Bright Nights at Forest Park

Here are some pictures from my first trip to Bright Nights at Forest Park. The light display they put on is quite impressive. You can read more about the lights presentation on their website at: http://www.brightnights.org.

Recent Struggles by Netflix

It seems like yesterday I was writing about the unprecedented success of Netflix in the online marketplace. When I published that article on my blog, Netflix seemed to have the secret equation to success. Its track record as a company proved this through steady growth and customer loyalty. Subscriber numbers were nearing 25 million and their stock price peaked on July 13th at $298.73 per share.

1 Year Netflix Stock Numbers

Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NFLX

Then, a series of "worst case scenarios" occurred. Netflix decided to change its pricing structure. The almost too good to be true Unlimited Streaming and DVD option changed from a flat $9.99 to two separate prices of $7.99 for each service. To quote the Netflix e-mail I received on July 12th: "Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs." Many people felt they were being taken advantage of and tricked into a higher payment option. This lead to a public outcry on social media that diminished the value and trust of the company name.

On September 19th, an e-mail apology directly from co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings went out to all Netflix customers, which began with: "I messed up. I owe you an explanation." The additional details of the e-mail can be found on the Netflix blog, but in the end, Hasting's gave what appeared to be a genuine apology for the pricing change and explained the difficulty that had occurred in the transition from mailing DVD's to streaming services.

Finally, the elusive Qwikster company name emerged. Netflix would move all of their DVD subscriptions and services to a new domain name and company name. The goal was to differentiate the two services and distinguish Qwikster as a separate unique company. This too ended with an e-mail on October 10th saying the Qwikster strategy had been aborted and all services would stay at Netflix.com.

3 Year Netflix Stock Numbers

Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NFLX

The end result of this difficult summer for Netflix is a company that still has great services, but looks weak in the public eye. In one year, their stock fell 57.01%. Ironically, its three year growth is still at 207.35% and its five year growth is at a slightly weaker 160.96%. Do these numbers mean Netflix is a bad company? In my view, no. Do these numbers mean Netflix had a bad year? Undoubtedly yes. Companies in many ways are like people. They have good years and bad years and sometimes put together the pieces for years where they completely dominate the competition. Technology based companies are specifically competitive because there are always many companies vying for first place. When a company like Netflix dominates the field, there are many companies, such as Hulu, Amazon and Blockbuster, waiting to take customers and gain loyalists as a result of recent Netflix missteps.

At the end of all of this, I still enjoy Netflix and think they offer a great service. Could they have done a better job this past year, of course. But, the service they offer is still great and I'm more than happy to pay $7.99 a month to watch a library of thousands of movies and television shows that stream directly to my television. Netflix has the opportunity to regroup and rebuild its brand name but this will have to occur based on conscious decisions the company will make in years to come. In the end, Netflix will control its own destiny. This could mean re-stabilization or if they continue to falter in their decision making, it could mean loss of even more customers. I tend to think Netfix will be fine based on its long term track record as a dynamic company. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, it does make for an interesting media case study.

The Passing of Steve Jobs

Three years ago, I found myself working on the sales floor of the Apple Cube on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York. I had recently finished undergraduate school, and I moved in with my brother with big hopes of conquering New York. After several weeks of job hunting, I began training to sell products for one of my favorite companies, at one of their highest traffic locations in the world.

I stayed at Apple for one summer, but it only took me one summer to realize, Apple is much more than the hype and hoopla surrounding the company and its brand. As a child, the first computer my family had in our home was an Apple. Both of my parents worked in education for most of their adult lives, and as a result, the first computer my dad brought home from work was an Apple. Apple computers have been in my life for nearly 20 years; and I have seen how much the company has evolved. Steve Jobs was at the core of this evolution process.

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976 and, at the time of his death, was the Chairman of the Board for the company. In 2004, Jobs was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, but still managed to remain CEO of the company for the majority of the last seven years. With the passing of Steve Jobs, there will be many who question the stability of the company. In my view, this is where the true genius of Steve Jobs exists.

Jobs' legacy lives on in Apple and their products. From my summer with Apple and my nearly 20 years of using their products, I see Jobs' was able to create a brand and a product that is much larger than himself. The workers, the engineers and the managers at Apple are all a reflection of Jobs' genius and while the months to come will be a time of mourning for the Apple community, what Steve Jobs created was a vision and a dream that he passed on to all those within the company and to the millions who use Apple products. That vision did not die with Steve Jobs, instead it lives on through his legacy.

Pablo Picasso once said: "Everything you imagine is real." While some people may question this notion, it seems to be the idea that drove Steve Jobs and his success. Jobs imagined a technology company and he created Apple. Steve Jobs imagined an animation company and he created Pixar. In an era where imagination and innovation are frequently suppressed, imagination and innovation drove Steve Jobs and his companies.

If there is a lesson to be learned from Steve Jobs, it should be: learn to dream and dream big. You may not achieve everything you set out for, but if you attain a portion of those dreams, you should find success along the way. For that lesson, I want to say thank you, Steve.

"Family Time"

Despite a busy work and class schedule, it was nice to take some time this weekend to catch up with family.

On Saturday night, Lauren and I had my sister Jen and her fiance Matt over for a BBQ. We were able to put our new grill to use and we enjoyed burgers, hot dogs and salmon burgers. After dinner, we drove down to Windsor Locks and enjoyed ice cream at Dairy Cream. I'd forgotten how good their ice cream is and I'd also forgotten how timeless the sunsets in Windsor Locks are. The view below was taken from the front of Dairy Cream, overlooking Bradley International Airport.

