Product Development - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Streaming Superstar Ninja Moves to Microsoft’s Mixer

August 20, 2019

In 2018 users on the video streaming platform Twitch watched more than 505 billion minutes of live streams, up from 355 billion minutes the previous year. At some point many of those viewers likely tuned into Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, a streamer of the video game Fortnite who once boasted more than 14 million followers on Twitch. Along with earning ad revenue and subscription money from streaming, Ninja also made millions from lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Uber Eats and Continue reading →

Product Development, Entertainment, Streaming, Entrepreneurship, Amazon, Product Distribution, Video Games, Microsoft, Twitch

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Virtual Restaurants Rely on Rising Demand for Delivery

August 15, 2019

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In 2017 Ricky Lopez opened a Top Round franchise in San Francisco’s Mission District. With all sorts of well-established competition in the area already, the chef and entrepreneur says that his roast beef business lost tens of thousands of dollars in its first eight months. Then last year a representative from Uber Eats informed Lopez that his area had a high demand for burgers and ice cream that was going unmet. To take advantage of this opportunity, the food delivery Continue reading →

Branding, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Restaurants, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Product Development, Operations Management

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, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Google Accused of Stealing Content from Lyrics Website

July 25, 2019

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Since 2009 the website Genius has provided music lovers with a reliable source for lyrics to countless songs. A few years ago, though, the company noticed that someone else was exploring the site along with its usual batch of curious fans. The situation started when Genius published the lyrics to the hit song “Panda” by Desiigner with help from the artist himself. Since the company received assistance directly from the source, their lyrics served as the only accurate transcription of Continue reading →

Product Development, Ethics, Regulation, Entrepreneurship, Startups, Silicon Valley, Antitrust, Google

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Photo App Develops Facial Recognition with Users’ Pics

June 14, 2019

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In 2013 the photo sharing app Ever launched with the slogan “Make memories” as it invited people to store their pictures on the startup’s cloud-based platform. Millions of users took the company up on its offer and shared their “best moments” on Ever over the years. According to a recent report from NBC News, however, Ever’s sentimental marketing doesn’t mention a key part of its business plan. All photos stored on the app are used by the company to Continue reading →

Product Development, Security, Facial Recognition, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Social Media

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

BroadwayHD Aims to Become Netflix for Theater

June 11, 2019

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On Sunday night CBS aired the 73rd Annual Tony Awards, one of the most important evenings in American theater. But while this prestigious ceremony has been compared to Broadway’s version of the Oscars, the Tonys don’t attract nearly as large of an audience as Hollywood’s big night. For instance, 30 million people watched the Academy Awards in February compared to just 6 million viewers for Sunday’s show. Although Broadway continues to enjoy strong box office sales, many theaters have had Continue reading →

Entertainment, Netflix, Streaming, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Broadway, Theater, Product Development

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

Celebrity Chefs Struggle to Keep Restaurants Open

June 6, 2019

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For more than a decade, the British chef Jamie Oliver has been world famous for his global empire of restaurants and campaigns against junk food. But while he remains committed to using his platform to promote healthy eating, his name doesn’t appear to hold the same branding power as it once did. A few weeks ago, the celebrity chef announced that 22 of his 25 U.K. eateries would close after the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group filed for bankruptcy protection. Although Continue reading →

Promotions, Marketing, Food & Drink, Entrepreneurship, Celebrity chefs, Product Development, Branding

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

[VIDEO] Face It, You’re Being Watched

May 24, 2019

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Whether you realize it or not, companies and organizations across the country are employing facial recognition technology for all sorts of purposes. The video below looks at the various uses for this controversial new tech and why many people are wary about its quick expansion into everyday life.

Questions:

What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of using facial recognition technology in everyday life?
Do you think Microsoft and Amazon should sign the Safe Face Pledge? Why or why not?

Facial Recognition, Global, Ethics, Product Development, Innovation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Beyond Meat’s Successful IPO Causes Competitors to Take Notice

May 16, 2019

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Although share prices of Uber have not dropped significantly since its terrible first two days, the ride-hailing company is still a long way off of its initial $120 billion valuation. Its competitor Lyft has had a similarly unimpressive IPO, disappointing many investors who hoped both companies would debut strongly on the market. But while these firms are performing well below Wall Street’s expectations, one new tech stock is dazzling shareholders and making competitors pay attention.

Since hitting the market Continue reading →

Product Development, Innovation, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Wall Street, Synthetic Meat, IPO, Beyond Meat, Stock Market

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Uber IPO Flops in First Days

May 14, 2019

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On Friday we looked at how Uber drivers around the world went on strike in the lead up to the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). In the years before it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange, Uber was once valued at more than $120 billion by private investors. But just a few days into its IPO, however, the company is now worth about half that amount. On its first day of trading, Uber shares opened at $3 Continue reading →

Product Development, Investing, Wall Street, IPO, Stock, Entrepreneurship

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 19: Securities Markets

Daimler Pulls Smart Cars from North American Markets

May 7, 2019

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If you’ve never seen a tiny Smart car puttering around the streets of your town, then you’re certainly not alone. The American public have taken little interest in these subcompact, battery-powered two seaters, with the German automaker selling less than 1,200 of its Fourtwo model in 2018. That’s why Smart’s parent company Daimler recently announced it would stop selling the car in the U.S. and Canada after this model year.

“Micro-cars” like these “make sense when you have small roads Continue reading →

Europe, Marketing, Innovation, Global, Transportation, Sustainability, Product Distribution, Electric cars, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media