Media Matters – SFU Business in the News – December 17, 2010

Branding Gone Bad

• “Shame is an extremely toxic emotion,” SFU associate business professor Steve Kates told Timemagazine in an article about what happens to branding when consumers turn on a product, service and, in some cases, a person.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/hjHZCE

Low-Tech Games

• “Board games are making a comeback, according to the Burnaby NewsLeader. SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith said Christmas is the time of year when there’s an increase in the sales of board games.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/qvCfLK

Crime Beat

• SFU professor emeritus Gary Mauser was a guest on CKNW’s The Bill Good Show today talking about gangs and guns. He argued “research shows that imprisoning serious violent offenders for longer periods reduces the homicide rate.” His second point was “there is no research support for restrictive gun laws. Homicide rates have increased in the U.K. since they banned handguns, but down in the U.S. where they both imprison violent offenders and encourage civilians to carry concealed handguns.”

Lower the Voting Age

• Former B.C. attorney general Mike de Jong announced he advocates lowering the provincial voting age to 16. SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith said this is an attempt by the B.C. Liberal party leadership hopeful to differentiate him from the other candidates in the bid to be premier. Fairchild Radio, CBC-Radio, The Province, 24 Hours Vancouver, and AM 1320 all interviewed Meredith about this issue.

Give Students the Vote

• Lowering the provincial voting age to 16 years old may not be such a great idea for the B.C. Liberals, SFU marketing experting Lindsay Meredith told The Province. Responding to B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Mike de Jong’s announcement he would give teens to be more involved in the political process. “Younger people tend to be a little more left wing,” said Meredith. “They have a strong sense of social justice and it could be the Liberals’ worst nightmare.” Canadian Press and AM 1150 (Kelowna) also interviewed him.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/oqViwT

VANOC Report

• How sustainable are the 2010 Winter Olympics? We’ll find out tomorrow when VANOC releases its sustainability report card. “You can plaster green on anything you want to — that’s called paint — but you better have something solid underneath that,” SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith told 24 Hours Vancouver.

Lowering the Voting Age

• The Province referenced SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith in an editorial, agreeing with him that the latest campaign promises by B.C. Liberal leadership candidates are all about getting noticed. “Some 16-year-olds are more adult than some 36-year-olds. Some are certainly more honest than many 46-or 56-year-old politicians,” said the paper. “But there has to be an age cut off somewhere. I mean, we wouldn’t want 14-or 12-year-olds voting, would we?  No, as SFU marketing Prof. Lindsay Meredith points out, (Mike) de Jong’s proposal has more to do with getting noticed. Let’s just call it the adult equivalent of wearing a nose ring.”
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/yZtnrk

Online Shopping

• CTV News reports people aren’t spending more money this Christmas but they are doing more shopping via the Internet. Convenience and increased selection is the reason why, said SFU business professor Dianne Cyr.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/MWueNH