Drug companies profit through lack of innovation, says researcher

A new study co-authored by a York University professor finds that American pharmaceutical companies aggressively develop and market new drugs with few clinical advantages over existing ones, contributing to overuse and fuelling up to an 80 per cent  increase in drug expenditures. The study, published by the British Medical Journal, reports that companies profit steadily […]

Schulich marketing professor named ACA Gold Medal Award winner

Marketing Professor Alan Middleton of York’s Schulich School of Business has been named the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) Gold Medal Award winner for 2012 for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada. Director of executive programs at the Schulich Executive Education Centre, Middleton has been praised as one of Canada’s […]

Schulich Professor Robert Kozinets on Oprah's marketing legacy

With The Oprah Winfrey Show poised to air its final segment on Wednesday, the Toronto Star examines the five overarching aspects of being Oprah May 19: [One of them is] Marketing Maven: Authors, small business owners and President Barack Obama can attest to "The Oprah Effect". The term was coined to describe how sales of […]

Professor Alan Middleton: Small businesses should emphasize in-person contact over social media

Experts on entrepreneurs and marketing say there is no substitute for personal contact when launching a small business, and many successful business owners agree, wrote The Globe and Mail Dec. 8 in a story about using social media for business: While Internet technology and social media such as Twitter and Facebook allow businesses to manage […]

Audio: Professor Alan Middleton says humor, buzz and new format keys to Old Spice guy's marketing success

Alan Middleton, professor of marketing in the Schulich School of Business, spoke to Toronto's 680 News about the success of Old Spice's youtube video campaign to rebrand their image using commercial spots featuring actor and former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa. You can listen to the spot on 680News.com (click the play button below Mustafa's photo): […]

Professor Joel Lexchin: Some Canadian drugs are overpriced before they are patented

Canada needs a new system for controlling drug prices that does not depend on whether or not a drug has received a patent, according to an article by York Professor Dr. Joel Lexchin. Drug prices in Canada can be unregulated for years, a period during which companies may overprice the drugs and market them, says […]

Music professor on how Justin Bieber leveraged digital media to became a global sensation

Keeping up that intense feeling of personal connection via the Internet is incredibly important in marketing to the Justin Bieber demographic, says Rob Bowman, who teaches popular music in York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, wrote The Globe and Mail May 29: “You’re appealing to a certain adolescent group who’ve got fairly innocent notions of […]

Marketing professor weighs in on Tiger Woods' new image

Alan Middleton, professor of marketing at the Schulich School of Business, has made several comments on Tiger Woods' recent attempts to overhaul his tarnished image as a sports icon. He spoke to the Globe and Mail about the fallen golf star's efforts on April 6. He stood stone still at the first tee of Augusta […]

Video and audio: York researchers on coffee wars, security threats, and conflict in the Congo

Alan Middleton, professor of marketing in the Schulich School of Business, appeared on BNN on March 10 to talk about Tim Hortons' and McDonald's branding struggle to own the branding market. McDonald's is giving away free coffee, while Tim Hortons' Roll Up The Rim To Win campaign is in full throttle. Which company is winning […]