The NFL was alarmed in August 2016 at the outset of a string of player protests, which resulted in declining viewership and boycotts by some consumers – both in support of and opposition to the protest. How have the NFL and the spectator sports industry as a whole fared through all this turmoil?
April 22, 2019Legislators and regulators around the world strengthened financial regulations following the 2008 financial crisis that helped cause the 2009 global recession and contributed to the severity of the 2007-2009 US recession. However, as the financial crisis recedes from memory and as some participants in the banking industry voice complaints that regulations are preventing them from lending more aggressively, Congress and regulatory agencies have taken steps to curtail some regulations.
April 22, 2019As virtual reality (VR) continues to improve, firms in the engineering and architectural services industries are finding novel uses for the technology in their day-to-day operations. From client communication and model presentations to cooperative design work, the list of applications continues to grow. How will the widespread use of VR impact the industries going forward?
April 10, 2019Data breaches have regularly been in the news over the past few years. From the Equifax breach to the Marriott breach – and seemingly every company in-between – it is abundantly clear that data security will grow increasingly complex and critical in the future. Maintaining data security and privacy requires diligent, proactive measures to be taken not only by data handlers, but also by legislators and consumers.
February 22, 2019Organizations and households are increasingly paying attention to the types of cleaning chemicals they use due to concerns about toxicity and environmental impact. Contract cleaning firms are sensitive to client concerns about cleaning chemicals, because they have to compete strongly to win contracts in a fragmented industry with many participants.
February 22, 2019Self-storage facilities are on the rise, particularly in the western United States. Service providers are finding creative ways to pinpoint optimal locations for climate-controlled units and an increasing number are turning vacant commercial properties – the blight of the e-commerce boom – into conveniently-located self-storage spaces.
January 29, 2019Ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) disrupted the US airline industry with a new business model – discounted fares in exchange for stripped-down service – and they continue to enjoy significant success. Global revenues for Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Travel Company, two of the three leading ULCCs in the country, grew at an average annual rate of 15% over the 2010-2017 period, roughly 3.6 times faster than the airline industry overall. Frontier Airlines is the other ULCC that participates in the US airline industry but is not publicly traded and does not publish financial data.
January 25, 2019The 2007-2009 recession inflicted massive damage to state and local government budgets and hampered investments in mass transit across the US. At the same time, the launch of transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber Technologies in 2010 and later Lyft, the potential of hyperloops, and promises of self-driving cars gave many public officials hope that the problems of urban transportation could be solved by technology. However, small and large hiccups along the way have shown that technological solutions could take much longer and deliver relatively limited solutions towards fixing the ailing transportation systems of many US cities.
September 18, 2018These three trends are expected to impact growth in communication services revenues.
June 12, 2018Consumers are showing greater interest in landscaping features besides lawns, such as gardens, native grasses, plants, and shrubs. A key reason involves environmental concerns and local regulations regarding water use, which have become increasingly important, particularly in areas that feature water scarcity. To succeed in the face of these concerns, landscaping service firms must tailor their offerings to include a wider array of services that address environmental considerations such as reducing water use.
May 30, 2018