Valued at billions of dollars, Starbucks has developed a global brand that added to what the Starbucks name was worth to Nestlé.…
The Unusual Ad That Sells Washing Machines
Samsung’s washing machine competition demonstrates typical oligopoly behavior through a 66 minute ad that stars red socks.…
A Closer Look at the Digitization in Our Lives
Recorded music used to start with a label and an artist. The production process was expensive because of the skilled technicians and the sophisticated equipment. Add to that a music video, the physica…
Why We Like Trix and Chips
When General Mills switched to an all natural Trix, the response was not quite what they expected. One mom said, “My kids find the color of the new Trix cereal quite depressing.” Another Trix lover co…
Why We Buy Our iPhones
With its newest and priciest product launch, Apple has made iPhone conspicuous consumption the reason to buy their phone.…
Looking at the Southwest Effect
Sometimes invisible, the Southwest Effect has influenced air fares and air traffic since the 1970s when Southwest was a small Texas carrier.…
Why UPS and FedEx Have the Prisoners’ Dilemma
Planning their surcharge policy for the holiday shipping surge, UPS and FedEx each was influenced by the Prisoners’ Dilemma.…
Why the Greek Yogurt Invasion Was More Than Yoplait’s War
The story of Yoplait’s unsuccessful battle against a Greek Yogurt invasion is really about a war that old food brands are fighting.…
The Mystery of the Footlong Sandwich’s Missing Inch
When a Subway footlong is 11 inches and a box of Whoppers is half full, we can ask about the lawsuits that tried to remedy their misleading packaging.…
Why a Super Bowl Ad Can Cost $5 Million
Perfect for brands like Snickers and Bud Light, $5 million Super Bowl ads have the audience and the hype that lets large firms share a distinct message.…