On November 10, 2013 Liam Whelan made a blog post about an innovative new airbag aiming to ensure bikers’ safety while attempting to address people’s concerns about the inaesthetic appearance of common helmets.

A Woman Wearing A Hövding Airbag

Although it might not make sense to risk one’s own well-being because of an aesthetic concern, it is true that many people refuse to wear helmets when cycling, especially if they use bikes as a means of transportation and not for a professional purpose. Hövding’s award-winning airbags are products reflecting intelligent design and comprehensive intelligence. They respond to the data collected by sensors and which detect any abnormal, measurable movement that may result from an accident. The product has been tested many times and has proven to be effective.

I personally believe that using technology to tackle problems people face within their daily lives is the most effective way of utilizing innovation because these products will be the ones most sought-after and they possibly will improve the quality of living standards for the society. Therefore, entrepreneurs should observe patterns in the society to better understand, and thus better attend to people’s needs. The most important reason behind Hövding’s success is the fact that it took initiative to create a product that creates a large value for customers.

Link to Liam Whelan’s Blog Post:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/liamwhelan/2013/11/10/hovding-setting-a-new-standard-in-swedish-safety/
Link to Hövding’s Website:
http://www.hovding.com/en/
Photo Taken From:
http://chicest.wordpress.com/tag/hovding/

Ramona Teinilä made a blog post about how North American airlines charge customers additionally for all extra services including priority check-ins, individual food preferences or larger leg room, whereas the case is different in many other parts of the world.

I wanted to mention this issue on my blog because I find it relevant to my life. Going back and forth from Turkey to Canada, I notice important differences in the way airlines operate. Turkish Airlines (THY) is usually regarded as a relatively expensive airline to travel with. However, when customers traveling from Turkey to Northern America purchase a THY ticket, they do not only pay to be seated, but they also get supplementary benefits including the right to carry not one but two baggages of 23 kilograms, access to in-flight entertainment through a system provided by the airline and catering services that address specific needs and preferences. Although there are ways to upgrade tickets to business or comfort classes for further luxury, all THY customers benefit from services that would be considered essential. For THY, attending to passengers’ needs results in a highly satisfied customer base.

Economy Class in a THY Flight

The picture is quite different for most airlines in Northern America where passengers are charged an extra amount for almost everything other than their seats. Moreover, customers end up paying the same amount to these airlines to eat quality food and to travel with their baggages. As Ramona stated, these different approaches to pricing result from different business strategies. In my opinion, being one of the highest-quality airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines seems to be on the right track.

Link to Ramona’s Blog Post:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/ramonateinila/2013/11/17/24/
Photo taken from:
http://www.netflights.com/flights/airline-info/airlines/turkish-airlines/turkish-airlines-cabins.aspx
Link to Turkish Airlines Webpage:
http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/

The global news article dated November 15 mentions Lululemon’s founder Chip Wilson’s comments on women’s body types in a recent interview. Addressing the complaints regarding Lululemon products, Wilson said “some women’s bodies do not work for their pants.” His comments caused outrage among many women who accused him of implying that some body types are more preferable.

It seems like Wilson is following the footsteps of Mike Jeffries, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, who stated in an interview in 2006 that A&F wants  “to market to cool, good-looking people” and that some people “can’t belong” to A&F.

Founder Chip Wilson With Lululemon Logo

It is upsetting to see companies distinguish between possible customers according to their appearances. Although targeting specific customer segments is beneficial for businesses, doing so based on size, “coolness” or “attractiveness” is neither acceptable nor ethical. The founder Wilson’s remarks are likely to cause problems for the company.

More importantly, people who have the opportunity to reach many others should consider how their words or actions might affect the society. If Wilson wants to make his apology genuine, a good step forward might be to actually take action and improve quality to resolve customers’ problems rather than putting the blame on body types. Lululemon could eventually expand and launch larger sizes in its stores.

Resources:
http://globalnews.ca/news/970904/petition-asks-lululemon-founder-to-apologize-and-make-clothes-for-women-of-all-sizes/
http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-wants-thin-customers-2013-5

Photo Taken From:
http://lylestafford.com/2012/08/08/207/

Koc Holding is one of Turkey’s largest and most powerful conglomerates. The Koc Group is engaged in different industries including finance, energy, automotive and white goods. Owning many leading companies within various sectors, Koc Holding achieved international growth.

