Gracia Chua

Religion is a form of faith that has people invest that time and money in. I found an article that Gabriel Chua wrote, about religious leaders in a church in Singapore being charged with embezzlement. This was a big news in Singapore and I happened to be living there during that period of time. Gabriel said that “government should demand greater financial transparency in even religious organizations to prevent such events from reoccurring in the future.” and I absolutely agree with that.

Churches nowadays function like businesses, “selling” people spiritual comfort and in return, the church receives “monetary offerings” from them. The church go-ers are like investors, while the church is the company. Church go-ers ought to know where their money goes to. Churches should be like listed companies, releasing financial statements for church go-ers, allowing them to decide if investing their time and money would be worth it.

I was reading a fellow Sauder student, Nydia Gunawan’s blog and came across an interesting article. McDonalds is starting to offer a healthy menu to consumers. However, it comes across as ironic to many people that McDonalds is offering a healthy menu because of their poor reputation (of selling oily, fried food). No thanks to their poor reputation, parents often shun the fast food chain, in fear that their children will get addicted to fast food and grow into obese little thumbs. This could potentially inflict harm on McDonalds’ profits. So a change in their business model would be logical. In the past, their value proposition was the Everyday Value meal. Cheap fast food that would entice customers because of the price. But people nowadays value the phrase “You are what you eat” and unfortunately, McDonalds screams the word “FAT”, leaving consumers avoiding the fast food chain as a whole.

Therefore, I think it is quite smart of them to change their value propositions to Healthy McDonalds Menus. Slowly changing the way consumers view them and conquering the world day by day.

Hid yo kids, hid yo wives, cuz google be stealin’ yo face

Awhile back, Google changed the company’s terms and conditions for Google+. They will start using your face for advertisements, for things that you “like”. No one from Google will call you and inform you about probably until one of your friend chances upon it. I honestly think that this form of advertising is rather unethical.

Yes, you get to use Google’s services for free, but in return you get your quotes and photos used on advertisements. Isn’t it too big an exchange? I most definitely wouldn’t use Google’s services just because of this change. I think this change could affect users’ view on Google, and hence switching over to other social media platforms like Facebook. This change could come as a form of infringement of privacy, if users don’t read through the long and draggy terms and conditions. (Or well, they’re hoping you don’t get to see it.)

The change also opens up your identity to the world, making it easy for people to commit identity theft and fraud. Of course, you can turn off the feature. But many older folks that aren’t tech savvy would definitely fall prey to this change, not knowing how to change the feature. Google+ could lose users and potential users with this new change, therefore they should remove it.

Article: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/11/13/youve-been-googled-google/

Snapchat’s the new photo app that almost everyone’s into. Initially used for snapping nudies, the app has found its way into the selfies industry. I used snapchat on a daily basis just to inform my friends what I’m up to instead of updating my facebook status or posting it on twitter. Snapchat essentially posts a threat on facebook and many other social network sites. And facebook being what they always do, tried to buy snapchat for $3 billion but…failed utterly.

The alternative to beating a competitor isn’t always acquisition. Snapchat isn’t really a sustainable business because after awhile, when users get bored of the app, they’ll stop using it. And soon, snapchat will come to a bust. Maybe all facebook has to do would be to wait for users to get bored of the app while coming up with a more sustainable business strategy for facebook.

Everyone knows what Coca Cola is. That thirst quenching soda that hits the spot on a hot sunny afternoon. In Mexico, they sell coke too. But with a tinge of difference from the coke that we’re all too familiar with.

Mexicoke, is coke sweetened with sugar, instead of corn syrup, and more delicious as justified by its supporters. But when Francisco Garza Egloff, Coca-Cola’s Mexican bottler, let slip that they might be changing sugar into corn syrup, cries of the mexicoke lovers resounded. The cries were loud enough for Arca continental (Coca-Cola’s mexican bottler) to vow only to use cane sugar for mexicoke. This seems like buyer power coming to play. The mexicoke supporters might come in a small group but they were able to dictate terms with Arca, ensuring that the mexicoke they love, will never change its ingredient.

Never doubt the power of consumers because ultimately, the customers are always right.