Business Wars

Chuck E Cheese vs ShowBiz Pizza | Rat Pizza | 1 Nov 20, 2024

It’s 1976, and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is on a mission to launch a family arcade disguised as a pizza parlor. He comes up with a name that’s impossible not to smile at—“Chuck E. Cheese”—and combines pizza, video games, and animatronic entertainment. The chain quickly becoming the go-to destination for a generation of American kids. And as business takes off, hotel mogul Robert Brock sees the potential to franchise, but after feeling misled by Bushnell, he demands their contract be torn up. Brock goes on to create a rival chain called ShowBiz Pizza Place, pitting his bear mascot, Billy Bob, against Chuck E. Cheese’s scrappy rat in an all-out battle for pizza parlor supremacy.

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Slicing Into New York's Pizza | 6 Nov 14, 2024

Get ready for a Business Wars pizza party! Sporkful podcast host Dan Pashman and Eater NYC reporter Melissa McCart join David to settle the years long debate: is East Coast pizza really better? Then, Dan goes out in the field to put hot honey pizza to the test. Plus, find out how foodies read the trends to determine whether a slice is all hype, or worth the wait.

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Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Interview | 5 Nov 13, 2024

Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger boomed in the 2010s, but changing tastes have turned their sizzle into a fizzle. And as they continue to slide deeper into debt, these companies have struggled to get back on top of the plant-based food chain. . What’s next for these meatless giants? Jason Kartalian and Mike Keller, co-hosts of the podcast Vegan Hacks, join David to discuss the future of Beyond Meat, Impossible Burger, and the meatless meat market as a whole.

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Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Break from the Herd | 4 Nov 06, 2024

It’s 2022 and Kim Kardashian is chowing down on a Beyond Burger. But the Internet buzzes over whether she actually ate it. Meanwhile, after a boom in business during the pandemic, Americans are now cutting back on plant-based meats. And concerns are growing over their nutritional value. That creates a financial pinch for both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, and both companies will have to consider cutting the fat in their operations. Just as the industry looks like it's overcooked, one company revamps its recipe with health in mind. And the other adopts bolder, beefier, and bloodier brand.

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Listen Now: Criminal Lives Nov 04, 2024

What drives a regular person to risk it all in the criminal underworld? On Wondery's Criminal Lives, host Danny Gold takes you inside the minds of some of America’s most successful black market entrepreneurs. From a larger-than-life steroids kingpin to the self described "Original Gay Gangster" who had a gift for numbers and an addiction to luxury, each reveals the rules of the game, the adrenaline-fueled highs, and the missteps that brought it all crashing down. Forget what you've seen in the movies. Criminal Lives brings you the unvarnished truth of what it really means to choose a life of crime.

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Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Beefing Up, Chowing Down | 3 Oct 30, 2024

It’s 2019 and plant-based meats are on fire. But they’re also under fire. Supporters of the beef industry start a food fight with the plant-based meat industry. It kicks off on Super Bowl Sunday, with an aggressive TV ad. But Pat Brown’s Impossible Foods fights back with an ad of its own. Meanwhile, Ethan Brown pushes Beyond Meat to grow at all costs. As debts mount, Ethan tries to get the king of burgers, McDonald’s, to bite on a new plant-based patty. And, as the heat turns up at both companies due to pandemic-induced demand for their products, some employees get queasy about their company’s founders.

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Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Flame Broiled | 2 Oct 23, 2024

It’s 2016 and both Pat Brown’s Impossible Foods and Ethan Brown’s Beyond Meat are cooking up plant-based burgers for mass consumption. Ethan tries to woo Whole Foods executives to carry his Beyond Burger in their stores from coast-to-coast. Pat’s taking a different route. He’s asking celebrity chefs to put his Impossible Burger — a plant-based meat that bleeds — on their menus. Soon enough, fake meat gets truly famous. But as Beyond Meat tries to cash in on Wall Street and as Impossible Foods gets its patties into Burger King, meat-raising ranchers in America’s heartland are on the attack.

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Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Pressure Cooker | 1 Oct 16, 2024

It's 2008 and two men, both vegans, ponder what they can do to improve the climate. Though they’re on separate sides of the country and in different professions (but they coincidentally share a last name)— Ethan Brown is in the fuel cell business and Pat Brown is a lauded Stanford biochemist — they land on the same solution. They’re going to try and lessen the climate impact of animal agriculture by making meat from plants. Ethan calls his company Beyond Meat and notches the first commercial breakthrough, a fake chicken strip. Pat is not far behind, and launches Impossible Foods two years later, setting off a heated rivalry.

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The Smash Burger Smackdown | 5 Oct 10, 2024

From smash burgers to plant patties, this episode is serving up some of the biggest trends in the burger world, and examining whether they're here to stay. Later, David puts some of Southern California's most iconic burgers to the test with Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati, co-hosts of Mythical Kitchen, and Eater LA Reporter Mona Holmes.

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Vogue: Once and Forever | Fashion's Next Big Thing | 4 Oct 09, 2024

Once upon a time, it was Anna Wintour’s world and we were all just living in it. Now, social media creators are starting to drive the conversation around fashion trends – while legacy magazines like Vogue figure out how to stay relevant, and avoid losing touch with their readers. Washington Post Style Writer Rachel Tashjian joins David to unpack the next wave of fashion journalism, and what the future of Vogue might look like.

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Vogue: Once and Forever | Red Ink | 3 Oct 02, 2024

It’s the 1990s and new media is changing the game for all the glossies. InStyle leads the way in featuring celebrities as fashion and lifestyle icons. Meanwhile, Vogue struggles to establish its first website and television vertical, and is laid low by 9-11, along with Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and most of the media industry. Then Wintour has a series of missteps. But by the 2010s, Vogue’s entertainment offerings boost the brand’s digital game. And Harper’s Bazaar raids InStyle’s talent to up their social media strategy. Vogue and all the glossies continue to fight for relevance as the internet and new technology continues to decimate profit margins for print, and live events aim to cement the brand long known as the high priestess of fashion.

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Vogue: Once and Forever | Astonish Me | 2 Sep 25, 2024

It’s the 1930’s and Harper’s Bazaar publisher William Randolph Hearst steals away Vogue’s star editor, Carmel Snow. Harper Bazaar is within striking distance of its rival. But under the direction of the Newhouse family, Vogue reaches a new peak. They snatch the outrageous Diana Vreeland from Harper’s Bazaar and install her as Editor-in-Chief. Vreeland’s magical mixture of fantasy, outlandishness and poetry returns Vogue to its front row seat in the Swinging Sixties. But a new challenger enters the ring. Helen Gurley Brown is at the helm of Cosmopolitan and her unique take on seductive fashion and lifestyle will change the glossies for good.

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Vogue: Once and Forever | Front Row | 1 Sep 18, 2024

It’s the 1970s, and Cosmopolitan’s circulation is exploding. But just as Cosmo establishes itself, Elle magazine debuts in the U.S. and blows everyone out of the water with its vibrant take on streetwear and youth. Alarmed, Runway Queen Vogue hires a young Anna Wintour to give the mag a refresh. Meanwhile, Harper’s Bazaar imports an editor whose mission is to return the glossy to its post WWII heyday, when it ran neck and neck with its arch rival, Vogue.

In this episode, we discuss suicide and depression. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is available at 1-800-950-6264.

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The IKEA Effect | 6 Sep 12, 2024

IKEA has been in the game for about 80 years, earning a spot as the largest furniture retailer in the world. From the meatballs, to the maze, to the DIY furniture, IKEA is a force in our culture and our homes. David is exploring how the company became so ubiquitous worldwide, and what it's doing to keep up with the next generation of shoppers.

Featured guests: Reporter Katie Deighton of the Wall Street Journal and Holly J. Morris, NPR Training Editor.

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Fox News vs CNN | CNN’s Rough Year | 5 Sep 11, 2024

In 2023, CNN ousted CEO Chris Licht after just a year on the job. His goal was to restore CNN’s bipartisan credibility as the most trusted voice in news. But the plan backfired, leaving CNN scrambling to keep up with rivals Fox News and MSNBC. Dylan Byers, senior correspondent and founding partner at Puck, shares more on what happened that year, and what the future of CNN (and cable news as a whole) may look like.

Later, Elaine Low of The Ankler shares an update on the television industry at large, and what the legacy media networks are doing to survive in an era where streaming is king.

Also mentioned in this episode: The Battle for Paramount | Reinventing an Empire

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Fox News vs CNN | Riot Act | 4 Sep 04, 2024

It's February 2017 and CNN is mounting a comeback through its clashes with President Donald Trump. And Fox News is on a mission to own election coverage. But its emphasis on making election night calls early puts it in hot water with its core audience. Soon, Fox News faces an existential threat.

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Fox News vs CNN | Cheerleader in Chief | 3 Aug 28, 2024

It's September 11, 2001 and CNN and Fox News race to keep the nation up to date as the tragedy unfolds. Then, when the nation is plunged into war, the organizations diverge in their coverage. And their rival approaches to the War on Terror will deliver a major upset.

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Fox News vs CNN | Cable Clash | 2 Aug 21, 2024

It's 1996 and Fox News is getting ready to launch, but when CNN owner Time Warner tries to block it, Rupert Murdoch seeks help from New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Then, a scandal rocks the White House and proves to be a ratings magnet for both channels. And CNN takes a major hit when its reporting comes into question.

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Fox News vs CNN | Non-Stop News | 1 Aug 14, 2024

It’s 1978 and Ted Turner’s out to reinvent the news with CNN, the first 24-hour news network. The challenge nearly breaks its first staffers, but then a major national story proves to viewers that journalism that's rough and raw makes for exciting television. Soon though, Turner's new venture will put him on a collision course with Rupert Murdoch.

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Drug Cartels | Inside Miami’s Drug Wars with Hotel Cocaine | 4 Aug 07, 2024

It’s 1978 in Miami, Florida. The hottest spot in town is a club located inside the world famous Mutiny Hotel. And it’s also the epicenter of Miami’s infamous drug wars. The new MGM+ Hotel Cocaine takes you deep into this world, where every pleasure has a price. David sat down with creator and showrunner Chris Brancato and series stars Danny Pino and Mark Feuerstein to learn more about the glamorous Mutiny Club and the darker reality that surrounded it.Check out the new TV series 'Hotel Cocaine' that inspired this season of Business Wars only on MGM+. Click here to get 50% off your first month: https://www.mgmplus.com/wondery.

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Drug Cartels | The Chess Master | 1 Aug 07, 2024

In the 1970s, a pair of brothers and their longtime friend begin smuggling cocaine from their home city of Cali, Colombia into the United States. They quickly establish a complex but highly efficient system for importing and distributing vast quantities of the drug, creating what becomes known as the Cali Cartel. Laundering their money through legitimate businesses in Colombia, the men from Cali become extremely wealthy. Soon, other budding entrepreneurs in Colombia take notice. The most ambitious among them is a young man named Pablo Escobar. He wants his organization, based out of Medellin, Colombia, to surpass the Cali Cartel as the biggest importer of cocaine into the United States.

Check out the new TV series 'Hotel Cocaine' that inspired this season of Business Wars only on MGM+. Click here to get 50% off your first month: https://www.mgmplus.com/wondery.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Croc-Stars: How Comfy Clogs Took Over | 6 Aug 01, 2024

Crocs are the comfy foam clogs people love to hate. Yet today, they're seen everywhere from memes to the red carpet. So how did they get so popular? David's exploring the rise and fall — and rise again — of the “ugly” yet beloved clog that continues to endure.

Featured Guests: Doogie Sandtiger, the “Croc King,” who owns more than 3,000 pairs, and Jordyn Holman, retail reporter for the New York Times.

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Cruise Ship Wars | Smooth Sailing | 5 Jul 31, 2024

The seas were especially rough for the cruise line industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. There was a time when people thought cruising might never come back… but not Dan Kline. He’s the founder of the publication Come Cruise With Me, and was one of the first people to set sail when cruises reopened. Dan joins David to talk about how the industry stayed afloat and adapted during the pandemic, and its miraculous comeback in the years since. He also shares what’s next in the world of cruising, and why this type of vacation is so addicting!

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Cruise Ship Wars | Mayday | 4 Jul 24, 2024

As the cruise industry enters the 21st century, Carnival and Royal Caribbean square off again as they battle to acquire British company Princess Cruises. Whoever wins Princess will be virtually uncatchable as the largest cruise company in the world. But when the Covid-19 pandemic breaks out, the cruise industry struggles to keep passengers safe, and the entire existence of the industry is in jeopardy.

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Cruise Ship Wars | A Shot Across the Bow | 3 Jul 17, 2024

As Carnival cements its success by going public, founder Ted Arison and his son and CEO Micky set their sights on growing the company through acquisition. They make long-time rival Royal Caribbean their target. But with a new ambitious executive at the helm, Royal Caribbean isn’t going down without a fight. Norwegian Cruise Line struggles to keep up with the competition.

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Cruise Ship Wars | Making Waves | 2 Jul 10, 2024

After his bitter exit from Norwegian Cruise Line, Ted Arison has limited time to make his new company Carnival a success. With little funds and one run-down ship, the odds are stacked against him. Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean compete to be the most luxurious cruise ship company on the market. And all three get an unexpected boost from Hollywood.

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Cruise Ship Wars | Anchors Aweigh! | 1 Jul 03, 2024

In 1950, an enterprising Miami businessman has the idea to use a passenger liner to ferry retired Floridians to the Caribbean. He makes their time on board the ship as much a part of the appeal as the destination. Modern cruising is born, but it’s still just a small niche activity.

But in the 1960s, a group of ambitious men in both the United States and Europe sees huge potential in this form of vacation travel. Within six years Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival are all founded. They spend the next 60 years battling to be the biggest and best cruise line in the world.

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College Football Wars | Where the Pac-12 Went Wrong | 5 Jun 26, 2024

The Pac-12 was one of the most prestigious college football conferences in the nation, until its leading schools left for greener pastures with heftier media deals. Now, with only two teams left, the stakes are higher than ever for the Pac-12 to draw viewers. John Canzano, host of college sports podcasts The Bald Faced Truth and Canzano & Wilner, joins David to talk about what’s next for the teams and the sport as a whole. Later, we’re tapping in Chris Vannini of The Athletic to talk about cable television’s role in the conference shakeups, and the lucrative TV rights deals that prop up each conference.

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College Football Wars | Fragile Alliance | 4 Jun 19, 2024

It’s George Kliavkoff’s third week in charge of the Pac-12. But his new job will become a nightmare when the SEC makes a play that’ll send panic through entire the college football scene.

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College Football Wars | The Fumble | 3 Jun 12, 2024

With the College Football Playoff boosting the sport’s worth, the rivalry between the Power 5 conferences is heating up. But as the Big Ten thrives, the Pac-12 will find itself trapped by its past.

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College Football Wars | The New Champions | 2 Jun 05, 2024

Pac-12 boss Larry Scott wants a media empire that can outshine the Big Ten. But to do it, he must strong-arm ESPN and then find a way to face down satellite TV giant DirecTV.

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College Football Wars | Title Fight | 1 May 29, 2024

It’s the 90s. College football’s a hot mess of untapped profit potential. But two TV execs have an answer. It’s called the Bowl Championship Series and it’ll ignite a rush for the big bucks.

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Poppi vs Olipop: Soda’s Second Coming | 6 May 23, 2024

Soda has had its fair share of ups and downs, but now, a new wave of prebiotic pop promises to reinvent the fizzy drink consumers love. Poppi and Olipop are two buzzy, health-focused brands leading the charge. And David is cracking open a can of each to figure out whether these drinks really are soda's second coming...or just another wellness fad.

Featured Guests:Tristan Donovan, Author of Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the WorldAnn Gehan, Retail Reporter at The Information

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Jeep vs Bronco | Back in the Saddle | 5 May 22, 2024

David is going behind the scenes with Ford’s Director of Vehicle Personalization, Mark Grueber, who helped power the “Bronco Underground.” You heard him in this season of Business Wars, and now he’s sharing what it was like to bring the iconic Bronco back to life — and how its buzzy launch almost bottomed out. Later, Larry Webster, Editor-in-Chief of the popular automotive outlet Hagerty Media, joins David to talk about the legacy of trailblazing SUVs like Jeep and Bronco, and whether we could see more electric off-roading vehicles in our future.

Listen to Larry’s Never Stop Driving podcast from Hagerty.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Jeep vs Bronco | Full Throttle | 4 May 15, 2024

It's 2008 and the U.S. government spends tense months deciding whether, and then how, to bail out the U.S. auto industry. Chrysler is saved through a forced merger with another foreign suitor — Italy’s Fiat. Fiat’s charismatic chairman makes Jeep the centerpiece of the new Fiat Chrysler. But Jeep also faces new competition as Ford decides to bring the Bronco back. Jeep doesn’t sit idle. It puts more horses under its hood than ever before. And the showroom showdown that follows will result in staggering demand and stunningly high prices for both Jeep and Bronco.

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Jeep vs Bronco | Bye Bye Bronco | 3 May 08, 2024

It's 1996, and the last Bronco rolls off the assembly line in Michigan. Ford is moving on to bigger, lusher SUVs. Jeep is already there with its Grand Cherokee. And as it continues to be hugely popular, Chrysler tinkers with a merger. It eventually combines with Germany’s Daimler-Benz. The merger is a mess, and Jeep suffers under new management. Meanwhile, as the new millennium dawns, an underground group inside Ford quietly plots to bring back the Bronco. But just as it looks like the Bronco Underground may succeed it hits a major roadblock — a global, financial crisis that short-circuits both Ford and Chrysler.

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Jeep vs Bronco | Engine Trouble | 2 May 01, 2024

It’s 1965 and as the Bronco bucks onto the market, the Jeep boosts its engine power in hopes of catching up. But by the 1970s, the Jeep’s owner, the American Motor Company, has a new strategy: beat the Bronco by going bigger. AMC introduces the massive Jeep Cherokee, jump starting an arms race. Next, Bronco also goes big. Then, Jeep goes even bigger, and more luxurious, with the Grand Cherokee.

As the 1990s arrive, the rugged Bronco is falling out of favor with consumers. But it spends one more wild moment in the spotlight when a white Bronco leads a low-speed police chase on live television. Its passenger is murder suspect O.J. Simpson.

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Jeep vs Bronco | Battle Hardened | 1 Apr 24, 2024

It's 1940 and as Adolph Hitler’s forces storm across Europe, the American army pays a nearly broke U.S. carmaker to develop a lightweight, durable, all-purpose, all-terrain automobile for use in the coming world war. The vehicle that’s created comes to be known as the Jeep and it plays a pivotal role in winning that war. But the Jeep has a bumpy homecoming. And as Americans start spending more time on the road and behind the wheel, they pave the way for the rise of an off-road challenger. It’s made by Ford. And it’s called the Bronco.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Allbirds: The Rise and Fall of Direct to Consumer | 5 Apr 18, 2024

Allbirds was once valued at $4.1 billion. The sustainable shoe brand had a fast and meteoric rise that mirrored the path of many other direct to consumer brands, but by early 2024 Allbirds' luck had changed. Find out what wrong for the company and the DTC market broadly, and how they're trying to find their footing again.

Featured Guests: Ann Gehan, Retail Reporter at The Information Elizabeth Segran, Senior Staff Writer at Fast Company

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Sam Altman & the Battle for OpenAI | Is OpenAI Out of the Woods? | 4 Apr 17, 2024

A lot has happened at OpenAI since that whiplash week in November 2023 when the board ousted its chief executive. There was an investigation to determine whether Sam Altman’s firing was just, and a lawsuit from OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the company’s competition has been charging ahead. Julia Black, a reporter with The Information, joins host David Brown to break down the latest developments and shed light on where Sam Altman — and the future of AI — are going next.

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Sam Altman & the Battle for OpenAI | Blood in the Water | 3 Apr 10, 2024

After five intense days, Sam Altman prevails over the OpenAI Board and is reinstated as CEO, with a new board in place. But the turmoil has shown that OpenAI is vulnerable and its competitors, including Google and Microsoft, are ready to take advantage of OpenAI’s weakness. And with OpenAI’s old board out and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever’s role at OpenAI murky, the path is clear for OpenAI to develop and commercialize AI at an even faster rate than as before.

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Sam Altman & the Battle for OpenAI | If You Come At the King… | 2 Apr 03, 2024

OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever’s move to fire Sam Altman with no warning kicks off five days of chaos for the tech company. After he gets over the shock, Altman uses all his corporate savvy to fight back. For days, over McDonalds and Boba tea, Altman and the board feud over the path forward for Altman and OpenAI, while the business community waits on tenterhooks to find out the future of one of the most important AI companies in the world.

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Sam Altman & the Battle for OpenAI | Misalignment | 1 Mar 27, 2024

From the outside, OpenAI looked like one of Silicon Valley’s biggest success stories. In 2022, it had stunned the world with the release of ChatGPT3.5, leapfrogging some of the biggest tech companies to be an industry leader in artificial intelligence. But, inside the company walls trouble was brewing. Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever had increasing concerns about the speed at which OpenAI was commercializing and releasing AI products. He worried about the direction AI was heading and the impact it would have on the future of humanity.

In November 2023, Sutskever reached his breaking point. His actions would have a tumultuous effect.

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Costco's Wholesale Revolution | 6 Mar 21, 2024

Costco's membership retention rate is the stuff of other retailers' dreams, nevermind the love they get on social media. With very little paid advertising, the company has managed to keep its spot as the third largest retailer in the U.S. We’re finding out how they do it with Susan and David Schwartz, authors of “The Joy of Costco: a Treasure Hunt from A to Z,” and Business Insider reporter Dominick Reuter.

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Taylor Swift vs The World | Taylor Nation | 5 Mar 20, 2024

With everything Taylor Swift’s been up to lately, being a Swiftie is almost a fulltime job. Today, David speaks with two digital creators who have been covering her since day one. First up, pop culture YouTuber Lauren Lipman talks about Taylor’s NFL era, the challenges of covering Taylor during her fight for her masters, and the time she got to meet Taylor.

Next, digital creator and longtime Swiftie Autumn Kennedy takes us inside her fan account TS Tour Tips. With more than 400,000 followers, Autumn’s Instagram page chronicles Taylor’s Eras Tour as it travels around the world.

Check out Lauren Lipman on Instagram @LaurenLipman and Autumn Kennedy @TSTourTips.

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Taylor Swift vs The World | Ticketmaster Trouble | 4 Mar 13, 2024

When Taylor Swift began planning The Eras Tour, she probably didn't expect to be at the forefront of an antitrust battle that could decide the future of concerts in the U.S. But the battle for Taylor Swift tickets leads Swift, her fans, and Senators into a tussle with Ticketmaster, the biggest live events company on the public markets. And Hollywood's next.

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Taylor Swift vs The World | Revenge of the Swifties | 3 Mar 06, 2024

By 2019, Taylor Swift's battle to get her masters back from Scooter Braun has gone public. She decides to fight by deploying her own, very dangerous weapon -- the Swifties. And Braun pulls out all the stops to protect his $300 million asset.

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Taylor Swift vs The World | Bad Blood | 2 Feb 28, 2024

By 2014, Taylor Swift has spread her wings into pop. But as her self-confidence grows, so does her discontent with her label. So she makes a bold move. Meanwhile, mega-manager Scooter Braun sees a business opportunity in Swift's early masters. The problem is, Swift has serious beef with Braun and his clients. And when she finds out about his plan, it'll be all out war.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Taylor Swift vs The World | On the Outside | 1 Feb 21, 2024

When Taylor Swift signed to an upstart country label as a teen, she probably didn't realize that she was signing away the rights to something she would spend decades getting back -- her masters. Swift’s fight for her $300 million master recordings is a scrimmage that could reshuffle the entire business model of the music industry. But first, Swift has to make it big. And that's a one-in-a-million shot.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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The Business of Barbie | 5 Feb 15, 2024

We’ve got the keys to Barbie's dream house and we’re unlocking her legacy, staying power and what’s ahead. We're joined by Time reporter and Mattel expert Eliana Dockterman and entertainment and culture journalist Matthew Jacobs to talk about Barbie's ups and downs and the key business decisions that revived the flailing brand. Plus, what's behind the movie's Oscars nominations... and snubs.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Apple Watch vs Samsung | The Rise of Apple Watch with Steven Levy (Wired) & Cam Wolf (GQ) | 4 Feb 14, 2024

When the Apple Watch first debuted, designer Jony Ive envisioned the gadget as a must-have in the world of high fashion. But even if the smartwatch hasn’t become a mainstay in the luxury world, it has become a tool many of us can’t live without.

Wired Editor-at-large Steven Levy joins David to unpack the evolution of the Apple Watch. Steven’s covered Apple since the early 80s, and he’s connecting the dots to share how the Apple of yesterday brought us the Apple Watch of today. Later, GQ Senior Style Writer Cam Wolf, tells us how the rise of the Apple Watch has changed the mechanical watch market.

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Apple Watch vs Samsung | This Watch Will Save Your Life | 3 Feb 07, 2024

It’s 2016 and in the wake of a major PR fiasco, Samsung is rolling out their new round smartwatch with a beautiful rotating bezel, while an MLB cheating scandal puts the Apple Watch squarely in consumers’ sights. And, enhanced health features in the Series 4 rocket Apple Watch sales to record heights. Meanwhile Samsung gets hit with a lawsuit and then releases a tone-deaf ad campaign savaged by women around the world. And as both smartwatch contenders add more health functionality to their devices, they’re dogged by controversies over patents, consumer privacy and failure to deliver on vaulted promises of medical grade precision.

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Apple Watch vs Samsung | Race to the Wrist | 2 Jan 31, 2024

It’s 2012 and Apple’s legendary designer in chief, Jony Ive, decides the company’s first product launch after Steve Jobs’ death should be a smartwatch. But he struggles to get buy-in from CEO Tim Cook and upper management. Meanwhile Samsung races to beat Apple to market.. Then Samsung raises the stakes with a wildly successful satirical ad campaign aimed at Apple’s pretentiousness, but eventually launches a flawed smartwatch that leaves consumers cold. After Apple finally greenlights the smartwatch project, Jony Ive and Apple engineers grapple with a host of challenges.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Apple Watch vs Samsung | From Dust to Dynasty | 1 Jan 24, 2024

It’s 1936 in a small town in Korea and a rakish scion of a wealthy family realizes he has to clean up his act by starting a small import export business. By the 1980s, he fast tracks South Korea’s first computer chip factory, and turns hundreds of engineers into fiercely loyal, tirelessly diligent “Samsung Men.” But as Apple’s star rises, Samsung turns to American designers from California to teach its employees innovation and free-wheeling creativity. The result is a 1999 futuristic watch phone – a forerunner to Samsung’s first Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

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Tracing the Steps of Fitbit | 6 Jan 18, 2024

Before Apple and Samsung took over our wrists, there was Fitbit. The fitness tracker was just about the coolest thing in Silicon Valley, and everyone in tech was wearing one — including Wired Magazine senior editor Michael Calore and senior writer Lauren Goode!

Long before the pair started hosting the Wired Gadget Lab podcast, they were crushing their steps goal while reporting on the buzziest wearable on the market. Michael and Lauren join David to help trace the steps that Fitbit took to become one of the most enduring pioneers of the wearable world, walking 10,000 steps so that the Apple Watch could run...and answer calls...and text.

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Xbox vs Playstation (REMIX) | The Console Conundrum | 5 Jan 17, 2024

Can you imagine video games without Sony? A partnership between Sony and Nintendo could have changed the future of Playstation — and the video game industry — as we know it… if the deal hadn’t ended with a dramatic betrayal. Tristan Donovan, author of Replay: The History of Video Games (and writer of this season of Business Wars), joins David to tell us about the console that almost wasn’t. You’ll also hear why Nintendo is so hard to predict, and where the video games market is going next.

For the full story on what went down with Playstation in the early 1990s, listen to the Business Wars Nintendo vs. Sony season, also written by Tristan.

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Xbox vs Playstation (REMIX) | Pay to Win | 4 Jan 10, 2024

It’s 2016 and Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s leading a reboot of the Xbox brand after the Xbox One’s fumbled start. But with Sony and Nintendo surging ahead, he needs to make some big plays to get Microsoft back in action.

But when he homes in on a plan to spend tens of billions of dollars to reinvent Xbox and move beyond the console war, Sony’s going to go all out to stop Microsoft from spending its way to victory.

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Xbox vs Playstation (REMIX) | Dis-Kinect | 3 Jan 03, 2024

It’s 2007 and both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are in trouble. Microsoft’s dealing with an epidemic of dying consoles. Sony lacks sales momentum. And Nintendo’s surging back with the Wii – a console that lets people play using a motion-tracking controller.

But when Microsoft hits paydirt with its own motion-controller – the Kinect – it will change the direction for Xbox and give Sony an opportunity for a comeback.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Xbox vs Playstation (REMIX) | The Betrayal | 2 Dec 27, 2023

It’s 2002 and the race to build the next generation of game consoles is already underway. And Sony’s got big plans for the PlayStation 3. It wants to use it to introduce a new kind of computer architecture and it’s teamed up with Toshiba and IBM to do it.

But with Microsoft’s gunning to get its next console, the Xbox 360, into stores first, IBM spies a golden opportunity. IBM can make huge profits by partnering with both rivals in the console war.

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Xbox vs Playstation (REMIX) | Crash and Burn | 1 Dec 20, 2023

It’s the year 2000. Sony’s PlayStation 2 is ready to conquer the game business and leave its Japanese rivals Sega and Nintendo looking like has-beens.

But Sony’s gaming success is causing alarm at Microsoft’s headquarters. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates fears Sony will use the PlayStation to conquer computer-based home entertainment and shut Windows out of the home.

So he’s striking back by deploying Microsoft’s billions to create a Windows-based game console called the Xbox. But the team he’s assigned to the job are about to reject his plan.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Holiday Wars | 6 Dec 14, 2023

American Girl or Barbie? Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? The Game of Life or Monopoly? We're putting your favorite nostalgic toys head-to-head to determine the GOAT (greatest of all TOYS) with comedian Josh Gondelman and New York Times retail reporter Jordyn Holman. And later on, David goes in the hot seat to choose between some of his most beloved childhood toys (POGs, anyone?). Happy holidays from Business Wars to you!

