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  • Robert Schmidt's Comments

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    • Story: IPhones Power Apple's Growth (1179 days ago)

      Comment: I'm amazed that in this economic climate people still find the couple of hundred dollars/pounds/Euros to actually afford a Smartphone (be it an iPhone or Galaxy). They are (in my opinion) simply the latest toy that techies and yuppies need to look swish in front of their IT and Social Media mates at conferences.

      The Blackberry had a purpose and serves the needs of business types admirably. I am not overly convinced that the iPhone has drastically changed our lives in any way other than to allow us to play Donkey Kong on the bus on the way to work. Why should I fork out so much money for this privilege when my old childhood Gameboy stills performs this function rather well?

      Nevertheless, Smartphones DO have the possibility to carve out a niche' function in our lives (rather than just being entertainment devices) and perhaps their worth depends more on the apps that one downloads. Certainly the technology is there to allow anyone with creativity and flair to do anything with an iPhone, more creativity and flair than I dare say Apple has got.

    • Group Topic: Could Donald Trump win the Republican presidential nomination? (1180 days ago)

      Comment: Of course he could win the nomination, the Republican party is a hell more fractured than the GOP tries to present to the media. There's not much that links Sarah Palin, Ron Paul and Donald Trump other than fiscal conservatism and their membership of the GOP. Each individual can attract the attentions of a certain section of the party for other reasons than economic conservatism be it liberal-progressives (Paul), social conservatives/fundamentalist Christians/tea-party members (Palin) or birther wackos/isolationists (Trump). Yet because there is no stand-out candidate it's possible that Trump could win the nomination with an approximate 15% of the vote because the field is so diverse.

      Nevertheless, who is the party Chairman's favoured candidate? Realistically, can you imagine the party establishment (Rove etc) actually swinging behind someone like Trump as a "unity" candidate?

    • Story: YouTube Recasts for New Viewers (1192 days ago)

      Comment: I browse Youtube every day, mainly to listen to songs. Of course, it is annoying when large music companies deny access to their content so I like the fact that Youtube is interested in creating its' own interesting and entertaining content that is free to all. This is a fantastic development and a real plus for freedom and communication online.

      I have featured this story on my blog to spread the word! (

    • Group Topic: Is Facebook worth $50 billion? (1278 days ago)


      As a space to reach a wide customer market, Facebook obviously possesses huge marketing potential for any company. To cultivate a Facebook fan page and incorporate Facebook advertising into online marketing output is standard practice now for every online company. I doubt Mark Zuckerberg could imagine the growth of the platform, and he has since become one of the most successful business founders of the last decade.

      But despite the growth of Facebook's online presence, is this alone the biggest reason for Facebook's 50 billion dollar valuation? Moreover, has Facebook actually announced what it intends to do with the extra investment? (Not just keep the platform ticking over)

      As Tommy Walker said Facebook directs advertising based on your profile, in a similar way to how Google tailors adverts aimed at you based on your search engine queries. However, how can Facebook expand on this? Considering it's rather shoddy record on privacy, more and more Facebook users will curtail the amount of information that appears on their profile. If eventually the amount of information listed is rather small, how can Facebook expand their targeted advertising efforts? Mark Zuckerberg struck success as a business founder, but unless he can deal with Facebook privacy issues, the platform will lose it's marketing potential in the future.

    • Group Topic: Do you believe marketing businesses via Twitter and Facebook works? (1334 days ago)


      Every business should be thinking about how best to utilise social media in order to expand their company's profile and reach their customers in new and exciting ways. Yet, only utilising twitter and Facebook would not fulfill these goals.

      It is true that marketing your brand/service/product through social media is an inventive way to reach your target market. You can build customer loyalty by inviting cutomers to become fans of your "fan page" on Facebook where they can receive updates and news of promotions, and through aquiring more followers on twitter you can receive instant feedback about the success of your marketing campaign which was unheard of even 3 years ago.

      Nevertheless, despite the positives that Facebook and Twitter can give to a marketing strategy, utilising more business orientated social media platforms such as slideshare is crucial to expanding the professional and content driven reputation of your company. By sharing slideshare presentations, other businesses can see the level of professionalism that your company can bring to a project and thus can give you respect for this.


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