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Blog
Jan. 6, 2009 – It recently came to our attention that a Bakers Journal article popped up in The New York Times Freakonomics blog in May 2008. The article, written by Karen Hall, was about the innovative pay-as-you-wish pricing scheme at City Cafe Bakery in Kitchener, Ont. While the Old Gray Lady didn't exactly issue a ringing endorsement of pay-as-you-wish pricing in general, it did praise the simplicity of City Cafe Bakery's set-up, which streamlines the customer's buying experience by eliminating the cash register and instituting an honour system.
What do you think of pay-as-you-wish pricing? Is it just a gimmick? Would you consider trying such an idea in an effort to boost sales in what is likely to be a sluggish 2009? Let us know by leaving a comment here or taking part in our new poll on the home page.
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Dec. 5, 2008 – Earlier this week the Toronto city council voted in a rule that would ban the sale of bottled water at city hall and force consumers to pay 5 cents for every throwaway plastic shopping bag they take home from retail outlets. I won’t go into the first part of the new measure except to say it seems a common-sense move, especially because bottled water is, essentially, the same as tap water, of which the City of Toronto is huge purveyor. The shopping bag crackdown, on the other hand, doesn’t go far enough. Five cents is a pretty meager amount of money these days, and won’t do much to discourage the use of these plastic bags.
What do you think about Toronto’s move to crack down on plastic shopping bags? How will it affect your business? Do you anticipate having to explain the situation to angry customers? If you’re not in Toronto, do you support or oppose a similar rule in your town or city? Let us know by leaving a comment or voting in our new poll.
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Nov. 21, 2008 – Being a male coming of age in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, I was, naturally, a big fan of the rock band Guns N’ Roses, and in the past I dabbled in the world of radio, learning a thing or two about the promotion and marketing of music along the way. Rule No. 1, of course, is that in showbiz, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, and despite not releasing any new
material for almost 17 years, and garnering plenty of negative press
during their prolonged absence from the scene, Guns N’ Roses look set
to score another huge hit with the album “Chinese Democracy,” which
finally lands in stores (well, one chain of stores – Best Buy) this
Sunday, Nov. 23.
In the food industry, however, there is definitely such a thing as bad publicity, as we’ve seen with the listeriosis crisis plaguing Maple Leaf Foods. But instead of just sitting back and letting good or bad publicity come your way, why not take the reins and try to build some anticipation about a new product or service you intend to introduce in 2009? Why not stage a special event to draw attention to your new development?
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Nov. 18, 2008 – Despite the Toronto Public Works committee delaying its decision on
banning takeaway coffee cups from shops such as Tim Hortons, Second
Cup, Coffee Time, Starbucks and thousands of others, the possibility of
an outright ban by Dec. 31, 2009, remains alive as the city focuses on
finding ways to divert 70 per cent of its waste from landfills (it
currently diverts 43 per cent). Related proposals include giving
customers who use their own coffee cups a 20-cent discount, and
requiring stores that provide plastic bags to give customers who bring
their own bags 10 cents off for every bag saved.
Let us know what you think about the trouble
brewing in T.O. If you aren’t in Toronto, do you think your city should
be having this debate? How would it affect you? What would be a better
solution?
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Nov. 6, 2008 – The historic election of Illinois
Sen. Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States on Tuesday was
greeted with joy and optimism around the world, with most observers
predicting the new president will strive to renew global co-operation
and progress toward peace and economic prosperity. However, Obama's
ascendancy couldn't come at a bleaker time as Wall Street's spasms
continue to upset domestic and international markets. Desperate to spur
sales, companies are telling marketers to "go negative" with
advertising taking aim at their competition – the soup war between
Campbell's and Progresso is a great example.
We've certainly come to expect
negative ads during political campaigns, but what do you think about
the nasty ads popping up in this economic downturn? Are they effective,
or a big turn-off? Would you ever consider using negative advertising
to gain an advantage over a competitor? Let us know what you think.
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Oct. 31, 2008 – It's Halloween, which means November will be arriving soon and, before you can say "Santa Claus," Christmas will be here, followed shortly by the new year. What are you doing to prepare for the holiday season and is the economic downturn affecting your business strategy? Are you thinking twice about hiring temporary seasonal help? We want to know. Leave a comment here at the blog or cast your vote in our new poll that just went up earlier today.
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Making Trans Fats Go Away |
In a news conference held at the end of July, junior health minister
Steven Fletcher said the latest trans fat stats from Health Canada show
progress has been made in reducing or removing trans fats from the food
supply. But he also threatened regulatory intervention if more wasn't
done, specifically by pastry and baked goods manufacturers. What are you doing in your business?
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In our June issue, we feature a number of articles on going green — from a lesson in biofuels, to green pest control ideas, to an interview with the owner of what's probably the world's first entirely green bakery, Birdbath, located in New York. What do you think about the move to go green?
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