Month: September 2011

Brand recognition among consumers is a key factor to establishing the firm’s position in the market. A major aspect of a company’s image is its logo; it is what sets the business apart from the rest of its competitors, as well as providing the firm with character and sense of individuality. Starbucks is a prime example of a company that has built strong brand awareness. In doing so, Starbucks has fortified confidence within its industry and with its consumers. A demonstration of this confidence was the unveiling of Starbucks’ new logo to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The new logo has dropped “Starbucks Coffee”, leaving behind only the prominently seen green, two-tailed siren. This change shows that Starbucks has gained such strong customer loyalty and brand awareness, in which allowed them to be recognized only by its logo alone, following the footsteps of Apple and Nike. Redesigning a familiar logo is a risky move as consumers may reject or have negative sentiments towards such revisions as exemplified by Gap’s failed attempt to change its classic blue box logo. To be successful, a logo must be simple yet distinctively reflecting the company’s products and services as well as its culture and values.

Picture sources:
http://catchwordbranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TheGreenDot.jpeg

http://www.catholicmatch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Gap-Logo.jpg

Articles cited: http://business.financialpost.com/2011/01/05/fp-marketing-starbucks-gets-a-new-logo/

http://mashable.com/2010/10/11/gap-logo/

A certain delicacy in Chinese culture is one that is subjected to much criticism on the practice behind preparing it. Known to be practically tasteless, a traditional dish known as shark-fin soup is attracting much attention in recent times due to an ever-growing number of endangered sharks around the world. For an item that commands such a high price in the markets, shark fins are becoming a more sought out commodity by restaurant owners, as the increasing demand for the soup is prevalent among the global Chinese communities. A barbaric act known as finning, hunters kill approximately tens of millions of sharks each year. With only the animal’s prominent dorsal fin pursued as the prized possession, the rest of the body is thrown back into the ocean alive. Historically, finning has forced species to the brink of extinction. Only recently has the issue begun to surface amongst society; in certain parts of the world, the cuisine has been banned. For the sake of tradition, the immoral practice cannot be justified as it is heavily outweighed by the costs of altering the oceanic ecosystems. One has to realize that the lavish appearance of shark-fin soup isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

Watch the video that inspired my blog post here: The Cruelty of Shark Fin Soup

Picture source:
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/images/sharkfinsoup1.jpg

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/images/finned-sharks-ocean.jpg

Sino-Forest Corporation was once the largest publicly traded Chinese forest-products company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange with a market cap of $6 billion. Since 1994, the company primarily engages in the acquisition, cultivation and sale of wood fiber, timber trading, and manufacturing. However, the company’s chief executive has stepped down, after the Ontario Securities Commission accused the company of potential fraud and suspended trading in its shares on the TSX. This comes after an allegation that Sino-Forest was overstating the amount of timber it owned, published by Muddy Waters Research, a firm that “sees through appearances to a Chinese company’s true worth”, and which shorted Sino-Forest’s stock. However, the fact that Muddy Waters only exposed the fraud to short sell the stock while raking in immense profits is disgustingly immoral. Thousands of shareholders lost their life-savings as the stock plummeted from its highest at $26.64 in March to becoming worthless. Justice may have been served but the regulators should have forewarned large brokers and give them a chance to “buy out” the report because the real victims are ordinary citizens who have entrusted their money in the wrong hands. Sometimes, justice does more harm than good to people.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/sinoforest/osc-alleges-fraud-at-sino-forest/article2143054/

Picture source: http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01312/WEB-forest_jpg_1312916cl-8.jpg

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