NTT DoCoMo will form a joint venture company, Avex Broadcasting & Communications, with Avex Entertainment (AEI), a subsidiary of Avex Group, for the production and on-demand distribution of video content packaged for the mobile phone environment.

The company is scheduled to begin operating in March 2009 with capital of 3.5 billion yen and capital reserves of 3.5 billion yen, 30 per cent from DoCoMo and 70 per cent from AEI.

AEI is a part of the Avex Group, a Japanese music and movie entertainment company, with operations involving the production, packaging, sale/distribution (including web) and rights management of music and visual content in Japan and other Asian markets.

Unlike most mobile-content companies that distribute video works which were originally developed for movie theatres and DVD systems, the new company will produce and distribute content developed specifically for the small screens of mobile phones, giving special consideration to scripting, editing, photography, etc. tailored for the mobile phone environment.

As written in the article that is on DMasia.com, the alliance between digital contents holder and mobile or digital media is significantly popular in the business world. Apple’s iTunes that is online music provider and mobile devise such as iPhone made some big impacts. AT&T provide network infrastructure that distributes digital contents of Apple. The combination between Apple and AT&T, they made huge profit on digital contents such as application, Gadget and music or movie, and most of iPhone users enjoy its contents. Distributions of digital contents getting diverse through online.

WB Strikes Online Distribution Deals
By Sergio
Published: June 12, 2008

Warner Bros. Television Group has signed distribution deals with DailyMotion, Joost, Sling Media, TiVo and Veoh Networks for the studio’s TheWB.com and KidsWB.com properties, TVWeek.com reports. Each site will feature programming from each property’s heyday. Distribution through partner sites will go into effect in September.
-Sergio Ibarra

Related link
 http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/06/thewb…

Warner Bros. Television group create new digital distribution strategy with the alliance of DailyMotion, Joost, Sling Media, TiVo and Veoh Networks. WB’s contents provide from the middle of september 2008. The new distribution partners will offer full-length programming from The WB with advertisements. In addition, WB provide new online only program. They will have both past consents and current programs and each contents will have advertisements. Since TV will go online and digital contents holder such as Youtube and iTunes, they need to create distribution channels not only TV but also online.

Data Control
An Activant Industry Expert Article
 http://distribution.activant.com/press/d…
Industrial Distribution, February 2008

Investing in a state-of-the-art ERP system gives you the finest tools available to reach several important goals: streamlining operations, more effectively serving customers and growing profits.
One way a new system helps achieve these goals is automating purchasing, which can help increase inventory turns and improve service levels. But without the basic procedures to give accurate inventory counts, even the most advanced ERP purchase won’t take you any closer to achieving these objectives. In effect, you’ll be preventing yourself from realizing the greatest potential return on your investment.

Most distributors looking to automate purchasing are very conscientious about learning the details of their new system. Once they understand the calculations, they automate their purchasing and everything goes smoothly-at first. Then it happens: The warehouse goes to pull an order, only to find the item is out of stock and there are none on order.
The problem here is not the system-the system is given information and performs mathematical calculations. In the scenario above, there should be 100 pieces in stock. But a system is only as good as the information it’s given.

Think of how you purchase gas for your car. You have an order point (OP) and order quantity (OQ)-for some, it’s, “Fill it up when it hits 1/4 tank;” for others, it might be, “Put in $30 worth when it hits 1/8 of a tank.”

Whatever your OP/OQ “settings,” you are relying on an accurate measure of the quantity on hand; that is, a reliable gas gauge. If the gauge is not accurate, what good is it? On-hand counts are the “gas gauge” of your business.
In the case above, the system indicates that OP/OQ looks fine: It is set to reorder at 75 to maintain a stocking level of 100. But when the purchasing department examines the problem, the cause becomes clear: The computer “sez we got” 100 in stock, though there are no items on the shelves or re-ordered.

All the fancy calculations go up in smoke when inventory accuracy is out of whack. This can be caused by a number of problems, but they all fall into two categories: Poor physical inventory control or bogus information being entered into the system.

Here are some signs that poor inventory control has become part of your day-to-day operations:
“The computer sez we got…” If this phrase regularly rolls off the tongue of your staff, it’s a strong indication that they have little faith in the the system’s accuracy.

“Has anyone seen…?” Order pickers wandering the warehouse, gazing at the shelves and asking this question is another sign of problems with your inventory count.
Oversized, overflowing customer return area. Inventory should be processed through the return area, not stocked there until someone takes the initiative to clean it up.

Frequent adjustments for missing stock at shipping time. If it has become part of your normal process to make adjustments for missing inventory when shipping, you have problems with inventory counts.
Non-warehouse personnel pulling stock. Management or salespeople pulling product from the warehouse shelves is another red flag indicating a problem.

If your business displays any of these symptoms, you need to address them. Start by implementing procedures to get proper physical control of your inventory. This must be a core competency if you hope to maximize the return on your ERP investment.

The one of US largest ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) application vender, Activant has variety of software to manage the distribution channel. Internet-base distribution information tracking getting common and due to raising of oil price, inefficient resource management tends to be serious risk.

Relative Advantage
Compatibility
Complexity
Divisibility
Communicability

3G

1G
Analog Devices
2G
Digital; Voice/Data; 14.4 kbps
2.5G
Enhancement of E-Mail & Internet Access
3G
Speed Eventually Equivalent to Broadband

Loan Approval is An Important Event
May be Reserved for Human Contact, Although It Can be Automated
Smooth, Responsive System Promotes Customer Loyalty

Capturing TACIT Knowledge is Demanding, But Techniques Exist
Capturing EXPLICIT Knowledge is Unknown Territory

Class 1 Note

“Is Google making us stupid?” 

+ too much information, less time on reading

“Are we reading more, but becoming less well informed?”

+ We are less well informed but google or web are not only inform but also quick search or interactive intelligence.

Class 2 Note

History of Internet and Internet Marketing.

Two concepts

“Information product” = Information, itself is the product

+ Database

+ Intelligence Service

+ High Value added product even cost more

“Information-rich product.” = Information-rich product is the information that comes with or information added the product.

Moore’s Law vs Metcalfe’s Law = computing power doubles and cut cost in half, while Metcalfe’s Law suggests the idea of power of network increases geometrically with each new connection.

Internet Marketing Concepts = Customer Acquisition + Conversion Retention + Value Growth

In practice – Ad, DM, BD, Direct Responce, E-commerce, and Customer Service and Support

Class 3 Note

Porter’s value chain

=supply chain management, product development, and customer relationship management. 

Case: Dell

Value Customer input: efficiency with design

+ Mange Supply chain as single organization

+ Close customer relationships

Target Segmentation

CRM

+ Cost control creates customer value

+ Speed and agility

+ Extensive metrics in real time

+ Targeting global growth

Class 4 Note

Value Chain

Gather Information of trend in market and directly send to database.

CRM = Asset

Produce quicker from Europe which equals = cheaper

Feedback from customers in store: done with real time PDA’s inputting information, look at customers and dialog with them to get information on trends

- Supply chain management

- Royal Customer

- Customer involved product design

*Value proposition: Customer involvement in creating a trend

Class 5 Note

Business models:

• Articulate value proposition

• Identify target market segments

• Define structure of value chain

• Define cost structure and profit potential

• Explain position in value network

• Set forth competitive strategy

Class 6 Note

Today’s discussion was part 2 of the business model chapter.

Examples of the differences between business model and revenue model: Amazon’s business model is aggregator while its revenue model is a combination of e-commerce, advertising, and associates programs. WSJ’s business model is content while its revenue model is based on subscription.

A direct response medium is interactive. It can be used to require and retain customers. Testimonials can be effective and handy for direct response medium.

The critical strategical elements of direct response include: offer, service & support, creative execution, media, and e-mail list.

Important terms include “switching cost” and “Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).” I would need to look further in the book to fully understand the concept of CLV and also the Test Table 4-4.

Class 7 Note

design a test, establish test metrics, execute & monitor results analyze and report test results, and marketing decision 

Test expose…

standard practice (test all marketing strategy), strategic questions (reactive lapsed customers), and tactical questions (which incentive to use). To design a test, we need to identify the marketing variables, the type of test, and the sample. Important factors to establish the test metrics include: significance and cut-off date.

Database Management

+ can be gathered from different sources: purchase, census, associations, research firms, survey, focus group, interview, and website.

Data mining

+ “set of statistical routines that permit pattern detection in large data sets.”

The hierarchy of customer-based marketing strategies:

1. information

2. interaction

3. transaction

4. personalization

5. customization

Task example = pay bills, entertainment, purchase, communication, and research.

Class 8 Note

 7C’s are:

1. context – layout & design

2. content – text, pictures, sound, video

3. community – ways site enable user-to-user communication

4. customization – site’s ability to self-taylor

5. communication – two ways enable site-to-user communication or 2 way communications

6. connection – degree site is linked to other sites

7. commerce – site’s capabilities to enable commercial transactions

Context: The factors aspect of function include section breakdown, linking structure, and navigation tools. (include speed, reliability; platform independence; media accessibility and usability) = color scheme and visual themes

Content: offering mix, appeal mix, multimedia mix, and content type.

