September 2014

A Change in Marketing

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/loblaw-targets-food-savvy-canadians-in-major-marketing-overhaul/article20647658/

In today’s ever-competitive world, it is nearly impossible to escape the endless bombarding of advertisements. From billboards, to the less-than-appreciated ads along the margins of websites, we are constantly reminded that there are things to buy. But what do you do when a generation of people have become overexposed and accustomed to the cliched and almost identical marketing tactics employed by these companies? As many companies begin to wean off traditional marketing techniques in exchange for content marketing, Loblaw Companies Limited follows suit but in a slightly different direction.

Instead of taking to twitter and Facebook to promote their products, Loblaw’s strategy involves providing informative videos and interactive discussion boards simply for people to talk about food. Whether it is the best strategy is questionable, but in terms of effectiveness, if executed properly, could unlock great potential. I commend Loblaw for realizing and understanding the growing foodie culture in Canada. Especially in areas like Vancouver where people have come to adopt a more health-conscious lifestyle and who seek detailed information pertaining to their food, Loblaw’s being one of very few food producing businesses to allow access to traditionally unknown, and often, hidden information, could give them the edge in the industry. This is, provided, customers like what they see.

 

Wall Street - New York Stock Exchange

Wall Street – New York Stock Exchange

Wall Street, notorious for inducing unethical behaviour in the name of greed, continues to live up to it’s name. To many, including the writer of this article, it may come as a shock that given a situation where an individual may benefit significantly by acting immorally, a poll suggests that the younger generation of financiers working on Wall Street are much more ready to act unethically. At first, it seems strange and even a little disappointing that in such “civilized” times, very few of us are capable of abiding to our own code of ethics, let alone, a code of ethics of a business. What appalls many of us is the fact that we see ourselves in a new age of human history, one that stresses equality and social awareness, one that emphasizes environmental awareness, one that ultimately taps into our conscience. Yet, the article suggests we are not as progressive a people as we think. Despite this do-good movement, another factor exists: increased competition. Employees in today’s modern workplace are not only pressured to act civilly, but in an environment against many other people. It’s not secret the earth is much more populated than ever before. With fewer and fewer jobs available, it’s no wonder dual degrees are becoming the norm, and the reason why these young financiers are wiling to see past their iron wall of ethics in order to keep up with the demands of day-to-day life … a bit more at a time.

Article from: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/on-wall-st-a-culture-of-greed-wont-let-go/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1