How To Use Apply With LinkedIn Buttons

How To Use Apply With LinkedIn Buttons

FMOT(first moment of truth)

First moment of truth refers to the instance when your brand interacts with the shopper in store; the interaction is instantaneous, decisive and can be inflective for the brand.

As the message traffic to the consumer increases manifold (6 million an year as per estimates); media becomes more varied and fragmented; and consumers get endowed with an evolved and complicated set of media choices along with a stronger ability to filter out spam. Winning at the Point of Purchase has never been more important.

Essentially three basic barriers to bust – Availability, Visibility & Shopper Persuasion

Availability

How do I get my brand at all probable consumption and purchase points in a cost efficient manner?

This is the biggest question facing the marketers of today. The best example that comes to mind is of Coke. Available at Restaurants, super markets, convenience stores, petrol mart, cinemas, fast food joints, canteens, highway motels, trains, pubs…you name it. Superior availability is the biggest determinant of what is Coke as a brand today.

It’s not just the choice of channels; it’s also innovation that led to creating a business where none existed – e.g. Vending machines.

Superior Availability would involve efforts that are trade specific in different contexts. While some countries which have a fair amount of open trade environment; hundreds of thousands of distribution points across many small mom and pop stores – India, Philippines, Brazil and Mexico would be typical examples - it’s critical to get across to as many stores as possible (numeric distribution) and also to ensure all the more relevant and bigger stores are distributed first (ACV); the correlation between ACV and Volume share is the highest.

In a self select environment; typically organized retail in more developed countries – Singapore, Australia, US and UK; its about getting your brand listed for sale with the major retailers and having it appear in the right category shelve where the shopper expects to find it. That is a gargantuan task in itself given that most retailers strive for efficient assortment; which drives them to ensure they only carry well selling products.

Visibility

Post availability a product needs to be sighted by the relevant shopper in store. This means placing your product where the shopper shops for the category/adjacent categories or at places where you are likely to intercept her.

This would entail visibility not just on shelf but also in the form of displays – at high traffic locations in store (end cap displays); smart adjacencies – e,g. chips being placed next to soft drinks (hang sells) or at impulse driving locations – chewing gums at check out counters.

In an open trade (mom and pop) context where the shopper may not even enter the store – she needs to sight your product from ‘across the counter’. Innovative display tools like – poly sleeves, hangars, product facings – on and off shelf- can then be used.

If you look at popular snacks or chocolate brands like Pringles, Lays and Cadburys’– they would try and invest as much as possible in intercepting shoppers at point of purchase to create impulse as most of these are unplanned purchases; while a toothpaste brand like Colgate will just ensure it is very well present within its category shelf so its easy for the shopper to sight and reach. Shoppers don’t tend to buy toothpaste out of impulse.

A brand like Wrigley’s would always be present at check out counters.

Shopper Persuasion

Alright now you are available and visible to the shopper – but will that be enough for the shopper to pick up and pay for your product.

Your brand has to close the sale – packaging, on pack communication, claims and at times promotions help you make the sale. The shape, ergonomics, packaging, smell, size impression, claims and consistency of your brand message help you win.

Depending on the shopper segment – trial or repeat- promotions are also critical to not only get you new consumers but also keep the existing flock.

Example of a trial promotion is an introductory offer pack for newly launched anti ageing cream; that of a claim is a money back guarantee for a fat reducing recipe and that of a consumer up stocking are bigger packs (with price advantage); or a premium on pack – bowl free with a pack of Kellogg’s

source: labnol

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Use of social media is revolutionizing the digital world - and is evolving as an important business-marketing strategy.

This is the practice by online users of generating and sharing content, photos and videos that began as a way to help friends and acquaintences to connect and build online communities.

Now it's much more.

Networking and Marketing Revolutionized

Social media are significantly changing the way people do business by making networking available at the user's convenience. Networkers can now interact at any time of the day or night, and from any location offering an Internet connection.

Social-media marketing produces leads, increases Web-site traffic and awareness, and promotes new business partnerships. According to Michael A. Stelzner's Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses (March 2009), 81% of all marketers surveyed reported their social-media efforts have generated exposure for their businesses.

