The question given to us is the following:

If the United Nations was fully funded, why would we need the Arc or social enterprise?

After reading and educating myself about the many issues people face and how the United Nations as well as the Arc Initiative and social enterprise handle these situations, it is evident to me that regardless of the amount of funding the United Nations has, the Arc and social enterprise encounter these issues in ways the UN does not.

The United Nations, an incredible organization, has done wonders for the world.  With that said, the UN does fall short in some areas.  The organization, although improving the lives of many, doesn’t quite reach as far as the Arc and social enterprise.  For example, the UN, although a problem solver, does not provide any group with the knowledge or the ability to solve its own problems, whereas “each [member of the Arc Initiative] has a diverse story to tell, yet they all share a passion about connecting to global communities through the sharing of knowledge” (as stated here).

After reading through the many stories and experiences those involved in the Arc share, I can see so clearly that these students are incredibly passionate about the projects they encounter – a key contributor to any success story.

Sources:

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative/

http://www.socialenterprisecanada.ca/learn/nav/whatisasocialenterprise.html

http://skollworldforum.org/about/what-is-social-entrepreneurship/

We discussed recently about creating shared value.  This came to mind once again when I came across George Anderson’s article.

As of recently, Starbucks has begun discussion regarding potential delivery services the company can offer.  Starbucks, already with thousands of stores worldwide, many of which offer  drive through service, provides coffee lovers with nearly every service with the exception of delivery.  Some propose Starbucks forge ahead with this plan – isn’t Starbucks in high enough demand for this idea to yield success?

However, after considering both pros and cons, I came back to the idea of creating shared value.  Although seemingly on a smaller scale, it can be noted that this new service would provide no shared value between customers, society as a whole, and Starbucks itself.

How many trips a day can one delivery person make, and how much is the average purchase for each trip?  $3?  $5 at most?  How much should the company set aside for gas?  What about the customer experience as a whole?  Is their drink going to arrive piping hot with a dollop of cool whipped cream?  What if the drink doesn’t meet their standards?  Is their a refundable option or will the employee have to make another trip back to the store?

Although Starbucks understands the act of “re conceiving products and markets”, Starbucks fails to “redefine productivity in the value chain”.  Ultimately, this provides more room for error with higher chances of customer discontent.  Starbucks should look at all aspects of this plan before embarking on its new delivery adventure.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/retailwire/2014/11/06/can-starbucks-deliver-please/

https://blogs.ubc.ca/courseblogcl_ubc_comm_101_101_2014w1_44739-cl_ubc_comm_101_101_2014w1_44739_2045960_1/files/2014/05/Class-15-CSR-Sustainability.pdf

http://popwrapped.com/news/69731/starbucks-offering-delivery-starting-next-year/

Ducktape Marketing’s business blog by John Jantsch is thought provoking and insightful for many reasons.  “The Secret to Building the Most Profitable Business Possible” connects with my already existing hope to become an entrepreneur, and evidently applies nearly all concepts we’ve learned in class to every day life.

Essentially, John speaks of taking a modern and refreshing approach to each operation and business plan encountered.  However, he does so without using formal terminology such as, “customer segments” and “value propositions”; he uses words such as, “different” and “remarkable” instead.

John further explains the importance of working from the right side of the business model canvas, to the left.  In other words, it’s more beneficial to analyze the root of customer needs (in addition to customer needs themselves) and then using that information, construct a good or service to tend to customer needs and desires.

(This image was taken directly from the COMM 101 Class 8 slides.)

After reading John’s take on processing and finalizing operations, I have learned that this approach although cannot be guaranteed flawless, can be applied to nearly any type of business, and more importantly, overall confirms that entrepreneurship is the route in which I would like to take.

Sources:

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2013/09/30/different-remarkable/

https://blogs.ubc.ca/courseblogcl_ubc_comm_101_101_2014w1_44739-cl_ubc_comm_101_101_2014w1_44739_2045960_1/files/2014/05/Class-08-Value-Propositions.pdf

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230740

Growing up in California, Walmart provided my family with everything from groceries to school supplies, so when I came across Dallas’ post, “Walmart Goes Green“, I was drawn in and immediately started reading. 

When I was younger, the word “green” meant only a color – not a lifestyle.  However, over the years, organic and sustainable living has become very popular very quickly and we have become more interested in where we’re getting our food from and how it’s produced.  With this knowledge in mind, it comes to no surprise that Walmart wants to get in on this trend.  I would assume both Dallas and I had the same question: what took Walmart so long?

After all, many companies have gone green, promoting healthy living through the consumption of organic foods.

Walmart, however, has gone about its transformation in many ways other companies have overlooked.

In addition to taking a greener approach in its food produce department, Walmart has also reduced energy waste in its heating systems, and vows to continue to get more involved with its communities through local transactions.

In doing so, not only does Walmart expand its customer segments and enhances its value propositions, the company also creates shared value for consumers, suppliers, producers, and the company itself.  Furthermore, Walmart operates through sustainable approaches that benefits both the company as a whole and if executed correctly, the environment.

Sources:

Walmart Goes Green

http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environment-sustainability/sustainable-agriculture

After much scrolling through the blog posts of my fellow classmates, I came across Peter’s “Holy Guacamole” post about McDonalds’s latest business plan to attract customers by adding guacamole to McDonald’s burgers.  I proceeded to conduct further research and I couldn’t agree more with Peter’s standpoint: McDonald’s needs to re-evaluate the direction it wants to take and quick!

Firstly, this idea will severely damage the strength the company holds in its value propositions!  Adding another value proposition in hopes of expansion by appealing to a higher class of customer will only distract the company from doing what it already does best – making quick and delicious fast food!

Secondly, after researching a variety of sites, I’ve learned that McDonald’s is the #1 fast food chain in the world.  The 9 fast food chains following McDonald’s don’t  even advertise themselves as guacamole loving restaurants!  Is McDonald’s trying to compete with a competitor that doesn’t even exist?

After all, adding guacamole to its menu will only trouble McDonald’s by lengthening lineups and a higher production cost due to the addition of an expensive ingredient.

This plan is already in effect in Colorado, and I believe further expansion of this strategy will only weaken McDonald’s as a whole.

Sources:

Holy Guacamole!!

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/feji45ihfj/10-papa-johns-3/

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/09/10/mcdonalds-guacamole-outlook/

On October 3rd, HMV, the London-based film and music retailer, announced its return to Vancouver.  HMV’s new location, only a block and a half away from the old flagship store on Robson and Burrard, is much smaller than the previous location that once captivated a large range of demographic downtown three years ago.

One might ask, if HMV was successful, why would the company insist on shutting down in the first place?  HMV Canada President and CEO, Nick Williams, stated the lease was simply too high.

Although Williams has a valid point, and as stated in Tyler Orton’s article, understands the advantages of opening a store on Robson Street to ensure visibility among shoppers in Vancouver, I wonder if Williams has truly researched all aspects and possible outcomes of this operation.

For instance, how much potential and credibility does HMV hold now that society is embracing cloud computing and technology?  Large companies such as, Blockbuster, closed down years ago due to decreasing popularity for disks.  Companies such as, Netflix, make entertainment easy and convenient – available right at my fingertips!  Furthermore, iTunes has seen a rise in sales online over the past decade.  With these companies available to me, I lack the incentive to leave the house to purchase a tangible good that will simply just take up space in my apartment.

I suspect HMV may see a slight boom in sales for the holiday season as it opens on December 1st, however, I predict a rapid decline soon after when we all realize we lack DVD/CD drives in our 13″ Macbook Airs.

Sources:

http://www.biv.com/article/2014/10/hmv-set-return-vancouvers-robson-street/

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/09/hmv-robson-street-vancouver-is-back/

http://store.apple.com/ca/question/answers/mac/does-the-new-13-macbook-air-have-a-cd-drive/QH7JTPJ9H2F29YPXU

http://www.retail-insider.com (photo source)

Since learning about the importance of identifying points of difference and points of parity in class, as well as understanding the significance these points hold in the introduction of a new service or good, I have come across an interesting article on Starbucks that relates directly to our class discussion

As stated in CNW’s article, Starbucks has taken measures to increase its points of difference in hopes of setting itself apart from other coffee companies in Canada.

Customer demand for Fairtrade certified coffee has been noted the strongest in college and university campuses in Canada.  Starbucks Canada has decided to take this as an opportunity to add to its POD.  As of spring 2015, Starbucks will be offering Fairtrade certified espresso exclusively at participating Starbucks campus stores in Canada.

In addition to creating a new POD, Starbucks’ plan will significantly contribute to the company’s value propositions and target a new customer segment.

Provided Starbucks has done its research correctly, I predict UBC’s already long lines at Starbucks to lengthen tremendously.

For more information on Starbucks’ ethical resource practices, click here.

Sources:

http://www.starbucks.ca/responsibility/sourcing

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1421352/starbucks-set-to-further-accelerate-growth-at-college-and-university-campuses-with-fairtrade-espresso-offering