Demographics - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Why Affordable Houses Are Hard to Find These Days

August 27, 2021

Across the country housing prices are skyrocketing to record highs, effectively pricing millions of people out of buying their first homes. This video looks at how this lack of supply in the face of soaring demand can be attributed partly to American zoning laws, which can have the cumulative effect of raising housing costs for everybody.

Questions:

How have American zoning laws contributed to the current lack of affordable starter homes?
Do you think zoning laws against multi-family housing Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Ethics, Housing, Real Estate, Product Development, Demographics

Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

No-Frills Approach Leads to Impressive Results for Planet Fitness

April 5, 2019

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Last year, the total revenue earned by the U.S. health-and-fitness industry hit an all-time record of $32.3 billion, representing a 44 percent increase over the past five years. By 2023, analysts estimate that the exercise sector could generate as much as $43 billion. In order to stand out in this ever-growing industry, many fitness clubs have added amenities such as spas, massages, and premium workout classes to entice new members. And as we saw yesterday, some high-end customers are willing Continue reading →

Planet Fitness, Marketing, Product Development, Pricing, Demographics, Gyms, Health & Fitness

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

[VIDEO] Meet Granny Sunshine, China’s 71-Year-Old Fashion Model

March 29, 2019

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China’s population is aging on a massive scale. Within 30 years, experts estimate that the country will be home to more than 500 million citizens over 60. As a result, China’s economy and society could face majors changes as it strives to meet the needs of seniors. This video takes a look at the massive purchasing power that the nation’s seniors will soon wield and how businesses are responding to shifting demographics.

Questions:

How does Granny Sunshine’s success in fashion Continue reading →

Product Development, Demographics, Marketing, China, Global, Retirement, Seniors

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Making Things Insta-Worthy on a Tiny Budget

April 30, 2018

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American millennials’ tastes have turned many markets on their heads. From choice of food to the ways companies structure leadership, this large generation makes its preferences known. One trend companies are considering is how millennials tend to prefer amazing experiences rather than accumulating “things.” How can companies adapt traditional products and services to appeal to millennials?

As we know, people of all generations share experiences from travel, life events, and plain everyday life on social media. However, to earn Continue reading →

Product Development, Demographics, Marketing, Millennials, Social Media, Hotels

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

[VIDEO] American Shopping Malls Struggle to Survive

February 9, 2018

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Last week, we looked at how property owners are trying to combat the decline of shopping malls by appealing to non-retail tenants like gyms and fitness centers. This video provides more background on this downward spiral, showing footage of American malls thriving in their heyday as well as the decaying, abandoned structures that some have become. But the video isn’t entirely doom and gloom: it also gives a lot of screentime to an Atlanta-area shopping center called Plaza Fiesta that Continue reading →

Demographics, Product Distribution, Malls, Atlanta, Retail, Innovation

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

Targeting Modern Dads with Masculine Baby Gear

January 18, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

By the end of the year, companies around the world will generate an estimated $11 billion in revenue by selling baby products like diaper bags and infant carriers. Despite the size of this booming industry, though, many baby businesses are continuing to overlook a growing target market: dads. Of course, this is largely due to the fact that mothers remain the primary caregivers in many American families. But dads have made great strides in recent times to involve themselves further Continue reading →

Demographics, Packaging, Childcare, South Carolina, Marketing, Product Development

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

Vizio Fined After Tracking and Selling Customers’ Personal Data

February 9, 2017

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In this digitally driven age, personal privacy is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Along with social networks and websites that track users, many electronic devices also pay close attention to their owners’ personal habits. And in at least one recent case, sometimes people don’t even know they’re being watched by their possessions.

That’s why the Federal Trade Commission recently slapped the television maker Vizio with a $2.2 million fine. According to investigators, the company installed software that allowed Continue reading →

Marketing, Vizio, Ethics, Internet of Things, Data Tracking, Entertainment, Demographics, Television

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

America’s Poorest Areas Remained Racked by the Recession

March 23, 2016

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

According to economists and government officials, the Great Recession officially ended in the middle of 2009. If you ask an average American, however, you’ll likely hear a different answer. 64 percent of people surveyed last year in a Fox News poll said they believed the U.S. economy was still in a recession. A poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal the year before came up with similar results. And now thanks to an in-depth study by the Continue reading →

Economics, Demographics, Inequality, Recession, Rust Belt, The South

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Uncategorized

How Rising Life Expectancies Affect Retirement

May 26, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Thanks to advancements in technology and medicine, Americans today have longer life expectancies than ever before. A study conducted by the Society of Actuaries estimates that the average 65-year-old man will live to 86.6 years while women can expect to stay around until they’re nearly 89. Both of these numbers have increased by more than two years since data was last collected more than a decade and a half ago. And while this is certainly good news for humanity as Continue reading →

Seniors, Ethics, Finance, Demographics, Retirement

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Bonus Chapter D: Personal Finance

How Studying the Ways Kids Play Changed Lego

April 30, 2015

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In an earlier newsletter, we included a story about how Lego built its mighty block empire on a strong foundation of licensed products. The Danish company continues to make a variety of sets with characters from popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter, accounting for a third of Lego’s sales. As the toy company became more dominant in the last year, however, it started to focus more on promoting its own brand rather than others’. The 2014 The Lego Continue reading →

Consumer Research, Demographics, Product Development, Licensing, Entertainment, Lego

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion