Product Development - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Why Coca-Cola Tastes Better at McDonald’s

October 19, 2018

Although Americans can buy a Coke just about anywhere, no other place seems to make the soft drink better than McDonald’s. And that’s not an accident: the company has had a special connection with Coca-Cola since the burger chain’s founding in 1955. Back then, McDonald’s boss Ray Kroc struck a handshake deal with a local Coke supplier, establishing a close business relationship that continues to this day. “Those two companies helped each other grow and expand around the globe,” said Continue reading →

Product Development, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

No-Frill Airfares Gain Popularity with Cost-Conscious Consumers

October 11, 2018

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In recent years airlines have grown increasingly stingy with the perks they grant to economy class customers. While passengers not so long ago could check up to two bags, most airlines now charge fliers for placing even one suitcase in the plane’s cargo hold. Many people also can’t make changes to their travel itineraries without incurring fees as high as $500. As a result, many casual travelers have started turning to alternative air carriers like Spirit or WOW. Although these Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Promotions, Pricing, Transportation, Air Travel

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

Dunkin’ Donuts Begins Major Rebranding Effort

October 9, 2018

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During the summer, we looked at IHOP’s temporary name change to “IHOb” and the social media sensation that followed their announcement. As it turns out, the pancake chain wasn’t the only company experimenting with their branding around that time. In August, Dunkin’ Donuts dropped the second word out of their name at a number of locations in the Boston area. While some customers went online to vent their frustration about the change, many others apparently didn’t mind that the word Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Branding, Promotions, Food & Drink, Dunkin’

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

Ratings Aren’t As Important to TV Networks These Days

October 2, 2018

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Over the next few weeks, a new crop of TV shows will premiere across the major networks. But not all of these shows will stay on the air for a full season. That’s because broadcasters have long used the fall as a testing ground for new programming. If a show premieres to high ratings and audience acclaim, network executives will likely order more episodes of it. If few people decide to tune in, however, a new show might last one Continue reading →

Product Development, Entertainment, Netflix, Streaming, Television, Management, Product Distribution

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

Augmented Reality Brings the Furniture Showroom to Consumers

September 18, 2018

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When someone is looking to buy a new piece of furniture, it can be a struggle to find the right item to fit their personal taste as well as their floor plan. After all, just because something looks good in the showroom doesn’t necessarily mean it will fit in their living room. That’s why a number of home goods companies are integrating augmented reality into their online stores. Using a smartphone camera, the technology allows customers to visualize how a Continue reading →

Product Development, Promotions, Retail, Innovation, Marketing, Mobile, Social Media, E-commerce, Augmented Reality, IKEA

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

[VIDEO] Why This Gucci Knockoff Is Totally Legal

September 13, 2018

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While songwriters and filmmakers can protect their intellectual property through copyrights, many fashion designers can’t do the same when it comes to their creations. The video below shows why legislators consider clothing to be different from other forms of art and how that affects designers, especially those at the high-end of the market.

Questions:

Why have legislators been reluctant to grant clothing designs the same protection as movies or songs?
Do you think fashion designers should be able to copyright Continue reading →

Ethics, Regulation, Social Media, Legal, Product Distribution, Knockoffs, Clothing, Product Development, Copyright

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Amazon Loses Ground in the Smart Speaker Market

August 28, 2018

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A few years ago, many tech industry analysts predicted that the Amazon Echo would soon dominate the growing smart speaker market. After all, the voice-activated device accounted for more than 75 percent of market share as the company moved “tens of millions” of Echo products in 2017 alone. Consumers were also becoming more familiar with Alexa, the virtual assistant designed to answer questions and perform simple tasks like turning the lights on and off. Given these factors plus Amazon’s ever Continue reading →

Product Development, Retail, Global, Innovation, Google, China, Amazon, E-commerce, Smart Speakers, Alexa

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, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Coca-Cola Launches Hundreds of New Drink Brands

August 23, 2018

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For more than a century, Coca-Cola’s immense branding power has centered on its signature soft drink. But with many of today’s consumers switching from sugary sodas to healthier options, the company can no longer rely on its namesake beverage like it once did. So in order to keep up with changing tastes, last year Coca-Cola launched more than 500 new drink brands across the globe. “There are products out there in the world that perhaps we wouldn’t have tried a Continue reading →

Branding, Coca-Cola, Marketing, Product Distribution, Global, Food & Drink, India, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Apple’s Market Cap Climbs Above $1 Trillion

August 9, 2018

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Last year, Apple sold more than 280 million iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers to customers around the world. And judging by the tech giant’s ever climbing stock price, the sales tally for 2018 appears to be going strong as well. In fact, last week the price of an Apple share climbed above $207. Besides being good news for investors, reaching this milestone meant that Apple became the first publicly traded company to achieve a market capitalization above $1 trillion.

To Continue reading →

Apple, Market Capitalization, Product Development, Technology, Innovation, Silicon Valley, Mobile

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How the Campbell Soup Company Fell Off Its Perch

August 3, 2018

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A few months ago, we looked at why our subject for the Chapter 8 profile in Understanding Business was leaving her position as CEO of the Campbell Soup Company. As the video below shows, however, Campbell’s problems began long before Denise Morrison took the top job.

Questions:

Why has Campbell’s struggled to grow steadily in recent years?
What do you think Campbell’s should do to start winning over young consumers who don’t like canned soup?

Management, Product Development, Marketing, Leadership structure, Food, Packaging, Product Distribution, Campbell’s, Mergers and Acquisitions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Uncategorized