Walmart Joins Amazon in Chase for Ad Dollars

Walmart Joins Amazon in Chase for Ad Dollars

     Most of the retail stores have started using internet to compete against online shopping websites, for example: Amazon, OfferUp, and etc. Nowadays people prefer to shop online rather than going to the malls and spend time in lines, and just wasting time on roads. And in this area of business, no one can compete against Amazon. It is the largest online advertising market, which Walmart wants to achieve that level of marketing.

     Walmart has started to set up ads, and there people would look for items that they want to purchase by clicking the ads. Instead of going physically, now customers can see the products or even buy them online.

     Walmart tried several years ago to move into the online ad market but didn’t make much of dent. Now, after a major push into e-commerce, Chief Executive Doug McMillon is making a renewed effort to build an ad business that can challenge Amazon for more of brands’ marketing budgets.

     Personally, I have clicked many ads in YouTube and Instagram based on their advertisement, and made some purchases. Honestly, after all of those purchases, I really like to shop online.  



https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-joins-amazon-in-chase-for-ad-dollars-11551200400

The End of Xbox?

In the fantastic world of gaming, it’s return of king and the final sign that the end of an era is coming. Earlier this month, Microsoft confirmed that for the first time it’s biggest, most exclusive title, Halo, will be making the port over to PC. While many Halo fans rejoice at this news, we are also given pause by Microsoft’s other announcement: The end of the Xbox.

    Following the company’s announcement of the PC port for their Halo titles, also came the company’s honest moment with fans both old and young: The Xbox, and indeed, console gaming, is on a clock, and every moment ticks down closer to the next generation. So as the largest sci-fi shooter ever launched returns to the hands of it’s fans old and young, we are also forced to mourn the console that gave us so many brilliant memories playing it. Then we must ask ourselves, “WHy is MIcrosoft doing this, and what comes next?”

    Well, the answer is simple. When the Xbox 360 was launched a golden age of gaming and games came with it. Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Blacks Ops, and so many more games were published for those consoles and made many miniscule studios into giants overnight. However, when the next generation of console came and the Xbox One was faced with the PS4, it was clear whom had won. Microsoft stopped publicly reporting Xbox One sales several years ago now, and the user base has continually shrunk. Many of the older gamers “graduated” to the PC, or traded in their Xbox Ones for the superior PS4. The Titan that was Xbox fell, and with it so did a generation of gaming. It’s been clear that with Microsoft’s announcement of a port for their biggest title to PC they want to get up off the floor and leap back into the multi-billion dollar industry, but what does that look like? What comes next that will let them do this?

    Well, Microsoft already has an “in” on the biggest gaming platform of all, the PC. Many of the former fans of the Xbox elected to use the PC following the release of the Xbox One, and it’s easy to see why. More games, more modular options for games and the PC itself, and a community that spans more of the world than any other network of gamers. Valve’s Steam, Epic Games new marketplace, as well as EA’s Origin marketplace have made the PC into the most versatile gaming platform ever. Want a game from the 90’s? Done. Want one of the new A-List titles? Done. The only thing the consoles have over the PC is one or two exclusive titles that they pay through the nose for. Microsoft though is the maker of windows, the PC’s OS, and therefore benefits from every PC sale on the planet.

    With that said, Microsoft is looking to bring PC’s more titles, focusing less on console development and more on content creation, giving gamers more content to play. Their acquisition of titles like Halo, Forza, and more indicate this transition is coming, especially since they have definitely said that the next generation of Xbox console will be the last until further notice. Additionally, as the makers of the largest platform on the planet, by focusing on the PC platform they can work to bridge the gaps between console and PC to make platform irrelevant, either by streaming or by some other means, to where a person can play anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.

    So console gaming may be coming to an end, but gaming itself goes on to an exciting new future, one where platform is irrelevant, and the games are all that matter.

