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 »
Posts Tagged: Promotion and Pricing Strategies (p426)
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 »
Why Netflix avoids new movies
Description: The movie rental company has focused on cheaper, older films for its streaming catalog to keep costs down. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/29/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/01/28/tm_netflix_new_releases_expensive.fortune/ Questions for discussion:  Who is the target market for this firm? Do you think the firm has a sustainable business model? How do you think this market… Read more »
Your private data pays for ‘free’ Facebook and Google
Description: “The cost of reading the New York Times for free is being tracked. The cost of being on Facebook is being data-mined,” Peter Eckersley, a senior staff technologist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Friday at a panel discussion on the intersection of technology and privacy. Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 01/28/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/28/technology/google_data_privacy_day/index.htm Questions… Read more »
Larry Page: Ready to run Google?
Description: Eric Schmidt steps down after 10 years at the helm of Google, and the search giant names co-founder Larry Page as the new CEO. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/20/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/01/20/t_google_ceo_schmidt.fortune/ Questions for discussion:  Do you think Google will be better managed now than it was before? Why do you suppose there… Read more »
Skype CEO: Only 6% of users pay
Description: Despite a small base of paying users, the VOIP and video chat service is still profitable. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/14/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/01/13/t_connected_skype.fortune/ Questions for discussion:  Explain why Skype dominates this marketplace? How is Skype able to be sustainable when only 6% of users pay anything for services? How can Skype convert… Read more »
Wikipedia, 10 years old, targets India
Description: With China virtually cut off and Western markets maturing, Wikipedia is targeting India first and possibly Brazil next to reach its goal of 1 billion users, Executive Director Sue Gardner says. Source: Reuters.com Date: 01/12/2011 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70B6DP20110112 Questions for discussion: Explain why Wikipedia’s user base has grown so rapidly. Do you believe this rate… Read more »
