Jonathan Li's Blog

“How Time Hortons will take over the world” shows the readers how big their industry has grown and the numerous changes that made this small business into a world renown multimillion-dollar franchise. This article covers their growth, franchisee ownership, and their ethics.

The title of this article struck me and caught my eye as I was not a regular Tim Horton go-er and yet this franchise is growing exponentially world-wide. Although this company started off as a small business their brand is being more and more publicly well known. This is revealed “as its share of the coffee market … captures 67% of Canada’s quick-service restaurant traffic in the morning (compared to McDonald’s 11%).”

Tim Horton’s belief in consistency with the coffee is not only important for their coffee advocates but a very important value as this helps set a routine which will stabilize a growing franchise. This type of consistency may be the reason of their “boom” in sales as they hold a very strict policies with how their coffee is made. This type of detail is a strength seen in this company as they make sure that all the coffee is similar in look, taste, and smell. I believe that their ambitious nature also gives this company a competitive edge as they are not “satisfied with mere domination of the market” but strive to open nearly 1,000 more stores.

Although this company is growing minute by minute, members of the community comment about Tim Horton’s lack in quality. An individual commented that there is a negative association with fast-food-restaurants who have the mentality that “bigger” is “better”.

After the tragic events of April 20, 2010, “Beyond Petroleum” had to undergo a number of changes to ensure a positive image, as this event has directly affected its productivity and reputation thereafter. With a world renowned name, BP’s reputation is at stake as critics and writers advocate a BP boycott on Facebook and local newspapers.

Complementary to their smeared name comes the responsibility of cleaning up and setting a positive image as their, once friendly green Helios logo, is now scarred. Their reputation of being the biggest oil producers may be their biggest downfall as their brand is so closely linked to their product, oil. Through my “Comm 101” course we recognize the importance of branding and its counterpart, the product. In this situation, Chris MacDonald, quoted that “I know you’re mad. I am too. But a boycott won’t accomplish any of the things you’re trying to accomplish. And its unethical.” His conclusion and alternative resulted in the reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Reflecting on this, we can learn the importance of how branding has a permanent role within a company’s image and how others view it. Other productive option could include the enforcement of stricter oil regulations.