The linked article emphasizes the importance of continuous innovation within a company, especially in India. Starting a business with innovative ideas will not last forever; the market is always changing, there’s competition, the demand for certain products changes, and more.

The decision by business professionals and the government of India to hold a conference that teaches and stresses the importance of innovation is an intelligent move. As Mr Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Food Processing said: “”Our target is to create new entrepreneurs and new jobs.” Innovation creates entrepreneurs and creates jobs. The Indian economy will be better off if innovation is consistently applied by entrepreneurs. A lack of innovation is really limiting for a company and economy. It is crucial that the company is always thinking of ways to improve their products to better address the value propositions of their consumers. For example, if Apple ceased all types of innovation, they would not be where they are right now. Apple changed and improved their products to better address the desires of the consumers and to create a point of difference, so that they were able to surpass their competition. It is only through innovation that companies reach their full potential and flourish.

Article: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-12-04/news/28492531_1_innovation-competitiveness-separate-exchange

Apple’s recent decision to purchase PrimeSense for $345 million illustrates their willingness to dominate the market once again. PrimeSense, an Israeli company that enables 3D vision, was used to help develop Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect.

Apple has not specified exactly what PrimeSense will be working on, but it seems to be evident that this purchase is an attempt to pull ahead of the competition. It is unknown whether 3D vision will be incorporated on laptops, phones, or other products, but builds upon the anticipation of the next apple product that will be released.

I believe this is quite a wise decision on Apple’s behalf. Introducing new concepts to the mass market will most likely improve sales, as consumers in this market are always looking for the new, flash products that come out on shelves. Companies such as Samsung are dominating the market as well, and Apple is attempting to create a point of difference for the consumers, so that they can pull away from the tight competition. This purchase had to be done. This is also a battle of innovation as well, as the companies will race to create new products that will address the wants of their customer segments.

Article: http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-buys-israels-primesense-345-million-report-094020151–finance.html

Picture: http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/project_natal_primesense-540×226.jpg

Despite the fact that Tim Hortons is massive in Canada, as soon you cross the border, the reputation and prestige is almost non-existent. The corporation has failed to grow to its potential in the U.S., and does not seem to be headed in the right direction either.

I would agree with most of Hayden’s points in his blog about Tim’s expansion; that their current strategy is not effective and they should focus on other aspects first. While Tim Hortons has evidently obtained several points of difference within Canada, the majority of citizen’s in the U.S. have failed to recognize these same “points of difference.” Like Hayden said, developing the “Timmy Me” app would be extremely effective and drastically improve satisfaction among all customer segments.

However, the problem is that Tim Hortons has almost reached its capacity within Canada; it must eventually SUCCESSFULLY expand outside of the borders in order to significantly grow as a company. By using innovation to develop points of difference and unique value propositions for consumers, the corporation will thrive and surpass rivals like McDonald’s. Corporations cannot expect to use the same strategies for each country they set up in; they must adapt to the different consumer segments.

Referenced Article:https://blogs.ubc.ca/haydenamundson/2013/11/12/tim-hortons-wants-to-go-international-but-what-about-their-fellow-canadians/

Article to why Tim’s Won’t Grow In The US:http://business.financialpost.com/2013/07/18/why-tim-hortons-is-failing-to-score-in-america/

Corporate Social Responsibility is a vital aspect of society. While CSR is quite common in Western countries, it is more rare in developing nations. After reading Jessica Yi Chieh Tsai’s blog about India implementing a law that forces CSR standards, it is evident that more and more people are realizing the significantly beneficial effects of CSR on society.

I agree with Jessica’s viewpoint on the situation in India; that the law is positive, as Indian companies are giving back to communities. The linked article illustrates how Ghana is struggling with a lack of CSR right now, and are looking to introduce a policy that will best enable it among the majority of corporations in Ghana. The fact that officials are realizing that there is a lack of CSR marks progress.

