Response to Team YS post: http://yourstory.com/2013/09/diajeng-lestari-indonesian-entrepreneur/

I recently read a blog written by Team YS, who offers an interesting insight into the world of Muslim fashion. With about 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, I find it strange how there is currently no e-commerce fashion market that caters to Muslim fashion. However Indonesian entrepreneur Diajeng Lestari sets out to solve this issue with her new venture.

Diajeng claims to initially have started the site with only 14 sellers and was inclined towards personal selling at first. Today currently they have a core team of 17 people with 83 sellers and receive almost 8000 visits a day. There is obviously a market for Muslim fashion, as people seem inclined toward purchasing such clothes. One of the main reasons is because there are currently not a lot of firms that cater to Muslim fashion. Additionally Muslim women have regulations about the type of clothes they wear and thus makes it harder to cater to such a niche market.

However with Diajeng’s venture in place, Muslim women all around the world are now able to order clothes online through the use of e-commerce. Additionally Diajeng’s venture might prove to be successful, as she has catered to the niche market and could therefore exploit and reap additional benefits.

Response to Simon Hua’s post: https://blogs.ubc.ca/simonhua/2013/09/21/an-opinion-on-blackberrys-fall/

I recently read Simon Hua’s post “An opinion on Blackberry’s fall” and would like to offer my perspective. Simon argues that one of the main reasons to blackberry’s downfall was because of the competition it faced from its competitors. To some extent I agree with what Simon says however would like to argue both sides of the story.

Being a huge fan of smartphones, I know that blackberry’s customer base has rapidly decreased; nevertheless I don’t believe it is completely depleted. There are still a good proportion of blackberry users around the world, but comparatively less. In addition, Blackberry’s ownership of patents, trademarks and other intangible assets worth approximately $3 billion, makes Blackberry a survivor in the market. Furthermore with the introduction of the blackberry messenger app (BBM), they could potentially make large sums of money, as it is an efficient way to socialize and connect.

Therefore Simon was spot on about blackberry’s failure being caused by its competitors, however they are nowhere close to a breakdown. I believe that with the invention of its new app, its vast intellectual property and its relatively small customer base, Blackberry might still have a future in the market.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/blackberry-lay-off-4-500-194022180.html

Pos: https://blogs.ubc.ca/simonhua/2013/09/21/an-opinion-on-blackberrys-fall/

A lot has been said lately about RIM’s vast decline – from their $1 billion quarterly loss to their falling stock value. Can Blackberry redeem their reputation, or are they doomed?

According to The Globe and Mail, Blackberry has a large portfolio of patents and intellectual property that could aid in restoring the losses that they have faced. These patents are worth billions of dollars, and selling them could help the company privatize their enterprise.

However, there is a catch: Blackberry’s patents could be considered dated. Keyboard features were omnipresent across all models of Blackberry devices, but technology is constantly evolving as researchers develop new ideas. The greatest example of this is the recent shift from keyboard-oriented devices like Blackberries to touch screen devices like the iPhone. This could present the company with difficulties surrounding the sale of their patents, as the technology could be considered “of the past”.

Will Blackberry survive in an evolving market?  Blackberry is at a point where it can either redefine itself or cease to meaningfully exist. Undoubtedly, selling its patents will help the recovery process. We just need to be aware of how much their intangible assets are really worth.

Source:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/value-of-blackberrys-patents-at-mercy-of-changing-technology/article14508039/

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries released a statement claiming “Fat and not so cool kids shouldn’t be wearing our clothes”. He claims this is one of the main reasons why they don’t manufacture XL or XXL sizes of clothes of woman. In addition their hiring policy of recruiting only good-looking people as also been in question. Recent events have put the CEO on the spot light as patrons now take action by filing online petitions, video protest, and viral letter demanding that Abercrombie accept more diverse body types. Could this statement have harmed the way people see Abercrombie? Could it have affected the brand image of the firm?

In light of recent events, Abercrombie have reported a 30% drop in revenue, since the release of the CEO’s statement. They have also reported a significant amount of staff turnover and much less crowds at stores around the world. While the CEO tries to put back the pieces of the story, he released statements saying that Abercrombie and Fitch were completely opposed to any discrimination, bullying, derogatory characteristics or any other anti-social behavior. Nevertheless things don’t look too steady for Abercrombie yet as they try recovering from an unsatisfactory brand image.

Source:

http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-statement-on-controversy-2013-5