Floods Deal a New Blow to the Farm Belt

Floods Deal a New Blow to the Farm Belt

Floods have large social consequences for communities and individuals. As most people are well aware, the immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases. There are two types of effects of flooding. The first being the primary effects where there is loss of lives, building and other structures are damaged, and the secondary effect is economic, psychological damages. Over the past hundred years no other natural disaster in the U.S. has caused more death and destruction than floods. They can happen anyplace any day anytime and they will likely get worse. As people cluster around coastal regions and flood plains our growing population will confront the awesome power of water. For thousands of years farmers have depended on seasonal floods. The water's irrigated their crops and fertilized their lands. Today excess water is channeled in to reservoirs and power hydroelectric dams, but when water levels rise suddenly far more than the ground can absorb a flood occurs. Flash floods are a perfect example of sudden storms unleashed torrential downpour. The runoff moves with surprising force at a depth of two feet the water can push aside a car. In fact half of all deaths from flash floods and power vehicles.

Second HIV Patient May Be Cured After Stem-Cell Transplant

Second HIV Patient May Be Cured After Stem-Cell Transplant

New case involving London man provides new impetus to develop treatments based on transplants

There is not a known cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, a man from London might actually be the second person to overcome this disease that causes AIDS. He received a stem-cell transplant from a donor who was genetically resistant to HIV. After three years after the transplant, tests showed that he had no detectable amounts of the virus. This was due to a mutation of the CCR5 gene, which prevents HIV infection.

This case provides information to develop treatments based on the transplants. Researchers have tried to cure more patients in the following years. However, they were not successful.

Scientists continue to find a cure for HIV. About 37 million people are infected by this virus. This approach cannot be applied to this many people because it is both risky and costly. The reason they did a transplant on this man was because he had leukemia and needed the transplant. Other patients have been using experimental treatments and have stopped HIV medication, but their infections came back.

I chose this article because I like science and I find it very interesting. Diseases are very difficult to understand, and researchers work hard to find solutions. To understand pathologies, we must know how things work under normal circumstances. This paper can be related to marketing concepts because if the researchers find a cure/solution to HIV, they can begin marketing their product to the public and help those who suffer from this infection.

By Betsy McKay

March 4, 2019 10:57 p.m. ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/london-man-may-be-cured-of-hiv-after-stem-cell-transplant-researchers-say-11551746867

Trump Administration Proposes Borrowing Limits for Some Student Loans

With the rise of student debt doubling the government is starting to notice that the cost of school is costing student more than what their future salary will provide them. Since there is no cap on how much/many loans a student can get, the cost of tuition is exponentially higher than what there degree is even worth. Democrats are opposed of this bill stating that this will hurt those who can not grab private loans. However, this bill's aim is to help curve the cost of the tuition that colleges are charging their students. Since their is no cap on how many loans a Graduate student can take and parents of undergrad students, colleges are starting to charge higher for their tuition costs.

Graduate student are the ones being the most effected by these high tuition costs, stating that their tuition is twice the amount of undergraduate. This cap on loans will effect the marketing techniques college's have. Colleges/Universities will have to honor the cap that the government will make on loans. This cap will effect the brand that Universities/colleges have, this can be either positive or negative. But the schools can take this as an advantage to lower their tuition to attract more students or leave their tuition the same and most likely have student leave and leaving their school's name bad.










https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-proposes-borrowing-limits-for-some-student-loans-11552942437?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1 

