Sandhya Gupta

Netflix to charge $6.99 a month for ‘Basic With Ads’ Plan

Beginning in November, the American streaming provider Netflix will launch a new, inexpensive tier subscription “basic with ads” that is supported by advertisements.

In twelve nations, Netflix will launch a subscription model in November that is subsidized by advertisements as the company attempts to increase sales and subscriber numbers. The subscription, dubbed “basic with ads,” will cost $6.99 in the US, $3 cheaper than the country’s basic option without advertisements.

Netflix battled user churn after suffering the largest-ever quarterly decline in subscribers recently in June. This new model will soon launch in Brazil, Australia, Britain, Britain, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, France, and the United States. This ad-supported subscription is a first for Netflix. This move is a significant change for a company that pioneered the concept of ad-free membership-based streaming.

Users of Netflix’s “Basic with ads” tier won’t be able to download films and television shows, and there will often be four or five minutes of adverts every hour. Due to licensing limitations, a few TV shows and films will initially be inaccessible.

Before and throughout Netflix’s content, there will be 15-30 second advertisements. Firms will be able to stop adverts from showing up on content they consider objectionable or nasty. Nielsen, a rating business, will start using its Digital Ad Ratings in the United States in 2023 to assist marketers in understanding its reach.

When Disney+’s ad tier debuts in December, it will cost $7.99 per month, while Hulu will cost $7.99. Netflix is less expensive at $6.99 per month. The monthly cost of HBO Max with advertisements is $9.99.

Netflix has set the price of the service such that any customers who convert from the ad-free standard plan to the ad-supported plan will have a “neutral to positive” impact on the business’s income. This indicates Netflix will earn at least $3 in advertising income per customer each month.

Instead of 1080p, the resolution of Netflix’s normal plan, which costs $15.49 per month, the video resolution for the ad-tier plan will be 720p. The company’s entry-level plan, which features 720p resolution but no advertising, costs $9.99 per month.

Netflix referred to the new tier as “pro-consumer” during a press conference where it unveiled it. It also revealed that its inner content tagging specialists were charged with locating natural breakpoints in numerous series and movies to insert adverts in.

As reported by The Verge, Netflix’s ad tier is a reaction to an unexpected slump for the streaming service, which earlier this year lost over a million users in the United States and Canada. The company also saw a decline in its stock price as a result of investor doubts that its phase of significant growth has come to an end.

Although the company has stated that it aims to roll out the new ad tier in more countries over time, India is not among the 12 countries wherein Netflix is first introducing the ad-supported plan. Given the price-sensitive character of the Indian market, it is important to note that Netflix offers some of the most affordable subscription plans when compared to its offerings in other regions.

Netflix plans in India start at Rs 149, or roughly $2 per month for phone devices only. The cheapest Netflix subscription in India starts at Rs 199 per month, which translates to about $2.6 per month for other devices such as smart televisions. The “regular” version of the streaming service costs Rs 499 per month in India, offers high-definition content streaming across two devices, and is ad-free.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

The success story of Howard Schultz: From Rags to Riches

Howard Schultz is the co-founder of the Schultz Family Foundation and former CEO/Chairman of Starbucks. He is most known for having penned the success tale of the American international network of coffee shops.

Early Life

Howard Shultz was born in Brooklyn, New York. His great-grandfathers were tailors and barrel manufacturers, like many other Americans, and they were immigrants themselves. Both of his parents dropped out of high school, and after the war, his father took low-wage labor jobs. Initially, he considered playing football as a possible career, but his plans to attend Northern Michigan University on a sports scholarship were never realized.

Instead, he remained at NMU and used college debt and part-time jobs to support himself while he was a student. After getting his degree, Schultz stayed in Michigan and spent one year working at a ski resort. After working as a salesperson for Xerox in New York City, he was hired in 1979 as general manager of Swedish cookware company PAI Partners’ American subsidiary, Hammarplast.

Schultz oversaw the American business of the coffee maker manufacturer Hammarplast. In 1981 he went to the Starbucks Coffee Co. in Seattle, to fulfill their orders for plastic cone filters for the first time.

Success Story

Howard Schultz was hired by Starbucks to serve as the company’s director of marketing and sales operations. The company solely sold coffee beans at the time. He transformed Starbucks into his life’s work in just one year. Then he thought that Starbucks ought to sell coffee drinks in addition to coffee beans.

He had this notion while traveling to Milan, Italy. This idea did not interest the Starbucks owners. After that, he decided to establish his own coffee shop, despite the significant financial difficulty. Nevertheless, he was able to secure funding and established three Il Giornale espresso cafes. The business later merged with Starbucks. Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks, with its headquarters in Washington, has undergone a significant expansion from 11 locations to more than 30,000.

