Boone & Kurtz Contemporary Business Weekly Updates » Part 4: Marketing Management

How Zuckerberg changed the game

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:05:40 +0000

Description: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg grew the college dorm room startup to a global tech giant with more users than most countries’ populations.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 02/03/2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/02/f_game_changers_facebook.fortune/

Questions for discussion:

Who is Mark Zukerberg?
Do you think his engineering background affected the way he managed the development of the company?

Super Bowl ads are GoDaddy’s domain

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:04:54 +0000

Description: The web hosting company has seen its market share increase exponentially since its first Super Bowl ad in 2005.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 02/02/2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/01/t-bcos-godaddy-superbowl-ad.fortune/

Questions for discussion:

Why has GoDaddy been so successful using Super Bowl advertising?
Who is the target market?
What are the pros and cons of managing your own advertising production studios?

The $1.6 Billion Woman, Staying on Message

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:03:07 +0000

Description: SEVENTY-TWO hours before Facebook’s big moment, Sheryl K. Sandberg was half a world away, hobnobbing with the likes of Bill Gates and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: 02/03/2012

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/business/sheryl-sandberg-of-facebook-staying-on-message.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

How would you describe Sheryl Sandberg?
Do you think her gender has helped, hurt, or made no difference in her success?

Small Business Exports Edge Up

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:01:35 +0000

Description: Small businesses have increased their share of exports in the two years since President Obama set a goal to double U.S. sales abroad by 2015, according to new federal data.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 02/02/2012

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/running_small_business/archives/2012/02/small_business_exports_edge_up.html

Questions for discussion:

What are the reasons for the improved exports by small businesses?
Can this be sustained? If so, how?

Bill Gates: Rich should pay more taxes

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:05:01 +0000

Description: The Microsoft founder and philanthropist says that the wealthiest Americans should pay a larger share of taxes than they do.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 01/26/2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/01/26/n_davos_gates_occupy.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

Summarize the key points presented about economic activity, incomes, taxes, and the government’s role.
What is Bill Gates’ position on the key issue facing business and society at large?
Do you agree with Bill Gates?
How would you assign the collection of taxes?

Amazon’s Hit Man

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:04:12 +0000

Description: Larry Kirshbaum was the ultimate book industry insider—until Amazon called

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 01/25/2012

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/amazons-hit-man-01252012.html?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories

Questions for discussion:

Describe the changes that management is dealing with in the publishing industry.
How has management at Amazon been affected by technological changes?
Do you think management decision-making has been responsive?

Six Strategy Insights RIM’s New CEO Can Use

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:02:27 +0000

Description: The usual moves won’t work when new technologies and rivals dramatically shake up the field

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 01/24/2012

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/management/six-strategy-insights-rims-new-ceo-can-use-01242012.html

Questions for discussion:

What are the recommendations made in this report?
Do you agree with them?
What else would you suggest to RIM’s top management?

Enhanced eBooks: Next Frontier or Passing Fad?

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:04:11 +0000

Description: A new crop of digital books comes loaded with videos, songs, animated shorts and pop-up graphics. Is this the future of publishing or just a passing fad? Alexandra Alter has details on Lunch Break.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: 01/19/2012

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/enhanced-ebooks-next-frontier-or-passing-fad/C6B97950-5E0F-4EBD-9986-3FB1369FE4AF

Questions for discussion:

Do you think this new concept in ebooks will be well received?
Which markets do you think will most likely be targeted by developers?

Apple Unveils IBooks 2 to Help Boost IPad Usage in Schools

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:01:17 +0000

Description: Apple Inc. introduced a service to make digital versions of textbooks available on the iPad and beef up the education content for the tablet computer as it gains popularity in classrooms.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 01/20/2012

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-20/apple-unveils-ibooks-2-to-help-boost-ipad-usage-in-schools.html

Questions for discussion:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this sort of technology?
Do you think this strategy will be successful?
What are the issues that must be reconciled with students, schools, teachers, and authors?

7 Charged as F.B.I. Closes a Top File-Sharing Site

Brahm Canzer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:08 +0000

Description: In what authorities have called one of the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have seized the Web site Megaupload and charged seven people connected with it with running an international enterprise based on Internet piracy. Source: NYTimes.com

Date: 01/20/2012

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/technology/megaupload-indictment-internet-piracy.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

What are the conflicting issues in this situation?
Where do you stand on these arguments over copyright?
What do you think will eventually emerge as an attempt to resolve the problems?