Description: What’s this “Real Beauty Sketches” Dove commercial that everybody’s talking about? It’s a Web-only commercial that made its debut in mid-April as part of Dove’s ongoing “Campaign for Real Beauty.” In the spot, which is presented in both three- and seven-minute versions, a forensic sketch artist draws several women, based only on their descriptions…. Read more »
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Apple’s 10-Year-Old iTunes Loses Ground to Streaming
Description: A decade ago, the newly started iTunes Store gave away a song called Over My Head (Cable Car) by an obscure Denver rock group called The Fray. That was, explains lead guitarist Joe King, the band’s big break. “I’ll never forget, our manager e-mailed and said there had been 300,000 downloads,” says King. “Immediately… Read more »
Is it ever OK to compliment appearance on the job?
Description: When Lisa Parker was new to corporate coaching, a senior-level colleague she respected brought her in as his No. 2 for a series of training seminars. Time and time again, he introduced her as smart, capable and beautiful. “I was so uncomfortable,” she said. “The first time it happened I remember standing there waiting… Read more »
Boutique Vintners Turn to Private Equity for Help
Description: When Ed Sbragia started Sbragia Family Vineyards, it was an accomplishment that was nearly a century in the making. His grandfather moved from Italy to California in 1904 to work in the wineries just north of San Francisco. In the 1940s, Mr. Sbragia’s father bought property in the Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg and… Read more »
Internet Sales Tax Coming Too Late for Some Stores
Description: Anita Demetropoulos, a Maine shopkeeper, figured she would never see the day when her most relentless competitor, Amazon, would be forced to collect sales tax. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Apr 26, 2013 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/technology/internet-sales-tax-coming-too-late-for-some-stores.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=business&adxnnlx=1367075722-WWYd/ji/2PZqa8QTItbNpA Questions for Discussions: Do you think the tax legislation was delayed to help companies like Amazon get started? Do you think… Read more »
How a U.S. shoemaker stays competitive
Description: Okabashi Brands was founded in the 1980s when U.S. manufacturing was shrinking. But thanks to automation, a U.S. workforce, and recycling methods, Okabashi is a success story. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 1, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2013/04/17/small-business-smt-okabashi-shoes-made-is-usa.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the highlights in this report. How has the firm managed to operate… Read more »
Why Tesco failed in the U.S.
Description: British grocery retailer Tesco pulls out of the U.S. market after failing to make a profit. Some analysts blame the company’s poor judgment of U.S. consumer tastes. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 18, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/04/18/n-cmr-tesco-us-market.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why did the retailer fail in the US? What does this report say… Read more »
Need Motivation? Declare a Deadline
Description: AT a meeting last Tuesday, I told my colleagues that I would finish this column — which is about deadlines — by noon on Thursday. I spent part of Tuesday afternoon searching the word “deadlines” on Google, but didn’t make much progress. By late afternoon, I felt a tiny knot of fear in my… Read more »
Amazon’s ‘Betas’ Sends Up Life in a Pseudo Silicon Valley
Description: If you can peel away from the drumbeat of news coverage from Boston, you may have noticed that Amazon (AMZN) has posted 14 television pilots to its website today and is asking its users to fill in for the role of network executive. The e-commerce giant will evaluate customer reviews and data about viewing… Read more »
Native advertising is also showing significant growth
Description: Three major trends are driving some of the biggest changes in social ad spend and helping kick up growth: the mobile channel, local outreach and native ad formats. Estimates from BIA/Kelsey released in its “Annual US Local Media Forecast: Social Local Media 2012-2017” report showed that the firm expected social media ad spending in… Read more »
