With talks of the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas, it looks like the gambling capital will add another sport, right after the acquisition of an NHL franchise last June that is scheduled to begin play in the 2017-18 season. Recently, the CEO of MGM, James Murren, also expressed interest in an NBA team. At this rate, the entertainment capital of the world will also be known as a sports haven.

Las Vegas isn’t necessarily a city known for its relentless passion for the four major North American sports. So begs the question: Why Vegas? Aside from all the gambling, its only tie with the professional sports world would be the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the venue for some of the most lucrative boxing matches. Las Vegas has never needed to face the challenge of generating fan interest, consistent attendance and season ticket sales. With that being said, to answer the question, teams simply cannot pass up on the seemingly unlimited potential of Sin City, and more importantly, neither can the major businesses – the real winners of this relocation.

It would be disingenuous to suggest that there isn’t some form of symbiosis between sports and business. Sports fit perfectly with the value proposition and target customer segment of the businesses in Las Vegas – young to middle-age adults with disposable incometo spend on various forms of entertainment. Building a new stadium (or two) may be seen as a great way to lose money, and that’s true for most cities in North America. However, Las Vegas will be the site of so many events it will greatly alleviate any financial concern.

Most importantly, this relocation project will create a lot of jobs. From permanent jobs like stadium security to temporary jobs like construction workers, these hires will effectively act as an economic stimulus, as Las Vegas will have an influx of consumers eager to spend their money. Traditionally, Porter’s industry forces have had both positive and negative impact on businesses in Vegas. For example, factors like high barriers to entry and low threat of substitutes benefit casinos, while a dependency on economic trends and volatility in government policies hinder their performances. The acquisition of sports teams will direct a great amount of traffic to businesses and inspire healthy competition. With increasing popularity and significant growth, the aforementioned macroeconomic forces can be assuaged while businesses continue to flourish.

Las Vegas makes the most sense financially for leagues, teams, and businesses. Unfortunately, it appears as though my wish of having a basketball team in Vancouver won’t be happening anytime soon, as we will all be prepared to witness this booming entertainment wonderland that would have made Bugsy Siegel proud.

Word count: 445

Sources:

Sheldon, David. “Las Vegas NBA Franchise Could Follow NHL and NFL Teams” Casino.org. N.p., 27 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Moskowitz, Dan. “Las Vegas: 10 Years From Now (MGM, LVS)” Investopedia. N.p., 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

http://mobilemarketingwatch.com/mobile-innovators-descend-on-las-vegas-for-iot-evolution-expo-67898/

http://vegas.eater.com/2016/4/8/11389724/19-things-you-need-to-know-about-t-mobile-arena

My friend Justin Ng’s blog about the new Apple headphones reminded me that it’s iPhone season again – that annual craze in the fall when Apple’s new model for their flagship product is introduced. While I can understand his enthusiasm for the controversial yet innovative wireless headphones, I can’t share the same opinion about Apple’s recent operations. The iPhone 7, which, with further research, falls below expectations to say the least, has me questioning Apple’s yearly smartphone releases that have over the years become their status quo.

There simply isn’t enough groundbreaking advancement to justify this new model. For example, previous versions have seen drastic changes to its external design and size, unlike the iPhone 7, which have the exact same dimensions as the 6/6S models. Even storage upgrades will now come at a hefty price – a 32GB iPhone 7 will cost just as much as a 128GB iPhone 6S. Other features like improved durability, longer battery life, and water resistance provide no points of difference from its competitors and are quite frankly, overdue.

With that being said, it would be disingenuous to suggest that there hasn’t been any progress made from the previous model. The iPhone 7 will introduce features like better front and back cameras, more customization options, and of course, the aforementioned wireless headphones. However, those aren’t what their most loyal buyers are looking for. Apple’s value proposition appeals to customers at the forefront of technology – people who keep up with product announcements, watch keynote events, and are eager buy the new iPhone every single year. These same people loved previous revolutionary innovations like the retina display, Siri, and iCloud. However, with nothing significant this year, their loyalty will certainly be tested with the iPhone 7.

Fortunately for Apple, despite a somewhat disappointing year for the iPhone, they may have stumbled into the arms of Lady Luck, with Blackberry announcing a gradual exit in hardware manufacturing and the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 flameout. Still, it’s no reason for Apple to be complacent. There will never be a shortage of new challengers with companies like Google and Sony, and competitive advantages, as suggested by Rita McGrath, will always be transient. With that being said, Apple, at least for now, sits comfortably on the throne of the smartphone industry and doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Word count: 383

Sources:

Villas-Boas, Antonio. “8 Big Changes Coming to the iPhone 7 That Will Make It Much Better.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 06 Sept. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Hodapp, Eli. “iPhone 7 First Impressions: Another Yearly iPhone Release, Another Set of Incremental Improvements.” TouchArcade. N.p., 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Kelly, Gordon. “iPhone 7 Vs iPhone 6S: What’s The Difference?“Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2016/09/15/you-wont-be-able-to-purchase-an-iphone-7-plus-on-launch-day/

I recently stumbled across this blog regarding Amazon’s plan to haul and deliver packages for both itself and other retailers/consumers. By taking over logistic operations, the online retailer’s ambitious goal would not only eliminate all dependency for carriers like UPS and FedEx, but also add a service that can directly challenge the courier titans.

Amazon’s plan piqued my interest due to the striking similarities it shares with Michael Dell’s groundbreaking direct business model. By managing its own logistics, Amazon will be able to add delivery capacity, which will be particularly crucial during peak seasons like Christmas. Furthermore, by “cutting out the middleman”, Amazon will save over $4 per delivery, which approximates to $1.1 billion per year. With that being said, I believe the most important benefit comes from the ability to develop a connection with customers. Like Dell’s model, by managing it’s own deliveries, Amazon will effectively end its traditional relationship with buyers. Customer communication will be enhanced and as a result, assist the company in improving the entire shopping experience – from the moment the “place order” buttons are clicked to the moment packages arrive at front doors.

Having recently learned about business strategies, I’ve gained further appreciation of Amazon’s ability to consistently seek out and exploit a competitive advantage. Rita McGrath believes that strategies are transient, and companies must always start new strategy initiatives. Once only known as an online bookstore, Amazon’s expansions into e-commerce, and services such as cloud computing and video streaming have all been a testament to its perpetually evolving business strategy, and this new courier venture shows that “complacent” certainly isn’t a word in the online retailer’s dictionary.

Will Amazon be able to rival long-time empires like UPS and FedEx? Only time will tell. However, regardless of the outcome, Amazon’s willingness to launch new business strategies was and will continue to be the key to its success. As the great Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

Word count: 346

Sources:

Bensinger, Greg. “Amazon’s Newest Ambition: Competing Directly With UPS and FedEx.” The Wall Street Journal. Wsj.com, 27 Sept. 2016. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.

http://truckerslogic.com/amazon-building-their-emi-truck-fleet-signals-bigger-changes-ahead/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/amazon-delivery-lasership_n_5193956.html