Cable TV ratings are plunging.  Thank goodness for “Big Bang Theory “ reruns as they have boosted ratings for TBS;  AMC is still alive and thriving thanks to “The Walking Dead”, ironic as it may be.   These are among the handful of networks with increased ratings along with the History Channel according to the…

Department store JC Penney is going the way of Walmart, by changing their pricing structure into more of an “everyday low prices” style of marketing model. According to this article from Yahoo Finance, instead of offering hundreds of sales and promotions, JC Penney is trying to adopt a more consistent and predictable pricing structure, with all…

Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet PC has experienced the thrill of downloading apps. These handy little software programs help us navigate our world, play games, connect with friends, save money and unlock the little mysteries of everyday life. But even though there are thousands of apps on the App Store and other app…

I had the privilege years ago of meeting David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue.  I am as impressed today as I was then by JetBlue’s understanding of delivering relevant competitive advantages.  Most airlines deliver next to none, I am sorry to report.  I fly over 100,000 miles each year so I can report from personal experience:…

This year the cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was $3.5 million – up from $3 million the year before. Since 2001, the price of a Super Bowl ad has gone up by 59% (from $2.2 million per 30-second spot). The ever-rising price of a Super Bowl ad is another sign of why it’s wrong…

Can anyone compete with the iPad? The new Kindle Fire, from Amazon, is going to try. Amazon has had success with its eReader, the Kindle, and its Kindle Fire is in full color and priced at only $199, well below the iPad sale price of $499. The Kindle Fire is getting good reviews and analysts are…

Over the past several years, BlackBerry (and its parent company, Research in Motion) seem to have lost their way. It seems that they got carried away with innovation at the expense of what really matters most to the customer’s buying decision. Too often with tech companies, they keep trying to add more technical “bells and…

Recently Yahoo fired its CEO, Carol Bartz. Although the company’s stock price jumped 6% immediately following the announcement, the problems plaguing Yahoo go beyond the choice of chief executive. The biggest challenge facing Yahoo goes to the core of what the company is and what it wants to be: Yahoo has become irrelevant to their…

Amazon is growing its network of distribution centers to match the growing customer demand for faster shipping and a wider array of products. According to a recent article from All Things D (“Amazon Seeks Greater Fulfillment by Adding Distribution Centers”), Amazon is planning to add 9 distribution centers during 2011, with the possibility of building…

According to a recent article in the Economist (“The winning streak: HBO and the future of pay TV”), HBO (Home Box Office) is facing a complex, ever-changing climate, with more innovative competitors than ever before. Even though HBO is critically acclaimed, wildly popular and highly profitable (104 Emmy nominations in 2011, 28 million subscribers, $4…