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I will be writing my marketing plan on Surface Laptop 2. This is a Microsoft laptop.  In today’s society, a laptop has become a necessity and a must. Many individuals have chosen to buy laptops instead of a PC because it is easy to carry around and convenient. Microsoft is a technology corporation that focuses on the creation, production, and implementation of computers worldwide. The operating system of the laptop to be discussed is the Microsoft Windows system. This company was founded in 1975 by former CEO Bill Gates.

The Surface Laptop 2 is the sleeker answer to a MacBook Air.  It’s a very simple look that is surprisingly different from most other laptops. I chose this product because this is a computer that is affordable, and comparable to a MacBook Air. My goal is to do more research in order to determine is this is a product that I could sell online to a selected group of individuals that simply love Microsoft products, even though I must say that I personally prefer Apple products.

Currently, I am struggling with setting realistic performance goals as the sales of this product is compromised by a deficiency in the USB A port. A more up to date connectivity option needs to be installed in this computer, replacing the outdated ports. This is something that has caused some poor reviews. I believe that I need to research the market in order to discover what consumers are now looking for in a computer and they will settle for even if it’s not their ideal computer. This will help in the decision making of the direction to take in the investment or choose another product or even a different brand like Apple, which I love and have more knowledge off.

Reference

Surface Laptop 2 review: Microsoft’s sleeker answer to the MacBook Air. (2018, October 23). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/23/microsoft-surface-laptop-2-review-macbook-air-windows-usb-c-port

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 would like to market the Google Stadia gaming platform.  I chose this because it is unique from other gaming platforms but plays similar titles.  Google stadia offers the ability to play the same game through different methods like the phone, TV, Computer, and tablet if the device has access to the internet.  A player will easily be able to switch from playing at home on their PC to continuing the bus on their way to a friend’s house, and then picking up where they left off on the TV once they arrive at their destination.  This is unique from the other consoles like Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.  Those play similar games but require a monitor and a console to play.  Additionally, there is no console to purchase.  The only thing required for purchase is the subscription to the service and the games as they come out.  There are controllers for purchase as well as dongles for the TV but they are not required depending on how you’d like to play the game.  There is a lot of information in the market about current platform success since gaming has been around for so long, the market data is there to review when analyzing the success. 

The pieces of the plan that I am having difficulty with will be gathering information about Google Stadia because it is not yet released, and we are limited to the information that is available.  Many questions such as will the gameplay be consistent enough to play Data-intensive games like Activision’s Call of Duty or Bethesda’s Destiny at the same level as someone playing on a console.  Will the cross-platform play style affect the server you are in?  What publishers and developers are interested in partnering with Google Stadia as opposed to being exclusive to their brands?  With Google stadia not yet released, it will be difficult to compare the gaming experience apart from the unmatched convenience Google Stadia offers to its player base. 

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I have chosen to develop a marketing plan for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a professional networking social media product. Besides professional networking, LinkedIn provides a strong talent management platform for recruitment solutions which includes employers posting positions and allows those seeking jobs to post their resumes. Revenue is mainly gained through information about members being sold to recruiters and those in the sales profession. LinkedIn’s subscribers create a professional profile and make connections to others inside and outside of their fields of interest. Like other social media platforms, subscribers can introduce themselves, make business connections, search for connections of interest, find employment, find potential job candidates, and follow companies and industries of individual interest. On-going communication with connected subscribers can connect on an on-going basis to see the status of their connections. Subscribers can also post comments and links of their interests in relation to the industry in their networks.

I chose this product due to not only my admired personal use but also, it’s an impressive stage it provides in the professional networking environment. Its extreme popularity makes me question why this product has not received more competition and what can LinkedIn can do to improve the product further.

Some of the elements that may be difficult will be determining the marketing budget as it relates to promoting this service and understanding how this service is advertised besides ‘word of mouth’ and what public relations marketing can be used to promote this service.  Additionally, I’m not fully informed on how the LinkedIn service relates to pricing strategy regarding the revenues it receives. Pricing may be straight forward without the opportunity for discount pricing or promotion pricing like a tangible product.

Additionally, the information needed to implement this plan would be a deeper analysis of any current or potential competitors in this market. Currently, LinkedIn has dominated the market with their service offerings. I may have to think outside the box on what LinkedIn can do to increase the value of their product in the event a similar competitor comes along.

Finch, J. (2012). Managerial Marketing. Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu. (Links to an external site.)

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 6). LinkedIn. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:37, July 9, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LinkedIn&oldid=905052614