BOC: Most expensive business real estate transaction. Dollars per Sq foot

Inditex, corporation behind the Zara organization has purchased early this year the National Basketball Association's old store on Fifth Ave. is the country's most expensive real-estate transaction, measured in dollars per square foot with the mouth dropping amount of $324 million.  It is their priority to grow within the Asian and European markets, but on a medium and long-term basis the U.S. market is also quite important for therm. This purchase along with the online launch is a milestone for its  US take over. The company calculates that the group now takes in roughly €250 million ($353 million) a year from its U.S. stores. That's a fraction of Inditex's €12.5 billion in global sales last year. Mr. Meijer, ING retail analyst, expects that the group could quadruple sales in the U.S. by 2014, with a majority coming from online sales.
This optimistic investment has other players, both physical and online stores, on their tip toes trying to stay ahead of the curve.  For example, Amazon.com is currently re-designing their site and upgrading their site's technology, on the same hand, Amazon's direct budget competitor, Walmart, is also re-strategizing their in-store sales by introducing once again "Lay-Away" 

This move is crucial for Inditex in order to actually make a stand in the US market.  By allocating their brand on 

the main streets in New York and at this location will step stone this company into US stardom

I see this Zara trend taking over a large portion of the market they niche, leaving many of their competitors

re-strategizing and trying to keep up

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903895904576546651628934210.html

BOC: Interview

Why do you think a good fashionable image is important to have in the eyes of the public?
Building and maintaining a good fashionable image is quite important since your consumers are not only buying your products, they are also buying you.  Your appearance must compliment or at least be consistent with the image of your brand.  Ultimately, it is the visualization and association your customers have with you and your product what could promote or dilute your branding efforts. 
Do you think that celebrities need to have a strong personal style?
The media is the number one promoting tool for any product, service, or individual.  I strongly believe that personal style should stay genuine and not molded by what is accepted and what isn't.  Unfortunately, it is a personal view that is not too common in our society and we as individuals normally feel the urge to give in to the mainstream visions to simply fit or concur with a larger audience and at a successful rate.
Do you think personal style and brand image are the same thing?
Personal style and brand image are not necessarily the same thing.  It depends on what are you specifically trying to brand. If an individual is his own brand then yes, by all means it is.  However, if an individual is promoting a product which is associated with them, then they are co-related elements that compliment each other but are not the same.
In the future, do you think fashion branding is going to be come more important or less significant?
With the growth of fashion brands and market competitors, the fashion branding element is not likely to go away but rather to become more significant. It is crucial to stand out and maintain uniqueness. Imagine a world with no branding efforts, regardless of the product, it would difficult to create brand awareness, cultivating brand  culture, and impossible to establish customer loyalty, consequently leading businesses

BOC: Voice

As a young boy, I was exposed and quickly learned the principles of entrepreneurship, supply, and demand as I exchanged my illustrations for extra lunch money with my classmates. My vision, creativity and willingness to succeed have opened many doors, but more importantly, they have defined me as an individual. My interest towards the fashion world sparked in 2005 after noticing people’s reaction towards the concepts behind my tattoos. This gave birth to a graphic tees line idea but after an extensive research of the apparel industry, I quickly realized that tapping into this field was not as simple. This urge for knowledge landed me at the Art Institute of Ft Lauderdale pursuing a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management. Since then, I have actively participated in a few start ups and currently hold an involvement with reputable apparel brands, Public School and Black Apple which sell both nationally and internationally. I’m also an inspiring designer in the process of launching my own clothing line which is expected to debut by the end of this year

BOC: Branded Consumer Item "Dell, Inc."

Dell, Inc began its cosmic rise in 1984 when Michael Dell used a mere $1000 dollars to found PC’s Limited. Working in a college dorm room at the University of Texas, Michael Dell had a goal to produce IBM compatible computers from stock components to suit individual customer needs.  In other words, custom made computers.  This direct business model eliminates retailers that add unnecessary time and cost, or can diminish Dell's understanding of customer expectations.  A year after, Michael Dell dropped out of school and requested a family loan for $300,000 dollars and focused on the development of the new company. 
Later the same year the company introduced its first company designed computer, the Turbo PC.  The computer boasted an Intel 8088 processor that ran at an impressive speed of 8MHz. And it sold in the United States for $795 dollars. The computer systems, which were advertised in computer magazines nationally, were purchased through direct sales. Given a list of options, the customers choose the components they wanted and the computers were built as they were ordered. By ordering the components wholesale, the company was able to provide great pricing, which proved to be much lower than their competitors’. The company’s business formula proved to be a great success and the first year of trading they grossed more than $73 million dollars.
Although the company attempted to market their computers via warehouse club stores and superstores, the public, now used to having the ability to choose and build as they wanted, did not respond as hoped and the company returned to direct sales.
The company its widely known for selling the popular computer systems directly to the customer though Dell’s own website. When the company acquired Compaq in 1999 they became known as the top seller of personal computer systems in the United State
When the global PC industry fell into its worst slump ever during 2000, Dell responded by initiating a price war to which its rivals were slow to respond, providing Dell with a chance to further increase its market share
Dell markets desktop personal computers, notebook computers, network servers, workstations, handheld computers, monitors, printers, high-end storage products, and a variety of computer peripherals and software. The firm also has moved into the consumer electronics arena, offering LCD televisions, projectors, and other products. Dell manufactures most of the products it sells, maintaining six production facilities worldwide. 
While true that Dell Inc. has experienced some trouble spots in the past few years, the company continues to be one of the largest computer manufacturers due mainly to the long record of customer satisfaction. While others have adopted the model of direct sales, Dell Inc. continues to be the most successful and the most popular.

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Dell-Inc-Company-History.html

http://www.webhostingreport.com/learn/dell.html

http://retailindustry.about.com/od/topusretailcompanies/p/dellincprofile.htm

BOC: Week 1, Slip Slap Slop

During the mid eighties, an Australian campaign dramatically shifted and re-invented a global awareness towards an universal epidemic, Melanoma, through a catchy but yet effective slogan “Slip, Slap, Slop”.  Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 2 million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer are diagnosed each year, while more than 68,000 people develop melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/MoreWaysACSHelpsYouStayWell/acs-skin-cancer-prevention-activities

The phrase reminds people of the 3 key ways the general public could protect themselves from UV radiation:  Slip on a shirt, Slap on a hat, and Slop on sunscreen.  The Society promotes this message through media and education activities, as well as through membership in the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, a collaborative group of more than 45 organizations dedicated to skin cancer prevention in the United States. This collaboration supports the Society’s nationwide objective of improving behaviors that can prevent skin cancer, and being a trusted, unbiased source of cancer information.  

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/MoreWaysACSHelpsYouStayWell/acs-skin-cancer-prevention-activities

The behavior and attitudes of the general public towards skin cancer have considerably improved in the past two decades thanks to the use of this mild and indirect approach.  Along with the principles of sun safety, profit and non-profit organizations have invested a great amount of time and effort into educating people and offering other important tips such as: 

-Certain medications increase your photosensitivity, or sensitivity to the effects of the sun. Check with your prescribing physician to see if your medication(s) are in this group. A partial list is provided under Medications that Increase Photosensitivity.   

-Herbal remedies such as St. John's Wort also cause photosensitivity. Always check the labels of complementary and alternative remedies and medications for possible side effects.

-Pregnancy can increase your sensitivity to the effects of the sun.  

-Reflective surfaces such as snow, water, sand, and concrete increase your exposure to UV radiation.  

 http://www.melanomacenter.org/prevention/slipslopslapwrap.html