design of valuable customer experiences in Facebook was created on the basis of gathering and identification of customer insights, therefore resulting in Facebook to provide several services that are differentiated from e-mails, and blogs. Clumsy analysis, but I do hope that I will find out more as I study and do a research about this specific topic.

Cite and briefly describe at least one article

http://mashable.com/2006/08/25/facebook-profile/

Facebook – The complete biography

This article shows the brief history and the future of Facebook, concerns, surveys and studies done by various organizations regarding Facebook, comparison to other social networking systems such as MySpace, its differentiated features, and the reason why it is appreciated,

Sep. 24

Wow - already at Blog #3. So, we have been discussing customer experiences this week, including the overall idea of an experience and an example framework to understand a bit better how to operationalize the idea. Using some of the discussion points from this week, identify and describe a customer experience that you think was particularly meaningful to you. Describe the overall experience, including how you felt and the immediate connections you have with the experience, and then break apart the experience in some way so that you can make sense of the parts that made up the overall experience. I'll talk about this more in class on Wednesday - at the very least, to get started, try to think of that great experience and just put some words to it. Don't forget about the guidelines from the syllabus and the feedback that Jay and I have been giving you. As always... have fun with it!

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 I have purchased my iPod touch (3rd generation, 32GB) this month and this was a whole new great experience to me. I heard a lot about this iPod touch in Korea but I never got to use it for myself. I thought it was just an mp3 like any other usual devices. However, after I got to use it, I found out that iPod touch wasn't just an mp3. It was a wonderful integration of a PC and an mp3- and even a cell phone!- I was so surprised that I could send a text message with an mp3. I thought sending a text message was something that you could only do with your cellphone. However, I found out that you could also send a text message with an iPod touch with an app downloaded fromn the app store (within the wi-fi zone that is... But I live in Dobie center and wi-fi zones are everywhere inside the building.).

 This helped me greatly when I couldn't use my cellphone for a while. (this was because I was so mad fighting over the phone with my girlfriend in Korea and  threw my cellphone on the wall. My phone eventually ended up with its LCD cracken...) I had to have an alternative for my phone until I purchase a new one. I had my contact list saved in my laptop so I transfered them to my iPod contact lists and sent text message to people on the list to let them know that I couldn't use my cellphone. Until I got my new cellphone I used my iPod touch to send text messages to my friends. I couldn't make a phone call, but I could still use the Skype app, which also can be downloaded from the app store and talk with my girlfriend in Korea with my iPod touch (again, within the wi-fi zone).

  Not only that, but I can also check and send e-mails, which I use a lot of times to get information from the school, or stay in touch with my new friends here. I can also chat with my friends in Korea through a Korean messenger program called, Nateon. I shouldn't forget about the Facebook app for iPod touch which helped me greatly on making friends in America. Whenever there's a time I have nothing to do but killing time, I download free games from the app store and play them. Sometimes, there are times when professors talk about certain videos or ads that were released a few years ago. Then I take a note of the name of the video or ad and then look them up in the Youtube with my iPod touch right away during 10-minute breaktime.

 These features of iPod touch make it easier and more interesting for me to live my college life here in America. I had expected just an mp3 from an iPod touch. I knew by my head that an iPod touch is a fascinating electronic device, but I never knew it by my heart until I bought it. Now I know that this iPod touch is not just an mp3 made for entertainment, rather it is a tool that changed my style of living. I don't have to sit in front of the laptop in order to shop through online. Only thing I have to do is to get an access to the wi-fi zone. I don't have to rent an alternative phone when I can't use my cellphone. iPod touch makes it just fine. I don't need to pay a lot of fee when I make an international call. I just simply have to get an access to the wi-fi zone and start Skype application that is installed in my iPod touch.

 In my opinion, this kind of customer experience was possible because Apple came up with an idea of 'platform' which refers to the meaning of company only providing the online database and letting the users to create many different applications and upload it there.(and of course, that not only includes uploading applications but also downloading applications from the app store) That way, customers can do a variety of works and obtain a lot of experiences with the Apple's device, an iPod. Also, this kind of platform system lets Apple company get the credit for these amazing applications when it is actually the users who creates and distributes these different experience. I thought it would be perfect and give even much more experience to customers if this iPod touch had a camera function included within the device. (which is part of the reason why I think iPhone is one of the greatest invention in human history...) Mine doesn't have one, but the iPod touch 4th generation has one which I think it's just marvelous.

Sep. 15

Age:

 I am a nineteen year-old international college student. I can purchase a cigarette, but I still cannot buy any alcohols because it is restricted by the law.

è I am looking for substitutes for alcohols! Don't need to contain alcohol in it, but need a drink with a brand that appeals to people as "a social drink".

Country:

 I am from South Korea.

è  Since I'm new around here, and am finding it difficult to adjust to the life here, I am looking for communities that help international students to get along with other people well. It would be even better if those communities offer a variety of relationships with native American speaker.

Greatly Interested in Clothes:

I am really interested in clothes brand around here such as Tommy Hilfiger, and Levi’s since the price of clothes in these stores is really high in Korea compared to the ones in the USA.

è Therefore, I often seek for outlet malls and clothes stores anywhere I go. I usually react to the brands that are well-known by the people around the world. It would be especially nice on Thanksgiving days, and tax-free season.

Technology Catch-up:

I’m not an early adopter, since I’m not really sensitive to new trends. However, I am between early majority and late majority.

