Month: October 2012

Samsung launched a commercial called “The Next Big Thing is Already Here” for the Galaxy S III.  In the commercial, it shows a line up of people anticipating the release of the iPhone 5, however while waiting they see some people with the Galaxy S III.  Samsung mainly showcases its large screen and S Beam, the ability to instantly share files simply by placing the phones side by side.  Throughout the commercial, Samsung uses these features to make the iPhone 5 seem like it’s not as advanced as the Galaxy S III, hence “the next big thing is already here”, as the Galaxy S III was released before the iPhone 5.

One month later, Samsung released another commercial titled “Game On”.  In this commercial, two people are playing a game and the male character complains that it’s unfair because the female character has a larger screen.  It appears in the commercial that the male character is using an iPhone 4.

Apple and Samsung have become rivals in the smartphone world and Samsung is trying to target Apple in their advertisements, persuading consumers that Samsung is better than Apple.  This relates to what we learned about relative positioning.  However, I believe Samsung is unethically trying to dominate in the world of smartphones.  I think it is unnecessary to target Apple in their commercials “The Next Big Thing is Already Here” and “Game On” and that they should showcase their points of difference without comparing themselves to Apple.

Sources: Samsung Galaxy S3 Insults iPhone 5 (Again) in Facebook and YouTube Ads [PHOTOS and VIDEO], Samsung Galaxy S III Image

Normally we would expect dollar stores to be small shops in malls or street corners selling poor quality items for cheap prices, but Dollarama is changing those views entirely.  Dollarama is what I like to call the superstore of dollar stores.  It carries a variety of items ranging from $1.00 to $3.00 (as of August 2012) and supplies brand name products such as Dove, Olay, Glad, and Rubbermaid, but also carries the usual dollar store products such as hair accessories, stationary, and houseware items.  Dollarama is also known for supplying products normally not found in dollar stores such as condoms and $1.25 pregnancy tests.

Dollarama Inc. is a Canadian market leader and it is in competition with companies such as Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, and Target which is coming to Canada in 2013.  Its second quarterly reports were released in September 2012 and proved financial analysts by exceeding the predicted figures and earned 7.3% more sales than 2011.  I was surprised their sales increased with the addition of $3.00 items.  As consumers expect products to be around $1.00, I would have expected sales to decrease as consumers would not be attracted to purchasing items more than $1.00 at a dollar store.  Its price of their stocks have also increased $50 since 2009.

Dollarama has proven that they are a strong contendor in retail and that their revenue can be high even as a dollar store.  I am a regular customer as well as a supervisor at Dollarama and I am excited to see the future success of this company.

Sources: Why Dollarama is beating Wal-Mart and Target, How Canada’s retailers discounted the rise of the dollar store, Dollarama profit jumps 32% as sales increase, margins improve, Dollarama’s growth is simply ‘remarkable’, Dollarama Image

McDonald’s launched their first “Our food. Your questions” campaign in June 2012.  This campaign is designed to answer consumer questions about McDonald’s food such as “Why does your food look different in the advertising than what is in the store?” and “Why is the food at McDonald’s so cheap?”  through social media.

McDonald’s answers these questions through YouTube videos and their website in a creative way that help convince consumers that McDonald’s uses and serves good quality products.

I feel that this campaign will help reinforce McDonald’s image as a fast food restaurant.  Customers and food critics alike have had the opportunity to state their experiences, opinions, and claims of McDonald’s that put the restaurant in a negative light.  With this campaign, McDonald’s has the opportunity to rebut these claims and reposition itself in the fast food industry.

Sources: McDonald’s Transparency Campaign Continues With Questions You Never Thought The Chain Would Answer, McDonald’s Canada campaign assures its burgers are, in fact, made of ‘100% beef’

Interbrand’s report on 100 most valuable global brands is reporting that BlackBerry’s brand value has decreased by 39% since 2011, moving from number 56 to 93 on the list.  BlackBerry used to be a top competitor with its popular QWERTY keyboard and BlackBerry Messenger, but other companies such as Apple have created apps that put BlackBerry behind its time.

The new BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10 is supposed to be released early next year, but I think that the features of the BlackBerry 10 will not be enough to be a strong competitor against Apple and Samsung.  Apple and Samsung have created a strong brand name for themselves over the last few years while BlackBerry has slipped through the cracks.  In my opinion, if BlackBerry wants to be a top competitor against Apple and Samsung, the company will need to develop new features that neither Apple nor Samsung have to set itself apart in the smartphone world, but also appeal to all smartphone users instead of business orientated customers.

Sources:  BlackBerry’s brand value takes a hit, Hands on: BlackBerry 10 review

In class we discussed about the business ethics, but we did not discuss the ethicical issues of men versus women in the office.

The CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, gave birth a few days ago and has shocked the world that she will only be on maternity leave for a few weeks and then return to work.  This announcement angered women who believe that Mayer will miss crucial mother/child bonding time.

This is one example of how men and women do not face the same obstacles in the workplace.  Women in business often have to choose between their career and having children, and no matter what choice they make, their actions will be criticized.  As the CEO of Yahoo, I think it would be difficult for the company if Mayer went on maternity for one year, which is why she chose to go on maternity leave for a few weeks.  But for a lower position, women should be able to have both a career and children, and I believe Mayer will be an inspiration to women who want the best of both worlds.

Sources: http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/01/yahoo-ceo-adds-motherhood-to-to-do-list/, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer gives birth to boy, will be back at work soon