If the UN had all the money it could dream of, then on a broad scale, humanity would be much better off. The Red Cross would become redundant, and Médecins Sans Frontières would be rebranded as a UN initiative and expand to effectively serve all who need help. However, you can feed a population, clothe them, and raise their quality of life, but without hands-on education, this can never be sustainable. Social entrepreneurship would still have a very prevalent role in sharing the knowledge and expertise of the first world to those less privileged. As an added bonus, said social entrepreneurs would learn valuable lessons abroad that would serve them well back home.

What sets social entrepreneurship apart from the UN is that it is capable of having a more tailored approach than a massive organization can usually manage. With an emphasis on teaching locals as opposed to simply dumping resources and leaving, social entrepreneurs (like the Arc Initiative) have a lasting, positive effect on the group they target.

As well as helping others, social entrepreneurs better themselves through helping those less fortunate, and learn lessons that can be applied back home, all of which benefits the world in ways that a fully funded UN simply couldn’t.

Sources:

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative

http://www.un.org/en/strengtheningtheun/

Anyone who spends even a couple hours with me clues in on my passion for automobiles. I take great pride in having watched every Motortrend video on YouTube, and although my brother Gregor’s exhaustive knowledge easily surpasses my own inquires into the world of the motor vehicles, lets just say I follow developing trends rather keenly.

So when Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Model S P85-D, I just about swooned. Here is a four-wheel-drive, aluminum-frame electric vehicle with a range of 285 miles that goes from 0-60mph as fast as a Lamborghini Huracan…for 1/3 the price. Oh, and it is gorgeous, with a redesigned interior and improved aerodynamics and can autopilot. Interestingly, Tesla’s stock price took a brief hit, falling to $230.017 a share. Apparently, the higher price of the four-wheel drive, technologically overhauled luxury performance sedan was not what investors had been hoping for.

I, however, thought this was exactly what Tesla needed. Before releasing a affordable, lower-performance electric car for the masses, Tesla has to show that electric power can level the playing field at the extremes of the market. The P85-D does just that, and stock price rapidly climbed back into the mid-$240.00 dollar range after a 12-month waiting list for the vehicle formed and bolstered market confidence.

For what its worth, I sent my father an email link to Tesla’s website, followed by a price quote for an all-boxes-checked Model S. I advised him to fall into a sudden and terrible midlife crisis: even if a $140,000.00 car isn’t for every rational buyer, it nonetheless has a certain, potent appeal.

Source:

www.teslamotors.com

http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/tsla/stock-chart?intraday=off&timeframe=1m&charttype=mountain&splits=off&earnings=off&movingaverage=None&lowerstudy=volume&comparison=off&index=&drilldown=off&sDefault=true

Sawyer Precious’ blog post, “A Ghost Town’s Attempt to Repopulate” explored the marketing initiative of Karen Freeman-Wilson to repopulate Gary, a mining boomtown that became a ghost town after the collapse of the American mining industry. Her “$1 Dollar Home” proposal is certainly interesting, and novel in a modern sense. However, this concept has been used successfully before, notably by railroad scion Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt commissioned the construction of the largest single residence in America: the Biltmore. He also purchased the surrounding “view”, a property delineating the surrounding 1000 acres around the home. Around 1600 workers lived on the estate’s grounds to complete the massive undertaking, and once the dust had settled, Mr. Vanderbilt took a dislike to the seclusion of the Biltmore and founded the Vanderbilt Furniture Company, based it on the grounds of the Biltmore, and built a town around it. The laborers moved into free housing with their families, and called the settlement Biltmore Village. Today, Biltmore Village is a thriving town that grew from the whims of a lonely billionaire.

This concept has worked before, but time will tell if Karen Freeman-Wilson’s attempt to grow Gary will take root. After all, she doesn’t quite have the economic pull of a man who – at the time of his death – was worth 1/87^th of the United States’ economy.

Sources:

http://blogs.ubc.ca/sawyerprecious/2014/10/05/a-ghost-towns-attempt-to-repopulate/

http://www.biltmorevillage.com

In a world where winners and losers are determined by hundredths of a second, the elite of rowing need the very best equipment available. Manufacturers can only differentiate through quality and innovation to stay relevant, as price is rarely an object when it comes to winning gold.

Rowing creates a strange market where teams and clubs rarely purchase for price value; rather, consumers value speed over everything. Therefore, manufacturers such as Hudson Boat works concentrate huge amounts of their resources into R&D and manufacturing. For example, Hudson’s web site claims that it the company “over 10,000 hours” on engineering the Ultimate Super Predator Hull.

The result, predictably, is nothing short of glorious. Much like a racecar driver salivates over new Lamborghini frames, or Tesla’s incredible torque output, rowers all over the world literally dream of racing in a Hudson USP Shell. (I would know, I deeply enjoyed such a dream the night before nationals.)

However, a custom USP Hull, with Carbon riggers and all the bits and bobbles rings in at $110,000.00. That’s right: a muscle-powered boat that will set you back more than a Porsche 911 S. This creates a unique disparity in the rowing world, as rich teams only get faster and teams with limited resources simply must hope that talent can overcome engineered speed. Frankly, having rowed at both levels, I find it endlessly frustrating that a shell can defeat the oft-overlooked purpose of rowing: finding the fastest athlete.

Source: https://www.hudsonboatworks.com/?p=Design_and_Construction

Last year, UBC Athletics underwent a long and painful evaluation process aimed at discovering which teams deserved to earn, keep, or lose their Varsity status. The goal was to cut the costs of the university and concentrate funds on successful teams, however, when I read over the reports, one element was strangely lacking: the actual cost of maintaining and using facilities.

The T-Bird Football team has just ended a disappointing season, having never played a single playoff game, and they have a staggeringly large budget compared to the Rowing team, who has just ended the fall season as the highest ranked team in Canada. More importantly – from an accounting perspective – football has access to almost 6 times as much university athletic space as rowing does, and costs the university exponentially more to run. Rowing offsets costs by using the John M.S Lecky Boathouse, a privately funded boathouse, and a small “dungeon” under the Varsity Gym for dry land training. Football, in comparison, uses the same area as the rowing team’s entire dry land space to store their gear.

Forget popularity. Forget hopes of glorious victory. Football received an enhanced level of funding and wasted it, whereas rowing made do with outdated racing shells and reconfigured storage bays. I hate to rub salt in an open wound, so to speak, but some teams can actually combine victory and frugality. Unfortunately, football is not one of those teams.

Sources: http://ubyssey.ca/news/sports-review-press-conference029/

Discussing the possibility of rising tuition and residence costs is a surefire way to divide a group of students. Much like political discussions, facts of the matter are often lost in a tide of moral furor: in this case, affordability for international students and housing availability fall to the wayside and “poor versus rich” becomes the subject of the debate.

As any student should, I take interest in the issue and try to keep up to date on all the latest developments. Recently, for example, UBC released a statement explaining their reasoning for raising international tuition. Unlike the housing price rises, which were aimed at accommodating more undergraduate students, the 10% hike in international tuition was billed as “a way to level the playing field with U of T and McGill”.

Whilst other students read that line in outrage, I was sold on the concept immediately. UBC is a world-class university and it is marketing itself as such. However, to do so effectively, it must have world-class resources: top-notch research facilities, accomplished professors, and well-rounded portfolio of excellence. This, unfortunately, costs money; but I, for one, will gladly pay 20% more for ability to live on campus.

Why? Well, to put it simply, I had the choice between the United States and Canada for my post-secondary education. Not only was UBC more affordable than comparatively ranked US schools, but also sported a stronger reputation than most Ivy Leagues. For me, preserving this reputation is of paramount importance to UBC and to everyone attending the school. Therefore, instead of viewing higher fees as a sunk cost, I view them as a savvy investment in my future.

Source: http://ubyssey.ca/news/residence-costs-increase-20-per-cent-2015-281/

Source: http://ubyssey.ca/blog/ubc-drops-rankings-392/

Erin argues convincingly about how Air Canada’s checked baggage charge of $25.00 per bag is an unnecessary charge levied by a airline giant in order to raise their profit margin. She mentions how the constant push for cutting costs by airlines is a worrisome, particularly “when you are in their aircrafts thousands of meters above ground”.

I also am from Edmonton, Erin’s hometown, and will make the flight home several times this year. I am totally aware that the $25.00 charge exists, and as a frugal student, I will do the sensible thing and only pack carry-on. I am also 6’4, and will undoubtably gripe to anyone who will listen about the tight seats and low ceilings.

However, the last time I flew home, I flew with my grandfather, and as I griped, he did what he does so very well and taught me a valuable lesson in life – and economics, incidentally.

He began with his usual reference to the “Good Old Days” of his era. However, in this telling of the Good Old Days, students came home maybe twice a year, if they were lucky. By the end of this telling, these were the Bad Old Days.

