An exclusive first look at the new McDonald’s Beyond Meat burger

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

Description: McDonald’s Inc. is preparing to launch a Beyond Meat sandwich and it will conduct its first global test of the landmark offering in a patch of cities and towns in Southwestern Ontario.

Source: Financial.Post.com – video report

Date: Sep 26, 2019

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec0SrjRJmOc

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the “strategic marketing” similarities to regular meat burgers?
  • What marketing ideas would you advise?
  • Do you think the product can attract vegans and vegetarians to McDonald’s?

Beauty company must pay FTC $1.76M for falsely labeling products as organic and vegan — how NOT to get duped

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

Description: A brand sold at Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters ‘harmed consumers,’ the FTC said

Source: MarketWatch.com

Date: Sep 27, 2019

Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/beauty-company-must-pay-ftc-176m-for-falsely-labeling-products-as-organic-and-vegan-how-not-to-get-duped-2019-09-26?reflink=MW_GoogleNews

Questions for discussion:

  • What does this article say about the branding and labeling problems for consumers and marketers?
  • What advice would you pass on to both parties?

Daily Forecast: India Is WhatsApp’s Biggest Country

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

Description: eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum explains why India has the world’s largest WhatsApp user base.

Source: eMarketer.com – video report

Date: Sep 26, 2019

Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/daily-forecast-india-is-whatsapp-s-biggest-country?ecid=NL1001

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain WhatsApp’s success in India?
  • What should marketing managers be concerned about in the future?

GM’s Mary Barra Bets Big on an Electric, Self-Driving Future

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

Description: The American automaker has challenges like dealing with strikes, developing tech that works, and finding a market.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: Sep 20, 2019

Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-09-19/before-gm-goes-electric-mary-barra-has-a-strike-to-settle?srnd=businessweek-v2

Questions for discussion:

  • How is GM changing, from a marketing point of view?
  • What do you think of the strategic planning?
  • What would you advise the firm?

This 24-year-old has raised more than $600,000 for charity — by asking for beer money on national TV

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

Description: Anheuser-Busch and Venmo are matching donations to the University of Iowa children’s hospital

Source: MarketWatch.com

Date: Sep 20, 2019

Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-24-year-old-has-raised-100000-for-charity-by-asking-for-beer-money-on-national-tv-2019-09-18?mod=mw_theo_homepage

Questions for discussion:

  • What does this story say about the power of social media?
  • Why were the firms involved quick to contribute funds?
  • What lessons should marketers take away?
  • Could the story have gone off the rails?

The Weekly Listen: Facebook’s TV Portal and NBCUniversal’s

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

Description: eMarketer principal analysts Mark Dolliver and Yory Wurmser discuss the viability of Facebook’s new Portal TV device, NBCU’s new video-streaming service Peacock, how many people around the world don’t use the internet and more.

Source: eMarketer.com – podcast

Date: Sep 20, 2019

Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-the-weekly-listen-facebook-tv-portal-and-nbcuniversal-peacock?ecid=NL1001

Questions for discussion:

  • What does this discussion reveal about changes taking place online and the latest marketing efforts by leading digital firms?
  • What would you advise these firms?

Tim Hortons to pull Beyond Meat offerings everywhere except Ontario and B.C.

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

Description: While restaurant chains across North America are jumping on the plant-based meat alternative craze, Tim Hortons is taking a step back.

Source: Ca.Yahoo.Finance.com

Date: Sep 18, 2019

Link: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-hortons-to-pull-beyond-meat-offerings-from-most-provinces-174240421.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What do you think this decision means for Beyond Meat?
  • Do you think plant-based alternative foods are a fad?
  • Do you think the product could sell better at a location not associated with traditional beef products?

Why Google’s Crackdown on Fake Medicine Is So Important

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

Description: At the end of the 19th century, Americans had no shortage of options purported to cure what ailed them.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: Sep 09, 2019

Link: https://fortune.com/2019/09/09/google-ads-fake-medical-treatments/

Questions for discussion:

  • What does this article say about attitudes toward new medicinal product development?
  • Do you agree with this sentiment?

Why Volkswagen is betting big on electric

Posted by & filed under Global Marketing, Innovation, Marketing Research, Product Brands and Branding.

Description: History of Volkswagen up to the present.

Source: eMarketer.com – video report

Date: Sep 20, 2019

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/09/19/the-rise-of-volkswagen-and-its-big-bet-on-electric-vehicles.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What marketing advantage does VW have over competitors?
  • How should management deal with the global introduction of electric vehicles?

Altice CEO Is Shaking Up Cell Phone Market: $20 a Month Plan

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

Description: Altice Mobile, which will use the ATT and Sprint’s wireless networks, is offering customers an incredibly low-priced cell phone plan of $20 a month for subscribers. It’s still a good deal at $30 for non-subscribers.

Source: Fortune.com – video report

Date: Sep 06, 2019

Link: https://fortune.com/2019/09/06/altice-ceo-is-shaking-up-cell-phone-market-20-a-month-plan/

Questions for discussion:

  • What is the marketing thinking behind offering a low-cost price point in a very competitive marketplace?
  • Do you think the strategy will succeed?
  • What else can the firm do to grow it’s customer base?