E-cigarettes are an interesting substitute that not only rivals products such as Nicorette or other nicotine-filled chewing gums, but also rival the traditional cigarette.  It is a very efficient substitute as e-cigarettes are less harmful in that they do not contain tobacco and they are cost-efficient, as you only have to buy the one e-cigarette as opposed to continuously purchasing packs of the traditional cigarette.

(http://www.vapeatron.com/e-cigarette-models-update-kanger-e-cigs-added-186/)

Clarence Lam’s blog post “Technological Advances: Electronic Cigarette” caught my attention because I thought that the e-cigarette was such a brilliantly designed product.  It is a safer replacement for the average cigarette and it can also be used as a stepping-stone towards quitting smoking.  I thought that Clarence’s point about cigarettes becoming obsolete with the introduction of the advanced e-cigarette, was very probable.  With such a strong competitor in the market, cigarette companies definitely have a compelling threat to deal with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiNHv67Pa0

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiNHv67Pa0)

Another reason this post caught my eye is because my aunt actually has her own e-cigarette.  She has been a dedicated chain smoker for many years and realizing that the result of smoking multiple packs per day may not be so pleasant, she decided to attempt to quit by using an e-cigarette instead.  Although this choice is not completely the outcome that I was hoping for, at least she is no longer smoking cigarettes that would potentially be more hazardous for her health.  I thank the e-cigarette for pushing my aunt a step towards the right direction!

Sources:

http://digitaljournal.com/article/362055

https://blogs.ubc.ca/clarencelam/2013/10/08/technological-advances/

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dcde108e-47d3-11e3-b1c4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2kyMoeY64

Sleep is a luxury that people who work don’t always have…or do they?  Employees are busy trying to work enough so that they can pay bills, feed their families, and buy the goods and services that they want and need.  Work becomes the main priority so that they can achieve these objectives, so sleep sometimes gets put in the back burner as something that can be done later when there is “more time.”  This leads to tired employees that may not be able to function as well as they would if they had otherwise gotten more rest.  I happened upon the blog post by Liz Strauss called “Should You Allow Your Employees to Nap While on the Job?” and I thought that it was especially interesting because as a university student, getting enough sleep is also quite rare.  In the post Liz talks about how sleep deprivation cost US businesses $63 billion in lost productivity every year.  This is an enormous amount of money lost just because of a problem that can be so easily solved.  I thought that it was interesting how some companies are recognizing the colossal problem that is sleep deprivation in their employees, so they graciously allow them nap-time or designated nap rooms.

Employers realize that by allowing their employees to nap, they are promoting their worker’s well-being which ultimately leads to the company’s well-being because of enhanced performances and less sick days.

(http://thedementiaqueen.com/2012/12/get-some-sleep/)

Jawa, a software developer based in Scottsdale, Arizona, installed two nap rooms in their workplace.  The theme of one of the nap rooms is zen, having feng shui décor and earthy tones, while the other room is beach-themed with a unique sleeping pod.  By offering their employees space and time for rest, they are promoting their belief that their employees’ health and well-being are important to them.  This organizational culture that they have built caters to their employees needs and guarantees that their workers are happy and healthy.

Sleep does not have to be a fantasy anymore for those hardworking employees.  They no longer need to constantly wonder: What is sleep?  Sleep is available for them to take advantage of thanks to their wonderful employers.  Now only if UBC had some of these nap rooms…

(http://www.returnofkings.com/10565/10-surprising-facts-about-sleep)

Sources:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2010/11/15/why-power-naps-at-work-are-catching-on

http://www.successful-blog.com/1/should-you-allow-your-employees-to-nap-while-on-the-job/

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_northeast_valley/scottsdale/scottsdale-company-promotes-work-time-naps

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_36/b4193084949626.htm

(http://www.chnook.org/partner/the-arc-initiative/)

During the course of my high school career, I developed a passion for volunteering and helping out in my community.  I loved knowing that I helped make a difference, even in the smallest possible ways.  It has always been a dream of mine to go on humanitarian trips and experience what life is really like in the developing world.  Although this goal was definitely on my bucket list, I never imagined that I could combine my passion for volunteering with my passion for business, until I was introduced to the Arc initiative.