Originally a regional coffee company, Starbucks has become the world’s leading coffee brand. In 1992, Schultz floated the company on the stock market and used the $271 million value to increase the number of stores in a series of well-publicized coffee wars. Schultz led a roughly $100 billion increase in Starbucks’ market cap from 2008 to 2017.

After 37 years of active management at Starbucks, Schultz announced his retirement on June 4, 2018, saying that he was considering running for president of the United States among other things. In the 2008’s financial crisis, Schultz took back his position as CEO.

Howard Schultz published a book in 2004 named, “Power of Appreciation: How Positive Thinking Can Change Your Life,” The book quickly rose to fame worldwide. In it, he argues that cultivating an attitude of appreciation and optimism is essential for success in any endeavor.

Schultz has committed his time to assisting others in achieving their goals in recent years and has emerged as an outspoken supporter of social responsibility. He also established the Schultz Family Foundation, which aims to open doors for those experiencing obstacles to achievement.

Its concentration is on underprivileged groups, such as persons of color, and youth transitioning into adulthood. In 2020, with a $4.3 billion net worth, Schultz was ranked by Forbes as the 209th-richest American.

Starbucks’ success story is entirely due to Howard Schultz. After all, Schultz was the one who transformed a little Seattle coffee shop into the most well-known coffee franchise in the world. He became a great company leader by taking risks, trying novel ideas, and remaining consistent and unwavering in his efforts.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

The success story of Cosmas Maduka: Rise from Poverty to Billionaire

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

Cosmas Maduka is a Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and president of the Coscharis Group.

Early Life

Maduka was born in the City of Jos. At age of 6, two years after the death of his father, Maduka started his own business. To help support his mother, he stopped attending primary school and began selling Akara, a traditional Nigerian food staple derived from beans. When he was 7 years old he was taken to his uncle to work as an automotive apprentice.

He worked for his uncle in Lagos who sold motorbike parts. At the age of 14, unfortunately, his uncle released him of his responsibilities since Cosmas closed the shop to engage in some religious activity because of his newly discovered faith—Christianity. This incensed his uncle, who decided to compensate Cosmas for his seven years of work with N200. That undoubtedly served as Cosmas’s first solo business venture.

Success Story

Cosmas collaborated with his brother to form Maduka Brothers and began trading automotive parts. They shortly split up due to monetary issues. Cosmas used all the knowledge and contacts he gained while working for his uncle to help him succeed as an entrepreneur. He began purchasing and selling motorcycle parts. Additionally, he purchased items from Boulus Enterprise, a bike and motorcycle retailer. He’d purchase from them, take off the tags, and then sell.

He eventually formed a new partnership with his pal Dave. Its name was CosDave, but it shortly failed as a result of other discrepancies. In 1977, he founded Coscharis Motors, which is now known as Coscharis Group. His name, Cosmas, and his wife, Charity, are combined to form the name Coscharis. Coscharis began importing and distributing auto accessories, spare parts, and other things related to the automotive industry.

As the business developed and prospered, the government of Nigeria decided to issue importation licenses to 10 Nigerian companies in the 1980s. When Coscharis was one of the chosen businesses, a new era for the business began. Maduka claimed that his connections to the Japanese were the reason for his professional success.

Maduka claimed that because of his early interactions with the Japanese people, he was able to cultivate the qualities of dedication, humility, accuracy, and diligence that were essential to his professional success. He vowed to mention it in his autobiography. Cosmas Maduka holds directorships in a number of notable businesses and organizations.

From 2000-2012, he served as a Director at Access Bank Plc, one of the top banks in Nigeria. In 2012, Cosmos Maduka was one of the select individuals awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) National Honors by President Goodluck Jonathan.

About Coscharis Group

Coscharis Group is a conglomerate with a net worth of over $500 million Its various subsidiaries operate in the manufacturing, information and communications technology (ICT), auto care and auto component, automobile sales and services, petrochemical, and agricultural and agro-allied business sectors.

Range Rover, Ford, and Jaguar are just a few of the luxury car brands distributed by Coscharis Motors. Coscharis Motors earned the “Auto Brand of the Year” award at the Marketing World Awards in 2015. In the same year, it also became the sole distributor of BMW in Nigeria. It was also the first company to establish a Ford Ranger assembly plant in Nigeria.

