Apple as a Global Media Firm

This week's question was "How does Globalization shape global media product and industry?". My case study focused on global media firms, global marketing strategy, and barriers to entry through the company Apple.

Globalization is the phenomenon of producing and organizing media by drawing on international genres. My case study displayed globalization because I discussed how Apple produces a global telecommunications product, the iPhone. Apple is recognized and sells to over 120 countries. Apple is one of the top media firms in the world, as seen through their $37.4 billion global profit just from the first quarter of 2014- that was before the iPhone 6 was even released (Apple.com). I discussed Apple's specific marketing strategy that has three main points: empathy with the customer, their focus on making a one product of each genre, and the importance of having impute- producing everything with excellence.

Apple's global marketing strategy is obviously effective because of the way citizens around the world responded to the release of the iPhone 6. This article is an excellent view into the release of the iPhone 6 this past month: http://www.cnet.com/pictures/apple-iphone-6-goes-on-sale-around-the-globe-pictures/34/. All around the world, crowds of hundreds to thousands gathered to get the latest iPhone because of the mystery and hype surrounding the release.

However, the iPhone 6 isn't available to be sold in China. This is ironic because China is the world's largest supplier and manufacturer of Apple's products, with 349 locations along Apple's supply chain. This is because China placed a barrier to entry on Apple, because their government agency that regulates technology has not cleared the iPhone 6's LTE Networks. It is unknown when the iPhone 6 will be available to be sold in China.

I believe my discussion went very well. A classmate brought up an excellent point that the ban on the iPhone 6 creates even more hype for the product in China, which ends up contributing to Apple's marketing release strategy and might actually be an asset for Apple. He also discussed that this creates a market for the newly abandoned iPhone 5's to be subsidized in China. Another classmate discussed how Apple's marketing strategy has developed over the years, from the artistic and loud advertisements in 1984 to the sleek, mysterious advertisements seen now. We discussed if this was a part of their marketing strategy to keep things excellent and focused, or if Apple knows it is a brand cult and can now market minimally, while still profiting exponentially.

Overall, I gained a lot of understanding about global media products and marketing from this case study. Previously, I had no idea about how Apple is received around the world, nor did I realize the intensity of the Chinese government's regulation on "foreign" products- even though the iPhone is predominately manufactured within their borders. I think Apple was a great company to use as an example of a global media firm and after this presentation, I think I'm even more of a "Team Mac" person.

SOURCES:
Apple. (2014). Supplier Responsibility and Accountability. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Bora, K. (2013, November 13). Is Apple's China Strategy Paying Off? Report Says Company Beat ZTE To Enter The Top 5 In Chinese Smartphone Market. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Grobart, S. (2013, September 19). Apple Chiefs Discuss Strategy, Market Share- and the new iPhones. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Lam, S. (2014, September 11). China misses out on first wave of new iPhone releases. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Lynch, R. (2014, January 1). Strategic Management Case plus Case Answer – Apple’s Profitable but Risky Strategy. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Meyers, M. (2014, September 19). Apple 6 goes on sale around the world. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Moorman, C. (2012, July 10). Why Apple Is a Great Marketer. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

New Vision. (2014, September 19). Chinese buyers lead charge in iPhone 6 global debut. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Young, D. (2014, September 15). China Falls Off iPhones 6 Launch Map. Retrieved September 23, 2014.

Global Media: Globalization and Disney's Aladdin

The question my case study answered was, "How does globalization shape media products and industry?". I focused specifically on how globalization has produced some negative effects as seen in Disney’s strategies of how they represent and portray certain cultures.