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Toys R US vs KB Toys | The Comeback Kid, Plus Hot Wheels! | 5 Dec 13, 2023

‘Tis the season for toys! First, we’re getting an update on where toy retailers stand today with Forbes Senior Contributor Joan Verdon. She’s covered Toys R Us since the late 90s, and has the inside scoop on whether this chain is actually making the big comeback the headlines claim.

Later, we’re zooming in on one toy that’s stood the test of time — Hot Wheels – with Bruce Pascal, who has the world’s most valuable, historically-complete collection of these tiny cars. And he’s recently created his own museum for them. Plus, Bruce shares how he acquired the “holy grail” for Hot Wheels collectors (hint: it’s hot pink).

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Toys R US vs KB Toys | Tears 'R' Us | 4 Dec 06, 2023

It’s 2004 and toy retailers across America are assessing the post-holiday damage from Walmart’s brutal price attack.

And with KB Toys mortally wounded, it falls to Toys “R” Us to lead the fight. But when the debts mount and Amazon turns from friend to foe, Toys “R” Us ends up in a desperate battle for survival.

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Toys R US vs KB Toys: Christmas Carnage | 3 Nov 29, 2023

It’s 1999 and the world wide web is the new retail frontier. And both KB Toys and Toys “R” Us hope to use the internet to keep Walmart at bay.

But Toys “R” Us's plan for online glory is about to go haywire – giving KB Toys the upper hand and forcing Toys “R” Us into a surprise alliance with Amazon.

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Toys R US vs KB Toys | Toy Hunter | 2 Nov 22, 2023

It’s 1990 and Toys “R” Us rules toy retail. But when big-box retailers Walmart and Costco threaten to intrude on its territory, Toys “R” Us uses toymakers to wage retail war.

And as the clash of the giant superstores rages around it, the owner of KB Toys loses faith in its mall-based strategy.

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Toys R US vs KB Toys | Category Killer | 1 Nov 15, 2023

It’s the 1950s and in Washington D.C., Charles Lazarus is running a small baby furniture store in the house he was born in.

But when a customer comes seeking toys, Lazarus starts on the path towards creating a toy superstore empire called Toys “R” Us and building immense wealth.

And he’s not the only businessman chasing toy riches. In Massachusetts, a wholesaler called Kaufman Brothers is building a rival toy chain in the nation’s shopping malls.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Toying Around | 6 Nov 09, 2023

We're talking about legendary toy stores and how they can compete today with comedian Gianmarco Soresi, who's in the new Netflix series "Verified Stand-Up" and editor-in-chief of The Toy Book, James Zahn. Plus which toys are made to become stars of the silver screen (did somebody say Barbie?) and which are destined to flop.

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CVS vs. Walgreens | Trouble Behind the Counter | 5 Nov 08, 2023

Between overworked pharmacists, healthcare consolidation, and rising drug costs, pharmacies are constantly having to adapt. Dan Weissmann, host of the An Arm and a Leg podcast, joins David to talk about how these conditions are affecting pharmacies — big and small — and consumers nationwide.

Later, Liz Tung, a reporter for WHYY’s The Pulse, shares her deep dive into the mysterious world of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. Her recent reporting examines how these entities hurt consumers and pharmacists alike, and what’s being done to challenge them.

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CVS vs. Walgreens | The Doctor is In | 4 Nov 01, 2023

It’s 2013 and CVS boss Larry Merlo is formulating a plan to wipe two-billion dollars off of the company’s sales by stripping cigarettes from the chain’s shelves.

But while Merlo seeks to forge a tobacco-free future for CVS, over at Walgreens the pressure is mounting on CEO Greg Wasson.

The deal to buy European pharmacy giant Alliance Boots is nearing completion. But the deal’s about to take an unexpected turn that’ll see Walgreens under new management.

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CVS vs. Walgreens | A New Prescription | 3 Oct 25, 2023

It’s 2009 and Walgreens is in crisis. It’s just lost its CEO and surrendered its top-dog status to CVS.

But it’s about to fightback. It’s got a plan to launch itself onto the world stage and sock it to the pharmacy benefit managers that are eroding its profit margins.

But when its comeback plan hits trouble, it’ll be CVS that benefits.

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CVS vs. Walgreens | Clinic Bait | 2 Oct 18, 2023

It’s the late 1990s and CVS and Walgreens are battling for control of the nation’s best street corners and there’s a huge prize at stake.

Tens of millions of boomers are about to turn grey and thanks to new drugs and prescription insurance they will soon be spending billions at the nation’s pharmacy counters.

But CVS isn’t just eyeing the prescription dollars. It's formulating a plan to shoot past Walgreens by turning its drugstores into healthcare destinations.

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CVS vs. Walgreens | Powerful Medicine | 1 Oct 11, 2023

It’s 1895 and Chicago’s a boom town that’s overflowing with pharmacies. But one drugstore is about to emerge from the city’s mass of small-time drugstores and become a national force.

It’s name is Walgreens and by the late 20th century it will be spreading nationwide and looking unbeatable.

But then a multi-billion-dollar shoe company bets everything on a little New England drugstore chain called CVS.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Salty or Sweet? | 5 Oct 05, 2023

No tricks, just treats in this chat with New York Times retail reporter Jordyn Holman and comedian Max Fine. We're talking about candy, and just in time for spooky season! Then, we dig into America's obsession with snacks. Find out which new products are out there, who's selling them, and who's buying.

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The Rise of AI | Living in an Artificial World | 4 Oct 04, 2023

Mike Calore and Lauren Goode from Wired are back! The pair co-host Wired’s Gadget Lab podcast, where they’ve been diving deep into what the future of AI looks like. Mike and Lauren join host David Brown to share their predictions, and give us their takes on whether the classic sci-fi films that feature AI are hitting a little too close to home these days.

Listen to Gadget Lab.

Catch Mike and Lauren’s latest reporting at wired.com.

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The Rise of AI | Battle Bots | 3 Sep 27, 2023

With the popularity of ChatBots exploding, Microsoft invests billions of dollars into AI-assisted internet search,trying to strike at Google’s core business. Google answers back with its own ChatBot “Bard”. And Facebook makes a surprising move to stay in the race. But more people start to have questions about whether the disruptions to society are worth the benefits. Politicians push for more regulation and leading researchers warn about the dangers of advanced AI. Some even call for a moratorium on research, leaving the future of AI uncertain.

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The Rise of AI | No Reservations | 2 Sep 20, 2023

Google is the undisputed leader in the race to dominate AI, in part because of its reputation as a company with strong corporate ethics. But as questions about the morality and efficacy of AI become more pronounced, Google finds itself mired in internal conflicts and bad PR. Google’s stagnation gives Microsoft an opportunity to team up with an ambitious start-up called OpenAI. When OpenAI releases ChatGPT, the chatbot shakes up the AI landscape and puts Google on its heels.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | AI Disruptors | 6 Sep 06, 2023

You've heard about how AI is poised (and already) revolutionizing just about everything. We're digging deeper into that and taking a look at the way AI has altered three industries — climate change management, fast food and advertising. We're joined by journalist Haje Kamps and comedian Kenny DeForest.

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The Rise of AI | The Next Big Thing | 1 Sep 06, 2023

For decades, AI stagnated with only a few dedicated scientists working on it. But in 2012, a researcher at the University of Toronto made a breakthrough — and every major tech company wanted in on it. They were convinced that AI was the next big thing, destined to change the world the way the personal computer, internet, and smart phone all had in previous decades. The race to be the leader would soon become cutthroat.

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Hilton vs Marriott | Pretty Cool Hotels | 5 Sep 06, 2023

Grab your suitcase, because we’re taking a vacation! Today, we’re joined by Allison Pohle, travel reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She’s zooming in on the hotel industry — the post-pandemic bounceback, labor strikes, and Airbnb’s continued impact — and what this means for travelers.

Later, we’ll venture outside the corporate hotel world with Margaret and Corey Bienert, creators of A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour. Their photo project has documented some of the dreamiest hotels across the US and the world on social media. The couple is walking us through some of their favorites, and previewing their upcoming book, Hotel Kitsch.

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Hilton vs Marriott | The Inn Crowd | 4 Aug 30, 2023

It’s 2001 and the hotel industry is reeling from 9/11. But terror attacks are only the one of the new challenges closing in on Marriott and Hilton.

The uniform hotels of the 20th century no longer cut it with young travelers, Starwood is making inroads, and online travel agents are upending vacations.

But Marriott’s got another problem to fret about. Because Hilton’s about to shake free of the Hilton family and go on the attack.

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Hilton vs Marriott | Wake-Up Call | 3 Aug 23, 2023

It’s the early 1990s and Marriott’s a financial wreck heading for the rocks, and running out of time to find a way to remedy its debts.

But as Marriott crumbles, the sleeping giant that is Hilton is waking up. And it wants its position as market leader back.

But to retake the crown it needs to move fast. The hotel industry is consolidating and right now Hilton looks more prey than predator.

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Hilton vs Marriott | Bad Heir Day | 2 Aug 16, 2023

It’s the late 1960s and succession is top of mind at both Hilton and Marriott.

Conrad Hilton’s almost 80 and about to hand his business over to his sons, Nicky and Barron. But their rivalry will push Hilton into making a damaging decision.

Meanwhile, Bill Marriott railroads his father, J.W., in order to load up on debt and catapult the Marriott Corporation into the hotel big-time.

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Hilton vs Marriott | Check-In | 1 Aug 09, 2023

It’s 1919 and Conrad Hilton is among the fortune seekers in the oil-boom town of Cisco, Texas. But when his plan to buy a bank unravels, he turns to hotels and finds himself heading down the rocky road to business success.

But as Hilton breaks ground and flirts with bankruptcy, over on the east coast, J.W. Marriott’s starting a business that’s destined to break into the big time not by selling beds, but by serving root beer.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Room Service | 6 Aug 03, 2023

We'll take a look at the hotel industry landscape this summer, including the "Taylor Swift effect," and the amped up fight against rental companies like AirBnB. Travel industry journalist Sean O'Neill and comedian Liz Barrett join us for this journey.

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Subway vs Quiznos | Putting Subs to the Test | 5 Aug 02, 2023

We’ve spent this season telling the story of how Quiznos and Subway battled to create a sub sandwich that would lure the most customers. Now, we’re putting them to the test – a taste test, that is.

Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati are Kitcheneers and hosts of Mythical Kitchen, an offshoot of the popular YouTube channel, Good Mythical Morning. They also co-host the podcast “A Hotdog is a Sandwich.” We’re going deep with them on what makes a winning sandwich and how the current competition stacks up. They’ll also bite into sandwiches from both Subway and Quiznos and give us their official reviews.

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Subway vs Quiznos | Footlong Fiascos | 4 Jul 26, 2023

It’s 2008 and as the Great Recession sinks in, Panera, Jersey Mike’s and Firehouse Subs amp up the competition. Quiznos tries to win back dwindling market share with an avalanche of coupons. But store managers refuse to honor them and sue the parent company for abusive practices. While civil war rages at Quiznos, Subway faces down a serious scandal. But Quiznos can’t take advantage of their competitor’s troubles; they’re in a fatal tailspin. Now both franchises experiment with store remodels, drive thru and online kiosks in a bid to recover from the global pandemic and its devastating disruption of the restaurant industry.

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Subway vs Quiznos | One Ounce and You’re Out | 3 Jul 19, 2023

It’s 2003 in Miami, Florida and a Subway franchisee comes up with a catchy promotion: the 5 Dollar Footlong. But Subway Corporate is preoccupied with a costly new innovation: special ovens to toast their subs. Robbed of their “toasty” advantage, Quiznos counters with a hip ad featuring uncanny creatures called Spongmonkeys, and a campaign claiming their steak subs have more meat than Subway’s. But the aggressive media campaign has dramatic fallout for franchisees who are already struggling to pay high prices for company-owned food and supplies. As more franchisees fall into debt, store owners rebel.

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Subway vs Quiznos | Anywhere and Everywhere | 2 Jul 12, 2023

It’s 1987 in Denver, Colorado, and a 22-year-old stockbroker named Rick Schaden invests a market windfall into a Quiznos franchise. Four years later, he and his wealthy father buy all 18 stores. Their outlandish dream: take on Subway. Meanwhile, a college kid manages to lose 245 pounds eating 2 Subway sandwiches a day. With “Jared the Subway Guy” as their new spokesperson, and the introduction of freshly baked bread, Subway’s profits and store count soar. But by 2000, the Schadens’ savvy business strategy and aggressive franchise marketing catapults Quiznos into third place behind Subway and Blimpie. But manic growth hides troubling signs of dysfunction.

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Subway vs Quiznos | Subs Rising | 1 Jul 05, 2023

It’s 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and 17-year-old Fred DeLuca needs money to pay for college. A family friend makes him a surprising offer and they become unlikely partners, opening a string of barely profitable restaurants called Pete’s Submarines. Their luck changes when DeLuca refines their cash flow management process and recruits their first franchisee. They give the burgeoning restaurant empire a new name: Subway. Meanwhile, in Denver, an experienced chef perfects artisanal recipes for authentic toasted Italian subs, and comes up with a name so weird it’s unforgettable: Quiznos.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Slicing Up the Sandwich King | 6 Jun 29, 2023

Can old school fast food chains lure in hipper, younger diners with AI-powered features, EV charging stations and playgrounds? We'll consider what brands like Subway are doing to draw new customers and also whether the grain bowl trend has staying power. Restaurant industry journalist Sam Oches and comedian Kyle Kinane join us for this meaty discussion.

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Target vs Walmart | 'Target' Demographics | 5 Jun 28, 2023

Is your house team Target or team Walmart? Depending on where you live, or what you’re trying to buy, the answer might be one, or both. Even though these stores sell a lot of the same merchandise, shoppers have very different perceptions — and allegiances.

Here to explore the ‘target’ demographics of your favorite big box stores is Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah Nassauer, who has covered major retailers like Target and Walmart for nearly a decade. We’re strolling down the aisles to find out how each chain is doing today in this e-commerce world, and what the future holds.

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Target vs Walmart | Bricks and Bytes | 4 Jun 21, 2023

It’s 2013 and Target’s troubles are multiplying. The Minneapolis retailer’s big push into Canada is getting the cold shoulder and a gang of cybercriminals are about to bust open its network and stage a billion-dollar heist.

But while Target firefights, Walmart is focusing on a newer, more hi-tech foe: Amazon.

And as the war for shoppers moves from bricks to bytes, Target’s new CEO Brian Cornell needs to get the chain back on track fast, before it gets left behind.

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Target vs Walmart | Wardrobe Malfunction | 3 Jun 14, 2023

It’s early 2005 and Walmart’s reeling from a dismal holiday season. It hoped to improve its image by playing nice with rivals only to watch Target snatch away its shoppers.

So now it’s looking to hit back by muscling in on the cheap-chic action that’s sent Target’s growth soaring.

But Walmart’s about to find that winning over the fashion conscious is as much about brand as design.

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Target vs Walmart | The Beast from Bentonville | 2 Jun 07, 2023

It’s the 1990s and Walmart’s replaced Kmart as America’s biggest retailer.

But now that it’s on top, its business practices are under fire. And for Target, that’s an opportunity to paint itself as the friendly alternative to the Bentonville juggernaut.

But to really break through, Target knows it must stand apart from its bigger opponent. And it’s about to find what it needs in the design districts of New York City.

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Wondery Presents: I Love My Kid, But… Jun 05, 2023

This is a safe place for parents to get away from it all. It’s a cliche that having kids is both the most rewarding and the hardest thing you’ll ever do. And it never ends: just when you’ve figured out how a newborn works, the kid becomes a toddler, then a tween, a teenager and beyond. And kids don’t come with an instruction manual or an off switch. Sure, you love your kids, best thing that ever happened to you blah blah blah, BUT…

Welcome to I Love My Kid, But… a weekly escape where comedians Megan Gailey, Kurt Braunohler, Chris Garcia and guests unload about the joys and challenges of being a parent, all the hell their kids put them through, and how they might reclaim some of the glory of their pre-parenting life. You might learn a few things about how to be a better parent along the way, but it’s more important that you get to laugh and enjoy three very funny people vent about parenthood with other moms and dads who “get it.” No child psychologists here, no educators, or noted experts… just three comedians embracing all the L’s they take on a daily basis and celebrating all the small victories that make it all worth it. And if one of them lets slip that they might’ve sent their kid to school without lunch because they stayed out the night before with their college friends WAY too late, that’s ok too. No judgment here.

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Target vs Walmart | Retail Rumble | 1 May 31, 2023

It’s 1962 and a new retail trend’s catching fire – big-box discount stores that reinvent shopping with out-of-town locations, huge product ranges, and low, low prices.

And at opposite ends of the country, two hopefuls are jumping on the bandwagon. In Arkansas, five-and-dime owner Sam Walton’s opening his first Wal-Mart. In Minnesota, the upscale Dayton’s department store is readying a discount chain called Target.

But to survive in this new frontier of razor-thin margins, faster rivals and price-sensitive shoppers, they’ll both have to rip up the rulebook.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Add to Cart | 7 May 25, 2023

What's old is new again. Second-hand shopping is taking off online and the big brands want a piece of the action. Meanwhile, fast-fashion companies are working to reinvent themselves in the eyes of Gen Z. To unzip these shifts in retail, we're joined by comedian Cat Alvarado and editor Kaarin Vembar.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | Zuckerpunch | 6 May 24, 2023

It’s 2017, and after months of sky-high price rises, the crypto bubble is about to burst. But as scammers and investor panic crash the market, the Winklevoss twins’ nemesis Mark Zuckerberg is making moves. He’s planning a push into crypto designed to put Facebook at the center of global finance.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | New Kids on the Blockchain | 5 May 24, 2023

It’s the mid-2010s and a new blockchain called Ethereum is shaking up crypto. It’s the creation of nineteen-year-old Vitalik Buterin, and it’s inspiring a flood of new digital coins and a gold rush for crypto. But as millions of investors buy crypto for the first time, Coinbase feels the strain.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | Block Busting | 4 May 24, 2023

It’s 2015 and Coinbase is out to carve up the crypto scene with its new exchange. But it’s about to face strong headwinds in the form of state regulators, banks, and the Winklevoss twins’ new startup Gemini. And as Coinbase’s growth slows, CEO Brian Armstrong faces pressure to abandon crypto.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | The Great Slow Motion Swindle | 3 May 17, 2023

It’s 2013 and bitcoin’s gaining traction at last. But just as crypto reaches for credibility, bitcoin is blindsided by high-profile arrests, corporate collapses and multi-million-dollar hacks. But as the leading lights of the bitcoin industry crash and burn, Coinbase senses a chance to cash in on the failures of others.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | The Untouchables | 2 May 17, 2023

It’s 2011, and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are trying to move on from their legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg over who created Facebook. And their nemesis is about to derail the twins’ dreams again. But then a chance encounter on the dance floor catapults them into crypto.

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Encore: Crypto Wars | Generate Coins | 1 May 17, 2023

It’s 2009 and in a modest suburban home, a monetary revolution is beginning. It’s called bitcoin and it arrives with a whimper. There’s just no compelling reason to swap dollars for this worthless digital token. But then, a wannabe crime lord spots bitcoin’s potential and enacts a plan to filthy rich.

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Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Elon Musk...It's Complicated | 5 May 10, 2023

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter was… messy, to say the least, and now the multi-billionaire is the CEO of three different companies. That’s got investors wondering: can he handle it? And what’s the plan if he can’t?

To dive into this question, we’re talking to Dana Hull, Bloomberg News reporter covering Tesla, and Tim Higgins, author of Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century. Dana brings us the latest on Tesla, while Tim dives deep into the man behind the billions — and whether his Twitter bet will pay off.

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Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Appetite for Destruction | 4 May 03, 2023

After weathering an investigation by the government for their EVs catching on fire, Tesla is hit by another probe after things get deadly. But the company is dedicated to Autopilot, its self-driving system. And once again, nearly every iconic brand in Detroit is following along. Elon Musk amps up his Twitter commentary, offending multitudes and putting fear into investors. But company value skyrockets. As Tesla moves into the 2020s, its' facing hurdles that were unimaginable just a few years ago, from alleged racism to a worldwide pandemic. The effects of these and other crises are still playing out as Tesla heads into the future.

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Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Motor City Fights Back | 3 May 03, 2023

The battle to dominate the EV market is on. Tesla’s market value is now around $20 billion. At this rate, Tesla could wipe the floor with GM in a decade. Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet are taking notes. No one wants to be bringing up the rear. After near-devastating production issues, Tesla is finally churning out hundreds of its Model S every week from its newly acquired, five-acre factory, on par with any plant in Motor City. But Tesla has serious problems to solve. Like how to get cars to the people who want to buy them. And that’s something that Detroit and its vast network of dealerships does very, very well. And it will do whatever it can to keep that advantage to overtake Tesla in the EV market.

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Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Survival Mode | 2 Apr 26, 2023

In 2010, Tesla Motors has already experienced tremendous highs and devastating lows. Elon Musk is a polarizing figure whose goal is to change the way the traditional auto industry works. It’s been a struggle, but Detroit is finally bowing to the Tesla vision, moving electric vehicles to the top of production slates. But now Motor City wants to control the EV market. The limited run Tesla Roadster brought attention and kudos. Now ,Musk is pinning his hopes on the new Model S. But he still needs some place to actually make the cars. If he can’t score a factory, the car is just a cool concept. Things have to come together quickly – or Tesla is toast.

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Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Accelerate Faster | 1 Apr 26, 2023

While the U.S. government pushed automakers to make low-emission vehicles in the 1990s, consumers loved their gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. But in 2003, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors arrives with environmentally friendly, high-performance cars that people actually want.

Motor City smirks as Musk pilots Tesla through crushing financial crises, spectacular quality control disasters and his own shocking public displays of bad behavior. But his pricey cars are catching on. Detroit is taking notice. Musk and Tesla are on a path of disruption that will change the industry and put EVs on the map.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Chat Chat Revolution | 6 Apr 20, 2023

The AI revolution is here and the tech behemoths are building and releasing their own chatbots. To talk about their victories and blunders, we're joined by Vox journalist Shirin Ghaffary and comedian and podcast host Jolenta Greenberg.

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Encore: Diet Wars | Dieting 3.0 | 5 Apr 19, 2023

First there was Weight Watchers, then there was Noom, and now there’s…Wegovy? Bloomberg health reporter Emma Court helps us understand the evolution of dieting programs and where they’re going next. Later, Matthew Schnier of New York Magazine and The Cut walks us through his article “Life After Food,” which explores the latest wave of weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, that are sweeping through the nation’s elite.

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Encore: Diet Wars | Losing Streak | 4 Apr 12, 2023

It's the 2010s and the weight-loss industry's battling intensifying headwinds. Calorie-counting smartphone apps are attracting millions of users and the diet backlash is getting louder by the day.

As the pressure mounts, Weight Watchers realizes it needs to move with the times and reinvent itself. But it soon finds itself facing a conundrum: how to change convincingly without alienating the dieters the business depends on?

This episode was originally released as a Wondery+ exclusive

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Encore: Diet Wars | Reaching for the Stars | 3 Apr 05, 2023

It's the early 1990s and the diet boom is over. Weight Watchers is now a millstone around Heinz's neck, Jenny Craig's advance has stalled, and Nutri/System's bankrupt and broken.

Faced with tanking sales, the diet giants home need new tricks to get people back on their weight-loss plans. And soon all three are homing in on the same answer – paying celebrities big bucks to convince the public that they're just a diet away from happiness.

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Encore: Diet Wars | Up From Down Under | 2 Mar 29, 2023

It's 1983 and civil war's broken out within Nutri/System. But while CEO Harold Katz fights his franchisees, his former colleague Jenny Craig has grand designs on Australia.

Craig wants to use Australia as a staging post on the way to becoming a U.S. heavyweight, but first she's got to convince women Down Under to diet like Americans. And that's going to be anything but easy.

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Encore: Diet Wars | Scaling Up | 1 Mar 22, 2023

It's 1961 and in a supermarket, housewife Jean Nidetch is about to get a shock that will send her on desperate quest to get thin.

But when her new diet gets tough, she turns to friends for help and inadvertently starts what will become Weight Watchers. And as Weight Watchers rakes in big bucks from weight-loss, a street-tough Philadelphia businessman grabs his chance to become a millionaire.

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Business Wars | 5th Anniversary Special | 1 Mar 16, 2023

We're celebrating the five-year anniversary of Business Wars with a special episode that takes you behind the scenes. We'll delve into how we chose our host and how the first season got off the ground (time code: 1:19). Then we'll explore how we bring the story to life with sound (time code: 17:26). And comedian Josh Gondelman will give David Brown a bit of a grilling (time code: 32:45).

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Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | 'To Infinity and Beyond' | 5 Mar 15, 2023

We’re going behind the scenes of your favorite Disney animated movies with Andrew Millstein, former president of Disney Animation. He helped lead the company’s transition to 3D computer animation, working on some of Disney’s biggest hits of the 2010s — Frozen, Tangled, and Zootopia, to name a few. Later, Polygon reporter Petrana Radulovic dissects DreamWorks, whose edgy animated films have become cult classics. Petrana also shares what’s new in animation online and around the world.

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Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | Onward and Upward | 4 Mar 08, 2023

It’s 2006 and with Pixar part of Disney, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter now face the task of fixing Disney Animation Studios. And they need to fix it fast, because DreamWorks is winning at the box office.

But while they strive to turn Disney Animation from has-been to hero, Hollywood’s other big studios are gearing up to take a bite out of the animated movie pie and that’s only going to dial up the competitive pressure on DreamWorks and Disney-Pixar.

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Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | Regime Change | 3 Mar 01, 2023

It’s the 2000s and Disney and Pixar are locked in a high-stakes game of chicken. Disney’s deal with Pixar is about to end and renewal talks are snarled up. The dream team that introduced the world to computer animated movies is careening towards divorce.

And with neither Disney CEO Michael Eisner nor Pixar boss Steve Jobs willing to cede ground, DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg is about to forget tradition and go all out to become Hollywood’s new animation champ.

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Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | Battle of the Bugs | 2 Feb 22, 2023

It’s 1995 and Pixar’s Toy Story is just months away from release. But as the premiere of the first computer-animated feature nears, all-out war breaks out between Disney and DreamWorks.

Jeffrey Katzenberg raids Disney’s talent to build DreamWorks’ animation studio. Disney rearranges its releases schedules to undermine DreamWorks’ movies.

And as Disney and DreamWorks’ tit-for-tat battle intensifies, Pixar will get caught in the crossfire.

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Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | The Outcasts | 1 Feb 15, 2023

It’s 1985 and Steve Jobs is fuming after being fired from Apple. He wants a second act, and he thinks he’s found one in Lucasfilm’s unwanted computer division.

But when Jobs buys it and founds Pixar, it soon becomes clear that visions aren't aligned. Jobs wants to create the next-generation of personal computers. But Pixar’s leaders Ed Catmull and John Lasseter have different plans. They want Pixar to make animated movies using computers.

But to make that happen, they need to persuade Jobs to burn through his fortune, and convince Hollywood that a computer animated film can hold its own against the hand-drawn creations of Disney.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | The Disney Dilemma | 6 Feb 09, 2023

We're talking about Disney's pivot to streaming and the hurdles ahead for the legacy media company as new rivals emerge. We're joined by Parrot Analytics strategist Julia Alexander and comedian Chase O'Donnell.

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Apple vs Microsoft | Life After Laptops | 5 Feb 08, 2023

The personal computer is no longer the talk of the town. Between new AI tools, sleek smartphones and web-based apps, your laptop is just one small slice of the technology pie. But where does that leave Apple and Microsoft? Are we about to undergo a regime change?

Here to help answer that question are WIRED’S Senior Editor Mike Calore and Senior Writer Lauren Goode. The pair co-host the Gadget Lab podcast, where they break down the latest technology trends and how they shape our lives.

Listen to Gadget Lab.

Catch Mike and Lauren’s latest reporting at wired.com.

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Apple vs Microsoft | The Gamble | 4 Feb 01, 2023

The government sues Microsoft for allegedly violating antitrust laws, providing just the distraction Apple needs to launch a comeback. But Jobs is already planning another war – on a battlefield that doesn’t even exist yet.

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Apple vs Microsoft | Seeds of Discontent | 3 Jan 25, 2023

Turmoil at Apple rots the company from the inside out, just as Microsoft’s Windows operating system starts ruling the computer world. Microsoft and Apple’s relationship reaches a breaking point when Microsoft allegedly steals company secrets, and the student… becomes the master.

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Apple vs Microsoft | Hackers and Capitalists | 2 Jan 18, 2023

This episode, we dive into the backstories of the inventors behind the home computer revolution. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs begin with mutual respect and see themselves reflected in each other. But soon their ambition and business choices rip them apart.

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Apple vs Microsoft | Rotten to the Core | 1 Jan 11, 2023

Apple launches the groundbreaking Macintosh after a long delay. And Bill Gates' Microsoft team has made the software for the Mac. But pretty soon, Jobs grows worried about their partnership. He fears that Gates and Microsoft might be taking... more than they're giving.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Apple Bites Back | 5 Jan 05, 2023

We're talking about the challenges and chess moves of the biggest tech company in the world: Apple. We're joined by Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Gallagher and comedian Gianmarco Soresi.

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Sotheby's vs Christie's | The Art of the Auction | 4 Jan 04, 2023

Get your paddles ready, because we’re diving into the art of the auction. First up is Vanity Fair art columnist Nate Freeman, who’s taking us inside New York high society with a look at auction culture today — including a record-breaking sale that raked in over $1 billion. Later, digital artist Refik Anadol introduces us to the world of NFT art, which is turning the industry on its head. His collections have been auctioned at both Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and are featured in museums across the world.

Refik Anadol’s installation Unsupervised runs through March 5, 2023 at MoMA.

Read Nate Freeman’s column True Colors on Vanity Fair.

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Sotheby's vs Christie's | The Unraveling | 3 Dec 28, 2022

It’s 1996 and Christie’s Christopher Davidge is disgruntled he hasn’t personally benefited more from his role in the price-fixing scheme, especially as DeDe Brooks, his Sotheby’s counterpart, thrives.

