Paula’s blog https://blogs.ubc.ca/paulabieler/2013/11/17/its-not-me-its-you/

I strongly agree with Paula’s argument in the blog. It is so rude to ask everyone to keep slim. Lululemon own a apology to the public and it is totally awful marketing strategy. Not only refuse a lot of potential consumer outside the gate, but also lose many patrons’ preferences.

Nowadays, girls are asked to be silm as possible as they can. For this reason, so many girls are on their way of diet. Everyone believes good body shape makes you popular. However, so many ways of dieting are unhealthy and always causes bad consequence after years. Girls always choose to sacrifice their health to look more attractive.

This is not positive state of mind, because health is exactly the most important thing to persuade. You are so stupid if you give up you good body condition to persuade a fancy body shape. So a well-known company like lululemon should also be responsible to social cognition. Those Company should  advertise positive attitudes towards the public.

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/11/13/snapchat-spurned-3-billion-acquisition-offer-from-facebook/

This is the blog which told me the surprised new of Snapchat. Say no to 3 billion when you are 23 years old! The CEO of snapchat is damn coooooooooooooooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After being shocked, let me make a analysis on what makes Snapchat so hot.

The major reason is Snapchat changes the way of communication. From year to year, we always believe we chat to others with our language. NOW! Snapchat make you believe pictures,voice and videos can also be an unique way to communicate. The awesome pictures just grab your eyeballs in the few second. You have to admit the person who came up with this idea is admirable. Those picture are not that fancy picture, they can be funny,spoof and sexy. The wonderful picture just keep your friends and you much closer.

Why Snapchat is so hot among teenagers and young adults? Because the CEO of snapchat is young and he knows what the teens exactly want. I am not emphasize on the generation gap but we cannot ignore its existence. When you want to make you products popular, you need to get what the consumer exactly want.

Ha Pham’s blog:https://blogs.ubc.ca/nganha/2013/11/15/layoffs-the-optimum-solution/

As Ha has mentioned in her blog, layoffs are happened everywhere around the world everyday. From my point of view, there are several reasons.

Ha has mentioned the major reason, which is company’s desire to reduce the high cost and to maximize its profit. In my opinion, it is not a wise choice to fire your employees when you just want to make more money. A company should has a spirit, which would every employee fight for the company. The employees will do their best on every assignment when they feel the company is like a family. In the good days, managers should share the profit and pride with their employees. When bad days come, employees will step out and fight until the last hope.

The rapid development of technology is an another reason. Machine are always more efficient than individuals because they never get tired and seldom make mistakes. But the maintenance issues of machines is always a high cost.

The last reason I want to discussed about layoffs is the unacceptable performance that employees show during the work. This phenomenon due to a larger issue; it’s much easier to get a graduation certificate nowadays. The phenomenon make the company harder to get the suitable guy or the guy they found does not reach the requirement.

With significant developments of technology, coffee shops are getting increasingly futuristic.

Tim Hortons has introduced a new feature on its smartphone app, Called Timmy Run, that lets you pick up coffee for the whole office without having to take their orders. The app let you make a list of officemates to include on your coffee runs, and will e-mail them when you’re ready to head out. Your co-workers will have a set amount of time to opt in to the coffee run and place an order. When you get to Tim Hortons, you can present the final order recorded on your app.There’s also a secret list feature, where you can store your friends’ preferred coffee orders and surprise them. Tim Hortons aimed to provide less time getting the coffee and more time enjoying it.

Starbucks, meanwhile, is testing a new feature at select Washington and Nevada drive-thrus. Instead of ordering their frappucino with a speaker, customers will chat through video that they can see the barista.Consumers  are interested in the process of making their orders and the person taking their orders. It made the whole experience so much friendlier and personable.

In the competitive market, the major marketing strategy is satisfying every consumer’s want.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/28/tim-hortons-starbucks-go-digital-with-coffee-orders

Quebec snack-maker Krispy Kernels says it’s sticking with plans to re-introduce its old logo. The loge’s feature is a cartoon drawing of an aboriginal boy in a feathered hat. The company recently announced it’s temporarily reviving its old “Little Indian” logo on its Yum Yum brand potato chips for a holiday marketing campaign despite many who say the logo is in bad taste. The logo is well known to older Quebecers, as it was featured prominently on the packaging from the time the company was founded in 1959. However the logo was dropped in 1990, when tensions between native groups and landowners grew heated. The logo is back for the holidays on limited edition packaging. As part of the campaign, many stores are also featuring a life-size cardboard store display of the Little Indian mascot wearing a loincloth, with customers encouraged to pose with the cutout and send in photos to win prizes.

The marketing plan has drawn plenty of criticism in Quebec, where many are wondering why a caricature based on a misguided stereotype is being revived. The logo hurts aboriginal Canadians. It wouldn’t be surprised if the company faces a boycott. It is very offensive because anyone wouldn’t be doing this for any other cultural group in Canada or any other country, and Krispy Kernels is doing it to make a profit. It is an unacceptable marketing strategy.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/the-canadian-press/131116/quebec-snack-maker-criticized-bringing-back-native-logo

As the car culture has boomed and consumers increasingly seek out convenient ways to eat, easily two-thirds of their sales come through the windows. Patrons also tend to order more from their vehicles, often getting food for fellow passengers or to deliver to someone at home or work. The major reason is individuals are getting lazier and lazier, even don’t want to get out of their cars.

However, McDonald’s is running behind its rivals in the drive-through line. The annual report from industry publication QSR magazine in October showed cars waiting 189 seconds between ordering and pickup at McDonald’s, falling behind the 134 seconds at Wendy’s, 158 seconds at Taco Bell and 181 seconds at Taco John’s. McDonald’s average performance was its slowest ever, because of the more complicated menu items and an increase in the average number of vehicles in line at any given time. Because of the effects of heavy competition in the quick-service industry and high unemployment among its customers, McDonald’s has recently lost some of its momentum.

Currently, patrons in cars pull up to one window to pay for their order, then pick up their meal at another window. But starting next year in new and rebuilt restaurants, McDonald’s will implement what it calls a Fast Forward Drive-Thru. The arrangement will allow customers whose orders aren’t ready to bypass the second window and pull up to a third window to wait. The arrangement enable McDonald’s to better serve more customers quickly with the fast, friendly service they have come to expect from McDonald’s. McDonald’s, the world’s largest burger chain, is banking on a third drive-through window to speed things up.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mcdonalds-drive-thru-20131116,0,6547977.story#axzz2kxE4rCq1