Month: October 2010

Taken From: Vranica, Suzanne. “Sun Chips Bag to Lose its Crunch.” Wall Street Journal (06, Oct, 2010): Web. 22 Oct 2010. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703843804575534182403878708.html>.

The noisy crinkle of the new sun chips bag is now coming to an end. Sun chips owner, Frito Lay, a subsidiary of Pepsi co, is taking the compostable bags off the market; replacing it with the old non-recyclable bags.

There has been a lot of negative feedback to the company, on social networking sites, and videos posted by consumers on youtube about the loud bag. Sales have decreased over 10% since this bag came into effect, and therefore the company needs to act. The company will develop a new bag that will be much quieter than the current ones, and still be eco-friendly. For now though, they will be using the 100% non-recyclable bags that was in place just a couple years ago.

I believe that the bag was very loud, however consumers should not be so overwhelmed by this. The bag was good for the environment, it  was biodegradable, and therefore it would not be sitting in a landfill for years on end. There were alternatives to the bag, bowls, or other means to eat the chips. So many bags were averted from landfills, it is not right that the company should use the non-recyclable bags.

Taken From: “Eyes on Facebook for business growth .” Sydney Morning Herald (Oct-21-2010): Web. 21 Oct 2010. <http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/growing/eyes-on-facebook-for-business-growth-20101021-16v8v.html>.

Facebook has become one of the world’s largest social networking sites. The company is also one of the biggest new hubs for advertising in the world, as companies, for a minimum price, can convey their message/products to the consumer effectively with multimedia aspects.

Australian company Threadswap is one of many organizations using the site to convey their company’s many messages, including sales, promotions, and even corporate details.The company has stated that advertising with google got them two people registered. With facebook, the company tens of thousands of likes, which means that the messages the company wants to put forth will appear on the person’s home page.

Companies should definitely use social networking to advertise and communicate with current and potential consumers. It is a cheap way to advertise, millions of people can access your company’s information, and you will be able to convey important messages fast, cheaply, and efficiently to the consumer. Facebook is not the only channel, a company could use twitter, blogs, youtube, and many other social networking channels to advertise their company. It is going to turn out to be if a company does not use social networking, they will be less competitive in the market!

Main Article: Jang, Brent. “Porter pulls IPO after tepid response .” The Globe and Mail 01 Jun 2010, 03 Oct 2010 Web.

For those who are unfamiliar with Porter Airlines, it is a small, fairly new airline company based out of T0ronto’s Island Airport, near the downtown core of the city.

The company has had some financial hardship over the years, being in debt millions of dollars, however the company is experiencing a minor upswing.

Porter was previously looking to make an initial public offering (IPO) to raise funds to pay off the debts, as well as expand their business. Unfortunately though, due to instability in the markets, the company is postponing this to a later date.

This is not a good time for this postponement either though. Air Canada Jazz is planning on expanding into the Toronto City Centre Airport, which will only cause more financial hardship for Porter.

I personally believe that the company should make an IPO as soon as possible! They must finance their debts now, before the major competition comes in to play. The company must expand its business before another, very “well off” company takes over the market. Porter should establish its brand, expand its market, and build a better foundation for the future!