Unmanned Cargo Ships IS the Future, says Rolls-Royce

Drone cargo ships would be safer, cheaper, and less polluting for the $375 billion shipping industry — Rolls-Royce
If it wasn’t enough that the world (or just GOOGLE mostly) is coming up with the driverless cars while Amazon talked about drones delivering packages, Rolls-Royce has created a virtual-reality drone prototype in Norway that simulates 360-degree views from a vessel’s bridge.

Moore Stephens International, a consulting firm, says that the crew costs account for about 44 percent of operating expenses for a large container ship. Bloomberg Businessweek also mentions that the ships would not only be 5 percent lighter when there is no crews but also would burn up to 15 percent less fuel if replaced the bridge, where the crew lives, with a cargo space and eliminated the crew area (electricity, air conditioning, water, and sewage systems). [Click here for a few more info.]

Although unmanned ships are currently illegal under international conventions, the European Union is providing with a €3.5 million ($4.8 million) funds on a study of unmanned vessels and the researchers are aiming for the simulated sea trials of a digital prototype next year.

While there definitely are concerns for the technology itself, safety, possible job losses and the well-being of the seas and oceans (in terms of the effects on the environment and the ecosystem), the possibility of the drone cargo ships could also create new and different jobs in both software and hardware technology industries and business sectors such as insurance and maritime regulation and operation.

There is a good chance that Roll-Royce’ hope for the drone cargo ships would be more or less in competition with the Amazon’s vision for the drone deliveries by air, especially if the commodities they both delivered are fairly similar. Definitely, it would be interesting to see who is closer to the reality.

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Team Assignment Reflective Post

[Source: https://daniel-farm.com/toyota-car-wire-information-car-alarm-remote-starter-keyless-entry-installation-wiring/]

I love our Team Toyota! We have Jessie, Melat, Sujaree, Kamila, myself and Valeria in the team(Please see the picture below). And here is why!

#1: All of us come from different countries: Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Thailand, Russia, Myanmar/Burma and Latvia [Note: the teammate from Hong Kong grew up here so she’s more of a Canadian. Another teammate grew up in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. I grew up in Singapore. And that just makes our team even more diverse]

#2: We try to make the most out of different strengths each of us have and minimize individual weaknesses. A few members are better at editing and writing whereas some are too good at being creative or with technology especially for the video assignment. We differ in skills such as being detail-oriented and organized and also in how some of us have more interest in coordination and external relations (such as contacting professor and Toyota Dealership). Since we all have other course-works and commitments such as jobs and volunteering, we tried to work things out so we get things done on time that meet the standard we set for ourselves.

#3: What can be cooler than having a team of chicks talking about cars and Auto industry? Yes, we are all girls in our Team Toyota and I’m proud of it!

#4: We learnt a lot from this group projects! From trying to come to a consensus despite our disagreements about ideas and strategy to trying to figure out how to use certain equipment/computer program, we learnt about each other, group dynamic and new skills.

#5: We had a tonnes of FUN!!!. Having a pizza/cheese cake party before the first/SWOT assignment was due. Filming in the rain. Waking up at 5am to pick up friends at different locations and drive to Richmond to film outdoor.

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Driverless Cars…. Anyone?

Source: http://pocketnow.com/2012/10/05/self-driving-cars

As Google Inc. leads the quest for driverless cars [1], Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, recently announced that in about two years from now, it will introduce systems enabling cars to communicate with each other to avoid collisions. GM, the largest U.S. carmaker, is also aiming to come up with vehicles by 2020 that will be able to drive themselves on controlled-access highways.

It seems that the auto industry has specific target customers in mind — the younger customers and the elder ones. [a] The automakers see potential growth in the younger ones as they see the value in taking a relational orientation approach. Being young, they would like to have a fun and comfortable lifestyle and freedom to go wherever they want to go. Although they may not have a lot of spending power currently, they will one day. When they do and are looking to make a car purchase, these automakers wish to be in their retrieval set or evoked set.

However, the recent market trend has shown that the younger customers care less about buying a car and more about renting. [2] In fact, more promising customers are the elderly, the fastest-growing demographic in the world. Being involved in the labour market for longer, they enjoy relatively better disposable income and more purchasing power. Often their health slowly deterioriates in terms of vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination, resulting in some accidents. Last april, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that people aged 65 or older accounted for 17 percent of the 32,367 traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2011. This does not necessarily mean that the elderlies are always the ones at fault in accidents. However, it is possible that they may be able to prevent certain accidents if they are in a better health condition. Hence the automakers are looking into becoming a part of the solutions for these elderly.

More info: [1] http://www.ted.com/talks/sebastian_thrun_google_s_driverless_car.html

[2] http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/real-money-with-alivelshi/Real-Money-Blog/2013/9/26/generation-renter.html

Source: [a] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-20/elderly-dying-in-crashes-seen-spurring-self-driving-car-demand.html

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Say NOOOOO to another piece of chips! Or Can you really?

