Description: Forget Bookshelves. For the first time ever, electronic book sales in the U.S. have exceeded print versions. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/22/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/04/22/n_cmr_ebooks.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why are ebooks growing in popularity among consumers as well as publishers and hardware manufacturers? Do you think the print-market will disappear eventually? How should… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Product and Distribution Strategies (p386)
Why Amazon’s cloud Titanic went down
Description: Amazon Web Services is the Titanic of cloud hosting, designed with backups to the backups’ backups that prevent hosted websites and applications from failing. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 04/22/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/22/technology/amazon_ec2_cloud_outage/index.htm Questions for discussion: Explain the design of cloud computing? Why would this appeal to both users and service providers? What do you think the… Read more »
At Swatch, an Enviable Problem: An Excess of Eager Customers for Its Products
Description: BASEL, Switzerland  Nick Hayek, the chief executive of the Swatch Group, is facing a problem many of his corporate counterparts might envy: he’s doing too much business. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 04/22/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/23/business/global/23swatch.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons for the firm’s success? How should it deal with the current imbalance in production?… Read more »
Vinyl makes a comeback
Description: A record processing plant in Brooklyn, N.Y. is seeing business grow as sales of vinyl records outpace digital albums. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/15/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/04/15/sbiz_vinyl_comeback.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain the reasons presented for the success of this business. Do you think vinyl can return to prominence and pose a threat to… Read more »
IPO Buzz: Zipcar Is In the Driver’s Seat
Description: Zipcar is set to price its shares and debut under the ticker “ZIP,” garnering much of the attention in a busy week for IPOs. How will the auto-rental firm fare in this high gas-price environment? Stacey Delo talks to MarketWatch’s Dan Gallagher. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: 04/11/2011 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/ipo-buzz-zipcar-is-in-the-driver-seat/D6AFAB30-A681-4E35-802D-59614665BE2F Questions for discussion:… Read more »
Amazon introduces cheaper Wi-Fi Kindle with ads
Description: Amazon.com is slashing $25 off the price of a new Wi-Fi-only Kindle electronic reader. The catch: to get a Kindle for a new low price of a $114, you must purchase a version with sponsored screensaver ads and special offers. In all other respects, the new Kindle is identical to the Kindle now selling… Read more »
Why Toyota partnered with Microsoft
Description: Toyota President Akio Toyoda says that the Microsoft partnership will help the consumer have a ‘dialogue’ with her car. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/07/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/04/07/n_toyota_microsoft_toyoda.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: How does this partnership between these two industries make sense? Can you see other inter-industry partnerships taking place? What are the social and… Read more »
Expedia takes off
Description:  Shares of Expeida surge after the travel site says it will split into two companies, one for TripAdvisor and one for Expedia.com, hotels.com and hotwire. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/04/08/mkts_expedia_0408.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why did Expedia shares jump so dramatically? What does this report suggest about theses competing online businesses?… Read more »
Johnson & Johnson Settles Bribery Complaint for $70 Million in Fines
Description: A wide-ranging government investigation of corrupt overseas marketing practices by drug and device makers scored its first major victory Friday when Johnson & Johnson admitted bribing European doctors and agreed to pay $70 million in civil and criminal fines. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/business/09drug.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the facts of this case?… Read more »
Disney, China Will Invest $4.4 Billion in Shanghai Resort
Description: Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and its state-owned China partner will invest about $4.4 billion building a resort in Shanghai, the entertainment company’s second amusement park in the world’s most-populous nation. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-08/disney-breaks-ground-on-4-4-billion-shanghai-resort-in-china-market-drive.html Questions for discussion: Do you think Disney will do well with this venture? What are the factors supporting… Read more »
