Just as I did previously, you too might have the notion that typically “boring” places like banks and insurance companies don’t really need that many advertisements or marketing strategies as the customer’s already know they require these services. However, if I’ve learned anything from the few marketing classes I’ve taken, it’s that we’re now living in a world where almost every business truly does need a strong online presence to keep up it’s brand and actually attract the right customers.

I read a recent article in the Globe and Mail that indicated that “banks were looking for agencies that could help them advertise as effectively as possible online and on mobile devices”. Yes, even banks are beginning to understand that the products and services offered need to have some sort of personal connection with the customer. BMO and many others have hired large agencies like FCB to revamp their marketing strategies, and help bring the human element to their customer’s banking and investing needs through their online presence. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me! Just like I do for my clothes and make up brands, I want to be able to see my banks promotions and ads!

We’ve heard about the concept of emotional appeal in ads. Now a days, company’s really need to get creative and make memorable ads. Since there are so many different touch points for each customer even when they’re simply browsing their phones when they’re bored at work (Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), it is important for marketers to play out their marketing strategy in smart way which engages their audience.

Many brands, young and old have benefited from this type of appeal. There have been plenty of examples where this has been done correctly and actually benefited sales. Research has shown that ads with emotional appeal (done in the right way of course) have had a history of gaining more likes on Facebook, more retweets on Twitter and more views on Youtube. I mean makes sense right? When I saw that Budweiser ad in the Super bowl with the puppy, I must have gone on Youtube and sent the link to at least 5 friends as well as re-watched it myself about 10 times. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPKgC8KPBMg&spfreload=10

The second campaign which I think is absolutely awesome is P&G’s Proud Supporter of Mom’s campaign. Not only do they seem to have the best commercials every Olympics (summer and winter), they have been able to create a brand which is truly memorable and never fails to give you the feels. Check out my absolute favourite one!

After the flat sales in August, the manufacturing sales jumped in September to their highest since June 2012. The sales in the motor vehicle assembly industry leapt 5.4 percent and motor vehicle parts jumped 2.5 percent and food sales climbed 2.6 percent. Mainly noticeable in the auto and food industries, this encourages a sign that the hard-hit sector may be rebounding and anticipates quick economic growth.

The manufacturing sales grew 0.6 percent in September, slightly above the 0.5 percent gain forecast by market operators, to $49.9 billion.  In volume terms (most important for gross domestic product growth), sales rose 1 percent in September.

“This is the first gain in the volume of shipments since the first quarter of 2012 … it might feed sentiment that perhaps Canadian manufacturing is finally turning the corner,’ said Scotia Capital economists Derek Holt and Dov Zigler.

Though these numbers show increasing growth, it is clear that the weak U.S. market and strong Canadian dollar have prevented manufacturing from returning to its pre-recession peak.

The September and quarterly GDP figures will be released on November 29, and the latest figures suggest a healthy growth rate in the month of September and annualized third-quarter growth of at least 2 percent, above the Bank of Canada’s latest projection of 1.8 percent.

Consequently, encouraging signs from the United States show that the economy has weathered the government shutdown which may actually end up being an upside surprise for the Canadian economy. This is a result of exports become an increasingly important part of the recovery.

Article and Picture:

Egan, Louise. “September Factory Sales Raise Hopes of a Comeback.” – BNN News. N.p., 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bnn.ca/News/2013/11/15/September-factory-sales-raise-hopes-of-a-comeback.aspx>.

This year, the fall housing market appears to be the most active in the last four years

Picture by Emma Crawford

. According to the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) In October, Greater Vancouver had a total of 2,698 residential home sales in October which was a staggering 37% increase compared to the 1970 sales in October 2012!

Also, the dollar volume of sales in the Vancouver area also jumped, growing by 44.2% from $1.5 billion in October 2012 to $2.1 billion.

Indeed, October was a good month for the residential market! The province as a whole had a total of 6,673 residential home sales in October – the strongest October in four years, according to the BCREA. October’s sales were up 26.5% compared with one year prior (5,276 units). Province-wide dollar volumes jumped 34.5% from $2.7 billion in October 2012 to $3.6 billion this October.

But why this mammoth increase in sales? Well, besides the low prices, the persistently low mortgage interest rates and an element of pent-up demand has driven home sales higher in the province’s large Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island markets.

Also, although the rebound in demand across B.C. has been significant, sales are still trending near the long-term average. Naturally, strong economic and employment growth will be needed to maintain accelerated progress.

So, if you’re looking to buy a home, you better do it fast. The low mortgage is also a pretty good added incentive right?

Article and Picture:

Crawford, Emma. “Business In Vancouver Logo.” Business In Vancouver. N.p., 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.biv.com/article/20131115/BIV0111/131119961/home-sales-in-greater-vancouver-up-37-in-october>.

