Beyond Consulting-Knowledge@Wharton

3 Feb - 16 Feb



	Quality on the Line: The Fallout from Toyota's Recall More than any other auto manufacturer, Japan's Toyota has built its name on quality. Now, the identity of the world's largest car maker is in question as it recalls millions of vehicles because they may suddenly accelerate, putting the lives of drivers and their passengers at risk. The firm will need to grapple with numerous operational, marketing, ethical, legal, political and strategic issues -- all at a time when the entire industry is struggling, experts say. As one Wharton faculty member notes: "Toyota is having to stop the line at the corporate level in a big way."

	U, V or W: What Kind of Recovery Can We Expect, and When? Delegates to the just-ended World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, found plenty of positive economic signs -- but not enough to keep them from wringing their hands. The consensus at the five-day gathering called for strong growth in emerging markets like China, India and Brazil, and poor growth in Japan and much of Europe, with the United States somewhere in between. The Forum's official statement called the global recovery "fragile."

	Brands on the Brink: Marketing in a Down Economy Among other victims of the recession, brands have taken a beating. Private labels have gained market share. Consumers are cutting back. Retailers are turning up the heat. According to panelists who gathered to discuss brand strategy at a recent Wharton Marketing Conference titled, "Connecting with the Evolving Consumer," marketers need to be especially innovative when it comes to making sense of the shifting economy -- and profiting from it. As one panelist noted: "I think we're finding now that [no products are] recession proof."

	Apple's iPad: A Gadget Killer -- or Just Another Gadget? Apple, which brought consumers such hits as the iPod and iPhone, is wading into a new product category with the launch of its iPad, a touch-screen tablet computer that CEO Steve Jobs has said puts "the Internet in your hands" -- and apparently much more. In fact, Apple has positioned the iPad as a universal device that not only functions like a laptop but also can play music, movies and video games, show pictures and hold a library of books. That puts it in direct competition with netbooks and popular single-use gadgets like Amazon's e-book reader, the Kindle. Will iPad be the one device that fits all, or will it just become one more gadget to juggle?

	One Ambivalent Economy + Many Cautious Employers = One Difficult Job Market More than seven million jobs have been lost during this recession, and so far, few have come back. When jobs do return, say experts, many will be temporary, contract or short-term. Risk-averse employers seeking cost savings and flexibility will outsource whatever they can to smaller firms or independent contractors before hiring full-time employees. That means job seekers will have to be more flexible, willing to take short-term assignments or relocate to places where jobs are plentiful.

	'Warm' or 'Competent'? What Happens When Consumers Stereotype Nonprofit and For-profit Firms Nonprofits are presumed generous, kind and honest, and for-profits competent, capable and skillful. Such are the findings of new research about how consumers pigeonhole both types of organizations. Fair or not, these stereotypes are powerful enough that they can affect not only general product and brand perceptions, but also consumers' willingness to make a purchase, according to Wharton marketing professor Cassie Mogilner, one of the study's authors. For a growing number of nonprofits and for-profits, the authors note, changing these perceptions may be a matter of survival.

	Pharma Is at Pains to Replace Blockbusters: Has It Found the Cure? As the pharmaceutical industry comes to grips with the expiration of some $130 billion in patented products over the next four years, executives can no longer bank on a single drug like Lipitor to drive earnings. Instead, they are aiming to diversify their drug portfolios, hoping to develop products for far less than the $800 million-plus figure often cited as the price of bringing a new drug to market. According to industry experts, new paths involve innovative business models and unfamiliar risks, including allowing outsiders to see company secrets at earlier stages and mimicking biotech venture capital models.

	Paid vs. Free Content, Publishing Pains, Apple Tablets and All That ... Two recent events have rocked the publishing world. First, The New York Times said it would abandon the practice of providing free online content and start charging regular readers beginning in 2011. And second, Apple's much-hyped tablet -- the iPad -- made its appearance. What implications will the Times' decision have for newspaper publishers and other providers of free online content? How will the iPad re-define what a book means, as well as how it is produced, marketed and delivered? Wharton professors Peter Fader and Stephen Kobrin weigh in.