Heather Crawford's Blog

A green entrepreneurial company that has revolutionized consumers’ views towards garbage is a company in Trenton, New Jersey called Terracycle.  Founded by Tom Szaky, CEO, in 2001 the company’s goal is to inform the world that there are many opportunities for garbage; the landfill isn’t the only option.  Terracycle accomplishes its goal by turning unrecyclables into cool consumer goods, such as school supplies and gardening tools, saving over 3 billion pieces of garbage from landfills each year.  The eco-friendly products produced by Terracycle generated $250 million in retail sales and expect to continue to grow as the company is doubling its number of employees each year.  Their products are sold at Target, The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart, as well as online.  Terracycle is also revolutionizing business by paying people to collect the garbage for the products that they sell.  Anyone can help Terracycle to full-fill the goal of keeping less in the landfills and making the most eco-friendly way possible.  Terracycle has also made a huge effort to share its profits will the community by donating money to schools and non-profits.  To date Terracycle has donated almost $1.5 million and wants to continue to donate more in the future.  At a time when green business is generating great business it is easy to see that Terracycle will continue to grow into the future, both giving back to the community and taking a load off Mother Nature.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2010/june/206722-5.html

http://media.terracycle.net/07-01-08_nj_entrepreneur/07-01-08_nj_entrepreneur.htm

On October 13^th, Apple Inc. shares traded above US$300 for the first time in company history.  This rise has brought attention to many analysts who are trying to predict the price target, the projected price level, as Apple continues to expand its market share on the financial market.  This growth has been as a result of the launch of Apple’s iPhone, App Store, iPad, and the relaunch of Apple TV, adding to the company’s total addressable market for hardware, content, and services.  Roughly this expansion is estimated to be around a $1.49 trillion increase from the previous $400 billion.  If Apple continues to provide innovative products and content Apple will soon become the most valuable corporate entity on Earth.  As a stable and growing company is it easy to understand why Apple’s price target is increasing, as people want to buy secure stock after the 2009 meltdown of the economy.  Analyst Daniel Ernst has estimated the price target of Apple to be around $500, while Maynard Um has made a less radical estimate of $350 per share.  Returns should be high if Apple meets these expectations.  Analyst and stockholders will just have to wait and see if Apple will meet or exceed these expectations.

http://www.financialpost.com/m/blog.html?b=business.financialpost.com/2010/10/15/apple-inc-price-target-hits-us500-per-share

After four years of feuding between the real estate industry and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), over the ways in which Canadians buy and sell their homes, the Competition Bureau has helped to establish a consent agreement that allows buyers and sellers to chose what services they want from their real estate agents.  Previously consumers had to take on the entire slate of services offered by a real estate agency, but in February the Competition Bureau stepped in challenging CREA’s practices and concluding that they were anticompetitive by limiting consumer choice in the market and preventing real estate agents from offering lower cost services.  Once ratified, the new proposed agreement between the CREA and real estate agencies will allow the consumer choice and also legally-bind the CREA.  If in the future the CREA decides to act against the agreed terms then the Competition Bureau will once again have to step in as a clearinghouse to make sure all parties are honoring the contract.  With the current house market declining, a consent agreement needs to be formed to allow the buyer to be flexible in choosing their strategy when entering the housing market and allow real estate agents to stay in the business.

http://www.financialpost.com/news/features/Landmark+deal+transform+Canadian+real+estate+market/3605505/story.html

Over the past few years the economy has faced downturn due to corporation collapses and environmental disasters.  Marketers have been faced with the challenge of keeping consumers purchasing goods with rises in economic uncertainty, many of which can be categorized into 10 top trends for 2010.  Apple is a great example of a company who continues to be strong in economic recession by utilizing these 10 trends.  Apple continues to make an ongoing effort of honesty and open their marketing communications to the public with customer feedback into order to generate a positive feedback image.   Catering to education systems, Apple has also helped by creating a campaign where teachers and university students can purchase an Apple computer and get a rebate towards an iPod or iTouch product.  The niche that Apple has defined for itself, as a trendy, user-friendly, and reliable computer and music player company is incredibly important.  Constantly their social media reflects these three advantages, as well as their huge involvement with building and keeping in touch with a loyal band of brand loyalists who help to market through word-of-mouth, brand advocacy and brand guardianship.  It is clear from the presence of Mac users in the Comm 101 classes at Sauder that the value and reliability the brand communicates has influenced many to choose Apple, even with its higher price range.

