Posted by & filed under Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Borders Group Inc., like Blockbuster before it, failed to surprise Wall Street as it has limped into oblivion. The second-biggest U.S. bookstore chain won bankruptcy court approval last week to liquidate hundreds of stores in an attempt to bring in $175 million to satisfy its creditors.

Source: Marketwatch.com
 
Date: 07/28/2011

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/3-big-names-about-to-go-bust-like-borders-2011-07-28

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key points made in the article.
  • Do you agree with the analysis?
  • What would you advise investors to do?
  • What would you advise management to do?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Brick and mortar retail stores will have trouble keeping up with the likes of Apple, Amazon and Netflix.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 07/21/2011

Link:   http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/07/21/n_bz_borders_retail.cnnmoney/

 Questions for discussion:  

  • Summarize the reasons for the demise of Borders.
  • Do you agree that other businesses with similar business models facing changing customer behaviors are equally at risk?
  • What would you advise these businesses to do in order to survive?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Joe Kennedy, chief executive officer of Pandora Media Inc., talks about outlook for the company’s growth and advertising sales. Kennedy also discusses Pandora’s social-media strategy, initial public offering and competition in the digital music industry. He speaks with Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.” (Source: Bloomberg)

 Source: Businessweek.com – video report

Date: 07/21/2011

Link:   http://bloom.bg/p3ZxnG#ooid=1zeDVvMjphxD_O-TYVo6J-OaGaUERUTb

 Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the business model of this firm.
  • How is it different from other media distribution companies?
  • How important do you think the social media dimension is to the success of this and other media companies?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Daniel Ek, the CEO of the online music service Spotify, has ambitious plans for penetrating the U.S. market. Profitability, for now, isn’t a concern.

Source: Fortune.com
 
Date: 07/21/2011

Link:  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/21/spotify-daniel-ek-brainstorm/

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the key differences between the Spotify and Pandora business model.
  • Which company do you think the market will subscribe to more – Pandora or Spotify?
  • Would you be an investor in Pandora or Spotify?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Businessweek.com readers voted a San Francisco print shop that hires recovering addicts and ex-offenders their top choice for America’s most promising social enterprise.

Source: Businessweek.com
 
Date: 07/19/2011

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/running_small_business/archives/2011/07/americas_most_promising_social_entrepreneurs_2011_winners.html

Questions for discussion: 

  • Review the companies that were listed in this article by visiting their respective websites.
  • What do they have in common?
  • Can you think of an initiative that would be viable?

Posted by & filed under Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: The two largest European makers of telecommunications equipment, Nokia and Ericsson, announced plans Thursday to continue or accelerate cost-cutting efforts in the face of rising competition, internal reorganizations and weak demand in North America.

Source:  NYTimes.com

Date: 07/21/2011

Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/technology/nokia-and-ericsson-announce-cost-cutting.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

  • How can management mitigate the stress on cash flow during this transition period?
  • Could the damage done to the share value have been avoided?
  • What would you advise investors to do now?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  The social network giant has built video chat capabilities via Skype into its instant messaging platform.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 07/15/2011

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/07/15/t_vevo_music_videos.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:  

  • Describe the evolution of the music video business.
  • Where do you think it will go over the next few years, in terms of production, audiences, revenue streams, etc.?
  • How important is the integration of social networking with the VEVO model?
  •  How might Youtube respond to VEVO’s actions?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Bloomberg’s Sheila Dharmarajan talks about Spotify, the European online music service that’s making its U.S. deb
Source: Businessweek.com – video report

Date: 07/15/2011

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/video/#video=5tOGluMjqsysbBlqRcbDNE333bgX4I4a

Questions for discussion:

  • How is Spotify different from Pandora?
  • Do they appeal to the same target audience?
  • Do you think the business model can be successful and allow for free-access to music on demand?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:   Hollywood’s formula for freshening up old cartoon characters like Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Smurfs goes something like this: Reformulate them in 3-D, give them a skateboard and sunglasses, add some dance moves and inundate children and their nostalgic parents with advertising.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: 07/14/2011

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/business/media/disney-returns-to-the-original-winnie-the-pooh.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion: 

  • Describe the business model for rejuvenating brands like Pooh.
  • Why has this brand endured for so many years?
  • How else can revenue be generated from this brand?
  • Can you think of other brands that have been forgotten?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: News Corp.’s British newspapers have put the future of Rupert Murdoch’s empire in question

Source: Businessweek.com
 
Date: 07/14/2011

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/murdochs-mess-07142011.html?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the key points made in the report.
  • What are the ethical issues here?
  • How should government respond to this situation?