Description: Toyota President Akio Toyoda says that the Microsoft partnership will help the consumer have a ‘dialogue’ with her car. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/07/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/04/07/n_toyota_microsoft_toyoda.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: How does this partnership between these two industries make sense? Can you see other inter-industry partnerships taking place? What are the social and… Read more »
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Expedia takes off
Description:  Shares of Expeida surge after the travel site says it will split into two companies, one for TripAdvisor and one for Expedia.com, hotels.com and hotwire. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/04/08/mkts_expedia_0408.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why did Expedia shares jump so dramatically? What does this report suggest about theses competing online businesses?… Read more »
Johnson & Johnson Settles Bribery Complaint for $70 Million in Fines
Description: A wide-ranging government investigation of corrupt overseas marketing practices by drug and device makers scored its first major victory Friday when Johnson & Johnson admitted bribing European doctors and agreed to pay $70 million in civil and criminal fines. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/business/09drug.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the facts of this case?… Read more »
Disney, China Will Invest $4.4 Billion in Shanghai Resort
Description: Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and its state-owned China partner will invest about $4.4 billion building a resort in Shanghai, the entertainment company’s second amusement park in the world’s most-populous nation. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-08/disney-breaks-ground-on-4-4-billion-shanghai-resort-in-china-market-drive.html Questions for discussion: Do you think Disney will do well with this venture? What are the factors supporting… Read more »
The Megabus Effect
Description: After decades of decline, the bus is the U.S.’s fastest-growing way to travel, led by curbside service from Megabus, BoltBus, and others. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 04/07/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_16/b4224062391848.htm Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the current business models for transportation? What are the competitive advantages for this firm?… Read more »
TV ads targeted to you
Description:  Information sent from your cable box about your viewing habits allows advertisers to target ads more effectively. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 03/30/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/03/30/t_tv_advertising_target.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think television viewers will collaborate with the effort to deliver smarter advertising to them? What incentives could encourage compliance? Why is this technology… Read more »
How Apple plays hardball
Description: Guy Kawasaki, author and former Apple executive says the company maintains consumer appeal despite its business tactics. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 03/31/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/03/30/ctd_kawasaki_apple.fortune/ Questions for discussion: What is the recipe for management success as suggested in this report? Do you think Apple’s brand will suffer after Steve Jobs?
For Tiger Woods, a Golf Course Design Business Is in the Rough
Description: IN late June 2008, a week after he astonished the golf world by winning the United States Open while grimacing in pain on a torn left knee, Tiger Woods traveled to a craggy chunk of land on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Source: NYTimes.com  Date: 04/02/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/business/03tiger.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the… Read more »
Click to Buy That Bag in Vogue as Magazines Become E-Tailers
Description: Vogue and Elle have long influenced what clothes and handbags image-conscious consumers buy. Now, in a bid to reverse flagging sales and stay relevant, fashion magazines may sell the products they feature in their articles. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 04/02/2011 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-31/click-to-buy-that-handbag-in-vogue-as-magazines-become-e-tailers.html Questions for discussion: Explain why this concept is likely to work well for… Read more »
How E-Books Are Coming Full Circle, Thanks to Tablets
Description: E-readers may evolve into multipurpose devices that can surf the Web, show movies, play music, and perform other tricks Source: Businessweek.com Date: 03/28/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2011/tc20110325_523054.htm Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the evolution of ebooks and the related technologies? Where do you think this will all lead in terms… Read more »
