Marketing - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Starbucks Reinvents to Stay Relevant

August 19, 2014

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 →

Starbucks, Innovation, Branding, Product Development, Marketing

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 →

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

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

Serving up a Spectacle at Dinner in the Sky

July 23, 2014

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On the surface, it might seem like bungee jumping and fine dining don’t have much in common. But at a company called Dinner in the Sky, elements of these two seemingly unrelated concepts are combined to create an incomparable dining experience.

The business began in 2007 when a European restaurant association hired marketer David Ghysels to put together a suspended aerial dinner for promotional purposes. Ghysels teamed up with bungee-jumping expert Stefan Kerkhofs to design an advanced high-wire table that Continue reading →

Gimmicks, Innovation, Promotions, Food, Marketing

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[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

Retailers Keep Tabs on Customers with Beacons

May 13, 2014

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Over the last few years, brick and mortar retailers have come up with some ingenious ways to gather data about the customers who walk into their stores. We’ve taken a look at some of them in past posts on this blog, including one story about “smart” mannequins that observe consumer patterns using cameras in the dummies’ eyes. Although that may skew a bit on the creepy side, it’s important to keep in mind that physical retailers are merely trying to Continue reading →

Bluetooth, Consumer Research, Retail, Product Development, Ethics, Marketing

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 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Inside Pampers’ Diapers Lab

April 26, 2014

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For many parents, the day a child becomes potty-trained is cause for celebration. Not only has their kid progressed to a new stage of their life, but it also means that they’re done dealing with one of parenting’s messiest products: diapers. Each year Americans spend more than $10 billion on Pampers alone, accounting for 12 percent of Procter & Gamble’s sales. Although that makes Pampers the biggest brand in P&G’s portfolio, their North American market share still trails Kimberly-Clark’s Continue reading →

Childcare, Procter & Gamble, Health, Innovation, Product Development, Marketing

Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, 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 →

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

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, Marketing, Global, Food, Product Development, Branding

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

Global, Brazil, Retail, Branding, Marketing

Videos

Getting the Most Out of Product Reviews

April 13, 2014

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In the days before the Internet, consumers had two choices if they wanted more information about a product: either ask a friend or consult the item’s marketing. And since people in those days weren’t able to stay in constant communication with everyone they knew, most had to opt for the latter. Nowadays, though, consumers have no shortage of options available when they want to shop around. Studies commissioned by Google show that consumers consult an average of 10.4 sources before Continue reading →

Social Media, Marketing, Product Development, Consumer Feedback, Amazon, Asus

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