겁나 보통의 존재!

Hope or Fancy?

Do you know the legend of the Dutch boy, Hans Brinker? One day, Hans passed dyke on his way of the errand. Accidentally, he saw that there was a hole on the dyke; water was leaking. Moreover, the hole was little by little getting bigger. He didn’t ignore what he saw. He put his finger in the dyke to prevent a flood for whole night. Finally he saved not only his town, but also his country.

It is very simple logic. If there is a hole, we should fill it up to prevent problem. However, I can see that some media practitioners in the Philippines are making a hole bigger instead of fix it. I am not sure that the media practitioners in the Philippines are aware of what they are doing to the people because even people don’t know what happen to them; it happens too slowly and unconsciously. People are cultivating; definitely, it is a big problem.  

Since a decade ago, there is a media trend in the universe; that is quiz-show boom. Quiz show is not just a program, now it can be considered as a social phenomenon. Quiz show tempts people that anyone can be winner to get the big prize that’s why people are crazy in quiz show. People might think that broadcasting company will cost a lot of money for the prize of quiz show. However, company will have more income than its cost.

The game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” is one of the most popular quiz show in the world. According to American Broadcasting Company (ABC), when it was aired 13 episodes in the U.S, company spent only $ 1.4 million. It is not a big deal for ABC because if company produces one episode of program in prime time, they need to spend more. For example, Fox TV cost $ 3 million for only one episode of X-File because of the performance fees of actors. And 22 million people watched the last episode of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” then.

In addition, it is the basic format of the edutainment which is combination of education and entertainment; company can use the format of quiz show as long as company wants. Also it promotes participation of the audiences so it can be friendlier to the audience; Audiences can put themselves into participator’s shoes easily with intimacy.

Quiz show’s commercial value was already proven for past decade. That’s why now there is war among quiz shows to get the attention of audience. How many quiz shows are in the Philippines? There are “Game KNB?”, “Wheel of Fortune”, “Singing Bee”, “All Star K”, “Tok Tok Tok 1 Million”, “Go Bingo” and “Wawawe.” Really a lot!  

Traditionally, quiz show had known as a contest of intelligence. It gives enthusiasm to satisfy intellectual curiosity of life to the audiences and audience can feel catharsis when they get the answers which participants cannot answer. The reason is that psychologically, audiences set themselves in the quiz show as participants; when they see the question, automatically they try to look for the answer. Although quiz show is quite old format, people still like it.

However, nowadays quiz shows in the Philippines are no longer a contest of intelligence; it is contest of measuring fortune like gambling. In the quiz show, we can see the beautiful women who are almost naked to make good the visual views like in the casino and when participants choose the box which contains money, the audiences are so quite like the time when they bet the money.

I think, some game shows in the Philippines give harms to the mentality of audiences. There was the opportunity to watch “Wawawe” with my friend. I still remember that what my friend told me when participant got the 30,000 pesos. She said, “Oh! Only 30,000 pesos?” That time, I really felt awkward. Even for me as a Korean, that is not small money. But audiences are already treated that money as a small prize. This kind of quiz show makes people desire to earn money in easy way like once-in-a-life-time chance as gambling. These kinds of quiz show never ask the meaning of life, they ask the meaning of money in life using the most impulsive way.

According to psychologist, when people answer the question, they are nerves, so in the human nerve system releases epinephrine which is known as adrenaline. This substance makes people feel pleasure if they get the answer but if not, they feel depression. This is almost same situation when people are doing gambling.

 I am sure that there are people who don’t agree with me because I already asked some of my friends’ opinion about these quiz shows, some of them answered that they don’t agree with me because they cannot find any harm from it. Even they told me that quiz shows give hope to the people. People are already accustomed themselves to these kinds of quiz show; they are cultivated by media. Hope? What is the meaning of hope? Can we call the expectation of the chance to earn money without effort or by fortune as a hope? No way! Although people cannot feel the harms of those kinds of quiz show now, in the long run, surely these quiz shows will affect on the mentality of people and it never bring positive result in their life and country.

One more thing I concern is the target audiences. Surly target audiences are family. How could people let their children be exposed by those gambling and sexual images? They are the future of the country. If their mentalities are spoiled, there will be darkness of the country. For the adults, they are matured enough to detect a harm, but for children, they are easily influenced by environment. If building is destroyed, we can fix it easily however how could we fix the mentalities of children? Although there is a way, it will take quite long time.

The most popular TV program In Argentina is also quiz show. But the prize of this quiz show is not the money, it is a job. The reason is that, the most serious problem in Argentina is a getting a job. How about in the Philippines? Most people’s concern is money because the Philippines is suffering by poverty. These kinds of programs touch the most sensitive part of its audience to get the attention. Broadcasting companies don’t care of audiences. These kinds of quiz shows never help people; they just give fancy to the people with harms.

Have you seen a pearl? A pearl is not expensive jewel compared to other jewels. It doesn’t have splendid color and bright shine unlike diamond, ruby and sapphire. However many people like pearl as a jewel and still buy them a lot. Why people like pearl? I remember one line from the old movie I watched before, “The more I see you, more I like you.” I think this is the best description of the reason why people like a pearl. A pearl has something which make us to keep our eyes on it.

Frankly, when the beginning of the REYNA NING FLORES DE MAYO 2008, Dungao, Rochelle Kai T, 16, 2^nd year nursing student at Angeles University Foundation, didn’t catch my attention at all because there were taller and more beautiful contestants. However when Judge announced that Dungao was the Grand Winner of REYNA NING FLORES DE MAYO 2008 in Saturday evening, all the audiences at SM City Clark and I were flapping our hand to congratulate her winning; I was not surprised of her winning because she deserved it; we, audiences, were already tempted by her charms.

