Monthly Archives: September 2014

Work Hard, Dream Big!

Everything is achievable, I was always skeptical about that phrase up until I joined The Sauder School of Business. Once I started paying attention to and actually keeping up with the news on the corporate world, I started to realise that there are actually people who have proven that statement to be true. This blog post is going to be about a Global Consultancy and IT Services Company called Infosys.

Infosys is a company worth US$ 8.39 billion with a market capitalisation of around US$ 31 billion which has over 161,000 employees as of today. In a span of 30 years Infosys has put India on the map as a global destination for software services talent. They are responsible for creating The Global Delivery model and is the first Indian IT company to be listed on the NASDAQ stock market. Would you believe me if I said this company was founded by 6 people in a small apartment in India with a starting capital of US $250? Well, it’s true. That’s all it took to make a distant dream a reality. The hard work of 6 men and their ambition turned $250 into a $8.39 billion company. Infosys also has a very successful business model, here is a link to it http://www.infosysbpo.com/insights/Documents/right-business-model.pdf.

Perseverance makes dreams achievable.

That is all I wanted to shed light on.

References:

http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/jul/11sld2.htm

http://www.infosys.com/about/Pages/history.aspx

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/infosys-cofounder-asks-youth-to-dream-big-in-life/article2885115.ece

Marketing is Vital

The world of business is complex. Full of uncertainty and perils, it seems as if I’m comparing the corporate world to an action movie, but if that was true, Marketing would be the guns and explosions part of it. Basically, what I’m suggesting is that Marketing is essential to the success of any business.

Marketing has a lot more going for it than people give it credit for, most people link Marketing with advertising and public relations, but Marketing has so much more to offer. Not only does Marketing protect your brand image it is also in charge of building it, every time someone recognises your company, you should be thanking your Marketing team. Marketing even decides the customer segment that your products are targeted towards, and gets involved and works with your accounting department in building your budget. Marketing can make or break a business.

We have seen so many successful Marketing campaigns emerge and be one of the core reasons contributing to the success of some of the biggest businesses in existence at this moment. Take Nike for example, one of the most recognisable brands in the world, their brand logo and slogan “Just Do It” is world renown and is often credited for the brand’s success.

Here are some links to my favourite and some of the most successful advertisements and Marketing campaign plans:

(Redbull’s brilliant “gives You Wings Campaign and its workings)-

http://www.mintinnovation.com/links/docs/Marketing/Red%20Bull%20Success%20story.pdf

(A lesser known but still impressive Nike advertisement)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zek1PqGSll0&list=PLNqKTn4CuEXcz7TKP56J4fv6FLe_ZGqMI&index=1

(A brilliant way of promoting safety by Metro Trains Melbourne)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw#t=16

References-

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/12/17/the-most-unforgettable-ad-campaigns-of-2013/

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32763/The-10-Greatest-Marketing-Campaigns-of-All-Time.aspx

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michellegreenwald/2014/07/10/secrets-of-7-of-the-most-effective-ad-campaigns/

http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/viral-marketing/5-great-viral-marketing-campaigns-worked/

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-marketing-success-business-589.html

http://www.udemy.com/blog/importance-of-marketing/

Apple’s Horrific Ethics

Apple’s appalling actions and their company’s ethics are no longer any secret, yet it is still thriving as an organisation. I don’t think most people see the true horror under all the glamour that is Apple inc. Apple has long been known for their complete disregard for human life, most of their products are produced in labor sweatshops overseas, but what most people don’t realise is that besides that Apple has a lot more to be sorry for, The company is also documented as to have contracted suppliers that routinely disrespect the environment, these suppliers are infamous for creating false documents to cover up their labor practices, their mistreatment of women and their use of unsafe equipment.

Apple is also infamous for its secrecy, covering up the illness of Steve Jobs so that they would not lose market shares and sending the police after a journalist who released a picture of the new iPhone. Open Information may as well be one of the most ethical business practices and in that regard Apple fails miserably. These are the reasons that even though Apple produces huge profits each year, it is never rated as one of the best places to work and also ranks low on Greenpeace and ClimateCounts.

Newer reports keep coming in with more accounts of Apple’s unethical behaviour, it’s recent ties to Jabil Circuit, a company owns factories in western China, has brought Apple under scrutiny again. Apple continues to astonish and disappoint, all while turning a profit.

References:

http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2293259/apple-supplier-accused-of-illegal-and-unethical-staff-treatment

http://www.insidebusiness360.com/index.php/a-look-at-apples-unethical-practices-2012-2659/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fran-hawthorne/apples-appalling-ethics_b_1651264.html