//www.google.com/trends/embed.js?hl=en-US&q=Twinkies&content=1&cid=TIMESERIES_GRAPH_0&export=5&w=500&h=330 Just looking at this graph for Twinkies from Google search trends, would make any marketer envious and ask- why not my brand? The 82 year old bakery company Hostess Brands had filed for bankruptcy and with failure of negotiations with the Union had decided to close and sell its assets and brands including WonderContinue reading “Twinkies consumer interest zooms:Hostess Brands and Bakery Union ready for mediation”
Category Archives: Culture
Papa John $250 million lawsuit for mobile text ads: how search advertising is different
Papa John is facing a $250 million lawsuit for sending half a million text messages to customers in early 2010 – search marketing would have eliminated this problem. But first, more about the Papa John matter. Text message recipients maintain that they got 16-17 text messages a day, including in the middle of the nightContinue reading “Papa John $250 million lawsuit for mobile text ads: how search advertising is different”
Perfecting your “ground game” in marketing- learning from US Elections
As the US Presidential elections arrive tomorrow (finally) political pundits are unwilling to say which candidate will win as the polls of likely voters are so close. Nevertheless, it does seem that both Democrats and Republicans are going all out tomorrow for what is called the "ground game" or "get out the vote" effort. WhateverContinue reading “Perfecting your “ground game” in marketing- learning from US Elections”
Google Search and the undecided voter in the US Presidential election
Who searches Google? Is the question to ask when we think about the all-important undecided voter, in this US Presidential election. According to Business Insider quoting a study, by Politico and George Washington University, the undecided voter is estimated to be a single Protestant white young women 18-29 years old without a college degree whoContinue reading “Google Search and the undecided voter in the US Presidential election”
Newsweek to close print edition: should you close your bricks business and go all digital?
Newsweek has a print customer base of about 1.5 million;and has decided to go all digital. Should you close your bricks business and go all digital? No,
and here is why from the magazine business that should apply to other
brick/click combo businesses:
[Note: This post is from October 19, 2012 and was updated for formatting and video content on June 4, 2021. The post is of historical interest although several points persist to this day]
Sustainable innovation in the supply chain: over 2 kilos of trash/person/day
According to the EPA in 2010 each person in the US put out Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)- popularly known as garbage/trash equal to 4.43 lb or over 2 kilos per day. If you look at the number of garbage cans on the weekly trash collection days- you know that the number has not decreased andContinue reading “Sustainable innovation in the supply chain: over 2 kilos of trash/person/day”
Best Buy turnaround: CEO Hubert Joly is managing supplier relations and understanding store psychology
The news report that Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly will be working as a salesperson in a Minnesota Best Buy is great news just ahead of the holiday season as is the idea of managing supplier relations for competitive offerings. For Best Buy is in serious trouble with declining same store sales in eight ofContinue reading “Best Buy turnaround: CEO Hubert Joly is managing supplier relations and understanding store psychology”
Apple vs Samsung: the link between innovation,intellectual property and US jobs
Innovation is hard, it needs fanatical dedication and focused innovators like Steve Jobs to come up with blockbuster product ideas like the iPad and iPhone. And although there was one Steve Jobs, he inspired thousands if not millions to try their own stuff. Capturing value from your innovation efforts depends on protection of intellectual propertyContinue reading “Apple vs Samsung: the link between innovation,intellectual property and US jobs”
Campbell’s Soup focuses on millennials with Moroccan Style Chicken Soup
Sounds like Chicken Soup for the soul– but this time the 140 year old Campbell's Soup is trying to reach millennials for whom mere Chicken Soup is not enough. Leading the transformation at Campbell Soup is CEO, Denise Morrisson who had spoken at the Yale Conference last year. Millennials (Gen Y) are far more openContinue reading “Campbell’s Soup focuses on millennials with Moroccan Style Chicken Soup”
Online video gaming becoming free as digital content doesn’t need the gym business model
The gym business model requires a monthly membership fee because there are only so many treadmills and ellipticals. Online video gaming followed the gym model to huge success but things are slowing down because someone who plays multi-player online (MMO) games can really engage in a couple of games and paying a fixed $15 aContinue reading “Online video gaming becoming free as digital content doesn’t need the gym business model”