WhatsApp puts on a suit and tie

WhatsApp! If you don't use it then you have probably heard of it, and if you haven't heard of it till now then you're missing out. WhatsApp is used by 1.3 billion monthly users... and counting. What is it? It's a messaging app. Pretty simple, right. What makes it different from messaging someone on Facebook or IMessage? It would seem that a social media site such as Facebook values private messaging along with the whole sideshow of social media and public interaction. WhatsApp on the other hand is as simple and precise at a text message, except that it does not require a pricey cell phone plan . This straight to the point mode of communication has become increasingly popular all through out the world, especially in developing countries. 

In 2014 Facebook paid a whopping $19 billion to take over WhatsApp. Even Facebook messenger did not have the capacity to keep up with the ever increasing popularity of WhatsApp. Tactically Facebook opted to buy WhatsApp and leave it alone, similar to what they did with Instagram.

WhatsApp demonstrates a unique value proposition in that it has become just like a wireless provider, except free. Type in someones number and begin chatting, as simple as that. All of this is fine and dandy assuming you have a connection to WIFI, but that shit is literally everywhere. 

Now that we have learned all about the very successful WhatsApp app, I present to you WhatsApp Business. Yep, you heard me. It's literally the exact same app as WhatsApp but with a more business format. The idea is to connect businesses directly with their customers. Hold the phone... What value does this have for the everyday user who uses direct messaging? It doesn't, that is what Whatsapp is for. WhatsApp Business is designed to be a platform for small businesses. It't certainly old news that people tend to separate their personal life from their business. WhatsApp has simply listened to it's 1.3+ billion users and provided them with an option to do so. 

Week 2 of my Marketing Blog Forum Experience

Topic 1: Social Listening

1. For this lovely blog post I chose to analyze the National Basketball Association (NBA). I chose the NBA because they have a massive presence all over social media. On Instagram alone they have over 26 million followers. Basketball is a passion for millions of people all over the world and the NBA is home to the most talented, ferocious basketball players on God's green earth. Imagine being in charge of such a lucrative business opportunity.

2. The NBA, where amazing happens. The BEST players in the world. Spend money to watch athletic wonders put you into a temporary coma with their gravity defying dunks. Come to a game and enjoy the competitive atmosphere, and overpriced cotton candy. Watch legendary players get fat and talk about how the NBA isn't as brutal as it used to be. The NBA is chock full of value proposition. Why else would I want to buy a LeBron James jersey if e wasn't practically a God on the basketball court.

3. If I had chose to write this weeks blog all about Folgers Coffee or the Hydro Flask; I'm sure that there would have been quite a number of positive and negative reviews about said products. However, the National Basketball Association does such an excellent job of disguising it's fairly expensive product (the NBA experience) that followers on Instagram aren't even rating the actual product. They are too busy being encapsulated by the experience. The NBA has done an excellent job of tapping into the fantasy receptors of it's fans and allowing them to be feel just a tad more emotionally invested every time Bron dunks the ball or Curry drains a half court shot. to play devils advocate, the one and only thing that seems to get negative attention from the fans of the NBA is the reffing. Get rid of those schmucks and you might just have the perfect business on your hands.

4. The NBA is a professional platform that allows super athletes to compete with other super athletes. Fans want to watch these men do things they themselves can not do. The NBA is taking profit from the emotions of it's fans. I myself am a die hard Phoenix Suns fan. I am so emotionally invested that missing a game pains me on the inside. I am so emotionally invested that I got myself a Devin Booker jersey for Christmas. As long as the NBA continues to provide a platform for athletic freaks of nature to play competitive basketball, the NBA will have an army of eager, dedicated sports fans to keep them in business.

5. If I was a brand manager I would try to respond to as many customers as possible, but my responses would be as native and genuine as possible. People want to real acknowledgement. Not a fake, shitty response.

Topic 2: Marketing In The News

I read an article about how Lexus (that's a fancy car company) wanted to continue targeting sports fans like it had for countless years, but they also wanted to spice things up a little bit. Engage with their customers. They did this by launching an interactive hologram campaign. As you can witness from the video in the line above, Lexus spends a lot of money to sponsor sports stadiums and interact with those customers. The hologram booths were placed all around the Staples center allowing Los Angeles Clipper fans to to engage.

Instead of just marveling as the spectacle of a polished Lexus sitting outside the bathrooms of the arena, the hologram allowed customers to use the hologram machines to create their own personalize sports car.

the fun doesn't end there. The booth has facial recognition! This was key in collecting data of who was using the hologram machine.  Soon enough the hologram machines were allowing customers to play a hologram basketball game, sharing their results on social media as well.

The campaign was wildly successful. Something of this interactive caliber only has room to go up. People love to be apart of new technology. 

Snapchat: Stick to what you're good at

Snapchat is a very well know app used by many to communicate on a daily basis. It's popularity grew thanks to the original app design that allows users to send picture and video messages to their friends knowing that the app will permanently erase said message within seconds. This style of communication allows it's users a constant stream of personal communication paired with the sanctity of privacy that many other apps do not offer. 

A recent article I read talks about the efforts of Snapchat to become more than just a messaging platform. As a user of Snapchat it is evident that the company is attempting to branch out and add more features to the app such as a story line, a map of where your Snapchat friends are, discovery, news feeds & more. Although this seems like a good idea of behalf of the company to provide it's users with more to do, it has proved pointless. Users continue to ignore the new features provided but still find immense value in using Snapchat for it's intended original purpose, confidential messaging. 

I am a person who uses a broad variety of social media platforms, and I do not associate Snapchat with sharing memories or discovering new friends like I would with Instagram or Facebook for that matter. Snapchat has and all ways will be an extremely convenient app to send temporary existing picture and video messages to my contacts. That is what it is known for. Personally I am not surprised that their efforts to redefine the app have failed. 

Personally, I love using Snapchat. I love using it for it's original purpose, & that is to snap a picture of myself and send it to a friend for a maximum of 10 seconds before it disappears. I will continue to use Snapchat as long as this original feature remains. As for all the other little add on's and wanna be features that Snapchat continues to copy from other media platforms, I will most likely continue to ignore them as if they were adds.   

  

My name is Nathan Wright and I am an accounting major. I decided to take this marketing class because I know very little about marketing, yet, it surrounds me on a daily basis. I hope to become a certified public accountant and I find it relevant to know how to market myself. I'm excited for the opportunity to learn marketing techniques and learn how to build equity in myself. 

This past summer my girlfriend and I moved to Oregon from southern Utah. While in Utah I very much took advantage of the wonderful national parks and powdery Utah snow. Being here in Oregon is very exciting and I can't wait to explore the natural beauties waiting for me here.