Thank you for being with us for the second month of our new blog. In case you missed any posts, here is a recap, beginning with, in chronological order, the lastest installments in our ongoing series on getting technology to market, The Commercialization Ecosystem, which explored startup incubation, the right stuff entrepreneurs need to succeed and other pearls of wisdom.
This is the next contribution to this blog by Associate Bob Bailly, a Calgary-based neuro-marketing practitioner.
By Bob Bailly
Rather than working earlier this week, I was looking over pictures of my last month down south in Argentina. As I was smiling over a photo of a Buenos Aires dog walker – who are well represented in that great city, can be seen everywhere and are not always so good about cleaning up after their care – I was reminded of some research I recently uncovered. It’s about dogs too. But more specifically, it’s about the potential business implications of our relationship with “man’s best friend.”
Have you ever had a dog as a pet? Did or do you consider it part of the family? If you answered yes, or even if you’ve never personally been involved with a dog, it’s not hard to see that humans and dogs have formed a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to both species. In Argentina, proof is on the streets in the form of hoards of professional dog walkers and the need to watch your step.
By Linda Forrest
I’ll admit it – I look forward to the Oscars all year. I’m an ardent movie fan, and so I look forward to seeing which movies are the most celebrated at the annual awards ceremony. This year was no different but I did feel highly skeptical going into it about the hosts that had been selected in an attempt to lure in a younger demographic to watch the show. I also had a bad taste in my mouth from last year, where the hosts did a surprisingly middling job and, in my opinion, the wrong folks took home the top hardware. Still, I couldn’t wait to watch and see who would win what.
Having stayed up on Sunday way past my bedtime to watch the Oscars, my worst fears were realized when the show proved to be a poorly written, disjointed affair that only shone when it harkened back to awards shows of times gone by. Early ratings suggest that viewership was down 7 percent from last year. Roger Ebert Tweeted: “The worst Oscarcast I’ve seen, and I go back awhile. Some great winners, a nice distribution of awards, but the show? Dead. In. The. Water.”
As disastrous as it was to watch (the audience in my house alone went from four to one over the course of the program), some marketing lessons can be gleaned from the 2011 Academy Awards.
By Alayne Martell
The Internet. Love it or hate it, most of us need it. And with it comes many debates. Most recently the controversy is growing over the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) recent ruling regarding usage-based-billing (UBB). The ruling would allow large telecom companies such as Bell and Rogers to force independent Internet service providers (ISPs) to adopt the same UBB structure they use. Interestingly enough, the same big guns sell wholesale access to these smaller ISPs, essentially preventing them from remaining competitive.
Then the federal government chimed in. Last week, during an industry committee hearing, the CRTC indicated it would be delaying the implementation for 60 days while it is reviewed. Industry Minister Tony Clement followed that up with the proclamation (by Twitter no less…that could be fodder for a whole other blog post) that if the CRTC comes back with the same outcome, cabinet would overturn it.
Looks like this debate could become heated.
By Linda Forrest
…rather than what they need?
This question is inspired by Starbucks‘ announcement that Trenta-sized iced drinks are being introduced as a result of customer demand. These 31 oz. caffeinated beverages are still dwarfed by other options on the market – the Super Big Gulp comes to mind – but the supersizing of these drinks begs the question posed in the headline. As you can see in this handy illustration, the Trenta contains more liquid than the human stomach can readily hold.
In addition, it sees people drinking up to 230 calories in the sweetened versions of the drinks contained therein, and because they’re consuming caffeinated drinks rather than the water our bodies need to operate optimally, their nutritive value is almost nil. Yet, Starbucks claims the product meets an unmet customer desire. One could read into its siren logo: Is the company beckoning a customer base with dismal health, weight and fitness with yet another BIGGER option that isn’t good for them?
Ellen Degeneres has a funny take on the introduction of the Trenta.