Globalization is an effect of cultural transmission processes and the breaking down of boundaries. Disney’s globalization strategy consists of targeting various racial backgrounds and ethnic groups and tailoring their films toward that population, such as Aladdin representing the Arabian culture. In addition, Disney uses stereotypes from the American point of view and incorporates music/rhythmic beats and melodies pertaining to that culture. The primary issue associated with globalization is reflecting racist stereotypes (Spector, Alan J.). Aladdin illustrates Disney’s globalization strategy by employing negative stereotypes which are less empowering. There was a significant amount of controversy over Aladdin, including the lyrics in the song “Arabian Nights”, the scene where an Arab merchant attempts to slice off Princess Jasmine’s hand, and feminists objecting to Disney’s derogatory representation of Jasmine. Through my case study, I learned in order for a company to be successful globally, it needs to be diverse and sensitive to the cultures and customs for its desired market. Ultimately, heavy Western influence across the globe can cause the blending of cultures, thus creating a more narrow perception. Through this process, you lose what makes your culture unique, as explained by Cowen.

The class discussion sparked other perspectives on additional Disney controversies, which included the film Mulan. The only question that took longer for students to answer was “What advice would you give Disney research and development on a future film project incorporating globalization?” I was able to rephrase my question and state my answer. I agreed that they should submerse themselves in the culture for several months before writing the script.

Sources:

James, Randy. (2009). Top 10 Disney Controversies: Aladdin, Time, pp. 2

Lebedko, Maria G. (2014). Globalization, Networking and Intercultural Communication. Intercultural Communication Studies, pp. 28-41.

Lustyik, Katalin. (2013). Disney's High School Musical: Music Makes the World Go 'Round', Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture, pp. 239-253.

Spector, Alan J. (1998). Disney Does Diversity: The Social Context of Racial-Ethnic Imagery. Cultural Diversity and the U.S. Media, pp. 41-309.

Straubhaar, Joseph, Robert Larose, and Lucinda Davenport. (2013) Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Belmont, CA.: Wadsworth Company.

10 Disney Characters Who Stirred Up Controversy, Graphic Design Degrees RSS.

Net Neutrality

Who controls and monitors the Media? In terms of the internet, this question cannot be answered without first identifying the major actors in producing content and providing access to that content within the network. In the case study of Net Neutrality we are able to reveal these actors as the FCC, ISPs, content providers, and consumers [the individual users]. This case study helps us better understand their roles in the internet, and the issues of control and monitoring of the internet as power struggles between these actors.

Net neutrality is the idea of an open and free internet for users and content.(FCC.gov) It has been an issue since 2010, when the FCC implemented rules upon ISPs that required the equal treatment of all content across the network. In January of 2014, a federal appeals court threw out these rules opening new loopholes that could result in larger ISP corporations creating two lanes of the internet, and charging content providers to move information across the faster lane. (Nagesh) The FCC has the power to propose new rules or enact regulatory statutes that would make the internet a utility, similar to phone service. While it has not made a decision on which action it will take, the FCC has allowed consumers to voice their opinions on the matter in an online comments section. (FCC.gov)

Discussion of this case study in class was largely based on the repercussions of this policy on the consumers’ access to media content. Limiting broadband speeds with fees could mean loading screens and extended buffering for online content. As discussed, it minimizes Freedom of Speech, by restraining the marketplace of ideas and our ability to share ideas. We also mentioned that restricting internet speeds could be a restraint to trade, because it will limit competition to only those who are willing to pay.

Cool links with more information:

Vimeo Net Neutrality protest video: http://vimeo.com/105602328

Article on online protest: http://online.wsj.com/articles/websites-plan-online-protest-backing-net-neutrality-wednesday-1410298792

Sources:

Blackburn, Marsha, and Michael O'Rielly.(2014). "A Closer Look at Net Neutrality." National Review Online. Accessed. 15 Sept 2014. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/382367/closer-look-net-neutrality-marsha-blackburn-michael-orielly

Encyclopedia. PCmag.com. Accessed. 15 Sept. 2014.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/40275/content-provider


Federal Communications Commission. (23 July 2014) FCC.gov. Accessed 15 Sept. 2014. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/open-internet.