However what sets Koc apart is not only that it is one of the most influential corporations in Turkey, but also the value they place on corporate social responsibility. The Koc Group understands that every establishment has a responsibility towards the society it is founded in, and follows the footsteps of founder Vehbi Koc by carrying out projects aiming to enrich their community.

In collaboration with the Vehbi Koc Foundation, Koc Group actively contributes to health and education as well as supporting cultural and economic growth by establishing research centers and museums, offering scholarships to students and assistance to other non-profit organizations and carrying out projects designed to encourage improvements in the educational system and the cultural environment.

The project’s competition poster

Koc Holding’s successful, award-winning project “Meslek Lisesi Memleket Meselsi”, which changed the lives of more than 8000 students by awarding them with scholarships, was recently made into a book. Koc Group’s accomplishments will hopefully lead the way for all other businesses in Turkey.

Researches:
http://www.zaman.com.tr/ekonomi_8-bin-meslek-liselinin-hayati-bursla-degisti_2163405.html
http://www.koc.com.tr/en-us/corporate-social-responsibility/

Photo taken from:
http://www.mesleklisesimemleketmeselesi.com/tr-TR/BasindaMLMM/Etkinliklerimiz

How can businesses find the best strategies to maximize customer satisfaction?
Certainly by knowing what their customers want or need and then shaping their services accordingly.

Netflix seems to have acknowledged the importance of giving customers what they are looking for. Therefore, when deciding which TV shows or movies to purchase, Netflix considers customers’ tastes and preferences. The company collects data about its customer segments and uses the data to better serve its subscribers by offering relevant services that create a value for customers. And where does the data come from?

In “How Netflix Knows Who Wants To Watch What”, Nick Taylor-Vaisey mentions that Netflix gathers information from file-sharing websites. Once Netflix knows which movies or shows people have been searching for, it simply offers the popular, highly demanded ones at a reasonable price. The convenience of using Netflix instead of trying to find these files online -and waiting for them to be downloaded- seems to be creating a comparative advantage for the company.

Netflix is only one of the many successful businesses using this technique. Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are large companies that seek to learn more about their users and format their content to correspond to the overall demand.

Link to Nick Taylor-Vaisey’s Blog on Maclean’s:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/10/10/pirate-raid-22/

Image taken from:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/netflix-publishes-isp-speed-index/

In the 21st century, with the rapidly growing technology, people have fast access to information. Branding allows companies to use this easy access to data to their advantage, by making sure that the information consumers get is parallel to the image that managers want to create for their companies. Therefore, branding has become an essential stage in creating successful businesses.

Brand managers constantly search for the best possible way of approaching customers in order to create strong brand identities. In “The Branding Power Of The Prank”, Julia Kirby talks about how some companies used April 1st pranks as a means of advertising. Google, Twitter and Sony have already “jumped on the bandwagon” and got the sought-after attention from customers.

Google’s April Fools’ prank: Intrdocuing Google Nose

Humour is certainly an interesting and creative approach to branding. Without a doubt, seeing a company contribute to the joy of April Fools’ day influences consumers’ perception of the company -or what the company offers- positively, and more importantly, makes that company and its brand more relatable. Moreover, giving employees a chance to enjoy April Fools’ alongside their company might result in increased motivation. Who knew April Fools’ day could be the unique opportunity that brand managers were looking for?

Link to Julia Kirby’s HBR Blog:
http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/04/the-branding-power-of-the-pran/

Photo taken from:
http://smartbusinesstrends.com/7-april-fools-2013-pranks-by-businesses/

In the past few months, the ongoing riot in Turkey affected thousands of people’s lives as well as certain businesses in the country. Turkish riot started as an environmental protest against the abolishment of Gezi, a park located in Taksim, Istanbul. However, the outrageous approach of the policemen towards the protestors turned it into something much bigger: “Direnis”. Suddenly Direnis became a nation-wide protest against injustice, violence, the abuse of human rights and freedom. The riot was unique in the sense that the only weapon used by the protestors was humour. Turkish society showed the power of unity against forces threatening their freedom. Gezi became a symbol of liberty.

