During Super Bowl LIII, Bud Light’s beer ads started a corn syrup war that unfolded during the game and after but was really about product differentiation.
Solving McDonald’s Soggy French Fries Problem
McDonald’s current delivery problem with soggy French fries is somewhat similar to what it had to solve more than forty years ago.
The Unusual Ad That Sells Washing Machines
Samsung’s washing machine competition demonstrates typical oligopoly behavior through a 66 minute ad that stars red socks.
Why We Like Trix and Chips
When General Mills switched to an all natural Trix, the response was not quite what they expected. One mom said, “My kids find the color of the new Trix cereal quite depressing.” Another Trix lover complained, “It’s basically a salad now.”…
The Mystery of the Footlong Sandwich’s Missing Inch
When a Subway footlong is 11 inches and a box of Whoppers is half full, we can ask about the lawsuits that tried to remedy their misleading packaging.
Why a Super Bowl Ad Can Cost $5 Million
Perfect for brands like Snickers and Bud Light, $5 million Super Bowl ads have the audience and the hype that lets large firms share a distinct message.
How a Sound Sells a Product
Suggesting luxury or freshness or just plain pleasing, sometimes product sounds can be an unforgettable competitive tool.
Why Google Just Got a Parent Called Alphabet
By rebranding Google as Alphabet, it can have a clearly defined parent while Google, as an oligopoly, can keep its brand’s product differentiation.
The Sounds That Can Sell a Product
For monopolistic competition and oligopoly, firms can achieve product differentiation through sounds that are associated with one good or service.
Weekly Roundup: From Drinking Behavior to Dating Decisions
This week’s everyday economics involved 6 economists and such ideas as product differentiation, behavioral economics, marginal utility, price and trade.