The Arc initiative is an opportunity for Sauder students to go to developing countries and provide aid in local communities by teaching aspiring entrepreneurs about business skills.  Using knowledge that the students learn in class, they help these entrepreneurs build upon their own business tool kits and in turn these entrepreneurs act as catalysts that improve their own communities’ economic well-being. I was so inspired by the stories that I heard and by the whole program itself.  The story of Tesfaye Mekonnen from Ethiopia was one that especially resonated with me.  Tesfaye creates paper, cards, and folders using banana plants.  It was so inspiring how even though his eco-paper factory is small and his methods of making the paper were simple and without modern technology he was still determined enough to accept the challenges of large orders, such as that of the Sauder folders.  His genuinely kind heart, and determination and drive to advance in his business venture makes him a great role model.  Overall I think that the Arc initiative is a fantastic channel for students to apply skills and concepts that they learned in class, while also helping other people achieve their goals and dreams.  It is definitely an opportunity that I want to be involved with in my future.

Sources:

https://startanevolution.ubc.ca/projects/the-arc-initiative/

https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-1691811-dt-content-rid-6151623_1/courses/SIS.UBC.COMM.101.105.2013W1.17408/Class%2021%20Arc%20Stories%202013.pdf

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/News/2012/Sauders_Arc_Initiative_mentors_entrepreneurs_in_Ethiopia

(http://www.ideatoappster.com/why-no-one-cares-that-you-can-save-snapchat-photos/)

Rejecting the powerful social media company, Facebook, is unheard of…unless you’re Snapchat.  I recently read Jennifer Zhen’s blog, “Snapchat on Facebook’s Wishlist,” and I strongly agreed with her opinions on the topic, and was therefore inspired to publish my own reasons for why I also believe that Snapchat should remain a separate entity.  Snapchat refused Facebook’s offer worth billions of dollars because the company feels as if in the future, they could be worth even more than the billions offered.  Their major backer, Benchmark Capital, was especially happy about this decision because of their previous disappoint with their investment in Instagram, who decided to sell to Facebook for a mere one billion last year.  Benchmark believes that SnapChat can survive as a stand-alone company and therefore should maintain its independence.

SnapChat started in 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, and is a service that lets users send videos and pictures that disappear after a certain length of viewing time.  This service looks to have a bright future as it offers a new, fun way for people to communicate with each other.  Spiegel and Murphy are entrepreneurs that have created a “vitamin” product that adds enjoyment to consumer’s lives (as opposed to alleviating a need as “painkillers” would).  They have also discovered an innovative way for users to maintain privacy in their communication, by allowing the pictures and videos to disappear.  Rejecting Facebook was a big, intelligent step towards establishing their autonomy in the social communication market.  David (Snapchat) seemingly showed Goliath (Facebook) who’s boss… yet again!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2frdBhxdIk)

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/technology/rejecting-billions-snapchat-expects-a-better-offer.html?_r=1&

http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-early-and-first-employees-2013-11

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/snapchat-rejects-facebook-s-3b-buyout-offer-report-1.2426180

https://blogs.ubc.ca/jenniferzhen/

West-Jet, an airline more commonly known for its trans-America flights, is on track to land some flights in Ireland.  The airline is planning to add four hour and fifteen minute-connecting flights to Dublin from Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and other cities in the airline’s network.  The non-stop flights will begin next June and will run on a seasonal basis from June to October.  Their measured venture into trans-Atlantic flights allows them to step-outside of their niche and explore possibilities for longer flights, especially endeavors into the European air space.

“ [This] is an opportunity for us to gain a better understanding of what it’s like to operate in Europe,” said WestJet spokesperson Robert Palmer.

