Starbucks to Close 500 More Locations:
By patmcgraw | July 5, 2008
Print This Post
|
Email This Post
A remarkable 70% of the stores due to close were opened after 2005, which seems to confirm the comment made by Howard Schultz, when he returned to the helm of the company in January, that most of Starbucks’ wounds were self-inflicted. As it expanded at a breakneck pace, the company opened too many Starbucks in subprime locations. But the deteriorating American economy is doing further damage. As a premium-priced supplier, Starbucks is suffering from the same trading down that is sending shoppers rushing from Target to Wal-Mart. McDonald’s, it seems, has perfectly timed its decision to start selling coffee that is pleasant to drink.
Source: The Economist
Note from Pat: Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Topics: Economy, Marketing, Strategy | No Comments »
Volkswagen to Make Limited Edition of 1-Liter Car (282 MPG!) in 2010
By TreeHugger | July 3, 2008
Print This Post
|
Email This Post
VW's 282 MPG Super Fuel Efficient Car
The 1-Liter car has been around in prototype form since 2002 and greens everywhere have been drooling at its 282 miles per gallon fuel economy (or 1 liter of gasoline per 100 kilometers, hence the name). VW has finally decided to make more and sell them, and a limited edition (estimated in the thousands) should start selling in 2010.
1-Liter Car Technical Specs
The One-Liter car (or 1-Litre, over in Europe) weights only 660 pounds. The body is made from carbon composites and it is shaped to be extremely slippery, giving it a coefficient of drag of only 0.16 ("the average car comes in around 0.30 and the Honda Insight had a Cd of 0.25"). The prototype was powered by a 1-cylinder diesel engine, but the production model should have a 2-cylinder diesel (which means it could be powered by algae-biodiesel!), and maybe even a stop-start anti-idling feature (to cut the engine when the car is stopped).
Source: Treehugger.com
Topics: Innovation, Social Impact, Strategy | No Comments »
Back to the Future of Federated Identity?
By Ed Kountz | July 3, 2008
Print This Post
|
Email This Post
Topics: Customer Experience, Ethics, Innovation, Multichannel Retail/Ecommerce | No Comments »
Paul Williams: How to Be Different: Offer ‘Dramatic Difference’
By Marketing Profs Daily Fix | July 3, 2008
Print This Post
|
Email This Post
Who:
Doug Hall Inventor, author, consultant, and judge on the the ABC television network show "American Inventor."What:
"Dramatic Difference"What is it?:
How is it done?:
Doug's Three Steps to Successful Marketing Step 1 - Overt Benefit: "What's In It For Me?" - Articulate the benefits of your product/service (not the features). Customers won't necessarily know how to translate your features into their benefits. Step 2 - REAL Reason to Believe: "Why should I believe you?" -- ...offer the benefit?
- ...solve this specific problem?
- ...offer a COMBINATION of benefits?
- ...offer TRUE REASON TO BELIEVE?
- ...offer customers this level of VALUE?
Topics: Customer Experience, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy | No Comments »