Why Sears bankruptcy will be bad for J.C. Penney

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: Struggling J.C. Penney (JCP) best brace for an avalanche that has been set in motion by the death of longtime foe Sears. Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report Date: Oct 18, 2018 Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-bankruptcy-will-rock-j-c-penney-foundation-200803793.html Questions for discussion: Why did Sears fail? Why will the Sears bankruptcy be bad for J.C. Penney?

How Target will try to crush Amazon and Walmart in toys this holiday season

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:  The holiday season is approaching, and with it the holiday toy wars. Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report Date: Oct 18, 2018 Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/target-will-try-crush-amazon-walmart-toys-holiday-season-160044412.html Questions for discussion: What is the strategy Target is using for this toy buying season? Are they targeting kids or their parents? Do you think they will succeed with this seasonal… Read more »

Quaker Bets Oat Milk Is More Than Just a Passing Fad

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: Quaker Oats is introducing its milk alternative at a trade show in Washington this weekend, with plans to start selling it in groceries in January.CreditCreditQuaker Oats Source: NYTimes.com Date: Oct 19, 2018 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/business/quaker-foods-pepsi-oat-milk.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness&action=click&contentCollection=business&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront Questions for discussion: Who is the target customer for this product? Which other products is Quaker competing against for consumer… Read more »

Las Vegas Becomes the Secret Weapon of Musicians in a Spotify World

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: Britney Spears is hitting Vegas one more time. And who can blame her? Source: Fortune.com Date: Oct 19, 2018 Link: http://fortune.com/2018/10/19/britney-spears-las-vegas-residency/ Questions for discussion: Why is the “Las Vegas strategy” working well for some artists? How else can they respond to the technology disruption taking place in the industry? How can lesser known artists… Read more »

Why Marketers Struggle with Data-Driven Personalization

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: Personalization is a key part of many marketing strategies, but it remains a very difficult task for marketers to pull off effectively. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Oct 18, 2018 Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/why-marketers-struggle-with-data-driven-personalization?ecid=NL1001 Questions for discussion: What should managers take away from this research? How should this information be integrated with strategic plans?

Smart mirror streams live fitness classes

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: Smart mirror streams live fitness classes Source: CBSNews.com – video report Date: Oct 11, 2018 Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/this-smart-mirror-puts-a-personal-trainer-in-your-reflection/ Questions for discussion: Aside from physical fitness, what are some other applications for this technology that you think can use this technology? Describe the user profile for this product.

Square plunges 15% after losing its CFO

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:  Shares of fintech company Square plunged as much as 15 percent Thursday after the company lost its CFO Sarah Friar. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Oct 11, 2018 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/11/square-plunges-15percent-after-losing-its-cfo.html Questions for discussion: Why has the value of the firm’s shares fallen? What does this report say about the relationship between management and a firm’s… Read more »

Why the cooperative model needs to be at the heart of our new economy

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: In a new book, journalist Nathan Schneider positions cooperative businesses as both radical and traditional–and says all businesses should move toward more democracy. Source: FastCompany.com Date: Oct 12, 2018 Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90249347/why-the-cooperative-model-needs-to-be-at-the-heart-of-our-new-economy?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=7&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=10122018 Questions for discussion: How are large-scale cooperative organization structures different from tradition corporate structures? How is managing and leading different? Why do you… Read more »

The Warcraft Method: Why Google’s DeepMind Is Training AI In Virtual Worlds

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: DeepMind has struck a critical new partnership with Unity Technologies, the game-development platform used by half the world’s mobile games, including Temple Run and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and it’s one that could also help its nascent business. Source: Forbes.com Date: Oct 10, 2018 Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/10/10/the-world-of-warcraft-method-why-googles-deepmind-is-training-ai-in-virtual-worlds/#5d2f39bcd170 Questions for discussion: What does the report say about the direction AI is… Read more »

Snap is making whatever comes after TV

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: Today the company is announcing new original programming that puts users inside the story. Is it prestige TV, social storytelling, or a whole new medium? Source: FastCompany.com – video report Date: Oct 10, 2018 Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90248568/snap-is-making-whatever-comes-after-tv?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=2&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=10102018&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTmpka1pURTFPR0ZqTUdVeCIsInQiOiJkR0VBcHByVzFjS082ZzVCVjdMbWxlZG9JVENoV1JKSGFzeGp4bEFRVnpzOWJ4UEJcL0czMTNuMDRSYlhaSU9LclU4Q2ZnWnNWNmRwZE5PZFIwQk95aFZONzVVVTlUSXdBUHptdGpFMFpjVTF2MlJxWWhWWHFyU0xRU1M5UmVEYmoifQ%3D%3D Questions for discussion: Why do you suppose Snap is attempting to develop these programs? How can they increase… Read more »