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 »
Posts Categorized: Part 1 Business in a Global Environment
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 »
Cooking up a healthy fast-food chain
Description: Can fast-food be healthy? Canadian startup Freshii is testing the waters by building a chain of healthy fast-food restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 12, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/magazines/fortune/2013/04/12/f-t-freshii-healthy-fast-food-chain.fortune/ Questions for Discussions: How can this business fit into the mix of fast-food competition? Who is the… Read more »
Hollywood’s new funding model: Kickstarter
Description: After initial rejection from Hollywood studios, the creators of canceled TV-show ‘Veronica Mars’ turned to Kickstarter to fund a film version. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 11, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/04/11/t-kickstarter-veronica-mars.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Describe the method used to raise funds. Do you think this method can lead to a greater number of… Read more »
The Game Theory Behind Starbucks’ Big Coffee Price Cut
Description: Good news for the caffeinated masses: Starbucks (SBUX) is cutting prices, starting May 10, on its bags of coffee sold in grocery stores. The $1-per-bag discount represents a 10 percent discount on its eponymous beans, a 12.5 percent drop on its cheaper Seattle’s Best brand. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Apr 12, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-12/the-game-theory-behind-starbucks-big-coffee-price-cut#r=hpt-lst Questions… Read more »
Sometimes, We Want Prices to Fool Us
Description: WHEN the board of J. C. Penney ousted its chief executive, Ron Johnson — news that broke last Monday — you might say it was, in some small way, because he didn’t understand Tracie Fobes. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Apr 13, 2013 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/business/for-penney-a-tough-lesson-in-shopper-psychology.html?ref=business&_r=0 Questions for Discussions: Summarize the importance of pricing strategies, the use… Read more »
A Snapshot of Startups in Small-Town America
Description: In recent months, Entrepreneur has been taking a virtual tour of cities around the country to see how the recession sparked or dampened entrepreneurial activity. Source: CNBC.com Date: Apr 12, 2013 Link: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100637442 Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about startup opportunities in smaller towns? What are some of the reasons smaller… Read more »
TV streaming startup vs. the networks
Description: Aereo allows users to stream broadcast networks over the internet and the major media companies are not happy about it. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/04/03/t-aereo-networks-tv.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What does this technology suggest to you about the future of television distribution? What would you advise networks and cable… Read more »
Daily Report: Start-Ups Aim to Build Brands by Selling Direct
Description: A wave of e-commerce companies are trying to build premium brands at discount prices by cutting out middlemen and going straight to manufacturers, Claire Cain Miller and Stephanie Clifford report Monday in The New York Times. Source: NYTimes.com – video report Date: Apr 01, 2013 Link: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/daily-report-start-ups-aim-to-build-brands-by-selling-direct/ Questions for Discussions: Describe the method used… Read more »
