The United Nations (UN) is a global community created to help countries in a time of crises or work on large-scale issues such as climate change. In terms of economic goals, the UN has the ability to go into developing or poverty stricken countries to provide funding but often this is just to ‘fix’ the problem rather then solve it.

ARC initiative focuses are creating long term sustainable teachings. They work on a much smaller scale to improve businesses and economic well being. The way the UN is similar to this is their program of fully funded volunteers who are deployed for 1-4 year periods and “… complete assignments in specific thematic and/or programmatic areas and countries that correspond to the priorities of both UNV and the funding partner.” This is a very key sentence. The volunteers must carry out the goals of their funding partner however; this might not necessarily bet what the people need. It may help, but is it sustainable?

ARC initiative ensures that they tailor their program to the community they are serving because they are not necessarily carrying out someone else’s orders as the UN volunteers may be. This is not to say UN volunteers are just listening to instructions, but because of ARS smaller scale, they have more freedom to change their programs to best suit the situation.

United Nations Volunteers: Fully Funded Volunteers.” United Nations Volunteers: Fully Funded Volunteers. 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. <http://www.unv.org/partners/funding-modalities/fully-funded-volunteers.html>

ARC Initiative – Student Internships.”Student Internships. UBC Sauder School of Business, 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative/Programs/Student_Internships>

Note: a slightly more detailed explanation of the numerical conclusions for Forbe’s evaluation can be foundhere. Ie. their use of earnings, allocation of earnings, and price-to-earnings

Badenhause, Kurt. “Apple, Microsoft And Google Are World’s Most Valuable Brands.”Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 May 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2014/11/05/apple-microsoft-and-google-are-worlds-most-valuable-brands/>

Badenhause, Kurt. “The World’s Most Valuable Brands 2014: Behind The Numbers.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 May 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2014/11/05/the-worlds-most-valuable-brands-2014-behind-the-numbers/>.

The Globe and Mail article discusses Alberta Premier Jim Prentice planning to meet with First Nations chiefs to address “…land-use planning, environmental monitoring, the state of industrial development, health concerns and access to public lands” which have caused grief for the aboriginal community due to oil sand development.

To relate it to a PEST analysis, Prentice is becoming heavily involved in the social aspect while being part of the political. Although many changes have been made about resource development included environmental assessment and how first nations will be “consulted” about land use, there are multiple lawsuits beginning by first nations tribes against the Albertan government against not only the land use, but also the new regulations. An example being Fort McKay First Nations appealing approval for an operation in Fort McMurray saying it does not adhere to aboriginal rights. This onslaught of lawsuits will tie up companies for month and maybe even years, restricting their progress and (possibly) deteriorating relations with First Nations further.

Socially, aboriginal people have been disrespected and overlooked leading to the political problems, which ultimately affects their political stance. People have faith in Prentices talks with them because his career history shows significance progress in First Nations relations and he openly recognizes the need for there to be communication between politicians and chiefs.

Alberta Premier Prentice, Aboriginals to Discuss Oil Sands Concerns.” The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/alberta-premier-prentice-aboriginals-to-discuss-oil-sands-concerns/article21527423/>.

Alberta Oilsands Facing Aboriginal Legal Onslaught in 2014.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, The Canadian Press, 2 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/alberta-oilsands-facing-aboriginal-legal-onslaught-in-2014-1.2481825>.

“What one thing, although impossible, would make a big and positive impact on our business?” This apparently is the new big new big questions…. and I love it.

I admire it because it is the epitome of effective brainstorming. You take a huge, vast idea and funnel it down (similar to the marketing funnel) to a rational and sustainable method. The author, Doug Hess, shows his process in the article by defining the problem, creating an irrational solution to it, deterring what makes it effective, and then how to achieve this effectiveness on a rational scale. It could be applied to all matters of brainstorming. Specifically, it aids in the process of selecting points of differentiation in a company because the idea behind it is to make a change.

I think the most relatable strategy this quote could be tied to is Porters Generic Forces. That is, the main concept, which involved brainstorming, forms a broad perspective to a narrow view in a 4-quadrant matrix. The ‘new big question’ does the same in the sense of taking a large idea and bringing to scale and could be asked for each section of Porters Table.

“Porter’s Generic Strategies: Choosing Your Route to Success.” Porter’s Generic Strategies. Mind Tools, 1 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_82.htm.>

REFERENCED EXTERNAL BLOG: Hess, Doug. “The BIG Question Every Company Should Be Asking.” World’s Largest Professional Network. LinkedIn, 9 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20141109191427-11156095-the-big-question-every-company-should-be-asking?trk=tod-posts-post1-ptlt>.

Urban Outfitters is a company fuelled by controversial style. With a wide variety of drug related references and explicit profanity on their clothes, they have made their mark on the ‘grunge’ adolescent market taking advantage of their desire to rebel. From a marketing perspective, I think they have done well in securing themselves in a niche of consumers stating in their company profile they “…[set] out to create sustainable points of distinction with that segment.” However, I question the Corporate Social Responsibility of the company behind the controversial company.