Photo by Paul Prescott

The New ‘Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Development Programme’ in India was established to identify women working in social enterprises and train them to become ‘Master Trainers’. The programme will assess their development needs and design and deliver a training course for them that uses innovative methodologies and draws on UK expertise and best practices. In line with the idea of a ripple effect, these Master Trainers (approximately 1 000 women) will further provide social enterprise training to additional young women.

Indian social enterprises are working in traditional sectors such as microfinance and agriculture and new sectors including energy, sanitation, affordable housing and health care. Since about 50% of India’s population is under the age of 25, and 65% is under 35, hope for the future should be invested in India’s women as their increased participation in the labour force will naturally enhance productivity and growth. It will also provide innovative, sustainable solutions to its various social problems. Moreover, the gender-based inequalities and social pressures that restrain female employment and entrepreneurship will also be reduced as a result of their participation. Evidently, supporting the emergence of a new generation of young women social entrepreneurs is an important investment for the economic and social future of India.

“The British Council recognises social enterprise as a tool to achieve fairer, more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies,” said Christine Wilson, Head of Society Engagement at the British Council. I can’t think of anyone who would disagree with her on that one!

Article and Picture From:

Pillsbury, Adam. “Empowering Women Social Entrepreneurs in India.” The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/british-council-partner-zone/empowering-women-social-entrepreneurs-india.>

Top 10 social entrepreneurship heroes:

Moses, Nelson. “Meet India’s Top 10 Social Entrepreneurship Heroes.” SocialStory. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://social.yourstory.com/2013/08/meet-indias-top-10-social-entrepreneurship-heroes/>.

Is Ford the culprit? Or are his actions irrelevant to the success of Toronto businesses?

Toronto’s business community believes the scandal of Mayor Rob Ford regarding his drug and alcohol use, and erratic behaviour is damaging the city’s reputation, but looking at the issue closely, is it really?

Many major businesses in the city, such as the Toronto Region Board of Trade have expressed concerns about recent damaging news reports emerging from Toronto City Hall. Even smaller business owners are worrying about the impact of negative global media coverage on the city.

This new paranoia has reminded many Toronto businesses about the negative publicity generated during the SARS epidemic crisis, and the many years taken for the city to recover from it. Bruce Poon-Tip, founder of adventure travel company G Adventures said he was introduced at three events abroad as being “from the home of the ‘Crack Mayor’”. He believes that “[Toronto’s] politics are now looking like an unstable developing country, and that cannot be good for investment,”

However, others believe that Toronto’s reputation will not be damaged by this incident.

Janet Ecker, president of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, believes most people in business will make investment decisions based on fundamental factors such as business opportunities and work force, and not the “theatre of the absurd” of politics which doesn’t affect them on a day-to-day basis.

I tend to agree with the fact that the actions of Ford will have little to no bearing on the business community of Toronto, as a result of its established reputation. However, that does not disregard the fact that the leaders of the community, similar to the staff of any business, must be conscious of developing and maintaining a good image to attract investors and newer businesses.

Original Article:

McFarland, Janet. “Toronto’s Business Community Gives Ford a Thumbs-downAdd to …” The Globe and Mail. N.p., 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/torontos-business-community-gives-ford-a-thumbs-down/article15465346/>.

What SARS is:

“Update: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 June 2003. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5223a4.htm>.

Picture From

“Huffington Post Canada – Canadian News Stories, Breaking News, Opinion.” Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/>.

Due to the unreliability of the supply system in the Seattle Children’s Hospital, a new supply system instituted by the hospital early last year following practices typically used in manufacturing or retailing, not health care, has been implemented.

This method of empty bins going to the central supply office where the bar codes are scanned to generate a new order, has resulted in less space required and fewer supplies discarded for exceeding their expiration dates.

Woman using new supply system

The Children’s Hospital says it has implemented other such innovations and practices made famous by Toyota and others, reducing waste and increasing value for customers through continuous small improvements.

Manufacturers, particularly in the auto industries, have been using these methods for many years. The hospital found that methods used in the business world such as checklists, standardization and nonstop brainstorming with staff and customers has paid off.

Also, the program “continuous performance improvement,” or C.P.I., examines every aspect of patients’ stays at the hospital, from the time they arrive in the parking lot until they are discharged, to observe their behavioural patterns and improve their customer services to match their needs. Sounds similar to the cameras in the clothing stores, doesn’t it?

“Last year, amid rising health care expenses nationally, C.P.I. helped cut Seattle Children’s costs per patient by 3.7 percent, for a total savings of $23 million,” Mr. Hagan says.

Increasing the use of operations management techniques such as the C.P.I will evidently have significant return on investment.

Article and Picture From:

Weed, Julie. “Factory Efficiency Comes to the Hospital.” New York Times. N.p., 10 July 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11seattle.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

Evan Spiegel, the founder of Snapchat, the wildly popular cell phone app explains that this idea of “ephemeral media” (social interactions that did not leave a trace online) is very powerful, and so it has proved.

Early in 2012, teenagers, the prime target segment, became accustomed to the new concept of communicating through sending pictures.

With the growing popularity, the assumption that this app poses a major threat to Facebook occurred, which could be vaguely backed up by the fact that Facebook’s chief financial officer revealed that young teenagers were spending less time on his network. Coincidence? Maybe. Likely? Probably not. Also, Spiegel is reported to have rejected a $3bn takeover offer from Facebook.

So how does Snapchat plan to make money? The expected response based on Snapchat being a free app without advertisements, is that the firm’s right now is focused on building and audience and larger consumer base rather than worrying about revenues. However, building revenues is the priority already, and the aim is to earn money from users rather than advertisers.

Though, this seems like an unlikely proposition considering the competitors Facebook and Twitter have relied almost completely on forms of advertisement such as revenue sources. Therefore, it is unclear that users who have already got accustomed to a free service can be persuaded to pay for it. However, Spiegel supports his plan with the success of WeChat, owned by Tencent.

I know I won’t by paying, but maybe others will! We’ll have to see.

“Chatting With Mr Snapchat.” BBC News. BBC, 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24925932>.

What is WeChat:

“WeChat – The New Way to Connect.” WeChat – The New Way to Connect. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://www.wechat.com/en/>.

Premier Pauline Marois is pledging $2-billion for a new job creation plan. (The Canadian Press)

Premier Pauline Marois from Parti Québécois government is pledging $2-billion for a new job creation plan, as an attempt to reboot the province’s economy by creating more than 40,000 new jobs by 2017. At first glance, that number may seem a little crazy, and maybe even sound like an election campaign.

The plan is to encourage new investments and jobs in Quebec through incentives such as electricity at discounted rates and tax credits. The money will be used to fund employment and also go towards developing Quebec in aspects such as its infrastructure, as well as for the development of an electric transit industry in Quebec that will build electric cars, railways, and related infrastructure. Also, more than $700-million will be put in tax credits as well as discounted hydro rates for companies which invest to create new jobs.

Marois claims that her government expects to see a total of 115,000 new jobs created by 2017. When she was challenged with the suggestion that her government was taking this initiative as a step towards planning for an election, she simply denied the accusation stating that the plan has been under consideration for the last 4 months.

Opinions on this plan, as expected, differ substantially. For instance, Yves-Thomas Dorval, president of Quebec’s largest employers group, the Conseil du patronat, believes that the plan will not be successful to a large or even considerable extent. “There’s no big change here. They are good measures, but not really what we need to bring Quebec to the level we would like,” he said.

Furthermore, the opposition in the national assembly are also questioned the logic of the new plan, saying that it seems that an election is near. François Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec said “There’s a lot more than the price of electricity that a company has to consider before it invests,”

When governments propose such large plans, it is only natural that opinions from all sides will differ substantially. What are the true motives behind this plan? Are they are based on good intentions and this is indeed a plan for success, or it is just some more election propaganda? We’ll find out soon!

“PQ Announces $2-billion Jobs Plan.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/pq-announces-2-billion-jobs-plan-1.1928834>.

Up until now, Maruti, the leader in the Indian automobile industry, has been relying on Italian car maker Fiat to supply its diesel engines (more specifically, the 1.3-multijet-diesel engines). Because of this, Maruti has been unable to manufacture a variety of diesel cards to the Indian consumers. Now, Maruti is exploring the idea of manufacturing several diesels engines (including the standard 1.3litre) and reaching out to different segments in the process. At this point in the proposition, Maruit is exploring “a family of 3-4 diesel engines like 2-cylinder 800 cc that will power the LCV (Y9T) and a small car, and a 3-cylinder 1.2-litre engine and a 4-cylinder engine that could spawn out two different cubic capacities of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre engines that are still on paper.”

The employees of Maruti who were involved with the development of diesel engines claim that the attempt to have the company’s own diesel engine began all the way back in 2009-10, but is actually being put into action today. The development of its first diesel engine (800 cc) has already hit a proto stage.

In terms of positioning, Maruti will not be the first to produce its own diesel engines in India, but the well established brand name will likely be used to promote this new idea successfully. Moreover, the production of these engines will also be used to power the bigger crossovers and SUVs for Suzuki, which will allow Maruti to target different segments in the future.

Although the Indian consumers are naturally well aware of the rising diesel prices, which could possibly reduce the demand for diesel cars in the future, Maruti’s sales forecasting claims that “people will still expect diesel cars in the future” regardless of the price increases. It seems like a reasonable prediction, so let’s see what happens!

Thekkar, Ketan. “Maruti Suzuki to Build Its Own Family of Diesel Engines.” The Economic Times. N.p., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/auto/automobiles/maruti-suzuki-to-build-its-own-family-of-diesel-engines/articleshow/23666259.cms>.

“Our Financials.” Maruti Suzuki India Financials and Sales. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://www.marutisuzuki.com/ourfinancials.aspx>.