Plastic Water Bottles: How many will just say No.

One thing has always, ALWAYS, been clear to me about the bottled water market. The market has been driven more by the inherent laziness of consumers than by any fear of the municipal water supply.
How ironic, considering all those people working out with bottles of water in their mitts.
The attraction is the handy size, and the fact that most of us are too absent minded to keep a reusable water bottle full of water in our briefcase, backpack or car. It is not because we doubt the quality of the water from our tap or the office cooler.
As public information mounts about the environmental havoc these ubiquitous bottles cause, companies who make huge profits on hand-held bottles of water are in a panic. Coca-Cola, Dannon, PepsiCo, Nestle.
Beverage Digest reports retail sales of bottled water (excluding vending machines and Walmart) grew only 9% this year compared with 16% in 2006. Explanations abound. For one, it seems people who are paying more for gas, mortgage payments and education are taking a harder look at how much they are paying for…water. It adds up, just like those lattes at Starbuck’s. But there does seem to be multiple factors eroding the growth of water, and one of those factors is the leading edge of green consumers choosing to refill water bottles instead of buying water.
According to water-filtration company Brita (owned by bleach giant Clorox), Americans discard 38 billion plastic water bottles per year, and it takes 1.5 billion barrels of oil to produce them.
Sounding just like the lobby it is, the International Bottled Water Association wants regulators and consumers to know that, before we get hysterical about water bottles, any attempt to regulate consumer packaging should address all categories, not just water bottles.
To which I say: why not start a new campaign with water bottles. Get people thinking about water bottles, and the thinking tends to spread to other parts of their lives.

In my opnion, As this selection said, People have inherent laziness, So they want more convenient shaped bottle, to grap for one hand. However many bottle of water are shaped pretty inconvenient and It would be waste of resources, and not efficent in market. Therefore markets of water are needed some reformed types their bottles of water.

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2007/10/plastic_water_b.html

20700658 Cho Dong-Soo

entry 12

SKT's efforts to be Global

SK Telecom, Korea's No.1 mobile service provider, has appointed two foreigners as its human resources executives to help the carrier's efforts to attract global talents, its officials said yesterday.
SK Telecom said it plans to recruit more foreign executives as the company is striving to transform itself into a global firm. The company has been expanding into the United States, China and Vietnam to drive growth as the local market is nearing a saturation point.

This is the first time that SK Telecom appointed foreign executives in its Korean operation. It is also unsual that a Korean telecommunications company, which relies heavily on the local market, is recruiting foreign executives.

I think that these foreign veterans will help the company to draw more global talents and shape the corporate culture in such ways so that it is in line with that of a global company. SKT provides internship programs to the students from some American Business schools and also requires its employees to write all the reports in English as the means to transform the company into a global one.

I think SKT is stepping an important step which had not been done by any other companies in Korea. It is trying to increase the target market by being more global. This sudden change might be a stubling block for a while, however, it will soon translate into a stepping stone on which SkT would stand out among the competitors.

By Jin Hyun-joo

Source : http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/science

20700308 Chris Bang
Entry 11

LG Will Clean Up, With or Without GE

Korea's LG Electronics could win GE's appliances unit and get within reach of No. 1 Whirlpool. But LG's organic growth is noteworthy, too

The LG Total Capacity Refrigerator which has 15" LCD TV with FM radio, temperature adjustment, room temperature display, water controls, a weather & info center, recipes, digital photo album, calendar, BioShield Anti-Bacterial Seal and other features. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images


Ever since General Electric (GE) revealed plans to put its appliances business on the block May 16, Korea's LG Electronics has been on most everybody's short list as a potential buyer. While visiting Seoul on May 28, GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt further fueled the speculation by praising the Korean company as a potential buyer of GE Appliances. LG is "clearly one of the leading candidates," he said during his short visit. Calling LG "a great company," Immelt said "there are many things to be admired about a combination of LG and GE Appliances."


Best known as the maker of cheap microwave ovens and toasters a decade ago, LG has emerged as the world's No. 3 manufacturer of white goods after Whirlpool (WHR) and Electrolux (ELUX). It's also a top name in mobile phones (BusinessWeek.com, 4/30/08). It won't get GE Appliances without a fight, of course. Others on Immelt's list are China's Haier Group, Mexico's Controladora Mabe, Turkey's Arcelik and Stockholm-based Electrolux. Even if one of those other companies ultimately wins GE Appliances, LG is poised to challenge Whirlpool for the top spot in the global households business for years to come.


The Korean company has had the world No. 1 title in its sights for a while. Until Whirlpool took over Maytag in 2005, giving the Americans a big boost, LG had plans to seize the leadership in the industry by 2010. The Maytag deal put Whirlpool out of reach, but LG now could come close to realizing that ambition by acquiring the GE unit. LG's global appliances sales last year of $12.6 billion, when combined with GE's $7 billion or so, would roughly match Whirlpool's $19.4 billion and place it well ahead of Electrolux' $15.6 billion. "The GE unit will certainly whet LG's appetite," says Michael Min, electronics and tech specialist at fund manager Tempis Capital Management. "The question is pricing and terms."


In my opinion, LG grow up fast. LG electronics product famous for design, performance all over the world. LG have to upgrade their ability and quality to their brand value up. General Electronics and LG electronics help with each other. Now on they develop their capacity each brand to stand on the worldly brand.



http://www.businessweek.com/


entry 12
20700623
Min Kyu Jeong

Using Barter to Grow

Barter exchanges can help you build your business without spending a lot of cash.

Jake Kaestner wanted his five-person landscaping company to grow, but he didn't have much money to invest in the business. In 2005, after hearing about ITEX, a national barter exchange, Kaestner, founder of Kaestner Lawn Care in St. Peters, Mo., gave it a try. On barter exchanges, members earn barter dollars by doing work for each other. So Kaestner's $500,000 company did about $4,000 worth of landscaping at the home of another exchange member, a massage therapist. Kaestner turned around and used those barter dollars--currency good only between members of the exchange--to buy advertising in a local paper. "I didn't do any advertising before because it gets expensive," he says. Kaestner has since used barter dollars to buy advertising in local magazines, newspapers, and coupon books.
Whether by working through an exchange or directly with another company, bartering can help you boost your business without spending a lot of cash. Barter can be great for startups as well as for seasonal businesses or those with excess capacity.

I thought of my uncle whose company went bankrupt a couple of years ago. He used to earn a lot of money, however, at the moment he is broke. He was so depressed at first and didn't try to do anything. Then after a while he started a small business that didn't go well. He used to be a chairperson of a huge company so he didn't want to have his sleeves up and work from the beginning. I think what my uncle needed was something like 'barter' to develop his company even if it would have been slow. I think every good marketer should always be ready to do hard work If put in that kind of situation.

Back to BWSmallBiz April/May 2008 Table of Contents
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_64/s0804021853506.htm?chan=magazine+channel_bwsmallbiz+--+what+works'

Entry 10
20700308 Chris Bang

Apple iPhone Tunes into India

Earlier this month, two telecom operators—Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar—announced their plans to launch the Apple iPhone in India. Market buzz is that both subscribers will launch the iPhone around the country's Diwali festive season in October 2008, when consumer spending is at an all-time high.
"There is a certain thrill and euphoria around owning iPhone," said Rajiv Makhni, technology managing editor of NDTV, and anchor of local TV program Cell Guru on NDTV 24X7, a leading news channel in India. "The phone has a seriously large user base in India." Cell Guru is a TV program featuring mobile phones and technology.
Makhni told ZDNetAsia in a phone interview that he receives 2,000 e-mail messages a week for Cell Guru and 20 percent of the e-mail pertain to the iPhone.
"And even though the iPhone has not been officially launched [in India], 10 percent of the people I know already own an iPhone," he said.
Harish Bijoor, brand-domain specialist and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults, said in an e-mail interview: "With two leading operators launching the iPhone, the Indian consumer will have a wider plank to choose from."
Vodafone has signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in 10 of its markets around the globe. According to a statement released by Vodafone, its customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey, will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network.
Bharti Airtel, on the other hand, is bringing the iPhone to India through an agreement with its affiliates Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Globe Telecom and Optus. Through this agreement, SingTel will debut the iPhone in Singapore, the Philippines and Australia later this year.
Bharti Airtel is the largest GSM mobile operator in India, servicing nearly 62 million mobile subscribers, while Vodafone Essar is the second largest GSM operator with over 41 million subscribers.
With two operators bringing the iPhone into India, Bijoor said "upgrading from the mobile user's existing handset to the iPhone will be that much easier".
In my opinion, I am slightly scared that the iPhone is now coming to India through the official route. But,i think the existing iPhone user base in India is very large. The iPhone is a great branding plank. Customers can change service providers just to get the iPhone. It will enter the Indian market on the strong footing of two large operators.



reference : http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/

20700426 Hyo eun Yoo

entry 11

Home Improvement an Inch at a Time

A new TV ad for Lowe's (LOW) features a family getting a copy of a key made as the gravelly voice of actor Gene Hackman reminds viewers: "At heart we're still a neighborhood store." It may seem odd for a retailer with $48 billion a year in sales to be promoting a service for which it charges $1.47. Then again, no job is too small in the battered home improvement industry these days.
The housing bust is hammering Lowe's and archrival Home Depot (HD) hard. Riding high on the real estate boom, each doubled its number of stores since 2000. Now both are seeing sales dive as falling home prices and rising gasoline costs gnaw at consumer confidence. On May 19, Lowe's reported sales at stores open for at least a year fell 8%, while earnings declined 18%. The following day Home Depot said its same-store sales dropped 6.5% and earnings plunged 64%, due to special charges related to store closings.
With their home-equity lines of credit lines exhausted and home values shriveling, Americans have cut way back on the big-ticket projects, such as remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, that used to ring up hefty sales for the chains. "Those multi-thousand-dollar projects just aren't there," says analyst David Strasser, who follows the companies for Banc of America Securities (BAC).
BACKYARD FURNISHINGS
To make up for that, Lowe's and Home Depot are trying to sell homeowners on cheaper fixes, including painting, laying new carpet, and landscaping. Home Depot, for instance, is benefiting from the debut of a new line of paint called Freshaire. Although at $34.98 a gallon it's pricier than regular paint, consumers like that it that doesn't have any volatile organic compounds and dries fast. Lowe's, meanwhile, has been running ads reminding customers it can match any old paint for folks who want to do touch-ups. It's also had success this year with a promotion to install carpet throughout a house for a flat rate of $199—a fraction of what it used to charge when it billed per room.
Families that have had to shelve plans of trading up to a bigger house are now looking to make more out of what they have. One trend is the move to turn backyards into an extension of the home, complete with sofas, hearths, and lighting. To capitalize on that, Home Depot merchandising chief Craig Menear is rolling out higher-end patio furniture such as a new $1,000 set from Thomasville Furniture made of eucalyptus wood. "Five years ago, all we sold was aluminum. Now it's wood, wicker, wrought iron," he says. In today's market, it seems, such small luxuries go a long way .

From - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086034573963.htm?chan=magazine+channel_news

Nowadays there are a lot of new trend of housing. In past days house was place that just for living, but It is increasing to effort upgrading house. In Korea, there are also different conception for housing than before. As we can see in many TV-CM, It represents conception of house as high-value. Futhermore there are also many supplys to promote their housing interer and exteror, so housing market has much opportunity to make blue-ocean

Cho Dong-Soo

20700658

entry 11

Matsushita's Green Strategy

As part of Japan's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, the consumer-electronics maker aims to cut CO2 emissions in both its factories and products

Chances are, the PC monitor you're reading this on right now is filled with lead, cadmium, and a handful of other toxic substances. The same goes for the cell phones and music players you carry around or the big-screen TV you've got at home. So it may be hard to think of a consumer-electronics maker that deserves to be labeled "green." But Matsushita Electric Industrial (MC) is spending millions trying.

In November, the Japanese consumer-electronics and high-tech manufacturer made headlines when it announced that plasma displays in all Panasonic flat-panel TVs are now lead-free. That works out to about 70 grams (3 oz.) less lead in your average 37-in. plasma TV, and more from larger sets. It's quite an accomplishment, particularly when you consider that more than one in four plasma TVs sold worldwide is a Panasonic. This year, the company expects to sell roughly 4 million sets.

But Matsushita's broader environmental strategy is yielding more mixed results. Like many big manufacturers, it's finding that revving up growth and cutting emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming can be tricky. By its own reckoning, Matsushita's carbon-dioxide emissions will reach 4.17 million metric tons in the fiscal year through March, 2007. That's almost 14% higher than levels in March, 2002, the oldest data the company has published.

Japan Inc.'s Emissions Struggle Execs blame the surge in sales volumes of flat-screen TVs, DVD recorders, and music players. To produce digital gizmos, Matsushita has to operate huge energy-hungry plants for semiconductors and plasma panels. And tapping into China's coal-fired utilities doesn't help its emissions tally. "Our total CO2 emissions are actually increasing," says Akira Nakamura, general manager of the environmental-planning division. "But we are not giving up."

It won't be easy. Matsushita must lower its emissions as part of Japan's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. Under the treaty, which went into effect last year, Japan and other wealthy nations pledged to cut greenhouse gases by an average of 6% from 1990 levels by 2012. Japan risks coming up short: Its emissions have gone up 12% between 1990 and 2003.

In my opinion, now days more and more it is important that eco-friendly product and business. Consumer consider about their family’s health, and well-being. In that case Matsushita’s effort is valuable. Disasters take place the entire world. Not only government but also enterprise has responsibility to protect and preserve our environment.

reference http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2006/gb20061221_409143.htm?chan=search

By Kenji Hall

entry 11

20700623 Min Kyu Jeong