Videos - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Meal Kit Companies Struggle to Keep Customers

March 29, 2024

Although meal kit services like HelloFresh and Blue Apron both enjoyed a boom in business during the pandemic, only one of those companies continues to thrive today. The video below explores the growing dominance of HelloFresh in the meal kit industry even as it struggles to keep customers, who mainly tend to cancel their subscriptions once the sign-on deals end.

Questions:

What are the benefits and drawbacks of HelloFresh’s strategy of using discounts to attract customers?
Why is it Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Operations Management, Promotions, Entrepreneurship, Pricing, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, 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, Videos

[VIDEO] Temu Attracts Millions of Customers with Rock-Bottom Prices

March 19, 2024

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With more than 51 million monthly active users in the United States, the Chinese e-commerce outlet Temu has expanded significantly in recent years thanks to its huge selection of cheap goods. This video looks at the platform’s low-price strategy and how it’s winning customers the world over in spite of reports of poor quality products and possible ethical issues.

Questions:

Why do you think Temu’s business model is appealing to customers?
Which e-commerce strategy do you think is most effective Continue reading →

[VIDEO] Why Filming Fast Food Commercials Can Cost a Fortune

February 21, 2024

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Fast food companies pour billions of dollars into marketing every year, and a big portion of those costs come from expensive video shoots for commercials. This video takes a detailed look at the extraordinary skill that goes into seemingly simple fast food ads, from hand-painting burger patties to moving items precisely with the help of robot technology.

Questions:

1. Why do fast food companies spend so much money to make their menu items appear realistic on camera?
2. How does Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Advertising, Social Media, Automation, Robotics, Promotion, 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, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] The Soaring Costs of Creating Hot Air Balloons

February 2, 2024

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Large hot air balloons can cost as much as $160,000, requiring huge amounts of high quality materials and lots of time. This video focuses on the Spanish company Ultramagic Balloons, which employs large sewing teams as well as engineers to produce flawless balloon-based aircraft.

Questions:

Why does Ultramagic Balloons prioritize quality control throughout its production process?
What are some factors that contribute to the high costs of hot air balloons?

Global, Entrepreneurship, Air Travel, Manufacturing, Product Development, Operations Management, Transportation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How the Alaska Airlines Incident Could Affect Boeing

January 24, 2024

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Two weeks ago, we looked at the terrifying incident that passengers experienced on an Alaska Airlines flight when a door suddenly blew open during takeoff. The incident placed Boeing under renewed scrutiny for its Max line of aircraft, which could have big repercussions for the company going forward. This video looks at the potential consequences Boeing could face, from losing airlines’ confidence to ceding market share to competitors like Airbus.

Questions:

How could airlines’ loss of confidence in Boeing Continue reading →

Regulation, Global, Air Travel, Ethics, Safety, Manufacturing, Supply & Demand, Airlines, FAA

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

[VIDEO] How Aldi Shapes Its Stores for Success

January 19, 2024

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The German company Aldi is the fastest growing grocery chain in the U.S., expanding at a rate of about 100 stores a year. The following video explains how Aldi keeps prices low by stocking a limited number of products and designing stores for maximum efficiency.

Questions:

How do Aldi’s store layouts help the company keep expenses low?
Why does Aldi stock significantly fewer products than most supermarkets?

Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Aldi, Marketing, Product Development, Global, Pricing, Entrepreneurship

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How Zildjian Cymbals Has Thrived for Over Four Centuries

January 3, 2024

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According to the consultancy firm McKinsey, most mid-sized businesses have an average lifespan of about 18 years as companies change hands and markets evolve. That makes the achievement of the cymbal maker Zildjian all the more impressive: for more than four centuries, the company has served countless musicians across a wide variety of styles and eras. Along with providing a comprehensive overview of Zildjian’s storied history, the video below also examines the company’s fascinating production process and quality control procedures. Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Entertainment, Manufacturing, Music, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] Shein’s Controversial Business Model Keeps Prices Low

December 1, 2023

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The Chinese e-commerce giant Shein (pronounced Shee-In) controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. fast fashion market, with more than $8 billion in sales last year. This video explores how the retailer consistently churns out cheap shirts and dresses, which includes accusations of labor exploitation that has tarnished Shein’s image with some shoppers.

Questions:

How does Shein’s “small batch” production strategy differ from other clothing companies?
How has Shein tried to recover its reputation with U.S. consumers? Do Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Target Uses Its Stores as E-commerce Centers

November 17, 2023

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With nearly 2,000 stores across the U.S., more than 75 percent of Americans live within ten miles of a Target. These brick and mortar locations have become surprisingly valuable assets for the company’s e-commerce business, with more than 95 percent of online orders originating from Target stores. This video goes into detail about the retailer’s logistical operations, including the local sortation centers Target is investing in to keep up with increasing demand.

Questions:

How does Target utilize nearly 2,000 Continue reading →

E-commerce, Logistics, Supply & Demand, Product Development, Retail, Supply chains, Transportation, Product Distribution, Target

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, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] Why Useless Decongestants Are Still for Sale

November 8, 2023

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If you’ve taken an over-the-counter (OTC) nasal decongestant recently, you may have been upset to discover that it did not do much to relieve your clogged sinuses. In fact, recent studies by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that most OTC decongestants work no better than a placebo. This video explains in detail how store shelves became filled with useless cold medicine, and ways that the FDA are working to make things right.

Questions:

Why do most OTC decongestants Continue reading →

Advertising, Marketing, Ethics, Product Distribution, Pharmaceuticals, Promotion, Supply & Demand, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Videos