Shell Boosts Bet on North American LNG Exports

        Shell Boosts Bet on North American LNG Exports 

Royal Dutch Shell and Energy Transfer stated that they are making plans to convert a liquefied-natural-gas import facility in Louisiana (Lake Charles) to an export terminal.  By doing this, many are expecting the future of U.S. shale gas lines to sell for higher prices in overseas markets.  Together, the two companies recently put contracts out for bid to engineers and construction companies to reconfigure Energy Transfer's existing import facility in Lake Charles.  The proposed facility brought to the table would have the capacity to ship 16.5 million tons of U.S. natural gas per year.  Shell's director of integrated gas and new energies, Maarten Wetselaar, believes the best way to find the proper location for this facility, is "to go out to tender and get a price that someone is willing to commit to."  This decision has become a strong desire due to the prolonged period of low natural-gas prices in the U.S.  The futures for April recently came out, stating the price at $2.755 per million British thermal units.  Although this is up 5% from a year ago, it is still low enough to put financial pressure on the producers that have flooded the domestic market with shale gas in recent years.  Both Shell and Energy Transfer own equal economic stakes in the Lake Charles project, which was built when many believed the U.S. was running low on gas and would rely on imports.  The partners will soon decide on whether to make this significant move, however, the challenge comes from the amount of people needing to be hired,in order to make this successful.  It has been estimated that nearly 5,000 workers will need to be hired between the two companies to build the export facility.  It is also evident that this task may be hard to accomplish, as competitors Exxon Mobil and Qatar Petroleum have announced they will build a rival export terminal nearby in Texas.  Mr. Wetselaar still feels confident that Shell and Energy Transfer "have advantages over competitors because much of the necessary infrastructure has already been built."  U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports have surged since early 2016.  China has recently emerged as a key buyer of U.S. gas as the country combats air pollution by replacing coal-fired power plants with those that produce electricity from cleaner inputs, such as natural gas, wind and solar.  Last year, Shell accounted for nearly a quarter of all LNG sold globally and has already partnered with several large Asian investors to build a $30 billion LNG export facility in British Columbia, which will gather and transport gas from western Canada to markets abroad.  With the experience both Shell and Energy Transfer have, not only with export facilities, but also with investors abroad, the future is bright and with Shell's recent $50 billion purchase of BG Group PLC, a major player in LNG markets, this Lake Charles project is only one of many to come.

This article relates to the marketing concept because it is focusing on how two major partners in the oil and gas industry, Shell and Energy Transfer, are expanding their target market and segmenting to different areas.  Shell currently has LNG plants in many different countries around the world, however, the article is explaining that they are segmenting to even more parts of the world.  From going to British Columbia, to Lake Charles, to possibly China, the company is drastically expanding its target market.  In doing so, Shell is observing its external market environment, which is why the company has made significant deals, such as purchasing the BG Group PLC, as well as an export facility which will gather and transport gas from western Canada to markets abroad.  Furthermore, before starting their most recent project in Lake Charles Louisiana, Shell compared their situation to those of their competitors.  In comparison to Exxon Mobil and Qatar Petroleum, Shell understood they had a significant advantage due to necessary infrastructure already being built.  By taking into account all of this consequential information, Shell, along with Energy Transfer, has positioned themselves into another success pit where they can once again persevere in dominating the oil and gas industry.

I chose this particular article because the oil and gas industry has always fascinated me.  Not only does this industry lead to endless amounts of success for our economy, but the products made are used in so many things that we use on a daily basis.  For years, I have followed many of the different oil companies in striving to determine which one has the best products.  I have enjoyed comparing the products of each company and being able to witness the advantages and disadvantages of each.  This industry is essential, to not only our economy, but also our country.  This is one of the many sectors the United States strongly leads in and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the many companies in this industry.


Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/shell-boosts-bet-on-north-american-lng-exports-11553534641

Walmart Builds a Secret Weapon to Battle Amazon for Retail’s Future

The world’s largest retailer is using Jetblack, a money-losing personal-shopping service, to develop artificial intelligence to compete with e-commerce giant Amazon. 

Jetblack is a personal-shopping company targeted at mothers launched last summer by a surprising newcomer to the field: Walmart Inc. A few shoppers in New York City pay approximately $600 a year to order anything by text message with the exception of fresh food. All these members were either invited by Walmart or referred by a current member, and need to have doorman to join. Their orders basically go to the headquarters of Jetblack where dozens of agents sit behind a computer screen and start the ordering process and field requests, from reordering diapers to making different suggestions such as high-end cribs, organic snacks and yoga attire. 

It’s a labor-intensive operation that loses money. But making money isn’t the goal, at least not right away.

Walmart executives are betting the upstart becomes a powerful weapon in an escalating technological  ground war with Amazon.com Inc, as the the two companies battle over shoppers who are making all sorts of purchases online. Walmart is considered to be bigger in sales overall, but still the underdog in online sales, and is currently fighting for a larger presence. 

Walmart is competing with Amazon, Walmart is currently the world's biggest retailer by revenue, with $514 billion in annual sales, but e-commerce makes up only a small percentage. 

Jetblack is a small piece of Walmart's online investments, but it is one of the biggest gambles Walmart is making to attract wealthy shoppers and burnish its tech credentials. 

I chose this specific article because I find very strategic what Walmart is doing, this new investment seems to be successful so far and definitely a competitive project to Amazon. Walmart is known worldwide and its revenue is the largest in the retail field, their new investment is definitely going to make them grow bigger in the online world. This article relates to marketing because of the strategies that Walmart is using to promote their online sales. They are promoting their sales through another company where its members have to either be invited by Walmart or referred by a current member so this gives them more publicity.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-builds-a-secret-weapon-to-battle-amazon-for-retails-future-11553181810 

New Media-Based Services from Apple

This past Monday Apple was expected to reveal several new services, and many analysts are speculating that it will positively boost Apple's bottom line. According to the article, the stock has already increased 24% since the beginning of 2019. One of the services includes a feature on AppleTV that will allow the user to bundle other streaming services. It also plans to reveal original Apple shows that they have been financially backing.

This applies to our class, because Apple is constantly coming up with new ways to expand its service revenue. According to the article, iPhone sales are becoming stagnant and are expected to decrease by 12% during 2019. This is why it is important for Apple to do a good job of marketing its new shows and new service products this year. The article states that Apple's service revenues are expected to grow 16% during the year. So if Apple does a good job of marketing these new services, they should more than make up for the decrease in revenue from iPhones.



Nikolos Oakes

Article Title: Apple's Show Needs to Dazzle
Article Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-show-needs-to-dazzle-11553254201?ns=prod/accounts-wsj

Photo: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-tv/apple-tv-hd

2:52 PM

New Type of Fuel  - Ethanol Fuel 

This article analyses the proposal EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, made regarding gasoline. 

Over the years, there has been a discussion of "what is the next form of energy?" This question is constantly addressed since oil is limited and at a certain point, oil will cease to exist. Hence, why a new form of energy is needed. 

In previous discussions, there have been ideas with wind-power, solar-power, and even water-power devices. Yet today, we discuss the ethanol fuel: a fuel that has a concentration of corn within it. This type of fuel allows corn to be a major factor instead of the oil produced by energy corporations. In other words, this type of fuel puts a higher demand on farmers and decreases the demand for energy corporations. For this reason, the article compares the impact this has versus the campaign President Trump had when he was running for office. Overall, this proposal goes against what President Trump promised, and now he is attempting to lessen the impact energy corporations will receive. 

This article is related to this class because it shows how the "target" is always moving. This will require constant adaptation from individuals/corporations. 

I selected this article because it talks about gasoline and oil both of which impact our community here in Houston, as well as the United States. I also selected this article because I see a correlation between higher gasoline prices and higher demand for electric cars. 

