Legalizing marijuana has always been controversial, whether people view it as a civil right or a dangerous gateway drug. Neil Manning posted on this topic on November 8^th, soon after the legalization of marijuana in the state of Colorado, following the winning election of Barack Obama.

Medical marijuana is already legal so why should it not be legal for any user over the age of 21 to smoke marijuana? Neil believes that it is a gateway drug and should not have been legalized. He views it as dangerous and unethical.

I believe it was a positive amendment. Marijuana is already legal for medicinal purposes. If it helps people who are sick, how could it do danger to those who are healthy? Similar to alcohol, there are cases in which it will be abused. However, it is a right for people to make that decision.

It will really be a test for the US to see if it will improve their economy in Colorado, which I believe it will, considering the taxes they can make on it. The legalization will also make it safer for consumers, as the government can monitor what goes into the marijuana.

Market Collective is a local event that takes place every couple of months in Calgary. Local artists and musicians set up booths in a retired fabric store building in the cultural heart of Calgary, Kensington. Whether it is Valentine’s Day or Christmas, there are plenty of unique goods to purchase, while listening to live music from local musicians.

Two local women founded market Collective in 2008. Their mission was to promote local arts and culture, as well as empower the community and encourage positive growth of the city. Market Collective is a social entrepreneurship as it has a direct social mission and applies market base strategies to achieve a social purpose. The market brings together social entrepreneurs within Calgary, and showcases them to an audience. It is such a unique experience as you get to interact with the artist one on one. You truly get to hear their personal story as well as their vision. There are a vast amount of goods and social goods being provided. Cupcakes, jewelry and paintings are just a few.

A friend of mine, Kai Cabunec-Boettcher has a regular booth at the market. He co-founded Light & Soul, a company “committed to elevating earthly culture, human relationships and ourselves.” They are driven to create sustainability and inspire others to do so as well. From art, to clothing, to skateboards they are making a difference. Their most recent project that I got to talking with Kai about is called Leaf Ninjas. It is a movement to create urban farms in Calgary, to grow your own food and gain knowledge of what food you are putting into your body and sustaining the environment.

The amazing thing is Light & Soul is only one participant in Market Collective. Walking around the market, you can really observe change in action. Another booth that caught my attention was the LGBT, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization of Calgary who was having people tie-dye t-shirts to promote awareness. They were also open to sharing stories with people who had questions about the community. Market Collective brings together social entrepreneurs, who are all striving to create a difference in society through means of business.

Check out Light & Soul

http://www.lightandsoul.ca/

Market Collective

http://marketcollective.ca/

Yesterday I went shopping as I needed some new black leggings. I could have gotten some simple ones to wear from The Bay, but instead I knew I wanted a brand name. I set out with my mum, as she said she would pay for them. I knew where I wanted to go; Aritzia and LuluLemon. I just wanted plain black leggings that were made from a thicker material and a lyrca feel. I  tried the ones on at Aritzia. They were TNA and they were $55. “A bit expensive for a pair of leggings,” my mum said. Then I went to LuluLemon. They were $82, but they seemed to fit better. My mum said I should get the LuluLemon ones as although they were more expensive, the TNA ones were too expensive to buy for the brand they were. LuluLemon is a more trusted brand in my mum’s eyes. Both TNA and LuluLemon  are Canadian companies and sell work out gear for the trendsetter. The point of difference for LuluLemon in this case is its higher cost and better quality in yoga wear. It also has a strong brand image and reliability. So I bought the LuluLemon leggings and was very satisfied, even though I lost around $30 on a product that is most likely not worth that much.

Hockey equipment producing company, Bauer who has 52 percent global market share in ice hockey equipment is stepping out to increase its market share in the growing lacrosse equipment market. Lacrosse is the fastest growing team sport in North America, so Bauer sees a market opportunity in entering this market. Bauer is hoping to minimize the negative market impact of the NHL lockout on hockey equipment. They are expecting their sales to drop because of this, so they want to offset the negative impact by growing a complementary business. Bauer has purchased a company called Cascade Helmets Holdings Inc. in order to build a lacrosse business. Bauer is well recognized for producing quality sport equipment, and they have a strong marketing network and reputation, therefore their move into lacrosse equipment is complementary to their existing core business. This is an example of a company repositioning with a new product line through a corporate acquisition.

Source

Globe and Mail “Bauer aims to rebound from NHL lockout with lacrosse play”

Bertrand Marotte, Oct 7^th, 2012

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada launched a video on Thursday, October 4^th to bring attention to the importance of CPR. In the video, zombies in a post-apocalyptic downtown Toronto are chasing a woman. The woman escapes her predator only to have a heart attack. Instead of eating the woman, the zombies do CPR on her to save her life. The video uses humour and shock as tactics to gain a younger audience. The video is aimed at teenagers to bring attention to heart and strokes, and the significance of knowing and willing to save someone’s life. The company was nervous for the release of this video as using humour and horror was something they had never done before. The company did marketing research and used focus groups with young audiences in order to find out the most effective way to grab their attention as well as inform them. The video is educational but not as instructional as what they have done before. Check out the video for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApmPQDAzYyM and see if the marketing tactic appeals to you.

Source

Globe and Mail, “Heart and Stroke Campaign uses zombies to promote CPR” Susan Krashinsky. October 5th

American Apparel, no doubt, has contributed to the fashion world as well as pushed advertising boundaries with its risqué photo ads. http://www.americanapparel.net/advertising/

Based in America, where all of the manufacturing as well as distribution take place, it has been a brand that is proud of being “sweat-shop free.” CEO, Dov Charney is an advocate for liberalizing immigration and providing fair wage. However, there have been numerous accounts of sexual assault from his employees and a lot of negative attention towards the flamboyant CEO. What people need to think about is whether they value the ethics the company was originally based on, or whether they will not stand for Charney’s liberal ways, in which he admits to encouraging sexual relationships in the office place. American Apparel is a solid example of ethical contradictions in which consumers question whether the company’s promise “made in the USA” outweighs the CEO’s, for a lack of better a better word, sleaziness.

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