In 2016, Anambra State granted Coscharis Farms permission to farm rice on 5000 hectares of land. Upon completion, the project is expected to employ over 3000 people. According to Top 50 Brands Nigeria, The Coscharis Group is among the list of top 50 brands in Nigeria.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Blind App: An anonymous platform to complain about jobs

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

Blind App is a professional network where verified employees can talk openly and anonymously regarding their work-life difficulties. Blind has over 7 million verified professionals.

About the company

Blind App offers a community and anonymous forum for verified professionals to talk about challenges in the workplace. On Blind, users are categorized by themes, companies, and their overall industry. The application claims to maintain user identities untraceable and confirms that the registered members work for the company via their work email.

The Blind App has made headlines several times, most notably when its anonymous polls make the candid thoughts of workers from various companies visible. Professionals also use the app for casual conversations regarding issues like salary. Its app listings on Google Play and the iOS App Store indicate that it has employees from more than 83,000 companies.

Blind is being used all around the world and is affecting companies’ decisions by providing executives with information on employees’ worries.

Through the app’s polls and discussions, employees from a range of organizations have shared their opinions on problems at work, including the app’s polls and discussions, employees from a range of organizations have shared their opinions on problems at work, including Uber’s claims of sexual harassment, Google memo, and the working conditions and issues at Amazon. Recently, Meta’s decision to potentially lay off 12,000 workers at Facebook was revealed by the employees through the Blind app.

History

Sunguk Moon, CEO, and co-founder of Blind revealed that after beginning his career in 2009 at the South Korean search company Naver, he had inspiration by the app. He saw there that employees engaged in open conversation among themselves in a private chat room on the company intranet.

A few years later, Naver closed the board because staff began discussing important and delicate subjects. Moon noted, “Several years later, Naver shut down the board because employees started talking about critical and sensitive issues,” Moon said. “I was really disappointed by that (decision) so I thought I should make an anonymous chat board for company workers as a third party.”

Since its launch in 2013, Blind has gained users from over3,000 companies. On Blind, there are around 40,000 Microsoft professionals, 20,000 Amazon professionals, and 10,000 Google professionals. Each company has a fairly high level of our penetration, and the majority of the company employees are regular users.

Blind declined to reveal the total number of users. However, one in five Uber employees uses the app. Additionally, one cannot just create a phony LinkedIn profile to use the app. A user’s company’s official email-id is linked to all sign-ups, and this email address is required for sign-up verification. However, due to the company’s patented technology, users remain anonymous to both the community and the app’s developers.

Founder & CEO: Sunguk Moon

Sunguk Moon is the Founder and CEO of Blind. Moon served as a founder or early-stage employee for three companies before Blind. One of them was Wingbus, a 2005-founded travel review, and booking website that Naver acquired in 2009. He studied UI/Graphics design as his major in college, however after three years, he mainly held positions in product management.

Naver was the first organization in Korea to utilize Blind. For the purpose of acquiring the initial seed users, Moon contacted some of his old Naver coworkers. Ticket Monster, a company Moon had previously worked for, was Blind’s second target.

Over the past two years, Blind has received several press mentions including in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and TechCrunch. It has acted as a reliable source of information for thousands of employees.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

The Success Story Of FirstCry Founder Supam Maheshwari

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

Supam Maheshwari is the CEO and co-founder of FirstCry. FirstCry is a baby products company established in Pune, Maharashtra. Supam is a first-generation business owner with a keen business sense. His leadership abilities are highly acknowledged, and he is a terrific executor.

In the beginning, he founded Brainvisa Technologies alongside Amitava Saha as a partner. But once the company was sold, he started FirstCry through BrainBees. FirstCry receives the Most Popular Online Site honor at the 2013 Delhi Child Awards. Additionally, he is a co-founder of the logistics service provider Xpressbees.

Early Life

Supam Maheshwari immediately got on the bandwagon of business, in contrast to the majority of entrepreneurs who initially choose jobs. He started working on a business soon after earning his postgraduate degree from IIM and launched it in 2000. His first company was Brainvisa Technologies.

The company’s teaching methods and end-to-end learning solutions were its key competitive advantages. Brainvisa was an e-learning company that helped organizations all over the world boost the effectiveness of learning and training by creating specialized learning solutions that were centered on established and defined corporate objectives. In less than 8 years, Supam expanded Brainvisa to become one of the world’s largest e-learning solutions companies.

Even though the growth was astounding, in 2007 he made the decision to sell the company to a US-based organization called Indecomm Global Services.

Success Story

Supam Maheshwari had become a father during his time with Brainvisa, and his job forced him to travel frequently to the United States and Europe. Because he could trust the quality of merchandise accessible abroad and since many of them weren’t readily available locally, he used to bring a lot of items for his newborn daughter.

