Internet Piracy, the problem that isn't

Internet Piracy is not as big of a problem as it is made out to be. A recent study by The London School of Economics has revealed that teens who illegally download music, movies and TV shows are more likely to purchase content than those who do not. Perhaps this can be attributed to a "try before you buy" mentality or a frustration with the sometimes sub-par quality of pirated media.

Whatever the case, those in charge of the legal distribution of media content need to adopt a new perspective of online piracy and it would be in their best interest to cease the senseless lawsuits against internet sites that enable digital media piracy.

Initially, targeting Torrent websites has seemed to be the most viable option for piracy opponents. Instead of going after the imperceptible number of users that would be nigh impossible to corral and punish, they have attempted to cut off the head of the dealers. Unfortunately, this is a losing battle against a hydra, "cut off one head and two more shall take its place!" As soon as a torrent site is shut down, there are more in the wings ready to rise up and it won’t be long before the defeated dealer rises again with a slight change in moniker or a new signature at the end of their URL. The point is, fighting internet piracy is not just a losing battle but a pointless one. 

As a marketing major, one of the key concepts that we are taught as the new philosophy of good marketing is to understand what the customers want and provide tailored solutions that provide so much value that customers will be happy to pay for it. Then follow up to make sure they are satisfied, thus providing more value. Marketing is all about nurturing relationships with customers.

In the same way, the entertainment industry needs to provide more value to their customers. The 4 P's of marketing are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. One reason for customers engaging in internet piracy is that they feel that the product does not warrant the price of the entertainment. There is a discrepancy in value provided to the customer.

 For instance, many new movies are released in Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo packs at $19.99 to $29.99 in brick-and-mortar retail stores, while the digital only copy available through online outlets such as VUDU, Amazon and Xbox Video are the same price. So you get less value, i.e. no physical DVD or Blu-Ray, for the same amount of money. An argument can be made that the reason for this is that they are providing value through instant download of the product but I would consider that to be a stretch.

Do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that internet piracy is right and that legal distributors should give up entirely. What I am saying is that something is not adding up. Maybe the entire industry is set for a restructuring where A-list actors get a smaller chunk of change. Perhaps a reduction in price may lead to a monumental increase in sales that would lead to greater profits.

What ever the case, research shows that the entertainment industry continues to grow and Box Office sales have been at all time highs. Continued growth is expected in the entertainment media industry and the problem of internet piracy is exaggerated.

With any problem it is important to look for the best solution, not the most obvious. Piracy opponents should use this as an opportunity to explore new solutions, such as new revenue models for distribution, like the many subscription and ad based revenue models such as Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Amazon Prime Music, etc. Innovative solutions can solve problems and understanding what customers want and providing them with value. Good marketing is all about listening. Listen to what internet piracy is telling you.

How To Use The Internet: Reddit

Reddit is the front page of the internet. If you are not using Reddit, than you are not using the internet correctly!

There is so much information on the internet that it can be hard to sift through at times. Reddit is an internet community that solves this problem. Think of it like an army of curators sifting through the internet to save you time and help you find the good stuff.

Reddit is a massive internet community that promotes anything on the internet that Redditors deem to be worthy. The idea is that the community posts articles, pictures, discussions, etc. under categories called Sub-reddits and the community "Up-votes" or "Down-Votes" what they think is good, relevant, etc.

Reddit is for everyone because it has something for everyone. If you use the internet for consuming information in any way than you would benefit from using Reddit. Subscribe to Sub-reddits, or topics, that interest you and let the community show you what's good on the internet pertaining to that subject.

Recently, a third party internet traffic ranking site called Alexa.com, listed Reddit.com as the 10th highest ranking site for internet traffic in the U.S. and 24th globally.

Reddit can be accessed via their internet site, reddit.com or through reader apps on Android, iOS and Windows. There are a variety of apps available each with similar UI's and features.

So what are you waiting for?

Become a Redditor and Win the Internet!

How Trolls Can Help Your Business' Facebook

U Mad Bro?

Many businesses and organizations dread the inevitable appearance of Trolls who will eventually crop up in the comments of their websites or social media accounts. Internet Trolls wreak havoc by spreading negativity and discord, often making controversial statements to purposely instigate arguments. On a website, the problem is easily "remedied" by deleting the comment(s). Although this is a popular solution it is not very effective and often backfires. Some Trolls will become spiteful if their comments are deleted and will attempt to stalk the business on their social media and on internet review sites to damage the brand image. However, many small to medium sized businesses rely on Facebook as a “free,” or low cost, marketing tool and absolutely dread an unwelcome naysayer criticizing their business and starting arguments.

Truth be told, this is a great “problem” to have for any business or organization if they just change their perspective and view it as an opportunity. Trolls get people arguing, which means more comments. The Facebook algorithm interprets these comments as engagement, which boosts the ranking of a post. In short, Trolls equal more people seeing your post on their news feed. Many Facebook followers are unlikely to read the comments anyways and even if they do, most will make their own judgments while ignoring the Troll's input.  

