Chapter 13: Marketing - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Good Humor Changes Ice Cream Truck Jingle

August 31, 2020

For decades, ice cream trucks carrying Good Humor products have traveled through American neighborhoods with the folk song “Turkey in the Straw” playing at full blast. Unfortunately, though, this more than two-century old tune has a sinister history outside of its long association with frozen treats. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, “Turkey in the Straw” was a standard number in minstrel shows that relied heavily on racist caricatures.

“While these associations of ‘Turkey in the Straw’ are Continue reading →

Food & Drink, Product Development, Promotions, Entertainment, Marketing, Music, Ethics, Product Distribution

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

How the Pandemic Has Changed Fashion Marketing

August 26, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For decades, clothing designers, magazine editors, and photographers at publications like Vogue decided what the fashion world would see and how they would see it. Although models received plenty of opportunities to pose in front of the cameras, they got almost no say in the decisions that were made behind the scenes. That started to change as social media platforms like Instagram gave models direct access to audiences, granting them more individual power over the creative direction of their brands. Continue reading →

Marketing, Clothing, Global, Product Development, Social Media, Promotions, Fashion, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

AMC Theatres Plans for August 20th Reopening with 15 Cent Admission

August 17, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With hundreds of American movie theaters closed since March, the film exhibition industry has made several attempts to return to business only to reverse course soon after. AMC Theatres, for instance, announced plans to reopen on July 15th but scrapped that idea as coronavirus cases spiked across the U.S. Despite these setbacks, though, the nation’s largest theater chain has now set August 20th as its return date. What’s more, AMC plans to charge just 15 cents per admission on the Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Coronavirus Is Ushering in a New Era of Concerts

July 23, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since thousands of concert venues around the world remain closed due to coronavirus, many artists have taken to social media to stream live performances. These innovative concerts draw in huge online audiences but are no replacement for the revenue generated by live shows. This video looks at how the music industry is hoping to earn cash from unorthodox venues, such as drive-in concerts and video game tie-ins.

Questions:

Do you think virtual events in video games like Fortnite could Continue reading →

[VIDEO] The Economic Ripple Effect of Retail Sales, Explained

July 9, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Retail sales plummeted during the coronavirus lockdown, which is bad news for more people than just business owners. This video shows how retailers drive economic growth by creating a ripple effect of sales across many different sectors.

Questions:

How do retail sales help drive economic growth?
Why have online retailers seen sales skyrocket during the pandemic?

Economics, Product Distribution, Marketing, Coronavirus, Operations Management, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

AMC Theatres Plans to Reopen by July 15

June 23, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For months, movie theaters around the country have sat empty as Americans remained in their homes to curb the spread of coronavirus. With many businesses now gradually reopening, though, last week the nation’s largest film exhibitors also announced their plans for returning. AMC Theatres, for instance, will reopen by July 15th with a number of precautionary measures in place. Along with filling theaters to a maximum capacity of 30 percent, the company will also use advanced cleaning technology such as Continue reading →

Entertainment, Health, Product Distribution, Marketing, Coronavirus, Operations Management, AMC Theatres, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution

Juneteenth to Become Paid Holiday at Major Companies

June 18, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Tomorrow is Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Although few major companies observed this day of remembrance in the past, many are now correcting this mistake in response to the protests that have been going on for weeks in cities across the country. Firms like Nike, Mastercard, Target, and Twitter recently announced that Juneteenth will become a paid holiday next year. Best Buy offered employees a “paid volunteer holiday” they can use this upcoming Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Promotions, Ethics, Holidays, Human Resources, Juneteenth, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Starbucks Will Close 400 Stores in Order to Focus on Takeout Business

June 16, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Before the pandemic, Starbucks cafes across the country bustled with people grabbing all sorts of caffeinated beverages before work. With millions of Americans now telecommuting, however, these once crowded coffee houses are not nearly as busy as they used to be. As a result, last week Starbucks announced that it would close hundreds of locations across North America and shift its focus to takeout orders.

“This repositioning will include the closure of up to 400 company-operated stores over the next Continue reading →

Starbucks, Marketing, Product Distribution, Operations Management, Food & Drink, Coronavirus, Product Development, Health

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

Adidas Tweets Against Racism but Receives Criticism from Employees

June 9, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For weeks, thousands of people across the country have been protesting against police violence following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th. In response to these historic events, many companies have voiced their support for the fight against racism on social media. Adidas, for instance, released a statement on Twitter expressing how the sportswear brand was “deeply saddened by what we see happening to our black community in America.” The company even retweeted an advertisement made by Continue reading →

Marketing, Motivation, Global, Ethics, Human Resources, Social Media, Promotions, Labor Relations, Adidas, Appare

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How Airbnb Fell From Successful Startup to Crisis Mode

May 27, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at how Airbnb hosts are struggling after the travel industry came to a standstill due to widespread stay-at-home orders. This video explains in greater detail why the once successful startup was so vulnerable to an economic downturn and what that means for both Airbnb and its hosts in the long term.

Questions:

What factors made Airbnb so successful for nearly a decade?
Do you think Airbnb will be able to recover from this Continue reading →