Product Distribution - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

How a Smart Pallet Could Change Logistics

September 6, 2018

About a century ago, American manufacturers started stacking their goods on wooden pallets that could then be carried off by forklifts. Taking advantage of these two recent inventions allowed factories to transport products in bulk without making a lot of trips. Not much has changed since then: today more than 2 billion pallets circulate around the U.S. carrying everything from car parts to candy.

Despite its staying power, though, the classic wooden pallet certainly comes with its share of disadvantages. Continue reading →

Logistics, Manufacturing, Michigan, Innovation, Supply chains, Transportation, Product Distribution, Shipping, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Plastic Straw Bans Face Opposition from Accessibility Advocates

September 4, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A couple of months ago, we took a look at Starbucks’ plan to eliminate its use of plastic straws by 2020. While the coffee chain remains the most high-profile business to ban straws, several cities throughout the country have joined the effort by passing legislation regulating their use. For instance, last month San Francisco passed an ordinance that prohibits restaurants from distributing any single-use plastic utensils or accessories. The cities of Seattle, Malibu, and Vancouver have recently put similar laws Continue reading →

Regulation, Operations Management, Packaging, Global, Sustainability, Ethics, Product Distribution, Plastic Straws, Food & Drink, Accessibility

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Coca-Cola Launches Hundreds of New Drink Brands

August 23, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For more than a century, Coca-Cola’s immense branding power has centered on its signature soft drink. But with many of today’s consumers switching from sugary sodas to healthier options, the company can no longer rely on its namesake beverage like it once did. So in order to keep up with changing tastes, last year Coca-Cola launched more than 500 new drink brands across the globe. “There are products out there in the world that perhaps we wouldn’t have tried a Continue reading →

Branding, Coca-Cola, Marketing, Product Distribution, Global, Food & Drink, India, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and the Fight for Radio Royalties

August 21, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week the legendary soul and gospel singer Aretha Franklin passed away at the age of 76. Her legacy includes a wide catalogue of classic hits that will long be remembered by music lovers, especially her signature song “Respect.” But while she earned millions of fans over the years with the anthemic tune, she unfortunately did not earn millions of dollars directly from it. That’s because all of the song’s radio royalties have gone to the estate of its writer, Continue reading →

Radio, Ethics, Copyright, Entertainment, Regulation, Music, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] It’s Not You. Date Labels on Food Make No Sense.

August 17, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe to eat eggs that have gone past their “sell-by date,” you are certainly not alone. This video looks at the confusing dates that companies place on food packaging and how they encourage consumers to throw out items that are still edible.

Questions:

Why do companies place sell-by dates on food packaging?
What can companies do to make food date labels more straightforward for consumers?

Ethics, Product Distribution, Food, Packaging, Marketing, Sustainability, Operations Management

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, Videos, Uncategorized

Dallas Takes on Bike-Share Companies

August 16, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

If you live in a large or mid-sized city, you’ve probably noticed a lot of brightly colored bicycles popping up on sidewalks throughout town. Whether they’re green bikes from Lime or Ofo’s yellow models, these two-wheeled vehicles are available to rent for as little as $1 per ride. Bike-share companies claim that this business model provides cities with a wealth of transportation options that both tourists and locals alike can easily access. For communities that have been absolutely flooded with Continue reading →

Texas, China, Regulation, Transportation, Ethics, Product Distribution, Bike-share, Dallas

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

MoviePass Changes Business Model after Heavy Losses

August 7, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

At the beginning of the year, we looked at how MoviePass planned to disrupt the multiplex by allowing subscribers to see as many movies as they liked for just $9.95 per month. Since the company paid theaters directly for every ticket obtained by its members, critics wondered how long MoviePass could operate before it ran out of money. In fact, the company was losing $45 million a month as it tried to amass a large user base. These losses unnerved Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Movies, MoviePass, Promotions, Entertainment, Ethics, Pricing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

[VIDEO] How the Campbell Soup Company Fell Off Its Perch

August 3, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A few months ago, we looked at why our subject for the Chapter 8 profile in Understanding Business was leaving her position as CEO of the Campbell Soup Company. As the video below shows, however, Campbell’s problems began long before Denise Morrison took the top job.

Questions:

Why has Campbell’s struggled to grow steadily in recent years?
What do you think Campbell’s should do to start winning over young consumers who don’t like canned soup?

Management, Product Development, Marketing, Leadership structure, Food, Packaging, Product Distribution, Campbell’s, Mergers and Acquisitions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Uncategorized

Vanilla Shortage in Madagascar Leads to Higher Prices Everywhere

July 31, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although people sometimes use “vanilla” as a byword for “boring,” the complicated global industry that surrounds this flavor is far from dull. 80 percent of the world’s vanilla crop is grown in Madagascar, which has the perfect climate for vanilla orchids. These plants only bloom one day a year and must be pollinated by hand, followed by another 9 months of waiting for the fruit to mature into pods. Then comes another weeks-long process of curing the plants using steam, Continue reading →

Cooperatives, Product Distribution, Food, Africa, Operations Management, Global, Product Development, Ethics, Sustainability

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Why Used Electric Car Batteries Will Soon Be in High Demand

July 27, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

From smartphones to electric vehicles, many of today’s most innovative products depend on lithium-ion batteries to function. That’s why every year the tech industry upgrades these portable power sources to hold more and more charge. While this allows them to create better products (at least in theory), it also leads companies to discard a lot of technically obsolete batteries that can still collect energy. For instance, the lithium-ion units that power cars and buses can be used for Continue reading →

Innovation, Global, Transportation, Sustainability, Product Distribution, Infrastructure, Electric cars, Batteries, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media