Description: Some critics have labelled Loblaw’s announcement that it is freezing prices on its No Name brand until January a PR stunt. Its competitor Metro says such a freeze is ‘an industry practice.’ Source: CBC.ca – video report Date: Oct 18, 2022 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLT1FKLTE00 Questions for discussion: Summarize the criticism directed at Loblaw. Do you… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Product Brands and Branding
Anti-Defamation League urges Adidas to sever ties with Ye’s Yeezy
Description: The Anti-Defamation League is urging Adidas to sever ties with Ye, calling out his recent hateful comments in a letter to Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted and Chairman Thomas Rabe. The rapper and designer, formerly known as Kanye West, has in recent weeks made several degrading remarks about Jewish people and targeted his business partners with… Read more »
Pfizer CEO: 2023 will be a ‘pivotal year’ as COVID-19 drug sales wane
Description: Americans are moving on from COVID-19. Most public places, transit, and municipalities have gotten rid of mask mandates. Vaccine booster rates have plateaued, even with the introduction of a new “bivalent” shot targeting multiple variants, including Omicron. Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report Date: Oct 18, 2022 Link: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-ceo-2023-pivotal-year-as-covid-19-drug-sales-wane-195020896.html Questions for discussion: How is the… Read more »
These colleges promise no student debt: ‘Loans are not part of the deal’
Description: Increasingly, college is an option only for those who can afford it or are willing to take on massive student debt. But not all schools see it that way. Source: CNBC.com Date: Oct 12, 2022 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/12/these-colleges-promise-no-student-loans.html Questions for discussion: What are the pros and cons in this plan for students and colleges to weigh? How… Read more »
Patagonia’s grand gesture sends the wrong message about ethical capitalism
Description: Patagonia’s recent blockbuster announcement that the company was “turning capitalism on its head by making the Earth our only shareholder” is generating a lot of attention. It is the start of another chapter in a long and storied history of a company that, more often than not, has been getting ethics right. Source: TheConversation.com Date: Oct… Read more »
The economics of Costco rotisserie chicken
Description: Costco’s popular chickens have stayed fixed at $4.99 for more than a decade — even in the face of raging inflation. But it’s come at a cost. Source: TheHustle.com Date: Oct 08, 2022 Link: https://thehustle.co/the-economics-of-costco-rotisserie-chicken/ Questions for discussion: Why has Costco kept chicken prices fixed? How has this strategy fit with overall branding strategy?… Read more »
Lexus highlights diverse personalities in latest campaign
Description: Lexus is highlighting diverse communities in its latest marketing campaign, “Never Lose Your Edge,” per a press release. The push is meant to promote the 2023 Lexus RX. Source: MarketingDive.com – video report Date: Oct 06, 2022 Link: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/lexus-diversity-influencers-campaign/633480/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-10-06%20Marketing%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:45053%5D&utm_term=Marketing%20Dive Questions for discussion: Who is the target market for this ad campaign? What is the message being… Read more »
What can we learn from Gen Z’s favorite brands?
Description: While marketing to Gen Z is notoriously challenging, some brands seem to have it figured out. Morning Consult surveyed thousands of Gen Z adults, and the data revealed some interesting findings about their preferences, including: Source: TheHustle.com Date: Sep 30, 2022 Link: https://thehustle.co/09302022-Gen-Z-brands/?utm_campaign=Healthy%20food&utm_content=09302022-Gen-Z-brands&utm_medium=email&utm_source=daily&utm_term=4ABCD Questions for discussion: What are the commonalities of these brands and businesses? What does the… Read more »
Businesses considering added credit card fee to pass on costs as rules change: survey
Description: Canadians may see a jump in businesses adding credit card surcharges as restrictions on the practice lift this week, though research from the Bank of Canada shows consumers have long been paying extra because of the payment option. Source: Yahoo.Finance.com Date: Oct 05, 2022 Link: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/nearly-1-5-merchants-considering-131330390.html Questions for discussion: What are the potential… Read more »
How YouTube Created the Attention Economy
Description: YouTube has consumed a good part of my days for more than a decade. As a teen-ager, I used the video-streaming platform to scrounge for crumbs of knowledge, watching free lectures on everything from algebra to literary modernism. Now I navigate to the YouTube app on my television most mornings to watch the news…. Read more »
Applied Marketing, 2e
Canadian Edition
