Month: October 2011

Around March last year, Nestlé was in the midst of controversy with the Greenpeace organization due to its use of palm oil from Sinar Mas, a Indonesian Palm oil supplier. The issue regarding Sinar Mas was that it was causing serious damage to the rain-forests in Indonesia through illegal deforestation. After weeks of public scrutiny, Nestlé ended their partnership with Sinar Mas and made a commitment to only use sustainable Palm oil in its products.

Recently in September, Nestlé announced that it was going to resume its partnership with Smart, the agribusiness and food division of Sinar Mas. The significance of this decision by Nestlé is highlighted by the efforts of creating a sustainable supply chain. After Nestlé stopped its dealings with Sinar Mas, Nestlé collaborated with the NGO forest trust to ensure that its palm oil suppliers were adhering to the rules of the industry. Companies such as Nestlé have a responsibility to ensure that its suppliers maintain sustainability.

While the companies image is at stake, it also ensures that in the long term there will be less and less third-party’s supplying palm oil that effects the environment. Nestlé made an impact by abiding to its principles and working with NGOs that guided the company through the process.

Sources:

1) http://www.ethicalcorp.com/supply-chains/sustainable-palm-oil-nestl%C3%A9-supply-deal-may-be-game-changer

2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/nestl-ngo-clean-up-palm-oil-supply-chain

Control has reached a new midst with the latest Google application, the chrome remote Desktop beta version. Users of Google chrome that also hold a Gmail account will now be able to access other computers from another computer, even if they are running different operating systems.

Technology has become essential to us and with this new application in our hands people can not only share data but also enables organizations to manage other computers without the administrative costs. Since the technology is in its testing phase, many users are restricted to access one computer at a time. Although it seems as though Google have developed an innovative application unlike no other, there exists a software created by TeamViewer that provides the same solution as Google chromes new application.

Although TeamViewers software has already been tested and used among many people, the essential part of Google’s application is that it has been targeted for the general public, basically everyone using Google chrome. Similar to Google’s search engine, chrome has become widely used as a web browser and thus Google will have a greater advantage in exposing their application to its potential customers.

Sources:

1)      http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20117619-264/chrome-extension-enables-remote-computer-control/

AIMIA, it’s the name that Montreal based Groupe Aeroplan has chosen to represent its company from now on. The company has made this decision to rebrand as a way to increase their status in the international market but also to recognize that they are not solely an airline loyalty programme company.

The company has maintained that its well-known loyalty programs will continue to run under their respective names, however, their business to business programs will now be represented under Aimia. These seem like minor changes but re-branding will mean that the company loses its image that has been developed since 1984.

Although there will be negatives to such a change, the companies approach will ensure that it is not solely associated to the airline industry which will be a key part in their ongoing development as a loyalty programme business. While rebranding now seems a little late, getting it done signals a company’s intentions for future growth and will attract potential investors. In addition the company’s large portfolio of loyalty programmes around the world from UK to Canada to India will now be well represented. Better yet, AIMIA reaches out with it’s unique name structure.

sources:

1) http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/breakingnews/groupe-aeroplan-changes-its-business-name-and-global-brand-identity-to-aimia–131137523.html

Burberry has gone to extra lengths recently to market their new perfume, Body.  The company has decided to take an innovative solution to capture its customers by using the band ” the feeling” to record a song that will represent the perfumes “sensuality and attitude”. While it seems an unusual approach, it will essentially position the brand’s perfume in the minds of consumers.

On the downside, the company has increased it’s costs and potentially added the risk of lowering the image of the brand among potential customers. However, the costs might not impact the sales of the perfume as the released single will not only represent the perfume but the company as a whole. In addition as an established designer label, Burberry will only need to entice customers to the product not the brand itself.

Indeed, the company is adding value to what seems only like a marketing stint as it will connect people to its perfume through the song. Depending on the tune of the song, it could potentially be a hit among customers with people in the future associating Burberry to the single “Rosé”.

Sources:

1)      http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/oct/07/burberry-designer-label-release-single

Malaysian airlines have recently made modifications to the seating plan for its ordered A380 flights. However, the company will have to wait until 2012 to receive its airbus 380 orders due to its seating plan changes.While this might seem like a long wait, Malaysian airlines in actual fact have waited four years to finally become part of the A380 culture. The changes were made by management in an attempt to enforce Malaysian airlines status as “premium” and oust competitors.

As the airline industry gets more competitive, the focus on “premium” services seems like an approach worthwhile taking but it also adds to the costs for potential customers in those premium seats. Its differentiation strategy is also targeting a market that will represent 17 percent (premium economy, business and first class passengers) of their customers on their A380 carrier, the other 83 percent being economy passengers. The key aspect of Malaysian airlines decision is that they have reduced the amount of first class and business class passengers to accommodate premium economy, unlike its competitors. This seems risky unless the pricing margin will make first and business class exclusively to those who really want to be treated like premium customers.

Sources:

1) http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/paj2/Article/

2) http://www.skyclub.com/news/2011/10/10/malaysia-airlines-to-serve-first-and-business-class-passengers-premium-wines/