If you were a fan of Diet Coke’s variations of lime, lemon, mango, orange, and cherry, they have been quietly phased out of stores and online. Questions: 1. When were the products launched? (click on the hyperlink in the article which says: “massive overhaul of Diet Coke”) 2. The move was made to attract millenials…. Read more »
Posts Tagged: Expenses
A Not-for-Profit Billion Dollar Business
As the incident of the recent separation of some 2,300 migrant children from their families unfolded, we learned that the nonprofit, Southwest Key Programs, won more than $1 billion in federal contracts since 2015 to run shelters and/or provide other services to immigrant children in federal custody. Questions: 1. About how many contractors operate more… Read more »
What could go wrong?
General Motors and Volvo have partnered with Amazon to deliver packages to car trunks in 37 U.S. cities, as the e-commerce giant seeks new delivery methods for customers who may be wary of leaving packages outside or allowing couriers into their homes. Questions: 1. What are some of the security concerns? 2. This project follows… Read more »
Flight of the Bumble Bee
According to the Associated Press, U.S. prosecutors filed a criminal charge against the CEO of Bumble Bee Foods as part of an ongoing investigation into price fixing in the packaged seafood industry. Questions: 1. During what period did the firm allegedly conspire with others in the industry to eliminate competition by setting prices for canned… Read more »
Would you rather make a Type 1 or Type 2 Error Regarding the Emergency Room Visit?
Jim Burton thought he was dying after lifting a box in his garage last and feeling a large jolt in his back. When his health insurer, Anthem, refused to pay for his E.R. visit of $1,722, citing that care was not needed right away, Jim learned that Anthem denied thousands of claims last year under… Read more »
Growing your own mystery meat!
According to Reuters, Tyson Foods (TSN.N), the largest U.S. meat processor, has invested in an Israeli biotech company developing a way to grow affordable meat in a laboratory that takes live animals out of the equation. Questions: 1. What does the technology focus on in order to provide the same texture as meat? 2. How… Read more »
Mesh Lawsuits
This New York Times article exposes a growing industry that makes money by coaxing women into having surgery — sometimes unnecessarily — so that they are more lucrative plaintiffs in lawsuits against medical device manufacturers. Questions: 1. What is the role of lawyers in this industry? 2. What is the role of marketers in this… Read more »
Big Bad Pharma
According to the New York Times, Trump administration officials are seeking ways to lower drug costs but target pharmaceutical companies that refuse to provide samples of their products to generic drug companies, making it impossible to create inexpensive generic copies of a brand-name medicine. Questions: 1. Argue both sides of this issue as a good… Read more »
Yummy!
A team of scientists is hard at work behind the scenes to make meat by developing cell lines of various species of animals. Hampton Creek (now called JUST) is among a handful of startups with the goal of bringing “clean meat” and other cultured animal products into the mainstream. Questions: 1. What is the value… Read more »
Amazon can find you
Amazon has patented designs for a wristband to be worn by warehouse employees that can precisely track where they are placing their hands and even use vibrations to nudge them in different directions. Questions: 1. What type of tracking is used? 2. What type of security implications do these bracelets have? 3. What was the… Read more »