“They taste and smell real but are completely artificial in reality, tricking our bodies.” –Bruce Bradley, a former food industry executive

“Salt, sugar and fat are the three pillars of the processed food industry. The companies’ researches have shown them that when they hit the very perfect amounts of each of those ingredients … they will have us buy more, eat more.” – Michael Moss, New York Times Investigative Report and author of Salt Sugar Fat.

Do our bodies really need salt, sugar and fat — from the snacks?

Can we as consumers make a rational choice on what and how much we consume according to our health situation?

Maybe, we cannot because for most, these products are convenience products but not shopping products.

With so many health problems arising such as obesity, where does the responsibility lie? The companies? The consumers? Or Both?

On one hand, publicly-held and profit-driven processed foods companies hire an army of chemists, physicists, neuroscientists and food scientists 1) to conduct numerous researches finding out how the customers are attracted to food and how they can make their foods (more) attractive to the customers. Considering fullness/satiety as serious enemy, snacks are made to be eaten non-stop until the packet is finished.

The scientists, carrying out a Unilever-funded research study, tested whether people’s perception of a chip was altered by the sound/crunch it made when they bit into it. They found a possible way to control the perception of the potato chips since “[they] were perceived as being both crisper and fresher when … the overall sound level was increased although the consumers are often unaware of the influence of such auditory cues.”

On another hand, I suggest the consumers need to learn how to have an equivalent amount of will power resisting these crunchy, tasty and temporarily-satisfying chips.

Sources: [1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

[2] Photo of Miss Vickie’s: http://www.sld.com/before-and-after-miss-vickies/

[3] Photo of Lay’s: http://www.couponaholic.net/2012/06/new-0-551-lays-potato-chips-0-551-sun-chips-printable-coupons-plus-pepsi-mountain-dew-12-pack-coupons-still-available/

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Response to Maggie Lo’s blog: Station Square’s Attractiveness

https://blogs.ubc.ca/maggielo/

Noting a tremendous rise in pre-sale condos in GVA (Greater Vancouver Area) in 2013 and identifying young adults between mid 20′s to late 30′s with career potential as a target market, Maggie talked about the main selling points of Station Square, which, in my opinion, seem to utilize the psychographic [self-concept and lifestyle] and benefit segmentation variables for its target market segment.

First, the major selling point of Station Square Condo is that these young adults are not only buying a home, but also a lifestyle that engages with and creates a sense of belonging in the community [psychographic segmentation variable]. Second is the benefit of convenience due to a) an easily accessible public transportation, b) closeness to Metrotown and Crystal Mall shopping centres and c) Station Square’s first two floors as a commercial and retails space — possibly occupied by at least a grocery store, restaurants, cafes and retail shops.

I believe that locational excellence plays a role in creating its perceived value. With half an hour to reach to either Vancouver downtown or Surrey downtown by sky-train, Burnaby’s centrality in GVA is certainly very convenient for those who have such needs.

Moreover, I assume that the sales agents at Station Square can be considered as authoritative figures because they would not only solidify what the customers knew already about its locational excellence and convenience but also attempt to further enhance its perceived value in the eyes of the potential customers by explaining about its product excellence in terms of the features of the room such as the view, the gym, number of bedrooms, the flooring and so on. According to Maggie at her second visit, one of the agents did indirectly highlight its product excellence by claiming that its first phase was sold out in a few days.

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Toyota’s differentiated targeting strategy for various market segements

In providing different models for various geodemographic and psychographic market segments to satisfy the needs/wants of custmers in those segments, Toyota tailors its advertising efforts towards alligning with the local cultures to ensure customers feel familiar with its brand and hence establishes different stories through its localized commercials which differ in languages, cultural assumptions and lifestyles.

The commercial for Toyota Auris, a compact 3/5 doors hatchback (available in European market but not North America) has a European feel with its focus on a man in a crowd defying an authoritiative figure for a new exiciting Auris.

Similarly, Toyota GT 86’s commercial is about a man trapped inside a CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) city discovering a Toyota GT86 from the real world, feeling alive for the first time and deciding to make his escape.

While the first two commercials probably target younger European generations, its commercial for Verso, a compact MPV (MultiPurpose Vehicle) in German language for the German family market, depicts father as a hero.

As for its United States consumers, Corolla 2014 commercial attempts to have a hip and cool image for different American generations.

With trucks gaining more popularity in America, Toyota Tacoma model commercial highlights Tacoma’s features in interesting way for young adults segment . For instance, a girlfriend’s tear drops falling in the car seem nothing against its water-resistant seats and all-weather flooring.

Likewise, Toyota Tundra commercial targets certain baseball-loving American demographics.

Meanwhile, Toyota Corolla and Camry commericals, mainly targeting Korean but most likely also Asian urban populations, have different advertising approaches. While the former is in a music video style featuring Hyuna from 4minute, a popular korean-pop girl group, the latter is in a drama style featuring Lee Min Ho, a famous korean actor.