Unfortunately, the government’s response was violence and censorship. They did not understand the humour or the unity that was the foundation of Direnis. During such hardships, some businesses preferred putting their own benefits before those of the society. Mass media did not mention what was considered to be a nation-wide awakening. Others closed their doors to people seeking refuge from tear gas.

These events brough about an important question: Can a business be ignorant to society’s needs and problems, and still succeed? The answer is no. Currently various businesses, including numerous mass media companies, are being boycotted by the society in Turkey. The decline in their sales is significant, not to mention the damage to their reputations. This proves that no business can exist without maintaining a strong, healthy relationship with the society. The one thing that is more important than the service a company provides is people’s perception of it. Businesses can not neglect the people surrounding them and expect to get away with it. That is neither possible nor ethical.

Picture taken from:
http://www.marmaragazetesi.com/galeri/gezi-parkina-direnis-198.html?resim=4

A recent CBC article references Interbrand’s “World’s Best Brand” rankings, stating that this year Apple replaced Coke as the number one brand in the world. The company is constantly praised for having loyal customers and its approach to business is popular within the target market. But what makes Apple so unique?

It is possible to say that simplicity and organization are the foundation of the strong brand identity Apple has managed to create. The company is well known for frequently improving and renewing itself. The process of perpetually updating the products in accordance with the latest available technology requires careful planning and a well imposed, effective structure. One significant characteristic that distinguishes Apple from most of its competitors is that instead of trying to come up with too many products in a relatively small period of time, Apple prioritizes making sure that each new product surpasses the existing ones. While doing so, the company also maintains the simplistic approach that has been essential in the promotion of the brand’s identity. Seeing how Apple’s consumers anticipate the release of the upcoming products each year, one can argue that simplicity and organization are just enough to climb the ladder of success.

Resources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apple-surpasses-coke-as-world-s-best-brand-1.1873259

Picture taken from:
http://www.megatechnews.com/apple-attempting-trademark-startup/

Until recently, Starbucks’ policy toward gun control was to stay out of the debates and let its stores adhere to the laws of the states they are located in. However, activities carried out by gun rights advocates and anti-gun protestors in Starbucks stores put the company in the midst of the arguments. Recently, CEO Howard Schlutz requested in a letter that customers do not bring firearms into stores.

Howard Schlutz, the CEO of Starbucks

Although Schlutz’s letter was a kind request, it brought about an intense reaction from a group of gun rights advocates. There is a chance that Starbucks will face some form of boycott but this does not necessarily mean the company will lose business. In contrary, Starbucks’ approach is more likely to generate positive results, as customers who were previously concerned about the presence of firearms in the stores will feel safer within store boundaries knowing that the company’s priority is to ensure customer safety. Starbucks is putting an end to any suppositions affiliating the company with groups promoting or opposing gun control, thus proving that the company is ready to risk losing business in order to speak up for the customers’ needs. From an ethical standpoint, Starbucks is on the right track.

Resources:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/09/guns-and-coffee
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/starbucks-gun-letter-companies-political-role

Photo taken form:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/4675842/Starbucks-executives-to-miss-out-on-pay-rises.html

It was reported that in a number of hospitals belonging to the hospital chain HCA, doctors had been performing unnecessary heart procedures on patients. When performed on people who do not require them, these procedures might result in fatal consequences. According to the New York Times article, the health conditions of a numerous patients have been negatively affected by the procedures. The HCA hospitals are concerned more about their bottom lines than patients’ health.

HCA Recruitment Website’s Banner

HCA’s doctors have been taking advantage of patients’ vulnerability and lack of knowledge. It is distressing to think that the doctors we trust with our lives, would risk patients’ well-being simply to increase profits. We always hear about companies violating business ethics. However, it is much more shocking and disturbing when the company neglecting ethics is a hospital, perhaps because what is at risk here is not only the customers’ money but also their lives.

In today’s competition-driven world, the primary goal for most businesses is to maximize profits to secure their place in the market. Similar to the situation with HCA, most executives feel as if they have to make a choice between developing the business and functioning with respect to ethical concepts. However, for long term success, executives should acknowledge that following business ethics is an essential part of the growing process. Therefore, there is no such thing as business versus ethics, its either business with ethics or failure.

Resources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/business/hospital-chain-internal-reports-found-dubious-cardiac-work.html?pagewanted=all

Photo taken from:
http://www.hcarecruitment.com