In reply to Ashley Mui: The Canadian Zappos. Blog post here.

Earlier this month, comm 101 met Zappos and its safe to say everyone took something away from the lecture.
We saw Zappos has an organizational culture like no other. Its brand image, its marketing strategy, right down to the training employees undergo are a huge part of the Zappos ‘path to profit.’ In 2011 the Canadian e-commerce market was sad to see the company pull out of Canadian sales and focus sales in areas that were less restricted by customs.

However, never fear, ShoeMe is here.
Like Ashley Mui, i agree ShoeMe is destined for success. Firstly, if the company isn’t already starting strong, they’re connected to ClearlyContacts.ca which has proven to be successful. The ease of access appearance of the companies is what draws customers to their websites. Similar to Zappos, ShoeMe and ClearlyContacts offer a 100 day free returns policy and implement tactics such as free gift cards to attract the customers eye. The 100% Canadian brand is the first of its kind in the market which provides the growing company with an excellent position in the industry.
Similar to Ashley’s points, its evident the company isn’t quite in the same league as Zappos, but its getting there. ShoeMe.ca has Zappos in its sights.
Perhaps with time and effort this company will thrive in a similar way.

Class 21 has just finished and my eyes have been opened to the concept of the Arc Initiative … I’ve ran to the Sauder library to blog.
I had heard of the ARC initiative from a fall preview day in December of 2012, where Jeff spoke, and i sat, anticipating the end of high school and the start of a journey. Little did i know what was to come!
Of course there is a business view of the Arc initiative, the value it provides Sauder, the image of innovation, the echo that Sauder is a leading business school but having just sat through one of the last lectures of my first term at Sauder, one tool, that has always been mentioned stood out to me. Networking. And not just with current business owners to benefit ourselves.
We have learnt theories, used formulas, skyped alumni and created business model canvas’ throughout the course of comm 101, and it all flew by before i had chance to stop and think. Todays lecture provided the chance to look back at what i have learnt, and how the tools i gained over the past three months can drastically change the direction of an entrepreneurs business in a developing country.
Here’s a huge R.O.I, never mind the numbers, looking at what previous years have achieved, how they have shaped the lives of current and potential business owners has provided incredible motivation. Being able to use the skills we have learnt in a single semester at Sauder to guide an entrepreneur in the real world is an opportunity i do not want to miss out on.

In reply to a blog post “Too fat for Lulu Lemon” By Harnoor Gill.
https://blogs.ubc.ca/harnoorgill/2013/11/13/too-fat-for-lululemon/

I was trying not to blog about this, because i am sure there are more than enough posts about the topic, however, i couldn’t help myself. I completely agree, it seems the founder of the massively popular LuLu Lemon may have just ‘shrank’ his customer base. In a recent interview Chip Wilson contradicted every ethic and value proposition he has ever promoted by exclaiming the reasoning behind a problem with his yoga pants comes down to the size of woman wearing his product, rather than the product itself.. “The real problem is that your fat behind is stretching Lululemon’s yoga-kale-wheatgrass-thigh-gap lifestyle apparel beyond capacity” The Bloomberg interview has had varying reactions throughout the world. However, Wilson did exactly what he should have done by publicly apologizing for the statement he probably wishes he never said. To me, it seems like a mediocre attempt at an apology, watch it here. Do you want to “Stay in the conversation that is above the fray”, or, like myself, does Wilson’s video lead to more apprehension about the ethics behind the label?
LuLu Lemon is a huge competitor in the athletic market, and whilst this minor hiccup may temporarily cause some disturbance in the ‘peace’ of the industry.. Chip Wilson, you owe your loyal customers, and the position of your brand in the industry. I have no doubt they’ll be back for more. That was a close one.

Say hello to a revolutionary product emerging from the Swedish market that is about to drastically change the cycling industry.  Most of you reading this have ridden a bike and ill take bets there’s one thing we all share in common. Bike helmets. No one wants to wear one. This is where Hövding comes into play. “Two Swedish industrial design students have created an “invisible helmet” for cyclists concerned about safety and how they look.” Innovation is the key marketing force behind this product. The neck collar is a discreet airbag that triggers when it detects unusual movements while cycling. The trigger mechanism is based on algorithms that distinguish normal movements from that of a crash! Still unsure..? Visit the Hövding website to read about the research behind its product and the technology incorporated. Hövding offers a range of sizes, and even a small range of patterned/coloured “shells” to customize your invisible helmet (ironic right?). Despite still being in its youth Hövding plans expanding to Japan and Canada in the near future. The company boasts a solid point of difference, and being the first in the market is only beneficial to their already well positioned brand image. With a growing market, and advertising reaching every corner of the  globe through social media and youtube, the companies future is bright. The price might take you on a ‘wild ride’ (estimated around $558) without needing to step onto a bike, however, this company is surely on its way to success.
The products promotional video is a staff pick on vimeo.
View it here: http://vimeo.com/channels/staffpicks/43038579

I’ve been wanting to share this for a while, but just waiting for the right blog post! Lets try and make this a worthy one.
I’ve learnt many things so far throughout comm 101, but one that sticks out most to me is ethics. Triple bottom line, CSR, Shared value, you name it, its there. One topic that seems to link somehow to all of those examples is animal testing.

We are all aware of animal testing, it has happened and sadly, is still happening, and over the past couple of years there’s been a huge movement against it. One of the most prominent was a Lush protest/presentation in a shop window of one of Englands most popular LUSH stores on Regent Street. Numerous events were coordinated running alongside the protests to promote the fight against testing, one most recently was the lush prize. Lush offers a LUSH PRIZE rewarding £250,000 (~$390,000) to anyone that completely stops animal testing. A word of warning… the protest is graphic, but was needed to properly push the image into the view of the general public both in London and around the world. Watch it here. How does this link to business you ask? Read on. A few factors of successful businesses are solid relationships with consumers, social/economic/environmental responsibilities (CSR) and creating shared value. By conducting this protest, Lush has shown its ethical values, making the company attractive to consumers. Given potential customers a deciding reason to walk into a lush store, and even made their products more attractive. The topic pulls on peoples heart strings, consumers are going to want to back a product that is a front runner in such a passionate movement. Lush was catapulted into the news and onto the screens of cellphones globally. Free advertising? Did this protest not only aid the fight against animal testing but aid Lush as a business also? Yes, it did.
Good on you Lush.