Natural Burials Offer Another Way to Go

10 Tuesday Nov 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 06: Consumer Behavior, Chapter 12: Developing New Products

Because death is universal, the market for end-of-life products is literally everyone. Yet even in such a comprehensive market, different consumers express distinct preferences and wants, such that marketers need to frame their offerings to appeal to those needs.

Consider, for example, consumers who prioritize environmental choices in their day-to-day lives. For them, an environmental choice in death also is likely to be particularly appealing. A green or natural burial refers to an option that eliminates the uses of embalming chemicals and non-biodegradable materials and instead relies on natural decomposition. It also encourages people to choose their burial garb intentionally, with a focus on natural, biodegradable materials, such as woven caskets and linen shrouds. Such burial practices thus avoid the creation of noxious gasses that result from cremation, eliminate demands on energy to treat the body, and prevent the introduction of toxic or carcinogenic chemicals woven into clothing into the environment. Such considerations are acute, considering that chemicals in buried clothing or accessories have been known to pass into the soil and nearby waterways, affecting local ecosystems.

People who choose natural or green burial options also tend to assert that it represents an intuitive choice. It also might enable them to avoid the human and religious rituals often associated with death. The goal of natural burials is, essentially, to return bodies to the earth as they came into the world, carrying nothing extra and imposing no harm. Such a fundamental notion resonates powerfully with many existing philosophies, across religions and cultures. Nearly every language and culture embraces the concept summarized by the phrase, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” and offers a way to understand death as a return to the start, rather than a final end.

Furthermore, climate-conscious consumers can request that their remains be buried in green burial grounds, which have been planned mindfully, often in partnership with conservationists, as a way to protect existing tracts of land from development. In this sense, the natural burial movement encourages the notion that people can make one last contribution to the world, in a physical, tangible way.

Growing interest in such options accordingly has prompted the introduction of natural cemeteries and conservationist land trusts all over the world. This development is especially notable in the United States, where historically ecologically minded communities in the Northeast are leading the movement. For example, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, the local cemetery commission notes that every burial in the past two years has been natural. South Carolina also boasts a strong following; the first formally recognized natural burial site is located there. More and more communities across the nation have displayed their support for this natural option, including local measures to create and support natural burial sites.

Discussion Questions

How widely accepted are natural burial practices? Where would you place them on the adoption curve?
How might advocates of the natural burial movement reach new audiences? Are there any aspects of green burials that seem off-putting?

Sources: Paula Span, “When I Go, I’m Going Green,” The New York Times, August 23, 2025; Lisa Weismann, “At Sacred Grove Preserve, Concern for Environment Continues After Life,” WCIV ABC News 4, September 29, 2025; “Natural Cemetery to Expand in Georgia County,” WSBTV Atlanta News, January 17, 2026.

Moving the Goal Posts on World Cup Ticket Prices

03 Tuesday Nov 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 08: Global Marketing, Chapter 14: Pricing Concepts for Establishing Value

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Soccer (football) is the most popular sport in the world. For billions of dedicated fans, the opportunity to see the very best talent compete is priceless. But when it comes to the 2026 World Cup, European fans raised serious concerns and complaints about surging ticket prices. Ironically, in the United States, where soccer historically has been less popular than in the rest of the world, consumers appear far more inclined to find justifications for exorbitant costs, whether as a logical response to scarce supply or as a badge of honor that signals the popularity of their favorite team.

Multiple justifications seem necessary, considering the actual prices being charged. Prices for World Cup games reached their highest level of all time; attending the opening match would set a fan back around $1800. In other stadiums, preset pricing tiers meant that attendees could expect to pay more for better visibility. In granting the stadiums leeway in the prices they charged, the international governing body FIFA explained that the fees would be set “in accordance with local market conditions.” But the association also has motivation to encourage higher prices, because the more revenues the stadiums bring in, the higher its own profit margins.

Notably, such high prices are not unique to soccer. In a recent Super Bowl, ticket prices started at just under $1000, and the premium seats required much more. On resale markets, these prices jumped even higher, reaching an average cost in excess of $8000 per ticket in the week prior to the game. Even Major League Baseball—whose 162 games per season mean that demand usually gets spread out, leading to lower ticket prices—can charge more for playoff games. During game 6 of the 2025 World Series for example, seats were selling for around $2000.

According to a recent analysis, U.S. consumers are increasingly willing to accept these higher costs to access live entertainment, sometimes even regardless of their objective ability to support such investments. That is, even as they pay thousands to attend a remarkable sporting event or concert, one-third of all U.S. residents, including about half of all adults under the age of 30 years, reported having postponed or avoided seeking medical care due to budgetary concerns. A similar proportion has skipped at least one meal, again due to financial constraints. Such tendencies might have been part of the motivation for FIFA to have staged its 2026 World Cup in the United States.

To encourage attendance, FIFA also hosted random selection draw lotteries that allowed interested parties to enter for a chance to purchase tickets at face value. Millions of tickets sold through this system, but millions more people were left without tickets. For them, resale markets provided the only option, which FIFA also sought to leverage. It launched its own official resale marketplace in the lead up to the World Cup, on which prices quickly skyrocketed.

Discussion Questions

Do sport governing bodies like FIFA have an ethical obligation to regulate resale ticket prices?
What might explain U.S. consumers’ apparent willingness to pay nearly anything for live event tickets?

Sources: Adam Crafton, “Exorbitant World Cup Ticket Prices Could Ruin Hopes of Growing Soccer in the U.S.,” The New York Times, December 12, 2025; Alton Northup, “How Much Will Philadelphia’s World Cup Tickets Cost?,” ABC27, December 15, 2025; Shafaq Patel, “How to Get 2026 FIFA World Cup Tickets,” Axios, December 11, 2025.

Fur Babies: Casio Sells Robot Guinea Pigs

27 Tuesday Oct 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 12: Developing New Products

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Most companies, when introducing their latest robotic technology to the market, emphasize the advanced engineering and cutting-edge designs to encourage consumer adoption. But that’s not the route Casio has taken for its latest introduction. Rather, it aims to deemphasize the tech and instead prioritize the cuteness of its Moflin robots, which look like little guinea pigs.

The term moflin, derived from the Japanese word mofumofu, meaning “fluffy” or “soft,” is designed to evoke the tactile feeling of softness. When used as a product name, the hope is that it will tell potential buyers that, by purchasing a Moflin, they can anticipate comfort and snuggles. The adorable little robots can gather and implement various environmental cues, such that they develop individual personalities, learn their owners’ preferences for interacting, and mimic their sleep and breathing patterns. Their current operating systems boast the possibility of exhibiting more than 4 million distinct characteristics.

At a price of around $400, they’re far more expensive than their real-life rodent counterparts, yet Casio already has sold more than 10,000 in Japan, its domestic market. Distribution is currently expanding into Western markets, and the company has published five-year predictions, anticipating that the Moflin will represent a $34 million product. Already, Moflins have exceeded the company’s initial sales goals, and demand in the U.S. and U.K. markets shows notable increases.

Such predictions reflect the current reality, which is dominated by what some experts describe as a loneliness epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, more than 15 percent of people around the world struggle with their sense of a lack of connection. Consumers in Japan, which hosts one of the oldest populations in the world, appear particularly at risk.

As the birth rates continue to fall and mean ages increase, various marketers have sought solutions to meet the needs of changing demographic profiles. Technology already is being leveraged to help mitigate the risks of people living in isolation. Another version of a robotic pet product, produced by Sony, has been deployed in assisted living facilities in Japan, which might serve as a model for how similar systems and products can be disseminated and encouraged abroad.

