Why Facebook bought Oculus
Description: Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe tells CNNMoney’s Laurie Segall why Facebook became interested in buying his company.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: Apr 11, 2014
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/04/11/t-oculus-facebook-brendan-iribe.cnnmoney/index.html
Questions for Discussions:
- Why did Facebook buy Oculus, according to this report?
- How necessary was the financial input of Facebook money for Oculus to move forward?
- How important will Facebook management and marketing be for Oculus?
Toyota’s Three-wheeled Car Gets Tested on the Hill
April 14, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Toyota invited members of Congress and Bloomberg’s Phil Mattingly out for a test drive of the I-Road — its answer to zero-emissions urban driving.
Source: Bloombergcom – video report
Date: Mar 30, 2014
Questions for Discussions:
- Do you think this car will succeed with urban drivers?
- Could a car sharing program work better with this vehicle?
Convertible Car Sales Have Plunged as Image of Fun and Freedom Dims
April 14, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Convertibles, such as the Ford Thunderbird in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, have epitomized the promise of freedom that’s long fueled the popularity of the automobile. From James Dean’s Porsche (PAH3:GR) 550 Spyder to Steve McQueen’s Jaguar (TTM) XKSS, ragtops have been associated with rebels of all stripes. Nowadays, however, a sport-utility vehicle with a big sunroof is more likely to be the object of desire as wind-in-your-hair motoring becomes passé.
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: Apr 10, 2014
Questions for Discussions:
- Why have sales of open-roof passenger vehicles dropped, according to the report?
- Do you agree with this assessment?
Is VR really the next big thing?
April 14, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Call it arrested development: Virtual reality technology has been in development for decades, but it’s hotter than ever with Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR. Should it be?
Source: Fortune.com
Date: Apr 11, 2014
Link: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2014/04/11/is-vr-really-the-next-big-thing/?iid=SF_F_River
Questions for Discussions:
- Why has there been such slow development of VR?
- Do you see a connection between VR and social media?
Walmart to Sell Organic Food, Undercutting Big Brands
April 14, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Walmart plans to announce on Thursday that it is putting its muscle behind Wild Oats organic products, offering the label at prices that will undercut brand-name organic competitors by at least 25 percent. The move by Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer and grocer, is likely to send shock waves through the organic market, in which an increasing number of food companies and retailers are seeking a toehold.
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: Apr 10, 2014
Questions for Discussions:
- How significant is it that Walmart is aggressively entering this line of business?
- How do you expect the industry to react?
Is the U.S. stock market rigged?
April 7, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Steve Kroft reports on a new book from Michael Lewis that reveals how some high-speed traders work the stock market to their advantage
Source: CBSNews.com – video report
Date: Mar 30, 2014
Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/is-the-us-stock-market-rigged
Questions for Discussions:
- Explain how high-speed traders were able to exploit the trading environments.
- How was the problem solved?
- How should government regulators have handled the problem?
Tesla and SpaceX: Elon Musk’s industrial empire
Description: So many children dream of fast cars and rocket ships, but few actually grow up to build them — and change the world in the process
Source: CBSNews.com – video report
Date: Mar 30, 2014
Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/tesla-and-spacex-elon-musks-industrial-empire
Questions for Discussions:
- Do you think the Tesla will succeed?
- How does Elon Musk compare to the textbook description of an entrepreneur?
Marvel’s Four Secrets to Superhero Success
April 7, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens this Friday, and expectations for its weekend take are running north of $80 million. This will be Marvel’s ninth movie in six years, and the previous eight all did well at the box office – some phenomenally so: The Avengers made $1.5 billion, making it the third highest grossing movie of all time. What’s Marvel’s secret? Bloomberg Businessweek’s Sam Grobart reports.
Source: Bloomberg.com – video report
Date: Apr 03, 2014
Questions for Discussions:
- What are Marvel’s secrets for success?
- How else can Marvel exploit the inventory of superheros in their media vault?
Teen Retailers: Who’s Worth Buying?
April 7, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Should you invest in what your kid’s like to wear? We put the three A’s under the spotlight: Aeropostale, American Eagle, and Ambercrombie & Fitch.
Source: BNN.com – video report
Date: Apr 04, 2014
Link: http://watch.bnn.ca/#clip1078271
Questions for Discussions:
- Summarize the financial highlights presented in this report and the reasons for the decline at these retailers.
- Would you consider them buying opportunities today?
Southwest Airlines’ new cause: ‘Placemaking’
April 7, 2014 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: Through an innovative partnership, the airline is revitalizing public spaces in Detroit, Providence, and San Antonio. Look for more to come.
Source: Fortune.com
Date: Apr 03, 2014
Link: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2014/04/03/southwest-placemaking/?iid=SF_F_River
Questions for Discussions:
- Explain the concept behind “placemaking” and why it has attracted corporate support.
- How does this action fit with corporate social responsibility to communities?