I believe that Ghana should pursue a similar path to India. By gradually forcing corporations to operate based on CSR values, Ghana will benefit much more as a nation.. As stated in the article, by adopting CSR values, Ghana will attract foreign investors, which will allow the economy to thrive, all while the nation reduces poverty and promotes nation-wide development. It is a win-win situation.

Referenced Blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/jessicatsai/2013/11/17/corporate-social-responsibility-now-a-law/

Article:http://vibeghana.com/2013/11/13/official-says-ghana-needs-a-corporate-social-responsibility-policy/

Image: http://goodandco.ca/wp-content/uploads/The-CSR-Cycle.jpg

Alistair Fairweather’s belief that we should welcome the  increasing power of the internet should be echoed; the internet provides a countless number of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

During the lecture about entrepreneurship,  David Cohen’s words, “Look at what’s bugging you”, effectively summed up how to develop a quality start-up idea. Simplicity is key. Fairweather illustrates this concept in his blog when he describes the online service Uber. To briefly summarize, customers use this service on their phone to conveniently call for and pay for a taxi, minus all the regular inconveniences such as lack of punctuality, long waiting times, and so on.

One might wonder how this business came about. It’s simple; an individual thought of something that was irritating him and missing from his life,and turned it into a business currently valued at over $3 Billion.

The fact is, the internet is coming closer to real life. It is used to simplify daily tasks, as proven by the vast variety of apps currently available for peoples’ phones. In my opinion, this is not a negative thing. The growing usage of the internet in today’s business world is encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship worldwide, and as Fairweather states, ” Entrepreneurs have never had more power to change the world.”

Referenced External Blog: http://mg.co.za/article/2013-11-18-00-how-the-internet-is-invading-the-real-world-and-why-we-should-welcome-it

Pictures:

http://b-i.forbesimg.com/tomiogeron/files/2013/08/Uber-Logo.jpg

http://blog.uber.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/taxi-all.png

Patagonia has recently generated some interest within the media with the unexpected announcement of their entry within the craft beer market. The organic beer, named California Route, will be in stores in several U.S cities in late November, and is being released in celebration of the company’s fortieth anniversary.

Patagonia addresses the outdoor desires of consumers with their lines of equipment and clothing, all while maintaining a reputation of being eco-friendly and sustainable, as shown by several tools located on their website, such as the Footprint Chronicle.  Utilizing the New Belgium Brewing Company as their key partner for this project is an extremely wise decision,as the Colorado brewing company also emphasizes the same environmental concerns and values. Together, the two companies will be able to address their Corporate Social Responsibilities while at the same time providing alcoholic desires to consumers.

While the eco-friendly pair will be excelling in terms of sustainability, the market they have entered is extremely competitive, with beers such as The Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams Lager already thriving. Patagonia’s market research will have to be accurate. I believe that the beer will be successful, as Patagonia has proven to dominate these types of tight-knit markets.

Article:http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnclarke/2013/11/12/patagonia-turns-40-and-joins-the-beer-business/

Picture: http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/x5/esq-california-route-111213-xlg.jpg

When it comes to luxury cars, several brands come to mind, such as BMW, Audi, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz. There has always been fierce competition between these brands, but Mercedes continues to pull ahead, especially with the release of their new CLA model. This model addresses two significant values at once; luxury and affordability. With a buying price of approximately $33,000, the CLA is cheaper than its rivals; the BMW 3 Series starting at  $36,000, and the Audi A4 starting at around $38,000. This new value proposition targets mainly a younger, less affluent crowd than Mercedes is used to.

Never the less, the company’s sales are up, according to Business Week, 6.7% this past month. Advertising played a crucial role in this, with celebrities Usher and Kate Upton on the Super Bowl advertisement for it. Mercedes has successfully adjusted to the consistently changing wants from consumers, and controls a new part of the luxury car market.

However, this is not the end, as it is extremely likely that BMW, Audi, Cadillac, and other similar brands will be introducing new models that will be as good as, or even better than the CLA. Mercedes will have to adjust once again to continue to dominate this ongoing battle.