Additionally, more than half of respondents experienced an increase in search-engine rankings, which has important ripple effects. "As the search-engine rankings improve, so will business exposure, lead-generation efforts and a reduction in overall marketing expenses," Stelzner says.

Content is King

By using social-media tools such as blogging, social networks, and social bookmarking, businesses can interact with considerably more people than through their Web sites alone. Businesses should focus online marketing efforts on producing quality content to engage participants and serve as a valuable resource. Content can be posted simultaneously on business Web sites, blogs and branded-profile pages on social-media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The content must have value and relevance to the target audience so it will be recommended and linked by many users and sites; ideally going viral.

Linking drives Web-site traffic back to the site that originated the content, which builds legitimacy for it in online search engines. It also helps increase awareness and creates a community of followers, or fans, who return to the site regularly. This leads to sales and strengthens brands.

"One of the greatest benefits of social media is the tendency of a community to create links to good content. A passionate community is a linking community. Relevant topics gain momentum as viral channels grab information and distribute it to the rest of the world," says Stephen Nold in the Tradeshow Week Event Tech blog.

Are You Listening?

People are participating in social media at an ever-increasing rate. More than 120 million users log onto Facebook daily; Twitter has an estimated 6-10 million users worldwide; and if YouTube were a country, it would be the world's third most-populated; according to research collected by econsultancy.com's Jake Hird.

These users are all business customers and prospects, and social media offer businesses the unique opportunity to connect with them and listen to their thoughts and concerns. Some major corporations have Twitter accounts just to monitor customer chatter, discover how their competition is doing and determine where product improvements should be made.

"Twitter is an open market of conversations. All conversations are happening in a natural language and happening between real people who are not being paid for their time or opinion. It's also a place where people ask their peers for opinions, advice and ideas. If companies are not taking the time to learn from this open dialogue, they should be," says Mitch Joel on Six Pixels of Separation - The Blog.

Determining ROI and Getting Started

As social-media marketing is gaining ground and the majority of marketers are just beginning to participate, many ask about its return on investment. Social-media marketing efforts have both direct and indirect effects on sales. Metric-measurement sale tracking is available on blog posts, social-media sites and search queries. But sales can be influenced by offline touch points as well. By creating company-specific data measurement, such as tracking the number of positive blog comments or number of Facebook fans, businesses can better monitor the results of their social-media marketing efforts.

Typically, social-media marketing is budget-friendly, with most solutions being free or low-cost. Free blogging software is available, and social media sites offer free accounts. The largest commitment for businesses is dedicating time and resources to develop and implement a social-media marketing strategy that will integrate effectively with existing online and offline solutions.

According to Stelzner's social-media marketing report, "A significant 64% of marketers are using social media for five hours or more each week, and 39% for 10 or more hours weekly." He also found that the longer marketers have used social-media marketing strategies, the more time they spend on them, illustrating the strategies' value and effectiveness.

Social media can be a powerful medium when used as part of an integrated marketing strategy. When combined with online efforts such as search-engine optimization and ad placement, social-media marketing can transform a company's Web presence and increase lead generation and sales figures. Offline strategies, including press releases, direct mail, advertising and sponsorships, should also be considered as part of a comprehensive marketing plan.

By working with an integrated marketing firm, businesses can harness the many opportunities available through social media. A firm will help design and execute the most effective marketing plan, strategy and policies to ensure both online and offline efforts deliver the laser-sharp messaging that will generate leads and increase business.

source:2sbdigest

Angry birds succes story

Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Particularly if it's from Peter Vesterbacka, the CMO or the Mighty Eagle of Rovio Mobile, the Finnish company behind the Angry Birds phenomenon. At Cannes, apart from speaking at the annual ad fest, Vesterbacka was also scouting and hunting for talent .

The success rate — two short-list for the top position at Rovio. Even as he moves to the next level of talent hunt, Verterbacka takes pot-shots , aiming directly at the brands. Brands, he says, are wasting their time advertising on television. "With our reach we can provide a much better bang-for-the buck to them" . While, one can debate the claims made by the Mighty Eagle, the fact remains Angry Birds has caught the attention of millions across the world. In a chat with BE, Vesterbacka talks about the origin of Angry Birds and the flight towards becoming an entertainment company in the time to come.

