Category Archives: comm101

The United Nations aids developing countries in their battle against poverty, and assists such countries towards achieving a stronger economy as there is a substantial lack of funding. Many people in countries such as Ethiopia do not possess the fundamental knowledge to support their community through local business. I believe that the United Nations, as it is enormous in size and helps a broad range of countries with varying issues, is unable to provide assistance on such a personal level that the Arc and social enterprise/social entrepreneurship can.

For example, Sauder’s Arc Initiative- a program that “facilitates a genuine two-way exchange of knowledge and business skills” (Sauder)- was able to provide an Ethiopian woman, Fitih Tesfaye, with the skills and inspiration to move into an untapped market and carve out her niche (Globe and Mail). This in turn, led to successful results in her local eatery and continues to be successful today.

I believe this example shows that smaller, more personal initiatives can make a large and lasting impression on African locals as they are able to provide skills, and in turn benefits, that simple funding cannot do. It is knowledge and experience that is needed in developing countries in order to provoke meaningful takeaways from organizations such as the Arc Initiative. I believe that it is the Arc and social enterprise that allows struggling locals to learn business models that will give them success, which will allow them to escape the poverty cycle.

Sources: Photo 1 (Featured Photo), Photo 2

*This blog is for Class Prep 20 and is not included in my 10 blogs to be graded

Cassandra’s blog post discusses the power and effectiveness of brand positioning. Cassandra claims that positioning is crucial in order to make a lasting impression in a crowded market place where companies are using advertisements to reach the consumer. I agree with her standpoint, and believe that marketing and advertising are the leading method to differentiate products.

Viewing Most Unforgettable Ad Campaigns of 2013, I came across WestJet’s holiday commercial, and was greatly moved by the underlying meaning of this advertisement. Like Pepsi, WestJet has positioned itself successfully to appeal to a customer segment that in this case, sympathizes with the less fortunate during the holiday seasons. In WestJet’s Christmas ad, travellers expressed their Christmas wishes on a candid camera, and once they arrived at their destination, were surprised with wrapped gifts.

While I believe that some companies only give back to the community on a basis of pure marketing ploys, I am moved by how genuine this advertisement is. As a semi-frequent flyer, I am impressed with WestJet’s initiative, and would lean more towards this company over Air Canada simply on the basis of successful marketing and ethical practices.

I greatly appreciate the innovation that goes into advertisements such as these: the marketing team must brainstorm a unique idea and execute it in a successful fashion in order for it to be effective. Advertisements in general have become more creative and outside-the-box, which I find entertains consumers and has a great ability to influence people’s decision making. I applaud companies that sway towards the socially responsible side of the spectrum as I think their ads resonate well with people and have the ability to tell a story that will remain in people’s thoughts long enough for them to google WestJet flights over Air Canada flights. All it comes down to is that lasting impression, and I believe WestJet has positioned itself successfully for me to remember this ad for years to come. Marketing and advertising have the potential to showcase global and social issues, so I beg the question: Why not create a socially-conscious ad that informs and influences your audience to become more aware of global issues, while still showcasing your company? Personally, I find animal ads (Geico hump day, Stride Ostrich) repetitive and cheap-I will continue to be impressed by conscious ads such as WestJet’s Christmas Miracle commercial. I say, keep up the good work!

It is true that entrepreneurs possess ambition, aggressiveness, toughness, curiosity, intelligence, and a strong worth ethic (Y Combinator); however, I believe that modern day entrepreneurs must also possess a level of creativity and uniqueness. It seems as though technology is becoming an increasingly useful tool for start-up companies, making online stores and blogs even more popular.

Cara Loren is a blog for fashion inspiration that I quite randomly stumbled upon a little while ago. I began to look at differently, in the sense that so many businesses can be promoted through sites such as these. Online platforms are an incredibly useful means to further promote your business, and yourself in that matter. Blogs are a way for people to make themselves popular and known for their ideas and in this case, fashion sense. I believe that people who are able to start blogs such as these are in a sense very much like entrepreneurs. Cara’s blog will soon give readers the opportunity to shop on the site; this is extremely ambitious as I believe that starting a successful blog is like starting your own business: one must attract readers and keep them interested. Better yet, some are even able to make money off of their popularity. I believe Cara will be successful in expanding this option to shop on her site. I commend those who can take their words and turn them into money. I admire Cara’s grit and determination, and can see her inner entrepreneurial side.

Check out Cara’s blog! Click here. 