House OKs 'Net Neutrality' Rules Ban."(11 Apr. 2011) CQ Weekly : 813. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. http://library.cqpress.com.lib-ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/cqweekly/document.php?id=weeklyreport112-000003849549


Nagesh, Gautham. (14 Jan. 2010) “Court Tosses Rules of Road for Internet” Wall Street Journal.
Web. 16 Sept. 2014. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304049704579320500441593462

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

My case study was over the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case. In it, I explored the political spending of corporations and the effect it has had on different types of media, including political ads, documentaries and stand alone programming, traditional news media and the average voter. In this, I attempted to answer the question of the week: "who controls/monitors the media?"

The Citizens United case was the Supreme Court's ruling that the government can't regulate independent political expenditures by corporations. This differed from the past in that it was the first time that companies and labor unions can now use unlimited amounts of their money to expressly advocate for a candidate. Past laws such as the Tillman Act of 1907 and Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 had previously prohibited this, but in 2010, these were overturned by Citizens United. This has changed media in that it's made it possible for corporations to support much more speech through radio and TV ads. Companies can now also produce documentaries either for or against a candidate. As a result, the traditional news media has become more cluttered and the average voter is much more likely to be misled by talking points, soundbites and propaganda masquerading as news.

The discussion that followed was centered mostly different people's opinions of the ruling. The general consensus of the class was that the ruling would lead to more corruption and that it was a problem when trying to define free speech like the book talked about. Most people said they saw it crossing the line of free speech and that this right shouldn't be extended to corporations. I asked if the class thought it would be more difficult to distinguish news from corporate propaganda and the general response was that it was already difficult to tell and that they thought the ruling would make it even more difficult. This brought it back around to the question of the week. The government is giving up a little more of its control to monitor and regulate the media (in the political spectrum at least) and the full consequences of this will be seen in the coming years as the case develops.

Sources: 

•Chatillon, D. (2010). Citizens United: Coining Soon to a Cable Broadcast and Satellite Channel near You!. Communications Lawyer, 27(1), 1-32.

•Kerr, R. L. (2011). Transforming Corporate Political Media Spending into Freedom of Speech: A Story of Alchemy and Finesse, 1977-78. American Journalism, 28(1), 34-74.

•WALZ, C. N. (2011). Campaigns Turn to Courts over Political Advertising. Communications Lawyer, 28(1), 3-7.

The Comcast and Time Warner Cable Merger

The question that my case study sought to answer was, "Who controls and monitors the media?". I chose to focus on the FCC's monitoring of the broadcast industry through, the proposed merger between Time Warner Cable and Comcast.

The role of the FCC is to monitor the broadcast industry to ensure that it acts in the public's best interest. The concern is that this merger is a form of horizontal integration (Straubhaar, Larose, Davenport), that will lead to a monopoly in the cable industry. I presented the concerns of some other companies that Comcast will be able to get content for cheaper rates and the fear that this will negatively impact internet streaming as Comcast will charge higher rates for buffer free internet (Eggerton). I Talked about Comcast's defense, that they and TWC do not operate in the same major markets and their belief that this will help bridge the digital divide.

The discussion that followed the case study focused primarily on if the class had a problem with this potential merger, and the general answer was, "No". My classmates did not feel this would hurt competition.When asked if they believed it would get blocked, one student said it would not because Comcast has a way of getting what it wants, which I found interesting. And when I asked if students had a problem with a body that is overseen by the government regulating private businesses, one of my classmates said that she did not because it helps prevent monopolies. One student also asked me if there was recent precedent for the FCC blocking a similar merger. The response that I had was the proposed AT&T and T-mobile merger that was never officially blocked because it was taken off the table by AT&T when it became clear the FCC would not approve it.This brought me back to the question for the week, the decisions that the FCC makes are very complex maybe this merger is not a big deal, but maybe the impact of their decision could set a precedent in terms of the control the FCC has on the shape of the broadcast industry.