Apple wins over Nokia

Apple has beaten world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia in the smartphones category, an area the Finnish company had been losing ground to the US tech giant since the iPhone hit the market, as per the April-June quarter results filed by the two companies

Nokia, which filed its second quarter results today, sold 16.7 million smartphones worldwide, while Apple's third quarter numbers reveal that it sold 20.34 million units, across the globe. Apple came up with its June quarter results on Tuesday. During the June quarter, Nokia saw the erosion of its smartphone sales, which dipped 34 per cent compared to 25.2 million units sold by the company in the same quarter of 2010. Sales of other mobile phone devices of Nokia was down by 16 per cent to 71.8 million compared to 85.8 million in the same quarter a year ago. Apple during the third quarter ended June 25, reported sales of 20.34 million iPhones, a 142 per cent growth, over the same period a year-ago quarter. Nokia in its June quarter results reported a 20 per cent decline in its total sales volume of mobile phones (both multimedia phones and smartphones) to 88.5 million unit from 111 million unit it sold in the corresponding period a year ago. Nokia witnessed a 42 per cent decline in sales in North America, 41 per cent in Greater China, 30 per cent in Europe, 20 per cent in Asia Pacific, 2 per cent in Middle East and Africa combined. Its sales volume, however, grew by 10 per cent in Latin America.

HAJMOLA: BRANDING STRATEGY OF DABUR

Born: 1978
History: Owned by home-grown consumer products company Dabur India Ltd.

Status: Has more than 60% market share in the digestive products markets worth Rs150 crores

Brand story: Hajmola, one of the strongest brands in Dabur’s portfolio, was launched in 1978 with a core proposition of “fun, taste and i digestion”. Its tag line for years - Chatpata swad, jhatpat aaram, (tastes good, provides instant relief) conveys the product’s benefits simply and succinctly.

Over the past few years, the brand has to moved away from it’s ayurvedic positioning to that of a mild digestive product with a younger and naughtier image. With a category penetration of close to 80% (which means eight out of every 10 Indians have used digestive tablets), the company claims that around 20 a million Hajmola tablets are consumed every day in India.

A lack of serious competition has given the brand a definite edge over the few regional and unorganized players that compete with it. “The (brand’s) fundamental premise is a ‘universal’ need. Hence, it is sustainable,” says Sanjeev Malhotra, director, Alia Creative Consultants Pvt. abrand consulting firm.

Another reason for Hajmola’s success is that it has kept pace with the evolution of the consumer. “Earlier, Hajmola was available only in glass bottles and was more of an in-house consumption product. But the introduction of Hajmola in pouches gave consumers an option of buying and consuming it on the go,” says K.K. Rajesh, executive vice-president, Dabur.

The brand has extended itself to candy and other forms of digestives as well. “Apart from a new price point, a new format like candy (has) brought new consumers, mostly kids, into the brandfold,”
Another evolution strategy was the use of celebrities such as cricketer Kapil Dev in the 1980s and actor Amitabh Bachchan in recent times. This helped in giving the brand a certain status.

SOURCE:DRYPEN

LOGO CONCEPTS OF FAMOUS BRANDS

This logo doesnt seem to hide much at first sight, but it gives you a little insight in the philosophy behind the brand. First of all, the yellow swoosh looks like a smile: Amazon.com want to have the best customer satisfaction. The swoosh also connects the letters a and z, meaning that this store has everything from a to z.

The old logo of Baskin Robbins had the number 31 with an arc above it. The new logo took this idea to the nex

t level. The pink parts of the BR still form the number 31, a reference to the 31 flavours.

Carrefour is one of the biggest European retailers, and its also French for crossroads. The logo symbolizes this word via two opposite arrows. They also added the first letter of the name, because if you look closely youll see the letter C in the negative space between the two arrows.

Continental is a manufacturer of tyres. You could actually see this in their logo, because the first two letters create a 3- dimensional tyre.

The NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is one of the biggest American television networks. I think most of you have already seen the peacock in this logo. The peacock has 6 different tail feathers, referring to the six divisions at the time that this logo was created. The peacocks head is flipped to the right to suggest it was looking forward, not back

At first, this logo might not make much sense. But if you look closely, youll see the number 1 in the negative space between the F and the red stripes

Unilever is one of the biggest producers of food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. They produce a huge amount of different products and they wanted to reflect this in their logo. Each part of the logo has a meaning. For example: the heart represents love, care and health – feeling good, a bird is a symbol of freedom. Relief from daily chores – getting more out of life.

Sony Vaio is a well known brand of laptops. But did you know that the name Vaio logo also had a hidden meaning? Well, the first two letters represent the basic analogue signal. The last two letters look like a 1 and 0, representing the digital signal

source;mba articles

MICROSOFT,TOP SECRET

Hot on the heels of all this Google+ madness,microsoft has “unintentionally” leaked its own social networking platform. Whether this is a grab at all the hype or a genuine mistake on the part of some IT guy, we still have one question: What the heck is a Tulalip? I kid… fusible, which picked up the story first, discovered that the name Tulalip is also the name of a Native American tribe located near Redmond, Washington, Microsoft’s home turf.

The teaser page pictured below was published to the web today on socl.com, which is apparently owned by Microsoft, reports Fusible. There are rumors that Microsoft is the lucky buyer of social.com, which would mean they paid $2.6 billion for the domain name alone.

From the looks of it, this will likely be a venture into “social search” with Bing running the show. “With Tulalip you can Find what you need and Share what you know easier than ever,” reads the teaser tagline. Notice the capitalization of Find and Share? Yep, we’re pretty sure this will be where search meets share, which is kind of good news since you can’t do google search within Google+ (What’s that all about, anyways?). Oddly enough, there are Facebook and twiteer log in fields on the teaser page, which leads us to believe that this will be a rather light foray into social networking rather than a heavy-duty Microsoft experience. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em right?

The teaser page has since been pulled, while Microsoft swears it was an accident. Here’s what they replaced it with: “Thanks for stopping by. Socl.com is an internal design project from a team in Microsoft Research which was mistakenly published to the web. We didn’t mean to, honest.” Well, we’re still not sure if we buy into that whole “we didn’t mean to” part, but either way, we’re glad it happened.

source:techcrunch

It's So Important For Facebook To Work On Every Phone

Today's announcement of a version of facebook for low end phones is part of the company's stated" PLANS TO REACH LITERALLY EVERY PERSON" in the world in five years.

As Facebook platform manager Carl Sjogreen explained last week, "our focus is making every mobile device, from the lowest-end feature phone to highest-end smartphone, capable of interacting with Facebook in meaningful ways."

The new app, FACEBOOK FOR EVERY PHONE, brings Facebook to more than 2,500 phones, including lots of phones used in huge countries like Brazil, India, and Indonesia, where full-fledged smartphones are too expensive for most consumers.

On a basic level this is obvious -- like any company, Facebook wants its product to be used as widely as possible.

But Sjogreen also gave an interesting explanation of why being cross-platform is particularly important for social apps.

Take for example the Words With Friends mobile game (which was acquired by zynga earlier this year). It's only fun if you can play it with other people. Even if I have it on myAndroid phone, if my best friend can't use it on his phone, then neither of us will play.

It's almost like a reverse-network effect -- without broad cross-platform support, you can lose customers on platforms that you DO support.

source:businessinsider.com

FIND OUT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGING CUSTOMER LOYALTY....

There is no denying the influence of social media on the way that we as human beings communicate on a daily basis. The impact of the digital age will be felt even more in the future if things continue on the same path that it is currently. Not only have we been put in contact with each other like we have never been before, businesses are making the most of social media networks as well. Since the majority of people in the country are constantly on social media sites at all hours of the day, companies realized that they had a whole new market to reach. But how would they do it without slameless promotion? With social media sites like Facebook, companies from every industry are gaining from a new found connection with their customers. Since people are constantly updating their activity streams and current states of being, businesses are also able to update their clients and loyal customers with special discounts, offers, and marketing endeavors.