(http://smartcanucks.ca/westjet-save-25-off-econo-fare-category-flights/)

Airline companies run the risk of bankruptcy if they become too ambitious and attempt to provide long-haul flights through the purchase of bigger planes, as we learned in Class 5, so West-Jet’s subtle and strategic approach to ease into these European flights is clever.  The key to their previous success lay in their ability to specialize in trans-America flights but by slowly expanding their niche they allow themselves to test their ability to gain profit from these new trans-Atlantic flights.  If this venture fails, the risk is not as great compared to if they hastily jumped into broadening their flight plans.  In the future, if all goes well, providing direct flights from Canada to Europe would definitely bring in more customers as it allows passengers to access Europe without having to go through major cities such as Toronto.

Sources:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-to-go-transatlantic-with-flights-to-dublin-1.2427850

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/864615241

Who knew that 140 characters could perhaps be worth $1.5 billion dollars?  Twitter Inc. is a social media company that is anticipated to go public, and according to Robert Peck, a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst who was first to rate the stock, twitter stocks could potentially reach $50 a share in the span of a year.  Twitter allows users to post about potentially anything, including promotions, thoughts, and views on public issues, with a limit of 140 characters.

“It is important for investors to look at Twitter beyond just a 140 character text.” ~Robert Peck

Investors could consider twitter as a highly anticipated stock that will offer many returns in the future.  When used effectively, twitter can expose messages that could reach thousands of viewers by the second.  Such was the case for billionaire Carl Icahn, who tweeted about buying Apple stocks, which then prompted Apple’s market capitalization to increase by $17 billion, within an hour of his posts.

Tweets can be used as promotion:

Twitter’s future seems to be a very bright one, and as companies continue to utilize twitter’s services to promote their own causes, twitter’s worth is bound to keep growing.  Companies can use twitter as a key channel in their business models as it is a brilliant way to raise awareness for their products and services to a wide audience, through advertising, e-commerce, and mobile applications (which are continually becoming an effective form of advertising as three quarters of twitter’s consumers are mobile users).  Twitter may even be able to follow suit with Facebook’s successes, including its recent rise as the world’s number one social network valued at $106 billion, and maybe even surpass it.  In today’s social media centered society, tweets are bound to turn into gold.

Sources:

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/10/07/twitter-gets-buy-rating-before-ipo/?__lsa=e605-748c

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/business/media/using-twitter-to-move-the-markets.html?ref=business&_r=0

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-facebook-shares-idUSBRE98A17W20130912

Would you change your child if you could?  Having a baby is a wonderful miracle; a gift of life to two joyous new parents.  But what if this beautiful gift was flawed, had defects, and potentially carried diseases that you have yet to find out about, would you still love them just the way they are?  23andMe is a company, based in California, that just recently received a patent for a calculator that would allow parents to look at what traits their baby would potentially possess, including eye colour and hair type, but it can also look at possible health issues that can affect the baby.  The new “Family Traits Inheritance Calculator” allows an individual to submit a saliva sample and then choose traits that they would like to know about for their future child.  Then the system compares your DNA with others to determine the best mate that would allow you to fulfill your chosen traits.

By cleverly using the differentiation strategy, 23andMe creates a unique product that appeals to a wide range of people.  They effectively used the knowledge that everyone wants a sickness-free, adept baby to create a product that will satisfy this need, but just because this device is available, should it be used?  Should parents not accept their offspring for everything that they are and they are going to be?

“A project like this would also be ethically and socially treacherous.” ~Marcy Darnovsky, Executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society

Some may argue that using genetics as a means of altering the structure of an infant, would be completely unethical and just plain wrong.  Parents should embrace their children, flaws and all.  Others may argue that by ridding them of their diseases and imperfections, you are saving your child from a lifetime of difficulties and emotional scars.  Whichever perspective you agree with, the fact that technology has evolved to allow such processes as genetic alteration cannot be denied as truly amazing.  By being a leader in the market for this new technology, 23andMe differentiates themselves to be a feasible highly profitable company.

