Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

There are millions of companies across the world that produce a product for the betterment or convenience of the consumer, but how many of those companies give back, with their intentions not solely on making a profit? TOMS and Newman’s Own are such companies that give to those who are needy, in either being a one-for-one operation or just giving all profits to charities. For this topic matter, I have found a company that gives back to an institution with the same problem no matter where it is located. The company in question is Yoobi, a school supplies company that gives back school supplies for every item purchased, whether it be scissors, crayons, pencils, etc. Schools across the country face the problem of not being able to provide their students with the adequate supplies that they need on a yearly basis, where the burden is either taken upon by the parents, which might not be financially able to afford such supplies, or the teachers themselves out of their own pockets and good of their hearts. “The report, "Today's Teachers: School Supply Purchasing Dynamics and Behaviors," surveyed almost 1,000 K-12 public and private school teachers in the United States about their purchasing behaviors. The online survey was conducted in February 2015.” “According to the report, teachers expect to spend a total of about $500 on school supplies by the end of this school year, 47 percent of which will come from their own pockets. About one third of teachers expect to spend more on school supplies this year than last.” Keep in mind that this is a recurring problem facing teachers and parents alike due to budget cuts and schools putting their efforts and money into other assets.  This is their mission statement, “Yoobi, pronounced “you-be,” means “one for you, one for me.” For every Yoobi item you purchase, a Yoobi item will be donated to a classroom in need, right here in the U.S. It’s that simple!” With the help of their partner, the Kids in Need Foundation, Yoobi is able to accomplish such a task and I find it amazing since everyone has been a grade school student at some point that may have fallen into the category of being in need. While Yoobi does make a profit from this unlike Newman’s Own, there is a quote from the textbook that states, “Socially responsible companies will outperform their peers by focusing on the world's social and environmental problems and viewing them as opportunities to build profits and help the world at the same time.” (MKTG, PG42) So with this logic, it is perfectly fine for companies to make profit while giving back for a good cause then to not give back at all.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The video game industry is one that fluctuates greatly in terms of revenue and on which company is top dog. Speaking of dogs, that seems to be the case with Nintendo and it’s position as the third wheel while Sony and Microsoft square off for the past two generations of consoles to be the best. While the Nintendo 3DS is what is keeping Nintendo in the race, with 58.5 million units sold as of April 2016 (Takahashi, venturebeat.com) it’s home console, the Wii U, sold significantly less with only 12.8 million units. “The Wii U figures show why Nintendo is hurting in the worldwide $99.6 billion gaming market, which earnings down 60 percent as the Wii’s successor withers away.” http://venturebeat.com/2016/04/27/nintendo-by-the-numbers-58-5m-3ds-handhelds-and-12-8m-wii-u-consoles-sold-to-date/ Sony on the other hand has been the definitive leader over the other two competitors since its inception. Last year’s Black Friday was the turning point on the constant power struggle between Sony and Microsoft, with the PS4 beating the Xbox One’s sales by double. http://www.idigitaltimes.com/ps4-vs-xbox-one-black-friday-2015-playstation-sales-win-despite-microsofts-best-494403 “The Japanese electronics giant sold 17.7 million PS4 consoles in its year that ended March 31, up from 14.8 million sold in the previous year.” The last known estimate put the number of Xbox One consoles sold at around 19 to 20 million, based on comments made during Electronic Arts' earnings report.” http://www.ibtimes.com/ps4-vs-xbox-one-close-40-million-playstation-4-consoles-have-been-sold-2013-launch-2361021. It is also important to note that PC gaming is also in the numbers, with it actually being the number one selling digital gaming outlet when compared to consoles and mobile. “In 2015, the market as a whole saw $61 billion in revenue for digital games across all platforms. That number was up 8% from the year prior. Of that $61 billion, $32 billion was in PC gaming, $25 billion was in mobile gaming, and $4 billion was in consoles.” http://www.winbeta.org/news/pc-games-still-rule-consoles-mobile-2015-sales In all, according to the BCG-Matrix, I believe with the way Sony is going it is a star, while Microsoft and the Xbox One is a question mark, the Wii U is a dog, the Nintendo 3DS is a cash cow, and PC or online gaming is a definitive star.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

At this point in my life, I see myself as an audio professional in the making because I still have a ways to go.  I’ve been fascinated by the world of audio ever since I got into music during my middle school days. Whether it deal with vintage equipment, what my favorite bands are up to, to even who produced their albums.  Ever since I started attending school to get my feet wet on what it’s like to work in the audio field, I have grown to study how famous engineers and producers have created the magic behind well-known musical acts. It is also interesting to note that most people evolve during their time in college and I have surprisingly had a change of heart, from wanting to work in a studio to now creating the amazing sounds that go into the films you see in theaters. There’s nothing like the adrenaline pumping feeling of plugging in some microphones and positioning them or going on sets to capture cool sounds that can be warped and modified to sound like robots, monsters, and even creating natural sounds through the use of improvisation with many common objects. Also, besides this aspect of audio, I have also dwelled a little bit into composition, which I need much improvement but I enjoy the time I take on it so improving in this area should not be that difficult. Lastly, as I am quickly approaching the time where I leave school and spread my wings, it is of upmost importance for me to get my foot in the door and see where my skills and knowledge take me.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

The last time I experienced great customer service that I fondly remember was around February of this year when I decided to purchase a keyboard for one of my school projects. I went to Sam Ash because it was up the street from where I live and it has a more “familiar” atmosphere compared to other retailers such as Guitar Center. I usually work ten-hour shifts at my job and I get out late at night, which does not give me time to go shopping, but I stopped in almost towards closing time. Now this irks me whenever I have to close at my job and I hated myself for it but I walked in and went straight to the audio department. There the manager of that department greeted me without hesitation and asked if I needed any help. I promptly stated my needs and I told him that I looked up a specific keyboard from their site and wondered if they had it in stock. He checked his inventory and said they did not have it in the store but could order it for me. I said that would be fine and he went on to ask if I needed anything else and that’s when I started looking around like a kid in a candy store. I lost track of time and it was significantly over the time they should have been closed but not once did the salesperson pressure me into hurrying and leaving. I chose to purchase equipment that I did not initially plan to get but thought that I would need it in the future and did I ever. I picked out professional studio headphones, monitors, an audio interface, and a microphone plus its stand. For every item I chose, the salesperson gave me excellent knowledge of their use and what made them stand out from other products. A plus in my book was that he himself was an audio technician that has worked for different people and even showed me some of his work. I was surprised at his knowledge and I gladly went to checkout. I applied for their credit line and my purchase was right at the capping point. Needless to say, the salesperson knew what he was doing, saw my needs, and went out of his way to help me make a worthy investment while putting my time over his. A quote that I found in the class textbook that describes the salesperson and his customer service etiquette is as follows, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.” (MKTG Pg 6) I do not remember his name but now I get all of my professional audio gear and instruments from Sam Ash and only them.