Name: Gorman Aguilar 
Title of Article: EPA Moves to Expand Sale of Ethanol-Blended Gasoline 
Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-moves-to-expand-sale-of-ethanol-blended-gasoline-11552433154 
Time Published: March 12, 2019

WSJ 2 The Life Story of Your Supermarket Chicken

The Life Story of Your Supermarket Chicken: Food Tracking Goes High-Tech

Raymie Fruia

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-life-story-of-your-supermarket-chicken-food-tracking-goes-high-tech-11550761202?ns=prod/accounts-wsj

In recent years people have become more conscientious about where they get their food from. We have started considering how the animals we eat are raised and treated before they reach our supermarkets. GoGo chicken is one such new technology being used to track the lives of chickens from farm to table. The technology was designed by an Asian company, ZhongAn Technologies.

ZhongAn's technology comes in the form of an ankle bracelet which each chicken wears. The chickens' health as well as their environment can be monitored this way. This allows everyone who deals with the chicken and those who finally consume the chicken to know exactly where it came from and how it go there. The same technology is being used to track fruits and milk as well.

This new technology will have a huge impact on the quality of products being delivered and consumed worldwide. People used to not think much about where their food came from. This led to a lot of health and sanitation issues as well as shady food preparation and livestock treatment practices. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle pioneered the change in the quality of our food. Now we are taking it one step further by ensuring that we are not only aware of how our food is being prepared but, also, how the animals and plants that we eat are being raised and handled prior to our consumption. 

Many people have become conscientious about how the animals we eat are being treated now days. we feel that it is important for these animals to experience a good life up until heir death. In the past, chickens had been kept in cramped coops, over feed and hopped up on hormones. Now this practice is frowned upon and with this new technology coming into play it will be hard o find anyone practicing such fowl behavior. 

Although this technology seems only to help the efficiency and quality of products being produced, there are those who do not want to see this new tracking method used. Truck drivers feel that having trackers put on the packages they deliver violates their right to privacy. There are also some farmers who reject this idea because it would come at a large cost to their small facilities.

What ever the issues may be, people are moving more and more towards wanting to know exactly what is in their food and where it's coming from. One day we will all be able to know the name of the chicken you are about to eat for dinner, whether we like it or not.

WSJ Presentation 2: Companies Seek to Fill Skills Gap by Retraining Their Own Workers

Name: Yeye Talabi
Title: Companies Seek to Fill Skills Gap by Retraining Their Own Workers
Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-seek-to-fill-skills-gap-by-retraining-their-own-workers-11552041000
Time published: March 8, 2019 10:06 a.m. ET
Image:

Analysis: It is currently observed and stated that the unemployment rate in the labor market is low therefore the cost of additional labor in a firm will be expensive. Essentially, the article is stressing that the labor market is tight and one way for firms to minimize cost expenses, is to train their existing employees. I chose this article because I thought it was interesting to read how chief executive officers are slowly realizing that it is important for employees to have the necessary tools they need to sell goods to customers because how you treat your employees determine a company's level of success. For instance, if employees are treated with respect the same respect will be passed on to customers. This article relates to our class because, in chapter 3, we discussed how company resources may limit the search for opportunities. In other words, since the company is not fully making use of their resources, output can be impacted. The resources discussed in this article is human resources or knowledge of people at a company. Because the use of advanced technology and digital platforms is increasing therefore creating a decrease in human resources, companies have to take the time to train their employees. The article mentions that companies are determined more than ever to train their staff. Also, the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board have gathered to discuss the process of how workers can be trained better. The issue is that the demand for skills has been pretty low over the years but because there is a competition between technology and the workers, workers are suffering and falling behind. According to an SHRM survey, fields such as engineering, data analysis, and carpentry demand the most amount of technical skills. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. for example that uses data scientists on a daily basis wanted to add 5,000 workers to the team but decided to train the 1,000 workers they already had. The CEO believed it was necessary to focus on their existing employees which is very similar to what the Chief Financial Officer, Devina Rankin said. She said that “the tight labor market, for us, means that we are recognizing the strategic value of people as a business imperative” (qtd. in Minaya 3). I believe overall the article is trying to emphasize how it is difficult for companies to persuade outside workers to join them because of the tight labor market so it is advised that top management mend the skills gap. When employment is low, wages increase as well which is something that companies are also considering which is why it is hard to employ new people.   