Yet the appeal of robot pets is not limited to senior consumers. Early sales figures for Casio indicate strong demand among middle-aged women, who seemingly appreciate the comfort they gain from these pets, without the demands created by live animals who need upkeep and care in return. That is, for people already dealing with the demands of their work, children, aging parents, and so on, having a robot that provides comfort without expanding their own responsibilities any further represents a deeply appealing offer.

Discussion Questions

Would you be interested in testing one of these robotic animals? How about investing in one?
When designing biomimetic technology, researchers often have to strike a balance between realism and unsettling imitations. What traits in engineered pets do you find acceptable and which seem to cross the line?
Are these robot pets appropriately priced? Justify your answer.

Sources: Megumi Fujikawa, “Casio Wants to Break into Wellness Tech. Its Plan? A Fluffy AI Robot,” The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2025; Berk Kutay Gokmen, “AI Robot Pet with Unique Personalities Hit in Japan,” Anadolu Agency, March 8, 2025; “Casio Launches AI-Powered Robot Pet ‘Moflin’ Amid Rising Loneliness,” The News International, September 22, 2025.

Snaxshot, the Snack Oracle

20 Tuesday Oct 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 05: Analyzing the Marketing Environment, Chapter 10: Marketing Research

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It’s the coolest job that you never knew existed: snack oracle. And there’s only one of them so far.

Andrea Hernandez runs Snaxshot, a blog that deconstructs the marketing around many popular products, offering a critical analysis of how food trends start. She also gathers and analyzes the various signals that consumers send, knowingly or not, about which products they’re interested in trying next. On the basis of these insights, Hernandez brings logic and order to what might look like coincidence to those not paying attention.

In addition, Hernandez is sitting at the forefront of efforts to capitalize on growing trends among younger consumers, for whom food choices and dietary approaches are increasingly personal and self-reflective, offering a way to define themselves. In a world in which the goal of getting sufficient protein takes on nearly obsessive proportions, while at the same time semaglutide and diet culture promise to give people seemingly magical access to thinness, the personal relationships that consumers form with the products available in snack aisles can be a bellwether and predictor of trends to come.

Snaxshot specializes in linking food microtrends with more macro-level social indicators, and the predictions that Hernandez publishes have long been remarkably accurate. In recent years, she anticipated, announced, and then helped shape the “affordable affluence” trend, in which cash-strapped consumers rely on small consumable luxuries to create signals of their own wealth. Food is one of the most popular choices for achieving this illusion, be it an investment in a $30 smoothie or purchases of J.Crew’s new limited-edition pasta, which Snaxshot dissected last year.

Hernandez also has detailed the implications and trends surrounding various supplements and enriched products, including the ways that they inform and alter perceived gender roles. For example, she noted the arrival of Man Cereal, a 100 percent real, actual product currently on grocery store shelves. The product’s main claim to distinction, and the basis on which it is marketed, seems to be that it is enriched with creatine—though as Hernandez skeptically added, what creatine has to do with masculinity is unclear.

Even as she challenges certain food trends and claims though, Hernandez acknowledges and emphasizes the power of consumers’ food choices, as a source of information about the modern-day world. With enough data, she argues that food choices could be used to predict the outcome of presidential elections and economic patterns.

Such claims resonate. Snaxshot may have a relatively modest following, but it counts some notable figures, including the Head of Innovation for the international food conglomerate Nestlé, who asserted: “If you’re not subscribing to Snaxshot and you’re in [the food and beverage industry], then you’re missing out.” Hollywood celebrities and famous chefs also appear throughout her follower lists.

To maintain these followers, and her position as a reliable source, Hernandez remains firm in insisting that her role is as an independent reviewer. The site is estimated to bring in more than $100,000 in revenues each year, but Snaxshot has never accepted money from the companies whose products it reviews. In the future, Hernandez also hopes to expand the reach of her predictive models, adapting them to television and book content. Following in the footsteps of one of her idols, Anthony Bourdain, the snack oracle remains committed to examining and understanding food, the people who consume it, and the impacts for the world.

Discussion Questions

What other products are closely linked to a consumer’s personal identity? Could analyses of microtrends in any of these markets be used to predict larger sociocultural patterns as well?
Think about your own snack choices. What do they say about you, as a consumer?

Sources: Rachel Sugar, “She Knows Your Next Favorite Snack Before You Do,” The New York Times, August 29, 2025.

Baby Steps: Little Spoon Revolutionizes Baby Food

13 Tuesday Oct 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 11: Product Branding and Packaging Decisions, Chapter 20: Personal Selling and Sales Management

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According to Angela Vranich, parents are no different from any other consumers: They want products that enable them to fulfill their goals. And for most parents, those goals revolve largely around taking the best possible care of their children. Although she first came up with the idea for Little Spoon to meet the requirements of a college project that tasked students with offering proposals for advertising organic food, Vranich quickly recognized the untapped market potential that existed among adult consumers who sought to not only eat organic foods themselves but also give their children natural food offerings.

After graduation, Vranich expanded the operations she had started in her dorm room to develop a line of wholesome, nutrient-dense baby food, made from fresh ingredients that had been sourced ethically. Building on the original puree blends, formulated for infants, Little Spoon soon began extending its product lines, largely in accordance with children’s development milestones.

For example, as they reach the age of about 4 months, children can start eating cereals, so Little Spoon developed baby cereals that provide easily accessible sources of essential vitamins and whole grains. Most of the products are free of common allergens and include no extra additives or sugars. Then as their children grow, parents can switch to Little Spoon’s Babyblends+ ready-made meals and select the formulation they consider most important. One version contains ingredients believed to support brain development, another promises to boost babies’ natural immunity, and yet another line features probiotic-rich formulations, modeled after trendy gut health products but designed specifically to meet a baby’s needs. For toddlers, who are notoriously picky eaters, Little Spoon provides dedicated snack options that parents can make available to ensure their nutritional needs are met.

Beyond such age- and development-oriented product lines, Little Spoon is experimenting with new product variations that can extend its portfolio in other directions. Recent tastings and development strategy meetings featured new breakfast offerings, as well as seasonally introduced foods, such as a pumpkin spice smoothie. Another potential expansion would move the company into competing for a share of the children’s vitamins market.

Having convinced Target stores to stock most of its product offerings, in a deal reached in late 2025, Little Spoon needs to expand its production capabilities to match its growing product portfolio. At the moment though, Vranich and her husband continue to oversee the day-to-day workflows of the more than 100 employees that work both at the company’s New York headquarters and across remote locations.

Seeing something you’ve created grow and develop can be very rewarding—whether that something is a baby or a company. It’s also a lot of work, and it requires new resources at each stage. In this sense, Little Spoon might take inspiration from target consumers to plan its own expansion.

Discussion Questions

Is defining product lines according to young children’s development stages an appropriate strategy, or should Little Spoon adopt a different categorization?
How can the founder of Little Spoon continue to maintain control over the company while also scaling up its production capabilities?

Sources: Lia Picard, “How the Head of a Baby Food Company Spends a Day Taste-Testing,” The New York Times, December 20, 2025; Will Newton, “Little Spoon Adds Pouched Meals,” Food Business News, June 5, 2025; Brooke Just, “Little Spoon Serves Up Organic Oatmeal Baby Cereal,” Baking Business, October 29, 2024.

Not New, but Certainly Improved: Form Portfolios Sells Forgotten Furniture Designs

06 Tuesday Oct 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 02: Developing Marketing Strategies, Chapter 06: Consumer Behavior

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The design style now known as mid-century modern first came into vogue during the 1950s and 1960s, driven by the post–World War II economic boom and optimistic attitudes that encouraged U.S. consumers to embrace creative designs in their living spaces. Creative furniture makers like Eames and Herman Miller became aspirational brands, with their funky, distinctive approaches that helped redefine what everyday objects—a chair, a lamp, even kitchenware—could look like and the meaning they could convey.

