WEEK #10 (Final)

Today we performed our Marketing presentation.

I am proud of this project -it is a piece of art. The only problem was that we had too much to say in a 4-minute presentation. As a result, we were short in time.

Lesson to get: Always rehearse with a timer before you give a presentation.

There were good presentations in the class. Felix and Leo's video was the best: I still laugh at the dilemma of whipping cream vs. chocolate sauce. John and Kevin's product, Mickey car, had an interesting emotional benefit. I liked Junko and Elly as a team in harmony. The final presentation with Debby and Ashwani with Ashwani's story was also interesting.

I have learned a lot during our Digital Book project in this 10-week period. A few of them:

1) Marketing Analysis
2) Level-3 thinking (Digging, digging and digging)
3) Observation of the marketing strategies some companies choose
4) E-Ink technology
5) What books mean to us; the reasons of why we didn't change its form and material since Gutenberg, 1453
6) Digital books' market segment does not cover every person who likes reading books*

I thank Ken
for being proactive, supportive and hard-working,
 

I thank my class mates
for supporting us with their comments
 

and

I thank Prof. Paul Kurucz
for being an inspiring teacher,
for making every class a valuable learning and understanding experience,
and for introducing the blog world to me
(I am not sure he will read the blogs after the 10th week)

* Why was it a difficult product to market?
Information printed on paper feels physically more real compared to digital files.
You can touch the "information" by touching the pages, enjoy the artistic design of a hard cover, feel the weight of the book, and you can even smell the paper.

This is why so many people like collecting books on their shelves. Even if you haven't read yet, you can feel the "printed information" exits there in your home.

What should the e-reader companies do?
Focus on the environmental side effects of hardcover books

If the "book" has an expiry date like textbooks, instruction guides, announcements, newspapers, etc., then the electronic readers will be more environment-friendly and cost-efficient in long term.

Concerns:
I wonder how would the publishers react to a regulation letting the students have their textbooks all downloaded in their tiny little e-readers for very cheap prices.
And what would happen if the consumers discovered e-readers as the most user friendly way to read daily newspapers?

Would the governments let this happen in the cost of losing lots of business being run by the publishing and printing companies? Would they let many of them go bankruptcy for the sake of trees?

I, personally and sadly, wouldn't expect it to happen in our century.

WEEK #9

The Management Project presentation time is coming. The written part is okay, PowerPoint slides are almost completed, overall experience of teamwork is... not going easy.

I had lots of team projects and presentations in the past, and I do not recall having any problems with them. But now things are more challenging and it surprises me.
This comes from that I was not experienced in team projects with multicultural team members.

Why don't we have a course on The Art of Team Work?
Seriously, why? Most of the job postings include strong team work skills as a requirement. It makes sense, hence nobody will work alone after MBA -even the smallest businesses include team work.

Group motivation vs. Individual motivation
Communication and Listening skills
Personality Analysis
Individuality vs. Group think
Gender effect on business
Respect (This is a subjective term)
Anger Management and Coping with the 'challenging' behaviours of others
etc.

The subjects above can be lethal for any business and can even change the world. The best technical knowledge is even useless if you cannot go in harmony with your team.

We don't have such a course in our program, and I admit I am having a tough time with my Management Project group nowadays. But I know I am lucky for learning valuable lessons about multicultural teams. I will remember these days gratefully in the future, I believe.

WEEK #8

We had the final Marketing exam yesterday.

It was easier than I had expected. I wished I had a few extra hours(!) to express all the ideas rushing to my mind when I saw the questions.

WEEK #7

Ken and I talked with Prof. Kurucz about our project yesterday. I noticed a few points we are missing about the product's emotional effects. 

What an e-reader doesn't give you:
I like touching my book's shiny colorful cover.
I like the smell of paper.
Having the book means having the information in my hand and in my home.
It is a pleasure to turn the pages to see what is coming next.. and the next...and the next...
Turning the pages is a physical action. The book is physical itself, with its colors, weight and scent. The words are physical when printed on paper.

An e-book lacks all this physical and emotional experience I mention above. Digital information looks more abstract and easier to lose compared to what a hardcover book has. You can delete the digital information by clicking a few buttons -which is way easier than losing a book.

A product has to provide what people desire to experience; or it has to protect what people care for. Otherwise, you cannot sell it.

Then, what to do?
We have to emphasize some physical reasons to get an e-book. I suggest focusing on 'how an e-book would affect the individual's senses, emotions and social image'.

> Touchable screen:

You want to touch the pages? Okay, you can do it with an e-reader.

Sony e-reader's touch screen feels like paper and does not get stained from fingers. You can also mark pages and highlight text. (This is for the augmented segment)

> Tired of carrying heavy bags?
E-readers are so light that you can event put one in your pocket.


> The latest technology: Be a follower of the newest!

> This will save lots of trees: We cannot stop using papers but can reduce the waste.
Seriously, I think this product can be the most beneficial technology for forests in the near future.

