Lululemon has recently found itself in the shadows of what it once was, as repeated missteps have begun to taint the company’s public image. Sam Poser, an analyst at Sterne Agee, has described the retailer as both “alienating” current customers and “making it tough” to acquire new ones.

Poser points the finger of blame towards the chairman of the company, Chip Wilson.
In a recent interview on Bloomberg TV, Wilson addressed reports dealing with the issues of Lululemon’s yoga pants, which customers felt were too sheer. Wilson retorted by saying that the problems were caused due to the women’s bodies. “Frankly some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for [the pants],” he said.

This response received collective outrage from consumers, who saw it as an attack against larger-size women. His apology that came soon after was criticized and seen as lackluster by critics.

Poser writes that the retailer’s focus on quality, innovation and customer service has “dissipated”; Quentin sees this as a marketing disaster – I agree. Will bad news continue to surround Lululemon? We’ll have to wait and see; the company must remember their core values if they wish to find continued success.

Online reviews have almost become a necessity in today’s world. Services such as Yelp have popularized the idea of doing research on a business, such as a hotel, before committing to it.

The latest industry to adopt this model is the restaurant industry.

Nicki Laborie, founder of View the Vibe, has created a platform where short, high-quality videos (like a movie trailer) are used to convey a restaurant’s atmosphere. The videos are shared on social medias, giving customers a quick taste of what to expect.

The success of a modern restaurant is no longer entirely dependent on its cuisine, as an entertaining, unique, and enjoyable dining experience is becoming more and more important. Take, for example, The Richtree Natural Market, who has reached new heights in the dining experience by introducing interactive tables, digital menus, and video games. This technology allows for an integrated dining experience, by combining sales and technology with the dining experience, without getting in the way of the restaurant’s main goal: serving delicious food! This innovation, like Jian says, leads to a competitive advantage and higher profits – a sign for competitors to follow in the same path!

“Treat others as you would want to be treated”. This philosophy is wide-spread and critically acclaimed; it is described as the “golden rule” – the ideal principle that governs our actions in life. It has been seen as a crucial guiding principle in management, but is it really?

Research is beginning to show the rule is flawed. It appears that by treating people the way we want to be treated, it is probable that we are actually treating them inappropriately. By following the Golden Rule, we are, implicitly, forcing our ideas and beliefs onto others – something most people would agree is problematic.

Introducing the Golden Rule 2.0: treat others as they would want to be treated. This works towards meeting people’s personal expectations and desires, as opposed to your own, and focuses on recognizing people for who they are which is the fundamental core of any relationship, be it personal or professional.

Leaders can follow three simple strategies to avoid the problems that arise from the Golden Rule:

1. Remember that your way is not the best or only way!
2. Ask a lot of questions! Feedback is crucial.
3. Learn your team’s strengths, and build on them! 

In today’s digital world, there is an increasing amount of services that we use on a daily basis which depend on our online identity. Social media, e-mail, apps, entertainment, and any other online service you could imagine play a big role in our every day life. The problem: they all require a password.

The struggle of having too many different passwords is all too real, and I can speak for myself when I say that it can become quite frustrating, especially if you prioritize safety, in which case those passwords can become ridiculously long, complex and difficult to remember! So what do we do? Do we use one password for everything and compromise safety? Do we bite the bullet?

Montreal Entrepreneur Daniel Robichaud has a solution: put them all into one place! Amongst other start-ups, Robichaud’s latest is PasswordBox inc., an app which enables users to store and keep track of all their passwords in one secure location – “a virtual safety deposit box” which is controlled by a master password. The service works conveniently through users’ internet browsers and it automatically logs them onto sites; it is free for up to 25 passwords, followed by a $1 fee a month thereafter.

Entrepreneurs are often muddled with the problem of finding a new idea, and find themselves asking “What can I do?” over and over again. According to Dartmouth professors Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, entrepreneurs and existing businesses often focus too much on the idea itself, and place little importance on the innovation execution!

In their book, Beyond the Idea, the two explain that the journey of innovation lies, well, beyond the idea! They write that it is a long process which requires time, energy and critical thinking, but it seems that companies often disregard this. They make a good observation in the fact that companies are not built for innovation execution, but rather for continuing operations. Inevitably, operations and innovation are always in conflict.

Innovation and operations are always in conflict!

Their research has led them to three distinct models for efficient execution of innovation initiatives:

1. S is for Small: focuses on small initiatives which can fit into the existing system.
2. R is for Repeatable: systematizes innovation, breaking it down to repeatable tasks.
3. C is for customized: unique initiatives, separate from operations, creating special teams and plans.

Business use whichever model fits best for their situation.

Motorola, the struggling telecommunications company that was recently purchased by Google, believes low-cost smartphones are just the thing to spark its business. Their new phone, the Moto G, was released this past Wednesday. It comes with a $179 price tag, which is roughly one third the cost of Apple’s iPhone 5C.

Although it doesn’t possess all the capabilities of industry-leading smartphones from Samsung or Apple, it’s technology is ahead of the low-cost smartphones which it is directly competing with.

Motorola’s new Moto G

Having reported a big operating loss in the last quarter, Motorola is looking for a change in direction. With this new phone, Motorola’s strategy is cost-leadership. The company believes there is a sizable market for low-cost smartphones – roughly 500 million consumers who are interested in a smartphone with the Moto G’s price tag. Motorola sees this as an opportunity to claim market value from competitors, whose products are outdated and unreliable. By targeting their product to budget consumers in North America, as well as consumers in the developing world, Motorola believes it can market its product efficiently while outperforming its low-cost competitors, as well as reaching demographics which are not dominated by Apple and Samsung.

Hobby Lobby, a U.S. national crafts and goods store, is under scrutiny after recent outbursts caused by the company’s apparent lack of Jewish holiday merchandise. The story went public when New Jersey blogger Ken Berwitz found out that his wife’s friends, upon asking an employee in a retail store about bar mitzvah cards, were told that Hobby Lobby “doesn’t cater to [people like them].”

Berwitz was quick to write about the incident, and called the store at which it had occured in an attempt to find out the reason behind the exclusion of Jewish holiday products, only to be told that it was due to Hobby Lobby’s owner, billionaire Steve Green, who is of christian faith. When Berwitz contacted the company’s headquarters, he was given no explanation.

Hobby Lobby has over 560 stores nationwide in the United States.

The story grew quickly, as Berwitz used his position as a blogger to shine light on the issue; Hobby Lobby’s reputation has taken a serious hit as a result. Customer relationships are now strained as the Jewish community speaks out in outrage. The company must now perform damage control and take proper actions in order to move past this incident.

The company has since offered a public apology, as well as promising to sell Jewish holiday items in areas near large Jewish populations.

BlackBerry, the Ontario-based smartphone company, has been in a state of perpetual decline for some time now, due to increased rivalry in the industry and a lack of innovation on the company’s part.

On Monday, shares of the company rose near 4% following a report issued by Reuters late Friday that large corporations such as Google, Cisco, and SAP were interested in the partial or complete purchase of the fallen media mogul. Experts believe this interest can be attributed to the value of BlackBerry’s shares, which are approaching an all-time low.

Share price of BlackBerry since its inception.

Various sources have reported that technology giants such as Intel Corp, LG, and Samsung are being targeted by BlackBerry, who is seeking precursory expressions of interest. For now, the potential buyer is unclear, should there eventually be one.

BlackBerry has tremendous sunk costs, with losses now in the billions. Appropriately, they are reacting with an attempt to minimize the damage done by selling what’s still left. As it stands, they have intangible assets that are valuable and attractive to potential buyers, including their secure server network and patent portfolio.

Industry competitors Apple and Samsung have eclipsed the once-leader BlackBerry.

This strategic move could potentially spell the end for BlackBerry, who, in recent years, have come crashing down from great heights, exemplifying the powerful and unforgiving nature of industry competition and rivalry.

Hermes handbags exude style and luxury.

Hermes Birkin bags entered the market in 1984 and have since taken consumer demand levels to impressive heights. Originally named after actress Jane Birkin, the bags act as a symbol of wealth and fame due to their steep prices, which can range from $7000 to $10,000. Birkin handbags are renowned for their standard of quality; each bag is meticulously hand-crafted by expert French craftsmen, and can take up to 20 hours to produce. Currently, their popularity is through the roof, with demand being so backed up that it has led to waiting lists that span over several years!

Kim Kardashian is one A-lister who is often seen with a Birkin around her arm.

Hermes has become a leader amongst upper-scale designer bags due to its main point of difference: their master artisans who ensure a unique bag of the utmost quality. While their product diversity (exotic materials such as ostrich and lizard) and superior quality is what led to their initial success in the market, Hermes has been lifted to new heights by the power of their brand and its recognition. Worn today by some of the biggest names in show-business, Hermes is no longer just a brand – it’s a lifestyle.

If there was ever one faux pas in the world of marketing, it would be associating your brand or product with a tragedy : especially one as significant as the events of 9/11. Early today, a communications giant, AT&T, found out the hard way that this was a solemn day – a day for mourning – and not an opportunity to promote their brand.

“Never forget”

The media mogul sent a tweet of the picture above, highlighting the “towers of light” where the World Trade Center used to stand with the use of a smartphone. The post was quick to incense the public, who found the “tribute” a distasteful and lamentable use of advertising. AT&T was pelted with an array of disgruntled responses, until the company released an official statement regarding the post.

Although AT&T was quick to respond with an apology, the social media masses were left with a sour taste in their mouth. The tweet spawned a new hashtag, #ATTtragedies, where people began to create tasteless ways that the company could have responded to other tragic events.

As cases of smaller companies doing similar “tributes” began to pop-up on social medias, the public responded with a clear, bottom-line statement: this is not acceptable.

There are some lines that marketing should not cross.