It’s a different century, marked by substantially different societal and economic conditions, but mid-century modern furniture is enjoying a resurgence in popularity today among consumers who appreciate the bold colors, designs, and conceptualizations of these long-gone designers. Genuine antique items by the big name designers sell for a steep premium; copycat versions tend to offer insufficient quality. A market gap thus arose, between the demands of consumers who wanted to embrace a mid-century modern vibe and the products available to meet that need.

It is this market gap that Form Portfolios aims to fill. The Danish design firm specializes in finding underappreciated intellectual property, in the form of designs or actual furniture that had been conceived of or crafted by lesser-known designers. That is, many mid-century furnituremakers never gained the renown enjoyed by Eames or Herman Miller, but they left behind a substantial amount of high-quality, well-constructed products, as well as the intellectual rights to their designs. Their heirs seemingly failed to recognize the potential value of what their parents or grandparents had bequeathed them, despite the renewed popularity of the style. Others regarded the effort of trying to restore pieces or start production on the designs, and then price, market, and sell the stock they had inherited, as just too excessive.

Form Portfolios’ founder Mark Masiello recognized a solution to the problem that also represented a substantial opportunity. The treasure trove of surplus designs promised a wealth, of both possibilities and revenues. Therefore, Form Portfolios actively pursued and purchased the property rights to many designs; in other cases, it struck a deal with current estate owners that provided them royalties on each sale but granted the rights to produce the designs to Form Portfolios. Through these efforts, it obtained the rights to nearly a thousand designs and began production.

To get the newly produced versions of historic designs and the original pieces to market, Form Portfolios established partnerships with several retail firms, including CB2. In the space of about five years, CB2 released products based on more than 100 of the designs acquired by Masiello. In so doing, it has revived the reputation and sales appeal of designers that, for whatever reason, remained overlooked during the twentieth century, such as Paul McCobb. Such efforts benefit the reputation of the artists and their heirs. Of course, they also increase demand for their designs; in heavily promoting work by the Murano-born lighting artist Carlo Nason, Form Portfolios can transform its holdings into artistic creations, worth whatever price it wants to charge.

As noted, mid-century modern design goes beyond furniture though, a perspective that might explain the form that Form Portfolios’ continued expansion has taken. Specifically, Masiello chose to purchase the Dansk kitchenware line. Founded in the 1950s, Dansk designs are synonymous with the clean lines and sculptural details that represent staples of mid-century modern design. In acquiring the brand for the seemingly undervalued price of just $250,000, Form Portfolios was able to expand its offerings and its brand reputation. It also earned sales far, far in excess of the purchase price, through its subsequent sales of Dansk pieces.

Discussion Questions

Explain and compare the value of a chair designed by Herman Miller versus one designed by a (thus far) largely unknown designer. How is Form Portfolios attempting to change this comparison?
One expert compared the company’s process to the tactics that film studios use to reboot old superhero franchises. How are the two marketing strategies similar, and how do they differ?

Sources: David McCabe, “Can You Reboot a Lamp Like a Superhero Franchise?,” The New York Times, December 28, 2025; Form Portfolios, https://www.formportfolios.com; “Reports: Food52 Sold in Three Pieces at Bankruptcy Auction,” HomePage News, February 10, 2026.

A Monster Hit: Toho Plans Global Godzilla Expansion

29 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 08: Global Marketing, Chapter 12: Developing New Products

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Part animation, part allegory, Godzilla first arrived in the global consciousness more than 70 years ago, in the wake of World War II. The brainchild of Japanese media company Toho Co., Ltd., the monstrous reptile was created to represent society’s reckoning with the devastation that nuclear weapons had wrought, as well as to manifest widespread fears about where human society was headed.

All these years later, despite radically altered international relations and shifting global concerns, Godzilla remains a powerful figure. Even if its original meaning may be opaque, it represents one of the most recognizable monsters of its kind, achieving a level of brand recognition that many firms would go on a rampage to attain.