Top 10 Trends of 2010:

1.) Transparency and trust are paramount

2.) Less interruption, more enhancement and value-add

3.) Speaking of value . . .

4.) Show it, don’t tell it

5.) Social media is not going away, and engagement is critical

6.) Peace-of-mind messages prevail

7.) Relationships rule

8.) Online video and mobile marketing are hot

9.) Focus, focus, focus!

10.) Integrated marketing trumps stand-alone tactics

http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketingcommunicationscolumnistsusangunelius/article204804.html

Over the years, many automobile companies have been shifting towards offering new sustainable cars due to Corporate Social Responsibility, which integrates social, environmental, and economic concerns into their values and operations.  Companies like Toyota and Ford offer hybrid vehicles, but no company has yet launched a fully electric zero-emission car.  This will all change in late 2010 when Nissan introduces the LEAF, their new 100% electric car.  This new model is part of Nissan’s “New Way” philosophy, with their goal being that they hope and optimism to help create a sustainable future.  This new innovation causes no pollution, no noise, and charges with domestic electric power.  Not to mention that even the seat fibers and bumpers are comprised of recycled bottles.  There are two models available for market depending on if you want fully loaded, with solar panel spoilers, or well-equipped.  Both models run in a, surprisingly low, price range from around $25,000-$26,000, after tax savings.  The incentives to buy this car are not only the fact that the consumer is reducing their carbon footprint, but also the rebates that will help to promote the purchase of the LEAF such as the “New Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicles” and “Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit.”  The new Nissan LEAF is sure to revolutionize how civilization will drive into the future and take steps towards “New Way(s)” of thinking to promote a sustainable future.

http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/index

http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/nissan-leaf-test-drive-review/

Nike and Adidas are both popular athletic clothing and equipment brands that fiercely compete in the same competitive market.  You see sports team, athletes, and everyday people sporting either the Nike “swoosh” symbol or the Adidas three stripes.  Each sells the same style products for enhanced performance, but they also create different campaigns that they hope will attract and pull market consumers to their brand.  In order to compare the two we must look at both their points of parity and points of difference.

As Nike and Adidas are both athletic wear companies they share multiple points of parity, one in particular being their individual electronic performance technology that allows you to train on your own time and at your own pace.  Nike focuses on their Nike+ product, that along with Apple, allows runners to track their distance, pace, calories burned, and heart rate, then send their stats online where they can set goals and join challenges.  Similarly Adidas has the miCoach Pacer that like Nike+ tracks pace, heart rate, and stride.

In terms of points of difference Nike and Adidas are both running campaigns that are individual to their brands.  Nike has created in the NikeiD series where you can customize your own shoes and gear.  Therefore appealing to customers who like to create their own style and unique identity.  For those consumers who are focused on being eco-friendly, Adidas is the in process of working on a sustainable performance clothing that will be good both for the buyer and the earth.

With similar price points it’s hard to choose between Nike and Adidas, but their goal is to hold some attribute that makes you chose one over the other based on their points of difference.

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_CA/?&ref=

http://www.adidas.com/ca/homepage.asp

Montréal operated Bombardier’s latest project has been to develop the new C Series airplanes that will first take flight in 2012.  However the first task of this challenging journey is entering into the large plane market and taking on huge competitor Boeing Air.  The result of this task could either be an opportunity if Bombardier becomes hurdle into major leagues of aircraft manufacturing or threat if Bombardier’s new planes don’t take to the market, ending as a huge costly mistake.  In order to avoid losing millions of dollars, Bombardier is focusing on older airlines who are looking to replace their aging planes, for inter-continental flights, with the new C Series airplanes that will cut operating costs, making their operating fleets more green friendly.  This is a key strength for the company that is battling for the key airline markets of the future, mainly in China.  An even greater opportunity for Canadian manufactures is if the new C Series is successful, Canada could be propelled into a tiny group of high ranked countries that build these large commercial aircraft, showing our ability to win in high global competition.  Bombardier’s plan of working with low-cost countries for production of airplane materials is currently working but could hurt the company if another competitor decides to move in and start shopping in the same markets for supplies.  Will Bombardier’s plans take off or end up crashing, hurting both their pocket books and Canadian manufacturers’ operations?  One thing is clear that this ambitious project is filled with technical and logistical challenges on a scale few manufacturers have undertaken.  Will Bombardier make the flight or miss the gate?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/bombardiers-c-series-poised-to-take-flight/article1738911/

