Product Skepticism: Deinfluencing Now Hot Trend

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: With the rise of TikTok, influencer marketing is clearly experiencing a favorable environment — but at the same time, a new trend of “deinfluencers” threatens to derail that momentum.

Source: MediaPost.com

Date: Feb 27, 2023

Link: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/382913/product-skepticism-deinfluencing-now-hot-trend.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=129421&hashid=7T9TCmQZSDGbnu-424RuBQ

Questions for discussion:

  • What is meant by the terms influencers and deinfluencers?
  • What does the article say is happening?
  • Where do you think the greatest influence comes from – influencer or deinfluencer?

Company planning to make COVID vaccine in Canada warns it could go out of business

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: MONTREAL — An American company that signed a deal with the federal government to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Montreal has warned investors it could go out of business within the year.

Source: FinancialPost.com

Date: Mar 02, 2023

Link: https://financialpost.com/news/company-covid-19-vaccine-in-canada-could-go-out-of-business

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the report say about the reasons for the unstable situation at the company and government production facility?
  • What is the message to business and government?
  • What is the message to investors and taxpayers?

The Future of Human Agency

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Experts are split about how much control people will retain over essential decision-making as digital systems and AI spread. They agree that powerful corporate and government authorities will expand the role of AI in people’s daily lives in useful ways. But many worry these systems will diminish individuals’ ability to control their choices

Source: Pewresearch.org

Date: Feb 24, 2023

Link: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/24/the-future-of-human-agency/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=23-02-24%20Future%20of%20the%20Internet%20-%20Human%20Agency&org=982&lvl=100&ite=11207&lea=2319428&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0D3j000012lvb5EAA

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key predictions about human control of the future, according to the research report.
  • Which businesses and areas of business will be most affected?
  • What do you think about this line of thinking?

Covid’s ‘legacy of weirdness’: Layoffs spread, but some employers can’t hire fast enough

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Job cuts are rising at some of the biggest U.S. companies, but others are still scrambling to hire workers, the result of wild swings in consumer priorities since the Covid pandemic began three years ago.

Source: CNBC.com – video reports

Date: Feb 21, 2023

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/20/weird-job-market-layoffs-hiring.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the employment trends and hiring taking place at the businesses mentioned in the report.
  • What does this mean in terms of management and marketing decisions at these firms and industries?
  • How should investors deal with this information?

Is eBay’s brief renaissance over?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: But eBay is still surprisingly powerful. It has more than 300x as many listings as it did in the late ‘90s and ranks second in US online gross merchandise sales, behind Amazon and ahead of Walmart and Target.

Source: thehustle.co

Date: Feb 24, 2023

Link: https://thehustle.co/02242023-eBay/?utm_campaign=Friday%20Email&utm_content=02242023-eBay&utm_medium=email&utm_source=daily&utm_term=4ABCD

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for eBay today, in your opinion?
  • What would you advise the company do to advance in the evolving competitive online environment?

Coke joins AI hype train in search for next-gen creative capabilities

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: AI’s ascendance as a leading area of investment continues with the Bain and OpenAI deal. Coke is one of the most recognized packaged goods marketers globally, meaning that its early adoption of OpenAI solutions could further accelerate the trend while producing practical use cases of the budding technology as it relates to marketing.

Source: MarketingDive.com – video report

Date: Feb 23, 2023

Link: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/coca-cola-OpenAI-Bain-ChatGPT-AI-marketing/643381/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-02-23%20Marketing%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:48284%5D&utm_term=Marketing%20Dive

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the article say about how Coke intends to use AI?
  • How will this affect the competition in this industry and elsewhere, in your opinion?

To Boost Outdoorsy Cred, Dick’s Buys Walmart’s Moosejaw

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying Moosejaw, the ecommerce outdoor apparel company that’s been owned by Walmart since 2017.

Source: MediaPost.com

Date: Feb 23, 2023

Link: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/382814/to-boost-outdoorsy-cred-dicks-buys-walmarts-moo.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=readnow&utm_campaign=129390&hashid=7T9TCmQZSDGbnu-424RuBQ

Questions for discussion:

  • Why is Dick’s Sporting Goods buying Moosejaw?
  • What are the synergies that make this a good fit?
  • How would you advise integrating the two businesses?

Ukraine war shook up markets, but much stays the same for Canadian oil and gas

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

Description: When Russian tanks and troops rolled into Ukraine one year ago, it was no shock that crude prices spiked above US$100 per barrel for the first time since 2014. With Russia controlling 10 per cent of the world’s crude oil supply, many observers in the early days of the conflict predicted the war and Western sanctions against Russia could disrupt energy markets for years to come.

Source: CNNBloomberg.com – video report

Date: Feb 23, 2023

Link: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ukraine-war-shook-up-markets-but-much-stays-the-same-for-canadian-oil-and-gas-1.1887984

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the report say about the global energy market and the Canadian portion?
  • Is now a time for investors to buy, sell, or hold Canadian energy equities, in your opinion?

The Future Is AI-ncredible – Why Every Organization Needs To Embrace AI Technology

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Here’s my hot take on ChatGPT and other AI-assisted writing and editing tools: I know they work, mostly because no one has been able to notice when I am (or when I am not) using them (like right now?). And, if that isn’t the power of helping to create better work (with what feels like a hint of magic), well… I don’t know what is.

Source: SixPixels.com

Date: Feb 23, 2023

Link: https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/the-future-is-ai-ncredible-why-every-organization-needs-to-embrace-ai-technology/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key points Mitch Joel makes about the value of AI as a tool for business.
  • What do you believe is the most useful application of AI for business?
  • Which businesses are likely to be disrupted by the growth of AI applications?

Inside Peloton’s rapid rise and bitter fall — and its attempt at a comeback

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: The fitness company is now a year into an aggressive turnaround plan under CEO Barry McCarthy that has altered the company’s identity.

Source: CNBC.com

Date: Feb 19, 2023

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/19/peloton-rise-fall-attempted-comeback.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the turnaround effort at the firm and the directions management is now pointing towards.
  • Do you think the revised orientation and plan will succeed?
  • What would you advise at this time?