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

Description: Mondelez bought a majority interest in Toronto-based Give & Go Prepared Foods Corp. from private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners

Source: FinancialPost.com

Date: Feb 26, 2020

Link: https://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/mondelez-bulks-up-with-1-2-billion-give-go-bakery-deal

Questions for discussion:

  • Why is this a good deal, from a marketing perspective?
  • How else can marketers take advantage of the deal?
  • What does this deal suggest about the industry?

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Marketing Research, Product Brands and Branding, Services Marketing.

Description: Brownsville has its troubles, but it’s also starting to draw attention for its thriving collection of distinctive taquerias.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Feb 25, 2020

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/dining/tacos-brownsville-texas.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Questions for discussion:

  • How has Brownsville responded to the economic challenges it is facing?
  • What else could this community capitalize on because of its location, culture and history?

Posted by & filed under Innovation, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Relationship Marketing.

Description: In 2018 a new word entered Silicon Valley’s lexicon: the “techlash”, or the risk of a consumer and regulatory revolt against big tech. Today that threat seems empty. Even as regulators discuss new rules and activists fret about the right to privacy, the shares of the five biggest American tech firms have been on a jaw-dropping bull run over the past 12 months, rising by 52%.

Source: Economist.com

Date: Feb 22, 2020

Link: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/02/20/how-to-make-sense-of-the-latest-tech-surge

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the article say should be a concern to consumers, management and investors in technology firms?
  • Do you believe this concern is warranted?
  • How do you see this industry evolving over the next decade?

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

Description: L Brands is selling a controlling stake in Victoria’s Secret after 82-year-old billionaire CEO, founder, and biggest investor Les Wexner proved unable to repair the once iconic lingerie brand.

Source: Fortune.com – video report

Date: Feb 20, 2020

Link: https://fortune.com/2020/02/20/billionaire-les-wexner-gives-up-control-of-victorias-secret-after-failing-to-fix-the-struggling-brand/

Questions for discussion:

  • Why has the brand fallen out of favor?
  • As a marketer, what would you do to rejuvenate sales?

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Innovation, Market Segmentation, Product Brands and Branding, Relationship Marketing.

Description: By the mid-2010s, big-name artists like Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney were railing against YouTube: The site was home to loads of unauthorized uploads of their songs, and even the authorized versions paid paltry royalty sums. It was an even harder battle to fight for the much less famous–and less lawyered-up–musicians in the industry. So, a lot of them simply put music on YouTube for free and focused on other ways to make money.

Source: INC.com

Date: Feb 19, 2020

Link: https://www.inc.com/lindsay-blakely/create-music-group-inc5000-series-california-2020.html?icid=hmsub1

Questions for discussion:

  • What is the business model presented by Create Music?
  • What need does it serve?
  • Who is the target market?

Posted by & filed under Marketing Research, Metrics/Analytics, Pricing, Services Marketing.

Description: Marketers that advertise on Amazon are continuing to pour more money into paid media on the ecommerce marketplace, according to Q4 2019 reporting from technology providers and performance advertising agencies.

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: Feb 20, 2020

Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/prices-for-amazon-sponsored-product-ads-continue-to-climb

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the report say about ad prices?
  • Why is this happening and what does it mean for advertisers?

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

Description: Paper-cup version to last for only two weeks of month-long program, value of prizes has been cut by more than half

Source: FinancialPost.com

Date: Feb 19, 2020

Link: https://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/tim-hortons-rolls-back-roll-up-the-rim-prize-pool-as-it-makes-sweeping-changes-to-contest-in-digital-shift

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the changes to the contest and why has Tim Hortons made these decisions?
  • Do you think the data collected will be worthwhile to the marketing department?

Posted by & filed under Global Marketing, Innovation, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Product Brands and Branding, Services Marketing.

Description: Roku CEO Anthony Wood talks about Roku’s business model, streaming technology and it’s relationship with content providers like Disney.

Source: CNBC.com – video report

Date: Feb 15, 2020

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/02/14/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-roku-ceo-anthony-wood.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key points made by Anthony Wood favouring the growth of streaming and Roku in particular.
  • How is Roku complementing Disney?
  • Would you prefer to be an investor in Roku or Disney?

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

Description: Updated favorites are sweet nostalgia for parents—and they just might separate today’s teens from their smartphones.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: Feb 21, 2020

Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-21/board-games-from-the-80s-are-rebooted-for-generation-x?srnd=premium

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think this strategy of rejuvenating older board games and hobbies will succeed?
  • What favors trying?
  • How is Kickstarter helping this industry?

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

Description: Coca-Cola is launching a new brand purpose, ‘Better when we’re open’, in Europe that will form the basis of its marketing this year and next as it looks to show it is a brand with a point of view.

Source: MarketingWeek.com

Date: Feb 13, 2020

Link: https://www.marketingweek.com/coca-cola-marketing-brand-purpose/

Questions for discussion:

  • What do you think of the firm’s branding image?
  • How do you think it will be received by the markets around the world?
  • What are the risks?