Twitter CEO: A biz plan can wait

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Evan Williams says the company is focused on beefing up its technology, not making money, for now.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 10/21/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2009/10/21/tt_twitter_evan_williams.fortune/

Questions for discussion: 

  • What do you think the Twitter business model will look like when it finally announces its strategies for generating revenues? Explain your answer.
  • Do you think Twitter is a fad?
  • Why do you think Twitter has been so successful?
  • Who is Twitter’s target market?

Amazon shares close at record high

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: The online retailer’s stock finishes up nearly 30% as investors see the company becoming a powerhouse of the post-recession economy.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 10/23/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/23/news/companies/Amazon/index.htm?postversion=2009102318

Questions for discussion: 

  • Do you think investors are correct in their assessment of future online sales and profits at Amazon?
  • Do you think some categories of merchandise or services will grow faster than others? Explain your thinking.

Wikipedia founder in HP online magazine print deal

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

Description: The founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia said on Wednesday he had entered into a partnership with computer company Hewlett Packard that will allow users to create and print magazines.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 10/21/2009

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59K4MX20091021

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think this business model of on-demand magazine printing will become popular?
  • Who do you think the target markets are likely to be?
  •  How can Wikipedia earn revenues through this partnership?

U.S. Companies’ Electronic-Discovery Spending Tripled in 2009

Posted by & filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Budgets for managing electronic data tripled this year at average-sized U.S. companies, according to a study, as businesses braced for an influx of lawsuits stemming from a recession that’s been partly blamed on fraud.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 10/20/2009

Link:  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a_qD_YdAZA7o

Questions for discussion:

  • Why is spending in this area increasing so drastically?
  • How important is this problem from a legal, ethical, and managerial point of view?
  • Do you think managers will deal differently with electronic information such as email in the future? Explain your answer.

Next great Windows OS?

Posted by & filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  Windows 7 is drawing rave reviews, but can Microsoft parlay the momentum into its other products?

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 10/13/2009

Keys:  Marketing (p388), New product development (p420), Management (p252)

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2009/10/13/tt_windows_7_ballmer_microsoft.fortune/

Questions for discussion: 

  • What do you think Microsoft’s future looks like, especially in terms of new products?
  • Do you agree with the criticisms of Microsoft’s management since Bill Gates left active decision-making of the firm? Explain your answer.

Wal-Mart vs. Amazon: Fight is on for book sales

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: The world’s largest retailer launches a price war against the Web’s premier bookseller as the crucial holiday sales period looms.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 10/16/2009

Keys: Marketing (p387), Economy (p66)

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/16/news/companies/walmart_amazon_books/index.htm?postversion=2009101617

Questions for discussion: 

  • Who do you think will win this battle for customers? Explain your answer.
  • Why is price so important in this situation?
  • Are the target markets that each company appeals to the same? Explain your answer.
  • How is buyer behavior important to understanding this story?

Google sparks e-books fight with Kindle

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Google plans to launch an online store to deliver electronic books to any device with a Web browser, threatening to upset a burgeoning market for dedicated e-readers dominated by Amazon’s Kindle.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 10/16/2009

Keys: Competing in world markets (p100), Marketing (p387)

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE59E28H20091016

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think Google’s strategy will work?
  • Does Google’s strategy have any competitive advantage over the competition? Explain your answer.

McDonald’s Offers Potato Burger With Fries, No Onions in India

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: McDonald’s Corp. is staking its future in India on burgers made from mashed potatoes, peas and spices. Sumil Mittal says it’s a good bet. Mittal, 19, sits beneath the golden arches at a McDonald’s in Ambala, a small town 125 miles north of New Delhi. He’s eating the vegetarian McAloo Tikki sandwich, with french fries and a Coke, before seeing the new Bollywood movie, “Wake Up Sid.”

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 10/16/2009

Keys: Competing in world markets (p100), Marketing (p387), Business Ethics and social responsibility (p32)

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=auX4o5c.BK70

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think McDonald’s strategy in India is socially responsible? Explain your answer.
  • Do you think fast-food consumers in India are much different than consumers elsewhere – aside from the menu?
  • What risks are there for McDonald in India?

Buick targets younger buyers

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  The 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS is a luxury sport sedan combining comfort riding and decent performance from V6 models.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 10/08/2009

Keys:  Marketing (p388), New product development (p420)

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/luxury/2009/10/08/lux_peter_buick_lacrosse.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Do you think this new vehicle will be successful? Explain your answer.
  • Do you think the problems associated with GM can be overcome?
  • Are the positive attributes associated with this vehicle sufficient to reposition the GM brand in consumers’ minds?

New highs, but now a big test.

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Google, IBM and Intel are among the heavy-hitters due to open their books, giving the rally its first big challenge in weeks.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 10/11/2009

Keys: Finance (p558), Economy (p66)

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/11/markets/sunday_lookahead/index.htm?postversion=2009101107

Questions for discussion: 

  • Explain why financial information released this week by these firms will likely influence the entire stock market?
  • Examine the changing stock market valuations of some of the stocks mentioned in this article during this week and the affect they have on the market as a whole. Explain what happened.