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Netflix created a new model for movie rental when it launched in 1999. Five years after establishing the category, Netflix now finding competitors coming at them from all sides. Whether it is Amazon or Blockbuster, trying to protect their equity, or the giant Wal-Mart. Everywhere you turn there...
Some recent and not so recent stories of various levels of importance.Apple's Convenience StoresA shrunken and less nourished version of the Apple Store emergeshttp://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004/oct/14retail.htmlStarbucks Over-Indulges UsThe coffee giant's creative machine finds yet another way...
Category killing mass retailers are often regarded as just catering to a super-mass audience, with the perception that they offer the same thing to everyone. That's starting to change according to recent initiatives from both Best Buy and Home Depot.Best Buy has been the most aggressive, launching...
Howies clothing company is the brainchild of an ex-advertising creative and his wife. A business where the main motive is the communication of values, rather than making money. Howies make clothing for the extreme sports crowd and have adopted an approach similar to Patagonia: they use organic...
There's a new generation of British entrepreneurs who have a new way of looking at a company and how it markets. As Generation Xers, their view has been shaped by how they see the world and the impact marketing has had on their lives. Innocent Drinks and Howies (a clothing company) have had...
Perhaps it's time to re-consider the marketing viability of Seniors. An article in the latest issue of Newsweek highlights the trend for seniors to return to urban centers after years in the suburbs. It suggests that seniors desire to not only remain active citizens, but also consumers. Simply,...
We are just starting to learn how powerful a force the Internet is in displacing traditional structures and forms. One idea is that the value of media (films, books, music) that exists outside the mainstream is greater than the mainstream has long been understood; the problem has been tapping it....
In a very logical move, hotel owners are looking to imitate Jet Blue's approach; providing value with added features. Hotel Indigo is an example from Intercontinental that has recently opened in Atlanta. The idea is to court the type of consumer who is willing to pay $1.50 for a coffee from...
The UK's Easy Group is getting ready to launch a new wireless service and it's not wireless as usual. EasyMobile will function as a virtual company that will only sell SIM cards and airtime that it buys in bulk. It won't give away free phones, has no towers and can pass all the cost savings on to...
The mutual fund industry appears to be in some kind of turmoil. Recent legislation forced it to become more accountable by placing the microscope firmly on fees. With every player so keen to impress the consumer and the regulator, recent advertising looks like a bargain sale at your local...
In recent weeks, brands have been entering interesting categories that they've never really belonged to.Specifically; HP launched an iPod, so did Damon Dash and both Sears and Best Buy launched private label ranges of consumer electronics. Gizmodo articleInterestingly, all these developments have...
Nirmalya Kumar, Professor of Marketing at the London Business School, believes that Chief Marketing Officers need to transform their roles if they wish to remain relevant to the organization. He cites slow sales growth in developed markets and the consequent reduction in promotional budgets as the...
Convenience is such an obvious trend. But these days, it underlines nearly every marketing development. It's a trend that isn't going away and one against which retail brands need to continue to innovate. The Internet is helping, but there are also emerging developments and innovations in brick...
Is it possible to look at the automotive industry a different way? By first examining existing cost structures, financing systems and customer lifetime value and by coming up with a new model, AT Kearney has "invented" a new virtual car brand. By ripping apart the industry, they found a way to...
The everyday athlete now has access to a veritable array of interesting technological gadgets: from heart rate monitors, chronographs, through to tiny MP3 players. Earlier in the year, Wired asked a number of design studios to imagine technologies for 2014. Studio Mod examined a number of future...