When Apple released plans to launch the Apple watch, investors and employees of the Swiss Watch Market panicked. Apple is constantly creating new opportunities for themselves by entering and exploring new markets. Most consumers would assume this release would threaten many of the worlds oldest watch companies; however, my analysis after reading several articles has proven the opposite.

Currently, very few people under the age of thirty wear watches, but with the release of the Apple watch, it makes them relevant again. Yes, during the day, one may wear the beneficial Apple watch, as it can perform tasks such as checking your heart rate to paying transactions. However, it is unlikely  the device one would wear out to formal events-people may be inspired to purchase an actual watch for nightlife. Furthermore, it may encourage people who wore an Apple watch in their youth to purchase a Swiss watch as they mature. Secondly, the concept revolving around the Apple watch is extremely different from the one that applies to luxury markets and therefor, it applies to different consumers. Swiss watches are timeless, demonstrating craftsmanship, and status. The Apple watch changes as technology changes, new models being released yearly. The Swiss Watch market appeals to an upper class market while the Apple watch appeals to the mass-market. However, the Apple watch crosses over, complimenting the niche market Swiss watch makers have created, without endangering it.

References:

http://www.economist.com/news/business/21616975-traditional-watchmakers-are-confident-they-can-see-apples-new-bauble-its-not-about-time

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-raffaelli/apple-watch_b_5823842.html

The billion-dollar oil and energy company, Enbridge, has faced its fair share of negative publicity over the years. It has had an inability to safeguard oil and prevent spills from occurring. For example in 2007, a pipeline in Wisconsin cracked, spilling over 50,000 barrels of oil on a farmland. It appears to the public that this company may be run by arrogant leaders who lack ethics and have little concern for the surroundings that these pipelines are built in. In the past, Enbridge failed Freedmen’s Stakeholder Theory on many accounts. With regards to this spill, Enbridge alienated the community and the environment; therefor, it could be said that they were a company whose future was uncertain, possibly in decline.

With regards to Enbridge’s new plan, which will move bitumen oil from Alberta to BC and out to international markets, they have taken a more ethical approach in dealing with Canada’s citizen. This time, Enbridge is attempting to maximize profits for its shareholders, while remaining decency in the country and community by thoroughly explaining there safety procedures and negotiating with First Nations and the Northern Communities.

http://www.enbridge.com

http://www.pembina.org/blog/639

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