Discussion Platform Essay
Q1. Traditional retail channels of distributing intellectual property were bound to fail as the world transitioned into the digital era. Digital means of purchasing and supply are by far more convenient than the use of hard copies like compact disks and even print books. That is not to say that the traditional supply chain is now obsolete. On the contrary, there are still some classical people who prefer to make a trip to the store and get a hard copy of an artist's intellectual property (Bruns, 2012). Record labels should factor out the existence of traditional consumers when designing their supply chain.
Music consumers will go for the hard copies because of many reasons, one of which is the sentimental values they get from their purchases. Therefore, artists have to make their product worth their consumers while. Many buyers at times hang the covers of the music they purchased on their wall as some form of memorabilia or even to show off to their friends. The product covers, therefore, should have features that make them standout. These features should make potential buyers feel the need to put their purchased music on display. It is a no brainer that each artist should ensure that the cover art of their music is attractive. The cover art is an indication of what the listener expects to hear from the music that they purchase. The worst thing that an artist could do is to use turn off cover art on an album cover. An album cover art should use vivid colors since they are attractive, and it makes it likely for potential customers to purchase the music inside.
Even though hard copies are traditional, artists cannot afford to ignore their potential regarding sales. The cover art should indicate the changing times (Biamonte, 2010). For instance, music lovers who put their music on display on their walls use glue or tape to make them stick. At times that leaves marks on the wall which makes the person who purchased the music rethink doing it another time. Music packages, therefore, should introduce a feature on the cover which helps it stick to surfaces. Another option is to make the stick feature detachable for those consumers who are not comfortable with seeing anything other than the album art on their music. That is a convenient feature to use even for those who purchased music previously.
Given the artists’ stake in their intellectual property, they should get involved in the marketing process. Most of them have connections to other entertainers in the industry. It gives a great boost to the marketing process if an artist asks his friend to make a cameo on his work. A cameo boosts the size of the audience reached when marketing the music. That is because other artists control their audience different from the one held by the artist in question. If an artist reaches a different audience, then he increases the size of potential sales.
Another way to improve marketing would be for the artist to embrace digital technology. Digital advancement has brought social media to the world. Artists do control great following on their social media accounts which translate into a potential sale of their music (Safir, 2012). They should take advantage of it by posting snippets of their work on their social media accounts. They should also post their cover art on those accounts. That would give their audience a slice of what to expect from the artists. Social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter allow other users to share artists posts which increase their following and consequently their target audience. Furthermore, it is free advertising for the artist's products.
Artists also ought to exploit the potential in charity work. Charity boosts the public's opinion of an artist. In turn, that increases the number of people that are likely to purchase their work. Benefit concerts are a good way to achieve that objective (Hoyle, 2002). Take the case of two mega artists, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa, who organized a free concert for their fans in Colorado. Their intention was to give back to the fans that supported them over the extended period of their careers. What followed that proved about giving back to society is in the best interests of artists. In the weeks that followed, their music did well on the charts, and consequently, their sales volume increased. People like generous artists and more so those who show initiative by giving back to the society. Charity work is, therefore, a good avenue for artists to mass market their music.
Artists should market their products in consideration with the changing times. Artists cannot afford to reference themes from the 90s and expect younger generations to relate with that. They also do not expect to conduct their operations as they did in previous decades and remain at the top of their game. For instance, Kanye West, an internationally acclaimed artist went back to his roots and released his album the way artists did in the past. Beyoncé, on the other hand, used digital platforms to release her 2016 album. That is why both Beyoncé and Kanye West, who have entertained audiences for the same period, have different sales volumes after releasing music simultaneously. Eventually Mister West saw the sense in moving his product to a digital platform after trying hard to cling on to the past.
3. Everybody loves a quick fix, especially when having a busy day and fast food joints provide just that. The casual and speedy nature of such establishments makes them a popular preference among most people although it does not necessarily cut across all demographics. That is explained by the different perceptions people have about these establishments, regarding the quality and quantity of service and product offered.
The McDonalds of the future needs to put into consideration some of the issues raised and suggestions offered toward improvement so as to survive the changing trends and competition in the market. Some of these for a start may include the offers on the menu. The outlet mainly provides snacks which are greasy and at times not of the preferred quantity. A point to consider would be minimizing the amount of fat used, the inclusion of more healthy options such as salads and vegetables which ultimately results in providing an all-inclusive meal, that is, starch, protein and vitamin of a right quantity.
McDonalds should also consider its retail atmospherics. The fast nature of the business means that the atmosphere is mainly hot and thus may not offer comfort when one would consider dining. There should be enough ventilation to allow for adequate circulation of air and minimized chances of spread of airborne diseases, space to allow for easy movement in, out and within the premise by the customers and employees as well as properly habitable workstations for their employees. The interiors should also be appealing to the eye so as to attract customers regarding interior decor and cleanliness. That could be achieved by using catchy phrases and colors as well as incorporating some nature such as wheat grass on vases.
Purchasing power varies from one customer to the other. It is the pricing of a product or service that places it on the market regarding popularity and preference. McDonalds should seriously put into great consideration the price offered for their products. Some products are overpriced and yet the customers do not feel or experience value for their money. The numerous feedbacks that the merchandise receives maybe regarding complaints or suggestions from the customers prove this fact. Price should be addressed in some of the following ways. Sourcing from local suppliers to reduce costs incurred regarding transport, that is, reduced time, labor and cost spent in logistics. They could also get discounts on bulk purchases from the suppliers due to the establishment of a consistent business formula. Advise on best products for different purposes for example which potatoes would be best for making soup?, and which would be best-making fries?, are some incentives enjoyed. All the above mentioned resultantly translate in savings on cost and, therefore, could reflect on price reduction for the customers and result in more sales. That, in the end, would be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
The merchandise could also consider strategies towards placing itself in the market. Some of the methods could be through an intensive market research, advertising or even merging and acquisition. That is explained in the following ways:
Intensive Market Research- This involves surveying the intended location for the business. Some of the factors to consider include proximity to the intended target market. For example, schools or a bus/train station, accessibility to the establishment, and the surrounding businesses in the related industry so as to understand the competition and way of doing business. The research could also address and advice on price and strategies that the company will use towards the attainment of McDonald’s goal.
Advertising- This ensures that the products and services offered by McDonalds are well known to a large number as possible. It could be by use of brochures with discounted prices on selected items, television and radio adverts in between breaks during shows, billboards, and other printed media. Word of mouth and ‘sale’ like advertising could also be an avenue. Merging and Acquisition-This is incorporating other similar businesses in the market as a way of possessing a bigger market share. It could also increase as well as improve McDonald's existing products and services.
References
Biamonte, N. (2011). Pop-culture pedagogy in the music classroom: Teaching tools from American idol to YouTube. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.
Bruns, C. (2012). Digital Distribution of Independent Music Artists: An Economic Analysis of Rights, Costs, and Market Potential
Hoyle, L. H. (2002). Event marketing: How to successfully promote events, festivals, conventions, and expositions. New York: Wiley.
Safir, R. (2012). Marketing and merchandising for musicians. CourseTechnology/CO/Jun.