Accordingly, Toho is determined to repurpose and build on Godzilla’s broad appeal. It already enjoys popularity in Japan, functioning as both a production company and theater distributor, but it has not attained the same sort of international success achieved by its national peers, like Sony and Nintendo. Noting surging interest in anime and other traditionally Japanese styles of entertainment around the world though, the time seems right for Toho to stake its own international claims.

In pursuit of that goal, the company has strategically acquired multiple properties, seeking to diversify its content offerings and expand its presence abroad. Notable deals include a one-quarter ownership stake in Fifth Season, the production company behind the award-winning television series Severance. In the United Kingdom, it has established London as its European hub and also acquired an English anime company, Anime Limited. From this foundation, Toho plans to build out its distribution channels throughout France, Italy, and Germany.

Meanwhile, in a partnership with Taiwan’s Brogent Technologies, Toho also expects to make strides throughout Asia. Following the success of the franchise’s first theme park ride, the two conglomerates have worked together to create Godzilla The Ride, which simulates a feeling of flying. This updated installation is set to be distributed globally.

Then in the United States, Toho is looking to build on and extend the appeal of its flagship property, primarily through a licensing deal with Legendary Entertainment. A sequel to the most recent of the 36 films featuring Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One, already has been confirmed. Discussions also have started regarding the possibility of an Asia-specific installment in the planned movie franchise. At the same time, Toho has installed Godzilla on smaller screens, in collaboration with Legendary, by allowing the monster to appear in a recent season of the animated Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series.

Across these diverse, global initiatives, Toho already can count some success. Recent reports suggest that it is on track to double its operating profits within the next six years.

Discussion Questions

Suggest some new project options and target audiences for Toho’s global expansion plans.

Sources: Amber T, “Godzilla Will Take London as Toho Forms European HQ,” Fangoria, December 19, 2025; “Brogent to Deliver New Godzilla Flying Theater Experience in Collaboration with Toho Co., Ltd.,” InPark Magazine, May 11, 2025; Sohee Kim, “Godzilla Conquered Japan. Now Its Owner Plots a Global Takeover,” Bloomberg, July 17, 2025.

It’s Not You, It’s Me: Food Conglomerates Break Up

22 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 05: Analyzing the Marketing Environment, Chapter 16: Supply Chain Management

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Cola and coffee have some notable parallels: They both tend to be used for a caffeine jolt. They’re similar in color, and they appear as regular staples in the pantries or refrigerators of a vast majority of households. They also constitute the backbone of the beverage industry. Yet the ways that the dominant actors in these two beverage markets tend to develop, test, market, and sell their products differ vastly, due to the distinctive characteristics and demographics that define each offering’s most enthusiastic consumers.

Such distinctions arguably represent the rationale for the decision by Keurig Dr Pepper to split up its corporate organization into separate divisions, each of which will take responsibility for different subsidiary brands. At the same time as it is reorganizing its existing structure, the corporation is expanding, such as through its acquisition of JDE Peet’s. That company maintains multiple coffee-related brands, the most famous of which is the store franchise Peet’s Coffee. Accordingly, JDE will merge with Keurig’s existing coffee-oriented business division, which currently centers mainly around at-home brewing tools. Meanwhile, the Dr Pepper side will retain all soft drink subsidiaries, including 7UP, Sunkist, and Snapple. It anticipates being the source for most of the parent company’s growth in the near future.

But strategically targeting coffee versus cola drinkers separately cannot justify another, similar corporate breakup happening around the same time. That is, shortly after the first reports about Keurig Dr Pepper’s plans were made public, Kraft Heinz announced its own plans to divvy up its operations, in a direct reversal of the merger of these two food and beverage companies—some of the largest in the world—that occurred back in 2015. Originally conceived of to boost the overall value of one unified company, which would gain unparalleled, combined market share, the merger seemingly has not quite worked out as planned.

