Norovirus, salmonella, and E. Coli outbreaks during 2015 at fresh food restaurants run by Chipotle have cost a huge loss of business. However, in mid-February, the chain plans a strategic marketing campaign aimed at trying to bring these customers back. Questions: 1. By how much did comparable restaurant sales fall in the fourth quarter of… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Advertising Expenses
Want to open a franchise?
Because Papa John’s is trying to recruit franchisees for new restaurant growth, it is offering enormous discounts to potential U.S. operators. Based on the information in the article, Papa John’s says the incentive package is worth roughly $60,000. Questions: 1. What are the fees that Papa John’s is temporarily waiving? 2. Using the minimum investment… Read more »
All Day Breakfast
In an email to franchisees, McDonald’s US President Mike Andres called the all-day breakfast launch a success. However, this article points to a survey of U.S. franchisees that disagree. Questions: 1. Why are McDonald’s franchisees saying that the all-day breakfast launch has been a nightmare? List the reasons and rank them according to your opinion… Read more »
An Expensive Glitch
On April 24, a computer outage hit 7,000 U.S. Starbuck’s company-owned stores and 1,000 Canadian company-owned Starbuck’s locations. The outage was resolved Friday night after several hours. Questions: 1. Did all locations deal with the problem in the same way? What did they do? 2. Why do you think that the outage did not affect… Read more »
Are you getting what is advertised?
Four major retailers were accused by the New York State attorney general’s office of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements. The attorney general demanded that they remove the products from their shelves. Questions: 1. Who were the four national retailers? 2. What were the results of tests performed on the supplements? 3. In summary,… Read more »
The Dirty Little Secret of “Cramming!”
On July 1, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused wireless carrier T-Mobile of adding bogus charges to customers’ accounts without their consent, in U.S. District Court. Questions: 1. How long did T-Mobile use the practice of “cramming” on customer mobile phone bills and what is the estimated amount of the total fraudulent charges? 2…. Read more »
Mmmmmmmmm! But watch out for the Mac & Cheese!
Some are calling this the new “Cheeseapocalypse” as Kraft Foods Group recalls 260 cases of Velveeta sold to Walmart because the batches lack enough preservatives and could “spoil prematurely and/or lead to food borne illness.” Questions: 1. What states are affected by the recall? 2. What ingredient is causing the recall? 3. What types of… Read more »
Can you beat Nate Silver?
ESPN’s Nate Silver went on Sportscenter this morning and revealed his favorites for the Final Four. The prediction: • Louisville (#4 seed, Midwest region) • Florida (#1 seed, South region) • Arizona (#1 seed, West region) • Michigan State (#4 seed, East region) These are the favorites in each region according to Silver’s statistical model…. Read more »
What is a Super Bowl Ad Worth?
Derek Thompson presents evidence on both sides of the debate about whether Super Bowl ads are a waste of money or worthwhile advertising venues. Questions: 1. Rather than the price you pay for the advertisement, what does Mr. Thompson say that Super Bowl advertising is all about? 2. What is this year’s Super Bowl ads… Read more »
A Cost Benefit Analysis of Super Bowl Commercials
Advertisers paid up to $4 million for a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl. This article examines the Go Daddy spot and the potential cost effectiveness of the company’s Super Bowl ads. Questions: 1. According to the article, how many customers does it take to break even and what amount on average must they spend?… Read more »