Instructions for using “Sprinkles” micro-nutrient packets

A blog post by Ryan De Iaco on a new product called “Sprinkles” caught my eye. “Sprinkles” are small sachets of a powdered food fortification product that provide a daily dosage of minerals and vitamins. The powder can conveniently be sprinkled onto and dissolved into any food without altering its taste or texture. The blend of micro-nutrients is being touted as an inexpensive remedy for vitamin and mineral deficiency; the product has so far been distributed to 15 million children in developing countries with the main goal of eradicating iron deficiencies in children around the globe.

I admire the efforts of Dr. Stanley Zlotkin, the developer of “Sprinkles,” and agree with Ryan that he is the epitome of a social entrepreneur. Yet while the concept of “Sprinkles” is extremely exciting, I’m a little skeptical that the product will solve world malnutrition and “serve the needs of every starving child.” Yes, it may decrease worldwide anemia rates if distribution expands, but I think it unlikely that this one product will have a tremendous impact on the global problems of malnutrition and starvation. Nevertheless, I will be rooting for Zlotkin and his noble quest to provide a remedy for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Find the original article here: http://bx.businessweek.com/social-entrepreneurship/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socialenterprisebuzz.com%2F2012%2F10%2F17%2Fsprinkles-micronutrient-sachets-for-children%2F

Nataly Kelly’s recent blog post “McDonald’s’ Local Strategy, from El McPollo to Le McWrap Chèvre,” analyzing McDonald’s successful foray into foreign markets, caught my attention as it relates to several ideas we have been covering in class. Kelly describes some of the menu variations (eg. McSausage Burgers in Germany) that McDonald’s offers in different parts of the world to cater to local populations. This is a perfect example of glocalization, an integral part of McDonald’s business model. McDonald’s has gained a competitive advantage by positioning themselves as the only truly international fast-food chain, and they have managed to maintain their success by knowing, and accommodating, the tastes and preferences of local consumers all over the world. According to Kelly, five major lessons can be taken from McDonald’s global success:

1. Don’t confuse your brand with your products

2. Figure out which products have international appeal

3. View a new market as a chance to take on new brand attributes

4. Remember that “small markets” may very well define your future

5. Let your customers tell you what they want

I found Kelly’s blog post very extremely relevant to topics we’ve covered in class. It furthered my understanding of “glocalization” and strategy, and clearly outlines steps and precautions that a company should take in order to be successful at glocalization. Kelly’s five takeaways are ones that I will keep in mind throughout this course; they seem to be practical ideas that would be very important for a company to take into account if it was considering geographical expansion.

It’s not just for-profit companies that seek to create effective ads that will promote the organization and entice consumers to give them money; charities need to advertise too. Haitian non-profit Water Is Life employed DDB New York to create a unique ad for the charity, and the result is a striking yet humourous video in which ordinary Haitians read the whiney tweets of Twitter users who use the hashtag “#firstworldproblems.” The image of a young boy saying, “I hate when my leather seats aren’t heated” while sitting on a pile of dirt and debris in front of a dilapidated building is compelling in its irony. In my opinion, this is a very clever advertising angle; it appeals to the target demographic of middle-class/wealthy people in western societies by relating to them in a fun way that also manages to get the message across. It puts what some of us would call “problems” into perspective by showing people who have real problems and actually need help. The video induces an appropriate amount of guilt without coming off as sappy or begging as charity advertisements often do, which in my opinion is a significant achievement.

See the video for yourself here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/ddbs-firstworldproblems-haiti-water-ad-2012-10

Last Friday saw 3,000 to 4,000 workers at a Foxconn iPhone 5 manufacturing plant in central China go on strike. Production of the phone has been halted, and the timing could not be worse for Apple Inc; the corporation is already facing supply constraints just weeks after the massive global launch of its latest smartphone.

The China Labor Watch has reported that workers are striking in response to “over-exacting quality controls as well as demands they work through the week-long National Day holidays.” Work-place tensions are apparently not new to factories operated by Taiwanese contract manufacturing giant Foxconn; riots in a northern China facility and conflicts between workers and quality control inspectors had previously been reported.

Across China, Apple and Foxconn have been accused of providing poor working conditions and low wages. These claims have led the companies to “organize an audit of factory conditions, raise wages, improve safety and reduce overtime,” but clearly more action needs to be taken to ensure that wokers are satisfied. Employee happiness may not be at the top of every corporation’s priorities, but this strike demonstrates that unfair treatment of employees can prove extremely detrimental to production and is therefore something that companies ought to take seriously.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Foxconn+iPhone+plant+paralyzed+thousands+strike+central+China/7353226/story.html