In the beginning of the term, when I saw the course is just worth 0.5 credits, I had thought that it’s going to be really easy course. However, when the classes have started, I realized that this course consists of the major things I need to know and learn as a Business student. Thus far, I haven’t had any proper resume or cover letter in my life, I even haven’t known the points that I should pay attention, such as; accomplishment sentences, the format, the order etc… thus, with the help of the Comm299 (both lecture and tutorial session), I learnt lots of crucial things about writing resume, cover letter and interviews. I’m sure that these information will help me in my future job experiences, for this reason I also believe that this course was really beneficial for me to find out my own strengths, weaknesses and the things that I should do. Apart from the lecture, in the tutorial, I had a chance to ask all of my questions, such as; what to wear for interviews and meetings, how to open conservation in networking events and how to write e-mail after the events. For all these reasons, even I needed to spend lots of effort for this course; I believe that it totally did worth to spend time on my personal business documents.
What did I learn in COMM299?
My Inspirational Brother
Throughout my life I was always with someone who inspired me, encouraged me in giving decisions and chasing after my dreams and made me believe myself until I achieved them. This person is my brother, who is 5 years older than me, and recently started working in my dream job as a marketing manager. He always took the initiative in his academical and social career, gave right decisions and reached his major goals of his life. He also inspired me by being determined, ambitious and brave. It’s doubtless that he is the one who opened my vision, helped me in exploring the world outside of the Turkey by studying in several countries and lastly in Vancouver! In other words, he showed me there is nothing called `impossible` in the life, it’s all about being yourself, knowing what your desires and achievements are. Especially in the last 8 months,when I was far away from my parents, he has been stepping into my parent’s shoes here in Vancouver, taking care of me and continuing guiding and encouraging me. I guess, the best thing he did which has inspired me deeply, was coming to Vancouver to study in Sauder School of Business. In a nutshell, from this blog, I want to say one more time `thank you` to him for inspiring me for what he was, what he is and what he will be in the future.
Ambush Marketing and The Official Sponsors in Beijing
In the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, there were 12 official global sponsors, spending a total $866 million on their sponsorship. The biggest two sponsors, “Tier TwoPartners” were the Coca Cola and the Adidas. Coca-Cola was by far the most successful brand in leveraging its sponsorship: Chinese consumers reported a 19% increase in their awareness of the brand after the Olympics compared with before, with nearly 60% of all Chinese consumers in September being aware that it was an Olympic sponsor.
Adidas was the brand that achieved the greatest uplift, with a significant 24% increase in consumer awareness and made all Chinese medalists to wore Adidas sportswear during the medal ceremony.The number of consumers who were likely to think more positively and more likely to purchase the brand following the Olympics both increased more than 30%.
However, there existed also some brands such as, local sportswear retailer, “Li Ning”, who was not an official sponsor but brand awareness soared from 8% in April 2008 to 21% after the Games. Which can be also called; “Ambush marketing” and run TV spots featuring gymnasts and basketball players and was sponsoring the U.S. Olympic Ping-Pong team. ,
Such “ambush marketing” is paying off, as many consumers believe nonsponsors have an official link to the Games. While the Beijing organizers have gone after dozens of Chinese companies for illegally using the five-ring logo in ads, which was not ethical regarding the official sponsors who paid millions of dollars to be recognized during the olympics.
According to these points, I think, ambush marketing should be prevented especially in such global events, otherwise it will create a distrustful environment for potential sponsors and may damage the event as
they won’t be able to find any official supporter.
Palo Alto Networks Selected As Global Entrepreneurial
Palo Alto Network is the network security company, who is recenly announced that they have received the prestigious recognition of Frost & Sullivan’s “2010 Global Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award” for its accomplishments in the firewall market. The company has been growing since its founding in 2005 and they hav some of the leading and most influential industry leaders at the helm. Due to their “entrepreneurial” structure, the criteria which were used to benchmark Palo Alto Networks’ performance against key competitors includes the followings:
- Growth Strategy Excellence
- Growth Implementation Excellence
- Degree of Innovation with Products and Technologies
- Leadership in Customer Value
- Speed of Response to Market Needs
The above criterias include the factors which are compatible with the Austrian Economist Joseph Schumpeter’s definitions ; “new products, new production models, new market and new forms an organization.”It’s also obviously seen from the above criteria’s that; the amount of wealth and speed of creation, the ability to take risks and lastly the possible potential for innovation, which are forming the basic structures of the Entrepreneurial company, the reason why the company has been elected as global entreprenurial is because the company provides and meets with all of these requirements.
According to Frost & Sullivan, customers consider firewall technology to be unchanged and indistinguishable from one vendor to another and this will cause customers to choose their conpany.
An entrepreneurial company can meet the possible challenges by introducing an evolutionary product or market strategy. In other words, providing new product to the market is one of the obvious difference between the Entrepreneurial company and small business. The introduction of a new technology is necessary in order to better protect customers, due to the constantly evolving nature of the threat landscape.
