Month: October 2011

Just as we discussed last week during class, businesses are now focusing more on “creating a social dimension to their value proposition” and their social responsibilities. Therefore, more and more eco-products start to dominate the market.

The Nissan LEAF is a zero-emission, all-electric vehicle newly developed by Nissan. According to Kevin Mio’s article, his two-day test on the LEAF was extremely positive – “There really is no difference monitoring around town in a LEAF compared to a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle. Moreover, the range of LEAF can vary 210 km to 110 km according to driving conditions and habits. This will be enough for most Canadian consumers since the average Canadian commute is calculated to be 25 km.

“Nissan wants to be part of the solution toward a sustainable society – for the sake of the planet and as a significant competitive advantage and a strategic differentiators in the global manufacturing sector,” said Nissan President Carlos Ghosn. Nissan is taking a bold and positive step towards Corporate Social Responsibility. Other companies should also follow and take on their own roles to create a better future.

Reference to original article

Nissan Website

With more and more people using smart phones, QR codes (Quick Response Codes) became a new opportunity for businesses to build their brand. These codes are similar to UPC codes but have a much stronger function. Customers simply need to download a free QR codes reader onto their smart-phone and they can instantly receive more detail information when they scan the code.

Some benefits of QR codes:

1)      QR codes on business cards and products can immediately allow someone else to find out more about you or a product whenever they want.

2)      QR codes can help expand selling opportunities to shop online and allow companies to give special discounts to attract customers.

3)      QR codes can simplify registration and follow-up processes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that QR codes will be an excellent marketing tool, especially attracting women as a major source of QR codes users. Since women are more likely to shop online, QR codes will be very convenient for them. Moreover, companies can use QR codes to collect customer data as well. For example, customers can fill in their information online, receiving a QR code in return, and present it to the company when they make their purchase.

QR codes will open a new path for companies to succeed.

Reference to Wendy Kenney’s Blog

More on QR codes

According to Linda’s article, Denmark decided to put a tax on products with more than 2.3% saturated fat. This decision was meant to alert customers on buying fatty products and motivates customers to make healthier choices.

Nowadays, fatty food is very common at home or restaurants. However, milk, which is also one product that would get taxed on, also contains nutrients that people need to consume. Therefore, it is not necessarily that food with fat will be unhealthy. The Danish government should not come to a conclusion so fast and use this method to promote healthy eating.

Moreover, I agree to Linda’s opinion of “the tax is insignificant to people who want to buy the food”. Just as people who still smoke knowing that smoking is bad for your health, when you really crave for these fatty foods, no one can stop you. Therefore, the Danish government should focus more on educating children on making healthy choices rather than imposing the Fat Tax. After all, children are the future.

 

Further references:

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/denmarks-fat-tax-now-thats-rich/246158/

http://www.helpingyoucare.com/15813/denmark-imposes-fat-tax-on-high-saturated-fat-foods-to-combat-obesity

Delta Cable will become the first to provide 3D capability for its video customers. When Delta Cable first enter the market, it broad casted movies and live sports 3D programming. In late last year, they confirmed that the company’s system is prepared to provide 3D movies and TV programs: “As our customers have been investing in this technology, we have been proactively preparing to deliver the best 3D programming experience. We have been installing HD and 3D ready digital receivers in our customers’ homes for over a year now and offer HD and 3D ready receivers to customers who require an upgrade.”

According to Ries and Jack Trait, positioning is a “communication tool to reach target customers in a crowded market place”. This step taken by Delta Cable will be an significant improvement in the company’s performance. However, the evidence about whether 3D TV is getting popular or not is still unclear. Therefore, this will also be a risk to the company.

Reference to article

iPhone 4S SWOT Analysis

Although the dream for iPhone 5 had shattered, iPhone 4S entered the market with significant changes and improvements over the previous generation. The pre-ordered for iPhone 4S 64GB version had reached a price of $20 000 HKD.

Some advantages for iPhone 4S are:

• Voice-activated personal assistant
• Image stabilization
• Improved lens
• Improved light sensitivity
• Seven times faster graphic response

Some weaknesses are:

• Limited changes in appearance
• Siri only understands three versions of English, French and German

Some opportunities are:

•  A perfect choice to new users to smart phones (twice as powerful as iPhone 4)
• Large amount of pre-orders from other countries

Some theats are:

• iPhone 4 users may not be ready for an upgrade
• decrease in price of previous generations
• other smart phones

Reference to article

iPhone 4S (left) and iPhone 4 (right)

 

Increasing Gas Tax to Pay for Transit

The Evergreen Line and other transit projects in Surrey and Langley was introduced to public to provide more convenient transit services. However, seven Metro Vancouver mayors will vote for a two-cents-a-litre increase in gas tax to raise the budget for these projects.

Although Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and Delta hold strong opposition to this plan, other cities such as Coquitlam, Langley etc. have gained enough votes to pass it. According to the article, “transit-poor areas like Surrey and Langley will welcome another million people by 2040”. This calculation makes it crucial to start planning the resolution now.

This plan will be very helpful to students that need to commute to university and people who commutes to work. I definitely support this plan as being a part of the commuting group, and this will benefit to society as whole.

More information on the Evergreen Line