Coke rolls out premium milk Fairlife as demand for soft drinks slumps

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: NEW YORK — Coke is coming out with premium milk that has more protein and less sugar than regular. And it’s betting people will pay twice as much for it.

Source: FinancialPost.com

Date: Feb 03, 2015

Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2015/02/03/coke-rolls-out-premium-milk-fairlife-as-demand-for-soft-drinks-slumps/

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the arguments that support Coke’s move toward developing these products?
  • Do you think they will succeed?

Pinching Movie Viewers Skip the Theater

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: High ticket prices affect number of movie theater visits

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: Jan 30, 2015

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Penny-Pinching-Movie-Viewers-Skip-Theater/1011939/3#sthash.rUTv0Nf0.dpuf

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does the report say about changing consumer behaviors and the reasons given?
  • Which managers are most affected by these changes in either a positive or negative way?
  • What should managers do with this information as they develop new strategies?

Should startups be buying Super Bowl ads?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Fortune’s Andrew Nusca and Erin Griffith discuss whether buying a $4.5 million commercial spot during this year’s Super Bowl would be worth it for the company.

Source: Fortune.com – video report

Date: Jan 27, 2015

Link: http://for.tn/1zPvdde

Questions for Discussions:

  • Should start-ups be buying Super Bowl advertising in your opinion?
  • What are the implications for managers dealing with strategic planning for rapid growth?

How Kia Benefits From Super Bowl Ad Investment

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Tim Chaney, vice president of marketing at Kia Motors America, discusses the return on investment for the price paid to produce and air an advertisement in this year’s Super Bowl. He speaks on “Market Makers.”

Source: Bloomberg.com – video report

Date: Jan 27, 2015

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-01-27/how-kia-benefits-from-super-bowl-ad-investment

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the special benefits accrued to Super Bowl advertisers?
  • Do you think Super Bowl advertising is worthwhile?
  • Do you think Tim Chaney represented the firm well, from a PR point of view?

Facebook at Work Is Late to the Office

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Facebook is making a play for the office. On Jan. 14 the social network unveiled a corporate version of its website and app, Facebook at Work, which ditches travel pics and kitten videos in favor of memos and project updates.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: Jan 22, 2015

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-22/facebook-at-work-offers-little-new-as-corporate-social-network

Questions for discussion:

  • How does Facebook lend itself to an office work environment?
  • How should management design Facebook for business use by employees?
  • Is there an advantage to user familiarity with the public version of Facebook?
  • Is there any disadvantage or risk to introducing Facebook to a work environment?

Zappos is bringing Uber-like surge pay to the workplace

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: For the online retailer’s call center employees, more caller demand means more pay.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: Jan 28, 2015

Link: http://fortune.com/2015/01/28/zappos-employee-pay/

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the scheduling system.
  • What are the pros and cons of such a system from a managerial point of view?

Using Smartphones and Apps to Enhance Loyalty Programs

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Nearly as long as there have been coffee shops and carwashes, all manner of businesses have handed out buy-10-get-one-free punch cards and hoped to reap the rewards of this simplest of loyalty marketing campaigns. But a new day is dawning.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Jan 28, 2015

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/business/smallbusiness/using-smartphones-and-apps-to-enhance-small-business-loyalty-programs.html?ref=smallbusiness&_r=0

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the advantages of app-based loyalty programs?
  • What concerns should managers have when introducing this technology?

Will Blue Apron kill the grocery store?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Less than 3 years after opening, Blue Apron delivers more than 1 million meals per month to customers across the U.S. Will it kill grocery stores?

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Jan 21, 2015

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/innovationnation/2015/01/21/blue-apron.cnnmoney/

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe Blue Apron’s business model.
  • Do you believe it is sustainable?
  • Who do you think the target customer is for this business?
  • What are the special HR requirements for the business?
  • How can the business present itself as a more socially responsible food distribution company?

Google looks to SpaceX for internet-beaming satellites

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: You know how Facebook wants to provide Internet to everyone on the planet? Well, now Google is looking to give Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies a hefty $1 billion investment to do the same thing.

Source: Fortune.com – video report

Date: Jan 20, 2015

Link: http://for.tn/1Bba4Iq

Questions for Discussions:

  • Is this a good fit for these two firms?
  • What managerial characteristics are common to these firms?
  • Why does it make sense for these two management teams to collaborate on the development of new, expensive and risky technologies?

What Makes An Entrepreneur?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Entrepreneurs have a greater capacity for pain and discomfort than most. They can stay up later, work longer hours, stay more focused and, somehow, are able to set so much aside in deference to their dreams and visions. But there’s so much more that sets them apart.

Source: Fortune.com – video report

Date: Jan 21, 2015

Link: http://onforb.es/1Be9DwX

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the article say about entrepreneurial character and personality?
  • Which characteristic do you think is most important for success of the enterprise?