Source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/16/amazon-permanent-jobs-christmas

Amazon’s value proposition is actually relatively simple- to make simple the online shopping experience for consumers as much as possible. This Christmas, Amazon is creating over 800 permanent jobs before the Holiday season so that demand will be adequately met.

However relevant to the end consumer, Amazon’s decision to hire 800 workers in their UK distribution centres is creating jobs and opportunities for the temporary workers currently stationed at that location. Existing workers who wished to take the holiday season off will be able to do so, while those who needed the extra money are given a chance to work. Amazon’s decision to hire more workers creates value for members within their distribution factory and ultimately builds the corporate culture within the centre.

Perhaps the most enduring aspect of Amazon’s value proposition is that they have been spectacularly consistent at delivering their promise. Amazon makes it a priority to promise the same level of quality (especially as it pertains to receiving products in a timely manner), regardless of the season or demand at their distribution centres.

By establishing their frame of reference as a reliable online shopping service, consumers have the confidence to trust the Company during times when receiving a product on time is absolutely critical. Amazon’s compelling point of difference is the consistency and the accuracy of their deliveries, while they leverage their superior point of parity as being an online super-marketplace. Aileen blogged about Amazon’s entry into the online grocery business, which is bound to involve a fast-paced delivery model- a great fit for Amazon’s superior operational techniques.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/08/08/heres-what-happens-to-google-employees-when-they-die/

For many, working at Google is the dream job. Not only are the projects undertaken by Google challenging and stimulating, the tech-giant is also known to have one of the best corporate cultures in the World.

“Googlers” get benefits such as free haircuts, complimentary on-site child minding, and gourmet meals served on the Google campus, which are again, free of charge.

Google employees are also given “spare-time” (which is still compensated) to experiment with ideas and also given adequate resources so that their ideas may come to life. In fact, Google Maps was a result of the “spare-time” given to employees. Google’s corporate culture has resulted in happier, more diligent employees, but at the same time has produced products that enrich the life of consumers while making a nice chunk of change for Google.

Because it is such a great place to work- and tons of people know this- Google is also able to attract the best engineers, designers, and programmers to their company because of their amazing corporate culture. In a way, the more Google as a company cares for their employees, the more they, and society, care about Google.

Humphrey Su’s blog post on Yahoo’s HR policies are in stark contrast to Google’s outgoing ways. Instead of promoting creative freedom, Yahoo’s highly competitive nature has resulted in a cut-throat corporate culture intimidating and ridiculing employees.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/14/pinterest-plots-its-monetization-strategy/

After Facebook and Twitter released their respective IPOs, Pinterest is looking for ways to seem more attractive so that it too can go public. However, Pinterest faces an issue not unknown to Facebook or Twitter: generating revenue.

Digital scrapbooking site Pinterest is a blog-based platform where users ‘pin’ images, quotes, or videos they find interesting to their profile. At this time, Pinterest is experimenting with “promoted pins”- images that display a company’s ad, or any other marketing they wish to show the consumer. This strategy is not unlike the ones adopted by Facebook and Twitter- the service remains ‘free’ for the customer, but users are subject to ads and promotions.

In order to differentiate itself from the competition, Pinterest also plans to leverage the fact that no vital personal information is publicly shared on the website. Because users do not need to be associated with a Pinterest account in the same way Facebook or Twitter users are, the Company is free to share or sell data without litigation.

By keeping track of which “pins” are the most popular, companies purchasing data from Pinterest have the potential to assess which trends, ideas, or products are trending and analyze the data to make informed marketing decisions.

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/smallbusiness/2013/10/29/walmart-contest-finalists/2.htm

Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” initiative is a contest devised by the retail corporation to attract aspiring entrepreneurs into their business. Innovators from all around the world pitch their business ideas to Walmart for a chance to have their product sold at Walmart’s thousands of locations worldwide. Beyond this, Walmart is also going to invest in such a company to ensure it has the necessary resources to improve, expand, and refine their business.

Using a entrepreneurial mindset similar to those who presented in COMM 101, the top five finalists in the contest have designed a product to address a specific issue or problem in society today. Synette Tom, founder of Gibi Technologies, devised her dog-tracking technology after she lost her Golden Retriever at the park one day. Likewise, Angelle Abright came up with Chemo Beanies (a fashion house selling headbands) after she lost all her hair from radioactive treatment and was looking for alternatives to current headwear.

Walmart, which is considered by some to have the strongest buyer power in the world, is leveraging this power to bring relevant and clever products to consumers. On the other hand, for a prospective entrepreneur, there is perhaps no better place to start a business. Products sold at Walmart benefit from high visibility and strong market coverage- virtues that are often difficult to gain for a start-up.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/12/smallbusiness/b-corp-blueavocado/index.html?iid=A_SB_News

BlueAvocado has built an entire empire selling reusable totes, travel gears and lunch bags. A major point-of-difference, however, is that Blue Avocado sources nearly all of its material from recycled plastic bottles. The company also wishes to make clear that the Company’s intentions are genuine and not marketing-driven. As a result, the company has since gained ‘B-Corp’ status- a certification that shows a company is committed to solving both social and environmental issues, despite a profit-driven model.

By rethinking products and markets, BlueAvocado has successfully made a difference in the environment while appealing to environmentally-conscious consumers. Their goal of expanding total value economically and socially has emphasized Blue Avocado’s triple bottom line. Instead of totes and travel gear made by toxic plastics and wasteful material, Blue Avocado’s focus on identifying and expanding the connections between economic and societal progress is paying dividends in profit and for the environment.

Despite other companies over-promising and under-delivering statements to be “sustainable”, BlueAvocado’s B-Corp status defines the expectations consumers should have of the company in terms of sustainability. After BlueAvocado obtained this status in March 2013, the business erupted and is now featured in over 300 Target Stores.

Tim Leung blogged about Ikea’s initiative towards a low-carbon future by cultivating wind energy to create shared value. Both Ikea and BlueAvocado are changing their business practices for the ultimate betterment of society as a whole.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/13/smallbusiness/second-startup-launch/index.html?iid=SF_SB_Lead

After Bob Diener sold Hotels.com for a highly lucrative $1.2 billion, Diener launched Dallas-based Getaroom.com two months after the five-year non-compete agreement ended.

The premise behind Getaroom.com was to be a leaner, more efficient, and focused alternative to Hotels.com. Instead of offering airfare, vacation packages and car rentals, Getaroom.com focuses solely on providing accommodations at the lowest price for the consumer. To be as cost-efficient as possible, advertisements are campaigned around social media, word-of-mouth, and e-mail.

In Why the Lean Start-up Changes Everything by Steve Blank, the lean start-up was considered by Blank to be a superior business strategy as it allows for agile development, among other benefits. In the information age, business models based around the internet are always subject to radical and unpredictable shifts in behaviour. As a result, the leaner and more dynamic a business is, the better the start-up is able to cope with major disruptions in the market or in business operation.

In addition to agile development, lean start-ups also benefit from being able to monitor and support customer development more quickly and efficiently. Getaroom.com first marketed to the consumer using expensive advertisements, but soon found that they were fairly ineffective. By switching over to leaner means of marketing, the company is able to assess which strategies were most effective, and decide whether to adopt new strategies or to push a successful existing one.