Major Marketing Issues - Essay Example

Over objection from the Food and Drug Administration, Nevadans will be able to buy prescription drugs from Canada over the Internet starting next week, a spokesman for Nevada regulators gave the Web site their final blessing on Thursday after weighing a review of the program by the state attorney general, who had been sceptical about the measure passed by state lawmakers last year. There had been growing concern over the cost of pharmaceutical products in the US and this move is seen by many as a big relief for the local population. Though the administration is hell-bent on discouraging this move by Nevadans, the whole of the US will be looking at the developments with a keen eye hoping that the Bush Administration will ease the burden on the weak and sick and cut costs on local purchases.

It's no longer just the hardworking women who make money at strip clubs. These late-night hangouts, with their booming sound systems and gender-mixed crowds, have become big business for the record industry, particularly for hip-hop labels. "Strip clubs have become the main breaking place for records, especially in the South", says Jermaine Dupri, president of urban music for Virgin Records. The music industry increasingly has embraced the strip club out of necessity and convenience. At strip joints, DJs acanplay full tracks and can take a chance on underground and unproven material. Just about the right place to launch one’s career in music. But will these hip-hop labels truly help turn out good music for all ages? There are so many performers today who are good enough to break the jinx and make it count. Unfortunately, there are not too many takers. Will the entry of Virgin Records bring more music companies into strip clubs? Could this be a turning point for the recording industry in the United States? It’s just a matter of time.

A quarter of all fish in streams of 12 western states are non-native, according to the US Geological Survey. The aquatic invasion is widespread. Half of all streams in the West are home to non-native fish. Few habitat types are immune, and humans are largely to blame. One of the most surprising conclusions in the new study is: In streams that are among the most pristine, there are generally more non-native fish than native. With global warming changing the ecosystem, there have been many natural calamities witnessed the world over. It is time that mankind takes a closer look at what it has been doing to unsettle the ecosystem. Industrialization at the expense of a greener Earth is taking a step closer to extinction. Could these fishes have come as a blessing in disguise for Green Peace activists? Only time will tell.

Rather than reach for the television remote control when she wants to be entertained, Karalyn Valente goes online to play "EverQuest", "Ultima Online", and other video games — a gaming habit shared by millions in the United States. According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 per cent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games. The trend to move from the ‘idiot box’ is a cause of concern for media managers. There is this serious concern that if nothing is done quickly to bring people back to television viewing; the industry is in for a major transformation that could take away thousands of jobs. Video games attract people for the simple reason that they get associated with the characters which transforms into a strong bond.

John Thys still hasn't figured out how much his company has paid Google Inc. for bogus sales referrals caused by "click fraud" — a sham aimed at a perceived weakness in the Internet search leader's lucrative advertising network. But Thys says he has uncovered enough of it to conclude that Google is trying to shortchange his company and thousands of other advertisers by offering refunds totalling $60 million to settle a lawsuit.

Online selling has become a big business. Ever since eBay shot to prominence, other companies are trying to compete in this highly lucrative field. With no firm law to prevent such unscrupulous practices, companies such as the one owned by John Thys will find themselves at the mercy of a few unethical webmasters.

Yahoo Inc. is set to introduce on Monday a long-delayed upgrade to its Web search advertising system, setting the stage for a face-off with Web search leader Google Inc. later this year. The diversified Internet media company is looking to encourage both new and existing corporate advertisers to start working with its rebuilt search marketing system in preparation for full introduction during the third quarter of 2006. This fight could just be the answer to many of our silent prayers. With both Yahoo and Google fighting it out to impress their customers, web users could perhaps be surprised by the innovativeness and features that will make web surfing a healthy proposition.