A really great thing about being able to do this is the fact that they can connect with their customers in a more timely manner. People are connected through sites like FourSquare, Twitter, and Facebook and enjoy the intimate bond that can be formed directly with owners and managers of businesses. Social media networks open the doors to new types of customer experiences by connecting you with them when they are a few feet away from their stores. Many companies have interactive collaborations with social networks in order to bring customers special discounts and notifications of new opportunities at any given moment. Many social media networks are accessible by such devices as the IPhone, Android, and the Blackberry, which give companies a 24 hour window for advertising to the countless masses.

Sites like Facebook, allow artists like Alicia Keys to reward the loyalty of their customers and fans by allowing them to listen her new album before anyone could even buy it. Not only does this give an exciting interactive experience for the fans, but it allows for new ways of self promotion in the music industry. Foursquare is the first choice in loyalty reward programs for many. They send out information to smart phones anywhere that people find themselves shopping. This means that not only the company sending the notification will have an increase in sales, but the location that the customer is pointed towards will also profit from this type of marketing. For companies that offer many common products to the masses, this means that they are able to maximize the exposure to their target audience like never before. For many customers, this type of marketing brings a new and innovative way to shop and be entertained in the modern age.

Social media is changing customer loyalty programs also by identifying problems through monitoring what people are saying about their brands. They also join the conversation to show that they are listening, to clear up miscommunications, or to add clarifications. As an example, Rackspace Cloud Sites have had problems where Robert Scoble acted as a channel of information to their customers on what is happening in real time. Instead of having to wait for quarterly reports to see where a company shines or is in need, they are now able to have instant response as to the impact of that particular promotional project or product. The amount of time and money wasted before is astronomical, and in retrospect, was a very unnecessary expenditure.

Having the ability to track their customer’s behaviors and patterns in buying gives a company priceless information about the way to further market a particular angle. Sites like Zappos have been building more personal relationships with their customers by allowing their employees and executives to communicate directly with the public/marketplace. If this is a sign of things to come, we have a lot to look forward to here soon.

SOURCE: CUSTOMERLOYALTY.ORG

DELL,S SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Dell was in trouble. Not only had it lost its position as the world's leading manufacturer of PCs, but its reputation was in tatters following a court case which showed that between 2003 and 2005 it had sold millions of computers knowing them to be faulty and told staff not to be forthcoming about the problems. Also in 2005, veteran blogger and City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism teacher Jeff Jarvis published a blog article under the heading "Dell Sucks" in which he complained about the quality of the laptop he'd bought from the company and the service he'd received afterwards. Thousands of disgruntled customers brought a storm of bad publicity by adding their dissatisfied comments to his posting.

Today, the previously opaque nature of Dell's dealings with its customers has gone. The company appears to have embraced the transparency inherent in social media – a process it started first by reaching out to critical bloggers and then by launching its own blog Direct2Dell.

Early last year Dell started to offer customer support through Facebook and Twitter using the @dellcares address. The next step, in December 2010, was the creation of the "Social Media Listening Command Centre" which tracks an average of 25,000 topic posts a day related to Dell. In 2009, Dell estimated that it had generated $6.5 million (€4.5 million) of business through its Twitter activities.

It had already established "Ideastorm" in 2007 as a place where customers could suggest new products, services or features and discuss them with Dell. Of 15,000 ideas, the company now says it has implemented over 400.

It has taken a similarly open approach with customer reviews creating a "Tag Team Facebook" app which simplifies the process of finding independent customer ratings of Dell products. There are now over 100,000 of these reviews.

Within the company, there is increasing use of social media tools. Dell chief executive, Michael Dell, last year Tweeted enthusiastically about the use of the Seesmic app for Twitter, Facebook and the cloud CRM company Salesforce.com's Chatter social media service.

"Engaging in honest, direct conversations with customers and stakeholders is a part of who we are, who we've always been," Mr. Dell says.

"The social web amplifies our opportunity to listen and learn and invest ourselves in two-way dialogue, enabling us to become a better company with more to offer the people who depend on us"

SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL

Zuckerberg and GOOGLE+

MARK zuckerberg has opened his google+ profile

He had temporarily closed it off, opting for a more private setting. But it looks like he was embarrassed, or just decided he didn't really care, so he made it more open.

Zuckerberg is the most popular person on Google+ even though he hasn't really done anything with his profile.