If you do want to attempt to manage Trolls, the best thing to do is to respond to them individually. If they are upset, acknowledge their feelings, show that you are listening, apologize and attempt to pacify them. If they are just looking to start arguments with others involved in the discussion, it is best to leave them be. If the Troll is bullying someone than you may want to step in and politely try to diffuse the situation but do not order the troll to "cease and desist" as this is likely to fuel their fire. A plausible solution would be to acknowledge possible differences in opinion and freedom of speech, but recommend  civic debates over arguments.

When it comes to Trolls on social media, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. Only attempt to respond to a Troll if they are bullying someone repeatedly or if you feel you can pacify them and make yourself look like a responsible and carrying organization. Otherwise, let it be and enjoy the unintended promotion that Trolls bring to your posts. Remember, most people will recognize Trolls and disregard their outrageous opinions.

Lazy Diet Tip #087: Healthy Soda, Zevia & Honest Fizz (Stevia, Splenda and Aspartame)

Honest Fizz & Zevia Natural Sodas

So like many Americans I love soda, pop, fizzy lifting drinks, or whatever you may call them. The problem is they can be bad for you and while drinking water is much better for you, it does not satisfy my cravings. So I struggled to limit my intake to one soda per day until I discovered an alternative.
Now, a lot of people ask me, "Hey, what are you drinking?"..... "Is that an energy drink?".... "Do you know the Muffin Man?" OK, maybe not the last one but the first two for sure. My answer is usually something like this: "I am glad you asked, I'm drinking Zevia (or Honest Fizz) the all natural soda sweetened with Stevia to help keep me strong!" <Thumbs up and shameless promotional flashing of the label while smiling much too much>
Perhaps not quite that dramatic, but hey if they need someone to do a commercial and spread the word, I'm available.

So what in tarnation (Tar Nation/Tar-nation/tar-nay-shun, idk) is Stevia? Well, it's a plant based, all-natural sweetener with zero calories! Oh boy, here comes the backlash...
"Isn't that like Aspartame?" "What about Splenda, what's the difference?" "I bet that causes cancer." "I want a Crumple Horned Snorkack."

Stevia is different because it is an all-natural sweetener that comes from a plant. Both  Splenda (Sucralose) and Aspartame are artificial sugar substitutes. Stevia has no calories, does not cause tooth decay, does not cause cancer, and has a negligible effect on blood glucose levels. However, some experts argue that certain kinds of Stevia can cause tooth decay, such as Stevia extract and drops stored in glycerin.  This is not the case in Zevia and Honest Fizz. Although, these sodas do contain other ingredients, such as citric and malic acid from fruits that are indeed bad for your teeth if you consume too much. While not as good as drinking water, they are a great alternative to regular sodas and traditional diet sodas and still satisfy the fizzy craving for carbonation.

In the spirit of full disclosure, these sodas also contain a sugar alcohol called Erythritol, which is used as a "stabalizer." Basically this just means it makes it taste more like sugar. "Aha, so there is a catch?" Well sort of I guess if you want to be picky, which you probably do. But, Erythritol also has (almost) zero calories, no effect on blood glucose, does not cause cancer and nor tooth decay. The small amount in each soda has a negligible caloric composition.

As far as taste goes, I personally prefer the taste to regular soda after drinking it so often. My initial opinion upon switching from drinking regular soda, to diet, to diet Coke sweetened with Splenda, was that it tasted better than any diet soda but not as good as regular soda. Now I am so used to it that I find myself wishing I could get it at restaurants.

Of the two brands, I prefer Honest Fizz with Profesor Fizz (Dr. Pepper) and Orange being my favorite flavors. Unfortunately, Honest Fizz is harder to find at brick and mortar stores than Zevia. While Zevia  can be found at most Whole Foods Market stores and some Target and Publix stores, I have only been able to find Honest Fizz at Big Lots stores. Originally Big Lots was selling them at $0.33/can, but after quickly selling out and going a few months without being in stock, they were reintroduced at $0.50/can which is still worth it in my opinion. You can always purchase them on Amazon here, but I find them to be too expensive, running $2.00/can or higher. Zevia can usually be found for $5.99 for a 6-pack but there is usually a printable $1-$1.50 off coupon on Zevia.com. I have occasionally found them on sale at Target for $3.33 for a 6-pack which is roughly $0.55/can. If you buy 4 6-packs at Whole Foods you get them at a slight discount of around $20 for 24 cans. The best place to purchase Zevia is usually Amazon. The most popular flavors, such as Zevia Cola, can be found in 24-packs for as little as $13-$14, when in stock. The average price is around $16-$18. Amazon also sells a variety 24-pack for around $20-$22 which is great for finding out which flavors you like.

Some of flavors do contain caffeine while other flavors are caffeine free. Zevia has a wider variety of flavors and is more readily available. But if you can find it at Big Lots for cheap, Honest Fizz tastes better in my opinion.

So the real question you should be asking is: "Why haven't you tried an all-natural soda sweetened with Stevia?" Don't forget to share with your friends and family. The post not the soda I mean. Unless your feeling generous, then share the soda. But it's sort of expensive, so maybe you should charge them. Just a suggestion.