In response to Professor Johnson's post about Bon Iver's online marketing strategy

I recently started listening to Bon Iver thanks to online radio services such as last.fm and with the enormous increase in social media usage, it would be foolish not to make use of the vast marketing channels social media offers to just about anyone who is looking to promote a product or service.

It's no wonder Bon Iver was able to reach so many people through the internet; however, rather than attributing his fame and success to social media, it's also worth considering the thousands of aspiring artists on the internet who are unsuccessful in marketing themselves -not for lack of trying, but for lack of talent. Much of Bon Iver's success is due to their talent and yes, some to their ability to reach the masses to the internet.

To me, one of the most important ways social networking helps artists market themselves is by allowing direct and personal connections with fans. And as if that was not enough, as the article mentioned, social media allows independent artists to reach niches of people who do not care for mainstream pop music. I do think that as much as this is an advantage to new artists, it's also a disadvantage since just about anyone who is musically talented has the potential to build a following and become a successful recording artist. It takes an artist like Justin Vernon to differentiate himself enough from anyone else to take advantage of this exposure and become a successful recording artist.

We've so far talked about what a powerful marketing tool the internet is but nothing is perfect. Besides market saturation, can anyone think of any other disadvantages to social media advertising?

In response to Chris's post: Steve Jobs's Surprise Appearance

I heard about Steve Jobs making an appearance at the iPad keynote as well! I also heard that his appearance caused Apple's stock to rise the very next day. I think this shows what a valuable asset Steve Jobs is to Apple. He is the very reason Apple is so successful today and without him many argue that the company would have not been able to survive.

Jobs and Jonathan Ive, the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design are Apple's biggest core competencies, through synergistic collaboration, they've been able to design and market high quality, premium products that have lead the way in the consumer electronics market.

Jobs was diagnosed with a rare kind of pancreatic cancer and as a result has had to take time off from his job as C.E.O of Apple. While he has recovered since his operation in 2004, there has been speculation that his health has continued to deteriorate and as a result, many fear for the future of Apple without Jobs.

Because Steve Jobs has incorporated his presence into Apple keynotes, in a way, he has become a spokesperson for Apple products. When Jobs is unable to attend a keynote, it creates negative speculation in the media, which then hurts consumer and investor confidence in Apple. So while Steve Jobs might never be able to keep his health status private, it becomes more obvious that there is something wrong when he is missing from a keynote.

So, for Apple, having Steve Jobs as leader and spoke person is a double-edged sword. While it can strengthen Apple's image, it can also cause damage when it becomes apparent that for health reasons, he is unable to attend Apple events.