Source:

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/10/07/build-a-baby-company-patents-genetic-calculator-raising-ethical-questions-about-which-traits-parents-should-be-able-to-know-and-choose/

Burger King seeks to expand its royal court by adding lower-fat French fries as one of its newest crown jewels.  The United States’ food industry is trying to lobby for healthier foods to try to reduce the astounding number of the one-third of Americans who are obese, and Burger King, the U.S.A’s third leading fast food chain, is trying to be a leader in the American fast food chain by jumping on this healthy food initiative.  Their new “Satisfries” have 270 calories and 11 grams of fat, compared to their regular, 340 calories and 15 grams of fat, fries.  This new product rivals the leading food chain, McDonald’s, famous fries by having 40 percent less fat and 30 percent fewer calories.  With so many benefits, why wouldn’t you choose this healthier option?

Using the low cost focus strategy, it’s only 30 cents more expensive than the regular fries’ price, at $1.89.  The new product’s narrow target market focuses on those citizens who aim to improve their eating habits while also maintaining the key aspect of convenience.  Their use of this strategy also utilizes their loyal customer base who will continue to take advantage of burger king’s deals while also being grateful for this refreshing new addition to their menu.  By using the unique and appropriate name of “satisfries”, burger king avoids the free-ride trap, by creating a new position in consumer’s minds by using a new name for their product, that effectively ties in with their innovative method of getting into the mind of the customer by being a leader and associating themselves as the first fast food chain to offer low fat fries.

Satisfries Advertisement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajesfE2ZGDY

But one can’t help but wonder, can fast food really be healthy?  Although these low fat fries are a great stepping-stone towards a healthier society, they are still no substitute for the traditional fresh greens.  Nevertheless, Burger King’s crafty approach to correlate themselves as a healthier fast food option is an intelligent way to truly make them king in an industry that is constantly attempting to evolve into a consumer-health concerned market.

Want to know more?  Watch this video!

idUSBRE98N09X20130924?videoId=273890576

Sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/24/us-burgerking-fries-idUSBRE98N09X20130924

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eglg45fkdjj/6-burger-king/

In light of the tragic event of 9/11, society mourns the heartbreaking losses that thousands of people experienced after the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City.  While some took time out of their day to visit memorials dedicated to their departed loved ones, others paid their respects by taking a moment of silence to remember those precious lives lost.  Still others, like AT&T, used this solemn day to further their business ventures by using this event to market their product.

AT&T, one of the largest wireless network companies in the USA, took advantage of this pivotal moment in history to promote their brand by posting a tweet of a hand holding a smartphone that displayed a picture of the Tribute in Light, two light beams on the site of the twin towers.

The company aimed to advocate their brand whilst recognizing the somber event, in an effort to “kill two birds with one stone.”  The public did not think this was a smart move and responses filled with outrage and disgust soon overshadowed the tweet.  People vocalized their disapproval and aimed negative criticisms towards the company.

Due to the enormous negative feedback from the public, AT&T later removed the tweet and issued an apology:

Like most of the public I have to wonder why AT&T would choose to advertise their brand in accordance with a subject as sensitive as the 9/11 attack.  Why should their marketing needs eclipse the importance of this tragedy?  Have they been so overcome by the need to widen their customer base and generate massive amounts of income that they have cast away their morals and conscience?  Leveraging a monumental event to advertise their product and to reach out to the masses is most definitely a wise strategy, but when the event is tainted with grief, loss, and wounds that have yet to be healed, a line has to be drawn.

On the other hand, what if AT&T is simply attempting to pay respects in their own personal way?  As a company, how do you convince the public that the care and honour that you present is genuine and without contempt?  It is hard for businesses to show that they truly care without having the public think that their show for concern is just another way to gain more business.  Try as they might, their attempts often fall short as people are quick to interpret their tributes for acts of self-interest and personal gain.  As companies attempt to manifest the Stakeholder Theory by showing the public that their interests and concerns go in the same direction, sometimes the people misinterpret these honest displays of compassion.  Businesses may profess understanding and sympathy for what the public is going through, but they need to find a way to relay their genuine morals in a plainly ethical way.  In order to thrive these companies need to present their virtuous ethics to the public in an esteemed way.  In doing so, the people will appreciate their ideals and be more inclined to supporting their work.

Article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/11/att-tweet-sept-11-controversy/2801591/