Help my Sister Win!!! Please!!!

So my big sis, Michelle (that's her smiling face to the left) works for Best Buddies of Massachusetts (BBMA). For a better explanation here is a blurb about them from the BBMA website:

"Best Buddies ® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.

Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,400 middle school, high school, and college campuses across the country and internationally. Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 United States. We have accredited international programs on six continents with additional country programs under active development. Our six formal programs – Best Buddies Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e -Buddies® and Jobs – will positively impact more than 350,000 individuals this year. Best Buddies also is systematically implementing our 2010 initiative that will witness the organization's continued significant growth, both domestically and overseas. Best Buddies volunteers annually contribute services to the community that equate to more than $70 million USD.

Even though Best Buddies has advanced tremendously in our short existence, many areas of the country and many regions of the world still lack programs to help people with intellectual disabilities become part of mainstream society. Our goal is to continue expanding nationwide and at the local community level, while more broadly engaging the global community through our programs."
(Pete and Ian hanging out as participants in the BBMA Program)

As with many non-profits, times are tight in the given economy. Virgin America Airlines recognizes this and is running a great program as part of their coming to Logan International Airport in Boston. The are donating $25,000 to one Massachusetts non-profit, but, the catch is that the people decide which one by voting. So please visit http://revolutiontakesflight.com/items/Best_Buddies_Massachusetts1 and vote before the FEBRUARY 15TH DEADLINE!!!

For more info on what BBMA actually does and specifics, drop on by besttbuddies.org. Thanks for supporting the great cause, I appreciate it as does Michelle!

"I'm just a sneaker pro, I love Puma's and Shelltoes"...- Nelly

Which site is top dog?

    

                                          

Nike and Puma are two companies that have been able to create great market share for themselves through their ability to innovate and cater to their customer’s wants and needs. One very successful way they have been able to do this is through mass customization of the Nike ID shoe and the Mongolian BBQ show respectively. Through a variety of colors, styles, and materials, customers can create a one of a kind shoe that they can truly call their own.

 Both websites do a fairly good job at creating an enjoyable customer experience

on their respective websites. When it comes to navigating the sites, the Puma site is much easier to find what you are looking for. For Nike, you must do a little bit of digging first, which can become frustrating to the customer. The whole concept of the Puma customizable site is intriguing and does an excellent job at capturing a site visitor. What is a “Mongolian shoe BBQ”? It is intriguing enough that it tempts a user to click on it and from there they become hooked as they begin to design their shoe. By designing their site as restaurant, Puma was able to create a more unique experience than Nike. The creativity of the “menu” and the catchy background grasp the attention of the user. Nike could have developed a theme to their site, similar to Puma, possibly with a design lab to play off the different technologies of the sneakers.

Nike does a far superior job in offering more options in terms of shoe type to customize, ranging from basic sneakers to cleats. With Puma, the user is limited to three basic shoe models to customize. Puma does offer the ability to change fabrics and materials, something that is only found with a few pairs of Nike’s. Also, one aspect of Nike’s website that greatly enhances the customer’s experience is the feature that allows you to access a gallery of different designs of the shoe you are viewing. The one potential downfall for the Nike site is the vast number of options available which can be overwhelming as there is a seemingly uncountable number of color combinations that a user can create.

As a consumer I liked to be educated about the product I am planning on purchasing and will go to great lengths to research the product as well as user reviews and consumer reports. Nike makes all of the information a consumer might need in their research stage available on the same page as the shoe you are customizing. Puma on the other hand does not. There is no sign of a user review, shoe technology, or overviews. Nike also provides an entertaining tab about the inspiration of the shoe which allows consumers to connect to the product on multiple different levels. Nike is able to better utilize the technology available to give the customer a complete experience at their website.

Puma offers a more technical website in that they only allow you to select a part of the shoe to customize based on the name of that particular part. This is fine if the consumer knows what a heel cap is or a quarter or an FOT logo, but for those of us who do not, it is a hassle. Nike offers the same feature; however, have expanded on it to include a rollover feature so that when the mouse scrolls over the heel cap, a user can click on it to customize it. It is a much more user friendly interface. Before I make the following comment I would like to note for those of you who do not know me as well, I wear a size fifteen shoe, yes that’s right, I said fifteen, so this is a biased comment and one that the average consumer would not have to worry about. Puma does not carry past size fourteen so no matter how amazing the shoe I create is; I cannot buy it unless I plan on putting it on the mantle in a glass case.

The idea of mass customization came from the boom of the industrial age of the internet, but the difference is that companies figure out how to apply the concepts of mass production and its benefits to customization, a process that was often more costly. Mass customization is just one of the many characteristics of the digital age of the internet, which is something both Nike and Puma are capitalizing on. Both shoe companies practice the concept of on-to-one marketing that allows them to create a connection with the customer as opposed to one blanket method of marketing. They are able to do this by allowing users to create accounts and to save their shoes they create to the “locker” or their “user account”.

Nike and Puma are putting the power to create in the hands of the consumer. Essentially, if you can dream it, they can make it. Both sneaker companies have empowered the individual and in a way let them behind the scenes of the operation. Nike has also been able to incorporate user generated content into their site through their designer’s gallery and user review sections. It is evident by the way in which Nike and Puma have been able to tie in their media content, such as commercials and extra videos, into their sites that they are progressing into the age of Web 2.0, the next generation of the internet.

More and more companies are shifting into mass customization regardless of what industry they are in from shoes to computers to cars. With the rapid advancement in technology, companies can continuously enhance the experience they are providing to their customers by allowing the customer to take charge and act as a catalyst for innovation and the creation of new products, just as Nike and Puma have successfully done. By providing a customizable sneaker, Nike and Puma have created the potential to benefit from greater sales. When it comes to clothes and accessories, every part of the world has a different taste and style. With a traditional business model, satisfying customers around the world becomes extremely costly and difficult. By implementing mass customization and allow the customer to become their own shoe designer, Nike and Puma have been able to cut out the middle man, or designer, and allow customers to be one hundred percent satisfied.

The bottom line is this: whether you like the classic old school look of a Nike or Puma Shoe, or if you want a new, modern look, you can achieve either. The bonus, aside from achieving the look you desire, is that it is unique to the user as they were the ones who generated the design. For both Nike and Puma the advantages of mass customization are paying their dividends. Although it may seem more costly to allow users to customize shoes, these costs are offset not only by the premium for which they charge (most Nike shoes being over $100 a pair) but the demand they have created as consumers are willing to pay a premium for the power to create a unique product that they can call their own.

In order for both Puma and Nike to remain competitive in the customizable sneaker market, they must continue to innovate and change as the technology dictates. The best way to go about this is by allowing customers to take control as it will save them time and money and will also grant them the ability to recognize exactly what it is customers want. The more they are able to customize, the better off they will be. Nike has already begun letting users customize t-shirts and back packs as well. Although there are not very many options, it is a start and a trend I believe will continue to grow. Nike is essentially employing each customer as a fashion designer by allowing them to not only buiold shoes, but entire outfits as well.

The First 100 days.....What about the First 10 days?

This weeks featured article comes to us from the NY Times:  Obama's Order is Likely to Tighten Standards

When ranking Presidents by enviornmental sensitivity, former President Bush would most likely rank somewhere in the middle.  He did completely ignore environmental policy yet never held it in high regard either.  Near the end of his last term as President; however, he did pass through much more strigentCorporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  The new standards called for gas mileage to be 35 mpg by 2020.

On a similar topic, the Bush administration denied appeals and waivers by California and 13 other states asking to set their own emissions standards.  Obama, in his first week in office ordered the EPA to review the waiver and reconsider it.  If California is in fact allowed to set their own standards, it will certainly be a landmark win.  In my opinion, it makes enourmous sense to allow states set their own standards while still maintaining compliance with national standards.  Every state is in a unique position as far as emissions and the current state of air quality.  The national level must factor in the overall air quality of the country (and the world for that matter as air moves rather quickly), but if a state determines they need stricter policies to solve a problem, so be it.

Aside from the mandate, this also will effectively pressure automakers into finding cleaner technologies and developing more fuel efficient vehicles because they will need to design cars to the highest standard.  The trickle down effect from a decision like this could be great.  There is the potential for job creation for automakers and the EPA if the topic becomes large enough.  Ultimately it is a great step in the right direction and refreshing to see a President who is putting sustainability in the lime light. (Note: I was not an Obama supporter, nor did I vote for him so I like to think my opinion on this particular topic is bipartisan).  Although the Kyoto Protocol is set to expire, it will be interesting to see what kind of role the Obama Administration plays in the creation/implementation of its succesor.  Only time will tell, and until next time....remember to reduce, reuse, recycle!

Jesus says no more Facebook!

Pope Benedict.

"The concept of friendship has enjoyed a renewed prominence in the vocabulary of the new digital social networks that have emerged in the last few years. The concept is one of the noblest achievements of human culture. ... We should be careful, therefore, never to trivialise the concept or the experience of friendship. It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbours and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development."

The ironic part about this entire statement from the Pope is that it was transmitted using the ever popular Youtube Website, on which the Vatican has their own channel, http://www.youtube.com/vatican.  Interesting contradiction in my opinion.  He certainly has a point that social networking tools are abused by many; however, they are an extremely useful networking tool and great way to stay in touch with old friends.  I get the sense David Scharfenberg would not agree with the Pope on this one given his recent article in the Boston Globe.  For those of us who are unemplyoed or students, we need something to distract us and keep us same, perhaps a good book or outing to the mall might work, but its so much easier to just log-on!

The first post of my blogging career

Hello Everyone,

Although I say hello everyone, aside from my two professors who have built this blog into their curriculum and maybe a few fellow classmates, I am not quite sure who else out there will take the time to read this (Thanks Mom) , but, that being said, I thank you ahead of time for allowing me to use you as a sounding board.

So the main reason for the creation of this blog is for me to use as an educational tool for both my Marketing on the Internet course as well as my Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship course. You will have the opportunity to read some of my insights into both courses and the materials we are discussing. You might also find some other random tid bits about things on my mind from school, to work, to life.

Since my stomach is rumbling, its time for dinner.....Goodnight!