mengjin YAN
Monash University
Gitanjali Bedi
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The company size is small, but the operators have a high consciousness of sustainable development. As the company is new to the market, it needs advertising to raise visibility and establish a reputation. At the same time, considering that the target group is undergraduates, who have limited economic capacity, the company has put forward some business strategies to both help improve sustainable development and gain a good reputation to make more profits for the company.
The first innovation is the advertisement. It is known that most enterprises use paper advertisements, which are not good for the natural environment. Considering environmentally friendly methods of propagating their message, the company prints their logo and QR code on the outer packaging of a napkin, then gives out the napkins for free in restaurants and stores. In this way, the consumers can get the basic information about the company by scanning the QR code. The cost is affordable for the company, and meanwhile the company does not need to use a lot of paper advertisements, which may soon be rubbish after a quick glance by consumers.
Another innovation for the company is the program named “Breakfast costs 1 yuan.” Due to the proportion of poverty in Henan Province, there are some undergraduates struggling with hunger. However, the company is cooperating with certain restaurants that offer breakfast. They have reached a commitment that the company will advertise for the restaurants online for free, and in return the restaurants will provide a breakfast that costs only 1 yuan for the people who have a certificate to prove their poor economic situation.
It is common that people throw away paper advertisements after just a glimpse. It is said that 14% of all global wood harvested is used to make paper (The World Counts,13 May 2014). The electronic revolution was supposed to reduce the usage of paper; however, it has not. To create a more environmentally friendly business model, the company decided to advertise in a resource-saving way. On the other hand, napkins are a necessity for life, so the propagation effect can be better than that of paper.
By the end of 2018, there were still around one million Henan residents living below the poverty line. With such a huge population, it is hard for Henan to reduce poverty; however, even as a small enterprise, the BRAIN Network Technology Company contributes to eliminating poverty, which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The cost of advertising went up after the company abandoned the traditional paper advertisement; however, the new, efficient advertisement has helped the company gain more potential consumers. With the awakening of the sustainable consciousness, people favor products and behaviors that are greener and more novel, and surely this new way of advertising is an attraction to people. As for the program, it strengthens the links between the stores and the company, which gains popularity among the stores, allowing the company to expand its market and gain more business with the new participants.
In the short term, no matter whether it be the advertisement or the program innovation, the cost will go up. The reason is that the company is still young and the employees are mainly undergraduates with little social experience. However, the innovation is useful for gaining a good reputation and expanding the market. For example, the number of regular customers has increased from 3,000 to more than 5,000. Nowadays, people tend to chase a more convenient and greener lifestyle than before. This change of lifestyle creates the chance for the enterprise to make a profit and encourages them to operate in an environmentally friendly way. Even though the BRAIN Network Technology Company has just begun, the consciousness of sustainable development will bring more profits. It is an efficient way to improve visibility among both the consumers and the cooperating businesses, which is significant for the company acting as an intermediary.
The innovation applies to the Sustainable Development Goals, as it is helpful in reducing poverty and is friendly to the environment. It is hard to achieve every SDG due to the large population in Henan Province, but a small enterprise like the BRAIN Network Technology Company can change its way of gaining profits from a traditional method to a greener one, through the new way of advertising and the new business operations. The innovation also encourages other small and medium enterprises to change their business models. For the environment, it reduces the unnecessary waste and allows the company to use the natural and human capital resources in a more efficient way.
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Limin Wang, General Manager
The BRAIN Network Technology Co., Ltd., is a new company consisting of a small number of employees, which are mainly undergraduates. The scope of the business includes computer network technology development, technical services, information technology consulting services, enterprise management consulting, and enterprise marketing planning. The most significant business that the company operates is the BRAIN B-card. It is an e-card that offers card members a discount or a gift when visiting certain restaurants and stores. The company acts as an intermediary between the stores and the members, and the profits come from the membership fee and the advertisement fees from restaurants and stores.