I thought she was like a pearl. Although she is just 5.4 feet and not that beautiful as top beauty queens, she surly has something to keep our eyes on her. After the events, I waited for quite long time to interview her because a lot of audiences wanted to take picture with her; no one hesitated to approach her. During that time, I observed her carefully because I wanted to know what her beauty is; she was really remind me the line, “The more I see you, more I like you.” And, I finally found out what makes her beauty; that was her smile. Like pearl shows its soft and warm shine, her smile spreads its own fragrance silently; it is like smooth moonlight in the peaceful night; not too bright and splendid but without our notice, it is already everywhere she rounded. Her smile makes others feel comfortable and easy.

REYNA NING FLORES DE MAYO 2008 was her second time to prove her beauty. In 2007, she got Miss Friendship, Photogenic and 1^st runner-up in Miss Angeles University.

Although she showed up the beauty to others, she doesn’t want to be a famous beauty queen or actress; she wants to go for her dream as a surgeon. But she said, “I was really scared end up the original pageant… but I guess I really love this.”

Unlike the result of the events, her motivation of joining is quite simple, she told me, “A Lot of people told me about this so I first thought about it and I realize that it’s part of Filipino culture so I am proud to join it.” She hadn’t expected to be the Grand Winner of REYNA NING FLORES DE MAYO 2008 because she thought there are lots of beautiful co-contestants. During interview, she was keeping on her smile, that is why I want to make her embarrassed but I failed. I asked her that what are you gonna do using your prize. Without hesitation, she answered, “I am gonna share with people supported me; people support my clothes, make up and staff here. Not just only me”

I guess our readers are curious of one question, so I asked what our readers want to ask, “Do you have boyfriend? If you don’t who is you ideal guy?” Her answer was almost shouting. She strongly said, “No!” and she added, “Anyone someone who has great personality sense of humor. That’s all. I don’t care if he cute, tall or something.” I asked question to her again, “Is that true?” She answered with her shinny smile, “Yes!”

Value innovation and business (2)

A former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, Carly Fiorina who was chosen the most powerful woman in business by the Fortune magazine made a speech in Sanford University Venture Program. She said, “...Most of time people are afraid of is something new. The essence of entrepreneurship is risk taking. The essence of business is risk taking. Taking a risk is all about trying something new... so change is always resisted. Always! ... Even if what they have is not satisfying to them, a lot of people are afraid to venture into unknown...” 

Value innovation is all about trying something new because it is starting with challenging to the traditional processes and standard strategies of existing business market. How does company reduce the risks from Changes for value innovation? We all know that the answer is plan which is strategy.

The most well-known value innovation is, “Blue Ocean Strategy.” The name "Blue Ocean Strategy" was introduced in the Harvard Business Review article published in October 2004 by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. They are professors of Strategy and Management at INSEAD in U.S.A. And than in 2005, they published the book, “Blue Ocean Strategy.”  

The “Blue Ocean” means the new market which bestows a sustaining power to grow in the business and there is less competition. On the contrary there is Red Ocean which means the existing traditional market which has lots of competitions.

In order to create “Blue Ocean,” there are four things to consider. The first one is what factor company should create among the factors others competitors don’t have; the second one is what factor company reduce among what it has; the third one is what factor company should raise; lastly, what unnecessary part company should eliminate.

Also company must avoid decentralizing its competitive powers to create “Blue Ocean” and it should have powerful and impressive slogan which is simple and clear like Nike’s “Just Do It” and Adidas’ “Impossible Is Nothing.”  Company makes differences through looking for the alternatives instead of bench-marking competitors. Alternatives are different from substitutes. Substitutes have same purpose but different shapes like note, PDA and computer; their purpose is to record something. In the other hand, alternatives have same purpose but different functions and shapes like theater and restaurant; their purpose is severe people to entertain but theater has totally different function and shape from restaurant.

But one thing company should be careful about is that value innovation is not establishing a new company; when company looks for the alternatives, they are possibly produced in competitive power and capability of the company, not from the outside of company. 

In the market, there are three types of customers. The first type of customers is the people who are already using company’s product and they never hesitate to try better comparative ones; they are the smallest group. The second type of customers is the people who don’t agree with the value of product or don’t have economic power to purchase product; they are middle size of group. And the third type of customers who are out of the focus of company; they are the biggest group. Value innovation should focus the strongest common points of all three types of customers in order to bring them into new market; this is core of value innovation.

We can find perfect example of value innovation from the book, “Blue Ocean Strategy.” When other Air Lines focused long distance airlines like between countries or big cities, Southwest Airlines focused short distance airlines. Southwest Airlines built many new airlines among small cities and served them in low price to the customers.  Southwest Airlines aimed new customers who are using cars to travel city to another city; it’s clearly new market for the company. South West Air Line found alternatives; airplane has different function and shape from car but it has same purpose. And the car travelers are not the customers of Air Lines. Besides Southwest Airlines used what company has to create, “Blue Ocean.”

The authors of the “Blue Ocean Strategy, Kim & Mauborgne said, “Although the term “Blue Oceans” is new, their existence is not...They are a feature of business life, past and present.” Meaning to say, this value innovation is just systematic analysis of what happened in the business field in the past and present. Although it can be helpful to the company which needs the changes to achieve the success, it doesn’t work for every company. If companies can fin their own way to prosper the businesses, we can consider it as a value innovation. Also, if new market company created has lots of competitors, that is time to do value innovation again.