Shonda Rhimes, Star TV Producer, Signs a Podcast Deal

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Global Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Market Segmentation.

Description: Shonda Rhimes, the prolific television producer whose body of work includes the durable ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” moved into the streaming world in 2017 when she signed a nine-figure deal to create shows for Netflix. Now, she is taking her talent for storytelling to the audio realm as the executive producer of new podcasts to be made in conjunction with the broadcast giant iHeartMedia.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Oct 16, 2019

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/business/shonda-rhimes-podcast-iheartmedia.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize and explain the developments taking place in the digital field.
  • Why do you suppose podcasts are so popular?
  • Sketch out some target customers you think might be open to new podcasting products.

Does Renting Clothes Make Sense?

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Market Segmentation, Marketing Research.

Description: eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman, executive editor Rimma Kats, senior corporate account director Sarai Bravo and senior director of global accounts Anne Porto discuss Banana Republic’s new clothing rental service: Why do consumers use them? What are the pain points? And can they have mass market appeal? Then, Andrew and Rimma chat about video platforms streaming fashion shows, why Away wants to be a travel company and more.

Source: eMarketer.com – podcast

Date: Oct 17, 2019

Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-does-renting-clothes-make-sense

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize what you learned from listening to the discussion.
  • What is your sense of the marketing potential?

SPOS #692 – Alexa, Tell Me More About Smart Audio With James Vlahos

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Innovation, Market Segmentation, Marketing Strategy.

Description: In case you have not noticed, I could not be more bullish on the power of Smart Audio. From smart speakers and Alexa to Google’s voice assistant technology, chatbots and artificial intelligence. This space has been looked at analyzed in the book, Talk To Me – How voice computing will transform the way we live, work and think by James Vlahos. James is a journalist (who has written for the New York Times, Popular Science, The Atlantic and Wired). He wrote a cover story in 2017 for Wired , which was all about his startup (now called HereAfter), which – at the time – was really a chronicle of how he programmed his own AI chatbot to resemble his late father. This program, called DadBot, has evolved. The smart audio space continues to evolve. When people ask me what the future of technology is, Smart Audio is at the top of my list.

Source: SixPixels.com – podcast

Date: Oct 08, 2019

Link: https://www.sixpixels.com/podcast/archives/spos-692-alexa-tell-me-more-about-smart-audio-with-james-vlahos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SixPixelsOfSeparation+%28Six+Pixels+of+Separation+-+Mitch+Joel%29

Questions for discussion:

  • What is Smart Audio all about in terms of the various sorts of products that could be developed?
  • What do you think of HereAfter and how would you go about marketing the product?

High-performance? CBD-infused drinks for athletes coming as pot edibles are legalized

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

Description: 2nd phase of cannabis legalization creates wave of potential business opportunities

Source: CBC.ca

Date: Oct 17, 2019

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cbd-drink-athletes-edibles-legalized-1.5322684

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the marketing thinking, as reported in this article.
  • What would you advise the firm?
  • What possible problems do you see on the horizon?

What is a VSCO girl? Learn about the trend dominating teen fashion

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

Description: Young girls explain to TODAY’s Savannah Sellers what it means to be a VSCO girl, a new trend in girls’ fashion and social media. It comes with catchphrases like, “and I oop,” plus a uniform of baggy T-shirts, Birkenstocks, scrunchies, seashell chokers and more.

Source: NBC.com – video report

Date: Oct 11, 2019

Link: https://www.today.com/video/what-is-a-vsco-girl-learn-about-the-trend-dominating-teen-fashion-70914117512

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the VSCO segment from a marketing perspective.
  • How has social media branched off from away from traditional forms such as Facebook to serve this market?

Connected TV Ad Spend Is Growing, but There Are Still Plenty of Challenges

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Innovation, Marketing Strategy.

Description: Connected TV ad spending is increasing significantly, but it still faces issues when it comes to the fragmentation of inventory, lack of standardized measurements, frequency capping and ad fraud. In our newest report on US digital video, we look at connected TV’s limitations and what leaders in the industry think.

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: Oct 08, 2019

Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/connected-tv-ad-spend-is-growing-but-there-are-still-plenty-of-challenges

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key research findings and advice presented in this report.
  • What do you think of the research findings and what advice would you give to marketers?

Nearly all of the NBA’s Chinese partners have cut ties with the league

Posted by & filed under Global Marketing, Marketing Strategy.

Description: Out of the 25 official partners listed on the NBA China website, 13 are Chinese businesses. So far, 11 of those companies have distanced themselves from the league amid escalating tensions between China and the NBA.

Source: CNBC.com – video report

Date: Oct 08, 2019

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/09/nearly-all-of-the-nbas-chinese-partners-have-cut-ties-with-the-league.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What happened?
  • What is the message to marketers?
  • How would you advise marketers to respond, going forward?

Feeling burned: The first year of legal cannabis has been a complete disaster for investors

Posted by & filed under Consumer/Buyer Behavior, Marketing Research, Marketing Strategy.

Description: The legalization of cannabis in Canada was supposed to be a catalyst — the most powerful one yet, investors and analysts alike thought — that would launch companies in the young but potent industry to new heights. Instead, nearly one year later, it has been a nightmare.

Source: FinancialPost.com – video report

Date: Oct 09, 2019

Link: https://business.financialpost.com/cannabis/cannabis-business/cannabis-investing/feeling-burned-the-first-year-of-legal-cannabis-has-been-a-complete-disaster-for-investors?video_autoplay=true

Questions for discussion:

  • From a marketing point of view, explain why this first year has been disappointing?
  • What should marketers do now?

Budweiser wants to take on China, the world’s largest beer market where local brews rule

Posted by & filed under Global Marketing, Marketing Research.

Description: The world’s largest brewer is making a big push for China and other parts of Asia — but it could prove challenging for Anheuser-Busch InBev to topple local beers that have long dominated their home markets.

Source: CNBC.com

Date: Oct 06, 2019

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/07/budweiser-seeks-growth-in-china-vietnam-india-south-korea-beer-markets.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Why does this strategy make sense for the company?
  • What are some of the challenges management is likely to face?
  • How else could the firm grow?