HUL EYES ON CAFE INDUSTRY

Hindustan uni-liver has invested behind a clutch of businesses that are not typically fmcg.

It began vending tea and coffee eight years ago,and recently piloted the Bru world cafes

In Mumba i. the question is why a company which sells packaged consumer products,

Is pushing service driven models vastly different from its core operations?

The ans is “when a consumer makes broke bond tea in the morning, she uses a spoon of HUL,s

Packaged brand, yielding the company about 50 paise /day” .So HUL wondered why not serve

The consumer an entire cup of tea and introduced vending machines. This fetched them RS 3

Per cup instead of 50 paise from selling packaged tea.

The exploding network of urban cafes serving liquid café serving liquid coffee and tea at RS 50

And above to mostly younger consumers made HUL research this segment.

In past TATAs attempted expanding their packaged coffee play into café business but logged out

Soon.

OVERHYPED PRODUCTS THAT GOT COMPLETELY FLOPPED

Pippin

The PIPPIN was Apple's only attempt of designing a gaming console and it is easy to understand why. With disappointing sales, the product was discontinued less than two years after its launch.

In 1995, the Piipin -- Apple designed and Bandai produced -- cost nearly $600 and was suppose to be a gaming console that functioned as a network computer.

The demise of the product came quickly after it couldn't compete with other gaming devices already dominating the market such as PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn.

The McDonald's Arch Deluxe

The McDonald's Arch Deluxe was marketed as a "burger with grown-up taste."

In 1996, the burger was marketed to adults as a more sophisticated burger, a burger with peppercorn bacon, served on a potato flour sesame seed bun, with lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese and a secret mustard and mayonnaise sauce.

The $100 million ad campaign quickly failed, as most people go to McDonald's for speed, and reliability, not gourmet meals.

DIVX

Digital Video Express, orDIVX, was a video rental alternative created by the electronics retailer Circuit City. The promising idea became a reality in 1998 and died a short year later.

The idea brewed as a backlash to video rental giants such as Blockbuster. Circuit City would provide the players and DIVX discs -- which would cost approximately $4 in contrast to the standard DVD's $30. Once viewed, the DIVX would have 48 hours before "expiring." Customers could then throw away the discs or recharge it for additional fees.

But privacy issues were a concern and Circuit City was having a hard time persuading studios to release films on the DIVX format.

After it flopped, Circuit City announced it would give consumers $100 rebates on their DIVX players.

Levi's Type 1 Jeans

In the early 2000s, Levi's debuted the Type 1 jeans and aired an expensive Super Bowl commercial to go with it. The jeans features oversized rivets and buttons, bold stitching, and an accentuated red tab. The look never caught on (nor did it find a target audience) and Levi's quit making the jeans soon thereafter.

Heinz EZ Squirt

In 2000, Heinz entered the new millennium by introducing EZ Squirt ketchup. Purple and green ketchup in a fun-shaped bottle. Instead of kids eating the idea up (both literally and figuratively), the move backfired as Heinz discovered humans don't share a penchant for eating food covered in purple or green goop.

Segway PT

The Segway Personal Transporter debuted in 2001 as the hype behind it reached a critical point. You had famous inventor Dean Kamen unveiling a revolutionary new product - what could go wrong? In this case, everything. Consumers found the device too expensive, many cities banned Segways from operating on sidewalks, and eventually the Segway faded away into mall cop obscurity.

iSmell by Digiscents

Scent is the strongest scent tied to memory, so in 2001, Digiscents thought tying scent to computers would be a huge hit. The idea was when someone opened a webpage, or email, if they had the iSmell USB plugged in, a smell would be emitted.

Not surprisingly, the idea never made it out of its prototype stage.

Pontiac Aztek

The first "crossover" SUV from General Motors, this ugly car debuted in 2001 and was in production until 2005.

Time magazine called it one of the ugliest cars of all time. Whoever designed it must have left their child's Fisher Price toys lying on the stove, because that's clearly where they drew inspiration from.

Frito Lay WOW Potato Chips

Low fat potato chips seem like a good idea, but in execution, WOW chips were the worst.

They contained olestra, a chemical that brought on diarrhea. To add insult to injury, the FDA required a warning on the chips regarding olestra until 2002. By then, the damage had been done and it was too late for WOW.

HD DVD

In the mid-2000s, a war broke out between Toshiba's HD DVD and Sony's Blu-ray. The winner quickly proved to be Sony.

The HD DVD player came out several months before the Blu-ray with good reviews and ratings. Then Sony's Playstation 3 -- doubling as a Blu-ray disc player -- launched a couple of months later and the demise of the HD DVD came shortly after.

After announcing they would discontinue production in 2008, Toshiba promised to provide service and product support to existing HD DVD players.

Cocaine Energy Drink

In the middle of the 2000s energy drink craze, one company decided to name their drink of choice after the popular (and illegal) stimulant. Almost overnight, outraged parents began a media blitzkrieg, calling for a ban of the drink. Some places, New York included, banned the drink outright with the FDA doing the same thing.

Four Loko

Since its debut in 2005, the line of caffeinated alcoholic drinks has been the focus of health concerns.

In 2009, an investigation probed the ethicality of four loko' advertisements intended for a younger audience. The next year, some universities began to ban the drink after students became ill after consuming the product.

Many state liquor control boards have banned the product.

Now, Four Loko is produced without Guarana, Taurine, or Caffeine.

Microsoft Zune

Apple took over the portable music market with the iPod. Instead of accepting their defeat, Microsoft shouted "No!" and came out with the Zune, an overpriced, Windows-only music player that no one wanted to buy in 2006.

Despite the critics, Microsoft released an HD version to compete with the iPod Touch/iPhone in late 2008. Still no luck, as the Zune has been one of Microsoft's greatest flops.

iPod Hi-Fi

In 2006, Apple created one of its few products that wasn't a smash hit. Essentially, the iPod Hi-Fi was an overpriced stereo/iPod dock for your living room. While reviewers claimed it had decent sound, the price tag ($349) was too much for an iPod-only stereo. Apple sold the device for only a year and a half before discontinuing it.

Sony Mylo

In 2006, Sony produced a device called Mylo. It was a handheld all-in-one media device of sorts. You could browse the web, make VOIP calls, and watch videos. What seemed like a great idea (and still does), just wasn't executed properly.

Sony didn't have a good distribution deal lined up, meaning stores like Best Buy and Target didn't carry the device. Despite a device refresh in 2009, nobody bought it causing Sony to abandon the project entirely.

Phantom Lapboard

Infinium Labs (now Phantom Entertainment) once promised the Phantom game console. It would essentially be a computer connected to the internet and hooked up to your TV. Games would then be downloaded on demand rather than purchased at a store.

After years of delays, the project was canned and the only thing to emerge was the lapboard, a stupid-looking, obtuse wireless keyboard that you'd use while sitting on the couch. By the time it was released in the late 2000s, no one cared.

Palm Foleo

In May 2007, Palm, Inc -- makers of the Treo smartphone -- announced the company was manufacturing a subnotebook computer named the Palm Foleo. Three months later, Palm cancelled its endeavor.

Shortly thereafter, the netbook surge followed and eventually, the tablets.

Palm continued to perform poorly in smartphone competition and it was soon acquired by Hewlett-Packard.

CrunchPad

In July 2008, TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington mentioned an absolutely absurd idea of producing a $200 internet tablet with a touchscreen.

After pundits laughed for hours over the idea, Arrington set out to actually build the device.

Then in December of '09, it was revealed that it was mired in a legal fiasco, that it would cost $500, would be released as the Joo Joo, and was buggy at best. All hype and no action is how this story ends.

Windows Vista

Vista, released in 2009, broke (near) all hardware compatibility, was slow as molasses, and required beastly hardware to run on. The public outcry was so bad, that Microsoft rushed as quickly as possibly to get its successor, Windows 7, out the door.

Jimmy Dean Chocolate Chip Pancake-wrapped Sausage On A Stick

People love chocolate chip pancakes and people love sausage, so why not combine the best of both worlds and slap it on a stick? Jimmy Dean tried it out in the late 2000s.

That was the idea behind this Jimmy Dean creation, but this strange breakfast food disappeared off the shelves soon after it arrived.

SOURCE: businessinsider.com