But when subpoenas are issued by the Department of Justice and a high-profile investigation begins, they are both faced with an impossible choice: cooperate, or risk losing everything they’ve worked for.

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Sotheby's vs Christie's | The Point of No Return | 2 Dec 21, 2022

It’s 1993 and Sotheby’s DeDe Brooks and Christie’s Christopher Davidge, at the behest of their bosses Alfred Taubman and Sir Anthony Tennant, begin meeting secretly to discuss fixing prices in a way that will benefit both auction houses.

But as the collusion plot starts to pay off and profits begin to rise, both their colleagues and the feds begin to sense something is amiss.

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Sotheby's vs Christie's | Going Once | 1 Dec 14, 2022

It’s 1983 and shopping mall tycoon Alfred Taubman buys a struggling Sotheby’s, excited by the opportunity to revitalize the art auction market and increase competition with the company’s longtime rival, Christie’s.

But when the 1990s dawn, a slumping economy spells trouble for both auction houses. Sotheby’s and Christie’s hatch a plan to surreptitiously work together to increase profits for both companies, a decision that will have fateful consequences.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Notes on a Tech Scandal | 6 Dec 08, 2022

We're talking about corporate blunders at unicorn tech companies and how they recover — or don't. We're joined by Vanity Fair's Caleb Ecarma, Victoria Song from the Verge and comedian Matt Braunger, who's just released the new comedy special "Doug."

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Toyota vs Honda | New Cars on the Block | 5 Dec 07, 2022

The car market is changing rapidly. The race for the next big all-electric vehicle is on! American automakers like Ford and GM are ramping up their EV production — but so are South Korean car brands like Hyundai and Kia. So where does that leave Toyota and Honda, who have been notoriously late to the EV party? Wall Street Journal Autos Editor Christina Rogers joins us to explore whether these powerhouse Japanese companies can defend their spot at the top, or if their American and South Korean competitors have officially knocked them off the throne.

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Toyota vs Honda | A Fight for the Future | 4 Nov 30, 2022

The Year 2000 is approaching and Toyota’s new boss Hiroshi Okuda’s looking to the future. After years of cautious success, he wants to be bold and take the fight to the world’s motor king, General Motors.

And to kickstart Toyota’s new direction, he wants Toyota to deliver the world’s first gasoline-electric hybrid. But Honda’s also working on an eco-car of its own and it’s about to crash the party.

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Toyota vs Honda | Breaking Ground | 3 Nov 23, 2022

It’s the 1980s and the American backlash against the Japanese automobile invasion is growing. With a US-Japan trade war looming, Honda and Toyota need workarounds fast.

But Honda’s no longer content just selling small cars with low profit margins. It wants a piece of Mercedes and BMW’s action too. And when Honda unveils its plans, Toyota’s going to fall behind.

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Toyota vs Honda | Motor City Massacre | 2 Nov 16, 2022

It’s the 1960s and Honda’s about to speed into the car market before Japan’s government can put up legal roadblocks to stop it.

Meanwhile,Toyota’s already zooming ahead. Its latest models are about to take Japan by storm and arm it with the funds it needs to make another run at the U.S.A.

But to break America, Toyota and Honda will need to outmanoeuvre the auto titans of Detroit.

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Toyota vs Honda | Out of the Wreckage | 1 Nov 09, 2022

It’s 1945. Japan lies in ruins in the aftermath of World War II. The population’s starving, the cities are reduced to rubble, and the nation’s defeated. But from the war-torn wreckage, two motor giants are about to rise.

The first is Toyota. It’s the brainchild of Kiichiro Toyoda, the big-dreaming son of a wealthy industrialist who wants to create Japan’s answer to Ford.

But the other contender must travel a harder road. Its founder Soichiro Honda is a poor boy from the sticks and his only resource is his own ingenuity. So he’s starting on two – not four – wheels.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Sticker Shock | 6 Nov 03, 2022

We're tracking the seismic shifts in the car industry from scarce car chips to the impact of inflation. On this episode, we're joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Sean McLain and comedian Kurt Braunohler, who's just released the new comedy special "Perfectly Stupid."

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Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Taco Talk | 5 Nov 02, 2022

Are you Team Taco Bell or Team Chipotle? The two fast food giants are competing for the hearts (and stomachs) of their consumers, as well as the coveted Gen Z market. On today’s show, Mary Meisenzahl, a fast food reporter from Business Insider joins us to weigh in on which brand is pulling ahead. She’ll also share her experience touring Taco Bell’s famous test kitchen. Later, SFGate reporter Andrew Pridgen brings us to the street in Bakersfield, California where fast food chains debut their new creations before bringing them to larger markets. Hope you’re hungry!

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Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Going Loco | 4 Oct 26, 2022

It's 2009 and with its 50th anniversary closing in fast, Taco Bell is hunting for ways to reconnect with the young people who gobble up most of the nation's fast food.

But with the new wave of fast-food chains led by Chipotle challenging legacy brands like McDonald's and Taco Bell, the taco king needs something that can capture the imagination of the Instagram generation.

But while Taco Bell seeks social media likes, Chipotle's about to take a major fall as a spate of food poisoning sickens its customers.

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Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Where's the Beef? | 3 Oct 19, 2022

It's the late '90s and Chipotle founder Steve Ells is using McDonald's millions to make his burrito chain a national giant. But as he scales up, he finds himself looking for a way to escape the fast-food machine he's hitched a ride on.

But while Chipotle gathers speed, Taco Bell's hoping to keep its diners hooked with help from its own twist on Mountain Dew and less messy food options.

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Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Bellwether | 2 Oct 12, 2022

It's the 1950s and just down the road from the original McDonald's in San Bernardino, a Californian entrepreneur named Glen Bell is chasing a fast-food fortune.

But with the burger wars heating up, Bell embarks on a bold venture to turn the taco from an exotic mystery into a fast-food munchie that could give the burger a run for its money.

And when he finally decides to cash out and sell Taco Bell, the nation's food conglomerates will be fighting tooth and nail to buy it.

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Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Demolition Man | 1 Oct 05, 2022

It's 1984 and Taco Bell CEO John Martin's looking for a fight. The PepsiCo-owned chain might be America's número uno when it comes to Mexican fast-food, but growth is tepid. So Martin's on a mission to convince a skeptical nation to put down their Big Macs and eat tacos and burritos instead.

But even as Taco Bell goes all out to disrupt the fast-food status quo, a young chef with a burrito habit is rustling up a different business recipe that will shake fast-food to its foundations.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | The Power of Nuggets | 5 Sep 29, 2022

The fast food industry is raking it in, but they still have to feed the beast. We bite into how they create hype in order to boost sales and capture our ever-scattered attention, before we drive on past them. On this episode, we're joined by Heather Haddon, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and comedian and writer Josh Gondelman.

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Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Breaking Down the Big Machine | 4 Sep 28, 2022

It’s safe to say that Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun are…never, ever, getting back together. Taking us inside their battle is Chris Willman, senior music writer at Variety, who’s covered Taylor since her early days as an up-and-coming young artist on the country music scene.

Later, we’ll dive into the growing artist labor movement with Damon Krukowski, the drummer for the late 80s indie band Galaxie 500. Damon shares how the band bought back its masters from their label and why most bands aren’t as fortunate. He’s also breaking down the impact of streaming on musicians' pocketbooks, and what smaller artists are doing to advocate for their rights.

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Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Revenge of the Swifties | 3 Sep 21, 2022

By 2019, Taylor Swift's battle to get her masters back from Scooter Braun has gone public. She decides to fight by deploying her own, very dangerous weapon -- the Swifties. And Braun pulls out all the stops to protect his $300 million asset.

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Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Bad Blood | 2 Sep 14, 2022

By 2014, Taylor Swift has spread her wings into pop. But as her self-confidence grows, so does her discontent with her label. So she makes a bold move. Meanwhile, mega-manager Scooter Braun sees a business opportunity in Swift's early masters. The problem is, Swift has serious beef with Braun and his clients. And when she finds out about his plan, it'll be all out war.

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Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | On the Outside | 1 Sep 07, 2022

When Taylor Swift signed to an upstart country label as a teen, she probably didn't realize that she was signing away the rights to something she would spend decades getting back -- her masters. Swift’s fight for her $300 million master recordings is a scrimmage that could reshuffle the entire business model of the music industry. But first, Swift has to make it big. And that's a one-in-a-million shot.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | An Unfinished Song | 6 Sep 01, 2022

While music streaming platforms have exploded, many critics argue the status quo isn't working for artists. We're taking a deep dive into the music industry, exploring the relationship between artists, labels, fans and the internet. On this episode, we're joined by music journalists Brittany Spanos, senior staff writer at Rolling Stone, and Naima Cochrane, a music and culture journalist and a former record label executive at some of the industry’s biggest outlets.

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The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Reinventing an Empire | 5 Aug 31, 2022

Can the former crown jewel of Hollywood keep up in the age of the streaming giants? To understand Paramount’s future, you’ve got to understand its past. So today, we’re throwing it back with Doug Herzog, a former executive at Paramount’s parent company Viacom. Doug greenlit some of cable’s biggest shows. South Park, anyone? He now hosts Basic, a podcast about the time when cable was cool.

Later, we’ll check in on what’s in store for Paramount going forward with Matt Belloni. He’s a founding member of the entertainment industry newsletter Puck, and host of The Town from The Ringer, a podcast that goes behind-the-scenes in Hollywood.

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The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Down to the Wire | 4 Aug 24, 2022

It’s Christmas 1993. The bidding war for Paramount is underway and QVC is far out in front.

But Viacom owner Sumner Redstone’s not giving in. He’s trying to engineer a merger with Blockbuster that will arm him with the billions he needs to catch up with QVC.

But Blockbuster chairman Wayne Huizenga isn’t about to roll over, and with the deadline for final offers approaching, Redstone’s almost out of time.

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The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Under Siege | 3 Aug 17, 2022

It’s the fall of 1993 and Viacom owner Sumner Redstone thinks he’s got Paramount all sown up.

But QVC chief Barry Diller is about to launch a counter-strike and ignite an all-out war for control of the movie and publishing giant.

And as the fight intensifies, both men are depending on their partners to have their back. But they’re about to find their back-up isn’t as solid as they think.

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The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Hidden Agendas | 2 Aug 10, 2022

It’s summer 1993 and QVC boss Barry Diller is ready to pull the trigger on his hostile takeover to buy Paramount.

But he’s about to find he's got an enemy in his ranks who’s playing both sides.

And while Diller tries to get his bid back on track, Paramount chairman Martin Davis is getting cosy with another suitor – Diller’s pal and Viacom owner, Sumner Redstone.

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The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Killer on the Loose | 1 Aug 03, 2022

It’s early 1993 and television’s about to make a quantum leap into a multi-channel world where viewers can access movies from the comfort of their own sofa.

But with Hollywood’s movie studios set to clean up in this new world, every media player wants a film factory to call their own.

Including Hollywood hot-shot Barry Diller. And he wants to get on the ground floor of the revolution by buying Paramount – the studio he used to run.

But to succeed he’ll need to first defeat his old boss – Paramount chairman Martin Davis.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | That's Showbiz | 6 Jul 28, 2022

Streaming services are having to get creative to keep our attention amid a sea of competition — from big-screen movies to video games to each other. On this episode, we're joined by Matt Patches, Deputy editor at Vox Media’s Polygon and Clay Keller, host and producer of the ScreenDrafts podcast to look at stories about the TV and movie business from our sister show, Business Wars Daily.

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Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | Fashion Forward | 5 Jul 27, 2022

Gucci and Louis Vuitton are still the crème de la crème in high fashion. But between shifting consumer values, TikTok and Gen Z, these brands have a lot of work to do to keep up — if they don’t want to end up sooo last season.

It’s a glamorous world in the middle of a transformation. That’s why we invited Rachel Tashjian, Fashion News Director at Harper’s Bazaar, back to Business Wars to walk us down the runway. She joined us for our season on Fast Fashion, and now she’s introducing us to the world of haute couture.

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Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | The Dom-Tom Bomb | 4 Jul 20, 2022

Bernard Arnault makes his move to buy Gucci, but Domenico De Sole fights back with everything he’s got, making a surprisingly worthy adversary for the so-called Wolf in Cashmere. But in an effort to stave off Arnault’s advances, De Sole makes a deal with a devil. And both Louis Vuitton and Gucci have to deal with the aftershocks of designers who defined their brands for years departing the companies. How each brand responds to the shake-up determines the future of their success.

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Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | Ready-to-Wear | 3 Jul 13, 2022

Maurizio Gucci is out, and now for the first time since its founding, Gucci isn’t being run by a Gucc.i. At the top is CEO Domenico De Sole and his right hand man is exciting young fashion designer Tom Ford. Together the two of them make Gucci the hottest fashion and accessory company in the world.

Over at Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault wants in on the action. He hires his own young, hip designer, Marc Jacobs to oversee Louis Vuitton’s expansion into ready-to-wear clothing. But when Jacobs gets off to a rough start and Gucci’s stock drops due to an economic crisis in Asia, Arnault decides if he can’t beat Gucci, maybe it’s time to buy them.

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Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | The Wolf in Cashmere | 2 Jul 06, 2022

Now merged with luxury drinks company Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton finds itself being squeezed out, overpowered in the merger. In an attempt to regain control, Louis Vuitton’s CEO forms an alliance with Bernard Arnault, one of France’s most ambitious businessmen. Louis Vuitton hopes that Arnault will serve as an ally, but Arnault didn’t get the nickname the “Wolf in Cashmere” for nothing.

Meanwhile, Maurizio Gucci finally has full control of Gucci and is desperate to rebrand the company and reclaim its exclusive image. But investors grow impatient with Maurizio’s reckless spending and irresponsible closureof revenue streams, endangering his position as CEO.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Wardrobe Changes | 8 Jun 30, 2022

Big fashion brands are trying to diversify their customer base, and also lure consumers to tailored in-person shopping experiences — but it doesn't always go as planned. On this episode, we're joined by Alana Hope Levinson, a freelance culture writer and editor and host of the west coast style podcast “Free Validation” — and comedian Megan Gailey, who’s performed on Conan and The Tonight Show and who hosts the podcast “I Love A Lifetime Movie.” We're looking at stories about the evolving fashion landscape from our sister show, Business Wars Daily.

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Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | All in the Family | 1 Jun 29, 2022

For decades Gucci and Louis Vuitton dominated the luxury accessory markets. Their bags and shoes were status symbols, sported by celebrities and royalty around the globe. But by the 1970s both companies were struggling. Louis Vuitton was being run by the great-grandsons of the company’s founder. They were risk-averse, unwilling to make any changes. And the heirs of the founder of Gucci were fighting over the direction of the business. Maurizio Gucci, the founder’s grandson,can’t get his family on board with his vision, leaving the company stagnant.

But when both companies get new leaders, these family-run companies are poised to become global mega-brands… and the two businesses are now on a collision course in their quest to become the largest luxury accessory brands in the world.

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Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | The New Tastemakers | 7 Jun 22, 2022

Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s revolutionized the ice cream industry by raising the standard for the frozen treat and pioneering new styles and flavors. Now, new ice cream mavericks are on the scene, raising both the caliber and cost of pints.

Be prepared to get hungry as food journalist Charlotte Druckman walks us through the artisanal, ultra-premium ice cream scene, which she documented in an article for Eater. Later, Pooja Bavishi, founder of the Brooklyn-based ice cream shop Malai, shares her insights on building her business — and how Malai’s unique flavors are expanding the definition of ice cream.

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Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Breaking the Ice | 6 Jun 15, 2022

It's the year 2000 and Ben & Jerry's is under new ownership. But as promises that were made before the sale get broken, employees wonder if the brand's values can survive the new regime. Meanwhile, Häagen-Dazs finds itself wrestling with how to move with the times while staying true to the brand's values. But while the super-premium brands are soul searching, a plucky Los Angeles start-up is about to churn up the ice cream market.

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Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Hunger Games | 5 Jun 08, 2022

It's 1998 and Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's are now tasty targets in the global ice cream war between Unilever and Nestlé. As these multi-billion-dollar consumer goods giants move in, the U.S. ice cream market enters a state of churn. Enemies turn to allies, friends become foes, alliances shatter, and dreams get crushed.

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Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Trading Licks | 4 Jun 01, 2022

It's the dawn of the 1990s and with America under its spell, Häagen-Dazs is eyeing the millions to be made in Europe and Asia. But back in the USA, Ben & Jerry's is about to undergo a major growth spurt thanks to its latest flavor sensation. And with Ben & Jerry's scooping up customers fast, a war for supremacy in the supermarket freezer aisles is about to erupt.

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Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Doughboys and Dead Heads | 3 May 25, 2022

It's 1984 and Ben & Jerry's is fighting for its life. Häagen-Dazs is pressuring distributors to stop carrying the Vermont ice cream brand and the deadline for distributors to comply is closing in fast. But with help from a lawyer with a hole in his shoe and a spate of publicity stunts, Ben & Jerry's hopes to pull off an unlikely victory.

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Sponsored: Welcome to the Future of Work (Dell Podference) | 2 May 20, 2022

Since the pandemic began, many of us have traded our blazers for t-shirts and loafers for slippers as remote work has become the new normal. There’s been a fundamental shift in what employees expect from their workplace — and spoiler alert, going in five days a week isn’t it. So how can business owners adapt to this changing landscape without losing employees in this hot labor market?

Stanford Economics Professor Nick Bloom has studied productivity and remote work for two decades. On this episode, Nick joins Business Wars host David Brown to explore the future of work, and the role technology will play in helping businesses keep up.

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Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Ice Cream Castle | 2 May 18, 2022

It's 1958 and in New York City, Reuben Mattus is under fire. The big dairies are crushing his family's ice cream business and shutting him out of supermarkets. Desperate, he imagines a new, luxury ice cream with an eye-popping price tag. He calls it Häagen-Dazs and it's going to give his foes the chills.

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Sponsored: The Art of Disruption (Dell Podference) | 1 May 13, 2022

Startups search for pain points in the customer experience and design their product to solve these problems. There’s an art to knowing how to find that one thing the market needs and running with it. On the flip side, established businesses need to constantly reassess their products to avoid being disrupted and left behind.

On this episode, Wharton School marketing professor Jonah Berger joins Business Wars host David Brown for a conversation about the art of disruption – how small businesses can gain the advantage and how legacy businesses can stay one step ahead.

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Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Big Chunks O'Love | 1 May 11, 2022

It's the '70s and best buddies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are about to open an ice cream parlor. These hungry hippies only want to have fun making ice cream. But as their business grows, they're going to find themselves on a collision course with the heavyweight champ of gourmet ice cream: Häagen-Dazs.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Plant-Based Food on A Roll | 6 May 05, 2022

Plant-based foods are no longer a tiny niche market. Consumers are hungry for more and even fast-food giants are eating up the trend. On this episode, we're joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Heather Haddon and comedy writer Halle Kiefer to look at stories about the changing food industry from our sister show, Business Wars Daily.

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Tesla vs Detroit | Tales From the Tipping Point | 5 May 04, 2022

Electric vehicles have come a long way over the past century, and now, with gas prices at record highs, more and more drivers are thinking about taking the plunge (if they can get their hands on one).

Today, we’re road-tripping through the electric vehicle landscape of today and tomorrow with Aarian Marshall, a Staff Writer for Wired. Her piece, It’s a Perfect Time for EVs. It’s a Terrible Time for EVs, explores the tipping point we’ve reached in the EV world. Next up, Dana Hull, a reporter for Bloomberg covering Tesla, walks us through her coverage of the racial discrimination lawsuit Tesla faces, and what it means for the company’s future.

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Tesla vs Detroit | Appetite for Destruction | 4 Apr 27, 2022

After weathering an investigation by the government for their EVs catching on fire, Tesla is hit by another probe after things get deadly. But the company is dedicated to Autopilot, its self-driving system. And once again, nearly every iconic brand in Detroit is following along. Elon Musk amps up his Twitter commentary, offending multitudes and putting fear into investors. But company value skyrockets. As Tesla moves into the 2020s, its' facing hurdles that were unimaginable just a few years ago, from alleged racism to a worldwide pandemic. The effects of these and other crises are still playing out as Tesla heads into the future.

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Tesla vs Detroit | Motor City Fights Back | 3 Apr 20, 2022

The battle to dominate the EV market is on. Tesla’s market value is now around $20 billion. At this rate, Tesla could wipe the floor with GM in a decade. Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet are taking notes. No one wants to be bringing up the rear. After near-devastating production issues, Tesla is finally churning out hundreds of its Model S every week from its newly acquired, five-acre factory, on par with any plant in Motor City. But Tesla has serious problems to solve. Like how to get cars to the people who want to buy them. And that’s something that Detroit and its vast network of dealerships does very, very well. And it will do whatever it can to keep that advantage to overtake Tesla in the EV market.

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Tesla vs Detroit | Survival Mode | 2 Apr 13, 2022

In 2010, Tesla Motors has already experienced tremendous highs and devastating lows. Elon Musk is a polarizing figure whose goal is to change the way the traditional auto industry works. It’s been a struggle, but Detroit is finally bowing to the Tesla vision, moving electric vehicles to the top of production slates. But now Motor City wants to control the EV market. The limited run Tesla Roadster brought attention and kudos. Now ,Musk is pinning his hopes on the new Model S. But he still needs some place to actually make the cars. If he can’t score a factory, the car is just a cool concept. Things have to come together quickly – or Tesla is toast.

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Tesla vs Detroit | Accelerate Faster | 1 Apr 06, 2022

While the U.S. government pushed automakers to make low-emission vehicles in the 1990s, consumers loved their gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. But in 2003, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors arrives with environmentally friendly, high-performance cars that people actually want.

Motor City smirks as Musk pilots Tesla through crushing financial crises, spectacular quality control disasters and his own shocking public displays of bad behavior. But his pricey cars are catching on. Detroit is taking notice. Musk and Tesla are on a path of disruption that will change the industry and put EVs on the map.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Electric Vehicles Shock the System | 5 Mar 31, 2022

The electric vehicle market is experiencing massive growth, but more players means more competition for the vanguard. On this episode, we're joined by Insider editor Alex Davies and TV writer Josh Gondelman to look back at some of our "green" automotive industry stories from our sister show, Business Wars Daily.

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Airbnb vs NYC | Pulling Back the Curtain | 4 Mar 30, 2022

In 2022, you’d be hard-pressed to find somebody who hasn’t spent at least a couple of days in an Airbnb. It’s cheap, convenient and easy to use. But as you settle into your temporary home-away-from-home, you’re probably paying little mind to what’s playing out behind the scenes.

Business Wars writer Natalie Robehmed joins host David Brown to unpacks Airbnb’s battle with New York City, and what it means for the company’s future. And later, Bloomberg journalist Olivia Carville discusses her investigative piece, Airbnb is Spending Millions of Dollars to Make Nightmares Go Away, which pulled back the curtain on Airbnb’s safety practices.

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Airbnb vs NYC | The Gathering Storm | 3 Mar 23, 2022

By 2017, Airbnb's legal troubles are snowballing so fast, it’s not clear whether it will survive. But there’s another gathering storm that nobody could have forecast – the COVID-19 pandemic. And it will make a direct hit on Airbnb.

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Airbnb vs NYC | Operation Firestarter | 2 Mar 16, 2022

By 2013, New York’s Attorney General is coming for Airbnb. And hoteliers, hotel worker unions, affordable housing activists and politicians come together to form an alliance against the home-sharing startup. Airbnb fights back in the courtroom — and the court of public opinion. Airbnb is forced to launch an expensive battle to win over the hearts, minds and homes of New Yorkers.

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Airbnb vs NYC | No Reservations | 1 Mar 09, 2022

Airbnb has changed the way we travel and upended the hotel industry, but it has also sparked one of the messiest fights ever between a startup and city government. When Airbnb arrived in New York City in 2009, it began operating in neighborhoods where affordable housing was already in short supply. Angry renters complained, and city officials decided to do something about it. But they find themselves up against an equally determined foe, one with deep pockets and powerful allies.

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Best of Business Wars Daily | Big Tech's Next Frontier Is Home Buying | 7 Mar 03, 2022

While the housing market continues its hot streak, technology is disrupting the industry on every level. On this episode, we're joined by Business Wars writer Natalie Robehmed and comedian Ed Herro to look back at some of our best real estate stories from our sister show, Business Wars Daily.

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | The Wide World of Sports Broadcasting | 6 Mar 02, 2022

Heavyweight champions ESPN and FS1 are competing for cable, as legacy networks hop off the bench and onto the field. On-air talent remain caught in the middle. Throw in a global pandemic and an increasingly digital-first media landscape, and you’re in for one heck-of-game.

For our very own post-season analysis, we’re talking to Richard Deitsch, a sports writer at The Athletic and host of the Sports Media Podcast. He’s guiding us through the wide world of sports broadcasting both on screen and behind the scenes, plus what the future has in store.

Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-media-with-richard-deitsch/id1366264191

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | Undisputed | 5 Feb 23, 2022

It’s 2015 and Fox Sports 1 is in a rut. Its attempt to topple ESPN has barely dented the defences of the Disney-controlled sports media giant.

Not that Fox is about to give up. It's looking to former ESPN producer Jamie Horowitz to craft a studio programming strategy that can suck viewers away from the market leader.

But even as Fox readies for another round, the very foundations of the cable sports business that built ESPN are starting to give way.

Big Tech’s coming for sports and that’s going to force change at both ESPN and Fox.

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | Fox Strikes Back | 4 Feb 16, 2022

It’s 2005 and new ESPN programming chief John Skipper’s out to cement the brand’s market dominance by buying up more sports rights.

With ESPN spending big, Fox Sports will need more than its broadcast network and Fox Sports Net regional channels to stay in contention. It needs its own 24-hour national sports network.

And that means that after years of shadow boxing, Fox Sports and ESPN are about to get in the ring and go head to head for the first time.

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | Best in Show | 3 Feb 09, 2022

The 1990s are about to end and ESPN is on a quest to strike down the competition before they can muster the strength to challenge it.

But when ESPN starts using the NFL to gouge the nation’s cable providers, Fox Sports gets an opportunity to dominate regional sports TV.

And as Fox steps up its attacks, ESPN soon discovers that it has to take drastic action to stop an exodus of viewers.

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | Aussie Rules Football | 2 Feb 02, 2022

It’s the early 1990s and media mogul Rupert Murdoch is out to shatter ABC, CBS and NBC’s stranglehold on American TV and take his Fox network into the TV majors.

To succeed, Fox will need a powerful battering ram and only one will do: the ratings magnet that is the NFL. And having been spurned twice before by the football league, Murdoch’s going to need all his cunning to get the NFL on side. But that's only the first step in a campaign to challenge ESPN’s position as the champion of American TV sports.

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ESPN vs Fox Sports | First Down | 1 Jan 26, 2022

It’s the late 1970s and TV sports is equivalent to a few hours of programming on ABC, NBC and CBS each week.

But in Connecticut, Bill Rasmussen is on a mission to change that by creating a cable TV network dedicated to airing sports. Trouble is, he’s got no money, no sports rights, no TV studio, and no cable provider willing to put his network into homes.

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Global Chocolate Domination | 6 Jan 19, 2022

It’s a new century and Hershey’s facing unexpected trouble at home — a showdown between the company and its biggest shareholder that threatens its independence.

Meanwhile, Mars is on a mission to become the world’s candy king. And with Hershey yet to break ground outside the U.S., the opportunity to catch up is fading fast.

Hershey knows there’s one move that could transform its overseas fortunes: a merger with its British soulmate Cadbury. The question is can it secure Cadbury’s hand in marriage before Mars triumphs in its quest for global chocolate domination.

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Chocolate Rolls Royce | 5 Jan 12, 2022

It’s the late 1970s and Mars is America’s top confectioner. But Hershey is hungry for a comeback. It’s plotting a return to the top powered by a rush of new candies it hopes can nibble away at Mars’ market share.

Not that Mars has any intention of surrendering pole position without a fight. It thinks it can stop Hershey in its tracks by focusing exclusively on best-selling brands like Snickers, M&M’s and Milky Way.

But what neither company knows is that a tempting opportunity from Hollywood is about to disrupt the balance of power in candy land.

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Mars Attacks! | 4 Jan 05, 2022

It’s 1965 and Forrest Mars has just become the manufacturer of Snickers and M&M’s. He is now – at last – ready to duke it out with Hershey in a battle to become the number one candy maker in America.

And he knows Hershey is far from prepared for his sudden switch from ally to enemy. Hershey is a company wedded to tradition. It has no marketing department, doesn’t advertise, and has a completely complacent sales team.

The question is: can Hershey shake off its docile ways in time to stop Forrest’s relentless advance?

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Candy-Coated Prayer | 3 Dec 29, 2021

It’s the 1940s and Forrest Mars’ plan to create a candy empire is stepping up a gear. He’s plotting to seize control of his dad’s company Mars and turn it into a Hershey killer.

First he needs to get his new candy venture off the ground. But to do that he needs help. Help from Hershey.

But while Forrest’s laying plans, Hershey’s trying to get over the death of founder Milton Hershey and grappling with an unexpected opportunity to become a global player.

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Blast Off | 2 Dec 27, 2021

It’s 1923 and the Hershey Chocolate Company dominates the candy bar business. With its milk chocolate Hershey bar and bite-sized Kisses, Hershey seems impossible to beat.

But in a Chicago police station, an awkward father-son reunion is about to sire a new challenger in the candy business.

That challenger is Mars and it’ll make its breakthrough by wrapping nougat in chocolate. For now, it’s got no plans to topple Hershey.

But all that’s going to change when a family feud spawns a European offshoot, the launchpad for a new and far more aggressive candy empire.

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Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Chocolate Town | 1 Dec 22, 2021

It’s 1886 and in New York City, a young confectioner called Milton Hershey is desperately trying to save his business.

He’s been struggling for years. He founded his first candy business in Philadelphia, only to watch it collapse. His second venture lasted just weeks. Now, he’s loaded up with debts he cannot pay.

But he’s about to get a visit from a man who will change his fortunes forever, paving the way for him to introduce America to the joys of milk chocolate… and build a sweets-fueled empire.