At that point, he saw there was a significant supply-demand disparity in the domestic economy for brands geared toward children, including several international brands. As he carried out more research, he estimated that the baby and children’s market in India generated approximately Rs. 50,000 Cr. in revenue, with 95% of the sales occurring offline.

He could now clearly see the idea. He intended to develop a platform that would give parents simple access to high-quality baby and children’s products. He sought to offer a wide choice of top-notch products. With his model, he hoped to close the gap for Indian parents. After everything was resolved, Supam founded BrainBees Solutions with his buddy Amitava Saha and a seed investment of Rs. 2.5 Cr. from friends and personal funds.

In 2010, they subsequently created Firstcry.com under the aegis of BrainBees. Today, Firstcry has grown to become Asia’s largest online marketplace of products for kids, expectant moms, newborns, and kids.

Business Strategy

By 2014, the company had signed up 600 domestic and foreign brands. It had also introduced its own private label, BabyHug (a clothing brand) and CuteWalk (a footwear brand), which contributed to around 20% of its sales. Even more striking was the fact that none of this was accomplished through any elaborate marketing or advertising plans.

Although the organization ran some TV and print advertisements in its early years, it stopped as it realized it was a high-risk and low-return strategy. And at this point, the majority of advertising was done online and by word-of-mouth. Other than that, Firstcry had created a fresh way of connecting prospective parents directly.

Firstcry used to conduct a special program through which they would communicate with over 70,000 different parents each month. Their plan was pretty straightforward; Firstcry had agreements with 6000 hospitals nationwide and used to send moms a “Firstcry Box” as a gesture of congratulations on the birth of their child when they left the hospital.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Apple to sell ad space for TV+ next year

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Tech behemoth Apple is allegedly in talks with executives from media companies and networks about the prospect of offering ad space for TV+ streaming platform, possibly as early as next year.

According to media reports, Apple intends to sell video ad spaces in early 2023, presumably for its Apple TV+ platform.

As per reports, Apple wants to increase its advertising revenue from its current level of $4 billion annually to double-digit numbers through this ad space for TV+. Apple executives believe TV+ has untapped potential. The company’s advertisements are currently dispersed throughout display adverts for applications in the App Store, News and Stocks applications, and other apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. While some shows on Apple TV already have featured adverts, these did not come for Apple.

Ad-supported tiers also aid in curbing price rises as streaming providers put more emphasis on profitability than subscriber growth. In December, Disney+ will introduce an ad-free tier for the same $7.99 monthly fee as the current ad-free tier.

Apple’s involvement in live sports is also tied to the availability of its video ad inventory. On the TV+ platform, MLB Friday Night Baseball has already generated some advertising revenue, but so far, MLB Network, not Apple, has been the seller of these commercials.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s executive VP of services, claimed to have reorganized services management in May to put a greater emphasis on streaming and adverts.

In order to entice users on a budget, streaming providers Disney and Netflix are also attempting to develop ad-based monetization strategies. They are expected to unveil their plans within the next few months.

By 2022, Netflix also plans to introduce an ad tier for subscribers. The decision was taken after the company experienced a significant decline in revenue for the very first time in ten years.

Comparatively speaking to Netflix and Disney, Apple’s customer base in the streaming industry is modest. The tech giant has nonetheless received praise for its high-end, award-winning shows and its expanding sports coverage.

In a period of rising inflation and economic insecurity around the world, an ad-based tier might attract more price-conscious users to the company. Next year, Apple will also broadcast Major League Soccer events. Apple is also expected to secure the rights to broadcast NFL Sunday Ticket along with other major sports events.

Millions of prospective viewers will watch these live sports programs, which will increase advertising sales. Currently, an Apple TV+ membership in the United States costs $4.99/month or $49.99/year.

Apple, though, is fully committing to the “premium content” brand. It might adopt a price increase for its ad-free membership along the lines of Disney+ and launch an ad-supported tier at the existing $4.99 pricing. Additionally, Apple TV+ features a tonne of acclaimed, brand-friendly programs like “Ted Lasso” and “The Morning Show” that marketers would undoubtedly want to capitalize on.

Some of Apple’s Big Tech competitors have expressed disapproval of the company’s growing ad presence. However, since so many streaming platforms are entering the ad-tier market, Apple TV+’s decision will be considerably simpler to defend.

Apple Inc. owns and runs Apple TV+, a paid streaming service available in the United States. It debuted in 2019, and it offers a variety of original movies and TV shows under Apple Originals production.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

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