Chapter 16: Place and Promotion - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Reddit, Rocket Mortgage, and Cheetos Win Big with Super Bowl Ads

February 9, 2021

Despite the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, this year’s Super Bowl managed to hit some familiar notes as Tom Brady lifted the trophy for a seventh time and companies once again spent big on high-profile ads. According to USA Today’s Ad Meter, the night’s big winner was Rocket Mortgage, whose two commercials featuring comedian Tracy Morgan took the top spots in the annual poll. Amazon and M&M’s humorous ads took third and fourth while Toyota’s uplifting spot featuring Paralympian Jessica Long Continue reading →

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

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

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

January 26, 2021

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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 →

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

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

[VIDEO] The Real Cost of Smart Speakers

January 5, 2021

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More than one third of American households have a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest that can be activated by thousands of different voice commands. But in order to hear what we say, these devices also need to listen. This video looks at what big tech companies do with recorded smart speaker commands and how customers can opt out of sharing their data.

Questions:

Why does Amazon collect recordings of voice commands made by customers to Continue reading →

Internet of Things, Ethics, Alexa, Product Development, Amazon, Product Distribution, Privacy

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

Online Shopping Expected to Drive Retailers’ Holiday Sales

December 3, 2020

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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 →

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

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

Mall Santas to Follow Pandemic Precautions

December 1, 2020

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With the holiday shopping season in full swing, retailers are hoping that they can attract lots of Christmas customers to offset the losses of an especially hard year. In normal circumstances, stores would roll out the red carpet for Santa Claus and his elves to set up shop and learn about exactly what kids wanted to see under their trees. But due to the pandemic, this year mall Santas will be following extra precautions that could take away from the Continue reading →

Promotions, Marketing, Seasonal, Operations Management, Holidays, Ethics, Remote working, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

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

November 12, 2020

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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 →

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

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

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

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

[VIDEO] The Unexpected Death of the Ad Jingle

October 29, 2020

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Jingles were once a regular feature of television and radio advertising, but these catchy tunes are no longer as popular with admakers as they used to be. This video looks at the history of jingles in commercials and why they have slowly disappeared in the age of digital advertising.

Questions:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using jingles in modern advertising?
How did the use of music in commercials evolve over the course of the 20th century?

Product Development, Promotions, Entertainment, Television, Advertising, Marketing, Music, Product Distribution, Commercials

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

[VIDEO] How Robots Made This Food Commercial Look Effortless

October 16, 2020

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On the surface, food advertisements don’t seem to be overly complicated. As this detailed video shows, though, filming the average food commercial often requires scientific precision as well as robotic assistance.

Questions:

Why is it important for ad makers to stick closely to what their clients want to see in a commercial?
Do you think it is worth the expense for companies to use robots and other complicated and expensive filming techniques in their ads? Why or why not?

Advertising, Marketing, Automation, Robotics, Food & Drink, Branding, Promotions, Entertainment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Videos