Description: Pfizer (U.S.-based company) will merge with Allergan (Irish-based company) in a $160 billion mega-merger. This is the biggest deal ever in the Pharmaceutical industry. The deal involves Allergan taking over Pfizer – this is being termed as an ‘inversion’ deal. Source: CBC Date: November 23, 2015 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2679340898 Questions for Discussion: What is an inversion… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Change Strategies (pp279-281)
TV cable viewership on the decline
Description: With viewers increasingly opting for streaming online content, the sale of cable to Canadian households have dropped substantially. Source: CBC Date: July 27, 2015 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2672532144/ Questions for Discussion: Discuss the factors causing the drop in Cable sales. What benefits do online streaming offer to viewers? What are potential drawbacks of online streaming?
Subway spiraling downwards
Description: Once the undisputed market leader in healthy food alternatives, Subway has been loosing ground to its competitors—both old and new. Subway’s U.S. sales have fallen faster than any other of America’s top 25 food chains. Source: New York Times Date: June 03, 2015 Text Link: http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/the-rise-and-fall-of-subway-how-the-worlds-biggest-food-chain-lost-its-fresh-appeal Questions for Discussion: Discuss the rise and… Read more »
Will you pay for videos on YouTube?
Description: Reports have emerged that Google’s video-streaming site, YouTube, is in the process of launching a monthly subscription service. Buoyed by success of Netflix, YouTube may also try to get consumers to spend money for creative content on Internet. Source: CBC Date: April 12, 2015 Text Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/paying-for-youtube-the-next-experiment-in-the-tv-revolution-1.3028271 Questions for Discussion: Will you pay for… Read more »
Shoppers including fresh food in its stores
Description: In a pilot project across Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart has started to include a broad new range of fresh food in its stores. This comes after Loblaw’s acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart last year and may well signal a strategic change for the drug giant. Source: Financial Post Date: February 06, 2015 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2015/02/06/shoppers-drug-mart-prescription-for-food/ Questions… Read more »
Rebranding of Second Cup
Description: Second Cup is facing increased competition from Starbucks, Tim Hortons and McDonald’s in the café market, and over the last few years has been losing market share. In an effort to regain their market share, Second Cup are rebranding their stores in Canada. Source: CBC Date: December 04, 2014 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2625880352/ Questions for Discussion: Discuss… Read more »
BlackBerry’s Passport Demand Exceeding Expectations
Description: BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen says that the shortage of Passport suggests that the demand for Passport is exceeding expectations. Source: BNN Date: October 17, 2014 Video Link: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2014/10/17/BlackBerry-CEO-says-Passport-demand-exceeding-expectations-.aspx Questions for Discussion: Compare and contrast BlackBerry’s marketing strategy for Passport with that of Apple’s iPhone 6? What are the sort of consumers that BlackBerry focuses… Read more »
Staples closes 15 stores in Canada
Description: In yet another setback for the retail sector, Staples Canada has closed 15 stores across Canada. As with Grand & Toy and Office Depot, Staples seems to be losing out to online companies such as Amazon.com. Source: BNN Date: October 01, 2014 Video Link: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2014/10/1/Staples-closes-15-stores-in-Canada.aspx Questions for Discussion: Will Staples too end up like… Read more »
Staples to close 255 stores in the U.S. and Canada
Description: Unable to compete against online sales, Staples, the largest U.S. office-supply retailer, will close up to 225 stores in North America. This is an effort to cut costs by $500 million by 2015—Staples hopes that it will make the company more efficient. Source: CBC Date: March 06, 2014 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/staples-to-close-225-stores-in-u-s-canada-1.2562302 Questions for Discussion: Discuss… Read more »
Ten major pharmaceutical companies to collaborate
Description: Ten major pharmaceutical companies have decided to collaborate under the guidance of National Institute of Health to develop new drugs for major diseases. This is a major departure from the way pharmaceutical companies have traditionally worked. Source: CBC Date: Feb 04, 2014 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2434950263/ Questions for Discussion: List the benefits of such a collaboration?… Read more »