In the material world we hear a lot of I WANT this and I NEED that.  We automatically categorize want and need as the same thing, however they are not interchangeable in the business world.  A want is something you desire, in economics this is called quantity demanded.  It includes you’re willingness to buy goods dependent on price.  Even though you may want to purchase an item that does not dictate if you will actually buy the item.  For instance, to live human beings need water and food.  Your life is not dependent that you buy a new car or those cute pair of high heels.  A need is a requirement, but how do we define requirements?  We have choice as to how we satisfy our wants, but do we have choice as to how we satisfy our needs?  Marketers have the opportunity to influence how to satisfy both our wants and our needs.  By creating barriers of confusion marketers are able to influence our selectiveness in the decisions we make.  Their way of selling and branding a product can entice you to feel like you need to have the certain product, therefore creating a desire to want the item.

In business, markets push to meet customers’ wants due to the expectations of the buyers.  For example, car companies always have standard features in their cars because customers expect to have a basic level of safety features and standard levels of performance.  These expectations vary depending on both national safety regulations and incomes of the desired market.  For instance, a Tata Nano sold in Indian is focused on providing an inexpensive compact vehicle for low-income families, which as a result doesn’t have air conditioning and other features that most Canadians would think to be basic features when purchasing a car.  Another point to think about is if standards are not regulated, competition in areas can be drastically changed even by the influence of a signal competitor. For example, if Ryan Air increases the amenities that they charge for passengers then other airlines may also want to cash-in on charging for the basics, while still charging their high flight fees that Ryan Air doesn’t. The question therefore has to be asked, what boundaries can be pushed in the market in the business world?  How far is too far?

As a commuting student, planning your time accordingly is very important!!!!  Whether driving or taking the bus, every second not on campus or not having a book open can lead to build up of work and STRESS!  Even after the first two weeks of school, I have already put together a few tips for those, like me, who are taking the trek out to UBC.

Tip 1:  If bussing, always try to get a seat

Being able to sit down helps, either by being able to catch a few Zzzs, quickly look over your notes, or catch up on your readings. (Just watch out for the bumps!)

Tip 2:  Make sure to have some good beats

Listening to music, either on your way to school or on your way home, is a great way to start or unwind at the end of your day. (Not to mention it helps to cut out the screeching noise of the bus brakes)

Tip 3:  Try to find some car pool buddies

Being able to share the ride out with someone is good always nice for some socializing, but always helps to cut costs both for gas and for parking.

Tip 4:  Make every second you spend on campus count

If you have long breaks, make sure to take use of the time you’re not spending in the classroom.  Try to find some people who have the same breaks as you so you can go and find a quiet place to study together.  Better yet, try to find someone who lives on residence so if you have to pull a late night you have somewhere to crash.

Tip 5:  Parking is expensive but there are other options

There is a way to avoid the expensive $14 daily parking fees.  Located near totem, a cheaper option is available for  $6 a day, but make sure to get there early as by 9am the lot is almost full.  If you are lucky enough to arrive as the bird’s start to chirp then you many be able to get a “free” spot.   There are free parking spaces that line the road on the outer west side of campus, however from my own experience you’ll have to be there earlier then 7am.  Another free option is to park your car off campus and catch one of the many buses heading into campus, but be careful to not get caught as there are many permit areas surrounding campus.

Tip 6:  Commuting time is break time

After a long hard day at school, many of us commuters just want to get home and relax.  However, the sooner you start studying at home the less stress and the more productive you’ll be.  If you really need a break when you get home make sure to set a time limit.  Instead of an hour, give yourself 20 minutes to get some food and take some time to lie down.

Remember study hard and the less stress you’ll have.