Instead, for many of the brands within the combined Kraft Heinz portfolio, market share and revenues have declined, a trend that some industry experts blame on the conglomerate’s spending cuts. To stem such effects, the company’s current leadership has chosen to reverse course, split up the divisions, and, ideally, ensure that both companies can retain more value for the future.

Here again, the organizational restructuring into separate divisions is not the only strategic move being made. But unlike Keurig Dr Pepper’s acquisitional approach, Kraft Heinz has been selling off some of its food divisions to competitors. In so doing, it demonstrates its strategic decision to prioritize its condiment business, relying on the continued success it achieves through sales of Heinz ketchup and Grey Poupon, current bestsellers in their respective markets.

Discussion Questions

Compare the strategic restructurings of these two global conglomerates. What approach is each company taking, and which seems more likely to succeed?
What are the implications of changes at the corporate level for consumers’ experiences with these products? Are they likely to alter the quality or price of the items people buy, for example?

Sources: Lauren Hirsch and Julie Creswell, “Keurig Dr Pepper to Acquire Peet’s in $18 Billion Deal,” The New York Times, August 25, 2025; Lauren Hirsch and Julie Creswell, “Kraft Heinz to Break Up Its Food Businesses,” The New York Times, September 2, 2025; Sarah Zimmerman, “The Biggest Food and Beverage M&A Deals in 2025,” Food Dive, December 23, 2025

The Happiest Place on Earth, and Perhaps the Most Expensive Too

15 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 14: Pricing Concepts for Establishing Value

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Across multiple decades and multiple parks—including the original outpost in Anaheim, Calif. (opened in 1955), the sprawling complex in Orlando, Fla. (1971), and international locations in Tokyo (1983), Paris (1992), Hong Kong (2005), and Shanghai (2016)—Disney has long worked to establish its compelling appeal as “the happiest place on Earth.” In attempting to give families places where they can experience magic, Disney staked a claim as distinctive and unlike anywhere else but also inherently accessible. It targeted families of all socioeconomic backgrounds, such that historically, the theme parks sought to eliminate hidden costs or status markers. Every visitor (or guest, in Disney’s carefully crafted lingo) could gain the exact same access to rides, shows, and food.

But more recently, Disney has introduced premium add-ons to its base package price. For lucky children, whose parents agree to pay the fees, it is possible to enjoy an intimate character meet-and-greet over lunch or undergo a princess makeover, complete with cosmetics, hair styling, and costumes. In addition to booking these sorts of special encounters, Disney allows guests to pay extra to reserve ride times, such that consumers willing to spend more can spend less time waiting. They also have a dedicated line, marking them as special and differentiated from regular guests who continue to wait in longer, “regular” lines.

Another pricing shift reflects a dynamic approach, such that visitors can expect to pay more if they attend at certain times of the year, including major school holidays (e.g., spring break season), over Thanksgiving week, during the end-of-year holidays, and on New Year’s Eve. To some extent, these higher prices reflect expanded offerings. During December for example, guests get to experience added decorations and holiday-themed entertainment. But for the most part, the higher prices stem from the increased consumer demand that the parks experience during these times.

The rationale for such changes seemingly reflects a basic pricing rule: Disney can charge more and still attract sufficient purchases, so it should do so. The revisions also stem from a recent and relatively novel input though. With its vastly expanded data-gathering capabilities, attained through the digital channels that most guests use to book park tickets, hotels, and other offerings, Disney has learned far more about what visitors really value and prefer for their trips. Once visitors could manage their bookings virtually, they readily and willingly shared information about which features appealed most to them. Whether they responded to hotel promotions that promised them they could gain early entry to the park if they stayed on-site, or they searched for suggestions of how to ride the most rides in a single day, they provided Disney with valuable insights into what guests truly wanted.