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A Response to Lauren O’Neil’s article “Grocery store that only sells expired goods aims to combat food waste”

According to a Harvard University report, “40 % of food in the U.S. is needlessly tossed each year due to exaggerated sell-by date and Americans may be unnecessarily contributing to $160 billion in annual food waste because date labels are not yet standardized in the U.S.”

Doug Racuch, a former head of Trader Joe’s, has recently announced plans to open up a new, first-of-its kind hybrid grocery store/restaurant exclusively selling food that is slightly past its “best-before” date, called “The Daily Table.”

As a firm believer in no food waste, I applause such innovative thinking and plan. I do often buy discounted produce/prepared foods at Costco, Superstore, T&T and small local groceries stores. However, these food products bought at a discount are not considered the ‘expired’ foods. For example, a hot dish sold at a discount at T&T during the last two hours of shopping hour has not gone bad yet. And it would (and should) be good for the next couple days.

As for the products past its best-before date, they are likely to be ‘perceived’ as, of lower quality or even unsafe to consume. However, the lack of the date-labeling standards means that the best-before/expiry date may not represent the actual shelf life. Assuming that the groceries do not dare compromising the consumers’ health – and its brand image/reputation, the dates they put on the foods are likely to be somewhat shorter than the actual shelf life. Then, it may be safe to consume the food past its best-before date.

Also, to attract the customers, the prices have to be lower than that of the original groceries stores.

If The Daily Table has become a success, some price-sensitive customers may not purchase foods at the original groceries store but wait till the products arrive to The Daily Table. Then their sales and margins will suffer.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2013/09/grocery-store-that-only-sells-expired-goods-to-combat-food-waste.html

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Ethical Labeling Standards: How much information should be there on a label?

In United States, as more and more consumers have become more educated, aware and conscious about social, health and environmental implications of their consumption habits, they demand to know more about the products – including their content, where and how they were made and their implications. And the firms and industries must match up the supply with the demand in order to maintain the markets.

For example, the labeling standards for the cigarettes industry has transformed from making the cigarettes packaging to include a warning message necessary (such as “Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy”) in 1960s to requiring more graphic warning labels that feature color images of the negative effects of tobacco use in 2009.

The main question that the customers should ask is

“Would we change our purchasing habits if such information is available?”

Apparently we would and do in the cigarettes case. Hence, its labeling practice is indeed appropriate and necessary although the tobacco companies are now pulling back, arguing that “the proposed warnings went beyond the factual information into anti-smoking advocacy.”

Then it is important to ask how much information should really be there on a label?

The food industry is an interesting case of a labeling/information “miss,” although Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (1966) requires manufacturers to state the content of the package. For example, many traditional canned refried beans are made with hydrogenated lard, or pig fat. Also, some of the baked products such as bagels and breads are made with the amino acid L-cysteine, which comes from human/hog hair and poultry feathers. Such information matters for vegetarians: some may not know about them.

Again, how much information should really be there on a label?

How do we draw the line? Can we push it (as the industry/firms pull it)?

Sources: 1) http://www.enotes.com/topics/federal-cigarette-labeling-advertising-act-1965

2) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/19/cigarette-warning-labels/2000549/

3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/non-vegetarian-ingredients-foods_n_3942454.html?ir=Canada#slide=967552

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Celebrities in the Commercials

In marketing and advertising, celebrities play a powerful role in creating and enhancing value(s) to the products. Which celebrity appears in which product commercial tells a lot about which market segment, or focus audience, it is targeting towards.

For example, One Direction and Drew Brees have appeared in a Pepsi commercial, drawing both young female fans and American-football-loving males into liking Pepsi.

H&M also gets David Backham in its commercial (and also a famous director, Guy Ritchie – Madonna’s ex-husband – to direct). The target audience is most likely to be those in 20s, 30s and perhaps even teens. Most probable is that the majority of them are females.

There actually are (less costly and yet effective) alternatives to using the celebrities in the commercial. For example, getting unknown amateur actors or those in one’s social circle to act, using some drawings OR just doing a commercial simply focusing on the product’s features. Many commercials do take on these alternatives, save a lot of advertising cost and are successful in garnering attention and gaining popularity with the audience.

And yet, many products companies are very eager in getting celebrities to endorse, promote and advertise their products. Why?

Primarily, they want to easily capture a great number of followers, fans, of particular celebrities as their target market, assuming that the loyalty to the celebrities extends to an automatic loyalty to the product brand, and thereby gaining some market advantage over their competitors.

Hence, David Beckham keeps appearing in many commercials, “banking $42 million from commercial endorsements from sponsors.” Source: http://www.forbes.com/profile/david-beckham/

So who else is after Beckham. Samsung!

While Samsung seems to gear Beckham commercial more towards the global market, it also has another commercial with the korean celebrities, aiming mainly for the korean youth market and also perhaps the Asian youth market.

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