Works cited

Image and quote: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-seek-to-fill-skills-gap-by-retraining-their-own-workers-11552041000

Nintendo to Launch Two New Switch Models

"Nintendo to Launch Two New Switch Models"

Nintendo Co. is launching two new models of the Switch later this year. The Switch can be played as a hand-held console or connected to a TV or a larger screen. One model has enhanced features and is targeted towards the more devoted video game players. On the other hand, the cheaper model is targeted towards the casual video game players and it does not have some of the features from the original Switch. The two new models will be revealed at the "E3 videogame Expo in Los Angeles in June" and shortly after they will be released to the public for sale.

80% of Nintendo's revenue comes from the sales of the Switch, which was introduced in 2017. By the end of this fiscal year, it is estimated that 17.9 million units of the Switch will be sold and decrease to 17.4 by next year. 

In November 2013, Nintendo's competitor Sony introduced the PlayStation 4 and in September 2016, Sony enhanced it with a cheaper version and then two months later a high-end model was also introduced. This has made sales of the PlayStation 4 remain strong.

Nintendo is also adjusting its suppliers for the new models. Suppliers and third-party game developers say Nintendo is preparing to release new game titles from well-known franchises, such as “Animal Crossing” and “Pokémon,” to bolster Switch hardware sales. One executive at a Nintendo supplier said, “Some people say sales of Nintendo’s devices usually weaken in the third year, while others say games to be released this year are stronger than ever before.” 

I chose this article because Nintendo is known to make different versions of the same console but with upgraded versions. It is interesting to see how people will react to the new two models due to the features they will have. 

This article relates to our marketing class because Nintendo has already chosen its products to sale and what suppliers are going to distribute them (2 of the Ps). They are only missing 2 of the Ps which are price and promotion. They have to set prices for both consoles and advertise them in order to sell. They already have some publicity because people now know that there are two new versions of the Switch being released later this year. 

Karla Gorostieta

Works Cited: 

Published by By Takashi Mochizuki on March 25, 2019 2:19 a.m. EThttps://www.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-to-launch-two-new-switch-models-11553494773?mod=cx_picks&cx_navSource=cx_picks&cx_tag=poptarget&cx_artPos=5#cxrecs_s

Green Power: The Quest to Harness Energy From Leaves

Green Power: The Quest to Harness Energy From Leaves

Researchers are using plants to light up LEDs and inspire more versatile class of robots

The world has plenty of leaves. Plants can be used to power electronics, and therefore, scientists have been experimenting with plants to see if it would be a good source of supply for green power.

At the Center for Micro-BioRobotics at the Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, which is a research institute in Italy, researchers have experimented with leaves “to capture and convert wind energy into 150 volts of electricity, enough to light up 100 small LEDs. The leaves produce an electrical charge when they come into contact with artificial leaves—translucent sheets of soft silicone rubber fitted onto the plant—much like a balloon rubbed against hair”.

At the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, researchers were able to explain how they were able to use natural as well as artificial leaves in order to power LEDs and a watch with a wind-driven process similar to the experiment of the researchers at the Center for Micro-BioRobotics at the Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia.

The researchers were then able to generate a connection between natural and artificial leaves by using an electrode to connect the plant’s trunk to LEDs and by using fans. After testing different species of plants, they found that some were better at generating power than others, but practically any land plant could be used.

With this discovery, the researchers hope to figure out a way for plants to store the energy that they produce. They also hope to be able to build robots by incorporating the use of plants. One of the researchers said, “Plants can suggest new ideas because they have very distributed intelligence, they have perception, they can grow for their entire life. These are the mechanisms we are implementing in our robots.”

I picked this article because it is very interesting. Science and technology continues to advance, and it is good to find different sources of power! This topic relates to marketing concepts because researchers are trying to show/market a new or different source of power and they can target the people who want to go green.

