Black Friday deals no guarantee of retail bonanza

Posted by & filed under Canadian Economy, Marketing & Strategy.

Canadian retailers are pulling out more stops this year to lure bargain hunters on Black Friday, but the promotional blitz may not reap the bottom line rewards many stores are hoping for. From B.C. to the Atlantic Provinces, malls are opening before sunrise as the U.S. shopping phenomenon pegged to the day after American Thanksgiving makes further… Read more »

The Marketing Genius of Steve Jobs

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

When you look at his vast technical accomplishments, it’s easy to forget he was a great marketer. As a matter of fact, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said that marketing was Jobs’ greatest skill. Today, we look at his boldness as a marketer, how and where it first showed itself in his early 20s, his offer… Read more »

5 Canadian consumer trends to shape the future of retail

Posted by & filed under Canadian Economy, Marketing & Strategy.

Canadians consumers are increasingly looking for healthy and locally made products, according to a new study from the Business Development Bank of Canada that identifies five trends shaping consumer behaviour. A BDC study just released looks at the increasing importance of the internet in decision-making, with half of consumers conducting an online search prior to… Read more »

BlackBerry takeover offer buys company time

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Canadian Economy, Corporate Restructuring, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Marketing & Strategy.

Fairfax Financial-led consortium offering $9 US for each BlackBerry share Fairfax Financial chairman and CEO Prem Watsa speaks at the company’s annual general meeting in Toronto in April 2013. A takeover is necessary to give battered BlackBerry the time it needs to get itself back in order, company watchers say. On Monday, BlackBerry said a consortium… Read more »

China Offers Opportunities and Challenges for Canadian Companies

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Canadian Economy, International Accounting, International Business Operations, Marketing & Strategy.

International Business Opportunities in China: A new survey by the Asia Pacific Foundation (APF) of Canada highlights the opportunities and challenges Canadian companies face while doing business in China.   APF Canada, a Vancouver-based non-profit think tank on Canada-Asia relations, launched the survey examining how Canadian companies perform in the world’s most populous country as… Read more »

PepsiCo follows Coca-Cola with custom drink machines

Posted by & filed under Corporate Restructuring, Marketing & Strategy.

Marketing Strategy     Coke vs. Pepsi   PepsiCo says it plans to start testing a new fountain machine at restaurants that lets people create a variety of flavor combinations, such as strawberry Mountain Dew. The test follows Coca-Cola’s introduction in 2009 of its Freestyle machine, which also lets customers touch a screen to pick from a… Read more »