Description: Throw away the cellphone after two years? Not so fast. Ditch the flat-panel TV for an even thinner model? Maybe next year. Replace the blouse with the hole? Darn it! Source: NYTimes.com Date: 02/25/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/business/26upgrade.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: What does this report suggest amount changing consumer behavior? How should marketers deal with this… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Product and Distribution Strategies (p386)
The Secret to Advertising on YouTube
Description: Since its introduction as little more than a simple and inexpensive way to share videos on the Internet, YouTube has risen to the level of nearly universal name recognition. More important, however, is the increasing use of YouTube for much more than merely sharing videos but rather as a highly effective tool for online… Read more »
Hyundai’s Swift Growth Lifts Alabama’s Economy
Description: Few people in this city 800 miles south of Detroit cared much about the auto industry until Hyundai announced it would build cars here nine years ago. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 02/19/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/business/19hyundai.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Why have these automobile manufacturers thrived in Alabama while others elsewhere in the U.S. have struggled in recent… Read more »
Valentine’s delivery: 14 million roses
Description: Valentine’s Day orders bring 20 percent of annual revenue for ProFlowers. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 02/11/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/02/11/n_valentines_day_proflowers.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  Who is the target market and describe their buying behavior. How important is the Internet for this business? What do you think is the message intended and received when roses are… Read more »
Why food prices have skyrocketed
Description: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says corn-based ethanol didn’t cause record food prices, weather and trade policies did. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 02/10/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/02/10/mkts_usda_food_prices.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  Summarize the reasons for the global rise in food prices. Do you think bio-fuel production contributes to higher prices? How does population and… Read more »
Analysis: Microsoft’s Nokia deal no slam-dunk yet
Description: Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) has yet to persuade investors that a deal to put its Windows software on Nokia Corp (NOK1V.HE) phones is not just two losers hoping to combine into one winner. Source: Reuters.com  Date: 02/11/2011 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/us-microsoft-idUSTRE71A78Z20110211 Questions for discussion: Do you think this strategic alliance will be successful? What favorable and… Read more »
Walgreens Launches Campaign to Push Store-Brand Products
Description: THE next time consumers visit a Walgreens drugstore looking for something to soothe their achy heads, the company hopes they will reach for its private-label pain reliever and not a brand name. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 02/10/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/business/media/11adco.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Do you think the use of digital media for this campaign is a… Read more »
Excess is back as Ferrari sales soar
Description: Sales of the Italian automaker rose 20% in North America in 2010 and big gains are being made in China. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 02/04/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/luxury/2011/02/04/lux_ferrari.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion:  Who is the target market for this firm? Why have sales fluctuated? How should the company handle these issues? How do you… Read more »
Will millions of people pay for iPad news?
Description: Media companies are making big bets on tablet-friendly newspapers and magazines — even as they bleed cash chasing a still-tiny audience. Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 02/05/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/04/technology/ipad_magazines/index.htm Questions for discussion: Who is the target market for this app? Estimate the size of the potential market in terms of subscribers and dollars of revenue…. Read more »
In a Graying Population, Business Opportunity
Description: IT’S not easy being gray. For the first time ever, getting out of a car is no picnic. My back is hunched. And I’m holding on to handrails as I lurch upstairs. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 02/05/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/business/06aging.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the basic points made in this report. What are the primary opportunities… Read more »