By Rebecca Heilweil

February 28, 2019 10:00 a.m. ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/green-power-the-quest-to-harness-energy-from-leaves-11551366000

Apple’s Show Needs to Dazzle

Shares are near a record-high valuation ahead of new media services rollout

Over the past years, Apple Inc. hasn't seen a growth in the sales of iPhones, instead they have stayed the same. Through the years of 2012 to 2017, Apple's iPhones sales have increased slowly but since last year, data shows that they have stalled.

Apple's segment revenueSource: the companyNote: Fiscal year ends September. 2019-2020 areprojections

Since Apple has noticed this, "Apple is extremely keen to find ways to grow its services business, which already includes things like music and shows purchased through its iTunes store."(Gallagher). Services are now Apple's biggest growth driver and they plan on trying new things with their services like with the Apple TV. For example, the company will include a new Apple TV service that will allow people to bundle subscriptions to other services like Showtime and HBO.

This is a smart marketing plan for Apple because pushing to improve services is more efficient than trying to sell more of their iPhones/ products. IPhone sales are staying the same and its not bad for sales until they start declining. In the meanwhile, improving and advertising the company's services will bring Apple a much bigger profit than trying to advertise their products. Data shows us, "Service revenues are expected to grow 16% for the current fiscal year ending in September..." (Gallagher). If Apple keeps improving their services, they might be able to catch up with the sales of products which means it'll double the company's profits.

I choose this article because I am a consumer of Apple products and their services so seeing that their products have not grown over the years does not surprise me. Apple have made their products so expensive in the past couple of years and it has stopped many from buying such an expensive product. For example, the IPhone X is currently at a price of $1000 which is way to much money. If Apple drops the prices on some of these new phones, I believe their sales can go up again.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-show-needs-to-dazzle-11553254201

"Shaquille O’Neal Joins Papa John’s Board as Chain Seeks to Recast Image"

"NBA Hall of Famer is investing in nine restaurants in the Atlanta area and will enter into an endorsement agreement with the pizza chain"

WSJ Article published March 22, 2019 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/papa-johns-names-shaquille-oneal-to-its-board-11553259685

source: https://centredailytimes.org/investing/papa-john-stock-rallies-shaquille-neal-joins-troubled-chain-board-48622224

Analysis by: Nancy Rodriguez
Analysis posted on March 23

The news of former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal's new position on the board of Papa John's International Inc. has already circulated through various news outlets. According to the Wall Street Journal, this comes in the midst of the company's attempts to improve its image after the founder and former chief executive officer, John Schnatter, blamed slow sales because of how the NFL handled the national anthem protests and said a racial slur during a call with marketers. Consequently, he resigned as chief executive and chairman, and the company suffered drastic sale and share declines. To repair the damage, the company hired an activist firm, conducted a cultural audit, and held a diversity workshop for employees.

Shaquille O'Neal has been a fan of Papa John's since college and according to Papa John's CEO Steve Ritchie, might appear in future TV ads. Shaquille currently owns the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchise along with a fried chicken and a fine-dining restaurant. He use to own 27 Five Guys burger franchises.

I chose this article, because Papa John's is a well-known pizza franchise that has been seen in the news a lot since its founder said such comments. Shaquille O'Neal has shown to be a prominent business man in previous years and is no stranger to TV ads. I believe adding Shaquille to the board is a smart move in the company's continuing efforts to re-establish customer trust.

This article relates to our class, because the product's branding is in question. John Schnatter tainted the company's image, and the company is now trying to restore the brand through marketing efforts. This franchise's target market is diverse, but the founder's remarks disregarded that. Adding Shaquille to the board means the company will have a well-received business man who can help rebuild a positive image by appealing to their diverse target market which also includes sports fans. I think Shaquille's experience is more than adequate to help the board make right decisions as they move forward in improving the company's internal weaknesses.