Most recently, the bloodstained Kent University Sweater was the topic of concern as it was inspired by the shooting at Kent University 1970. The referenced HBR article states that “… compliance with the law and ethical standards… are assumed” when comparing CSR and CSV. This inclusion of ethical standards is thus implied in CSR methods, which I believe Urban Outfitters violates often. The drug references and swearing are (in a sense) different then taking advantage of a violent tragedy at Kent University. I agree with the referenced blog author that this could be a successful marketing ploy, but I think this clear violation of CSR standards should take precedence over such a strategy.

“URBN INC : Company Profile.” URBN INC : Company Profile. Urban Outfitters, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.urbn.com/profile/>.

Porter, Michael, and Mark Kramer. “The Big Idea: Creating Shared Value.”Http://www.waterhealth.com/sites/default/files/Harvard_Buiness_Review_Shared_Value.pdf. Harvard Business Review, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.waterhealth.com/sites/default/files/Harvard_Buiness_Review_Shared_Value.pdf>

REFERENCED BLOG: Ong, June. “June Ong’s Blog.” June Ongs Blog RSS. 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/JuneOng/>.

Although I agree that an important part of the marketing to a consumer is to enhance their personal experience with the brand, I differ on the point of it being the most important. Naturally our experiential memory plays a role in our decisions but we as humans can also have a poor memory. As a musical performer, I was taught the most important part of a piece are the beginning and the end because that is what people remember. The same could be said product influence. People remember a product if it’s the first the latest on the market but to have a competitive advantage in the middle is difficult explaining the 4:2:1 ratio. We recall IBMs failed attempt to compete with Xerox in the copier sector to reiterate this point.

It is never at a company’s expense to give their consumer a beneficial experience and it does enhance the likelihood of starting them in the ‘Loyalty Loop’. I however, think there is a larger part of persuading the consumer that their pervious experience was wrong and that their current one (with your product) is right. It is not so much a concept of good and bad, but right and wrong when it comes to persuasion and trying to put your product on top by bringing to light flaws of the competitor.

“Product Positioning.” Quick MBA. Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, 1 Jan. 1999. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/ries-trout/positioning/>.

Court, David, Dave Elzinga, Susan Mulder, and Ole Jørgen Vetvik. “The Consumer Decision Journey.” McKinsey & Company. 1 June 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/the_consumer_decision_journey.>

REFERENCED BLOG: Chen, Celine. “Celine Chen’s Blog.” Celine Chens Blog. 1 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/celinechen/2014/10/05/post-4/>.

With the release of The Passport, the main complaint of the phone is the shape and functionality even though Blackberry prides themselves on offering a full keyboard. Saying that, Forbes does recognize its successful operating system saying, “The new BlackBerry 10 operating system has a focus on communication and enterprise, and pairs up well with this ethos.”

Blackberry continues to have a very businessmen-oriented product with an effective system for business professionals. However, it continues to lose market value. Apple has a high competitive dominance mainly because they were able to predict their target customers views and adapt to changes where as Jim Basille can be quoted saying “… the only app you need is the browser. You do not need an app for the internet…” This was very poor foresight and this delay to create apps for their phone, which they still struggle to do so and only have them, available through third-party methods, is/was a tremendous setback to the company as a whole.

This is the first phone released under the new CEO John S. Chen but once again, Blackberry releases a phone that is merely a physically reconstruction rather then a new product they are in desperate need of.

Spencer, E. (n.d.). BlackBerry Passport Review: An Uncomfortable Vision Of A Modern Smartphone. Forbes. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/10/05/blackberry-passport-review-an-uncomfortable-vision-of-a-modern-smartphone/

Keurig is the leading at-home coffee competitor and this is mainly because of their revolutionary K-cup design, which were the only ones to work in their coffee maker.  Now however, with the patent of these cup designs having expired 2 years ago, competitors jumped on the trend to enter the market. Keurig also recently released the Keurig 2.0 brewing system, which was only able to read K-cups to work initially. Competitors have figured out how to trick the system (for lack of a better term) and allow the machine to brew their coffee as well. The question is, can Keurig maintain its top spot with this new pressure form competitors?

Personally, I believe they can. I think Keurig maintained a monopoly on the market for so long that they have created a strong brand following and have clearly established a name for themselves.  Although they cannot take legal actions, since the loophole found was a scientific one in the way the barcode on cups is read, they did acknowledge the fact that the Keurig will function best with the pods designed for it versus new improvised ones. Keurig clearly has a strong understanding of the exterior threats and weaknesses the company has yet still views them as a strengths and opportunity’s by improving upon them while still being wary to maintain market fairness (unlike Nespresso and their competitor-suppressing techniques).

Buckner, D. (2014, October 5). Keurig’s coffee supremacy challenged by Canadian firm. CBCnews. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/keurig-s-coffee-supremacy-challenged-by-canadian-firm-1.2787075