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Christmas Movie Wars | An Iconic Holiday Tradition | 6 Dec 20, 2021

Over the past decade, made-for-TV holiday romance movies have gone from a seasonal guilty pleasure to a mainstream phenomenon, drawing in millions of viewers year over year. While Hallmark and Lifetime still seem to be guiding this sleigh, streamers like Netflix and Hulu are getting in on the action as well, putting their own spin on the cheesy Christmas classics — and it’s paying off.

So what makes these movies such an iconic holiday tradition? Here to answer that and more is Danny Pellegrino, host of the Everything Iconic podcast, and co-host of A Very Merry Iconic podcast. He’s taking us deep into the world of Christmas movie magic, and sharing a few films you’ll definitely want to add to your Christmas list.

Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino: https://everythingiconic.com/

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Christmas Movie Wars | A Season Like No Other | 5 Dec 15, 2021

As a global pandemic hits, both Hallmark and Lifetime are in danger of not being able to complete their movies for their upcoming Christmas programming. The two companies get creative to shoot their films. Meanwhile, Hallmark hires a new CEO to rebound after the scandals of the prior year. And the pandemic gives even more players the opportunity to enter the Christmas Movie space, leaving open the question of who will dominate.

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Christmas Movie Wars | The Scandal Express | 4 Dec 13, 2021

Hallmark faces a year of scandals. First, one of their marquee stars gets charged with committing fraud to get her daughters admitted to an elite college. Then, in the midst of their Countdown to Christmas programming, the channel’s decision to pull an ad featuring two brides generates massive backlash. Hallmark ekes out a ratings win, but the cracks in its dominance are starting to show.

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Christmas Movie Wars | It's a Wonderful Strife | 3 Dec 08, 2021

After years of being content to play second fiddle to Hallmark, Lifetime decides to make a big move in 2018. They produce more Christmas movies than ever before and go after Hallmark’s biggest weakness: its lack of diversity. Of the twenty-one original Christmas movies Hallmark aired in 2017, only one featured a non-White lead and more people are starting to notice.

But Lifetime’s not the only company to come after Hallmark’s crown. To set themselves apart, Netflix decides to use its deep pockets to hire stars that neither Hallmark nor Lifetime can afford.

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Christmas Movie Wars | Once Upon A Christmas Ratings Hit | 2 Dec 06, 2021

In 1951, the founder of Hallmark Cards, the successful greeting card company, decides to get into television by sponsoring a live opera airing on Christmas Eve. It’s a success, and Hallmark becomes a regular sponsor of television programming for decades. But when they launch their own cable channel in the early 2000s, the picture isn’t so rosy. By 2005, they’re considering selling the channel, but once again Christmas programming saves the day.

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Christmas Movie Wars | A Very Merry Rivalry | 1 Dec 01, 2021

In 2009 the Hallmark Channel launched "Countdown to Christmas," which included four original movies made on a modest budget that follow a predictable formula. It was an immediate ratings hit, catapulting Hallmark to the top of the cable charts. Competitors start to take notice, most notably Lifetime, which caters to the same demographic. Three years later, Lifetime launches their own block of Christmas programming called “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” featuring similar original movies. It kicks off a Christmas movie rivalry that is big business.

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Blackberry vs iPhone | The Smartphone Generation | 5 Nov 29, 2021

It’s a GPS! It’s a camera! It’s a computer! It’s...your smartphone. And in 2021, it feels like you can’t live without it. But when Blackberry and iPhone got into the game in the mid-2000s, that wasn’t yet the case. In just 15 years, our technology has changed dramatically — and so has the culture around it.

To help us make sense of it all is Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief at The Verge and host of the Decoder podcast. We’re looking at how the iPhone vs. Blackberry rivalry ushered in a new era of tech habits and where these smartphones have left to go.

Listen to Nilay Patel on Decoder: https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel

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Blackberry vs iPhone | A Requiem in Slow Motion | 4 Nov 24, 2021

It’s January 2011 and Research in Motion’s Jim Balsillie is in Davos, Switzerland when he discovers that his company is being threatened by the Egyptian government. BlackBerry’s BBM messaging system is a lifeline for protestors in the country. Balsillie starts to think that BBM could hold the key to RIM’s survival — even as its sales disintegrate.

Apple, meanwhile, isn’t resting on its laurels. Steve Jobs innovates with a tablet that further buries RIM, as it steals one of RIM’s closest business partners.

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Blackberry vs iPhone | App Attack | 3 Nov 22, 2021

It’s summer 2008, and Research In Motion’s Mike Lazaridis is at the product testing site for BlackBerry’s new device: a touchscreen designed to compete with the iPhone. This model, however, is going to leave more than broken glass in its wake, when it threatens to sever RIM’s relationship with Verizon.

But while RIM is working to match the last iteration of the iPhone, Apple is about to open up a new battlefront. One that RIM has not even dreamed of.

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Blackberry vs iPhone | The Jesus Phone | 2 Nov 17, 2021

It’s late 2005, and Steve Jobs is deciding between two prototypes for an Apple phone. His choice will go on to become perhaps the best-selling product ever. Now his team just has to make the touchscreen technology work.

Thousands of miles away in Waterloo, Canada, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis can barely keep up with orders for BlackBerrys. But a scandal at the company blackens their reputation, and plants a seed of disaster between the two co-CEOs.

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Blackberry vs iPhone | CrackBerry | 1 Nov 15, 2021

It’s September 11, 2001, and the only network running in downtown NYC is the one owned and operated by BlackBerry’s manufacturer, Reserach in Motion. On one of the most devastating days in American history, that unique reliability wins RIM new fans from Wall Street to Capitol Hill. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the co-CEOs of RIM, created the first mobile devices that synced work email accounts to mobile. But when Steve Jobs picks up the bulky Blackberry, he sees an opportunity — and a rivalry is born.

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Crypto Wars | We're in the (Virtual) Money | 7 Nov 10, 2021

Cryptocurrency has transformed dramatically since Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin to the world more than a decade ago. Today, crypto has become a hot investment and, in recent years, an irreverent staple of Internet culture. But questions about its sustainability and volatility make it difficult to predict just how far these virtual currencies are able to go. And while some countries are embracing crypto with open arms, others are trying to stamp it out.

For more on how crypto works and its influence around the world, we spoke with Gian Volpicelli, a journalist at Wired UK and author of “Cryptocurrency: How Digital Money Could Transform Finance.” He's breaking down everything you need to know about how this virtual currency works and where it's going from here.

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Crypto Wars | Zuckerpunch | 6 Nov 08, 2021

It’s 2017, and after months of sky-high price rises, the crypto bubble is about to burst. But as scammers and investor panic crash the market, the Winklevoss twins’ nemesis Mark Zuckerberg is making moves. He’s planning a push into crypto designed to put Facebook at the center of global finance.

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Crypto Wars | New Kids on the Blockchain | 5 Nov 03, 2021

It’s the mid-2010s and a new blockchain called Ethereum is shaking up crypto. It’s the creation of nineteen-year-old Vitalik Buterin, and it’s inspiring a flood of new digital coins and a gold rush for crypto. But as millions of investors buy crypto for the first time, Coinbase feels the strain.

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Crypto Wars | Block Busting | 4 Nov 01, 2021

It’s 2015 and Coinbase is out to carve up the crypto scene with its new exchange. But it’s about to face strong headwinds in the form of state regulators, banks, and the Winklevoss twins’ new startup Gemini. And as Coinbase’s growth slows, CEO Brian Armstrong faces pressure to abandon crypto.

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Crypto Wars | The Great Slow Motion Swindle | 3 Oct 27, 2021

It’s 2013 and bitcoin’s gaining traction at last. But just as crypto reaches for credibility, bitcoin is blindsided by high-profile arrests, corporate collapses and multi-million-dollar hacks.

But as the leading lights of the bitcoin industry crash and burn, Coinbase senses a chance to cash in on the failures of others.

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Crypto Wars | The Untouchables | 2 Oct 25, 2021

It’s 2011, and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are trying to move on from their legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg over who created Facebook. And their nemesis is about to derail the twins’ dreams again. But then a chance encounter on the dance floor catapults them into crypto.

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Crypto Wars | Generate Coins | 1 Oct 20, 2021

It’s 2009 and in a modest suburban home, a monetary revolution is beginning. It’s called bitcoin and it arrives with a whimper. There’s just no compelling reason to swap dollars for this worthless digital token. But then, a wannabe crime lord spots bitcoin’s potential and enacts a plan to filthy rich.

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Fast Fashion | Can Fast Fashion Sustain Itself? | 6 Oct 18, 2021

Fast fashion has a crisis on its hands. The industry is wreaking havoc on the environment, and even the execs are starting to notice. Massive amounts of pollution and textile waste have taken a toll on the planet as these shops continue to send runway styles to mainstream markets in record time. The bargains keep consumers coming back for more, but how long can it last? And what will it take to change the habits of shoppers used to getting the latest trends for cheap?

To unpack fast fashion and its future, we spoke with Rachel Tashjian, Fashion Critic at GQ, who's written extensively about the fashion world and its relationship with the environment. We'll explore the dilemmas facing the space today, and some of the ways the industry and the consumers are working toward building a more sustainable closet.

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Fast Fashion | Long Haul | 5 Oct 13, 2021

It’s 2019, and the internet is overflowing with videos of satisfied customers showing off their Shein hauls. But it’s not all smooth sailing when allegations go viral that the company steals from independent designers.

Meanwhile, former Topshop brand director Jane Shepherdson has a new gig in the clothing rental business-- but is renting outfits actually more eco-friendly? Shein makes a play to save Topshop, but the company is bought by another online shopping giant, with a catch. And in the hands of new leadership, Forever 21 tries to start anew in a rapidly changing fashion landscape.

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Fast Fashion | Dress for Excess | 4 Oct 11, 2021

It’s 2018, and H&M is drowning in billions of dollars worth of unsold inventory. Brick and mortar stores are struggling. But on the internet, Shein is thriving, capitalizing on social media trends to get desirable, ultra-cheap clothing made and into customers’ hands in a matter of days.

And once the head of the pack, Topshop is at risk when Philip Green is very publicly accused of abuse, racism, and sexual harassment. Forever 21 finds itself in a heap of trouble too.

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Fast Fashion | Clothes Call | 3 Oct 06, 2021

It’s 2010, and a series of deadly tragedies at factories in Bangladesh paint H&M and the fast fashion industry in a negative light. In response, the company doubles down on sustainability, launching a new eco-friendly line.

Meanwhile, Forever 21 goes to court over copyright infringement allegations, and Zara invests in technology to streamline its supply chain. But there’s a new player on the scene, Chinese company Shein, and their online-only business model is about to change the game.

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Fast Fashion | Stitch by Stitch | 2 Oct 04, 2021

It’s 1974 and Amancio Ortega, determined to break the cycle of poverty he experienced growing up in Spain, uses his background in retail and manufacturing to found future fast fashion giant Zara.

Meanwhile, Topshop is born as a small section in the basement of a department store, and future CEO Philip Green flounders with a misguided attempt to break into the denim business. And overseas in California, a pair of Korean immigrants chasing their American dream found Forever 21, the most affordable fast fashion brand yet.

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Fast Fashion | Fire Sale | 1 Sep 29, 2021

It’s 1987 and Jane Shepherdson, a star buyer for retail chain Topshop, is using her keen ability to predict trends to put the company on the map as the go-to shopping destination for young British women. But when the company is bought by prickly business tycoon Philip Green, all of her hard work is at risk.

Meanwhile, Swedish company H&M opens its first store in the US, and a groundbreaking collaboration with Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld pushes the limits of what fast fashion can be.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Life After Wartime | 6 Sep 27, 2021

The battle between Death Row and Bad Boy Records wasn't long, but it was intense. Rather than staying on wax, the beef came off the records and into the streets, resulting in a deadly macho dust-up between hip hop's biggest — and youngest — stars. The rivalry also touched the life of R&B up-and-comer Faith Evans, who was married to Biggie at the time and found herself in the middle of the war between East and West.

To explore this, we spoke with Naima Cochrane, a music and culture journalist and former industry executive who’s worked behind the scenes shaping the careers of Beyonce, John Legend, Juicy J and other major acts.

We break down the gangsta rap era and discuss what happened after Tupac and Biggie were tragically removed from the scene. Plus, we're getting more context on Faith Evans’ role in the battle and how the trials of the women in the 90s blazed a trail for the hip hop queens of today.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Kills You | 5 Sep 22, 2021

The rivalry between the East and West Coasts of hip-hop has become an all out war, with Death Row and Bad Boy on the front lines of the conflict. Within six months, the war claims the lives of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, sending shockwaves through the hip-hop community.

For Death Row and Bad Boy, labels built on the backs of these stars, the future looks uncertain. Now, the fate of each business rests in the hands of its owner. What these moguls decide to do next will determine whether they’ll rise above the tragedy, or get swept up in it.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Hit ‘Em Up | 4 Sep 20, 2021

By the time Biggie Smalls meets Tupac Shakur, Tupac is already a big star. He hasn’t yet signed with Death Row, but he’s already sold millions of records and starred in two feature films. Biggie, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first album to drop.

Biggie and Tupac become fast friends, but their relationship doesn’t last long. The two rap stars are pulled in different directions. One struggles to escape violence, while the other will be consumed by it—pushing tensions between Death Row and Bad Boy to a very public breaking point.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Ready to Die | 3 Sep 15, 2021

In the 70 and 80s, the founders of Death Row and Bad Boy are coming of age. In the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, a young Dre is spinning records before he even learns to read. Dre desperately wants to be a hip-hop DJ, but Los Angeles barely has a hip-hop scene. In New York, on the other hand, rap is popping off. And an 18 year old called Sean “Puffy” Combs has B.I.G. plans for the Big Apple.

They don’t know it yet, but their struggles and successes have already begun to shape the egos and sounds of their multi-million dollar tug of war.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Interns & Intimidation | 2 Sep 13, 2021

This episode contains explicit language.

In the 70 and 80s, the founders of Death Row and Bad Boy are coming of age. In the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, a young Dre is spinning records before he even learns to read. Dre desperately wants to be a hip-hop DJ, but Los Angeles barely has a hip-hop scene. In New York, on the other hand, rap is popping off. And an 18 year old called Sean “Puffy” Combs has B.I.G. plans for the Big Apple.

They don’t know it yet, but their struggles and successes have already begun to shape the egos and sounds of their multi-million dollar tug of war.

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Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Life After Death | 1 Sep 08, 2021

This episode contains explicit language.

In the 1990s, the landscape of American music was changed forever by two titans of hip hop: Death Row and Bad Boy. The rivalry between these iconic rap labels would go on to become as legendary as it was notorious. But in these early days? It’s all good.

Death Row Records, the West Coast company, is already the hottest label in gangsta rap. But now that they’ve signed mega-star Tupac Shakur, they’re poised to dominate the industry.

New York-based Bad Boy Records finds an answer to Death Row in The Notorious B.I.G, also known as Biggie Smalls. But first, founder Sean “Puffy” Combs has to convince the young rapper to evolve his sound to reach the masses.

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Summer Food Frenzy: Best of Business Wars Daily Sep 06, 2021

Summer is a time for barbecues, picnics, and maybe even a stiff drink. When it’s warm out, the business of food really starts booming. That’s why we decided to bring you a roundup of some of our favorite recent food stories from our weekday news podcast, Business Wars Daily.

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The Birth of Vegas | Can Sin City Survive? | 7 Sep 01, 2021

From a turn-of-the-century railroad stopover to a glamorous entertainment oasis, the evolution of Las Vegas has been one for the books. Casino moguls replaced crime bosses as the kings of the castle, giving "Sin City" the more family-friendly vibe we see today. Although the mob is out, more challenges have moved in — a global pandemic, a statewide drought and competition from other markets are giving the Las Vegas gaming industry a run for its money, raising some questions about its future.

For more, we spoke with Howard Stutz, an award-winning journalist at the Nevada Independent who's covered casinos and gaming for more than 30 years. He's sharing what the Strip was like yesterday, how it's faring today and what it might look like tomorrow.

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The Birth of Vegas | Gambling on the Future | 6 Aug 30, 2021

Sin City shapeshifts from its long-held ranking as the supreme adult playground on the planet to a bizarre family-friendly amusement park. Steve Wynn sets a redesign trend that emphasizes Vegas visitors who come for things other than gambling. It’s a world of boutiques, restaurants and Disney-esque rides for the kiddies.

But it’s a gamble that won’t pay off. As the new century kicks in, ever-changing Las Vegas goes through yet another attitude adjustment as Wynn and Kerkorian battle to the end. The city suffers a variety of tragic blows, and Wynnheads for a fall from grace no one could have predicted. It’s all part of the remarkable, continuing business growth in a city that is like no other.

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The Birth of Vegas | Sharks In the Lobby | 5 Aug 25, 2021

The mob’s longtime stranglehold on Las Vegas is weakening as the feds press down harder than ever. Just a few years ago, no one built anything on the Strip without gangster involvement. Now, as the late ‘80s unfold into the ‘90s, rising Vegas mega-developer Steve Wynn begins his rise to battle Kirk Kerkorian as the new kings of the Strip, and they don’t need mob money or influence to do it.

Wynn opens what will become the most financially successful casino resort in the world. And it’s financed not by dark underworld funding, but by Wall Street as the corporate sector steps in to knock the mob from the world it created.

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The Birth of Vegas | Casino Combat | 4 Aug 23, 2021

Vegas is getting a bad rap in the press, thanks to the increasing spotlight on the mob’s control. The legitimate powers in the halls of Nevada government need something—or someone--to spread a veneer of respectability over Sin City.

That someone arrives. He’s one of the most wealthy, powerful men on the planet. And he’s also a loose cannon. As far as new governor Paul Laxalt is concerned, that’s not a deal breaker.

And rich developer Kirk Kerkorian has plans to build the biggest hotel on the planet. Plans that herald a new wave of building on the Vegas Strip.

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The Birth of Vegas | Nevada Doubles Down | 3 Aug 18, 2021

The mob faces its biggest threat yet when Nevada governor Grant Sawyer wants control of the state’s top-grossing industry—gambling. The attack includes a strictly-enforced gangster blacklist to keep hoods out of their own casinos. Things get worse when Attorney General Robert Kennedy mounts his own war against the Syndicate, aided by the FBI.

But as the mob and the law battle it out, tourism gets a massive boost when Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack comes to town. They define a swinging image of Sin City that proves unshakable.

Meanwhile, the mob is down but not out, hoping the incoming governor will ease the legal scrutiny. But their hopes are not going to be fulfilled.

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The Birth of Vegas | The Feds Get Fed Up | 2 Aug 16, 2021

Backing from a legitimate Mormon banker creates major funding for the Vegas mob infrastructure. The underworld is coming out on top in Sin City. But there’s a challenger out for blood: the United States government.

A U.S. senator launches an attack on mob-run gaming, and brings his third degree hearings to town. It’s not the only problem in Vegas. Segregation rears its ugly head, but entertainer Harry Belafonte fights back.

As a destination for all manner of illicit, adult good times, Vegas is firmly on the map. But that may not be a good thing.

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The Birth of Vegas | Sunrise on Sin City | 1 Aug 11, 2021

In 1931, the massive Hoover Dam project brings thousands of workers to Nevada. They have paychecks and nowhere to spend them. The state legalizes gambling, setting a small, dusty town called Las Vegas on its way to becoming an unsurpassed phenomenon.

The mob realizes there are untold riches to be made in gaming, and by the late 1940s, gangsters Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel are opening casinos on the fledgling Strip.

For the mob, the situation is a dream come true. Gambling is legal, prostitution is ignored, and local politicians are either for sale or agreeable. And best of all, there’s virtually no competition.

But that won’t last.

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Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Big Chunks O'Love | 1 Aug 09, 2021

It's the '70s and best buddies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are about to open an ice cream parlor. These hungry hippies only want to have fun making ice cream. But as their business grows, they're going to find themselves on a collision course with the heavyweight champ of gourmet ice cream: Häagen-Dazs.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Does Cuba Still Love Havana Club? | 7 Aug 04, 2021

For Cubans, rum is more than just a drink. It's become a symbol of identity, culture and politics, and each bottle has a lot to say — especially when it's labeled "Havana Club."

As Bacardi and Pernod Ricard battle it out in court to determine the true owner of this traditional Cuban liquor brand, there is a larger cultural and geopolitical conversation unfolding.

To dive into this discussion, we spoke to Professor Lillian Guerra, a Cuban-American historian and Director of the Cuba Program at the University of Florida. She talks about Cuban economics, culture and policy as they relate to Bacardi, Pernod Ricard and Havana Club — and she's revealing her take on who has the real stuff.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Last Call | 6 Aug 02, 2021

Pernod Ricard believes it’s just a matter of time before Cuba’s embargo is dropped. It dramatically expands its distilleries in Cuba for the moment when it can delug the US market with its Havanista rum. But politics will make this anything but a straight shot.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Rum Punch Politics | 5 Jul 28, 2021

Bacardi manages to best Pernod Ricard by using both the courts and Capitol Hill to keep the embargo in place against Pernod Ricard’s rum of the same name, Havana Club. But as relations between the U.S. and Cuba warm, negotiations between Havana and Washington begin. On Castro’s wish list: the right to sell its Havana Club in the U.S.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | The Liquor Lobby | 4 Jul 26, 2021

Bacardi has one-upped Pernod Ricard by deploying a U.S. trade embargo to block imports of Pernod Ricard and Cuba’s rum. So Castro announces that Cuba will make copycat products of American companies, ignoring their U.S. trademarks.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | The Bat Out of Hell | 3 Jul 21, 2021

Bacardi is now America’s favorite rum, but two former French spirits rivals -- Ricard and Pernod -- have joined forces to challenge Bacardi. And to gain the upper hand in security rights to Havana Club, the French company turns to Bacardi’s arch enemy for help: Fidel Castro.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Hunter or Prey | 2 Jul 19, 2021

Before they were billion-dollar behemoths owning many of today’s biggest booze brands, Bacardi and Pernod Ricard were three tiny, family-run companies. Pernod makes absinthe so well it became synonymous with the substance that causes a frenzy in Europe before being banned. Ricard steps in with an absinthe substitute and causes its own craze before merging with Pernod. Meanwhile, Bacardi gets enormously rich and fantastically famous at an odd time for a distiller — Prohibition. All that success, though, puts both companies on a collision course over a Cuban-made rum called Havana Club.

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Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Rum and Revolution | 1 Jul 14, 2021

When family-run rum maker Bacardi was kicked out of Cuba in 1960, it vowed to go to extremes to get revenge on Fidel Castro. So when French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard cuts a deal with Castro’s government to share in the fortunes of Cuban-made Havana Club rum, Bacardi declares war on Pernod Ricard, too.

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Free LUV | 6 Jul 12, 2021

Thanks to deregulation, no-frills knock offs of Southwest take to the skies like crows. About 120 airlines have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy since the industry was deregulated in 1978.

American’s SABRE system optimizes...everything. It manages ticket pricing so flights are always full, and American is building new hubs and terminals. Meanwhile, Southwest company culture is shifting from sex appeal to backyard barbecue vibe. Is it enough to attract families to fly?

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | The Cult of Herb | 5 Jul 07, 2021

Everyone loves Herb Kelleher—even FAA regulators. The onetime corporate counsel-turned-CEO is coming into his own at the helm of Southwest. But his latest challenge is coming up with a way to skirt the FAA’s pesky “slot” system, designed to limit air traffic by rationing takeoffs and landings. Kelleher has a business to run. So he embarks on a crazy plan to snag a few extra slots for Southwest. It may not work, but one thing’s certain: it will be a whole lot of fun.

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | The Darling of Deregulation | 4 Jul 05, 2021

As deregulation dawns, Southwest Airlines’ founder and CEO are locked in a power struggle. In the middle is Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s corporate attorney. And after 18 months serving as a punching bag for the company’s top brass, he’s had enough.

But as Southwest deals with a succession crisis, American Airlines is facing another emergency. It needs money, fast. The company is cash-poor after investing in its proprietary online reservation system, SABRE. The situation is so dire CEO Al Casey turns to a drastic option — moving the company’s headquarters from its homebase in New York City to Dallas.

Just as American is getting a financial lift, Southwest takes a nosedive. Deregulation has the company eyeing expansion routes, but the powers that be will do anything to stop it.

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Aviation Cyber Wars | 3 Jun 30, 2021

The computer age is on the horizon, and American Airlines has a secret weapon: SABRE. Sure, the airline is top of the heap under the current pen-and-paper reservation system — the one where travel agents use a massive phonebook to look up flights, then call individual airlines to book a ticket. But they’re tired of playing phone tag. The American Society of Travel Agents has plans to roll out a new electronic system, one that could force American to lose its unofficial preferred status. The company has to get its system to market first — and its leaders have to convince the travel agencies to get onboard.

But there’s a much bigger threat looming on the horizon, one that could give a big boost to upstart rivals like Southwest Airlines. Deregulation is coming, and when it does it will change everything.

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Dogfight Over Dallas | 2 Jun 28, 2021

Baniff and Southwest battled in court for domination over the skies. Southwest came out on top for a little while, but Baniff pushed back with prices Southwest just couldn't beat. The only way Southwest could fight back was to give the mostly male, mostly businessmen clientele something they couldn't refuse: free booze. For the first time ever, Southwest is in the black. With Baniff tamed, there's more turbulence. This time, it's a national airline. American Airlines is here to play.

Please note, this episode originally aired in 2018.

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Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Clearing the Runway | 1 Jun 23, 2021

In Texas in the 1960s, Rollin King had a crazy idea. He wanted to create a no-frills airline service that served San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. All he and his lawyer had to do was convince the Federal Regulations Bureau that they had no jurisdiction on flights that never left Texas. Of course getting Southwest off the ground would have been a lot easier if they had any planes…

Please note, this episode originally aired in 2018.

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Food Delivery Wars | Can Food Apps Ever Deliver Profits? | 5 Jun 21, 2021

In the wake of the unexpected jolt of the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery app businesses are looking for stability and profitability any way they can find it. With Uber’s purchase of Postmates and DoorDash buying Caviar, consolidation has become all the rage.

And the apps are diversifying into prescription fulfillment, groceries, and third-party logistics. But the razor-thin profit margins, rising costs of doing business, and withering relationships with labor and restaurants are taking their toll.

We’re joined by Preetika Rana, a technology reporter at The Wall Street Journal to discuss how these app companies plan to be the last one standing in the food fight.

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Food Delivery Wars | Just Deserts | 4 Jun 16, 2021

It's July 2019. DoorDash is finally bigger than Grubhub, but it's coming under fire for pocketing tips from its drivers. Now DoorDash needs to rehab its image, or risk losing customers to its competitors.

When a California proposition threatens to alter how food delivery companies classify their drivers, DoorDash and Uber join forces to fight it. Six months later, the pandemic marks a boon for food delivery companies, but can the boost last?

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Food Delivery Wars | Deliver or Die | 3 Jun 14, 2021

It's December 2014, and Grubhub's Matt Maloney is feeling the heat. Competitors are eating away at his market share, so he decides to change direction. Grubhub finally starts delivering food with its own drivers. But will it be enough to outpace the other fast-growing upstarts?

DoorDash, meanwhile, struggles to raise funds at a steep valuation. And the company comes under fire for some less than savory business practises. Postmates has cornered the high-end market and Uber Eats expands from an Uber feature to a standalone app. But angry drivers threaten the entire food delivery business model.

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Food Delivery Wars | Who's The Boss? | 2 Jun 09, 2021

It's 1990 in Champaign, Illinois, and 15-year-old Tony Xu is washing dishes in the Chinese restaurant his mother manages. He wants to help people like his Mom, but it'll be many years before he hits on his solution for small businesses.

Across the Atlantic, Bastian Lehmann forgets his snowboard while moving house. He can't find a way to get it shipped to him cheaply, and the idea for Postmates is born. Meanwhile, Grubhub founders Matt Maloney and Mike Evans have decided local pizza should be as easy to find online as apartments. And eventually, Uber’s Travis Kalanick will recognize that food delivery is the next logical step in his booming transport empire.

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Food Delivery Wars | Hot Ticket | 1 Jun 07, 2021

It's December 2011 in San Francisco. Bastian Lehmann is getting ready to launch his courier app, Postmates. But when he and his co-founders discover people want food delivered, not objects, they pivot to a business already cornered by Grubhub.

Meanwhile, 30 miles away in Palo Alto, a business school student called Tony Xu is trying to figure out how to help a small macaroon shop fulfill delivery orders. His solution? DoorDash. Along with UberEats and Postmates, it will help pioneer the gig economy—and change the restaurant business forever.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | How AEW Dynamite Reignited the Wrestling War | 7 Jun 02, 2021

WWE might have thwarted WCW’s effort to claim the pro wrestling crown, but after 20 years of unchallenged supremacy, a new competitor has entered the ring. Bankrolled by a billionaire sports owner and airing weekly on TNT, All Elite Wrestling is, in many ways, the second coming of WCW.

But have they learned the lessons of their dearly departed predecessor? And how will Vince McMahon respond to this new threat to his kingdom?

We’re joined by former WWE writer and comedian Matt McCarthy to discuss this new wrestling war and what WWE will look like without Vince McMahon at the helm.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | Down for the Count | 6 May 31, 2021

It’s 1998 and the slugfest between Vince McMahon’s WWF and Ted Turner’s WCW is reaching a critical juncture.

McMahon’s on a mission to pull wrestling fans back to his TV shows with a strategy focused on maximum controversy. And to help him in his mission, he’s getting back-up from a high-flying TV executive and a bunch of Wall Street bankers.

WCW chief Eric Bischoff is determined to stop WWF’s comeback at all costs. But he’ll soon discover that his most dangerous enemy isn’t McMahon — it’s the executives on his own team.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | Shock Tactics | 5 May 26, 2021

It’s 1996 and with Monday Nitro topping the TV ratings, WCW is out to end WWF’s time as the biggest player in the wrestling business.

It’s plotting to establish two brands: one that WCW boss Eric Bischoff hopes can suck away WWF’s family audience, another that will seek to capture the young males who crave more violent and outrageous entertainment than the WWF offers.

But Vince McMahon has a plan of his own. He’s going to push the WWF in a new direction by embracing controversy. But it’s a strategy that will put him on a collision course with the cable network the WWF depends on for its survival.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | New World Order | 4 May 24, 2021

It’s 1995 and the Monday Night Wars are underway. WCW’s new show Monday Nitro is grappling with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw to win TV viewers’ attention.

