Chapter 13: Marketing - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Budweiser Will not Air Ads During this Year’s Super Bowl

January 26, 2021

For more than 30 years, the Budweiser clydesdales have marched across millions of American television screens during the annual Super Bowl broadcast. This year, though, the horses will stay in the stable as Budweiser instead donates a portion of its marketing budget to a public service campaign. The Anheuser-Busch company has joined a $50 million effort by the Ad Council to combat misconceptions about Covid-19 vaccination.

Other major brands like Coca-Cola, Audi, and Hyundai are also choosing not to Continue reading →

Sports, Promotions, Entertainment, Advertising, Super Bowl, Marketing, Coronavirus, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Taco Bell Brings Back Potato Items after Customer Outcry

January 21, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

At the start of the pandemic, fast food chains like Taco Bell suddenly had to close their dining rooms and serve all customers via drive-thrus. Many of these companies altered their menus to increase efficiency so that the lines of cars would move as quickly as possible. For instance, Taco Bell got rid of items like the Mexican Pizza and Nachos Supreme to reduce its packaging needs while also ditching all potato items so that it could keep its ingredients Continue reading →

Marketing, Taco Bell, Operations Management, Product Distribution, Social Media, Partnerships, Food & Drink, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Product Development, Fast food

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Caterers Struggle as Events Stay Small and Sparse

January 19, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The food service industry has been hit especially hard during the pandemic as restaurants and bars try to stay afloat with fewer customers. But while the struggles of the nation’s eateries have received a lot of attention, catering companies have suffered just as much behind the scenes. With restrictions in place that keep gatherings small, not many people need caterers to provide food for their weddings or office parties. As a result, catering companies across the country are laying off Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Marketing, Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Face Mask Sales Send Etsy Stock Skyrocketing

December 10, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The e-commerce site Etsy was founded in 2005 as a place where crafty, independent creators could sell their wares online to consumers. In 2015 the company went public and greatly expanded its product offerings to include items from larger brands. The following years saw Etsy struggle with its brand identity as it cycled through different leadership and organizational structures. Then came 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused countless businesses to struggle or outright close in the last few Continue reading →

Stocks, Marketing, Product Distribution, Entrepreneurship, Etsy, Layoffs, E-commerce, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Online Shopping Expected to Drive Retailers’ Holiday Sales

December 3, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Black Friday began years ago as a one-day event where retailers across the country slashed prices to attract holiday shoppers into stores. Then the deals began to stretch into the weekend, then into Thanksgiving itself, and finally this year holiday sales spilled online into more than a weeklong extravaganza. With many retailers either remaining closed for indoor customers or open at limited capacity, experts expect that e-commerce will drive sales for many companies this holiday season.

Although foot traffic at Continue reading →

Holidays, Coronavirus, Promotions, Retail, Health, Marketing, Product Distribution, E-commerce

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How PlayStation Saved Sony

November 19, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Sony’s PlayStation 5 launched earlier this month and is expected to be one of the blockbuster products of the holiday season. This video looks at the evolution of the console throughout the years and how it became a central focus of Sony’s business.

Questions:

How did the PlayStation help Sony transition from a consumer electronics manufacturer into a gaming company?
Why did Sony decide to focus closely on the gamer market for future generations of the PlayStation, and how did they accomplish this task?

Marketing, Operations Management, Product Development, Global, Entertainment, Manufacturing, Product Distribution, Video Games, Sony

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Chipotle Opens Digital-Only Restaurant for Pickup and Delivery

November 17, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since the start of the pandemic, takeout and delivery orders have taken on outsized importance at restaurants that have been unable to open to full capacity. As a result, some companies are investing in “ghost kitchens” that focus solely on pickup and delivery orders. For instance, last week Chipotle opened its first Digital Kitchen in New York, a location with no dining room that is largely closed off to walk-in customers.

“The Digital Kitchen incorporates innovative features that will complement Continue reading →

Coronavirus, Chipotle, Marketing, Product Distribution, Operations Management, Delivery, Entrepreneurship, E-commerce, Restaurants, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

E-Commerce Outlet Alibaba Earns $75 Billion on Singles Day

November 12, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since the 1990s, on November 11th Chinese retailers led by the e-commerce giant Alibaba have celebrated Singles Day with an abundance of discounts and deals. Initially started as a sort of anti-Valentine’s Day and celebration of singlehood, over the years Singles Day has grown into one of the globe’s biggest sales events. In fact, Alibaba said that consumers purchased more than $75 billion worth of products on its site during yesterday’s festivities.

This massive haul represents a 26 percent Continue reading →

Product Distribution, E-commerce, Singles Day, Holidays, Coronavirus, Product Development, Promotions, Marketing, Retail, Global, China

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Demand Surges for Nugget Couches during Pandemic

November 10, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

When lockdowns started to be put in place in March and April, parents across the country took to social media to find out which products would keep their kids entertained at home for extended periods of time. The overwhelming favorite among Facebook groups and blogs soon became the Nugget couch, a microsuede fabric couch that is specifically designed for kids to go crazy on. Although it certainly can be used as regular furniture, the Nugget is mainly designed for fort-building, Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Promotions, Social Media, Product Distribution, Manufacturing, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Fast Food Chains’ Investment in Breakfast Backfires

November 5, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the last few years, fast food chains like McDonald’s and Taco Bell have invested heavily in breakfast menu items in order to drive up morning sales. This strategy worked for a while as breakfast sales continually increased from previous years and chains poured millions of dollars into marketing the so-called “most important meal of the day.” But like so many other previously successful ventures, the coronavirus pandemic has taken a major toll on the breakfast business.

Morning drive-thru traffic Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Marketing, Food & Drink, Product Development, Promotions, Fast food, McDonald’s

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion