Elaine Nguyen's Blog

Ladies don’t lie; I’m sure you own at least one article of clothing from the infamous Aritzia. Aritzia is a highly credited clothing company in the fashion industry with simple and trendy styles. However, have you ever walked into the store, simply glance at a sweater, and have two or three girls rush to you to ask if you wanted to try it on? Do you feel the burning tension between the employees and the competition of meeting their sky-high quotas? Or what about the forced smiles, telling you how amazing your butt looks inside those Citizens of Humanity jeans? Unfortunately, this is the reality for most Aritzia customers and the ones to blame aren’t the employees themselves, but the management and human resources department.

After reading a former employee’s blog post about her traumatizing experience, I was not surprised. She talks about her long hours, their strict rules, and their expectations of humanly impossible multitasking. Aritzia is not a financial incentive based company but instead, their incentives are hours and discounts. It is a requirement for Aritzia employees to look their best at all times and wear the latest collections. The only way to afford Aritzia clothing from head-to-toe with a low wage is with their discounts.

These harsh working conditions created by management reflect on the company’s image and how the employees treat their customers. When I walk into Aritzia, I feel like a tiny fish, preyed by a sea of piranhas. In contrast to Zappos with impeccable customer service and employee benefits, Aritzia leaves their employees traumatized by the company and pushes customers away with their aggressive sales strategies. I highly disagree with the behaviour their employees have been conditioned to act and believe that Aritzia’s sales would increase exponentially if management improved the way they treat their workers and brightened the atmosphere of the store. The company should start by considering financial incentives or just a higher wage in general for their employees, instead of their current methods.

So next time you reach for that Marc Jacobs bag, beware, they’re coming after you.

The UN’s mandate is to carry out four main purposes but the one I am interested in is it’s mission “To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms”. Although the UN is fully funded, the burning questions is why do they need the Arc or other social enterprises? 

The UN comprises of 193 Member State representatives with the similar vision of ensuring world peace and aiding the growth of developing nations. Although they have the same views, they all have different backgrounds, traditions, and procedures in accomplishing their goals, which may be difficult to reach a consensus as one entity. This is where social enterprises step in.

Social enterprises are also the channels connecting social entrepreneurs with the right resources and support from government and UN to make an impact in the world. As Uwonkunda says to her comm101 instructor, “I told him about non-profits that have donated money to Rwanda following the war but didn’t make a lasting impact,”. He then directed her to the Arc Initiative, which provides Uwonkunda the tools necessary to accomplish her goals of reaching out to those in Rwanda, providing fundamental business skills. Social enterprises can also have their own individual ideas and purposes which can in turn, provide aid to different segments of world issues including education, clean water, providing clothing, etc. This allows an even distribution of aid throughout the globe and accomplishing multiple things. How I see it is the UN provide the funds or support, but the social enterprises are the “go-getters”.

This post is in response to Eric Lin’s blog post about No Longer Canadian.

I was quite shocked and disappointed when I discovered that Burger King was strategically acquiring one of my favourite fast food chains, Tim Hortons. Due to Burger King’s low demand in Canada, they thought it would be smart to purchase a company that produced higher revenues and follow their business model.

Applying the PEST analysis, the purchase of Tim Hortons will heavily impact Canadians economically and socially. As Eric has outlined, this will cause 44% of Canadian corporate workers to lose their job, but it also adds a challenge for Canadians to buy the rights of a now foreign-based franchise.

Although there is a heavy economic loss, I believe there is an even larger social issue in this topic. The Canadian government is always encouraging Canadians to create their own content and limit American influence; an American corporation acquiring one of our most famous companies doesn’t exactly corroborate this. Tim Hortons is one of the most common Canadian stereotypes around the world—we have to have our Tim Hortons with our maple syrup. It truly disappoints me when I see Canadian companies drop one by one to American influence or purchases. Tim Horton’s isn’t the only one, but there is an entire list.

Canadians, let’s show some national pride and stop letting Americans buy us out.

Me to We is a social enterprise founded by two brothers, Craig and Marc Keilburger, which provides youth with leadership, social, and environmental conscious experiences. They include numerous volunteer trips, workshops, and of course, We Day! Their business model is to “transform consumers into socially conscious world changers, one transaction at a time” and provide developing countries with clean water, planting trees, building schools, and many more.

Two years ago, I got the chance to experience We Day first hand. I remember I sat front row and seeing the sweat of the guest speakers on stage. Hearing successful stories of humanitarians and philanthropists was extremely inspiring and it encouraged me to make a difference, starting within my community. I think We Day is a great event to promote to the youth Me to We’s mandate of social responsibility. Reaching out to the youth will make a significant impact on future generations of businesses and other social enterprises or charities.

Hopefully, we’ll see many more social entrepreneurs emerge with different visions of decreasing the unemployment rate, increasing education, and providing clean water worldwide and shelter. Sometimes, having the largest bank statement isn’t always the most profitable; making a positive change in the world may be much more rewarding.

As Professor Gateman says, “go out there and make a difference.”