WCW isn’t pulling its punches either. Under the command of Eric Bischoff, WCW is dropping spoiler bombs, luring away WWF’s top wrestlers and trashing the WWF brand.

And as WCW gains momentum, Bischoff is plotting a killer blow – a shock role reversal that will force WWF boss Vince McMahon to rethink how his wrestling promotion works.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | Prime Time | 3 May 19, 2021

It’s 1994 and WCW is stepping up its game. To get the jump on WWF, Ted Turner is writing big checks to steal away the WWF’s biggest stars and sponsors. And as WCW’s star power increases, so does its popularity with wrestling fans.

But the WWF is in no position to fight back. It’s struggling to keep the lights on, there’s discontent among its roster of wrestlers, and Vince McMahon is preoccupied with staying out of prison.

And now Turner wants to deliver a killer blow. A new Monday night wrestling show that will go head to head with the WWF’s flagship TV program Monday Night Raw.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | Bulking Up | 2 May 17, 2021

It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Vince McMahon’s WWF is the king of wrestling. But trouble’s brewing: a steroids scandal is about to deal a body blow to the WWF and its family-friendly reputation.

The scandal will leave WWF stuck in damage control mode as it fights to stem the losses from falling TV ratings, ticket sales, and pay-per-view buys.

Meanwhile, Ted Turner’s trying to get World Championship Wrestling fighting fit with help from a former Pizza Hut regional manager, a self-proclaimed Cowboy, and a back-up announcer who wants to bring wrestling to Disney World.

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Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Columbia Sportswear | 2 May 14, 2021

This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.

It’s 1970 and Gert Boyle’s life is in ruins. Her husband’s just died, and now, as a middle-aged stay-at-home single mom, she’s become the boss of the family’s debt-ridden outerwear company.

No one – herself included – thinks she can save the business.

But she’s about to find an inner strength that will enable her to yank the business back from the cliff’s edge and haul it straight to the summit.

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Encore: WWF vs WCW | Titan Rising | 1 May 12, 2021

It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory.

But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federation, and he wants war. He’s on a mission to crush all opposition and establish the WWF as the only wrestling game in town.

But his assault on the wrestling status quo will also make him a powerful enemy: cable TV mogul Ted Turner.

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Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Domino's Pizza | 1 May 11, 2021

This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.

It’s 1961 and Tom Monaghan is about to drop out of college and put his all into the hole-in-the-wall pizzeria he founded with his brother.

But the recipe for success is going to prove elusive. To make it, he’ll have to overcome flaky business partners, a devastating fire, and run-ins with debt collectors.

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Vaccine Wars | Big Pharma's Big Gamble Pays Off | 7 May 10, 2021

BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca. These companies are now household names thanks to their COVID-19 vaccines. The gambles these businesses took are paying off.

The pharmaceutical giants are in line to profit heavily from their life-saving work, but the system of distributing the vaccines has seen its fair share of hiccups and controversy.

We spoke to Annalisa Merelli, a healthcare reporter for Quartz about the pandemic, the economic effects of the vaccine rollout and the current surge in COVID cases in India.

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Vaccine Wars | Arms Race | 6 May 05, 2021

It’s late 2020 and the first vaccines are going into arms across the world.

With supplies tight, the nations of the world are pushing and shoving to get their shots, and investors are salivating at the thought of the profits to be made now that humanity’s got Covid’s on the run.

But this virus isn’t going down without a fight. And in South Africa, one geneticist is about to make an alarming discovery.

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Vaccine Wars | Trials and Tribulations | 5 May 03, 2021

It’s fall 2020 and the world’s waiting for the first results from the vaccine trials.

But as the moment of truth nears, the pressure on the vaccine makers intensifies.

And while AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson get hit with curveballs, Pfizer finds itself caught in the crossfire of the U.S. Presidential election.

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Vaccine Wars | Warp Speed | 4 Apr 28, 2021

It’s summer 2020 and with Covid infections surging across America, the Trump administration’s ready to spend billions to get a vaccine fast.

For vaccine makers — who face the enormous costs of rapidly upscaling manufacturing and pushing their shots through large-scale human trials — the government funding is a lifeline.

But as the push to create vaccines hits warp speed, there’s a growing need to reassure the public that science, not politics, is in the driver’s seat.

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Vaccine Wars | Long Shot | 3 Apr 26, 2021

It’s February 2020 and drugmaker Moderna’s sprinting ahead – its Covid vaccine is already poised to enter human trials.

But Moderna and its rivals know plenty of vaccines never make it out of trials alive. It’s also going to take a lot of manufacturing muscle to inoculate the world. All of which costs a lot of moolah.

And if the vaccine makers can’t secure a deep-pocketed partner in time, they’re going to get disqualified from the race.

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Vaccine Wars | The Hype Cycle | 2 Apr 21, 2021

It’s 25 years before the pandemic and at the University of Pennsylvania a Hungarian biochemist is fighting a one-woman campaign to figure out how to create mRNA vaccines.

But no one wants to fund her research and every lab rat she injects with mRNA dies.

Now, she must decide between her career and her belief in mRNA’s medical potential. And her choice will change the world.

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Vaccine Wars | This is Not a Drill | 1 Apr 19, 2021

It’s early January 2020, and a mysterious new virus is overtaking the city of Wuhan, China.

At first the outbreak barely makes the news, but as the threat comes into focus, scientists spring into action to make a vaccine. But the outlook’s grim – vaccines take years to create, test and approve. No one expects one to arrive anytime soon.

But for two ambitious biotech start-ups, this is a chance to show the world what their cutting-edge tech can do.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Fried Chicken Future | 7 Apr 14, 2021

After decades in KFC’s shadow, Chick-fil-A rode a wave of chicken sandwich obsession to industry dominance. But for how long? Will consumers tire of the relative simplicity of fried chicken in between two pieces of bread? For more on the emergence of the chicken sandwich as fast food’s favorite son, we speak to Nick Wiger — writer, comedian, and host of the Doughboys podcast. Wiger gets to the bottom of the chicken trend, speculates on what’s next at the drive-thru, and discusses whether or not plant-based protein has a place on the menu.

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David Brown on The Art of Business Wars | 7 Apr 13, 2021

Our new book, The Art of Business Wars, takes fans through stories they've heard on Business Wars and some that are completely new. Host David Brown is joined by Next Big Idea's Rufus Griscom to discuss how the book came together, what makes a great Business Wars story, and preview some of the never-before-seen rivalries sure to thrill long-time listeners.

The Art of Business Wars is available now from all major booksellers.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-idea/id1482067226

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Sandwichmania | 6 Apr 12, 2021

It’s the the early 2000’s and the animal rights group PETA accuses KFC of cruelty in their poultry processing and creating “Frankenchickens.” As KFC revenues tumble, Chick-fil-A surges ahead, cultivating fanatic customers with opening day parties and lavish food giveaways. But when President Dan Cathy makes controversial remarks against same-sex marriage, Chick-fil-A becomes a battleground. Meanwhile, Popeyes new CEO reverses the chain’s long downward slide by returning the company to its Louisiana roots. He introduces snappy new advertising and Cajun recipes, including the company’s first fried chicken sandwich. Rising to the challenge, Chick-fil-A attacks their rival with some savvy twitter swordplay over whose sandwich reigns supreme. The ensuing social media frenzy inspires a nationwide rush on both chains, but KFC is left out in the cold. Then the great sandwich wars of 2019 help bring about a shocking upset in the world of southern fried fowl, just as all the players begin to plan for a more sustainable, less meat-heavy future.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Colonel’s Last Stand | 5 Apr 07, 2021

It’s the 1970’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken has yet another new owner: Heublein, the company known for introducing Americans to Smirnoff’s vodka. But KFC brand ambassador Harland Sanders creates a PR fiasco by accusing his new corporate bosses of letting standards slide and ruining the company. As the recession and Sanders wrath hammer revenues, the chain radically changes course, and commits to a “Re-colonelization,” reinstating many of Sanders’ original recipes, and reinvesting in its disenchanted franchisees. Kentucky Fried Chicken surges just as Chick-fil-A makes a series of fatal errors; they lose millions in a marketing misstep, and take on debt to expand rapidly in shopping centers. As the recession deepens, and consumers as well as developers shun malls, Chick-fil-A faces financial ruin. Meanwhile, Popeyes has his own debt-fueled misadventures. Owner Al Copeland leans hard into the 1980s junk bond market and attempts to catch up with KFC by leveraging a hostile takeover of Church’s Fried Chicken, with fatal results.

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The Art of Business Wars Lesson 4: Positioning Apr 06, 2021

oo often in business, taking two positions is the same as taking none. You can only carve out one at a time — so choose wisely. To read more lessons from The Art of Business Wars and to order your copy, visit wondery.com/the-art-of-business-wars.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Henhouse Heats Up | 4 Apr 05, 2021

It’s the late 1960s and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new owner takes the rapidly expanding franchise public. America’s hottest new IPO makes dozens of employees instant millionaires, but not Harland Sanders, who sold his company for cash. Now brand ambassador, Sanders regrets his decision and attempts a coup. As civil war rages at Kentucky Fried Chicken, diner owner Truett Cathy in Georgia makes a life-changing decision: to open his own restaurant chain in the brand new frontier of the American shopping mall. But while Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chick-fil-A focus on growing their fiefdoms, a young donut shop owner in New Orleans turns his attention to creating the perfect spicy fried chicken recipe, and finds inspiration for its name from an unlikely source: a movie about an aging cop called Popeye Doyle.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Birth of the Bucket | 3 Mar 31, 2021

It’s the 1950s in Kentucky and Harland Sanders faces bankruptcy once again. 65-years-old, broke, unemployed and desperate, he barnstorms the country, living out of his car, selling his secret fried chicken recipe to restaurant and diner owners. Franchising is a new concept and it’s hard going, but Sanders makes an invaluable convert of Pete Harman, a Utah restaurateur, who becomes his first franchisee. Harman creates the icons of the Kentucky Fried Chicken brand, including its name, and becomes a lifelong champion of the company. Meanwhile in Atlanta, a local airline presents Truett Cathy with a surplus of boneless chicken, which he slips into a bun and turns into pure southern fried chicken gold.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Fast Fists and Failure | 2 Mar 29, 2021

It’s the 1900’s and a young Harland Sanders learns how to cook out of sheer necessity when his widowed mother leaves him at home to care for his younger brother and sister. Crushing poverty prompts his mother to loan him out as a field hand when he’s just twelve, and from then on he’s on his own. He labors as a farmworker, a blacksmith’s helper, and a railroad fire stoker. Eventually Sanders bamboozles his way into a career as a correspondence course lawyer, only to lose his practice due to his fiery temper and tendency towards violence.

Meanwhile, as the nation sinks into a depression, poverty leaves scars and forges ambition in eight-year-old Truett Cathy. He learns to cook in the family’s boarding-house in Atlanta, and contributes desperately needed cash with a thriving coca-cola stand and newspaper delivery route. As his family’s finances worsen, they end up in the city’s first housing project, and Truett’s father teaches his son hard lessons at the end of a razor strap.

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KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Guns, Guts, and Gravy | 1 Mar 24, 2021

It's the Great Depression, and in one of Kentucky’s toughest corners, Harland Sanders defends his gas station business with sheer moxie and a loaded shotgun. He expands it into a thriving motel and restaurant, but impatient tourists balk at long wait times for his most popular dish — fried chicken. Eager to woo customers, Sanders risks life and limb experimenting with a new kitchen invention and creates a hit secret recipe. Along the way, he discovers a unique marketing gimmick: dressing up like a Kentucky Colonel from the frontier days.

Meanwhile in the post-war boom a young devout Christian named Truett Cathy opens a diner with his brother in Atlanta. Soon enough his company, Chick-fil-A, will hit KFC right where it hurts, in between two buttered buns.

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Late Night Wars | Late Night for the TikTok Generation | 7 Mar 22, 2021

Since the disruption of the broadcast viewing experience, late night comedy has gone through some growing pains. It’s no longer must-see TV, but late night water cooler moments remain as fiery political segments go viral online.

For more on how the late night landscape has shifted since Johnny Carson’s exit from The Tonight Show, we speak with Meredith Blake, an entertainment reporter at the Los Angeles Times who covers television. Blake lays out how the internet, streaming and a push for more diversity has changed the face of late night.

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Late Night Wars | Late Night Stars Collide | 6 Mar 17, 2021

Jay Leno takes it on the chin from NBC when the network informs him his future as Tonight Show host has a looming shelf life. He needs to hand the keys to Conan O’Brien, who doesn’t want to be stuck in the 12:30 slot forever.

As Letterman’s ratings at CBS decline, NBC makes a bizarre decision to keep its hosts happy and in the family. It’s a decision that backfires in every possible way.

The fallout will spark the last, devastating shake up in the late night wars, as the battlefield goes through radical changes. Technology and taste never sleep, and the networks—and the hosts—are forced to redefine themselves as the industry moves toward the future.

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Late Night Wars | A Darker Night Ahead | 5 Mar 15, 2021

CBS makes David Letterman a very attractive offer to leave NBC—a move he’s very willing to make—but his long-time network is desperate to keep him. So desperate they dangle the prize that Letterman felt he deserved all along—the Tonight Show.

That doesn’t sit well with Tonight host Jay Leno, who takes a major defensive stance to hang on to the position he worked so hard to get.

And in the wake of the Letterman struggle, an unknown talent emerges into the late night stratosphere—Conan O’Brien. He brings a unique, fresh appeal and his own set of rules as the networks battle for ratings, and audiences get finicky.

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Late Night Wars | There Goes Johnny! | 4 Mar 10, 2021

When longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson shocks NBC with the surprise

announcement of his departure, Jay Leno is anointed as the next host of the network’s flagship franchise.

But there’s a problem: after a decade hosting Late Night at 12:30, David Letterman thinks Carson’s job should be his. Getting passed over is unacceptable to Letterman, and he’s going to exact a painful revenge on NBC.

And Leno’s firebrand manager Helen Kushnick is going to feel the backlash of her scorched earth policy in dealing with NBC brass. Their reaction will bring Leno’s career to the brink of destruction.

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Late Night Wars | Late Night Explodes | 3 Mar 08, 2021

Johnny Carson – the man who defined the Tonight show – is nearing retirement. But NBC has yet to settle on an heir. And that sets the stage for one of the most painful moments for the late night rivals battling for the throne. It will prove enormously embarrassing for Carson, Leno and Letterman. And they will vent their sentiments on stage. Meanwhile, Arensio Hall, a young, black comedian, is blowing past all of them, and posing the first serious challenge to Carson.

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Late Night Wars | The Dawn of Tonight | 2 Mar 03, 2021

The late night saga begins in the uncharted wilderness of after-hours programming. In the early 1950s, an era when television broadcasting literally stops at 11:00 p.m., NBC dares to push the envelope with something called the Tonight Show. It works.

It seems insane, but American audiences are ready to stay up--and advertisers are ready to spend big money to reach that audience. In the wake of Tonight’s success, CBS and ABC are left in the dust. But they’re determined to grab a slice of that valuable late night pie as the war begins for ownership of the midnight hour.

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Late Night Wars | The Stars Realign | 1 Mar 01, 2021

The cutthroat evolution of late-night talk shows is a long and fierce battle for advertising riches, ratings and sheer egotistical triumph. It’s the early 1980s and NBC’s Tonight Show is the unbeatable standard in its class, and its long-time host Johnny Carson the indisputable god of late night.

Hosts David Letterman, Jay Leno and later Conan O’Brien all worship Carson. Each of them desperately covets the Tonight Show seat and will stop at nothing to get it.

As fickle audiences demand increasingly cutting-edge entertainment after dark, the fight to win late night will be redefined. And it will be ugly.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | How Influencers Are Changing the Beauty Industry | 7 Feb 24, 2021

As the beauty business shifts towards boutique brands and upstarts, traditional titans of the industry like L'Oreal and Esteé Lauder are struggling to maintain a foothold. At the center of this cultural shift are beauty influencers, who are reaching a new wave of savvy, socially conscious consumers.

For more on how they’re reshaping the landscape, we speak with Arabelle Sicardi, an industry strategist and trend forecaster for over a decade and author of the upcoming book The House of Beauty. Sicardi lays out what’s driving the shift and how a historically white industry aims to adapt to a new generation of consumers hungry for diversity.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Lipstick Lockdown | 6 Feb 22, 2021

It’s 2007, and the L'Oréal founding family is thrust into the media spotlight when a scandal erupts. The daughter of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the company fortune, accuses a family friend of exploiting her mother’s dementia. But the ensuing investigation brings to light Bettencourt’s own unsavory dealings, putting L'Oréal’s future at risk.

Meanwhile, both L'Oréal and Estée Lauder attempt to mitigate lagging sales with more acquisitions. To choose their targets, they turn to Youtube, where influencers with millions of followers are becoming rainmakers for fledgling brands. But no one is prepared for how a pandemic will affect the beauty industry.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Buying Spree | 5 Feb 17, 2021

It’s 1991, and after the financial crash of 1987, Estée Lauder is looking for a new way to continue expanding without sinking millions of dollars and several years into developing a new brand. The answer lies in acquisitions, and they set their sights on two young, hip, buzzworthy companies: MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Meanwhile, determined to strengthen L'Oréal’s foothold in the American mass market, CEO Lindsay Owen-Jones takes a risk on flailing drug store brand Maybelline, convinced he can turn it into an industry juggernaut.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Face to Face | 4 Feb 15, 2021

It’s 1979 and Estée Lauder is on top of the world after launching another in-house brand, Prescriptives. But after decades of being primarily known for hair products, L'Oréal is ready to invade the American high-end makeup market. And their secret weapon is Lancôme, a luxurious French brand that they rebrand using tricks straight out of the Lauders’ playbook.

In an attempt to fend off the Lancôme threat, Leonard Lauder invests in television advertising. But a financial crisis is on the horizon, and how both companies respond will define their futures.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Skin in the Game | 3 Feb 10, 2021

It’s 1962, and Estée Lauder is on fire, with well-received new products helping solidify their position as the top high-end makeup brand. But Revlon is hot on their tails, and to fend off the threat the Lauders decide to develop a new brand: Clinique. With this line of hypoallergenic products for sensitive skin, they’ve unlocked a new customer base. But initial sales are disappointing, and as cash flow takes a nosedive, they must quickly determine how to fix their marketing approach.

Meanwhile, a young female copywriter pens a new slogan for L'Oréal that will go down in advertising history and send the company on a bright new path.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Do or Dye | 2 Feb 08, 2021

It's 1904, and ambitious French chemist Eugène Schueller quits his job as a researcher to focus on formulating the first synthetic hair dye. Teaming up with Parisian hairdressers to spread the word about his product, he soon expands into hair care and sunscreen, relying on his knack for innovative marketing to spread the word.

Meanwhile, in Queens, New York, a young Estée Lauder is inspired by her esthetician uncle to start concocting her own face creams. Now, she just has to find a way to monetize her business, and inspiration strikes at her local beauty salon.

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Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Telephone, Telegraph, Tell-A-Woman | 1 Feb 03, 2021

It’s 1946, and after years of building a cult following thanks to free samples and loyal customers, Estée Lauder finally has an opportunity to join the big leagues. She can now sell her high-quality makeup products in department stores in New York City. Unphased by competitors with deeper pockets and wider distribution, she possesses a passion for making women feel beautiful that sets her apart.

Meanwhile, in Paris, chemist Eugène Schueller’s hair company L'Oréal is thriving thanks to his top-notch formula for synthetic hair dye. But as World War II comes to an end, rumors that he supported the Nazis threaten the empire he has built.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | To Infinity And Beyond | 7 Feb 01, 2021

As the Space Race moves into the present day, Elon Musk recoups SpaceX’s losses and edges ahead of Blue Origin.

But now his competition is coming not just from Jeff Bezos, but from like-minded dreamers in Russia and China. For more on the coming battle for space supremacy, we speak with Tim Fernholz. He wrote Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and the New Space Race, and writes about space and the economy for Quartz.

He tells us about the viability of space tourism and the future prospects of space travel.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | The Next Generation | 6 Jan 27, 2021

It's 2016 and Virgin Galactic is about to re-enter the space race following its fatal test flight two years earlier.

But the company's early lead in human spaceflight is eroding fast. Blue Origin, Boeing and SpaceX are closing in.

The race to become the first private company to launch a person into space is almost over and there can only be one winner.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Space War | 5 Jan 25, 2021

It's 2013 and the long cold war between Blue Origin and SpaceX is about to go nuclear.

The clash begins when NASA puts its most famous launchpad up for lease, and escalates fast.

Soon SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the United Launch Alliance will be reaching for any weapon they can use to disrupt each other's plans.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Rise of the Dragon | 4 Jan 20, 2021

It's 2009 and a new president is looking to shake up the space world by opening up the stars to private industry.

But with NASA’s space shuttle about to retire, the United States soon won't be able to reach the International Space Station without Russian help.

U.S. leadership in space hangs in the balance and everyone's looking to the new space companies to deliver the solution.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Burning Up | 3 Jan 18, 2021

It's 2005 and SpaceX is about to find itself exiled to a tropical island, but this is no vacation. It's in a race against time to get the Falcon 1 rocket into orbit before Musk's millions runs out. But as the failures mount, Musk stares ruin in the face.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Reaching for the Stars | 2 Jan 13, 2021

It's 2003 and in the Mojave Desert, renegade aviation genius Burt Rutan is building a spaceship funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

But while Rutan and Allen are preparing to launch the world's first privately funded astronaut, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are still struggling to get their space missions off the ground.

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SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Rocket Men | 1 Jan 11, 2021

It's 2001 and a 30-year-old Elon Musk has just been fired from Pay-Pal, the company he co-founded. In need of a second act, he hits on the idea of bankrolling a bizarre Mars mission.

But he's not the only tech tycoon who's stargazing. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also got space fever. But Bezos’ first step in the interstellar arena will almost cost him his life.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Screen Dreams | 6 Jan 06, 2021

With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how?

Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no longer secure. Challengers to her throne are emerging and the first strike against the dream doll comes not from Hasbro, but from within its own offices.

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This episode orginially aired on April 8, 2019.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The Shotgun Wedding | 5 Jan 04, 2021

A few months ago, Mattel’s revenues were just fifty million dollars behind Hasbro’s. But now that Hasbro’s swallowed Tonka—the classic maker of Nerf, Play-Doh, and Monopoly—Mattel is half a billion dollars behind, and CEO John Amerman isn’t happy about it.

Ever since Hasbro turned British fashion doll Sindy into a Barbie lookalike, the two toymakers have been at war. Now Amerman is looking to make a couple strategic acquisitions: one to put Mattel back in pole position, and the other, to spite Hasbro.

This episode originally aired on April 3, 2019.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Resurrection Joe | 4 Dec 30, 2020

It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of taking on the Star Wars dolls, or else the company risks losing its only source of stable income, the family pencil factory.

But Hasbro’s not the only toymaker plotting to take on Star Wars. Three thousand miles away in Los Angeles, Mattel’s also preparing an assault on the action figure market. A line of fantastical action figures called The Masters of the Universe.

This episode originally aired on April 1, 2019.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The House of Cards | 3 Dec 28, 2020

Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price collapse. To keep up appearances, Mattel starts cooking its books—but the move may end up costing CEO Ruth Handler the company.

Elsewhere in Toyland, Hasbro’s facing an uncertain future. Kids are turning their backs on G.I. Joe and the company’s short on cash. As its rivals rush towards an electronic future, Hasbro risks being left behind.

This episode orginally aired on March 27, 2019.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Boy Toy | 2 Dec 23, 2020

It’s the 1960s and Hasbro is struggling. The pencil manufacturer turned toymaker hasn’t had a major success since Mr. Potato Head hit the shelves in 1952, and it’s starting to lose money. If the company doesn’t act fast, it’ll be headed for bankruptcy in no time.

Mattel’s “accessories sold separately” approach to Barbie has revolutionized the industry. Now Hasbro’s toymakers hope to replicate her success with a doll of their own—for boys. But first, they’ll have to get the green light from CEO Merrill Hassenfeld, who has one iron-clad rule about new toys: no dolls.

Meanwhile, Mattel’s about to roll out a hot new boy-themed toy of its own that will cement the company’s status as the world’s top toymaker.

This episode originally aired on March 25, 2019.

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Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Dream Doll | 1 Dec 21, 2020

It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up.

But toy-making, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat business. If either of these companies hopes to survive--let alone succeed--they’re going to need to get creative. Disrupting the embedded and experienced kingpins of Toyland, will require them to take chances on TV, potatoes, Mickey Mouse and one particularly risqué novelty doll from Germany.

This episode originally aired on March 20, 2019.

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TikTok vs Instagram | The TikTok Effect | 6 Dec 16, 2020

With TikTok’s legal future hanging in the balance, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t been shy about borrowing what works from the Chinese upstart and replicating it within Instagram. But his copycat feature Reels made more of a ripple than a splash when it debuted. For more on TikTok’s woes, we speak with Taylor Lorenz. She covers culture and technology for the New York Times and tells us why TikTok’s success can’t be easily duplicated and how Instagram’s Reels-focused redesign angered the platform’s long time influencers.

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TikTok vs Instagram | Lights Out | 5 Dec 14, 2020

It's July 2020. TikTok usage has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it faces an unexpected threat — powerful politicians with their own agenda. Now, TikTok must find a solution or risk being shut down in the U.S.

Instagram, meanwhile, strikes back with a new feature. It's another copycat product the company's putting front and center for its 1 billion users. And one that could spell trouble for TikTok.

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TikTok vs Instagram | Hitmaker | 4 Dec 09, 2020

It’s November 2018. Mark Zuckerberg takes a hit as his copycat TikTok product fails miserably. Then, Instagram faces another disaster when a security breach draws ire from users. But Zuckerberg decides to launch a direct attack on his Chinese competitor.

TikTok emerges as a major hitmaker in the music business and cements its place in pop culture. But founder Zhang Yiming's hot app comes under scrutiny from regulators, as it gets drawn into a geopolitical battle that could spell the end of TikTok.

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TikTok vs Instagram | Dance, Dance, Revolution | 3 Dec 07, 2020

It's August 2016 and Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are about to pull off the tech equivalent of a heist — and they just might get away with it. But despite its success, Instagram faces trouble at home when Mark Zuckerberg starts rocking the boat.

In China, TikTok founder Zhang Yiming has his eyes on global expansion. He's willing to spend big to acquire his competition — and that poses a huge threat to Instagram's supremacy.

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TikTok vs Instagram | Small Place, Big Dream | 2 Dec 02, 2020

It’s the mid '90s and Kevin Systrom is editing a video game. It's his first taste of coding, but it won't be his last. When he grows up, he's going to build a product used by more than a billion people.

Across the Pacific Ocean, in a rural part of China, Zhang Yiming is having a very different childhood. But he and Systrom share a common North Star: The American Dream. Achieving that dream, however, will be a nightmare filled with stiff competition and cut-throat corporate maneuvers.

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TikTok vs Instagram | Codename | 1 Nov 30, 2020

It’s July 2010, and Kevin Systrom is on holiday in Mexico when he has an idea for how to save his failing app: offer filters to make users’ photos more appealing. He gets back to San Francisco and teams up with his friend Mike Krieger. Together they launch Instagram, a platform that will revolutionize how we interact with society.

Meanwhile in Beijing, China, Zhang Yiming starts a news aggregator app powered by AI. It learns which stories users like and feeds them more of it, giving people what they want before they know it. This powerful algorithm will become the foundation for TikTok, an app that will become a proxy battleground for the feud between the U.S. and China.

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Why Black Friday Will Look Different This Year | 8 Nov 25, 2020

Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, will break the mold this year, as the pandemic sends retailers scrambling for new ways to bring in customers while minimizing large crowds. But the changes to American shopping habits predate the pandemic. Host David Brown talks with Business Insider retail correspondent Madeline Stone about what to expect from a COVID Christmas and which changes to our spending habits are likely to stick.

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Denim Wars | Are Your Jeans Blue or Red? | 7 Nov 23, 2020

Consumers are increasingly looking to buy from brands whose values match their own, and denim is no different. These days, the jeans giants are not only facing down threats from each other, but navigating a new era of partisan consumerism. For more on how denim and other industries are appealing to consumers on both sides of the aisle, we speak with Cait Lamberton. She's a professor of marketing at Wharton who specializes in consumption behavior and marketing practice. Plus, she shares advice for entrepreneurs wondering whether to take their brands political.

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Denim Wars | The Unravelling | 6 Nov 18, 2020

It's 1999 and Levi's is a company in trouble. It's drowning in debt, out of fashion, and hobbled by sub-par distribution.

But while Levi's searches for a way to make a comeback, a new, fast-growing enemy is out to convince people to abandon jeans altogether.

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Denim Wars | Lord of the Flies | 5 Nov 16, 2020

It's the '80s and Levi's is far out in front in the battle for denim dominance.

But Lee owner V.F. Corporation isn't giving up. It's about to make a major move that will pile the pressure on Levi's and threaten its status as market leader.

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Denim Wars | From Freak to Chic | 4 Nov 11, 2020

It's the late '60s and Levi's is seeking to stay on trend by tuning into the flower-power movement taking over San Francisco.

But keeping up with the ever-shifting tides of fashion is harder than it looks and soon Europe will be taking jeans onto an unfamiliar battleground: the catwalk.

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Denim Wars | Storming the Castle | 3 Nov 09, 2020

It's the 1950s and young Americans are idolizing the new wave of Hollywood rebels and horrifying their parents by wearing jeans.

But as these post-war renegades take denim duds out of the workplace, the jean giants find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

Do they hold fast to their traditional base of cowboys and factory workers, or embrace the teenagers who are adopting denim?

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Denim Wars | Old Western Blues | 2 Nov 04, 2020

It's the mid-1800s and a young wholesaler called Levi Strauss is looking to cash in on the California Gold Rush.

But when a wandering tailor approaches Strauss with a revolutionary idea, his business takes an unexpected turn into the world of workwear — and it will change his family’s destiny.

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Denim Wars | Cowboys & Indigos | 1 Nov 02, 2020

It's the 1930s and Californian jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. is struggling. The Great Depression is destroying jobs and killing demand for its denim workwear.

