Month: October 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24425340

Generally speaking, high-positions within a company or firm has been held by males in the long-run of tradition of how males back then had higher levels of education and social prestige. However, at the turn of the century, we see a turn of tables of who is sitting in the top-dog chair. According to the article, BBC reports that females now occupy almost 20% of high-ranking positions in companies on the FTSE of the London stock exchange. This trend highlights the growing equalization of social statuses between genders through the admittance of competency of females being able to lead a company. With this, comes with broader qualifications and ideas that will benefit the business because a large range of jobs are now more open to people, instead of previously open to a select few. in other words, this is not only a step towards gender equality in the workforce previously dominated by males, it may also change a company’s value propositions due to new perspectives being introduced.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24330094

As most entrepreneurs know and understand, it can be hard setting up a business. From gaining the trust of investors and/or venture capitalists to becoming a global powerhouse, an important stepping stone all businesses must overcome would be how to develop their brand name and reputation. Lewre Lew was no exception with his passion for shoes and wish to enter a market amidst a great number of competitors. In the beginning, Lew first displayed his shoes designs in the 1990’s at an international shoe fair to no avail. Nor on the second time and nor on the third time. However, as luck would have it, his fourth time of displaying his shoe brand on the international stage bore fruit and launched his company into business. Through his perseverance and his unique stance on shoes, Lew managed to carve out a position in two customers’ minds, which soon become the minds of many around the world. While hand-sewn shoes are usually under luxury brand names, Lew strove to have them mid-priced to prove how Asian brands can be of good quality, considering that the majority of the competitors in the shoe industry hail from Europe and North America. By differentiating himself from the majority of the other competing brands, Lew became an ever-increasing presence on the consumers’ minds from consistently showcasing his shoes at international fairs and by producing trendy shoe designs each year.  In other words, Lew’s success was owed to the fact that he was able to distinguish himself from his fellow Asian competitors to gain a foothold in the shoe market; indicating the importance of brand positioning from within the customers’ mind through the brand’s uniqueness.