The First Nations people of Canada and the government always had ongoing conflicts for centuries and similar issues still appear to this day. BC Hydro proposed a plan to build a dam and a 1,100-megawatt hydroelectric generating at the Peace River in northeastern BC. The Peace River Valley neighbours Fort St. John and the approval of this proposal would mean that farmland and wildlife habitat would be flooded or destroyed. It would also affect the daily lives of the Aboriginals that included fishing, hunting, and traditional ceremonies.

Although there are two sides of the story to consider, the government/BC Hydro and the First Nations, it’s crucial to come to a compromise. Although their history on compromise hasn’t been the most substantial and it has always been the government overruling the First Nations, the Peace River Valley is home to many First Nations and they do have the right to voice their opinion.

Without the support of the First Nations people, this could hinder the development of the dam and progress of BC Hydro. Applying the PEST analysis, this would have both economical and political effects. Economically, this would open many job opportunities for residents in the neighbouring areas along with increasing production of oil, gas, and mining industries. This issue will also stretch the government, one side in support of  BC Hydro and one side in support of the First Nations. Applying the SWOT analysis, this would also affect the threats of BC Hydro as they may not be able to compromise to reach their target.

Will they be able to meet halfway and come to a conclusion, or will the government and the First Nations continue to have ongoing conflicts?

Calling all ice cream fanatics! There’s a new shop in town and it looks like they’re here to stay and expanding. Earnest Ice Cream is Vancouver’s very own ice cream utopia founded by Ben Ernst and Erica Bernardi. But what are their points of difference that set them apart from their numerous competitors?

Unlike other ice cream shops, Earnest Ice Cream emphasizes on their passion for sustainability and the usage of natural ingredients in their products. Yes, they even have vegan flavours! Their unique packaging includes their one-of-a-kind reusable mason jars, biodegradable paper bags, and spoons. They also have flavours that you wouldn’t normally see in other shops including london fog, strawberry basil, cardamom, and many more.

After trying their ice cream myself, I instantly became a fan. Aside from their indulging products, I strongly appreciate their zero-waste mandate and the uniqueness they bring to their company. In the previous comm101 tutorial, Mahesh went over risks in business and in this case, the founders took a large leap in creating such bold flavors and marketing schemes. Ice cream in mason jars is so simple yet creative. Who would have thought rhubarb ice cream would be so delicious?

Earnest Ice Cream is a perfect example of incorporating passion into an innovation to make it your very own and unique.

This post is in response to Shannon’s Blog Post about 9 Building Blocks: Apple’s Stairway to Success

With the iPhone 6 being one of the leading top 10 cellular devices in the world, they certainly have built a reputable name for themselves. I completely agree with Shannon’s analysis on Apple’s intricate business model canvas but I want to expand on their value proposition, customer relationships, and channels.

The iPhone 6 was recently released on September 19th, 2014 in US and Canadian Apple Stores. Thousands camped out and lined up to purchase the latest phone which is evident in Apple’s large support system. Every time a new phone is released by Apple, you can expect to see lineups that loop around 10 blocks down. Although their phones are considered a “luxury” smart phone ranging anywhere from $800-$900, their phones still manage to sell out on the first day. On top of their infamous iPhone, Apple provides a large array of products including headphones, accessories, and music.

Apple has clever tactics in relating to their customers. On top of Apple’s partnership with companies such as Rogers, Fido, and Telus, they have multiple Apple stores across the globe to sell their products directly with their consumers.

Not only do they have excellent customer relations, but they have various channels to communicate their products to their customers. Aside from their retailers and Apple store locations, they provide their products online and on iTunes. Not only is it effective, but it is cost-friendly to the company because since iTunes sells music files, they do not have to spend any money on extra inventory or warehouse costs.

Apple never seizes to amaze me with their intact consumer relationships and channels. At this rate, looks like they will be staying on the list of Top 10 Cellular Devices in the World.

Have you noticed the sleek, black, leather watches people have been raving about? Or possibly the blue, white, and red NATO stripes? The chocolate brown with rose gold accents? Well if you haven’t, you’re missing out on the latest “arm candy” that has been recently introduced to the market: Daniel Wellington watches. Originating from the British Isles in 2011, they’ve suddenly begun to flourish in sales within the past year. Not only are they popular in women’s fashion, but they are also included in many men’s fashion blogs or magazines such as GQ.

With a timeless yet modern design, the prices are far more affordable than their competitors such as Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Seiko, or Citizen. Although they are a fairly new company, they do have clever marketing tactics and know how to utilize the power of social media. Daniel Wellington Watches targets a specific group on the internet: fashion bloggers and fashion account holders on Instagram. The company sends them a complimentary watch along with a promotion code in exchange for a featured post. Genius. Not only is that inexpensive, but it is extremely productive.

Although their sales are growing exponentially, the company does need to take certain things into consideration if they want this growth to continue. Although they have expanded to many parts of North America, Europe, and Australia, they should consider expanding to countries in Asia like Japan because they are highly credited in the fashion industry. Although advertising on social media has increased their company popularity, it needs to expand on a higher, editorial level. It would be beneficial to advertise in editorial magazines such as Vogue or be featured on runways to expand their demographic and build their reputation. Another interesting way to market would be aiming towards couples considering they produce male and female models.

Keep an eye out Michael Kors! Your bulky steel watches could be slowly replaced with the new, sleek Daniel Wellington watch.