Marketing Currents is a weekly current events news service that highlights unique and relevant business and marketing campaigns throughout the school year. The questions provided for student discussion will help to create a bridge between industry strategies/trends and the topics you are covering in class.
A lot of people showed up for the opening of the first physical MrBeast Burger restaurant—so many, in fact, that the brand is now putting out feelers on the possibility of franchising. Click here to read the story at restaurantbusinessonline.com. Discussion Questions: Who is MrBeast? What is entrepreneurship? Is MrBeast Read more…
Ethereum will switch to “Proof of Stake” in a move expected to reduce the blockchain’s energy use by 99.95% Click here to read the story at billboard.com. Discussion Questions: What is cryptocurrency? Who is Ethereum? What is ‘the merge’ (as described in this news story)? Why is this considered a Read more…
Starbucks investor day — the widely anticipated annual event that was expected to usher in a new era of leadership and give details on the company’s teased reinvention plan — started with an introduction of a new beverage and ended the morning session with the discussion of store growth. Click Read more…
Patagonia has a new owner –– Earth. Yvon Chouinard – the founder of the well-known outdoor retailer – announced via an open letter on the company’s website that he and his family have given away Patagonia to a non-profit organization and specially developed trust to help combat climate change. Patagonia is worth Read more…
RH, previously Restoration Hardware, joined the hotel industry this week. Click here to read the story at foxbusiness.com. Discussion Questions: What type of business is Restoration Hardware? What is a brand? What is brand extension? How might Restoration Hardware opening a hotel represent an example of brand extension? What is positioning? Based Read more…
GM’s latest bid to ramp up U.S. EV sales and surpass rival Tesla is a $30,000 all-electric SUV aimed squarely at the mass market. Click here to read the story at techcrunch.com. Discussion Questions: What is pricing? Why is price such an important part of the marketing mix? What factors influence Read more…
Pinterest tallies 25 million travel Pinners and more than 63 million people engaging with travel content worldwide every month, and the financial giant and hotel colossus wanted to reach travelers on a platform where they seek inspiration. Click here to read the story at adweek.com. Discussion Questions: What is promotion? Read more…
In the summer of 2021, popular Chinese-American chain Panda Express partnered with alternative meat producer Beyond Meat for a plant-based version of its popular Original Orange Chicken. Click here to read the story at thestreet.com. Discussion Questions: Why would Panda Express want to offer a plant-based version of its orange chicken menu item? What is a Read more…
Kellogg’s wants you to add water to its new cereal. Really. The company’s new “instabowls” look like traditional single-serve bowls — little tubs of cereal, designed to be eaten dry or with milk. Click here to read the story at cnn.com. Discussion Questions: Based on information from this story, describe Kellogg’s new Read more…
Steve Jobs famously induced John Sculley to quit his job at Pepsi and become the CEO of Apple by asking him if he wanted to keep selling sugar water or if he wanted to change the world. Click here to read the story at macworld.com. Discussion Questions: What is innovation? Read more…