So when a craze for the Old West boosts demand for jeans, Levi's and its rival Lee seize the moment. But then an unfamiliar stranger swaggers into town looking to make their battle a three-way shootout.

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Pandemic Economy: Best of Business Wars Daily | 8 Oct 28, 2020

COVID-19 has flipped the economy on its head. But the pandemic’s new normal has also created new opportunities. Against all odds, some businesses are actually thriving -- and we’re not just talking about streaming companies. Today we bring you a roundup of some of our favorite recent stories from our weekday news podcast, Business Wars Daily.

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Gallo: Godfathers Of Wine | The Gallo Family Today | 7 Oct 26, 2020

When Ernest and Joseph Gallo died in 2007, decades after their brother Julio, it put an end to a family saga that had stretched for the better part of a century. But the company the brothers founded is still going strong. On the show this week is Cyril Penn, Editor In Chief of Wine Business Monthly, a trade magazine for the wine industry. We’ll talk about the current state of the Gallo Family wine brand and how it fits in the wider California wine industry. Plus, we’ll bring in Barbara Bogaev, who wrote this series, for a quick chat about how she researched the story.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Wine is Thicker Than Blood | 6 Oct 21, 2020

It’s the 1980’s and Gallo rockets to the top of the new lucrative wine cooler market with a brilliant ad campaign for its Bartles and Jaymes brand. But long held resentments, buried secrets and lurking distrust bubble up to the surface when the “unknown Gallo brother,” Joe, Jr., launches a cheese business under the label of Joseph Gallo. Now Ernest, Julio and Joe Jr. fight a final bitter trademark battle in court over the family fortune and legacy.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Grapes of Wrath | 5 Oct 19, 2020

Heading into the turbulent 1960s, Ernest Gallo attempts to conquer the Midwestern wine market by taking on a dangerous associate of Al Capone in Chicago.

As the company grows, the two Gallos join forces in consolidating their control over the family empire and edging their younger brother, Joe, Jr, out of the family business. But just as Gallo reaches the pinnacle of the industry, it gets caught in the middle of a major labor rights battle. Cesar Chavez and his United Farmworkers are fighting with the Teamsters union over who will represent grape pickers. Chavez’s Gallo Boycott is poised to become the company’s biggest public relations challenge yet.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Thunderbird | 4 Oct 14, 2020

It’s the 1940s and as American soldiers battle the Axis powers overseas, Ernest and Julio Gallo fulfill lucrative government contracts for jet fuel ingredients made out of ethyl alcohol, known as "torpedo juice.” They also make a risky wager on the volatile grape market. When peace comes, the Gallo brothers pour their wartime windfall into developing the most aggressive and controversial sales techniques in the industry.

Towards the end of the 1950s Ernest Gallo creates a blockbuster new product aimed at black, urban consumers. Thunderbird — beloved by winos everywhere — rockets Gallo to the top, but drives a wedge between the high-minded winemaker Julio Gallo and his bottom-line obsessed brother, Ernest.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Miracle Year | 3 Oct 12, 2020

It’s the 1930s and with Prohibition finally over, Americans are eager to drown themselves in booze. Ernest Gallo persuades his reluctant brother, Julio, to partner with him on starting a winery. Ernest employs every trick in the book to bolster sales, including conning customers, flouting laws and dodging government inspectors. He then gives his younger brother Joe, Jr. a menial job in the family business, but mistreats him badly. And when Joe, Jr. comes of age, Ernest and Julio terminate their guardianship of him in a secretive manner that will haunt the family, and one day cast a terrible shadow over their empire.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Violence in the Vineyard | 2 Oct 07, 2020

It’s the roaring twenties and Joe Gallo Sr.’s two teenage sons, Ernest and Julio, help run the family’s extensive vineyards and bootlegging operations. Young Ernest plays a tricky game, dealing with Al Capone in Chicago and dodging G-men. But the stock market crash of ’29 pitches the family into a financial free fall, and drives their volatile father to become increasingly violent. Until, one fateful day, their parent’s lives come to a sudden, horrific and mysterious end.

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Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Gangster and The Grape Grower | 1 Oct 05, 2020

It's the early 1900’s and two young brothers emigrate from Italy to the US to make their fortunes. In California, they con, grift and bamboozle their fellow immigrants out of thousands of dollars, enough to start a wine business. But when Prohibition shuts that down, they dive into the dangerous game of bootlegging, with disastrous results.

The older brother has two young sons, Ernest and Julio Gallo. He doesn’t know it yet, but his sons will eventually transform his sketchy legacy into the largest wine company in the world, E & J Gallo Winery.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Hut In A Rut? | 7 Sep 30, 2020

In 2009, Domino’s went into crisis mode after a prank threatened to ruin the brand’s already substandard image. You might say that was a wake up call. The company would go on to invest heavily in technology and delivery in the intervening years.

Meanwhile, Pizza Hut doubled down on its sit-in restaurants and fancier toppings, but their investment barely moved the needle on profits.

Now after 60 years of jockeying for the top spot in the pizza hierarchy, Domino’s has pulled out in front of its biggest competitor. But there are even more challenges coming to Pizza Hut and Domino’s, not to mention the entire restaurant industry itself.

To dig into this more David is joined by Sam Oches. He’s the editorial director of Food News Media, a B2B company specializing in the fast casual industry.

For more on Sam Oches check out his podcast Fast Forward and QSR Magazine.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | The Pizza Confession | 6 Sep 28, 2020

It’s 2009 and Domino’s is about to risk everything in a daring bid to shake off its reputation as the home of sub-par pizza.

But Pizza Hut’s having a hard time too. Its iconic red-roof restaurants are now holding it back, so the brand looks to satisfy America’s increasingly demanding palate.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Slices of Science | 5 Sep 23, 2020

It’s the 1990s and Domino’s rapid rise on the back of its 30-minute delivery guarantee is about to smash straight into a legal roadblock.

And while Domino’s extracts itself from the wreckage, Pizza Hut’s cooking up a new recipe for success. Its latest creation will horrify purists and help the chain fend off pizza’s newest player: Papa John’s.

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Sponsored | Seoul Taco Founder David Choi on the ‘Right Way’ to Expand a Business | 2 Sep 22, 2020

Last week, we gave you the first half of our interview with Seoul Taco Founder David Choi. If you didn't catch that part of our conversation, we encourage you to go back and check it out.

Since starting his Seoul Taco business eight years ago, Choi has expanded to seven total locations in Illinois and Missouri.

Today, we continue our conversation with Choi and learn more about his business philosophy, his work in the communities he serves, and what’s next for Seoul Taco.

This episode is sponsored by the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Deliverance | 4 Sep 21, 2020

It’s the late 1980s and Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan’s living the high life. After years of struggle, he’s a billionaire and he’s buying up plenty of status symbols to prove it.

But as Pizza Hut tries to rally a counter-attack, a day of reckoning is fast approaching for the pizza delivery pioneer.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Delivering the Goods | 3 Sep 16, 2020

It’s the ‘80s and Domino’s is gunning for Pizza Hut.

Domino’s has kickstarted the speediest expansion program in fast-food history and it’s not planning on stopping until it’s planted its flag in every corner of the USA.

But while Domino’s goes on the attack, Pizza Hut finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place.

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Sponsored | From Food Truck to Franchise: How David Choi Started Seoul Taco | 1 Sep 15, 2020

Before you’re ready for a full-fledged “Business War,” you need to start somewhere. David Choi put it all on the line and drained his bank account to buy his first food truck.

Eight years later, Choi’s bold vision for Korean and Mexican fusion has made an impact on the culinary scene.

In this episode, we hear from Choi about his humble beginnings, his hustle, and the importance of small businesses.

This episode is sponsored by the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Meltdown | 2 Sep 14, 2020

It’s the dawn of the 1970s and Pizza Hut is about to join America's business elite by floating on the stock exchange. But the Kansas pizza giant’s moment of triumph turns into defeat.

But while Pizza Hut’s been charming investors on Wall Street, Domino’s is living on skid row. And founder Tom Monaghan’s running out of time to save the day.

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Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Rolling out | 1 Sep 09, 2020

It’s 1958 and on the East and West Coasts, all the cool cats are chowing down on pizza.

Yet in the heartland, far away from the buzz of New York and LA, pizza is still rarely seen, let alone eaten. But that’s all about to change, thanks to a new pizzeria opened by two brothers in a hut in Kansas.

And they’re not the only siblings with pie in the sky dreams. In Michigan, the Monaghan brothers are hoping to bring pizza to the nation’s front doors.

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FedEx vs UPS | FedEx, UPS and Amazon’s Close Ties to the Postal Service | 7 Sep 07, 2020

In our last episode, Amazon had once again taken a financial hit to get ahead in the shipping game, cutting out its need for FedEx and UPS, and turning them into the competition. But there’s one more link in the shipping chain that FedEx, UPS and even Amazon hasn’t cut loose: The United States Postal Service.

Private shipping companies also sometimes hire the Post Office to take care of last-mile deliveries. But that might be changing as FedEx becomes more self-sufficient, and may plan to cut some of its ties with the USPS. Does that mean UPS will follow? And if so, will your shipping rates rise as the Post Office faces cutbacks later this year?

To learn more, David chats with Sucharita Kodali, a digital business strategy and e-commerce expert at Forrester Research.

For more on Sucharita Kodali: https://www.forrester.com/sucharita-kodali

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FedEx vs UPS | Deal with the Devil | 6 Sep 02, 2020

Both FedEx and UPS are doing a lot of business with e-commerce companies, especially Amazon. But after one disastrous Christmas season when both companies have difficulty delivering in time for Christmas, Amazon decides it’s time to bring shipping in-house. Going forward, UPS and FedEx’s biggest rival may not be each other, but the company that was once their best customer.

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FedEx vs UPS | On the Line | 5 Aug 31, 2020

With UPS expanding aggressively into Europe and other continents, FedEx decides to bet big on China. But it’s a risky strategy that initially looks like it’s going to fall short.

Meanwhile, UPS tries to maintain its competitive advantage by pushing for more productivity from its workers. But the drivers have had enough and UPS soon has a major labor relations problem on its hands. UPS’s troubles give FedEx an opening to peel away some of its business.

And at the dawn of the dot com era, both companies make a play for a new type of customer.

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FedEx vs UPS | When in Rome... | 4 Aug 26, 2020

UPS decides it’s time to expand its market outside North America and makes a big push into Western Europe. But it’s harder than expected to integrate its corporate culture with European norms.

FedEx CEO Fred Smith eschews European expansion and goes all-in on a risky new service called ZapMail, much to his executive team’s dismay.

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FedEx vs UPS | We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Plane | 3 Aug 24, 2020

Finally financially stable, FedEx takes on the US government to overturn regulations that limit the size of the planes they can fly. Convinced the regulations are limiting its growth, FedEx launches a multi-pronged strategy to persuade Congress to change the rules.

And UPS realizes it needs to compete directly with FedEx and finally buys its own planes to offer next-day air service.

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FedEx vs UPS | Vegas or Bust | 2 Aug 19, 2020

After a disastrous start, FedEx needs to change its sales pitch or it will run out of money before it even has a chance to take off. Smith resorts to surprising means to raise the money to keep his fledgling company going.

UPS is convinced FedEx will be out of business in a matter of months. But it has its own problems to attend to, as drivers are feeling dissatisfied and start to organize for better working conditions.

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FedEx vs UPS | Kick the Tire, Light the Fires | 1 Aug 17, 2020

It’s the early 1970s, and 27-year-old Fred Smith has an idea for a new kind of package delivery service, one that uses its own planes to deliver packages in under 24 hours. Skeptics tell him the start-up costs are too high and the demand too low, but Smith thinks he’s found a way to make it work. He invests millions of his own money to get the new company started.

But when one thing after another goes wrong, it looks like Smith might have made a big mistake. And that’s before he’s even had a chance to challenge one of the most respected companies in America: UPS.

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Dating App Wars | Dating Apps Pivot as COVID-19 Continues | 7 Aug 12, 2020

Almost one in three relationships start as online encounters. But the popularity of dating apps isn’t surprising with so many to choose from, and the pandemic may even be boosting dating app use.

For more on how COVID-19 has changed online dating, and how apps are adapting, David speaks today with Ashley Carman, a senior reporter covering dating apps for The Verge. Carman is also Co-host of The Verge’s Why’d You Push That Button podcast. She’s here to talk about which apps are thriving, and what they’ve been doing right.

For more on Ashley Carman:

https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/host/ashley-carman

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Dating App Wars | An App-rehensive Future | 6 Aug 10, 2020

Whitney Wolfe Herd establishes Bumble with a strident anti-misogyny agenda, but that foundation is rocked when shocking accusations of sexual harassment surface against Wolfe Herd’s co-founder.

Meanwhile, the revolutionary gay app Grindr goes through a scandalous upheaval when a Chinese company buys the company and installs a straight president.

And the cyber dating world undergoes a major rethinking as the coronavirus ushers in unprecedented, devastating changes for singles and everyone else on the planet.

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Dating App Wars | Are You Ready to Bumble? | 5 Aug 05, 2020

Niche apps are kicking into high gear for users with specific criteria, and there’s something for everyone: muzmatch for Muslims, Mouse Mingle for Disney fans, Twindog for canine lovers, Sizzl for bacon aficionados, Bristl for beard enthusiasts and Dead Meet for morticians and other death professionals.

In the mainstream, Match and Tinder have a new, serious competitor: Whitney Wolfe Herd’s Bumble. The feminist app debuts to a huge response — and a stinging lawsuit from Wolfe Herd’s former employer, Tinder.

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Dating App Wars | Crimes of Passion | 4 Aug 03, 2020

What seemed like a run of the mill office romance gone very, very wrong will result in a devastating upheaval in the power structure at Tinder. And repercussions will be felt throughout the industry as Whitney Wolfe exacts some delicious corporate revenge.

And as the cyber dating world is rocked by horrific violence against women, apps that put female users in the driver’s seat start to get serious traction.

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Dating App Wars | The Revolution Will Be Swiped | 3 Jul 29, 2020

A new app aimed at gay users is about to break open an entirely new feature that will redefine the cyber dating business. And a young man emerging from a shower gets his inspiration for a new hookup site as he wipes the steam from his mirror.

Soon Tinder is on fire, but the conglomerate Match Group is determined to get a stranglehold on the market. And as the industry leaps from computer screens to mobile devices, things are heading into uncharted territory.

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Dating App Wars | eHarmonic Convergence | 2 Jul 27, 2020

Dr. Neil Clark Warren is a 63-year-old theologian and clinical psychologist with a vision for a site he’s certain can lead to romantic success. eHarmony will be the first to take on the powerful Match.com. And Warren believes he is on—quite literally—a sacred mission to offer something that Match.com can’t match.

eHarmony’s Christian agenda seems to be working, until the God stuff leads to serious disharmony. Dr. Warren doesn’t know it, but he’s headed for a holy war.

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Dating App Wars | Lighting Up Match.com | 1 Jul 22, 2020

It’s 1995, and computer dating is in its infancy. Most people think it’s a dark, sleazy world for desperate losers and horny perverts. But that’s all about to change. Pioneer site Match.com paves the way for cyber dating to move toward mainstream culture, but—in an era when few people even use a computer—it’s going to be a serious struggle.

And as the dating market blossoms, burgeoning companies will stop at nothing to get the coveted edge, fighting for hip cache, consumer convenience and tech advances. It’s a tough business, but all’s fair in online love and war.

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Diamond Wars | The Future of the Diamond Industry | 8 Jul 20, 2020

Today we conclude our Diamond Wars series.

These precious stones are known to be undeniably beautiful, rare and a symbol of luxury. But diamonds have also been associated with war, human rights abuses and death. In response, consumers these days are demanding more transparency about where stones are sourced. Some are seeking out less expensive gemstone alternatives or lab-grown diamonds. And even powerhouse companies like De Beers have taken strides to adapt.

To find out more about the future of the diamond industry we’ll hear from Paul Zimnisky, an independent global diamond industry analyst.

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Diamond Wars | The Alchemists | 7 Jul 15, 2020

It’s the 2000s and the diamond cartel is dead. Now, De Beers must adjust to its new status as the market leader rather than the monopoly. But the threats to its business aren’t going away.

Diamonds are losing their luster with the young, and Zimbabwe’s undermining the industry’s response to conflict diamonds. And most threatening of all, a wave of new start ups are out to disrupt De Beers by growing man-made diamonds.

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Diamond Wars | Monopolies Aren’t Forever | 6 Jul 13, 2020

It’s the late 1990s and rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone and Congo are bankrolling campaigns of mass murder and terror with diamonds. Now, after years of turning a blind eye, the diamond-buying public is starting to notice the bloodshed.

But as the issue of so-called “blood diamonds” rises up the political agenda, De Beers is plotting what might be the boldest move yet in its long history: giving up its quest to control all the world’s diamonds.

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Diamond Wars | Blood and Champagne | 5 Jul 08, 2020

It’s 1966 and De Beers is about to abandon its eleven-year search for diamonds in Botswana. But the geologist behind the search is far from ready to pack up his tools.

And De Beers isn’t the only one searching for gemstones. Soon, a major diamond find in Australia will leave the diamond monopoly facing a big dilemma: should it seek to control or to destroy this Antipodean threat?

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Diamond Wars | The Shadow World | 4 Jul 06, 2020

It’s the early 1950s and West Africa’s growing number of diamond smugglers is causing headaches for De Beers.

Faced with millions of pounds in losses, the diamond monopoly decides it’s time to get tough with the smugglers.

But while De Beers battles the illicit diamond traders, in the far east of the Soviet Union a new threat is brewing.

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Diamond Wars | Diamond Dogfight | 3 Jul 01, 2020

It’s 1940, and the world is at war. The Allies and Axis powers are scrambling to lock down supplies of the industrial diamonds needed to mass produce their tanks, planes and submarines.

But when the White House demands De Beers hands over a year’s supply of industrial diamonds, it soon learns the cartel is as hard to break as the diamonds it sells.

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Diamond Wars | The Puppet Master | 2 Jun 29, 2020

It’s 1914 and De Beers’s monopoly is under threat. Diamonds have been discovered on the desolate coast of the German colony of South West Africa.

So it hired an ambitious diamond expert named Ernest Oppenheimer and gave him his orders: head to the beach and assess the threat.

But then World War One disrupts De Beers chance to do a deal with the German diamond miners. Now, Oppenheimer sees his chance to scramble to the very top of the diamond industry.

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Diamond Wars | The Diamond Rush | 1 Jun 24, 2020

It’s 1869 and diamonds have been found in Cape Colony.

Now, diamond hunters from across the world are heading to this remote British outpost in southern Africa, seeking a glittering fortune.

And among them are two wide-eyed hopefuls: streetwise Barney Barnato, who hails from the London slums, and Cecil Rhodes, a vicar’s son with a head full of imperialist daydreams.

When the diamond rush turns to bust, Barnato and Rhodes embark on a quest to conquer the mines. But only one man can win.

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Uber vs Lyft | Examining Toxic Company Culture in the Rideshare Industry | 7 Jun 22, 2020

Uber and Lyft have made their mark as very different brands.

Lyft was born out of a need for more environmentally friendly rideshare options. And is also seen as the “friendlier” of the two companies. While Uber’s former CEO, Travis Kalanick built a reputation for ruthlessness, sexual harassment and “bro culture.”

Still, both companies have seen protests from their drivers, who’ve demanded benefits and better pay for countless hours spent on the road. So how much has Uber and Lyft’s company culture affected their business up until now? And what will the future hold for these tech giants?

For some answers, we hear from New York Times Technology Reporter Mike Isaac. Isaac is also the author of the book, “Super PUMPED: The Battle for Uber.” He’ll talk about his reporting on Kalanick, Uber and how company culture at Uber and Lyft matters, now more than ever, to consumers.

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Uber vs Lyft | Evolve or Die | 6 Jun 17, 2020

New CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is cleaning house after the departure of Travis Kalanick. But after a disappointing IPO, Khosrowshahi has to boost the company’s ailing financials andfight against lawmakers who are siding with aggrieved drivers.

Then COVID-19 hits. Uber and Lyft are faced with a crisis that could alter ridesharing forever. Khosrowshahi leans into Uber Eats, while John Zimmer and Logan Green struggle to keep their dream alive.

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Uber vs Lyft | Damage Control | 5 Jun 15, 2020

February 2017, Super Bowl Sunday. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking a black car home when he gets in an altercation with the driver. LIttle does he know, the entire exchange has been captured on a dashcam recording. And when it goes viral, Kalanick will have to fight for his reputation — and his job.

Lyft, meanwhile, spies an opening. As sexual harassment scandals plague their rival and users move to #DeleteUber, John Zimmer and Logan Green finally have a chance to really capitalize on their “good guy” reputation.

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Uber vs Lyft | Kill or Be Killed | 4 Jun 10, 2020

Uber is facing blowback from all directions — the taxi industry, riders, and the most important man in tech: Apple's Tim Cook. Uber’s been engaged in some disreputable activity, and it's finally catching up with them.

Lyft forges ahead and forms a new alliance to fight back against Uber's growing global footprint. But Uber will once again outmaneuver its competitor.

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Uber vs Lyft | Race to the Bottom | 3 Jun 08, 2020

It's 2013, and Lyft's CEO John Zimmer is hosting a little celebration for drivers when some very unwelcome interlopers turn up to crash the party. Uber’s Travis Kalanick wants to destroy Lyft at any cost, and he's willing to do what it takes to outmaneuver his competitor and steal its riders and drivers — even if it means playing dirty.

Lyft decides to stick to its environmentalist roots and focus on a new ridesharing feature it hopes will woo customers away. Until Uber beats them to the punch, and drives its rival to the brink of collapse.

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Uber vs Lyft | Revenge Business | 2 Jun 03, 2020

It's the late '90s, and Travis Kalanick is hanging out in his dorm room at UCLA. He’s having a file-sharing party with his friends that leads to his first business. But Kalanick’s forced to grow up quickly as he learns that naïveté can cost you millions and Silicon Valley investors aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Logan Green finds inspiration while stuck in horrible LA traffic and adopts a new anti-car ethos that will shape Lyft’s mission. And on the East Coast, John Zimmer learns how to woo customers — a skill he’ll translate into startup success.

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Uber vs Lyft | Black Cars and Pink Mustaches | 1 Jun 01, 2020

It’s December 2008, and two friends and fellow tech entrepreneurs, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, can't get a taxi. Camp’s already obsessed with the idea of a service that summons a private driver with the push of a button, but now Kalanick gets the appeal. Together, they'll build Uber, and do whatever it takes to reign supreme.

Meanwhile, recent college grads John Zimmer and Logan Green channel their shared passion for the environment into the creation of a carpooling startup for long rides. But pretty quickly, they realize they need to service short trips, too, and Lyft is born. But in order to succeed, they have to convince people to jump in a car with a complete stranger. And, they’ll have to go up against Uber in a battle for ridesharing supremacy.

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Business Battles | Toilet Paper Wars: White Gold | 5 May 27, 2020

Quarantine restrictions during the coronavirus have induced toilet paper panic-buying as people scratch, claw and punch each other to get rolls. But why? What’s behind the frenzy, and how will that affect the TP industry?

In the last 150 years, it’s grown from selling humble boxes of paper to mass marketing rolls of delicate, luxurious tissue. And now a wave of eco-friendly independent companies are making a bid for your bathroom business.

It’s a high stakes, multi-billion dollar industry that we take for granted. Until we fear losing it. Then all bets are off.

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Business Battles | Tetris: Soviet Blocks | 4 May 20, 2020

It’s 1988, and Tetris is making waves. It’s billed as the first Soviet video game, and it’s selling fast.

But the man who introduced it to the West harbors a secret: he doesn’t own the rights. And when his subterfuge fails, a multi-million-dollar battle to win over the communist regime breaks out on the streets of Moscow.

It’s a clash that pits the Japanese gaming overlords of Nintendo against the sprawling empire of ruthless media baron Robert Maxwell.

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Business Battles | Cola Space Race: One Giant Sip for Mankind | 3 May 18, 2020

It’s 1984 and the cola war is neck and neck. After years of struggle, Pepsi looks ready to triumph over Coca-Cola.

So Coke’s striking back by opening a new battlefront in the quest for soda supremacy: outer space.

But its plan to send its world-famous drink into orbit won’t stay secret for long. And when Pepsi finds out, it sparks a new space race.

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Business Battles | Monopoly: Winner Takes All | 2 May 13, 2020

It's 1902 and political campaigner Lizzie Magie is fighting a losing battle. For years, she’s pushed the idea of a land-value tax, but fewer and fewer people are listening.

So she’s going to try something new to spread the word. She’s going to make a board game – and not just any game. Magie’s game is going to become the biggest game of all time.

Trouble is, when the battle for her game breaks out, she’s the one who winds up the loser.

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Amazon vs Walmart | How COVID-19 Could Change the Retail Landscape | 7 May 11, 2020

Since the novel coronavirus hit, Amazon and Walmart have seen a rise in profits, unlike many other retailers. But there have also been struggles to keep up with the flood of customer demands during the pandemic.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have been hired collectively between Amazon and Walmart. And employees for both companies have accused management of not protecting workers enough from the threat of COVID-19. So how are Amazon and Walmart handling the pushback from disgruntled employees? And will they become even bigger threats in the retail market once the pandemic ends?

To find out what the future holds for these companies, we turn to Jason Del Rey, a senior correspondent covering commerce at ReCode. Del Rey also hosted a podcast from Vox and ReCode called “Land of the Giants: The Rise of Amazon.”

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Sponsored: When Small Businesses Think Big - Chobani & Wrigley (Dell Podference) | 2 May 07, 2020

This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we’re featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.

In upstate New York, a Kurdish immigrant wants to make his biggest dream come true: to produce the tart, custard-thick Greek yogurt of his childhood for American palates. In 2005, he buys an abandoned Kraft factory for cheap. With an ingenious financing deal, standout packaging and clever marketing, he launches Chobani — the yogurt sensation that eventually forces goliaths Yoplait and Dannon to move over.

While Chobani launched a quiet incursion, William Wrigley Jr. set out to upend the gum industry in 1893 with an improved spearmint flavor. After one misstep after another, he finally gets traction. Then the gum monopoly approaches him: join or be crushed. Thanks to a savvy advertising campaign, he blows past them to become the nation’s biggest gum purveyor.

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Amazon vs Walmart - The Stealth Enemy | 6 May 06, 2020

As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the globe and forces people inside their homes for months, the world relies on online shopping more than ever. Amazon and Walmart both struggle to keep up with surging demand as their legendary infrastructures are put to the test. And workers inside both companies rise up, arguing that the retail giants are failing to protect them from the virus, prioritizing the bottom line over workers’ health. They’re both more powerful than ever, but also more vulnerable.

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Sponsored: When Small Businesses Think Big - Atari & Red Bull (Dell Podference) | 1 May 05, 2020

This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we’re featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.

In 1972, pinball machines and mechanical games ruled the arcades. Then, Atari founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney came up with a game on a television screen controlled by two players. Pong helped catapult Atari from a start-up to the leader of video games, where it would stay – almost unopposed – for the next decade.

Once Atari made Pong, the company took off like a rocket. But for Dietrich Mateschitz, success was a slog. When he returned home to Austria from a trip to Thailand in 1982, he brought an idea for an energy drink with him. His creation was expensive and tasted foul, and would be rejected over and over. But a slick marketing campaign made it the symbol of club cool and fuel for daredevils — and it took North America by storm.

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Amazon vs Walmart - Food Fight! | 5 May 04, 2020

Amazon decides to go after Walmart’s biggest category: fresh food. But moving into groceries is harder than Bezos expected. Meanwhile, Walmart has finally found success in marrying their online operation with their brick and mortar stores by allowing consumers to order groceries online and pick them up at a store. And with an aggressive new head of online sales — who has a personal vendetta against Bezos — Walmart is feeling good. But, determined to make an impact in the world of fresh food, Bezos makes a move that surprises everyone and upends the retail world yet again.

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Amazon vs Walmart - There’s No Business Like Shoe Business | 4 Apr 29, 2020

Walmart finally decides to focus aggressively on its e-commerce division, but struggles with the best way to use the internet to reach consumers. They decide their best strategy is to buy up successful online retailers. Unbeknownst to Walmart, Amazon, which is looking to move into apparel sales, is pursuing a similar strategy. As the two companies go head-to-head over an unlikely product, Walmart is unprepared for just how dirty Amazon will play.

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Amazon vs Walmart - Priming the Public | 3 Apr 27, 2020

By the mid-2000s, Walmart is starting to show some cracks. They are still successful, but bad press and sluggish growth are taking a toll on their earnings. The company debates the best way to move forward, including focusing on online sales, something they’ve long eschewed. As Walmart waffles, Amazon launches a risky new program that sews internal dissent, but moves the goal posts for e-commerce once again.

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Amazon vs Walmart - Provoking the Giant | 2 Apr 22, 2020

In the late 1990s, Walmart is happily trucking along, dominating the American retail market. They’re expanding locations and increasing their own backend efficiencies to keep prices low. It’s a formula that’s worked for decades and they see no reason to change now.

But as Bezos expands Amazon’s offerings, he quickly realizes that he doesn’t have the infrastructure to keep up with his ambitions. His warehouses are in chaos. There is only one company that knows infrastructure at the scale he envisions: Walmart.

When Bezos starts poaching Walmart’s executives, he brings Amazon into Walmart’s sights. And they don’t like what they see.

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Amazon vs Walmart - The Big Bang Theory of E-Commerce | 1 Apr 20, 2020

Ninety-six percent of Americans now shop online, snapping up everything from rare coins to industrial-sized barrels of hand sanitizer. Almost half of those purchases take place on one website: Amazon.

But before sales were a click away, Walmart was the top dog, decimating main streets across America with its big-box efficiency and ruthlessly low prices.

It’s 1994, and a slim 30-year-old with thinning hair dreams of leaving his high-paying finance job to sell books on the internet — a move he’s convinced is his ticket to one day dominating the world of e-commerce. Jeff Bezos just has to break the news to his parents. Luckily, he’s already found the perfect name for his new venture.

