Starbucks, one of North America’s biggest coffee shops has provided their employees with more relaxed dress codes, higher pay, and a free snack for every shift they work. For baristas, previously they were not allowed to show any body ink, and were required by Starbucks rules to keep them covered. However, now these rules have been lifted, as well as many other strict rules about what the baristas can wear.

Starbucks is creating a more positive and free environment for their employees. By lightening standards about how employees must dress, a form of personal expression, Starbucks is creating a more inclusive, and free work environment.

Many companies across North America have provided its employees with similar benefits, and added bonuses to work at their stores. Employee standards is very important to the business world as many customers consider how the employees are treated before purchasing their products. For example, consider when Nike was boycotted due to their treatment of foreign workers. Starbucks has made a business ethics decision to promote happier employees through greater self expression, a free snack per shift and being able to show off the ink on their bodies. Decisions like these are extremely important to a company, by creating a more positive brand name in the business world.

Article: http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/16/news/companies/starbucks-policy-changes-tattoo/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6&iid=obnetwork

Photo: http://www.hiredphilippines.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/how-to-get-a-job-at-starbucks.jpg

Photo Link: http://www.brandsynario.com/images/uploads/0bc1f2847fcd8429d3deccf0cb9e872a436fb1ef.jpg

This post is a response to Erin Wallace’s post to the article: http://online.wsj.com/articles/share-a-coke-credited-with-a-pop-in-sales-1411661519

https://blogs.ubc.ca/erinwallace/2014/09/26/16/

Erin Wallace published her ideas on the marketing campaign launched by the soda company, Coca-Cola and how she believed it was an impressive marketing campaign, and a clever method to increase its soda’s sales. I agree with her statements; when I went to buy a soda, I also spent the time to find my own name, more common than Erin’s, but either way this marketing technique would encourage me to purchase a Coke, over a Pepsi for example. Coca-Cola provided a point of difference to the common soda business, and made their sodas even more unique.

Another outcome of Coke’s campaign was the idea of buying a coke as a gift, something the soda market has not seen much before. I believe Coca-Cola was quite successful in their marketing technique, and sales show that it worked quite well. But what about all the people with uncommon names? How does not finding their names on a Coke bottle make them feel? Could it possibly have turned them away from Coke and towards buying another product, for example Pepsi?

A customer was quoted on the article saying, “I will keep my Coke forever.” Coke once again has created an impressive marketing technique, where customers are flooding the stores to find a bottle with their name.

Photo Link: http://www.rcpmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Screen-Shot-2014-08-13-at-11.30.18-AM.png

The collection of natural resources is always a major environmental issue-how will the resources be retrieved and what potential harm to the environment and land will come about? Recently, the Taseko Mining Company has come into roadblocks with pursuing their business model as disagreements with BC First Nation’s has put a halt on their goals in expanding their company and acquiring new resources.

Since 1989, the Xeni Gwet’in Tsilhqot’in First Nations of British Columbia has declared within the Nemiah declaration, the removal and stop of “mining, flooding or dam construction on the area’s principal lakes.” Unfortunately, for these native BC people, the Taseko Mining Company, after finding large amounts of copper and gold deposits around Fish Lake, embarked on designing a new business model on acquiring the copper and gold. However, by doing so, the negative effects of this operation would put Fish Lake at risk into developing into a mine-waste reservoir, destroying the fish the First Nations people depend on, and value.

Major companies attempting to develop First Nation land is one of the major problems in this constantly expanding world. Outrage sparked by the potential in destruction of First Nations land has caused the mining company to look back at their business models, and put a heavier focus on environmental concerns. The Canadian Government has backed the Tslihqot’in people the rights to their land and the ability to protect what they value and deem their own. Due to this, the mining company has been unable to mine this gold and copper they desire to acquire. Businesses like these must focus more heavily on developing business models where the concerns of those to be affected, and the growing vulnerability of the environment be on the top of their to do lists.

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/07/26/Tsilhqotin-With-Gloves/

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html