I value seeing my family over any small tax or charge. Thanks to savvy market evaluation, Air Canada knows this too, and until I value my wallet over my family, I’ll keep flying. Those fees may annoy me, but I’ll take that hit, and be thankful that I’m flying at all.

https://connect.ubc.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_45358_1%26url%3D

The Nak’azdli First Nation’s opposition the Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, as portrayed by Vancouver Sun writer Gordon Hoekstra in his article, There Will Be No Pipeline, initially seemed to be a wholesome and unselfish protest.

The Nak’azdli claim their reason for rejecting the pipeline is to simply  preserve their connection to the earth. However, the article highlighted how the sanctimony of their commitment is clearly flexible, as the majority of their community income is provided by fossil fuels and commercial interests.

My initial reaction after reading the article was split between condemning Enbridge for its infringement into First Nation territory and sneering at the hypocrisy of Nak’azdli values. However, I realized that the First Nations were trying to maximize their opportunity costs.

The traditional values of the Nak’azdli dictate preserving the land to assure livelihood for generations to come. Unfortunately, times have changed. Now, assuring livelihood for generations to come may very well involve giving up some of their land.

A well-run business would immediately try to predict the outcome – in this case, the inevitable progression of the pipeline – and find a way (perhaps using a SWOT diagram) to minimize threats and maximize opportunities. It would milk Enbridge for every penny, and make them bleed for every foot of sacred land. Perhaps this is exactly what the Nak’azdli are doing; frankly, if I was in their shoes, I certainly would. 

On that note, I will follow the developments of the Northern Gateway Pipeline with interest. The Nak’azdli will ultimately have to weigh their value propositions: what has a higher cost? Tradition? Or a brighter future?

Source:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html?__federated=1

A very well-researched article by Globe and Mail writer Peter Cheney attempts to explain why the Jeep, a marque that has refused to rely on product differentiation, still excels in today’s market. What particularly struck me is how he used the word “nostalgic” to describe the Jeep’s appeal. I found that to be very accurate, and wanted to explore the concept a little further.

To begin, I would like to point out that the Jeep is in no way practical. It has the aerodynamic efficiency of a fridge, the handling of a much larger and clumsier vehicle, interior amenities that would only impress my great-grandmother, and an engine output similar to a 20 year old mid-range Mercedes.

But…

I would, without shame, snap one up in a heartbeat. I very much intend to own a Jeep. Why? Because the Jeep possesses a value proposition that simply can’t fit cleanly into BCom lingo: it embodies an era. It has refused to innovate radically, and in doing so reminds consumers of a time where you needn’t fear using your car.

Furthermore, I respect what Jeep has done: it has remained true to the ethos behind its conception, when it was coined by a generation hell-bent on winning wars and driving a nation towards a brighter future. It is the automobile-embidoment of every lesson my grandfather has tried to teach me: it is honest, faithful, true, and incorruptible.

Jeep has differentiated without intending to. By refusing to waver from its identity, it has set itself apart from marques that have suffered drastic reincarnations and won over the hearts of the young and old alike. Now that is a brand value that automakers should aspire towards.

Source:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/adventure/red-line/as-fads-come-and-go-this-is-why-jeep-has-survived/article20718846/

New York Times featured blogger Kistin Hohenadel wrote a fascinating post this past July on the Mall of the World, an über-mall dubbed by the United Arab Emirates as the “First City Mall”. This massive project will take a decade to compete and cost the Middle Eastern kingdom a staggering 6.8 billion dollars. It will boast 20 000 hotel rooms, a 4.3 mile network of retail stores, and 8 million square feet of air-conditioned streets.

From a bCom perspective, the ridiculously huge investment in tourism alone invites speculation, yet I found myself drawn to an interesting marketing strategy deployed by the United Emirates: it insists that the Mall of the World is, in fact, a city.

Now why would anyone call a mall anything other then what it is? Well, I suppose the answer to that is both—from a marketing perspective—amusing and enlightening. The Mall of the World is billed as a city because the term “city” is much more refined than “mall”. Why? Because when one thinks of cities, one pictures elegant metropolitan skylines, whereas when one thinks of a mall, one sees their local strip.

Not that all malls are unappealing, far from it. However, the United Emirates has played a clever game with branding. I’ll use a duck and a swan as a metaphor. The Emirates will build itself the most marvellous duck ever seen; however, it has made certain to tell the world that it is building a swan, and a gloriously commercial swan at that.

Source:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/07/16/dubai_s_mall_of_the_world_the_world_s_first_temperature_controlled_city.html