Sources:

Eggerton, J. (2014). FCC Hears Plenty From Comcast/TWC Opponents. Broadcasting & Cable, 144(32): 24.

Following the 1996 Telecommunications Act: Media Mergers and the Public Interest Standard. (2012). Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1-39

Kang, Cecilia. (2014 September 9). “A lot of people don’t like the Comcast-Time Warner merger, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be approved.” The Washington Post. Retrieved from                                                                                  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/03/a-lot-of-people-dont-like-the-comcast-time-warner-merger-but-that-doesnt-mean-it-wont-be-approved/      

Straubhaar, Joseph, Robert Larose and Lucinda Davenport. (2014). Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Company.                                 

Agenda Setting and its affects on the NFL

Summary:

On September 8, 2014 The NFL announced a new set of rules concerning domestic violence in the NFL after a video of professional running back Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiance in an elevator went viral. In the past we had newspapers, the original source of the “Agenda Setting Theory” in mass media. Agenda setting means informing the public about an issue and bringing it to the top on the public agenda. The effect of Rice’s act caused the mass media to respond; even president Barack Obama made comments about the case stating all of the wrongs about domestic violence.

People did not have to be sports fans to hear about the incident or hear about the new policy set by the NFL. New media has allowed for more people to be more vocal with their opinions by doing things such as posting on twitter or other social media sites.  New media is what has forced the NFL to have to respond and take action on the case.

I believe that the incident was handled the way it had to be. If the media didn’t have such a huge influence on society, then the NFL would have probably kept the incident between them and Ray Rice. The NFL didn’t have any other option but to suspend Ray Rice because everyone had an opinion and the NFL was getting nothing but criticism.

Discussion:

In class we discussed if the video hadn't gone viral, would the NFL have taken action like they had? People were saying that the action of banning Ray Rice probably wouldn’t have occurred if the video wasn’t leaked, but because the media released it to the masses and heard their voices, their opinions on the crime forced the NFL to respond.

Most of the class didn’t realize the amount of time that the actual incident with Ray Rice had occurred since they were only hearing about it now. We agreed that major networks probably always tried to hide situations such as this one to keep it from the media so they could handle it the way they pleased, but new media today doesn’t allow for many things to be kept hidden. The video of Ray Rice and his wife in the elevator was sold to TMZ for a large amount of money, and therefore causing the NFL to do their research and start new laws such as the “Domestic Violence Policy.”

Sources:

Brody, Rachel. US News. U.S.News & World Report, 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.            <http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/09/08/should-the-nfl-ban-ravens-ray          rice-after-the-domestic-violence-video>.

<http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000391538/article/ray-rice-released-by-ravens    indefinitely-suspended>.

On September 8, 2014 The NFL announced a new set of rules concerning domestic violence in the NFL after a video of professional running back Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiance in an elevator went viral. In the past we had newspapers, the original source of the “Agenda Setting Theory” in mass media. Agenda setting means informing the public about an issue and bringing it to the top on the public agenda. The effect of Rice’s act caused the mass media to respond; even president Barack Obama made comments about the case stating all of the wrongs about domestic violence. People did not have to be sports fans to hear about the incident or hear about the new policy set by the NFL. New media has allowed for more people to be more vocal with their opinions by doing things such as posting on twitter or other social media sites; new media is what forced the NFL to have to action on the case. In class we discussed if the video hadn't gone viral, would the NFL have taken action like they had? People were saying that the action of banning Ray Rice probably wouldn't have occurred if the video wasn't leaked, but because the media released it to the masses and heard their voices, their opinions on the crime forced the NFL to respond.

Political Economics

Summary:
The development of the Internet has shifted the pace and mediums of political campaigns drastically over the past 2 decades. The high rate of innovation from the media industry, coupled with the highly competitive environment of political parties and candidates, causes new innovations to be distributed very quickly across the political arena.

