Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

The worst U.S. economic slump since the Great Depression abated in the second quarter as government spending programs started to kick in, while the sharpest pullback by consumers since 1980 augured a muted recovery.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 8/01/2009

Keys: Economy, finance, investing, business cycle

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aRV7ZR6CGNQY

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you believe the economy will soon recover to normal levels of consumer and business spending? Explain your answer.
  • What do you think government, business, and consumers could do to help the economy improve?
  • What are the short and long-term consequences of increased borrowing by government, business, and consumers in order to increase spending today?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

If those organizations attacking Google’s book search settlement with publishers spent as much time lobbying Congress for better laws concerning those issues, perhaps the controversy would go away, Google’s chief Book Search engineer suggested Thursday night.

Source: CNET News

Date: 7/31/2009

Keys: Law, marketing, consumer behavior, technologies

Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10300887-93.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think Google or any other firm should have these legal rights over so called orphan books?  Explain your thinking.
  • Do you think the arguments presented that favour low cost distribution of out of print book on the Internet are valid?
  • How can books with low levels of sales volume be commercially viable online?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Fortune’s Jon Fortt and Michael Copeland chat with LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman about the Web’s future.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 7/24/2009

Keys: Marketing, management, segmentation, positioning, consumer behavior, new product development

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2009/07/24/tm_reed_hoffman_linkedin.fortune/

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the segment of the market that LinkedIn is directed towards?
  • Are you currently a part of this market? Explain why or why not?
  • How does LinkedIn distinguish itself from FaceBook, MySpace and other social networking sites?
  • How would you use the customer base and features of LinkedIn to increase revenues in the future?
  • How could the HR department of a firm use LinkedIn as a tool to recruit new employees?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

A weak economy and frozen financing markets could spell trouble for regional banks with big commercial loan portfolios.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 7/24/2009

Keys: Finance, economy, investing

Link:  http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/banks.commercial.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009072416

Questions for discussion:

  • Banks reflect the local economic conditions that exist by way of the current state of their loans to businesses and consumers. 
  • Summarize the reasons given for concern over the banks mentioned in this article?
  • What does this article suggest about investments in these banks and the businesses they serve?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

When President Obama said that he wanted to put 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015, it sounded good to many people worried about the effects of fossil fuels. But when you consider that there are currently about 230 million vehicles on the road in the United States alone, you realize that Obama’s goal amounts to less than one half of 1 percent–hardly what’s going to move the U.S. into a post-gas future.

Source: CNET News

Date: 7/25/2009

Keys: Marketing, segmentation, consumer behavior, adoption process, technologies

Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10294453-52.html?tag=mncol

Questions for discussion:

  • In your opinion, will the transition to electric cars depend on the creation of an infrastructure that will allow re-fuelling as convenient as gasoline stations?
  •  Do you that the Chevy Volt will be successfully adopted by the market of electric car buyers?
  • Describe who you think the buyer of the Volt will like be in terms of age, income, education, geography, etc.

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

Sales growth lagged behind profits as companies in the Standard & Poors’ 500 Index beat analysts’ estimates this week, a signal that economic recovery may be slow.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 7/25/2009

Keys: Economy, finance, investing, business cycle

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a8SqhtHkyfL4

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain what the article says about the relationship between sales revenues and profits.
  • Why is this good news and bad news at the same time?
  • Which businesses do you think will lead the economy back to better employment levels? Explain your answer.

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Microsoft announces a foray into online office apps, while Google unveils plans for a netbook OS.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 7/17/2009

Keys: Marketing, market share, brand, consumer behavior, new product development

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2009/07/17/f_tm_microsoft_vs_google.fortune/

 
Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the key arguments favoring Google and those favorng Microsoft winning this battle for market share?
  • How important do you think consumer brand loyalty is in this battle?
  • What would motivate you to switch to products offered by either firm?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Why the Kids of NYC Prep brandish BlackBlackberrys.

 
Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 7/17/2009

Keys: Marketing, target market, branding, re-positioning, consumer behavior, new product development

Link:  http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/07/17/privileged-teens-and-their-digital-toys/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the reasons given for Blackberry’s success among teens.
  • Which reason provides the greatest explanation for the popularity among this “target market”? Explain your thinking.
  • Given this segment growth, what would you do to increase further growth in sales of Blackberries?
  • What would you recommend to competitors to counter this growth?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

All signs are pointing to an improved PC market that will start to materialize later this year and really regain ground next year. Dell, the PC maker that’s arguably been battered most by the downturn, also stands to make the greatest gains when the seas begin to calm.

Source: CNET News

Date: 7/15/2009

Keys: Marketing, market share, technologies

Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10287854-92.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the reasons given for recovery in sales of Dell products?
  • Explain how these sales are related to the economic recovery and spending by business? By consumers?

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

It’s undeniable that the going rate for information on the internet is “free.” That’s meant big trouble for newspapers, which have seen nearly all of their traditional roles usurped by better, faster, free online services over the past few years.

Source: Wired.com

Date: 7/14/2009

Keys: Advertising, Internet technology

Link: http://www.wired.com/dualperspectives/article/news/2009/07/dp_newspaper_wired0714  

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key points presented.
  • Do you agree or disagree that the old business model used by newspapers is no longer valid? Explain your thinking.
  • What solutions would you recommend to the newspaper industry?
  • Would you think that an online newspaper dedicated towards a youth market, (much like the “The Daily Show”, with Jon Stewart at Comedy Central), would be successful? Explain your answer.