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An Inside Look at The North Face with Former CEO Hap Klopp | 7 Apr 15, 2020

One of the key players in the story of The North Face is Hap Klopp, who in 1968, bought the then-burgeoning outdoor sports equipment store. He bought the company for the bargain price of $60,000.

Klopp was CEO of The North Face for the next 20 years, and turned the small chain of Bay Area stores into a multi-million dollar business. Today, The North Face is a global brand that can be found in 5,000 locations across 50 countries.

We’ll hear from Klopp on what the journey was like to become one of the biggest outdoor apparel brands.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Eco-Samurai | 6 Apr 13, 2020

It’s 2010 and Yvon Chouinard is about to give Patagonia’s executives their toughest challenge yet: telling people to buy less Patagonia gear.

Meanwhile, The North Face is playing catch up on environmental responsibility with a spate on new initiatives.

But soon, the two rivals will find themselves coming together to battle a common foe.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Rescue Mission | 5 Apr 08, 2020

It’s the late 1990s and The North Face is seeking to attract mainstream customers by opening hundreds of Summit Shops within the nation’s stores.

But when the expected avalanche of sales fails to materialize, the company finds itself slipping over the edge.

Meanwhile, Patagonia steps up its mission to become a responsible company by tapping into the latest in textile tech.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Zen and the Art of Business | 4 Apr 06, 2020

It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Yvon Chouinard is struggling to come to terms with his new status as a successful entrepreneur. He cannot decide what to do with the fast-growing monster he’s created.

Meanwhile, The North Face’s new owner Odyssey International is pushing the limits as it scrambles to become the king of the mountain.

But when economic headwinds roll in and bring recession, both companies find themselves battling unforgiving conditions.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Patagucci | 3 Apr 01, 2020

It’s the late 1970s and Patagonia’s living hand to mouth and looking for a way to stoke sales. But when founder Yvon Chouinard suggests making a jersey from an unusual fabric, Patagonia creates a mountain staple and finds its products becoming a favorite of the catwalk crowd.

Meanwhile, The North Face faces tough terrain as Asian imports undercut its American-made gear and the growth in backpacking sales flatlines.

But as both companies rise higher and higher up the corporate ladder, Chouinard and North Face CEO Hap Klopp find themselves wondering what it’s all for.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Blazing Trails | 2 Mar 30, 2020

It’s 1970 and The North Face’s new owner Hap Klopp is on a mission to turn the dirtbag outdoor store he bought into an industry trailblazer. But with outdoor activity still a niche pastime, he’s going to have to do more than create gear – he’s going to have to create a market too.

But Klopp’s not the only one tapping into new opportunities. Climbing equipment maker Yvon Chouinard is about to make a chance discovery in Scotland. It will lead him into the apparel business through a new venture called Patagonia.

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The North Face vs Patagonia - Dirtbags | 1 Mar 25, 2020

It’s the 1960s, and two climbing buddies are about to lay the foundations for a new industry.

The older of the two is an outdoorsman and part-time blacksmith Yvon Chouinard. His younger buddy is Doug Tompkins, who abandoned his Connecticut rich-kid life to find his kicks in the wilderness.

Niether dreams of riches. They just want enough money to keep climbing. But when they both start businesses based on their hobby, little do they realize that they’re about to climb the heights of corporate America too.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - Luckin: China’s Coffee Dark Horse | 7 Mar 23, 2020

There’s no doubt that Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have created empires throughout the U.S. and internationally. Starbucks has more than 15,000 locations in the U.S. alone, and Dunkin Donuts is now in 43 countries. But there could be yet ANOTHER brewing business that’s raring to make a dent in Starbucks’ customer base.

Hailing from China, that new competitor is Luckin Coffee, marketing itself as the convenient gourmet coffee choice, with a lower price point than Starbucks. Sounds a bit like Dunkin’s strategy, right? And in May of 2019, the Chinese coffee giant made its initial public offering in New York.

So could Luckin be on its way to the U.S.? And if so, should Starbucks prepare for its next “Business War” with Luckin here on American soil?

For some answers, our host David Brown chats with market strategist Judy Ganes. Ganes is president of J Ganes Consulting where she focuses on products such as sugar, cocoa, and of course, coffee.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - The Cold Rush | 6 Mar 18, 2020

Dunkin and Starbucks are going full on 21st century, doing all they can to top each other with new concept stores, vast emporiums, vegan food options, oat milk lattes and “high- velocity innovations.” But the real world keeps intruding and they can’t get away from it. For all their success, can they truly command their futures?

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - A Grande Fail | 5 Mar 16, 2020

The Great Recession doesn’t play favorites and both Starbucks and Dunkin are hit hard. As more customers make coffee at home, Dunkin leans into its reputation as the “everyman’s brand” to lure them back. Meanwhile, Starbucks looks to cash in on an untapped beverage market with a risky move. And they both have to contend with public outcry after major PR blunders.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - Trouble is Brewing | 4 Mar 11, 2020

Howard Schultz can hardly believe the mess his company is in, with sales in free fall. To pull out of it, he’ll need to make a radical move. Yet no matter what he does, Starbucks’ problems only get worse. And Dunkin Donuts is in expansion mode, looking to capitalize on the coffee giant’s missteps. Then, a blind taste test tips the scales in an unexpected direction.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - Schultz vs The Bean Counters | 3 Mar 09, 2020

Howard Schultz has found his mission. He’s burning to turn Starbucks into an espresso bar business, but he can’t convince Starbucks owners to get onboard. Back in the Northeast, Bill Rosenberg is frustrated too. His son, who’s now Dunkin Donut’s CEO, has ideas that seem sure to wreck the company. Both Schultz and Rosenberg, 3,000 miles apart, are looking for ways to assert control. But soon, Starbucks and Dunkin will come head to head with their biggest challenge: each other.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - Mission Espresso | 2 Mar 04, 2020

While Dunkin Donuts expands and flourishes, Howard Schultz is bored. But then the 28-year-old New Yorker gets wind of a Seattle company with just four stores that’s selling more coffee makers than Macy’s. He’s got to know why. So he heads to Seattle to check out this company that calls itself Starbucks Coffee and Tea. What he finds there is a revelation but while he’s being seduced by the aroma and taste of delicious coffee, Dunkin Donuts popularity is soaring thanks to a beleaguered baker.

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Starbucks vs Dunkin - A Steamy Culture Clash | 1 Mar 02, 2020

A former high school dropout named Bill Rosenberg has big dreams and a passion for coffee. In 1950, in the small town of Quincy, Massachusetts he’s got a thriving coffee and donut shop called Dunkin Donuts. In front of the store he proudly puts up a huge sign that reads, World’s Finest Coffee. But in San Francisco, an enterprising immigrant from the Netherlands named Alfred Peet thinks he sells the world’s finest coffee. When two young guys from Seattle get a taste of it, coffee will never be the same.

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Nintendo vs Sony - No Surrender | 6 Feb 24, 2020

After years of sitting on the sidelines of the next-generation console war, Nintendo is finally ready to make its move. But, the years it’s spent building it’s reassuring family-friendly reputation is now a weakness. Nintendo children of the 80s are all grown up, and want adult games. Sony is able to release edgier fare like Grand Theft Auto and Tomb Raider. The half-decade cold war between Sony and Nintendo is about to turn hot. Their next head-to-head battle is a multi-billion dollar clash that will define the future of video games. And in the real world, just one of them can prevail.

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Nintendo vs Sony - The Sleeping Giant | 5 Feb 19, 2020

Nintendo decided early on that the Nintendo 64 would be a cartridge console, instead of a CD console. But CDs are much cheaper to make and have much better graphics. Game companies are upset, and defect to Sony. In a few months time, Sony has two of the most popular game series in Japan to itself. Nintendo will now have to make its own games that are strong enough to outsell PlayStation. It’s Nintendo vs the world. They’re taking a huge gamble, and this is not a game.

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Nintendo vs Sony - Game Time | 4 Feb 17, 2020

This is a story about Sony and Nintendo, but it also involves a little company called Sega. Ever play Sonic the Hedgehog? That’s Sega. And during Nintendo’s domination of the US market, they were the only company able to fight back. That is, until they tried to outplay Sony.

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Nintendo vs Sony - Charm Offensive | 3 Feb 12, 2020

From the moment it began, the PlayStation project was in danger. The problem was none other than PlayStations knight and chief advocate: Kutaragi. He thought the now-iconic handlebar controller design was “too different” from the flat rectangles people were used to. To make matters worse, PlayStation was getting closer and closer to launching without any games… a console with no games? Good luck with the PlayStation now, Sony. They were in trouble. And Nintendo knew it.

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Nintendo vs Sony - Man of Steel | 2 Feb 10, 2020

It's 1949. 22-year old Hiroshi Yamauchi is the heir apparent for his family's playing card company, Nintendo. From humble beginnings as a scrappy street stall founded in Kyoto's back alleys to the largest card company in Japan by the time Yamauchi takes over, this isn't a company that backs down easily when a little competition comes in. But it was a company that changed its entire business over a couple of... cartoon characters.

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Nintendo vs Sony - Stabbed in the Back | 1 Feb 05, 2020

Once a symbol of 80s teenage nerdom, video games are now as common as television sets in American households. Can you imagine a world where the Sony PlayStation didn’t come out? That’s what almost happened. Originally conceived as a joint venture between Nintendo and Sony, the SNES-CD was supposed to be the bridge between Japan’s two largest tech companies. Instead, it drove the companies to war, an intense competition for entertainment domination that still goes on today.

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Boeing vs Airbus - The Max Controversy | 7 Jan 27, 2020

For more than 50 years, a version of Boeing's 737 aircraft has sailed the skies, dominating the market for short-range, short-haul domestic planes. The 737 is the best-selling commercial aircraft of all time. But competition in the late 1980s got fierce when Airbus entered the market with its model A320. The corporate giants would duke it out for the biggest market share. We conclude our series on Boeing vs. Airbus with aviation safety expert Tom Anthony of the University of Southern California. He joins us to talk about the rivalry, how a major corporate culture shift changed Boeing and what exactly went wrong with the 737 Max.

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Boeing vs Airbus - Mayday | 6 Jan 22, 2020

It’s 2011 and Airbus and Boeing are battling for the biggest deal in commercial aviation history. American Airlines is looking to buy 460 single-aisle airplanes and with the European jet giant going all out to win the contract, Boeing’s under pressure. But when the U.S. plane maker makes a daring strike to win over American, it sets off a chain of events that will plunge Boeing into the biggest crisis in its 100-year history.

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Boeing vs Airbus - Losing Altitude | 5 Jan 20, 2020

It’s the 2000s and after years of talk, Airbus is pushing ahead with its plan to build the biggest passenger jet in the world. But while Airbus is thinking bigger, Boeing’s thinking faster. It’s designing a near-supersonic aircraft called the Sonic Cruiser that it reckons will put some zip into its sales. But market forces, scandal and production challenges are about to put the plans of both companies well off course.

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Boeing vs Airbus - An Unholy Alliance | 4 Jan 15, 2020

It’s the late 1980s and following the A320 crash at the Habsheim Air Show in eastern France, the safety of Airbus’s computerized flight system is being called into question. But Boeing’s got troubles too. Airlines aren’t warming to its latest product proposal, it’s losing market share, and Airbus is plotting a strike against its iconic 747 jumbo jet. So with the pressure mounting, the American giant is preparing a series of a high-risk manoeuvres designed to outwit the European competition and defend its status as the king of commercial aircraft.

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Boeing vs Airbus - Air Bandits | 3 Jan 13, 2020

It’s the late 1970s and Airbus is on cloud nine after securing a breakthrough deal with Eastern Airlines. But Boeing’s not taking the consortium’s intrusion into American airspace lightly. And it’s going to use every trick in the book to take down the European challenger. But with help from some powerful friends and a bold idea that’s going to transform flying, Airbus is about to increase the throttle on its journey to the heights of the aviation industry.

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Boeing vs Airbus - Cleared for Takeoff | 2 Jan 08, 2020

It’s 1970 and the Boeing 747 is finally airborne. But bringing this behemoth to market has taken Boeing to the edge of collapse. And it will take years of belt-tightening and perseverance to overcome this jumbo hangover.

Luckily, the Seattle manufacturer’s competition is in disarray and its major American rivals, Douglas and Lockheed, are in even deeper trouble.

But across the Atlantic, a new threat is brewing. Europe’s government-backed Airbus is finally ready to fly. But the European consortium behind this new jetliner is about to discover that making planes is easier than selling them.

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Boeing vs Airbus - Get Your Wings | 1 Jan 06, 2020

It’s the 1950s, the dawn of the jet age. And leading the world into this era of faster, less shaky flights is the British-made De Havilland Comet.

But when disaster strikes, a hungry American military plane maker called Boeing spots a golden opportunity to break into the civil aviation big leagues.

And as Boeing ascends, America’s grip on the aircraft market tightens, crushing the European competition.

But with their market share plummeting, Europe’s plane makers decide they must unite or die.

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Ford vs Chevrolet - Technology in the Fast Lane | 4 Jan 01, 2020

It's been a hard fought battle for decades, and in the 1970s there's no signs of Ford or Chevrolet slowing down. But this time they're fighting on new grounds, ones dominated by Japanese cars. Honda, Toyota and Datsun dominate the market, and Ford and Chevy seem like they're just... running out of gas.

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Ford vs Chevrolet - Fast and Sexy | 3 Dec 30, 2019

In the 1960s, the biggest generation of Americans of all time are reaching driving age. They want cars, and they want them to be fast and powerful, and they want them now. The best showcase for these cars is by winning races, and in the 1960s, Ford and Chevy are gunning for each other at every turn.

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Ford vs Chevrolet - Detroit Joins the War | 2 Dec 25, 2019

FDR believed that WWII was a contest of mass production. Whoever could build the most trucks, tanks, guns and airplanes would come out on top. What power could defeat the United States of America and its massive automobile industry? But for Roosevelt’s arsenal to work automakers will have to put aside their rivalries and retool.

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Ford vs Chevrolet - Tin Lizzie Becomes Roadkill | 1 Dec 23, 2019

In 1896, Henry Ford puttered around Detroit streets testing his “Quadricycle.” This was the whimsical beginning to a revolution that redesigned the landscape of America.

Cars changed the way America lived, worked, ate, shopped, and listened to music. And more than 100 years ago, the entire industry was a group of men, whose names are now emblazoned on every bumper, just hanging out at their local bar.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - Last Store Standing | 6 Dec 18, 2019

It’s the 1960s and as Americans flee cities for the suburbs, Macy’s and Gimbels face tough choices. How do they compete with the rise of discount retailers and the exciting new shopping palaces known as malls? Weakened by industry disruption, both stores become vulnerable to the new wave of financial tactics — takeovers and leveraged buyouts. One store’s fateful decision during this transition period will end with it closing its doors forever.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - Wartime Wagers | 5 Dec 16, 2019

In the late 1930s Gimbels makes a risky bet by stockpiling goods likely to be scarce in wartime. They also snap up their rival’s star copywriter, who does the best work of her career at their shop. Their savvy planning and advertising strength position them well for the post-war period, when Americans open their wallets wide. But the lifting of Depression era regulations governing retail leads to a series of price wars between all the department stores. None is as extreme as the one between Macy’s and Gimbels, which ends in mayhem, and sometimes, violence. The price wars force Macy’s to choose between honoring a sacred, century-old discount policy, or risk ending the year in the red for the first time in company history.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - Diversify or Die | 4 Dec 11, 2019

It’s the 1920s and wealthy flappers and captains of industry have money to burn for raccoon coats and monogrammed sterling silver hip flasks. Gimbels makes a risky acquisition of Saks Fifth Avenue, that ends up floating Gimbels through hard times and family tragedy during the Depression. Macy’s counters Gimbels’ strategic expansion by hiring a brilliant young copywriter, one of the first female advertising executives, and entering the new industry of radio broadcasting to advertise to the masses.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - Showdown over Manhattan | 3 Dec 09, 2019

It’s nearing the turn of the 19th century, and the Straus Brothers now run Macy’s emporium out of a dozen cobbled together stores in lower Manhattan. The next generation of Straus’s pressure the old guard to build a huge new Macy’s flagship on 34th street, in the still seedy red light district of Herald Square. It will take some persuading. And by the time the new venture reaps its reward, the family will be famous for a new reason; the heroism of one of the store’s founding fathers and his wife on the fateful voyage of the Titanic.

Gimbels now has mammoth enterprises in Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and one of Adam’s sons also has greater ambitions. He urges the Gimbel elders to ride the wave of Macy’s high profile and build an even bigger store right on the rival’s doorstep. And when they balk, he comes up with a dastardly plan.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - Fathers, Sons, and Civil War | 2 Dec 04, 2019

As R.H. Macy’s Manhattan emporium and reputation grow during the Civil War, his teenage son rebels and runs away to join the Union army. When the boy goes AWOL, the future of Macy’s burgeoning department store faces jeopardy. But salvation arrives in the form of another recent immigrant from war-torn Germany, Lazarus Straus. His family will lead Macy’s into the next century and a golden age of the department store.

But Adam Gimbel has been busy in Indiana; he now has a prosperous business and 11 children. His seven sons spur their father on to open a bigger and better store in booming Milwaukee. Their ambition and Macy’s growing fame in New York will soon lure the Gimbel Brothers east to challenge him on his home turf.

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Macy’s vs Gimbels - The Frontiersman and the Whaler | 1 Dec 02, 2019

It's the mid 1800s and two very different young men set out in the world to make their fortunes. A young boy from Nantucket spends four years at sea on a whaling ship, the other becomes an itinerant peddler in the wilds of Indiana. These two adventurers, R.H. Macy and Adam Gimbel, eventually settle down as merchants, and open their own dry goods stores. They don’t know each other yet, but, as they each grow their businesses, they inadvertently create what we now know as the department store.

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The Raisin Cartels - Gambling the Future | 3 Nov 27, 2019

In the midst of their heated negotiations over the price of raisins, the CEO of Sun-Maid and the head of the Raisin Bargaining Association face off, each making their pitch about the state of the raisin industry and the road forward. It’s the first time the two men have been able to appeal directly to the farmers themselves. The farmers must decide whether to follow Sun-Maid’s plan for a lower price for their raisins but a more robust market overall -- or stand by the R.B.A. and a higher price for raisins. Their choice will shape the raisin market for decades to come.

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The Raisin Cartels - A New Sheriff in Raisin Land | 2 Nov 25, 2019

Facing a shrinking raisin market, Sun-Maid hires a new CEO with a mandate to make raisins popular with Millennials. He believes part of the reason consumers are spurning raisins is the price and is set on Sun-Maid paying less money to farmers. This puts him on a collision course with the old school raisin grower who is heading up the Raisin Bargaining Association. With many farmers struggling to make ends meet, the R.B.A. is determined to get the highest price for raisins ever. As the two men clash, tensions escalate to the point of death threats.

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The Raisin Cartels: A Desperate Brotherhood | 1 Nov 20, 2019

The humble raisin: it’s hard to imagine that dried grapes are at the center of one of the longest running business wars in the United States. But with almost all of the country’s raisins coming from a small area in California’s Central Valley, it is a brutal and cutthroat industry.

In the early 20th century a few wealthy raisin growers decided to form a collective called Sun-Maid. After the government mandated that 85% of growers join the collective, Sun-Maid executives used violence and intimidation to get farmers to join. The farmers who held out had little bargaining power and were forced to accept lower prices. But in the 1960s, the independent farmers banded together to fight back. They founded the Raisin Bargaining Association to negotiate higher prices, setting off a power struggle that would last for decades.

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Chocolate and Sustainability | 7 Nov 18, 2019

Growing the cocoa needed to produce chocolate on the scale a company like Mars or Hershey needs is an immense undertaking. One serious consequence chocolate producers are now facing is deforestation in countries that grow the cocoa for the world's chocolate demands. The Washington Post reports that in 2017, 40 football fields of tropical forests were lost every minute, spurred by the demand for cocoa and other goods like soybeans and palm oil. We conclude our series Hershey vs Mars with Steven Mufson. He reports on business and climate change for The Washington Post and he joins us to talk about why deforestation has become such a serious issue and why producing environmentally sustainable chocolate is so hard.

You can read Steven Mufson's reporting on chocolate and deforestation here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/climate-environment/mars-chocolate-deforestation-climate-change-west-africa/

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Hershey vs Mars - Global Chocolate Domination | 6 Nov 13, 2019

It’s a new century and Hershey’s facing unexpected trouble at home — a showdown between the company and its biggest shareholder that threatens its independence.

Meanwhile, Mars is on a mission to become the world’s candy king. And with Hershey yet to break ground outside the U.S., the opportunity to catch up is fading fast.

Hershey knows there’s one move that could transform its overseas fortunes: a merger with its British soulmate Cadbury. The question is can it secure Cadbury’s hand in marriage before Mars triumphs in its quest for global chocolate domination.

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Hershey vs Mars - A Chocolate Rolls Royce | 5 Nov 11, 2019

It’s the late 1970s and Mars is America’s top confectioner. But Hershey is hungry for a comeback. It’s plotting a return to the top powered by a rush of new candies it hopes can nibble away at Mars’ market share.

Not that Mars has any intention of surrendering pole position without a fight. It thinks it can stop Hershey in its tracks by focusing exclusively on best-selling brands like Snickers, M&M’s and Milky Way.

But what neither company knows is that a tempting opportunity from Hollywood is about to disrupt the balance of power in candy land.

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Hershey vs Mars - Mars Attacks! | 4 Nov 06, 2019

It’s 1965 and Forrest Mars has just become the manufacturer of Snickers and M&M’s. He is now – at last – ready to duke it out with Hershey in a battle to become the number one candy maker in America.

And he knows Hershey is far from prepared for his sudden switch from ally to enemy. Hershey is a company wedded to tradition. It has no marketing department, doesn’t advertise, and has a completely complacent sales team.

The question is: can Hershey shake off its docile ways in time to stop Forrest’s relentless advance?

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Hershey vs Mars - A Candy-Coated Prayer | 3 Nov 04, 2019

It’s the 1940s and Forrest Mars’ plan to create a candy empire is stepping up a gear. He’s plotting to seize control of his dad’s company Mars and turn it into a Hershey killer.

First he needs to get his new candy venture off the ground. But to do that he needs help. Help from Hershey.

But while Forrest’s laying plans, Hershey’s trying to get over the death of founder Milton Hershey and grappling with an unexpected opportunity to become a global player.

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Hershey vs Mars - Blast Off | 2 Oct 30, 2019

It’s 1923 and the Hershey Chocolate Company dominates the candy bar business. With its milk chocolate Hershey bar and bite-sized Kisses, Hershey seems impossible to beat.

But in a Chicago police station, an awkward father-son reunion is about to sire a new challenger in the candy business.

That challenger is Mars and it’ll make its breakthrough by wrapping nougat in chocolate. For now, it’s got no plans to topple Hershey.

But all that’s going to change when a family feud spawns a European offshoot, the launchpad for a new and far more aggressive candy empire.

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Hershey vs Mars - Chocolate Town | 1 Oct 28, 2019

It’s 1886 and in New York City, a young confectioner called Milton Hershey is desperately trying to save his business.

He’s been struggling for years. He founded his first candy business in Philadelphia, only to watch it collapse. His second venture lasted just weeks. Now, he’s loaded up with debts he cannot pay.

But he’s about to get a visit from a man who will change his fortunes forever, paving the way for him to introduce America to the joys of milk chocolate… and build a sweets-fueled empire.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - TikTok, The New Social Media Sensation | 7 Oct 23, 2019

The social media world moves fast, and the next big thing is already upon us. It’s called TikTok. A video-based app where users create short clips to share with the world, TikTok is growing at a rapid rate. The app has already been downloaded a billion times and boasts 500 million active users around the globe. We conclude our series on Facebook vs Snapchat with a look at the next big player in the social media game.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - Snapchat’s Comeback | 6 Oct 21, 2019

It’s June 2018. Mark Zuckerberg is struggling and morale at the social media giant is low. Facebook has been battered by data breaches and there’s no end in sight. Meanwhile, Evan Spiegel has a chance to turn Snapchat around by refocusing on the teens who’ve abandoned Facebook.

As Snapchat unveils new features, the startup begins its next battle: To become profitable. And in order to stay the course, Zuckerberg must earn back the trust of Facebook’s users — and regulators who want to break it up.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - Stock Market Tailspin | 5 Oct 16, 2019

It’s April 2017, and Mark Zuckerberg is issuing a new challenge to Snapchat. By making its face filters open source, the tech giant is coming directly for Snapchat's most popular feature. But founder Evan Spiegel has other things to worry about: Snapchat is hemorrhaging users, and its share price is plummeting.

But when the Cambridge Analytica scandal breaks, Facebook's most pressing battle moves to the court of public opinion.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - Facebook Fights Back | 4 Oct 14, 2019

It's September 2015 and Snapchat has just hit on a game-changer for the young company: filters that augment users' faces. Thanks to some celebrity love, the new feature becomes wildly popular. But Mark Zuckerberg is watching closely, and acquires a competing startup.

Then, Zuckerberg switches up his strategy. His new philosophy: Don't be too proud to copy. Unfortunately for Spiegel and Murphy, this is going to have devastating consequences.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - The Offer | 3 Oct 09, 2019

It’s November 2013, and Mark Zuckerberg is about to make Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy an offer he thinks they can't refuse. But when Spiegel and Murphy do the unimaginable, it prompts Facebook to compete — by copying.

Snapchat is gathering steam, but data leaks are hurting the company's credibility and Spiegel's reputation. To survive, they're going to have to do the hardest thing for a startup — grow up.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - Children of Privilege | 2 Oct 07, 2019

It's the new millennium and Mark Zuckerberg is bored in high school. He's a prodigious student so smart he's already taking graduate level coding classes at Mercy College. Soon, he's going to build a product that will change the Internet forever. Now he just has to graduate high school.

Evan Spiegel, meanwhile, grows up rich and spoiled. He parties his way through high school and lands in a fraternity at Stanford. But things are about to get serious for Spiegel as Zuckerberg reaches out.

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Facebook vs Snapchat - Vanishing Act | 1 Oct 02, 2019

It’s April 2011, and Evan Spiegel is about to present his class project. Right now, it's called Picaboo. Soon, it's going to become Snapchat. But for Spiegel, this is more important than grades--at stake are potential investors and the future of communication as we know it.

Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, is sitting on the world's biggest social networking site, boasting 500 million users. But he knows his success depends on staying relevant. To do so, he's going to have to compete with Snapchat.

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WWF vs WCW - The Future of Pro Wrestling | 7 Sep 30, 2019

World Wrestling Entertainment is the dominant name in professional wrestling but new promotions are now challenging the WWE’s dominance. We conclude our series on WWF vs WCW with David Shoemaker, author of The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling. Shoemaker joins us to talk about whether or not these new companies can succeed against Vince McMahon's behemoth and what it means to be the best professional wrestler in the world.

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WWF vs WCW - Down for the Count | 6 Sep 25, 2019

It’s 1998 and the slugfest between Vince McMahon’s WWF and Ted Turner’s WCW is reaching a critical juncture.

McMahon’s on a mission to pull wrestling fans back to his TV shows with a strategy focused on maximum controversy. And to help him in his mission, he’s getting back-up from a high-flying TV executive and a bunch of Wall Street bankers.

WCW chief Eric Bischoff is determined to stop WWF’s comeback at all costs. But he’ll soon discover that his most dangerous enemy isn’t McMahon — it’s the executives on his own team.

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WWF vs WCW - Shock Tactics | 5 Sep 23, 2019

It’s 1996 and with Monday Nitro topping the TV ratings, WCW is out to end WWF’s time as the biggest player in the wrestling business.

It’s plotting to establish two brands: one that WCW boss Eric Bischoff hopes can suck away WWF’s family audience, another that will seek to capture the young males who crave more violent and outrageous entertainment than the WWF offers.

But Vince McMahon has a plan of his own. He’s going to push the WWF in a new direction by embracing controversy. But it’s a strategy that will put him on a collision course with the cable network the WWF depends on for its survival.

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WWF vs WCW - New World Order | 4 Sep 18, 2019

It’s 1995 and the Monday Night Wars are underway. WCW’s new show Monday Nitro is grappling with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw to win TV viewers’ attention.

WCW isn’t pulling its punches either. Under the command of Eric Bischoff, WCW is dropping spoiler bombs, luring away WWF’s top wrestlers and trashing the WWF brand.

And as WCW gains momentum, Bischoff is plotting a killer blow – a shock role reversal that will force WWF boss Vince McMahon to rethink how his wrestling promotion works.

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WWF vs WCW - Prime Time | 3 Sep 16, 2019

It’s 1994 and WCW is stepping up its game. To get the jump on WWF, Ted Turner is writing big checks to steal away the WWF’s biggest stars and sponsors. And as WCW’s star power increases, so does its popularity with wrestling fans.

But the WWF is in no position to fight back. It’s struggling to keep the lights on, there’s discontent among its roster of wrestlers, and Vince McMahon is preoccupied with staying out of prison.

And now Turner wants to deliver a killer blow. A new Monday night wrestling show that will go head to head with the WWF’s flagship TV program Monday Night Raw.

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WWF vs WCW - Bulking Up | 2 Sep 11, 2019

It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Vince McMahon’s WWF is the king of wrestling. But trouble’s brewing: a steroids scandal is about to deal a body blow to the WWF and its family-friendly reputation.

The scandal will leave WWF stuck in damage control mode as it fights to stem the losses from falling TV ratings, ticket sales, and pay-per-view buys.

Meanwhile, Ted Turner’s trying to get World Championship Wrestling fighting fit with help from a former Pizza Hut regional manager, a self-proclaimed Cowboy, and a back-up announcer who wants to bring wrestling to Disney World.

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WWF vs WCW - Titan Rising | 1 Sep 09, 2019

It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory.

But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federation, and he wants war. He’s on a mission to crush all opposition and establish the WWF as the only wrestling game in town.

But his assault on the wrestling status quo will also make him a powerful enemy: cable TV mogul Ted Turner.

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Electric Bikes | 7 Sep 04, 2019

Harley Davidson built its brand on big, loud and heavy bikes. So why is the company staking its future on an electric motorcycle? It turns out Harley's main demographic, baby boomers, are aging out of the motorcycle scene and the company is looking for its next target market. But will people be interested in a bike that is so fundamentally different than what the company is known for? And how do motorbikes overall fit into an auto industry that is becoming increasingly electric? Journalist Bradley Brownell writes about the auto industry and motorcycles, and has even test driven Harley's new electric bike. He joins us to talk about Harley Davidson, the motorcycle industry and its electric future.