è  I tend to follow the trend among Americans. However, I cannot lead trends. For example, I bought an iPod touch last week…

Health Conscious:

 Many people from Korea think themselves fat when they are actually not. I, too, feel the need to work-out every time I eat something. However, I don’t work-out very often because it’s bothersome to me.

è Therefore, I’m looking for ways to lose weight easily other than working out. I also care about the food I take during a mealtime.

Hobby:

I have a great interest in playing the piano, and singing. I am interested in operas, and many other performances or concerts that are held in the field of music.

è So, I always keep my ears open for information regarding concerts, orchestras, band, performances that are held on UT Campus and near around. I also look for a piano room or karaoke wherever I go.

Attitude Towards New Experiences:

I am open to experiencing new things. The fact itself that I came to US to study proves that I’m pretty much open to many new experiences.

è Especially, I am seeking for new opportunities and experiences that are related with my career and job. I would like to see, feel, know, and experience how it is like to work as an intern in the USA. So, I am looking for internships that does not require a long-term stay in the company.

Income:

 My monthly income from myself is $0. I get a full support from my parents back in Korea. I get $300 per month.

è Easy on consuming products since I am not the one who makes money, my parents are.

Fluency of English:

 I am an international student, and haven’t lived here for a long time so my English fluency is not good.

è Generally, I can speak and say what’s on my mind, and deliver the meanings. However, I sometimes find it hard to speak when it comes to complicated sentences. I also have a hard time reading many reading assignments here for Korean students don’t get “reading” as their assignments.

Others:

 I can’t withstand the hot weather around here. Austin is too hot.

è So I’m looking for some cool places to visit, cool things to eat, or drink.

 I was not allowed to grow my hair until I became a college student, but then again, my mom didn’t like me in a long hair, so I could not grow my hair for my entire life.

è So staying here in America without parents is a great chance to grow my hair. Therefore, I am interested in products you can apply them to your hair.

Aug. 31

3. Can you think of any products, services, or overall experiences that you think are especially creative/innovative or thoughtful in terms of its design? In fact, does anything about it seem to correspond to the principles presented by the various designers that Jeff covered? If you can’t think of anything, maybe you can comment about something you have read about or heard about, thus far, that you think is especially interesting or not so much.

   There was a cell phone that made a greatest hit in 2005 in Korea. Its model name differs depending on which telecommunication company that its customer uses. For example, if you are a customer of SK Telecom, the best telecommunication company in Korea, SV-590 would be the model name of this phone. If you are a customer of KTF, also one of the leading telecommunication companies in Korea, the phone’s model name would be KV-5900. To sum up, SV-590, and KV-5900 refers to the same phone model. It has various nicknames. Two of them are Chocolate Phone, and Black Label. In my blog, I will just call this phone as Chocolate phone, because it was the most widely used term by Koreans. It was produced and released on 2005 by LG Electronics. This phone has a fabulous design that attracted more than 500,000 Korean buyers in a year.

   This product has red-colored touch-operated buttons right below the screen, making it more prominent from the black background. When you close the slide, the red light touchpad buttons turn off. When the touchpad light goes off, this smooth-black and sharp-edged featured cell phone makes people think of a sweet-and-neat chocolate. In my opinion, its luxurious external look and the name it has gotten are perfect match. Can you possibly think of other names that match its appearance better than “Chocolate”?

   This phone is one of the phones in Korea that had the biggest hit just because of its design. In 2005, to Koreans, it was “Most advanced, yet acceptable” (Raymond Lowey) in terms of cell phone designs. The reason why this product was loved by so many Koreans was that it had a very simple, but luxurious and marvelous design. This product corresponds to the principle that we’ve learned from the last lecture, presented by Dieter Rams rather than the principle of Raymond’s. “Good design is as little design as possible”. Just look at the product. How can it be simpler than that? It’s beautifully simple. You’ve got the navigation, OK/cancel, TALK (END button’s on the side of the phone.), menu, and number buttons. Just about everything you need in a cell phone. How do you operate it? It’s really simple. Turn the cell phone on, and the first thing you see in the bottom of the screen is the description of functions that each navigation button has. This will not disappear unless you change the display setting. So it is really easy for people to use. Apple’s i-Phone is famous for not having its description paper. I’m not saying that the Chocolate Phone does not have its description paper. It HAS description paper included in the box when you first buy it, but you simply don’t NEED one.

   I bought this phone in 2006, and it came to our house by delivery. I was in my class in high school, so my mother took the phone out of the packet instead of me. I was surprised by the fact that my mother opened the box, took the phone out, and simply USED it. She just used it without having to read the description. My mother's not really good at manipulating and operating electronic devices. It came to me as a shock that she actually managed to send me a text message via Chocolate Phone to my older phone(of course, you have to open a cell phone account in Korea too. However, its process is pretty much simpler than here in America. You have to dial the number that is written on a piece of paper that comes along with the product and the operator answering the call will automatically open the phone account for you)!

   It’s just that easy. Anyone purchasing this phone would be able to use this product right away without having to read the description, pretty much overlapping with Apple’s i-Phone. However, like any other electronic devices, Chocolate Phone had failed to achieve its sustainability. Therefore, LG Electronics released Chocolate II, and Chocolate III(Chocolate III has its another name by the way, and it’s called New Chocolate. It’s full touch-screen operated.) afterwards to revive the legend of the original Chocolate Phone. However these products could never catch up the sale-profit of their original version. If I ever have a chance to write about these versions, I will come back with the pictures of Chocolate II, and Chocolate III.