Some Retailers Say More About Their Clothing’s Origins

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Description: The revolution that has swept the food industry is expanding to retail: origins matter.With fair-trade coffee and organic fruit now standard on grocery shelves, consumers concerned with working conditions, environmental issues and outsourcing are increasingly demanding similar accountability for their T-shirts. The issue has been brought to the forefront by the garment factory collapse… Read more »

Online Video-Ad Startups Rivaling Google Seen Near IPOs

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Description: Demand for Web commercials played alongside video clips is fueling growth at marketing startups, putting such companies as Tremor Video Inc., YuMe Inc. and Adap.tv Inc. on course for initial public offerings this year. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: May 07, 2013 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/online-video-ad-startups-seen-near-ipos-challenging-google-tech.html Questions for Discussions: Do you think these IPOs are good investments? How… Read more »

Despite Wear, True Religion Finds a Buyer for $835 Million

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Description: True Religion Apparel (TRLG) may be a little tattered, but it’s still a handsome asset for TowerBrook Capital Partners, which plans to buy the luxury jeans company for $835 million. Source: Businessweek.com Date: May 10, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-10/despite-wear-true-religion-finds-a-buyer-for-835-million#r=hp-lst Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about the high-end fashion market? Do you think… Read more »

90 seconds with Google Glass

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Description: A developer shows off the latest apps he’s building for Google Glass. Source: CNNMoney.com       – video report Date: May 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/05/03/t-90-seconds-google-glass.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What do you think of this new product concept as a consumer product? What are the possible uses for businesses? What applications would complement this technology? Why do… Read more »

Bangladesh tragedy pressures retailers

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Description: After a building collapse in Bangladesh killed over 400 workers, retailers are under pressure to improve overseas manufacturing standards. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: May 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/05/03/n-retail-in-bangledesh.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Who is responsible for assuring proper working conditions of foreign workers? Should the industries involveD set up standards for monitoring working… Read more »

Will J.C. Penney?s Mea Culpa Commercial Work?

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Description: J.C. Penney is apologizing. The department-store chain is airing a television commercial this week — in time for Mother?s Day — that says it made mistakes and asks former customers to come back. Sheila Dharmarajan reports on Bloomberg Television’s “Street Smart.” (Source: Bloomberg) Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: May 01, 2013 Link: http://bloom.bg/18r07pK#ooid=Q5dHNiYjoKPwaG_yDqZH9Gf9YJWLCd5x… Read more »

Whole Foods Local Forager Elly Truesdell Is a Grocery Tastemaker

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Description: The dairy cows smell. All farm animals do, of course, but these particularly pungent Holsteins have just come in from the rain. They?re huddled in open stalls inside a white wooden barn at Cella Brothers in Wallingford, Conn., swishing their tails, chewing on bales of hay, and remarking on the terrible weather with a… Read more »

Tablets Grab Nearly Half of Mobile RTB Share Worldwide

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Description: In-app gets more than nine in 10 mobile RTB ad views Source: eMarketer.com Date: May 06, 2013 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablets-Grab-Nearly-Half-of-Mobile-RTB-Share-Worldwide/1009860#2IsoUu3vWKqa2J5q.99 Questions for Discussions: Summarize the highlights in this report. What is the message for advertisers and retailers?

How Those Dove ‘Real Beauty Sketch’ Ads Went Viral

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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 »

Apple’s 10-Year-Old iTunes Loses Ground to Streaming

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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 »