Ben Mcconnell buys a Powerbook on Michigan Avenue and blogs about the “experiential” marketing…
Category: Business
Delight Your Customer – Steve’s Liquor (Wine Market)
Several weeks ago, I tried a bottle of Domaine Sauvete’s Touraine, a $9.99 “Poor Man’s Sancerre” at Steve’s Wine Market.
The results were pleasant.
I made a return trip this weekend, hoping to buy a case (1 bottle free). Unfortunately, Steve’s had just 3 bottle’s left. Knowing how to delight a customer, they provided me with a 10% discount anyway.
Strategic Failure: HP & AT&T
It is interesting to note that groups of technologists within AT&T were accurately forecasting the future. A few groups formed to deal with new developments and even attempted to influence the decision makers. Probably the most interesting was ODD *- I wasn’t directly associated with it, but know most of its former members.
A friend who happens to be one of the ODDsters, Amy Muller, co-authored a brief history on the group and AT&T’s strategic failure. (pdf) read it
Interesting Reading… Via Lessig
KCRW (Public Radio) starts Podcasting
Setting a great example for all other public radio stations, Santa Monica College’s KCRW will launch Podcasts of their programs (mp3 files easily passed around, linked to and played back by the millions of mp3/iPod type players in use today). KCRW is an excellent source for interesting music and programs, via mp3 internet streams.
I’ve seen no change in Wisconsin Public Radio’s audio content. They would be much better off, as would the listeners and contributors if they provided all local content in easy to use mp3 files (they currently have real audio streams which require the listener to be connected to the internet while listening).
Rebecca Ryan is speaking Tuesday night (3/1) at the Overture Center on whether Madison has what it takes to play in the New Economy (Two bad signs: no public radio podcasts and no wi-fi at the airport, actually, there’s a 3rd, we continue to let Kenton Peters inflict his metal buildings on us….). While these two issues require attention, the larger problem we have is a low business risk culture. Sort of strange, given that the Wisconsin economy was grown by many, many entrepreneurs who built agricultural and manufacturing businesses 50, 70 and 100 years ago.
What are podcasts? Click here to find out.
MBA’s Bad for Business?
But just as the market value of an MBA is reviving, its academic credibility is being attacked. In a forthcoming article to be published posthumously in Academy of Management Learning & Education, Sumantra Ghoshal argues that many of the ?worst excesses of recent management practices have their roots in a set of ideas that have emerged from business-school academics over the last 30 years.?
A Conversation with Warren Buffet
Darren Johnson shares a rather interesting chat with Warren Buffett.
Classic Product Line Extensions: Diet Coke & Tide
Bruce Mohl on the ongoing effort to trade on well known brand names:
Two huge consumer brands have been busy cloning themselves.
Procter & Gamble Co. rolled out a cold-water version of its blockbuster Tide laundry detergent earlier this month. Coca-Cola Co., meanwhile, unveiled plans to start selling a seventh version of Diet Coke, this time sweetened with Splenda instead of aspartame
City Dwellers Plow Money into Farmland
Stephanie Simon takes a look at the city “slickers”/dwellers who are buying up farmland as an investment and renting it back to traditional farmers:
Seeking steady, secure investments to round out their portfolios, big-city investors are increasingly buying Midwest farmland, spending $100,000 to $500,000 per field.
Many hire professional farm managers to maximize their profits. The managers, in turn, hire farmers like Wyant — sometimes offering them a stake in the crop but often paying them by the hour (or the acre), like a hired hand.
More on Monopoly Utilities
Some Californians are trying to “unplug” from the state’s major utility, PG & E. Lower costs (though there’s some dispute about that) are the motivator according to David Baker.
Fascinating Game of Poker: Air Wisconsin Invests in US Airways
Appleton based regional carrier Air Wisconsin (which operates much of United Express’s routes) has participated in a $125M investment round with US Airways. Fascinating game of poker as Air Wisconsin renegotiates it’s deal with United and a rather interesting gamble. I wish them luck!
Keep in mind that Air Wisconsin currently has one (!) customer – United Airlines. United is shopping around for a better deal on regional flights (in effect, squeezing Air Wisconsin). Air Wisconsin does not, or did not have much leverage, other than price. This deal creates a different playing field for Air Wisconsin and United…