Branding - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Oversaturation Leads to Casino Closings

September 30, 2014

In 1988, just two states allowed casino gambling. Today, New Jersey and Nevada are joined by more than 35 other states that have legalized casinos. Over the years, local governments across the nation promoted gambling as a way to generate additional tax revenue. Plenty of municipalities bought into the idea, leading to a rush of casino construction throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Like so many other industries, business was good until the recession hit in 2008. Since then, not only Continue reading →

Entertainment, Gambling, Oversaturation, Regulation, Branding, Ethics

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Brazilian Shop-Hopping Stalls Walmart’s Growth

September 10, 2014

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Walmart became the largest retail chain in the U.S. by offering customers the same low prices every day. As it expanded globally, however, the company found out that not every culture responds to this pricing strategy. For instance, Walmart has had a hard time winning over Brazilian consumers despite opening 550 stores in nearly 200 cities. That’s because most people in the large South American nation are happy to hunt for the best deals at a variety of stores rather Continue reading →

Wal-Mart, Brazil, Demographics, Retail, Branding, Global

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Starbucks Reinvents to Stay Relevant

August 19, 2014

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When Howard Schultz first joined Starbucks as marketing director in 1982, the small Seattle company made most of its money selling coffee-making equipment. Once Schultz landed the CEO position, however, matters changed drastically. Looking to bring the European café experience to American shores, Schultz transformed the regional chain into an international behemoth within two decades.

Starbucks changed again when Schultz stepped down as CEO in 2000. After a rapid expansion saw the company grow to more than 15,000 stores Continue reading →

Innovation, Branding, Product Development, Marketing, Starbucks

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Keeping the NFL Green in Sustainable Stadiums

August 14, 2014

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With preseason football already under way, it won’t be long now until the NFL season officially kicks into full gear. And although the intensity of the gridiron will undoubtedly remain the same, some fans might notice big changes around their local stadiums. That’s because after years of outcry to green up the game, a number of NFL teams have revamped their arenas with a variety of energy-saving and cost-cutting measures.

In San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, for instance, an 18,000-square-foot Continue reading →

Sports, NFL, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sustainability, Branding, Marketing

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Convertibles and Golf Go out of Style

June 25, 2014

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As recently as the early 2000s, the stereotypical image of the corporate careerist typically included a flashy convertible jetting down the highway with a set of expensive golf clubs stashed in the trunk. Nowadays, though, these once weighty symbols of wealth and status have plummeted in popularity. Instead of a cherry red Corvette, modern executives and ladder climbers would prefer to cruise to their next meeting in a big SUV. And thanks to smartphones, the golf links aren’t the same Continue reading →

Golf, Transportation, Cars, Consumer Research, Branding, Sports

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

Hummus: America’s Final Snack Frontier

April 16, 2014

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If there’s one snack Americans love, it’s chips and dip. But more than a few snackers would be turned off if they found a big bowl of hummus next to their tortilla chips. That’s because 80 million people in the U.S. have no idea the popular Mediterranean chickpea dip even exists. Over the last few years the food company Sabra has been trying to change that fact by making hummus more accessible to American palettes. After all, with only 26 Continue reading →

Sabra, Food, Marketing, Global, Branding, Product Development

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

[VIDEO] Brazil’s Big Box Empire

April 14, 2014

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This video takes a look at a bizarre Brazilian retail chain that takes the concept of American pride a little too far.

https://nyti.ms/1lAokVM

Questions:

What seems to be the inspiration for Havan stores in Brazil?

What risk is Havan taking in relying so much on American symbolism?

From The New York Times

Brazil, Retail, Branding, Global, Marketing

Videos

Facebook Limits Reach of Brand Pages

April 7, 2014

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Over the years, thousands of brands have established pages on Facebook in order to reach the social network’s hundreds of millions of users. Although companies can purchase banner ads or sponsor certain posts, many prefer to use the service’s free features to reach consumers organically. But as Facebook becomes stuffed with content, fewer and fewer posts pop up in a user’s feed. In October 2013, just 12 percent of a page’s content reached people who had “liked” that page. By Continue reading →

Branding, Facebook, Social Media, Ethics, Marketing

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Fans Propel the Portland Timbers to Dominance

April 3, 2014

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Although Americans love sports, they’ve never quite warmed up to soccer the same as with other pastimes. But interest in the world’s most popular game has been growing steadily as more TV stations pick up games from top-flight European leagues. However, some Americans are busy building their own soccer culture. The Portland Timbers, for instance, have sold out every Major League Soccer home game since their founding four years ago. Thanks to a clever launch and solid marketing, the Continue reading →

Sports, Product Development, Branding, Portland Timbers, Marketing, Consumer engagement

Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Good Foundation Stories Start Strong Companies

March 15, 2014

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At first glance it may be difficult to figure out what a tech giant like Google shares in common with the women’s feature-smoothing undergarment line Spanx. Although they may seem like completely different operations, both companies share one crucial element: they each have memorable founding stories. With Google, founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page hammered out their first search engine while holed up in a friend’s garage. Meanwhile, Sara Blakely demonstrated the power of Spanx by using a pair of Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Spanx, Branding, Product Development, Google, Marketing

Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing