Jeremy Kwan's Blog

I found some very interesting facts in Ethan’s post; I had no idea that Tim Hortons was the largest restaurant franchinse in the country and it seems like its only getting bigger. He talked about Tim Horton’s strategy in expanding into the Arab Gulf States and goes into detail as he brings up economies of scale, points of parity, and points of difference

To view Ethan’s full post and my full comment, click HERE

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A contract for a soccer player worth a quarter of a billion dollars may seem unheard of to most— but not the United States and Major League Soccer (MLS). This seemingly incomprehensible number is what America paid to bring European football superstar David Beckham overseas; but unlike most contracts, the record-breaking investment wasn’t to see the English soccer player perform on the pitch but rather his marketing potential off the pitch.

To commercialize soccer in the United States, the MLS implemented a long-term strategy that incorporated bringing arguably the most recognized athlete on the planet to their country. In 2007, Beckham made his long awaited arrival to America and was poised to change soccer in North America forever. Since then, TV audiences have been increasing each year and the revenue that stemmed from David Beckham’s success has allowed the league to create four additional teams, including two in Canada.

It is clear to me that soccer’s paradigm shift in the USA has been greatly impacted by Beckham’s presence. He has set a solid foundation for soccer’s success in the American culture. But the question “was he worth it?” will constantly remain until professional soccer in America officially takes off.

Original Article

The moment someone brings up music-based videogames, games like Guitar Hero and Rockband tend to come to mind. American based company, Harmonix Music Systems is the mastermind behind these revolutionary games; but in recent years, these games have suffered greatly due to decreasing sales. But Harmonix entrepreneurs Eran Egozy and Alex Rigopulos have once again outdone themselves by modifying an original, extraordinary gaming experience with an intriguing new aspect, otherwise known as the Dance Central series.

Dance Central 2 is now the second best selling game on Xbox Kinect and is having its most profitable year in 2011. It has captured the attention of people all over the world. With its wide array of music and dance selections, people of all ages can dance in a large variety of styles and to their choice of music on their own home consoles. Whether it is the classics or the Top 40, Dance Central has broken through to allow its owners to dance to whichever songs they please through a successful tactic― downloading music. With more than 100 million downloads, it is no surprise how this game is achieving its current success. Who knows what “game changing” ideas these entrepreneurs come up with next!

For More on the Success of Dance Central, Click HERE
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Sustainability is a growing trend among today’s society and Vancouver took notice early. One of Vancouver’s most eco-friendly commodities is highlighted in Robert Willis’ blog for translink.ca.

According to Willis’ blog, Vancouver’s Translink ranks the highest among all transit authorites around the world in sustainability— an impressive feat indeed. Translink is also the first and only member of the American Public Transit Association (APTA) to reach gold status in sustainability. Robert Willis interviews Translink’s Director of Corporate Sustainability, Trish Webb and records their entire conversation on the blog. They talk about the company, the benefits of sustainability, Translink’s gold status, and plans for the transit system moving forward.

Creating a sustainable product is neither easy nor cheap, but as Translink demonstrates, it is worth is in the end. Many pollution-related externalities are avoided due to the hard work companies like Translink have put in to creating a eco-friendly product. Unlike a lot of trends these days, I feel that “the sustainability trend” is here to stay just because people are starting to realize the social benefits that eco-friendly commodities can bring. With Trish’s goal to “reset the bar [for transit sustainability],” who knows what Translink will do next!

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Here’s a link to my comment on David’s blog:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/dltran/2011/10/09/a-jobless-world/

When Steve Jobs past away, the world was taken aback as we witnessed one of the greatest innovators of our generation leave us in an instant. I completely agree with David’s perception of the former CEO of Apple and how he revolutionized modern society. I remember a few days ago, I was watching his presentation for the very first iPhone to inspire me for my Business Plan presentation and I was in complete awe of not only his remarkable creation, but also of how easily he captivated the audience with his presentation abilities and charisma. I’m sure David and I can both agree that this man’s legacy will be difficult to surpass for even the most brilliant minds in the world today.

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