Description: Google’s profit soared in the third quarter, defying skeptical investors and analysts who feared that the search giant would never find a a significant new revenue stream besides search advertisements. Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 10/15/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/14/technology/google_earnings/index.htm Questions for discussion: Why has Google stock rebounded on the stock market? What are the sources of… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Product and Distribution Strategies (p420)
Rum Battle in Caribbean Leaves Tax Hangover
Description: Rum and politics have made a fiery mix since America’s earliest days, when a young politician named George Washington won election to the House of Burgesses in colonial Virginia with the help of spiked punch at the polls. Source: NYTimes.com  Date: 10/15/2010 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/business/16rum.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: What does this report have to… Read more »
digits: Verizon iPhone: Benefits, Drawbacks?
Description: Walt Mossberg and Marcelo Prince discuss the possible benefits and drawbacks of having the iPhone on Verizon’s wireless network, including whether it will suffer some of the same problems that have plagued AT&T. Plus, Verizon readies 4G service. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report  Date: 10/07/2010 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/digits-verizon-iphone-benefits-drawbacks/BAD18EA8-BF63-4C59-925D-F88F550AFF6E Questions for discussion: Summarize the concerns… Read more »
New Gap logo ignites firestorm
Description: A new logo is a gamble. It can brighten up a company’s image — or enrage loyal customers. Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 10/08/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/08/news/companies/gap_logo/index.htm Questions for discussion: Why do you suppose there was such negative response to the new logo? What would you recommend that marketing management do now?
Airbus A380 Bypasses Hubs as Smaller Cities Clamor for Flights
Description: Airbus SAS’s A380 superjumbo, designed to carry 500 people per flight between the world’s biggest airport interchanges, is carving out an unexpected new market with direct travel to non-hub cities. Source: Bloomberg.com  Date: 10/08/2010 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-07/airbus-a380-jumbo-jet-bypasses-hubs-as-smaller-cities-clamor-for-flights.html Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the current and future direction of… Read more »
What J&J’s CEO didn’t say
Description: CEO William Weldon admitted to lawmakers that his company made mistakes involving numerous recalls, but never explained how they happened. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 10/01/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/09/30/n_tylenol_recall_hearing.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the plan at Starbucks to expand into other businesses by using the web? Do you think this plan will be successful?… Read more »
Samuel Gordon Jewelers: A Small Business That Gets Social Media
Description: Daniel Gordon loves to chat. As President of Oklahoma City-based Samuel Gordon Jewelers  and the 4th generation of his family to run the 106-year-old company  you might figure that being social comes with the territory, since he is the face of his company. Source: BNET.com  Date: 09/28/2010 Link: http://www.bnet.com/blog/smb/samuel-gordon-jewelers-a-small-business-that-gets-social-media/2274?promo=713&tag=nl.e713 Questions for… Read more »
Bugatti, Ferrari Sell Out of Supercars as Luxury Roars Back
Description: Bugatti, Volkswagen AG’s supercar brand, and Fiat SpA’s Ferrari have sold out of their most expensive models as demand for luxury vehicles roars back. Source: Bloomberg.com  Date: 10/01/2010 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-30/bugatti-sells-out-of-2-7-million-world-record-model-as-luxury-roars-back.html Questions for discussion: Why are these cars selling so well during a time when general economic conditions are so poor? What do these… Read more »
Starbucks Stirs Up New In-Store Web Hub
Description: At the Think Mobile conference in San Francisco, Starbucks VP Adam Brotman outlines the company’s vision for a new Web-based network available in its coffee shops. In partnership with Yahoo, the new site will offer movies, music, and premium content from The Wall Street Journal and Zagat for free. Source: BNET.com – video report… Read more »
Home video biz has become ‘quite baffling to consumers’
Description: Apple CEO Steve Jobs sang a familiar tune this month when he described a big selling point for his newly revamped Apple TV. The device, which connects TV sets to the Internet, will make it “really simple” for people to rent movies on demand, he said. Source: USAToday.com  Date: 09/23/2010 Link: http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2010-09-23-homevideo23_CV_N.htm Questions… Read more »
