Chapter 13: Marketing - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Mattel Sues Rap Snacks over “Barbie-Que” Chips

August 19, 2022

Since 1994, Rap Snacks has sold chips, popcorn, and even instant noodles featuring hip hop stars like Snoop Dogg, Migos, and Lil Baby on the packaging. The most recent addition to this lineup of talent is Nicki Minaj, who launched her “Barbie-Que Honey Truffle” potato chips earlier this summer. While Rap Snacks hoped this high-profile partnership would make a big splash on social media, the brand instead attracted the attention of an entirely different audience: the notoriously litigious toy company Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Copyright, Promotions, Entertainment, Packaging, Music, Legal, Food & Drink

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 A: Business Law

Airbnb Looks to Limit Unauthorized Parties

August 17, 2022

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Most people who rent rooms or houses from Airbnb use their short term rentals as home-base for a vacation or business trip, nothing too exciting or out of the ordinary. Occasionally, though, the company must deal with customers who host unauthorized gatherings, potentially leading to noise complaints and safety issues. In fact, numerous incidents of violence have occurred at Airbnb parties that got out of control, leading the company to institute a new set of policies to prevent these illicit Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Travel, Product Distribution, Airbnb

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

Managers Strive to Hit the 90-Day Mark with New Hires

August 9, 2022

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Seeking out qualified employees and then hiring them is a costly process for even the biggest companies, which is why most managers strive to keep their staff around for as long as possible. Sometimes fresh hires don’t feel the same way, though, and they leave their new jobs as swiftly as they joined. These “quick quits” are especially prevalent in the current job market where employee turnover remains high. As a result, companies are focusing on a key milestone: a Continue reading →

Management, Marketing, Motivation, Franchising, Training, Human Resources, Hiring, Company Culture, Onboarding

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing

Warner Bros. Scraps Release of Batgirl

August 3, 2022

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Last year, the movie studio Warner Bros. announced that it was working on a slate of films created specifically for the streaming service HBO Max. Among these titles was Batgirl, whose budget ballooned to more than $90 million after completing most of the film. But rather than release this star-studded adaptation of a DC Comics character, Warner said yesterday that the movie would never stream online nor would it ever appear in theaters.

Along with ditching Batgirl, Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Promotions, Entertainment, Accounting, Streaming, Advertising, Product Distribution, Movies, Hollywood, HBO Max

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, Chapter 18: Financial Management

[VIDEO] How Consumer Confidence Relates to Inflation

July 29, 2022

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Consumer confidence in the economy has taken a nosedive as prices climb higher due to rising inflation, potentially indicating that the U.S. is on the road to a recession. This video looks at how the government collects data on consumer confidence while also examining the ways that low economic expectations can further fuel inflation.

Questions:

Why does the government collect data on consumer confidence? What sort of questions do they ask participants?
How can declining consumer confidence potentially drive inflation even higher?

Economics, Consumer Research, Federal Reserve, Focus Groups, Consumer Confidence, Inflation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Videos

Big Tech Firms Aim to Take Over Sports Broadcasting

July 27, 2022

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Each year, media companies spend tens of billions of dollars for the rights to broadcast sporting events from professional leagues like the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball. In fact, by 2024 Disney, Comcast, Paramount, and Fox are expected to spend a combined total of $24.2 billion on broadcast rights for sports, almost double what they paid ten years ago. That is, unless tech conglomerates like Apple and Google splash even more cash in an effort to expand into this Continue reading →

Marketing, Google, Sports, Branding, Promotions, Entertainment, Television, NFL, Product Distribution, Apple

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

Kellogg Plans to Split into Three Independent Companies

June 29, 2022

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Although the food conglomerate Kellogg might be best known for cereal brands like Rice Krispies and Frosted Flakes, the company also controls other big names such as Eggo waffles, Pringles, and Cheez-It. Managing such a wide portfolio of successful brands is no simple task, though, as departments must often compete with one another for attention and resources. Then there are the unique requirements for each market: for instance, cereals have different marketing and packaging needs than Kellogg’s snack brands.

Given Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Human Resources, Food & Drink, Organizational Culture, Corporate ownership, Corporate structure, Kellogg

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing

Fashion Brands Receive Criticism for Depending on Plastic

June 15, 2022

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In recent years, fashion brands and retailers like H&M, Nike, Amazon and Target have responded to consumer calls for environmental sustainability by following an influential material rating system called the Higg Index. Introduced in 2011 by a group of companies led by Walmart and Patagonia, this metric is intended to help businesses shrink their environmental footprints by eliminating toxic chemicals and cutting down on water usage during production. According to critics, however, the Higg Index strongly recommends the use of Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Ethics, Manufacturing, Clothing, Product Development, Fashion, Regulation, Sustainability

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

McDonald’s Plans to Sell Its Locations in Russia

May 18, 2022

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In January 1990, McDonald’s made history when the company opened its first location in Moscow, creating a symbol of unity between the U.S. and Russia after decades of tension. “In the history of McDonald’s, it was one of our proudest and most exciting milestones,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski. “After nearly half a century of Cold War animosity, the image of the Golden Arches shining above Pushkin Square heralded for many, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the beginning of Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Ethics, Labor Relations, Branding, McDonald’s, Russia, Product Distribution, Ukraine, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Venture Capital Firms Invest Heavily in Mental Health Startups

May 10, 2022

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The Covid-19 pandemic took an enormous toll on people’s mental health. The World Health Organization estimates that the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25 percent during 2020. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one-third of Americans have recently reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. Some patients struggle to book appointments with therapists, however, either because their insurance doesn’t cover their specific needs or because demand for mental health services has skyrocketed.

“Since Covid, Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Startups, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution