Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced on Thursday, August 18 that it is taking its heavily-touted TouchPad tablet PC offer the market, only 2 months after it was launched, and that it plans to get out of the PC business altogether. (CNNMoney, “HP kills TouchPad, looks to exit PC business,” Aug. 18, 2011) This is a rather shocking, humbling…
Most of us have now become familiar with the popular slogan of ‘too big to fail’. However, have you ever heard the phrase ‘too big to care’? Thankfully Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider and home internet service provider, provides an exemplary case study in this new and often disheartening phenomenon. The success of Comcast’s…
Americans spend over $13 billion per year getting new tires for their cars, but unlike many other retail fields, Internet research is less important in the decision of which brand to buy. Instead of looking online, most buyers rely on “the tire guy” at the tire store to recommend the right brand and model of…
The fast food industry has a reputation for customer service that is unremarkable at best, sullen at worst. Most fast food cashiers and service staff often seem tired, distracted, indifferent, impatient or even a bit rude – but customers usually don’t mind, because they aren’t there for five-star service, they’re there for a quick, low-cost…
McDonald’s Happy Meals have been a rite of passage for generations of American kids, with fries, burgers, colorful packaging and a special toy inside. But with the growing public debate about childhood obesity and nutrition, and concern that fast food meals are causing costly health problems like diabetes, many parents have been wondering if a…
Not long ago, Netflix was the darling of the movie rental industry, changing the way that people get access to movies through their innovative on-demand streaming service and their distinctive red DVD mailing envelopes. Then on July 13, Netflix suddenly announced that it was raising the prices of its movie rental plans, including a 60%…
Attending a summer camp has been a rite of passage for generations of American kids. Even if you haven’t been to camp, you’ve seen the iconic imagery on TV and movies – singing songs around the campfire, toasting marshmallows, hiking in the woods, swimming and canoeing in the lake, bonding with new friends and learning…
When you think of fast food restaurants, what is the first idea or image that comes to mind? McDonald’s has its Big Mac, Golden Arches and “billions and billions served.” Burger King has its memorable (if questionably effective) “King mask” TV ads. Subway has its long-time spokesman, Jared, who successfully slimmed down to a healthy…
According to recent news reports, BMW is going to be the next big automotive brand to introduce an electric car. The BMW electric vehicle will be known as the ActiveE, it will have 170 horsepower, go 100 miles per charge, and will be 100% electric, using no petroleum. This is a big step for BMW, which…
Twitter, the online service where people can post short, 140 character public messages (“tweets”) has been one of the biggest media darlings of recent years. But is Twitter’s growth going too far? The site claims to have 200 million users, but how many of them are actively using it as part of their daily lives?…
