Responce to Melissa Moriwaki's question

Question:
How do you think this will effect doughnut customers? Will they still think of Dunkin Donuts when looking to find a doughnut if DD's isn't marketing towards doughnut eaters anymore? How will this affect Dunkin Donuts?

I think DD is definitely moving away from the doughnuts aspect of their business and moving into other areas of business. I think the movement of American society is away from the junk foods and towards a healthier diet that does not include doughnuts. I honestly cannot remember the last time I purchased a doughnut from Dunkin. Most of the times when I go there I get a coffee and either a bagel or breakfast sandwich so I really don’t mind this shift.

I don’t believe that they will completely abandon their line of doughnuts but they will start to shift the focus to other products. This is a normal business decision and an easy one to make when thinking about profitability.

Will this shift affect the way you shop from Dunkin’?

John Smith dilemma

No, I do not think that John Smith should sell the names of the "likely" buyers to the car dealership. This reverts back to a post I made in the past regarding the moral issue of sites like Facebook selling our personal information to advertising agencies. I don't believe that it is morally right for a company to sell information that was given under the idea of anonymity to a dealership who is going to use it for targeted ads.

While John is in a difficult situation and needs to come up with some fast cash, that is not an excuse to resort to morally questionable practices. John needs to figure out how he can meet payroll without selling peoples personal information.

Should John lay off some workers or cut wages to help keep the company alive?

My responce to Michael Piekielek's question

Question: Should outside sources be able to access personal computers to advertise to individuals?

No, there is no reason that an advertising company should be able to access my personal information to cater ads specifically to me. If I have to watch an ad, it might as well be about something I care about but if ad agencies are accessing my personal information to create those ads, I want nothing to do with them. I already watch too many ads in a day and I sure don’t need any more targeted specifically to me. I believe that site like Facebook that sell personal information to ad agency’s need to be stopped. My personal information is not a product to be bought and sold and should not be treated as such.

Do you feel that you may need to increase your cyber security in the coming years?

Wal-Mart going to the Supreme Court

Article: 
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/17/julie-heimeshoff-walmart-supreme-court/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl41%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D299940

"Wal-Mart won a landmark case in the Supreme Court in 2011, defeating the largest civil class action in history. But attorneys for the world's largest retailer will be heading back to the country's highest court. This time, there is just one plaintiff, a woman who claims she was denied disability benefits after nearly 20 years at the company." Claire Gordon

Wal-Mart will be again heading to this nation’s highest court to defend itself against a claim of denial of benefits for a woman who could not work fulltime any more. This is not the first time the retail giant has been accused of skimping out on their employees. Wal-Mart is well known for offering low prices to consumers but this is because they source all of their products from Chinese manufacturers. This is well documented and Wal-Mart admits it. They are not the only company doing this but they are the most well-known.  

On top of this, Wal-Mart is infamous for penny pinching when it comes to their employees as well. Union crushing and inequality in the work place have are just two rampant issues that keep coming up at Wal-Mart and they have done nothing to stop it. Wal-Mart is a company that’s only objective is the increase the bottom line and I hope this women wins her case and can help others do the same.

Do you think Wal-Mart is a fair company to its workers?

My response to Daniel Driscoll's question

Question:  will our postal services increase productivity and success when and if we peak out of this recession, or is this the beginning of the end of the Postal Service?

I believe that this is the beginning of the end for the postal service. With the economy the way it is now, I don’t see the Postal Service being able to pull themself out of this one. The application of modern technology has made it faster and more efficient to communicate and purchases our goods from the internet and ships them around the world. Private companies like UPS and FedEx have simply out-competed their federal counterpart and are going to come out on top in this situation. With ever shrinking budgets and cuts having to be made everywhere, I think its only a matter of time before The United States Postal Service gets axed.

What other federal organizations are slowly being shutdowns?

Interactive TV

I recently read an article that talked about how the Syfy network was making an aggressive push to bring a whole new level of interactivity to their network through the use of smartphone apps.

Article: http://adage.com/article/special-report-tv-upfront/syfy-bets-social-tv-suite-interactive-shows/240820/

The article speaks about two upcoming how’s that will air on the Syfy network in the coming months. The first is called "Helix," which the article says is "a sci-fi thriller from "Battlestar Galactica" creator Ronald D. Moore, focuses on a team of scientists investigating a possible disease outbreak in an Arctic research facility and trying to protect the world from annihilation." The show will have a app that accompanies it that viewers can download and use to explore the world the characters live in and can find clues as to what’s going on in the show.

The second show is a reality series called ”Opposite Worlds," "where 20 people are broken into two opposing teams -- one to live in a simulation of the past, the other in an imagined future. The future in this series is a utopia where every wish can be granted with a push of a button; the past is a constant struggle for survival. Each week, players compete in a series of challenges to determine who lives in which period."  The interaction aspect comes into play with the addition of "gifts" that viewers can send the people on the show in an attempt to affect the outcome. It has been likened it to a real-life "Hunger Games". I think that these new levels of interaction will be very cool but I’m not sure if it will take off.

Do you think interactive TV is going to be the next big thing for entertainment?

My response to Suzanne Koval's question.

Question: Do you buy products that are slightly more expensive at a store rather than cheaper at another for more convenience?

I know for a fact that personally I have definitely purchased a product at a certain location that I know for a fact that I could have gotten elsewhere for cheaper. Most of the time when this happens to me, I am in some kind of a rush to get the product or get somewhere with the product and I really just don’t have the time to travel to the other location or go scout for a better deal at a different store. But most of the time when this happens, the product I need is relatively inexpensive and the potential savings from traveling to another store would be negligible. That being said, there is definitely a point at which the potential cost savings outweigh the aspect of convenience and I will go looking for a better price.

What is your favorite convenience product and why?

Tesla Motors to post its first profit

I am a big fan of all cars and car brands in general but the one company that I have been following very closely is Tesla Motors Inc. For those who may not know, Tesla is a California based car company which produces 100% electric vehicles for sale to the general public to buy and recently they came out with some big news. Tesla announced their first ever profit for the first quarter of 2013.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-autos-tesla-profit-20130402,0,1962678.story

I think that this is great news. Tesla is an up-and-coming company with a truly revolutionary product that has started to gain traction and grow. After their Tesla model S won the Motor Trend Car of the Year for 2012, the company has seen great increase in demand for their cars. I think this is could be the start to a big shift in the automotive market in years to come. But there are still many issues that need to be addressed first. Things like battery life, range and cost are just three but there are others that could hinder to the growth of the electric car.

What are some issues that could slow the popularity of electric cars?

My response to Sarah Allen's question

Question: What level do you think relates most to your consumer involvement?

If I had to put myself into one of these groups, I would say that I belong to the "Interest" group. I am not a big shopper, which is to say that I don’t walk around in a store looking for things that I like to buy them. I tend to be very particular about what products I buy and therefore I tend to be very cautious about what product I choose. Most of the time will only buy things that pertain to my interests. I very rarely will buy a product on a whim. I like to go into depth in researching a product online in forums and reviews by other customers before I make my decision as to what company and product I chose to buy from. I feel this is the safest way to shop.

What is the highest cost you are willing to pay for something on a whim?