The way companies announce new products or build up hype can often influence their success once those new products hit the market, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Whether it’s an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple, the new research shows...
Commerce
Miami International Boat Show: Sailing On Dreams and Reality
There are many niche industry shows and festivals for us to attend, throughout the United States, from art to musical instruments, cars, home decor and upscale foods and wine– and of course boating. The 2024 Miami International Boat Show, February 14 through 18 was expansive, full of eye candy for those who love their boats and the many accessories available...
Study Shows Background Checks Don’t Always Check Out
Employers making hiring decisions, landlords considering possible tenants and schools approving field trip chaperones all widely use commercial background checks. But a new multi-institutional study co-authored by a University of Maryland researcher shows that background checks themselves can’t be trusted. Assistant Professor Robert Stewart of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Professor Sarah Lageson...
Dietary Supplements and Protein Powders Fall Under a ‘Wild West’ of Unregulated Products That Necessitate Caveats and Caution
Dietary supplements are a big business. The industry made almost US$39 billion in revenue in 2022, and with very little regulation and oversight, it stands to keep growing. The marketing of dietary supplements has been quite effective, with 77% of Americans reporting feeling that the supplement industry is trustworthy. The idea of taking your health...
From Rebel to Retail − Inside Bob Marley’s Posthumous Musical and Merchandising Empire
The long-awaited Bob Marley biopic “One Love” will highlight important moments in the musician’s life – his adolescence in Trench Town, his spiritual growth, the attempt on his life. But as a music industry scholar, I wonder if the film is yet another extension of the Marley marketing machine. Marley died in 1981 at the...
Why Elon Musk’s ‘Self-Driving’ of Tesla’s Board and Its Decision to Pay Him $56B Collided with the Law – and What Happens Next
Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick has blocked Elon Musk’s US$55.8 billion pay package, which Tesla’s board of directors approved in 2018 through a process she found to be “deeply flawed.” No CEO of a publicly traded U.S. company has ever been paid this much for one year’s work, according to Equilar, which...
Hiring the Most Qualified Candidate Might Be Unfair
Both liberals and conservatives are more likely to believe that merit-based hiring is unfair after learning about the impacts of socioeconomic disparities, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. People from across the political spectrum also are more likely to support programs that encourage socioeconomic diversity after learning about the effects of...
Nelson Mandela’s Personal Items Under the Hammer in New York? Why It Outraged Some, and What’s at Stake
An identity document, a pair of reading glasses, a hearing aid and a pair of worn shoes. These are just some of Nelson Mandela’s personal items that were due to go on auction on 22 February 2024. A month before the auction was due, the New York-based Guernsey’s auction house put a notice on its...
How Should Boards Handle Visionary CEOs?
The recent firing and rapid rehiring of Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, illustrates the delicate dance between visionary CEOs and the boards who oversee them. Some CEOs — often founders — are fueled by strong convictions about the strategic direction their companies should take. But their boards sometimes don’t share...
Coca-Cola in Africa: a Long History Full of Unexpected Twists and Turns
A new book called Bottled: How Coca-Cola Became African tells the story of how the world’s most famous carbonated drink conquered the continent. It’s a tale of marketing gumption and high politics and is the product of years of research by critical writing lecturer Sara Byala, who researches histories of heritage, sustainability and the ways...