Entertainment - 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 →

Regulation, Gambling, Oversaturation, Entertainment, Branding, Ethics

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

America’s Impending Clown Shortage

August 30, 2014

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In the Internet age, people don’t need to leave their homes in order to access near limitless choices of entertainment. Although convenient for consumers, this cultural shift has sent attendance at many theaters and symphonies across the country on a downward spiral. But it’s not just highbrow pursuits that have seen a drop in public interest. In fact, circuses are in such a dire state that industry insiders fear their decline will lead to a nationwide decline in the number Continue reading →

Human Resources, Clowns, Demographics, Entertainment, Unemployment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management

Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Controversy

July 31, 2014

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Led Zeppelin’s 1971 epic “Stairway to Heaven” is widely regarded by music critics as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It’s also been one of the most profitable. Clocking in at nearly eight minutes long, the band refused to release the song as a single, which forced fans to shell out more cash to buy the album it appeared on. When coupled with the song’s substantial royalties from radio play, “Stairway to Heaven” has earned at least Continue reading →

Music, Regulation, Entertainment, Copyright, Product Development, Ethics

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

[VIDEO] Pinball Machines for the 21st Century

May 15, 2014

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This New Jersey pinball wizard is trying to modernize an old arcade favorite.

https://youtu.be/FnKKoaMNxw4

Questions:

What’s important characteristic about their customers must pinball machines manufacturers keep in mind?

Will pinball manufacturers like Jersey Jack be able to expand their market?

From CNN Money

Pinball, Games, Innovation, Entertainment, Product Development, Marketing

Videos

Disney Bets $1 Billion on Wristbands

April 24, 2014

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The “Happiest Place on Earth” may also be one of the priciest: last year Walt Disney increased the cost of a one-day pass for its Magic Kingdom theme park to $99. The $4 uptick came just eight months after Disney’s previous price hike, but customers don’t appear to mind. In 2013 theme park income rose by 17 percent to $2.2 billion as crowds continued to pack the company’s $14.1 billion entertainment empire.

It’s possible that the lofty costs required Continue reading →

Entertainment, Disney, Innovation, Operations Management

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Lego’s Licensing Empire

April 21, 2014

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When it comes to entertainment, kids today have more options than ever before. Increasingly, though, they’ll opt to play a game on a mobile device like a smartphone or iPad. This is bad news for toy makers, who have watched a large amount of their market share shift to gadgets. Except for Lego, that is. The Danish stackable bricks brand reached a low point in 2003 after experimenting with the design of some of its products. Since then, Lego’s focus Continue reading →

Lego, Distribution, Entertainment, Licensing, Product Development, Star Wars, Marketing

Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

The Many Uses of Watson the Supercomputer

December 6, 2013

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The nation’s first impression of the IBM supercomputer Watson came from the machine’s unprecedented appearance on Jeopardy. Over the course of a week, Watson handily defeated the best champions in the quiz show’s history thanks to its massive memory bank of facts. But it’s not just the supercomputer’s super-sized hard drive that sets it apart from other machines. Watson could compete on Jeopardy autonomously thanks to its ability to answer questions posed in natural language.

It’s this feature Continue reading →

Entertainment, Innovation, Data Mining, Health, Supercomputing, IBM

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Netflix: Media’s Comeback Machine

September 2, 2013

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When it comes to pulling off a corporate comeback, there’s nobody quite like Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He’s had to fend off detractors at every juncture, beginning with those who denied his company’s ability to compete with the traditional video store. After almost singlehandedly ending that era of home video distribution, Hastings nearly lost it after he split Netflix’s streaming and DVD delivery services in two. The schism cost the company millions of subscribers and sent stock tumbling from $298 Continue reading →

Television, Streaming, Netflix, Innovation, Entertainment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Red Bull’s Media Mogul Ambitions

April 10, 2013

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Ever since The Colgate Comedy Hour premiered in the 1950s, companies have been happy to stamp their names across a variety of entertainment ventures. For some modern companies, though, simply being the sponsor of an event no longer has the same appeal. After all, nearly every form of mass entertainment features a sponsor of some type. Whether it’s TV, concerts or sporting events, consumers are constantly bombarded with the names of corporate benefactors, making it difficult for some brands to Continue reading →

Marketing, Sports, Entertainment, Red Bull, Promotions, Branding

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media