Prachi Mehta

Roll no: 20
Ebiz (2018-2020)

Article 1: Product Planning by Netflix: From Idea to Execution

REVIEW:
Netflix is transmogrifying the media and entertainment industry where it has
constantly innovated in the streaming video. Over the history of Netflix, the company has
maintained a content system which would be delivered at first via mail. When the technology
infrastructure became available Netflix spearheaded video technology, which reorganized
home-based video entertainment. The story of Netflix’s founding must be situated amidst the
dot com era. In September 1999 Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix, implemented a
subscription-based business model. Netflix, although unprofitable in its mid-2000s, survived
the dot com bubble. The company offered DVDs via US Postal Service and had put up their
content list online. Relying on US Postal Service’s delivery meant that Netflix could focus on
their core offerings of a curated and personalized catalogue. It was Reed’s insight that the
subscription model would resonate with consumers in a compelling way. He newly
developed the Web site and software to support a subscription model. Netflix’s business
model of subscriptions was enhanced in February 2000 when Netflix started their Unlimited
Movie Rental programme. Netflix diligently follows the principle of personalization for
developing its product. Netflix company as a whole always believed in keeping their
customers in the upfront and carried out its product planning and execution in accordance to
their customer’s preferences and needs.
Kate Arnold and her team revamped the whole website of Netflix in a span of 3
months. It has transformed into a market-leading streaming service and has remained nimble
and effective throughout, making it an exceptional example of strategic agility. Netflix has
congruously worked towards its strategic goals, while also adjusting in order to meet market
trends and consumers’ needs. Today, Netflix has more than 120 million subscribers, and is
quickly approaching a $150billion market capital.
It was Reed Hastings’s insight that the subscription model would reverberate with consumers
in a compelling way. The company’s first original license was for ‘House of Cards’. The
story goes that Netflix ran data on the number of people who took the DVDs on rent to the
UK Television show and the ones who basically liked watching political dramas. For much of
its history Netflix has had to face questions from cable TV operators whose content it would
license, movie studios for movie licensing, as it presented a competition to their business
models. The idea of creating content for different interest groups, where interest is defined in
a much broader and cross-category way, is what drives Netflix’s content strategy.
 Article 2: Apple’s Product Line Is a Mess
REVIEW:
The Apple Company is arguably one in all the foremost innovative technology firms to
emerge within the previous few decades. Apple Inc.’s ability to style and develop its own
hardware, software, applications and services provides the company the allowance to
introduce new, unique, innovative and easy-to-use merchandise and solutions to its
customers. Apple is liable for conveyance to promote such merchandise because the
Macintosh desktop and the personal computer, iPod and iTunes, and lastly, the iPhone. The
success of the corporate will be derived to the ingenuity of their founder and CEO, Steven
Jobs. His philosophy has perpetually been to make merchandise that customers find simple to
use and integrate innovative technology. Throughout Apple’s history it's accomplished these
goals. However, with a growing line of merchandise, a competitive market landscape, and an
unplanned technology lifecycle curve, the company faces challenges on direction of its
product lines.
Its line of business is getting difficult additionally its brands are becoming confusing. Steve
Jobs engineered Apple’s complete on easy style and a thrifty product line-up, however
currently its portfolio could be a mess of wires and products variants.
For example, talking regarding the Apple Macbook, things extremely fell in a muddle. The
new Macbook Air perceptibly struggles to differentiate from the 12-inch Macbook, that itself
is already on sale. For a commoner its is extremely highly to differentiate between the
MacBook and also the MacBook Air. The "Air" had a that means back once all the opposite
MacBooks were heavier — however currently the previous is clearly lighter than the latter.
So, what does the Air mean? On the opposite hand, customers are not any longer keen to pay
Apple's premium costs for upgraded merchandise that have uncertain positive impact on their
lives. With phones and physics changed into commodities with very little distinctions
between one another, Tim Cook and his minions are troubled to stay individuals from
escaping their system by introducing new cheaper merchandise for those that can't afford the
highest of the road.
Hence when seeing this example, the first factor that Steve jobs did was that simplified the
merchandise line and rebranded half it, making his noted two x 2 Apple product quadrant.
Hence to avoid this example to get older any longer, Apple ought to doable specialise in its
stigmatization strategy wherever in making a differentiable master complete and meaty sub-
brands which will facilitate customers to work out what this merchandise do for them.
Article 3: Air Pods Are Now One of Apple’s Most Important Products

REVIEW:
AirPods are a replacement set of Bluetooth earbuds from Apple. They were introduced in
conjunction with the iPhone 7, that is getting ready to become the bestselling high-end
smartphone while not associate analog earphone jack ever created. Apple believes that the
best smartphone of the long run wouldn't have associate analog earphone jack. The earphone
jack and associated hardware take up tons of house within the phone and each Lightning and
Bluetooth will take over all the headphone jack’s functions. When Apple initial declared
AirPods, it aims to tackle all the Bluetooth disadvantages:
1)They’re little and consist solely of the earbuds themselves—there’s no physical affiliation
between the 2.
2)They use a proprietary Apple chip to mechanically try along with your iPhone, re-pair with
alternative devices on your iCloud account, and supply a stable, high-quality affiliation.
3)They supply 5 hours of battery life, and another twenty-four hours of battery life within the
enclosed carrying/recharging case.
4)They’re somewhat cheaper than comparable Bluetooth earbuds from alternative makers.
It’s no accident that Apple took such care to create the case feel smart. This case isn’t simply
protective; it’s conjointly a dock for juicing up AirPods from a 24-hour battery. AirPods, in
fact, have a dependent relationship with their case. This feeling of infinite battery life may be
a little however vital a part of what makes the AirPods expertise transcendent. once Apple
says the earphones are wireless, this is often a bit little bit of associate exaggeration. Apple’s
disposition to weather criticism within the wake of unpopular choices is worthy, and it's a
necessary a part of the company's success over the years. What the AirPods influence
American state is that Apple is aware of its customers well. Steve Jobs splendidly rejected
focus teams and traditional thinking in favour of coming up with product that he and
therefore the remainder of the team at Apple would wish to use themselves.