Sales of Budweiser and Stolichnaya aren’t going to plummet just because of the movie Flight, says Alan Middleton, a marketing professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business. But in the longer term, there’s a risk to companies if they don’t protect their cash-cows. That brand value can be chipped away, bit by bit, reported the Toronto Star Nov. 7. “Does a one-off thing, no matter how high profile, affect the brand significantly? Probably not,” said Middleton. “The biggest threat to most brands isn’t a crisis. It’s death by a thousand cuts.” While all companies try to protect their brand image, it’s something sellers of high-end goods are particularly zealous about, Middleton added. “It’s especially important for luxury brands. They can argue it’s about the quality of the product. But really, it’s the quality of the association,” said Middleton. Read full story.
Don’t be fooled by spin on the Canada-China treaty
There is a lot of spin about the Canada-China investment treaty (or FIPA). Canadians should not be fooled into the deal. They should insist on an independent review of the government’s claims, before the treaty is locked in for 31 years, York Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Gus Van Harten wrote in Troy Media and Rabble.ca Nov. 7. Read full story.
2012 MBA Guide
Upgrading your business degree can pay huge dividends in the long-run – especially for your salary, reported Canadian Business in November’s issue, which looked at which MBA programs lead to the biggest pay raises. To find this figure, the magazine tallied the difference between the average salaries upon entering an MBA program and after completing it. So for instance, students at the Schulich School of Business enter with an average salary of $41,149. In their first post-MBA job, their average salary is $90,000, which totals an average pay raise of $48,851. Read full story.