In the name of fashion…

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A young women with heavy makeup and stilettos modelling a dress, that has a cutting that goes down to the waist, poses “seductively” in a high-end fashion magazine, like Vogue.

There’s nothing unusual about that.

But…

What if that model was just a 10-year old child?  Is it still alright for her to wear a dress that cuts down to the waist, even if she was posing for Vogue Enfants (Vogue Kids)? And under which circumstances would this be appropriate?

Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau is the child model I’m talking about and that was her photo shoot in Vogue Enfant, which brought up the issue of the “sexualisation of children in advertising and media”.

This issue affects children. Some children consider the models in fashion magazines to be their role model and when they see other children (same age) wearing makeup or wearing certain clothes, they want to fit in to their role model’s culture (visible artifact – behaviour, dress) by dressing like them. Even if the model doesn’t usually dress or look as he/ she does in magazines, viewers of the magazines are still under the impression that the look on the magazine is what is the accepted norm because not many people get to see what the model looks like on a daily basis.

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On the news, I hear about how the police has once again broken up another international child pornography ring, which the article has mentioned as  “one of the most pernicious ills of our era”, and the amount of people they arrested; but when a fashion magazine puts up pictures of children in seductive poses, I can’t help but wonder if these pictures are helping to fuel the sick fantasies of these people.

I believe that Vogue Enfants should consider the appropriateness of its advertised clothes for its target market (children and parents). Does persuading this group to buy clothes really need seductive poses?

Starbucks: Reaching Out to the Public

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The blog, Ideas in Action Blog,  gives insight as to how a big company such as, Starbucks, reaches out to its customers.  Readers can leave comments, which are valuable feedback to the company, under the post. Comments allow the company to reflect on which products are popular and potential complaints, similar to a survey conducted through market research. The blog also lets its readers know about special promotions and new products through posts from the product manager. This blog post, for example, talks about the holiday beverages promotion that Starbucks is offering this year.

Furthermore, the blog also serves as a news outlet for Starbucks. A special thing about Starbucks’s blogs posts are that some are written by product managers! This blog post chooses to close with a question, “What’s your favourite holiday beverage?”. By doing this, the blogger encourages readers to comment below; hence enforcing what I mentioned previously about market research. Through these comments, Starbucks can be inspired to create and improve their beverages.

QR (Quick Response) Codes

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We’ve seen them on Skytrain platforms or just hanging out at the mall. The tiny square with smaller squares inside that is located in some corner of the advertisements. What I’m talking about are QR Codes.

QR Code (Wikipedia Mobile Page)

Originally designed by Toyota’s Denso Wave to track the vehicle manufacturing process, in 1994, have now become what companies use as part of their marketing campaign.

At the time of production, Denso Wave created a new product, the QR Code. It was capable of “storing more information” and took up less space than barcodes.

In the age of smartphones, Denso Wave have created a new market, the advertising firms targeting smartphone users. These firms recognized the effectiveness of allowing a customer to simply scan a code with their smartphone; both parties gains valuable information over the Internet through its use.

By entering a new market, the company runs the risk of having its product be ‘rejected’ by its customers.

Next Round: Apple vs. Acer

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In response to Han-Ching Chang’s blog post about the competition between Apple and Acer, I feel that Apple, currently, still have the first-mover advantage. The basis for this competition is that Acer has launched a lighter and thinner laptop (Aspire S3) than Apple’s Macbook. More importantly, Acer’s price is below that of Apple’s. This puts the Aspire S3 in substitute competition with the Macbook.

Since the Macbook is already established as a light and thin laptop, Apple has gained a strong foothold targeting these customers. Prior to the Aspire S3, Apple was able to set high prices and people were still willing to buy the product because of the benefits that a light laptop could give. With the introduction of the Aspire S3, Apple’s market share in the lightweight laptops category will be reduced. Further reduction is expected as Lenovo is also planning to produce lightweight laptops as well.

I agree with Han-Ching that the more “cost-conscious” customers will gravitate towards Acer’s product; however, those who buy Apple products for the name and prestige will without a doubt remain faithful to Apple.

Recipe for Profit

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The familiar phrase of “’You can’t cut your way to profit’” doesn’t true anymore, at least not for small business, as posted by the Globe and Mail.

The 5 steps listed are:

1. Develop a Spend Strategy
The importance of an effective strategy proves to be able to reduce spending, and with reduced costs, the break-even point will be lowered.

2. Just One is Never Enough
You would have a higher risk if you put your money all on one thing.

3. Consolidate and Leverage
Suppliers will tend to give a lower price, if you order the large quantity (Ex. Costco), thus, reducing your costs. However, what if your business doesn’t need a large quantity, how would you obtain that reduced cost? By inviting other retailers to orders together, everyone can benefit from the lower price.

4. Manage Relationships
Maintaining a close relationship with the supplier is important because you depend on them to deliver the products in a timely manner. Furthermore, it never hurts to have a strong and trustworthy network.

5. Monitor Progress
Last, but not least, monitoring the progress of the business is always important. Since the economy is volatile, anything can happen!

Profit Growth

On the topic of food…

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As I chanced upon Stephen He’s post about “The Horrors of Dining Out in China“, I recalled my own personal trip to China and the restaurants I visited there.

I completely agree with Stephen that eating out is unavoidable as a visitor. Additionally, the statistic that one in ten times we dine out we will come across “gutter oil” is truly frightening.

I understand that competition within the restaurant industry is ruthless and that price and taste are important factors in determining the success of a business. However, cutting price by using the cheaper (and more disgusting substitute) “gutter oil”,is unacceptable.

Not only is it bad press if the restaurant is found out, but it can also harm customers’ health. Even if a specific restaurant isn’t found out, as Stephen said, “[customers’] willingness to dine out decreases”. After all, your health is worth more than the little bit of money you save when you purchase a dish. To the restaurant owner, it is also a better choice to not use “gutter oil” as it would show that you care about the customer, which will help build customer loyalty in these greasy times.

Your food has arrived!