Offering Mix

Content of a site can include product, information, and/or services.

Sites frequently have a mix of all three elements

Appeal Mix

Refers to the promotional and communications messaging projected by the company.

Appeal mix should be strongly linked to the value proposition.

Two broad types of appeal: cognitive and emotional

Cognitive appeals focus on the functional aspects of the offering: low price, reliability, availability, customer support, and degree of personalization.

Emotional appeals focus on emotionally resonant ties to the product or brand, e.g. humor, novelty, warmth, or stories.

Multimedia Mix

Refers simply to the mix of media – text, audio, image, video, graphics – incorporated into the site.

Content Type

Information presented on a website has a high degree of time sensitivity.  

Current content is highly time-sensitive information, with a very short shelf life.

Community

Defined as the set of interwoven relationships built upon shared interests.

Community is useful from many standpoints:

Community can create content or services that attract consumers to a website

It can serve as a means to build closer relationships between consumer and firm

And closer relationships between consumers.

Customization: personalization and tailoring. Examples of personalization include login registration and cookies; personalized email account; content and layout configuration; and storage and agents. Tailoring can be based on past behavior or behaviors of other users with similar preferences.

Customization can be initiated by the user (personalization) or by the organization (tailoring).

Personalization

Login registration

Having previously registered on a site, the user returns and enters the requisite identification information through the site interface.  

The site recognizes the returning user, and configures itself to the user’s preset preferences.

Cookies

Most website owners want to identify visitors and understand how they are using their sites.

These sites attempt many times to track and gather data on returning users’ behavior by quietly saving identifying and tracking information on the users’ local disk storage in temporary files called cookies.

Personalized email accounts

Many sites provide email accounts for free to the user.  

Users can send and receive mail from the site using a unique email address.

Content and layout configuration

Users can select screen layout and content sources based on their interests.

Storage

Sites provide virtual hard-disk storage space.  Users can store email, URLs, and other interesting content on these sites.

Agents

Users can initiate computer programs – also known as agents – that are designed narrowly to perform specific simple tasks e.g. notify individuals via email when product is in stock.

Tailoring

Based on Past Behavior

Many sites adjust themselves dynamically base don a user’s past behavior and preferences.

E.g. price, payment terms and marketing messages

Based on Behavior of Other Users with Similar Preferences

Sites make recommendations to the user based on preferences of other users with similar usage profiles (e.g. collaborative filtering).

Communication: broadcast, interactive, and hybrid. Examples of broadcast include mass mailings, FAQs, email newsletters, content update notifications, and broadcast events. Examples of interactivity include e-commerce dialogue, customer service, and user input. Hybrid is a combination of broadcast and interactivity.

Connection: links to sites; homesite background; outsourced content; percentage of homesite content; and pathway of connection.

Commerce: registration, shopping cart, security, credit card approval, one click shopping, orders through affiliates, configuration technology, order tracking, and delivery options.

Building Fit and Reinforcement

The success of a site also depends upon the extent to which all of the 7Cs work together to support the value proposition and business model.

Fir and reinforcement are particularly useful in explaining how it is possible to gain synergy among the 7Cs.

Fit refers to the extent to which each of the 7Cs individually supports the business model.

Reinforcement refers to the degree of consistency between each of the Cs.

Class 9 Note

SEM 

organic search and paid search. Organic searches are free. The steps involved are:

1. Entered Query

2. Matched Query

3. Analyze Words

4. Search Index

5. Rank the matches

Paid search

the query is matched to the search index while in paid searches, the query is matched to the ad database.   

To optimize search engine marketing, factors are to pay attention to the keywords used in the content, in each web pages, the title, the website, and the description. Since search index and ad database are built by spiders and spiders cannot read materials in Flash format, use text.

Class 10 Note

Criteria of email principles:

1. relevance

2. respect

3. recipient control

Advantages:

1. can be developed quickly

2. content is flexible, including HTML, rich media, and video

3. distribution is controllable by marketer

4. can be tested and revised for effectiveness

5. measurable

6. inexpensive

Getting good opt-in lists is an issue

Levels of permission marketing:

1. opt-out

2. opt-in (double opt-in and confirmed opt-in)

Other techniques:

1. events

2. publicity

3. affiliates

4. portal relationships

5. viral