The End of Twitter

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.

Description: It wasn’t that long ago that I—and many other people I know—would have argued that Twitter was more than just another social network. I would have told you that Twitter was more like a utility, a service so fundamental that I could imagine a scenario in which it was literally underwritten. Twitter needed to… Read more »

The crazy sequence of events that’s making almonds cheap again

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

Description: Almonds, the beloved snack that recently overtook peanuts as the most consumed nut in America, might have gotten a little too popular for their own good. Source: WashingtonPost.com Date: Jan 29, 2016 Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/29/too-many-almonds/ Questions for Discussions: How have the forces of supply and demand acted on the price of almonds in recent years? How have farmers… Read more »

Is Amazon’s First Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore the Future of Retail?

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: Amazon Books is now open for business in Seattle. The floor is hardwood and the shelves and displays are weighed down by beautiful, physical books. It looks and smells like any ordinary bookstore. Source: Entrepreneur.com Date: Jan 18, 2016 Link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254072 Questions for discussion: Why is Amazon opening physical selling space? How is data driving decision-making? Do… Read more »

Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Five Years

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Description: As marketers, we’ve gotten quite good at evolving our playbooks when it comes to SEO. But the changes we’ve seen to this point are nothing compared to what’s coming next. Source: Hubspot.com Date: Jan 22, 2016 Link: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/new-era-seo?utm_campaign=blog-rss-emails&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=25512506 Questions for discussion: How is consumer search online and SEO changing? How are marketers reacting to these… Read more »

How the Internet of Things Is Transforming Travel

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Description: Whether it’s monitoring the performance of airline engines, enabling keyless entry to hotel rooms or helping tourists find their way around Disney World, the internet of things (IoT) is creating exciting opportunities for the travel and hospitality industry. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Jan 21, 2016 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Internet-of-Things-Transforming-Travel/1013487?ecid=NL1003#sthash.YqP3n6IM.dpuf Questions for Discussions: What do the numbers say… Read more »

Girl Scout Cookie Sales Go Digital, With Help From Visa and Dell

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: Now that the Girl Scouts have taken their cookies digital, companies are following them online. Source:  NYTimes.com Date:  Jan 03, 2016 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/business/media/girl-scout-cookie-sales-go-digital-with-help-from-visa-and-dell.html?ref=business&_r=0 Questions for discussion: Summarize the issues related to online sales and activities. Do you believe this is a good direction to be moving?

Online Surge Means Many Not-So-Happy Returns for Retailers

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: A surge in online sales this holiday season is boosting expenses for some retailers as more shoppers return merchandise purchased with the click of a mouse. Source:  Bloomberg.com Date:  Dec 28, 2015 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-29/online-surge-leads-to-many-not-so-happy-returns-for-retailers Questions for discussion: Summarize the issues related to online sales. How can merchants mitigate the financial costs?  

VW Says Emissions Cheating Was Not a One-Time Error

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Description: The chairman of Volkswagen said on Thursday that the decision by employees to cheat on emissions tests was made more than a decade ago, after they realized they could not meet United States clean air standards legally. Source: NYTimes.com – video report Date: Dec 10, 2015 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/business/international/vw-emissions-scandal.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: What does VW… Read more »

Easy Navigation, Speed Are Leading Website Performance Attributes

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Description: Internet users want websites to be simple and reliable Source: eMarketer.com Date: Dec 02, 2015 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Easy-Navigation-Speed-Leading-Website-Performance-Attributes/1013293#sthash.x27SP5FQ.dpuf Questions for discussion: Summarize the survey results. Which response item do you think is most important for marketing managers to understand?

Mobile App Users Reluctant to Share Location

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Description: Even when utility is clear, many choose not to share Source: eMarketer.com Date: Nov 25, 2015 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-App-Users-Reluctant-Share-Location/1013276#sthash.G8YdtfGw.dpuf Questions for discussion: Why are mobile users reluctant to share their locations with apps that make use of this information? How should marketers deal with this challenge? Describe a value-addition function for an app that would… Read more »