Proof by contradiction

DANTE ALIGHIERI, A divided and divisive figure © Elizabeth Greenwood DANTE ALIGHIERI, a divided and divisive figure, by Elizabeth Greenwood FICTION by…

Neither Dale Carnegie nor the publishers, Simon and Schuster, anticipated more than this modest sale. To their amazement, the book became an overnight sensation, and edition after edition rolled off the presses to keep up with the increasing public demand. Now to Win Friends and InfEuence People took its place in publishing history as one of the all-time international best-sellers. It touched a nerve and filled a human need that was more than a faddish phenomenon of post-Depression days, as…

He turned a little sideways in his chair to drink his mug of coffee. At the table on his left the man with the strident voice was still talking remorselessly away. A young woman who was perhaps his secretary, and who was sitting with her back to Winston, was listening to him and seemed to be eagerly agreeing with everything that he said. From time to time Winston caught some such remark as 'I think you're so right, I do so agree with you', uttered in a youthful and rather silly feminine voice.…

Unfortunately, some companies have mismanaged their greatest asset—their brands. This is what befell the popular Snapple brand almost as soon as Quaker Oats bought the beverage marketer for $1.7 billion in 1994. Snapple had become a hit through powerful grassroots marketing and distribution through small outlets and convenience stores. Analysts said that because Quaker did not understand the brand’s appeal, it made the mistake of changing the ads and the distribution. Snapple lost so much…

However, the large drop in PalmKid’s contribution margin per unit combined with a decrease in the actual number of PalmPro units sold as well as a drop in the actual contribution margin per unit below budget, led to the total contribution margin being much lower than budgeted. Other factors could be discussed here––for example, it seems that the PalmKid did not achieve much success with a three digit price point––selling price was budgeted at $149 but dropped to $102. At the same time,…