Monthly Archives: October 2014

The Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that Aboriginals can claim land in Canada. Because Aboriginals living in Canada have always had issues with borders and territories, this move reserves rights for these groups and shows respect towards borders. While this may seem like a movement towards peace, I believe that there would be several economical and financial consequences due to this move.

Enbridge Inc. is planning on moving its Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia. This is so that the pipeline could shipments to Asia. Part of the ruling involves a piece of land in British Columbia that is 1750 square k.m. This means that the ruling may have an impact on Enbridge’s plan, because any project commenced on claimed land without consent may be forced to cancel. Enbridge’s original plan, which would save the company thousands of dollars for not only the company but also for Canada, may be affected by this ruling that is trying to foster Canada’s internal relationships.

This sparks a question – if such a ruling could have a major economic impact on Canada, is it worth it for First Nations to own land?

Original article: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-06-27/canada-sees-landmark-ruling-on-aboriginals-land

It is no news that Lady Gaga is coming up with something new again – something the other mainstream artists do not dare tackle on. This time, she is bringing jazz back with the iconic Tony Bennett, and her newest album “Cheek to Cheek” has sold so many more copies than how much one would expect from a genre that is “a dying art form.”

Lady Gaga first came into spotlight when her album “The Fame” was released, and the album targeted young audiences looking for something different but catchy. She was and still is known for her queer costumes, and her “little monsters” who generally want to be different from others love her for her uniqueness. Then when “Born This Way” was released, the album targeted the same young audiences but this time expanded to include the LGBT supporters. Then “Artpop” came and it targeted artsy audiences who still expect Gaga to come up with catchy music. So when Gaga started tackling on jazz, her targeted audience changed so much it could have been a fatal move for her if her little monsters cannot follow the sudden change.

Risks aside, Lady Gaga was able to fulfill a customer’s desire that has existed since “The Fame” – a desire for music that is not just cuss words or sex-related but catchy and beautiful to sing. “Cheek to Cheek” is still able to do that with its jazz components, and that is why it is the current number 1 on the Billboard 200.

Picture credit: http://ladygaga.wikia.com/wiki/Cheek_to_Cheek_(album)
Original Article: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-03/how-lady-gaga-and-tony-bennett-sold-131-000-jazz-albums

Leon Zhou’s article on 7-Eleven’s introduction of a convenient and healthy food line tackles on the idea of whether 7-Eleven defined its food products’ healthiness well enough or not. Traditionally, 7-Eleven is known for providing a big variety of products including snacks, drinks, small appliances, and pretty much any emergency items. It is also known for its own line of food products, including sandwiches and other small meals. By offering these small meals, 7-Eleven provides its customers something they cannot find in their traditional line of products. They offer actual ‘meal’ instead of packaged instant noodles or chips, and to consumers these meals sound like healthier alternatives. In the value proposition canvas, this would be a gain creator.

A problem addressed in Leon Zhou’s blog post is that would the introduction of a healthier line of food products affect the sales of the other products? I personally do not think so. As he said, the healthier juice can seem pricy when compared to 7-Eleven’s Slurpee, which is part of its own line of food products. The price can be a “pain” in the value proposition canvas. However, it does satisfy customers because they would probably be eating even healthier alternatives that they can take away conveniently. There will always be customers who look for bags of chips or a cool Slurpee during a hot summer day. Tony Horton’s healthy line of food provides satisfaction to health-conscious consumers, while the other line satisfies the general public’s needs.

Image from Wikipedia.org.
Original Article from USA Today: <http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/09/30/7-eleven-convenience-stores-fresh-food-tony-horton-nutrition/16424751>