Article: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-02/mercedes-cla-sedan-with-budget-price-outsells-high-end-models-in-u-dot-s-dot-debut

Image: http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/1/0/6/1/4/0/2/Mercedes-CLA-BMW-3er-Audi-A4-729×486-cfe8c55edf087626.jpg

Other links used:

http://www.bmw.ca/ca/en/

http://www.audi.ca/ca/brand/en.html

http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/

After struggling for so long, it seems like the sportswear brand Reebok is finally climbing out of its hole.  Despite the fact that Reebok is far from the position they were at before being bought by Adidas in 2005, it seems like the right strategy has been adopted to address their weaknesses.

For one, Reebok’s customer segment has been changed to individuals who care about their fitness. Programs such as CrossFit and other similar fitness “boot-camps” are sponsored by Reebok and are using the fitness gear. Another customer segment that Adidas has focused on for Reebok is fashion and luxury. Athletes and regular customers who want both performance and looks from their products will have both addressed by the release of Reebok’s new products, such as the AV 19+ shoe.

Despite the fact that Reebok has lost their contracts with the NFL and NHL, I still believe that they should attempt to achieve more popularity in these sports leagues. With names such as Sidney Crosby still sporting Reebok gear, they have a chance to target more customers and substantially increase their channels, and therefore their profits.

I predict that Reebok will be able to recover and thrive, but then again only time can tell.

Link to article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-adidas-reebok-strategy-idUSBRE9911BZ20131002

Link to image: http://www.tritonpromo.com/sites/default/files/product-images/reebok_logo__0.jpg

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2010, there have been a reported 219 million cases of Malaria worldwide, as well as roughly 660,000 deaths.  There has yet to be an effective vaccine for this infectious disease, but employees at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) claim that this can change in only three years. After three decades, GSK has managed to develop a vaccine that has been successfully tested to decrease the cases of malaria in children by half. Even Malaria experts have confirmed that this vaccine will be effective.

This discovery is bound to make the founders extremely wealthy. However, this is the problem; GSK will have to choose between either thriving as a corporation, or sacrificing profits to help those in need. While it may seem obvious to choose the latter, one must realize that substantial amounts of capital will have to be invested in order to produce the vaccine.

In my opinion, the vaccine should go towards the customer segments that need it the most (i.e. children in third world African countries), instead of those who can afford it. Profits should be sacrificed, so that the whole world can recover from a disease that has made people suffer for so long.

References:

Roland, Denise . “GSK malaria vaccine could be available in three years – Telegraph.” Telegraph.co.uk – Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph – Telegraph. N.p., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/10362319/GSK-malaria-vaccine-could-be-available-in-three-years.html>

“Malaria.” WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/>

Picture: http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2012/08/the-case-for-open-access/

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games created an opportunity for sportswear brands Nike, Puma, and Adidas to boost both their profits and reputation in an increasingly competitive worldwide market. While they did accomplish their goals in terms of numbers, all three companies failed to address the most crucial part of their company- their ethical standards.

The article included illustrates how overseas factory workers in Bangladesh have been abused, overworked, underpaid, and have suffered in order for the sportswear brands to increase their profits. The businesses compromised their ethical values and failed to address the needs of all their stakeholders.Unfortunately, these companies have managed to get away with it, and are all still at large. The significance of maintaining business ethics seems to be undermined in this situation, as exploitation is still a tactic that is being used to boost sales. Neither of the companies have taken full responsibility for their actions, and have not taken any large steps to address their inability to maintain business ethics.

In my opinion, in order for a business to be completely successful, they must adhere to their morals when conducting business.Success should not just be measured by looking at statistics and numbers, it should also take into account the conditions all stakeholders are in. By maintaining business ethics, companies have only a positive effect on society and its consumers. Nike, Puma, and Adidas have failed to do so,and must take steps to address this issue in order to progress as a business.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/mar/03/olympic-brands-abuse-scandal