McDonald’s McPlant burger made with Beyond Meat sold better than expected, analyst says

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Innovation, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Strategy, Product Brands and Branding, Retail Marketing, Services Marketing.

Description: McDonald’s McPlant burger is more popular than initially expected, according to Piper Sandler analyst Michael Lavery. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 26, 2022 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/26/mcdonalds-mcplant-burger-made-with-beyond-meat-sold-better-than-expected.html Questions for discussion: What do the sales results say about this food category, in you opinion? Do you think the “P.L.T.” branding is a good choice? What else… Read more »

Disney defends its ‘Snow White’ remake after criticism from Peter Dinklage

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Ethics, Global Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Research, Marketing Strategy, Product Brands and Branding, Relationship Marketing.

Description: Disney is on the defensive after actor Peter Dinklage criticized its plans to release a live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Source: NPR.org Date: Jan 26, 2022 Link: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/26/1075761231/peter-dinklage-disney Questions for discussion: Do you think Disney can avoid a public backlash with this planned project? How would you deal with the Snow… Read more »

Activist investor Blackwells calls on Peloton to fire CEO, explore sale

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Description: An activist is pushing Peloton to fire its chief executive officer immediately and consider a sale as its share price has plummeted. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 23, 2022 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/24/activist-investor-to-call-on-peloton-to-fire-ceo-explore-sale-report.html?recirc=taboolainternal Questions for discussion: Was this a failure of management? Leadership? What would you advise the firm do now?

Netflix gets clobbered on subscriber miss: ‘The good old days may be gone’

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Innovation, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Market Segmentation, Marketing Strategy, Metrics/Analytics, Product Brands and Branding, Relationship Marketing, Services Marketing.

Description: The streaming wars are intensifying — and Netflix is bearing the brunt of the battle. Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report Date: Jan 21, 2022 Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/netflix-will-have-to-compete-neck-to-neck-for-subscribers-analyst-171737376.html Questions for discussion: Why is growth in subscribers becoming a greater challenge for Netflix and competitors? From a marketing perspective, how should Netflix approach subscription and revenue growth… Read more »

Are social shoppers buying into in-app checkout?

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Strategy, Metrics/Analytics, Relationship Marketing, Retail Marketing, Supply Chain.

Description: The majority of US social buyers still order from retailer websites, rather than directly on social platforms. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Jan 21, 2022 Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/social-shoppers-in-app-checkout Questions for discussion: Explain this buyer behavior. Do you think there is a way to persuade buyers to buy more often on social platforms?

Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet all announced more deals in 2021 than in the last 10 years as regulators plot their next move

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Description: In the seven months since Lina Khan took over as chair of the Federal Trade Commission, there’s been a cold war brewing between several of the largest technology companies and regulators. The question for 2022 is if it turns hot. Source: CNBC.com Date: Jan 22, 2022 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/22/amazon-microsoft-alphabet-set-more-deals-in-2021-than-last-10-years.html Questions for discussion: What does the… Read more »

Canadian retail sales dropped 2.1% in December amid Omicron

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Research, Marketing Strategy, Pricing, Product Brands and Branding, Retail Marketing.

Description: Canadian retail sales pared back most of their recent gains last month, as the country suffered through new lockdown restrictions during the key holiday season. Source: BNNBloomberg.ca – video report Date: Jan 21, 2022 Link: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canadian-retail-sales-dropped-2-1-in-december-amid-omicron-1.1711115 Questions for discussion: What explains the drop in retail sales? Given the analysis, what should retailers expect in… Read more »

With Craft Brewery Deal, Monster Beverage Muddles Drink Categories Further

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Description: Soft, hard or energetic, it’s still the beverage industry. But these days it’s getting harder to pigeonhole the players, who keep crossing lanes. Source: MediaPost.com Date: Jan 13, 2022 Link: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/370281/with-craft-brewery-deal-monster-beverage-muddles.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=124944&hashid=7T9TCmQZSDGbnu-424RuBQ Questions for discussion: Create a concept map to show the relative positioning of these products and brands. Do you think the consumer is… Read more »

A $550 Million Springsteen Deal? It’s Glory Days for Catalog Sales.

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Description: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tina Turner and others have all sold rights to their music for eye-popping prices. Here’s why. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Dec 20, 2021 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/arts/music/bruce-springsteen-catalog.html? Questions for discussion: Summarize what has happened to the music industry and the explanations for why events have unfolded as they have. Explain the Springsteen deal…. Read more »

The Big Question: Could Peloton Sue Over Its ‘And Just Like That’ Appearance?

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Marketing Strategy, Product Brands and Branding, Relationship Marketing.

Description: A Peloton stationary bike played a pivotal role on the new HBO Max “Sex and the City” revival, whose premiere preceded a drop in the company’s stock price on Friday. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Dec 11, 2021 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/11/arts/television/peloton-sex-and-the-city.html? Questions for discussion: What are the legal issues and risks related to product placements? What is… Read more »