> "You are one of those who care about the environment!"
Visualize yourself reading your e-reader on a public bus...

And admit it: 'Caring about the environment' is TRENDY, like plastic cancer-awareness bracelets, the Remembrance Day poppies, and logos and symbols printed on T-shirts, cars and coffee mugs showing the society that you are socially responsible.

WEEK #6

Time is flying, especially in the exam weeks, and I am stressed about the projects. Remembrance Day will be great help for this period. I should focus on 'goals' in these last weeks.

I want to read two books this week: Stumbling in Happiness and The Warrior (The image on the right side, above). The first is the one which Paul recommended last Saturday. I bought it yesterday and read a few pages.

The second one -the Warrior- is my bible. It will be my 4th time reading it. A thick book written by a psychologist, Dogan Cuceloglu, who lived and worked in different parts of the world -now he lives in Turkey. This book changes my life each time I read it. And this time I feel I need it again.

WEEK #5 Continuing

About Barack Obama's election campaign video:
He's calm and modest. His "I'm already the president" manners affect people. There is a big American flag in his office in the video. Not many people would have such a flag in his office, but the president.
He doesn't believe: he does know that he is the president.

Acting in a "I've already succeeded" attitude matters a lot, so does the "You love our product. You want it." attitude.

"The Big Pilot's Watch"

The advertisement you see on the left was designed by Jung Von Matt for a watch brand, IWC.

IWC produces for only men. Prices are mostly between $3,000-$30,000. PILOT series prices start at $7,000. It might be too expensive for those who usually prefer public transportation, but could have a reasonable price for an airplane passenger riding on an airport shuttle.



The next picture is from Tokyo:

There are big mirrors behind the clothes. The woman can see herself as if she is wearing the skirt while just window shopping. If she enjoys the experience, she will go in and ask for her target skirt.



Lesson to get:
If a potential consumer can enjoy the experience of having a product before buying it, he/she will eventually pay for it.




Pictures from:
http://internetreklamlari.blogspot.com/2007/10/yaratici-reklamlar-ve-yaratici.html

WEEK #5

Time flew quickly in the exam week. Tomorrow will be my first Halloween. I should find a turkey costume :))

I looked at Paul's "Left Brain / Right Brain Test" for a few times. The question was: "Which way is the dancer turning, clockwise or counter-wise?" There is no correct answer; your answer only shows which of the one half of your brain you use more often compared to the other one.

And Ayca finds out she does NOT have a left brain...

On Tuesday, I didn't have a left brain! The dancer turned and turned only clockwise, and I couldn't change her turn to anti-clockwise direction.

I must be a rare one... Does it make me precious not to have a left brain? (Say yes) It MUST mean that I have an enormous right brain.
Please agree with me.

But now...

I'm looking at the same link and checking the lady's dance: Thanks God she is turning in both directions, even sometimes she doesn't turn her back to me. I got my left brain back!

Maybe functions of the brain change during the week or even the day, I might be using my brain in different ways at different times. And yes, it means I'm a special one...:)
Say yes.

WEEK #4 Continuing

Today is the end of my fourth week in Canada.

I am at the Vancouver Airport now, going for another weekend in Calgary. I'm not sure whether it will be a real weekend or a study camp: My books are heavier than my clothes.

We made a marketing survey among 60 MBA students for our project: 

"Would you prefer to have your university textbooks as electronic files instead of your usual textbooks made of paper?"

Most people said NO. They want to touch the paper and to take notes on pages.

Paul, Ken and I talked about this after class. The idea of decreasing students' bag weight and saving trees by using technology sounds unique. However, it is hard to change people's habits. Some people are more sensitive to hand-feels rather than sounds and images, since this is how they learn and remember at their best.

Ken and I need to find more emotional reasons for marketing our e-book. After seeing the survey results, it seems more difficult than I thought.

WEEK #4

I discovered CHAPTERS today!
A bookstore!
The Heaven!
:)

WEEK #3 Continuing

Today -finally!- I am home all day, have a lot of time to study, to write, to clean, to eat and to think... I finished the environmental research, but now I need to filter all the documents I found.

Yesterday we discussed Hummers, hairdressers, 3 types of personalities and ‘The Office’ (TV show). I knew I was a relationship-oriented person -it was nice to prove that again today :) I don’t like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hummers, but I enjoyed analyzing ‘why I don’t like them’ in five steps.

And I am glad for I don't need to go to a hairdresser these days. It means I am in good condition physically... No, in fact; psychologically!

About the OFFICE:
I heard a lot about it -that’s what she said!- but it was my first time watching it. The boss was said to be a very relationship-oriented type, but at the same time he wasn’t really aware of the people’s feelings. I think he was rather goal-oriented.

I had a good party time at Ken's house last night. He organized a fun Pre-MBA party. It made my day longer than 24 hours.