Forever 21 stores launch in the UK backed by Amber Le Bon
Forever21 was founded in Los Angeles in 1984 as Fashion 21. In the UK it is set to compete against the likes of Urban Outfitters H&M, Gap, Mango and New Look. This means that they need to be very efficient with their products and have a good forecast of demand in order to not to get behind the other brands. Forever21 adresses both youth and middle-aged female, who are searching for an outfit which is both cheap, chic and new fashion. They’re not as common as Zara(which is known as “fast fashion” and having high amount of variety), that’s why, they need forecasts which are likely estimated instead of likelyhood of the error and they need to solve their interfunction conflicts within the company or between the marketing and supply chain, to improve and increase their profits.
In this article, it’s seen that they’re launching some website to start online shopping, which allows more customers to learn and inform about the new comers. They’re also going to open some stores in the UK and it seems that it’s going to be a threat for other brands (especailly for Urbanoutfitters, as forever21 is cheaper than them and almost have the same style) as they’re expected to attract most of the customers.
In other words, if Forever21 continues growing and developping as time passes, it’s possible that they’re going to be a part of the highly competitive market very soon.
Blockbuster Collapses: Shutting Down 500 Stores In Desperate Bid To Save $200 Million
Blockbuster company has been loosing big and already been beat to the punch. Blockbuster is having a difficult time in growing in its area because of arising of the new companies such as ; “Netflix” and “Redbox”.Applications of Apple,How to make money by using MIS?
It’s already known that, the demands for apple products have been continually increasing. Furthermore, every apple (Iphone or Ipad) customers download applications according to their interest. In order to download these applications, each customer should get an account from Itunes and give their credit card numbers. Even most of the applications are free, some of them aren’t such as; skype, guitar hero, advanced games and albums etc. Their prices mostly fluctuate between $0.99 and $4.99. Because of they seem very few, most of the people have been downloading these applications (including me!). But if every apple customer thinks like that and dowload the applications, can you imagine how much money can Apple make? It’s stated that there are about 21 million people who use Iphone among the world, and when this number is multiplicated with at least $0.99, we can easily see how much money they make just from the applications.
The example above clearly shows the benefits of the MIS (the leadership and management of IT-infused organizations)). By using this strategy, MIS has brought in money to companies not only from the applications but also from the online pages such as facebook or forums in which sometimes you need to pay some fee in order to get involved some groups or games.
Ipone 3GS vs 4
After reviewing the positioning of the brands, the positioning of the new Iphone 4G came into my mind. Apple as a growing company, producing some new technologies almost twice in a year! In each time, they should come up with a brand new way to keep the consumers needs in a same level and make them satisfy with their new product. For Iphone 4G, they chose a brand name, which is similar to “3GS” . In my opinion the name of the product is very effective in reflecting that the new model is well-equipped than “3GS”. The touch screen function and the main system of the phone is same with Iphone 3GS, furthermore, the phones are shown parities by their sizes and weighs. On the other hand, it has some distinctive specialities which attract the consumers such as: having larger battery enduring time, flash, front camera(which provides camera call), 5MP camera e.t.c.
Because of the cost of this phone is more than Iphone3GS, 4G is more expensive than that, but I believe that if the consumer is able to think the opportunity cost of buying the 4GS, he/she is going to realize that it2s more beneficial and logical to buy Iphone4G. To sum up, Apple did a great job while positioning the new Iphone to the markets (successing in keeping the balance of disparities and parities with the Iphone3GS). Their success can also obviously seen from the phone companies reports, which are
stated that they all run out of their stock and have waiting lists include of thousands of people.
Starbucks Tells Village Shop To Remove ’lookalike’ Sign!
Although it’s stated as an ”innocent mistake” by the owner of the Boulders cafe which is in a small town, the discussions between the ”Starbucks” and ”the Boulders cafe” are still ongoing because of some of the customer told that he had gone into Boulders Coffee Lounge because he believed it was a Starbucks store and was disappointed to find that it was not.
In my opinion, even the owner of the Boulders cafe defines their logo as an ”innocent” mistake, it’s very obvious that over the 40 years Starbucks’ name and logo have come to mean great coffee and service to the millions of Starbucks consumers around the world. By this reason, I claim that this issue forms an example for ”deception in advertising”, and because of this, for me, what Boulder cafe has for its logo, not conform to any ethical issues!
BP Finally Seals Leaking Gulf of Mexico Oil Well
The ruptured well that has spewed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico has finally been sealed. The disaster has caused an environmental nightmare to hundreds of miles of Gulf of Mexico. Because of its harmful effects, it brought the demission of BP chief executive, Tony Havyard. Obama named this process”Milestone”, and he added that ”This road will not be easy, but we will continue to work closely with the people of the Gulf to rebuild their livelihoods and restore the environment that supports them.”
The financial lost of this disaster also has been massive to BP. In the early August, it’s announced that almost the three quarters of the oil had been cleaned up and broken by natural forces. despite that”optimistic” announcement, in my opinion, it’s not an ethical way to think that the remain quarter will be ”degrading quickly”! In my opinion, this disaster shouldn’t be forgotten that fast as it has left lasting effects to the nature, local economy, wildlife and ecosystem!