The largest advancement in political economics has been the convergence of technology and social platforms, which has allowed political campaigns to lump fundraising, event coordination, public image, and public interaction into singular online management systems. Examples of these systems include Donate.gop and Nation Builder

While I argued in class that social media use for politics was pushing us towards "Technological Determinism", "Agenda Setting" is a much more appropriate term. Facebook does not determine our frame of mind or political affiliation, rather voters have the chance to set political policy through their voice on the internet. Examples of this can be seen in the overseas use of Social Media to coordinate protests where there is a lack of democratic government (Ifukor, P.)

Post Presentation Discussion
During the class discussion, the greatest confusion from the class came from my point about "gatekeepers". In social media, the role of gatekeepers is greatly diminished, so that more people can contribute their voice. I didn't define gatekeepers very well initially, so during the discussion we had the chance to clarify their role (or lack there of), in current social media.

Technological convergence and innovations are the strongest areas where social media has made an impact on politics. While voter voice has grown, the influence of their words has not yet made large changes to politics. However, the narrow voter targeting of political campaigns, and the rapid development of technology in response to online success, has seen nearly instantaneous results.


Sources:
Social Media Campaigns: http://nyti.ms/1AD034r\

Ifukor, P. (2010). "Elections" or "Selections"? Blogging and Twittering the Nigerian 2007 General Elections. Bulletin Of Science, Technology & Society, 30(6), 398-414.)

Kahne, J., & Middaugh, E. (2012). Digital Media Shapes Youth Participation in Politics. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(3), 52-56.

Samuels, B. (2011). Facebook, Twitter, YouTube--and Democracy. Academe, 97(4)

Netflix and its Influence on New Markets

  
 
           For Thursday's presentation, I responded to the question of the week: “How does media convergence influence new media markets?" I presented my case study on Netflix and how it is dominating the market and moving towards a monopoly.

 Netflix has changed the way we look at online streaming. Netflix now has more than 50 million subscribers and continues to dominate the online streaming industry (Faughnder, R.). It also relates to media convergence because Netflix has been able to incorporate DVDs and online TV shows, while also making it accessible on different types of technology. It is important that Hulu, Amazon, and other companies integrate different forms of media if they want to keep competing with Netflix. The main points in my presentation were that Netflix is growing and expanding and has had many accomplishments. Examples of this are: the Gotham deal, the various Emmy awards Netflix has received recently, and how it is expanding into more than 40 countries.

The class discussion went very well and everyone had great input. I mentioned that it was important for us to watch Netflix this next year to see how well they do. The two questions I asked the class were: are there any companies they see beating out Netflix, and what do they think the future of TV and DVD will be. I agreed with the statement one of my classmates made about how he believes that DVDs will go away and people are going to decide to get it online rather than having to buy a disc to watch it. This helped answer the question of the week because the class agreed that online streaming is becoming extraordinarily popular. Online streaming shows how old and new media are continually converging and shaping the way we live our lives. 

Faughnder, R. (2014, July 22). Profit up as Netflix reaches 50 million customers. Los Angeles Times, p. 1.

Greenwood, J. (2014, September 2). Netflix making cable up its game; Video company changed face of television. National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing, p. 3.

 Pallotta, F. (2014, September 5). Netflix swoops in to stream 'Gotham'. CNN Money . Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/

 Sevilla, G. C., & Herald, C. (2013, December 4). Netflix online revolution outpaces the competition; Streaming service has more viewers than HBO. The Calgary Herald (Alberta), p. 7.

Welcome to the COMM 330 class blog!

Welcome to the COMM 330 class blog. This blog provides an opportunity to explore the intersection of communication technology, media industry and social use of media. This blog will be highlight issues raised in COMM 330: Communication and Technology being taught by Dr. Heidi Campbell at Texas A&M University this fall semester. Students will have an opportunity to use this blog to share their thought about the course material and more specifically post information related to their class case study presentations. I am looking forward to a great semester of interaction both online and offline!