Also, click here to see The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s 10 most remarkable small businesses – I can’t help but be reminded that successful bloggers must go through many of the same steps in becoming successful that small business must also accomplish. 

Blackfish (2013) is a documentary telling the story of a killer whale, Tilikum, who was purchased by SeaWorld after having killed a young woman in Victoria, BC at SeaLand. SeaWorld did not inform its employees of Tilikum’s dangerous tendencies, which lead to the death of a trainer and several other incidences, not only from Tilikum, but from other whales as well.

This film has heavily impacted me as I was introduced to SeaWorld’s poor practices such as false facts to visitors, small animal confinement, deprivation of food, and breaking up pod families. I believe that SeaWorld practices the farthest thing from corporate social responsibility; animal captivity is becoming a faux pas as we become more educated and ethically aware of corporate actions, and SeaWorld has only slightly modified its actions due to social outcry. Blackfish does a spectacular job of showcasing SeaWorld’s complete lack of corporate social responsibility “CSR” and calls into questions its ethical practices. United Airlines has also failed to practice CSR as they are transporting whales and dolphins for companies; this “condones the outrageous hunting, killing, capturing, training, transporting, and the misery of a life in confinement for these animals” (The Dodo) which I believe is barbaric in our current society. How do these companies not understand the effects of their practices?

I am excited to say that (according to a Globe and Mail article) after the release of Blackfish, SeaWorld experienced a dive in share prices. I am pleased that investors are sending the message that they do not support the harming of animals and am glad that SeaWorld is finally experiencing the consequences of their actions. I find it barbaric that SeaWorld would claim Blackfish is a “is a “propaganda film” that is “not based on science”” (Globe and Mail)- clearly, the company still has to fully come to terms with what their actions promote.

Other companies, however, have responded to Blackfish in positive ways: Kenmore Air, a floatplane company in Seattle, has launched a campaign called the “orca plane project” (The Dodo), to emphasize that whales belong in the wild. I believe this is a great act of CSR as they are aiding Wild Orca in their awareness campaigning and being a role model for other companies to follow. I think it is great to see companies such as Kenmore Air responding to current social issues through this plane project. They practice respectful procedures when encountering whales en route, they have given Wild Orca a plane to be decorated like an orca, and will be providing informational brochures in their planes for passengers to read. As a consumer, I respond well to these actions: if something (such as this) catches my attention, I will tell anyone who will listen, which means positive publicity via word of mouth for these companies.

Companies such as Kenmore Air give me hope that there is CSR in the world. Companies such as SeaWorld, however, need to fully realize the consequences of their actions and re-evaluate current practices to become more responsible in what they support.

Blackfish Trailer:

Wild Orca Campaign Video:

The First Nations have significant land claims in British Columbia. “Premier Christy Clark declared: “B.C. is Indian land.”” (Vancouver Sun) As British Columbia becomes more populated, First Nations land is becoming more valuable and companies such as Enbridge and BC Hydro require the First Nations people’s permission to access their land.

Enbridge wants to run a pipeline through First Nations land, which will be “25 per cent of the proposed 1,177-kilometre route” (Vancouver Sun). BC Hydro wants to build a dam, which will flood “83 kilometres of the Peace River Valley” (Vancouver Sun). The First Nations have strongly disagreed with the companies’ proposals, and they claim that the possible destruction of their land affects them greatly.

Enbridge and BC Hydro’s business plans are affected by many external factors such as Key Trends; they are especially affected by societal and cultural trends of the First Nations. The First Nations have a culture based strongly around connection to the land. Any disturbance to the land-these companies’ proposals do have degrees of risk-affects their culture as they live off the land (salmon, trout, etc.) and have “elders’ gatherings [on the land] annually” (Vancouver Sun). I believe these companies are affected by these social trends as many First Nations people all over British Columbia have similar belief systems of land being sacred, and all the First Nations in British Columbia have huge amounts of power on these issues as they were the first settlers, and they can join together to become a powerful force. Enbidge and BC Hydro’s business plans are affected by these key trends because the long lasting Aborginal tendencies are not likely to break their trend of being protective of their land. Similar issues have occurred before over land disputes, and if the First Nations put up a good fight before, they are likely to do it again. The current trend is resistance. If, for example, Enbridge wanted to compromise on which blocks of land ran through First Nations land, I believe that the trend will continue: overall resistance.

Sources: Prep 10 readings connected to News Article

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html

Photo: In Text and Feature Photo