Notably, along with the various ways that Disney strategically seeks to earn more revenues through higher prices, it also promotes discounted rates for certain segments of consumers. For example, local residents of California, Florida, and the international locations can purchase annual passes for lower rates, as well as discounted single-day tickets for specific dates when the parks are likely to be relatively less busy. In this sense, its dynamic pricing approach can provide benefits too, as long as guests are nearby and willing to commit to visit on dates that might be less convenient in general.

Even with such promotions though, the average price for a park ticket rose 5 percent each year in the decade between 2014 and 2024, such that in that period, prices rose 56 percent overall. As a result, park attendance has decreased. But even with fewer guests, Disney is able to earn higher revenues, from the higher prices those remaining visitors pay.

Discussion Questions

Is Disney right to adjust its pricing in the ways described herein? What benefits does it obtain, and what risks does it create with this approach?
Can other theme parks adopt similar dynamic pricing strategies, or does such a tactic require the unique strength associated with Disney’s well-known brand?

Sources: Daniel Currell, “Disney Is the Happiest Place on Earth, if You Can Afford It,” The New York Times, August 28, 2025; Morgan Flaherty, “Walt Disney World Ticket Prices 2026: A Complete Guide,” WDW Magazine, January 16, 2026; “Disney Raises Admission Prices for Its Theme Parks During Key Holidays,” Reuters, October 8, 2025; Devan Burris, “Why a Disney Vacation May Have Gotten Too Pricey for the Average American Family,” CNBC, September 10, 2024; Jaime Biesiada, “Attendance Dips at Disney’s U.S. Theme Parks,” Travel Weekly, May 6, 2026.

Going Belly Up? How Beli Is Challenging Yelp

08 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by Grewal Levy Marketing in Chapter 09: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning, Chapter 13: Services: The Intangible Product

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When the social media site Beli first hit screens, it was designed to give frequent restaurant-goers a centralized platform, where they could to review and share meals. It represented a food-centric version of conventional travel or hospitality review sites like Yelp. To differentiate this offering from existing, established review platforms, the company’s founders promised that users could leverage its site to conduct more narrow, focused searches, because it would prompt reviewers to provide extremely detailed information, primarily about the quality of the food. Ambiance and service take on less importance but still inform the reviews.

It quickly attracted a unique community. The vast majority of its visitors and users are younger than 35 years of age, and Gen Z consumers represent the largest segment of consumers who have downloaded the app. To appeal to these users, the app explicitly is designed to encourage community and connections among people who share the deeply personal experience of enjoying food. Beli accounts provide the option of limiting views to friends, which means that reviewers tend to express more open and vulnerable opinions when leaving their comments.

As these communal elements increasingly became inherent to interactions on the Beli platform, some users began exploiting it as a sort of digital journal, in which they willingly share intimate, daily features of their lives. In parallel, other niche reviewing sites seem to be experiencing greater popularity, as in the examples of Letterboxd for movies, StoryGraph for books, or Strava for running. To participate in these dedicated, digital platforms, people need to engage in a specific activity of shared interest, whether by dining out on a meal, watching a movie, reading a book, or running a particular route.

Many such platforms have experienced astronomical growth, but Beli represents a particularly successful case. In less than five years, it has accumulated 75 million ratings—outpacing Yelp, with its 52 million restaurant reviews after more than two decades in existence.

Discussion Questions

Perform a SWOT analysis of the Beli review platform’s strategic decision to target a specific, niche segment of users.
What other niche activities or hobbies might benefit from a focused review platform?

Sources: Luke Fortney, “How Beli Ate Yelp,” The New York Times, September 15, 2025; Gia Orsino, Emily Schario, “These Apps Might Fix Your Brain Rot,” Boston.com, November 11, 2025, https://www.boston.com/community/the-b-side/these-apps-might-fix-your-brain-rot-strava-beli/; Kat Schuster, “Young Bay Area Diners Are Trading Yelp for This New Foodie App: Report,” Patch, August 5, 2025, https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/young-bay-area-diners-are-trading-yelp-new-foodie-app-report.