The next day we headed to Bethlehem, CT with Lauren's parents to visit her sister, brother-in-law and their two kids for apple picking at March Farm. It has been a few years since I've gone apple picking and I enjoyed spending time outdoors and picking fresh apples.

The day at March Farm ended with a hay ride that took us through corn fields and to another section of apple trees they have in their orchard. I talked with the driver for a bit and the farm has an interesting history. It started in 1913 as a dairy farm and in 1984 was converted to an orchard. Now they have 250 acres and grow pumpkins, apples, strawberries and more. It was definitely worth the trip and I enjoyed seeing a part of the state of Connecticut that is new to me.

Back to School, Back to Facebook and Back to Work

Photography by: Philip Weinholtz

The theme to my last week has been: back to school, back to facebook and back to work.

After an enjoyable summer, I've headed back to the University of Hartford for more courses in the Graduate School of Communications. My classes this semester are: CMM 650 - Seminar in Communications with Dr. Ellis, CMM 620 - Special Topics in New Media and Organizations with Dr. Kovacic, CMM 521 - Managing Public Relations for Modern Corporations with Dr. Grantham and CMM 790 - Thesis Prep with my thesis adviser Dr. Grantham.

School alone should be enough to keep me busy, but I am finding time to take on several clients and projects. The easiest location to find my work is on my facebook consulting page, which can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/philweinholtz1.

I've also reactivated my personal facebook account. While the temporary break made for a nice summer, I always intended to reactivate my page. With school and clients, facebook makes it easier to keep in touch and stay up to date. Maybe I will take another break next summer.

Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me anytime.

Philip Weinholtz

Ireland Series: Our Last Day

While the wedding celebrations went on until the early morning hours, Lauren and I managed to make it to the Galway Coach Station for a 12:30 tour of the Cliffs of Moher.

The drive to the cliffs took a little over an hour and a half and when we arrived, Lauren's initial reaction was how much they had been developed since her last visit in 2006. According to our tour guide, there had been several deaths in recent years due to overly adventurous tourist who had been blown off the cliffs by large gusts of wind. While this may sound ridiculous, the rain and wind in Ireland is like nothing I've ever experienced and I can fully understand how tragedies could have occurred prior to the new constructions. Fortunately, it did not impede on the scenic views and pure grandeur of the Cliffs of Moher.

We returned to Galway by 6:30, just in time to walk through the downtown and shop street. As with the rest of our trips to Galway, the pubs were full, the shops were active and musicians lined the street. We quickly returned to our apartment and dressed for an evening farewell barbecue.

The barbecue quickly became the perfect conclusion to our Ireland trip. All of our friends, new and old, were there and while it was nice to see everyone for the last time, it was sad to think we would be on a flight back the following morning.

As with most good nights, the evening flew by. Last call was at 2:00 am and while everyone had a drink in hand, it seemed all too soon. While I accepted this was the end to our wedding vacation, our new Irish friends began to break out in song. As the singing grew from 2 to 4 to 6 to the entire bar, the bartenders began serving drinks again and kept the night going. The final song of the night was Don Mclean's American Pie and I could not imaging a more fitting end to our Irish experience.

To all our old friends who we shared this experience, I want to thank you and I look forward to doing it again soon. To all our new friends who we met on this trip, I want to thank you for making my wife, our friends and me feel welcome the entire week. I truly appreciate your hospitality and and I hope we will see each other again soon.

Ireland Series: Irish Wedding

On Friday morning, I woke up and went for a walk to shake off the night before. It was fun to reconnect with Lauren's friends, but today was the occasion that brought us all together, Benny and Lindsey's wedding.

Lauren, Meghan, Brennan and I took a cab to the Galway Cathedral and arrived just after 1:00 pm. The detail and grandeur of the church was amazing and marked a vital location within the city. When Lindsey arrived, she looked beautiful in her gown and was full of smiles.

The ceremony was a full mass and featured several readings and communion. It was nice to sit and view the beauty of the cathedral while Lindsey and Benny took their vows.

  
Following the church ceremony, we all headed over to the Hotel Meyrick for the reception. The Meyrick is a beautiful renovated hotel, built in 1852 and was the perfect location for the evenings celebrations.

The night started with a cocktail hour in the front lobby and continued upstairs in the ballroom. In true Irish wedding tradition, there were multiple toasts and speeches made from the wedding party, friends and family. The overall theme emphasized how two families, living on other sides of the globe, were able to join together and celebrate Lindsey and Benny's love for one other and in the process, cultural barriers that frequently keep nationalities apart were diminished.

 
My favorite speech of the night came from the groom, Benny. He began by thanking all of the guests for traveling near and far and quickly transitioned into this account of a recent trip he took to the States:

"There is a story, that Oscar Wilde once traveled from Ireland to the United States. When asked if he had anything to declare at the boarder, Wilde stated, 'I have nothing to declare but my genius'."

"Recently, I traveled to the United States and was asked this very question. Without hesitation I stated, 'All I have to declare is my love for Lindsey Keefe... AND THAT IS A FACT!'"

For anyone who knows Benny and Lindsey, this story perfectly encapsulates their love for one another, that an ocean could not keep apart.