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Harley and the Biker Wars - Live to Ride | 6 Sep 02, 2019

By the early 1980s, Harley-Davidson is fighting to survive. Japan has glutted the American market with bikes, creating a war Harley can’t fight alone. The company turns to the U.S. government. It’s something they tried in the ‘50s with no success, but now there’s a man in the White House who loves the all-American Milwaukee brand.

In the years ahead Harley stands tall, surviving all manner of battles. But there’s one foe that never stops: time. The company needs to appeal to a new generation of young riders who may not be attracted to Harley hogs — or motorcycles at all. It’s yet another vexing chapter for the 116-year-old company that refuses to die.

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Harley and the Biker Wars - The Freedom Machine | 5 Aug 28, 2019

It’s 1969, and the iconic film Easy Rider stars Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and—most prominently—Harley choppers. It boosts the brand’s cool cred even higher with the American counterculture, much to the chagrin of the aging, conservative company owners in Milwaukee. They’ve long-hated the fact that the Hells Angels ride Hogs, but now the top Angel reveals some shocking news on his true feelings about Harleys.

Finally, there’s a new light in Milwaukee. Willie G. Davidson, son of Harley’s president, rises as chief of style and design. He not only appreciates the outlaw bikers, he looks like one. Harley-Davidson needs to embrace the image that’s grown around the bikes, and Willie G. seems like the man to lead the charge. But can he pull it off?

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Harley and the Biker Wars - Japan Takes No Prisoners | 4 Aug 26, 2019

It’s 1963. After battling the wave of British bikes vying for the high-dollar U.S. motorcycle market, Harley-Davidson is slammed by a tsunami of machines from Japan. Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and—the biggest, most popular of them all—Honda.

It’s a nightmare that will force the company to the edge of bankruptcy as the Japanese redefine the industry. Whether Harley can change with the changing times remains to be seen.

On the literary front, writer Hunter Thompson canonizes the Hells Angels with his bestselling book dissecting the outlaw biker crew, highlighting their passion for Harleys.

As Honda’s sunshiney ‘60s ad jingle says, you meet the nicest people on a Honda. It begs the question, who do you meet on a Harley?

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Harley and the Biker Wars - Uneasy Riders | 3 Aug 21, 2019

By the late 1940s, World War II has ended, but Harley’s battle with a few disenfranchised veterans is just beginning. Bored and looking for kicks, these men are forming clubs based around a love of boozing, brawling and Harley Hogs. The motorcycle riots in the small town of Hollister, California bring huge headlines, and a few years later Hollywood stokes the fires with The Wild One. The first biker gang movie features Harleys front and center, and it’s publicity that the bosses in Milwaukee hate with a passion.

As the company turns 50, it gets a unique gift when its archrival finally bites the dust. But the competition remains stiff as Harley revs up to deal with invaders from England and — on the plus side — there’s a glowing Hog nod from the King of Rock n’ Roll.

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Harley and the Biker Wars - The Hog Is Born | 2 Aug 19, 2019

It’s 1903, and Harley-Davidson is entering the spanking new motorcycle market. Of the hundreds of fledgling brands, the bike to beat is Indian, and Harley has the company in its crosshairs. But a decade later, Harley is on the defensive, scrambling to distance itself from the deadly sport of board track racing and solidify its image as a respectable brand.

Indian has its own image problem when Mexican rebel leader Pancho Villa starts leading charges on a Powerplus model. But when the U.S. sends General Blackjack Pershing to hunt Villa down, Pershing’s troops are riding Harleys.

But World War I proves a decisive turning point as both companies fight their way closer to the top of the motorcycle world.

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Harley and the Biker Wars - The British Invaders | 1 Aug 14, 2019

By the late 1940s, Harley-Davidson has become America’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. The family-owned Milwaukee brand has battled hundreds of companies since its first bike rolled out of a backyard shack in 1903. Now they’re facing the birth of the outlaw bikers, disenfranchised WWII vets who love their Harleys—and love to cause trouble. It’s an association that conservative Harley owners can’t stand.

And fierce competition is coming in from British bike makers. Triumph is churning out lightweight, sporty machines that are the polar opposite of Harley’s heavy hogs, and everyone is vying for a piece of the lucrative U.S. market. Things get so cutthroat that Harley-Davidson appeals to the government. It’s an appeal that will not have happy results for the Milwaukee contingent. And the problems are just beginning.

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Business Battles | Monster vs Beats by Dre | 1 Aug 07, 2019

With all the hype around portable and smart speakers, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t always exist. In fact, it took one fateful meeting with Monster Cables and Interscope Records to really kick the industry off. In this one-episode Business Battle, we explore the time when headphones became fashion, what it takes to get people to shell out $350 for a pair, and what happens when a million dollar mistake becomes a billion dollar mistake.

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Cereal Wars-The Most Important Meal | 7 Aug 05, 2019

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Or is it? While that phrase sounds scientifically and nutritionally sound, it’s origins can be traced back to cereal company marketing departments. We conclude our series on the cereal wars with Alex Mayyasi, editor of Gastro Obscura. Alex has traced the origins of breakfast as a meal and how cereal marketing came to be so aggressive.

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Cereal Wars - Going Soggy | 6 Jul 31, 2019

It’s the year 2000 and, for the first time in almost a century, Kellogg’s is no longer America's top cereal maker. Now a new CEO is in the driving seat, and he’s on a mission to win back the cereal crown from General Mills.

But even as the two rivals slug it out for number one, they’re both facing a new reality: a market that’s losing its appetite for cereals as people abandon their breakfast bowls for grab-and-go morning meals of granola bars, bagels and Egg McMuffins.

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Cereal Wars - Trix of the Trade | 5 Jul 29, 2019

It’s the 1980s and General Mills is making waves with a new cereal based on the world’s hottest video game: Pac-Man.

But Kellogg’s is hoping to cash in on a different trend: the growing clamour among adults for healthier breakfasts.

So it’s plotting a taboo-busting ad campaign that will rewrite the rules of cereal promotion and spark an all-out battle among the cereal makers to win over the health conscious.

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Cereal Wars - Cereal Offenders | 4 Jul 24, 2019

It’s the late 1950s and General Mills is playing catch-up. While Kellogg’s and Post are thriving on the back of animated characters and sugary cereals, General Mills’ cereals are looking stale. So now the Cheerios maker is on a mission to create its own roster of cartoon heroes who can charm children into demanding its cereals.

As General Mills fights back, Post is looking to the stars. It's planning a direct attack on Kellogg’s best-selling cereal with help from the space race.

But after years of selling sugary cereal with loveable characters, the cereal giants are about to face a backlash on Capitol Hill.

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Cereal Wars - Sugar Rush | 3 Jul 22, 2019

World War II is in the rearview mirror, and breakfast cereal is on the brink of a new calorific era. Post Cereals decides to break from its healthful past and start sugar coating its cereals. It’s a move that leaves Kellogg’s and General Mills in a quandary: should they follow Post’s lead or stick to their nutritional traditions?

But sugary cereal isn’t the only new challenge the cereal giants are wrestling with. A new, exciting medium called television is taking off fast and changing the rules of cereal promotion. And this TV and sugar boom is going to put children at the heart of the cereal business.

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Cereal Wars - Breakfast of Champions | 2 Jul 17, 2019

It’s 1904 and Quaker Oats is about to make an, ahem, explosive entry into the cold cereal business. With the Kellogg brothers at risk of being left behind, Will Kellogg finally decides it’s time to stand up to his brother. He cuts ties and brings the original corn flakes to market — aided by some shrewd advertising and an army of housewives — but sets off a legal battle that pits brother against brother.

But there’s about to be another entrant to the cereal business. General Mills is an upstart out of Minneapolis with an idea for a new cereal that will help the company stand out from the competition. The donut-shaped oat puffs even have a catchy name: Cheerioats.

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Cereal Wars - A Divine Mission | 1 Jul 15, 2019

It’s the late 1800s and America is in the grip of a bellyache epidemic. But, thanks to a divine revelation, help is on the way in the form of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. In his quest to calm the nation’s bowels, Dr. Kellogg is feeding his patients a new kind of breakfast: ready-to-eat cereal.

But when he refuses to exploit the full profit potential of his creations, one of his former patients seizes the opportunity to become a breakfast millionaire — much to the frustration of Dr. Kellogg’s long-suffering younger brother Will.

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Gibson vs Fender - The Future of the Electric Guitar | 7 Jul 10, 2019

Ian S. Port, author of The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll joins us to talk about the future of the electric guitar as music creation becomes increasingly digital.

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Gibson vs Fender - Attack of the Robot Guitars | 6 Jul 08, 2019

In the '90s and 2000s, new ownership has revitalized both Fender and Gibson and rekindled their rivalry. Through acquisitions, artist endorsements and their rapidly expanding custom shops, both brands are in a heated battle to win the hearts and minds of guitar lovers worldwide.

Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz doesn't want to just dominate the electric guitar market. He wants to reinvent it. And with guitar sales declining, he goes all-in on new technology that will either revitalize Gibson — or sink it.

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Gibson vs Fender - Back From the Brink | 5 Jul 03, 2019

It's the early 1980s, and for the first time in 30 years, the U.S. guitar market has gone cold. Bands are switching to synthesizers and kids are ditching their garage bands for computers and video games.

A group of employees has bought the Fender brand but not its factory. Now they need to find a place to keep making guitars — fast. And Gibson has new owners, too — who bring plenty of rock 'n' roll attitude to the job, but little experience. Can these new stewards of guitar's most hallowed brands save their companies from the scrap heap?

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Gibson vs Fender - Les Pauls Unleashed | 4 Jul 01, 2019

In the 1960s, rock'n roll's popularity continues to grow. But one of the genre's most popular guitars, the Les Paul, is no longer being made. Now the guitar's namesake must convince an out-of-touch Gibson to put the favorite guitar of Eric Clapton and Keith Richards back into production.

Meanwhile, Gibson's rival Fender has a new parent company: CBS. Thanks to their deep corporate pockets, Fender is manufacturing and selling more guitars than ever. To keep pace, Gibson also finds a new corporate owner. But in their race for market dominance, are both guitar companies sacrificing quality for quantity?

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Gibson vs Fender - The Stratocaster Blasts Off | 3 Jun 26, 2019

Gibson's Les Paul sets a new standard for the solid-body electric guitar, and rival guitar maker Fender needs to respond. The company does so in 1954 with a sleek, futuristic guitar unlike anything else on the market: the Stratocaster. It's a hit.

With their higher volume and heavier tones, the Les Paul and Stratocaster help give rise to a new style of music: rock 'n' roll. It opens up a whole new market for electric guitars -- but which company will dominate?

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Gibson vs Fender - Loud and Clear | 2 Jun 24, 2019

It's 1950, and Fender's first solid-body guitar, the Esquire, is the laughingstock of the music industry. To guitar makers used to elegantly made hollow-body guitars, Fender's thin, simple plank of solid wood is a joke. But its bright, powerful sound and lack of feedback make it a hit with guitar players.

Gibson's ambitious young president, Ted McCarty, knows his company has to counter with a solid-body electric guitar of its own. To market the instrument, Gibson will turn to the most famous electric guitarist in the world, a man who happens to be an old friend of Leo Fender's — Les Paul.

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Gibson vs Fender - Les and Leo | 1 Jun 19, 2019

In the 1930s and ’40s the market for electric guitars is growing, but it’s hindered by the instruments’ flawed designs. But a small group of mavericks is rethinking the guitar for the electronic age.

One of them, guitarist Les Paul, tries unsuccessfully to convince one of America's oldest guitar companies, Gibson, to mass-produce his "Log" — one of the first solid-body electric guitars. Gibson turns him down flat. But when a radio repairman turned inventor named Leo Fender sees Paul's Log, he's inspired to attempt his own version of a solid-body electric — and his creation will go on to forever change the way guitars are made.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Fighting the Crocodile | 6 Jun 17, 2019

It’s a new century and the beer industry is changing fast. Beyond America, new brewery empires are forming and they want to buy their way into the lucrative U.S. market.

And Miller is the first to fall, bought out by a South African company that wants to pull the Milwaukee brewery out of the doldrums.

But Anheuser-Busch isn’t worried. It’s the biggest brewer on the planet by some margin. But the king of beers is about to discover that its throne isn’t as secure as it thinks.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Surprise Attack Dog | 5 Jun 12, 2019

It’s the 1980s and Miller’s glory days are over. Drinkers are deserting High Life and Anheuser-Busch is about to launch a $50 million attack on Miller Lite.

With the pressure mounting, Miller hunts for a way to revive its momentum. It’s a search that see the company travel to Japan, disguise itself as a microbrewery, and go head hunting.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Miller Killers | 4 Jun 10, 2019

It’s the late 1970s and Miller is hurtling towards the top of the brewing industry on the back of High Life and Lite. Anheuser-Busch’s new leader August Busch III knows he must act fast to stop the threat.

But before he can do that there’s internal problems that need fixing. A strike has shut down the company’s breweries and threatening to leave the business disunited and demoralized at the worst possible moment.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - It’s Miller Time! | 3 Jun 05, 2019

Come the early 1970s, Miller has a new owner: tobacco giant Philip Morris. Armed with the Marlboro maker’s millions and marketing skills, Miller is about to shake up the beer business with a campaign targeting blue-collar workers thirsty for a cold pint...or three.

But at Anheuser-Busch, a generational rift is brewing — one that could have major repercussions for the beer business. The tensions between conservative-minded CEO Gussie Busch and his forward-thinking son and heir August Busch III are fast approaching the breaking point.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Swinging for the Majors | 2 Jun 03, 2019

By 1933 Prohibition is over, and that means the race is on to dominate a beer market that’s been reset. Under the leadership of Anheuser-Busch heir Gussie Busch, the company is out to reclaim the beer throne. But there’s a challenger for the crown — Milwaukee’s top brewery, Schlitz.

But as these two giants lock horns in the fight for dominance, Miller Brewing is struggling to realize its dream of becoming a major league brewer. And it won’t sit by on the sidelines.

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Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - The Beer Barons | 1 May 29, 2019

It’s 1893 and Chicago is about to host The World’s Columbian Exposition. It’s going to be the biggest show the world’s ever seen, and that means it’s time for Adolphus Busch to shine.

He’s the owner of Budweiser brewery Anheuser-Busch and the most flamboyant beer baron of the Gilded Age. Busch is determined to use the show to overshadow and outspend his nemesis, Captain Pabst, the owner of America’s number-one brewery.

But there’s a distraction he’s got to deal with first. A small-time brewer from Milwaukee called Miller has just launched a rival beer. Its name? Budweiser.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - What’s Next for Digital Streaming | 9 May 27, 2019

On today's special interview episode, renowned media futurist Rich Greenfield returns to fill us in on the latest developments in the streaming wars and how these changes might impact viewers in the coming years. Greenfield is a media and tech analyst with BTIG who has been following the industry for decades.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Streamers Everywhere | 8 May 22, 2019

It’s spring 2019, and the Mouse House is determined to challenge Netflix for streaming supremacy. Disney CEO Bob Iger draws gasps at an industry event when he announces the new Disney Plus streaming service will cost just seven bucks a month. Then the company drops another bombshell — it’s buying out Comcast’s stake in Hulu, the destination for edgy, adult fare, to expand its streaming empire. Now whatever content Disney makes, it’ll have a platform to host it.

But Disney isn’t the only company eyeing Netflix’s crown. Apple, Comcast, Viacom, and WarnerMedia are all sharpening their knives. In the battle for eyeballs, anyone could emerge the victor.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Break the Wheel | 7 May 20, 2019

Netflix goes from being a streaming company to a movement in which consumers all over the world decide what to watch, and when and how they watch. The future that Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph envisioned two decades earlier has arrived. The unfettered reign of cable television has ended.

In 2019, AT&T’s acquisition of HBO’s parent company Time Warner in 2019 throws HBO’s future into even more turmoil. In a post-Game of Thrones world, can the cable network survive? Or will Netflix’s march to domination be complete?

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Binge | 6 May 15, 2019

Hollywood execs thought Netflix was crazy to give up advertising and spin off opportunities by letting viewers flop on a couch and watch a whole season of a show all at once. But Netflix knew it was onto something. All of their studies and focus groups revealed something new: viewers who binged content formed an emotional attachment to Netflix.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - HBO Gets in the Game | 5 May 13, 2019

We take a step back to explore how a little company called Home Box Office went from serving B-movies to 325 homes in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania to become the juggernaut that we know as HBO. In the process, HBO, became the standard by which all other cable companies would have to measure themselves -- after all, it’s not TV. It’s HBO.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - The Digital Divide | 4 May 08, 2019

You know the expression “content is king”? Well it turns out, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a hard-working algorithm that burrows into customer habits and viewing patterns. With that, Netflix had a clear upper hand on Blockbuster. That, and the fact that Netflix targeted this new “streaming” technology that in 2007, no one really believed in. Soon they were on top of the world. But it’s dangerous being on top. If you trip, you have a long way to fall.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Dirty Tricks | 3 May 06, 2019

Thinking like your enemy is the best way to beat them, and during the war, Blockbuster tried every trick in the book to get inside Netflix. Sometimes they succeeded — sending “housewives” into warehouses as spies — and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But when Blockbuster did deliver, they delivered big. They threw everything they had at Netflix, but the war raged on.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Origins | 2 May 01, 2019

After Hastings pleaded with Antioco to buy Blockbuster online, Antioco agreed to present Hasting’s proposal to the board. What he didn’t tell him was that he was pushing the board to reject the offer so Netflix would wither and die. Meanwhile, Netflix was struggling to gain legitimacy in Hollywood. Netflix quickly realized that before it could take on the Hollywood gods, it would have to slay Blockbuster.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Sudden Death | 1 Apr 29, 2019

The way we watch is changing so rapidly that we’ve decided to revisit our very first and most popular Business War: Netflix versus Blockbuster. We’re re-airing an expanded eight-part series following Netflix’s battles against HBO and today’s new entrants into the Streaming Wars.

It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend, Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster. But what they didn’t anticipate was that their business model would take on network television and eventually change the entire movie industry.

This was an 8-year total war that left innumerable casualties in its wake: thousands of hollowed out buildings and economic losses in the billions.

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Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - The Future of Cars | 4 Apr 24, 2019

Electric. Diesel. Driverless. Automobile Magazine’s New York Bureau Chief, Jamie Kitman, joins to talk about the latest developments in the car industry and what’s next for Ferrari and Lamborghini.

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Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - Supercar Speed Freaks | 3 Apr 22, 2019

It is 1997. For decades, Lamborghini has struggled to survive as a company, and to compete with its nemesis Ferrari. All that is about to change. Volkswagen buys Lambo and injects it with cash and bulletproof German engineering. For the first time ever, Lamborghini can finally compete with Ferrari with a full line of cars—and serious racing.

The result is a new golden age of supercars, one that we are still living through today.

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Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - Lamborghini Spawns an Icon | 2 Apr 17, 2019

It’s 1970. At his factory in Italy, Ferruccio Lamborghini is desperate to build a car that can outdo his rival, Enzo Ferrari, whose Ferrari factory is just 20 miles away. With the help of genius designers and engineers, Lamborghini comes up with what many car fans still today call the most outrageous model ever to roll down a road.

Throughout the decade and beyond, the Ferrari/Lamborghini rivalry spawns the fastest cars in the world, the coolest car movies, and more.

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Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - The Gauntlet | 1 Apr 15, 2019

It’s the early 1960s. In Maranello, Italy, Enzo Ferrari has made a name for himself building the most exotic road cars in the world. But when a dissatisfied customer named Ferruccio Lamborghini shows up to complain about his Ferrari’s busted clutch, Enzo refuses to accept blame, accusing Lamborghini of not knowing how to drive. Lamborghini vows revenge.

In 1964, Lamborghini launches its first model, kicking off a rivalry with Ferrari that makes for one of the hottest automotive stories of the 1960s.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - Today's Toys | 7 Apr 10, 2019

Bratz. Monster High. Funko. These are the toys that rule the roost in 2019. Veteran toy industry analyst Sean McGowan joins to discuss the big business of toys today, how Hasbro and Mattel can compete, and what’s going on with Lego.

You can find new episodes of Business Wars, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code WONDERY.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - Screen Dreams | 6 Apr 08, 2019

With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how?

Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no longer secure. Challengers to her throne are emerging and the first strike against the dream doll comes not from Hasbro, but from within its own offices.

You can find new episodes of Business Wars, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code WONDERY.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - The Shotgun Wedding | 5 Apr 03, 2019

A few months ago, Mattel’s revenues were just fifty million dollars behind Hasbro’s. But now that Hasbro’s swallowed Tonka—the classic maker of Nerf, Play-Doh, and Monopoly—Mattel is half a billion dollars behind, and CEO John Amerman isn’t happy about it.

Ever since Hasbro turned British fashion doll Sindy into a Barbie lookalike, the two toymakers have been at war. Now Amerman is looking to make a couple strategic acquisitions: one to put Mattel back in pole position, and the other, to spite Hasbro.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - Resurrection Joe | 4 Apr 01, 2019

It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of taking on the Star Wars dolls, or else the company risks losing its only source of stable income, the family pencil factory.

But Hasbro’s not the only toymaker plotting to take on Star Wars. Three thousand miles away in Los Angeles, Mattel’s also preparing an assault on the action figure market. A line of fantastical action figures called The Masters of the Universe.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - The House of Cards | 3 Mar 27, 2019

Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price collapse. To keep up appearances, Mattel starts cooking its books—but the move may end up costing CEO Ruth Handler the company.

Elsewhere in Toyland, Hasbro’s facing an uncertain future. Kids are turning their backs on G.I. Joe and the company’s short on cash. As its rivals rush towards an electronic future, Hasbro risks being left behind.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - Boy Toy | 2 Mar 25, 2019

It’s the 1960s and Hasbro is struggling. The pencil manufacturer turned toymaker hasn’t had a major success since Mr. Potato Head hit the shelves in 1952, and it’s starting to lose money. If the company doesn’t act fast, it’ll be headed for bankruptcy in no time.

Mattel’s “accessories sold separately” approach to Barbie has revolutionized the industry. Now Hasbro’s toymakers hope to replicate her success with a doll of their own—for boys. But first, they’ll have to get the green light from CEO Merrill Hassenfeld, who has one iron-clad rule about new toys: no dolls.

Meanwhile, Mattel’s about to roll out a hot new boy-themed toy of its own that will cement the company’s status as the world’s top toymaker.

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Hasbro vs Mattel - Dream Doll | 1 Mar 20, 2019

It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up.

But toy-mayking, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat business. If either of these companies hopes to survive--let alone succeed--they’re going to need to get creative. Disrupting the embedded and experienced kingpins of Toyland, will require them to take chances on TV, potatoes, Mickey Mouse and one particularly risqué novelty doll from Germany.

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USFL vs NFL - Risky Business | 7 Feb 25, 2019

Mike Pesca, Slate, joins to talk about the biggest risks facing the NFL, whether the Patriots are good or bad for the league, and what our culture would look like if football never took off as a professional sport in the first place. Plus, he talks about his latest book, Upon Further Review: The Greatest What Ifs in Sports History. Hear more from Mike on his daily podcast, The Gist.

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USFL vs NFL - Football Day in Court | 6 Feb 20, 2019

The battle between the NFL and the USFL finally comes to a head. Donald Trump has bullied his way to the top of the USFL and pressured his league into suing the NFL for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.

But the NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle is not about to back down. If the NFL settles now, they’ll be opening the floodgates to a slew of new competitors, and costly trials the league can’t afford. The only course of action? Dismantle the USFL so completely that no one even thinks to challenge the NFL again.

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USFL vs NFL - The Empire Strikes Back | 5 Feb 18, 2019

For nearly two full years, the mighty NFL sat idly by as the upstart USFL tried to chip away at its status, talent, and reputation as the most powerful sports league on the planet. Now, the NFL is ready to settle the score, once and for all.

The league commissions a Harvard professor to prepare meticulous, 46-page step-by-step plan intended to squash the USFL in its tracks. Commissioner Pete Rozelle prepares himself for battle—but the battle comes sooner than expected. The USFL files an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, claiming that it has monopolized fall television. At stake? One point three two billion dollars, enough money to kill the NFL.

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USFL vs NFL - Making Spring Football Great Again | 4 Feb 13, 2019

Description: It’s 1984, and at USFL franchise offices across the country, multi-million dollar contracts are flowing like Gatorade. As the United States Football League prepares for kickoff on its second season, owners race to recruit the best college players, and steal the stars from NFL rosters.

Initially, the NFL dismissed the new league as a sideshow stunt. But the USFL’s spending spree has caught the full attention of the veteran league--which is exactly what New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump wants.

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USFL vs NFL - A Challenge to the King | 3 Feb 11, 2019

By most measures, the USFL’s debut season is a success. The games post solid numbers--in both ticket sales and television ratings--offering undeniable proof that there’s an audience for professional spring football. Still, the league is hemorrhaging money. At a post-season meeting, the twelve franchise owners vote on what to do with their fumbling investments. Eleven of the owners decide to stay the course, and even expand the league to bring in more capital, but the owner of the New Jersey Generals, J. Walter Duncan, has had enough.

Duncan puts the Generals on the market for eight million dollars, hoping the low price will launch a bidding war. But only one man makes an offer: a young, brash, egomaniacal Manhattan real estate developer named Donald Trump.

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USFL vs NFL - A General Triumph | 2 Feb 06, 2019

Description: The NFL has faced rival leagues in the past, and routinely squashed them without breaking so much as a sweat. The NFL’s powerful commissioner, Pete Rozelle, assumes the USFL will be no different. He sees the rival league as a joke. A blip on the radar. But then the new league does something no one saw coming: it signs University of Georgia junior Herschel Walker, the biggest star in college football.

When Walker signs with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, he leaves more than his college diploma on the table. The Heisman trophy-winner passes up a seat at the table of America’s Team, the legendary Dallas Cowboys. “This,” Rozelle tells his colleagues, “is war.”

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USFL vs NFL - Birth of a Spring Football League | 1 Feb 04, 2019

For years, David Dixon has been trying to convince the National Football League to launch an expansion team in New Orleans, but he always comes up empty-handed. Finally, after one too many letdowns, Dixon realizes his only hope for a hometown team is to start his own football league. Unlike the NFL, his league — the United States Football League — will play its games in the spring, and boast rosters full of hometown heroes from regional colleges.

Fans and investors seem to love the idea. But just then, the NFL announces the location of its next franchise: New Orleans. As Dixon’s long-time dream comes true, he abandons plans to launch the USFL — for now.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Breakfast Wars | 7 Jan 28, 2019

Egg McMuffins, Croissan’wiches and coffee. Today’s fast food fight is all about breakfast time. Wall Street Journal reporter Julie Jargon joins to talk about where Burger King and McDonald’s are headed, the rise of eating at home, and how fast-casual chains are taking a bite out of the market.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Super Fan Supernova | 6 Jan 23, 2019

It’s a new century and times are tough for the burger giants. Burger King’s in a rut and McDonald’s is about to report its first loss in nearly 40 years. Both brands need to reinvent themselves fast. But can they come up with strategies robust enough to shake off the coming economic crisis?

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McDonald's vs Burger King - Battle of the Burgers | 5 Jan 21, 2019

Burger King is under pressure. McDonald’s is wowing the nation with a new way to eat chicken and Wendy’s is quickly closing in on the number two fast food spot. Backed into a corner, Burger King prepares to bite back with an ad campaign attacking its rivals directly.

The heat is on and the burger wars are about to get dirty. It’s a game of kitchen chicken. The only question is who will blink first.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Have It Your Way | 4 Jan 16, 2019

It’s the 1970s, and the burger barons are turning to TV advertising to propel profits skyward. McDonald’s is betting that a little song and dance can give it the competitive edge, but Burger King is stepping up their ads as well: debuting a killer new slogan that’s sure to set it on a collision course with Burger Chef.

And while the fast food wars continue to escalate at home, McDonald’s starts to set its sights abroad.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Feeding Frenzy | 3 Jan 14, 2019

By the mid-1960s, Americans have developed a taste for fast, delicious, affordable food — and they’re demanding more. U.S. fast food franchises — McDonald’s, Burger King and Burger Chef — know that if they want to feed America and win the burger wars, they’re going to have to grow.

But Wall Street is still reluctant to invest in a bunch of burger chains. And Ray Kroc is about to learn firsthand that those who can’t stand the heat need to be forced out of the kitchen.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Cooking with Gas | 2 Jan 09, 2019

It’s the late 1950s and fry cooks are flipping as fast as they can. But McDonald’s and Insta-Burger King’s desire for national success far outstrips their ability to deliver. It’s not enough to just make a better burger: bad contracts, bad equipment, limited capital and investors who don’t believe in 15-cent burgers threaten to stop the race in its tracks.

Ray Kroc believes that he has the answers but to beat Insta-Burger King and a new aggressive competitor from Indiana, he has to get out from the McDonald Brothers’ shadow--and he has to do it fast.

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McDonald’s vs Burger King - Fastest Burger in the West | 1 Jan 07, 2019

It’s 1948, and somewhere around the edge of the Mojave Desert, a drive-in restaurant is making waves. It's called McDonald’s and it’s like no burger joint anyone’s seen before—a carhop-free eatery with lightning fast service, and shockingly low prices.

But McDonald’s proprietors aren’t dreaming as big as the entrepreneurs traveling to California to see their groundbreaking restaurant. And for would-be burger king Keith Cramer and milkshake machine salesman Ray Kroc, that’s a golden opportunity.

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Zankou Chicken Murders - The Death of an American Dream | 2 Dec 20, 2018

Mardiros Iskenderian was known for two things: the unbelievable generosity he showed to the Armenian community, and the deep love he expressed for his family—particularly for his mother, whom he treated like a queen.

So why did Mardiros try to cut his sisters out of the family business? What drove him to register the Zankou Chicken trademark solely under his own name? And how could a simple business re-arrangement among a loving, growing clan end in murder?

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Zankou Chicken Murders - Out of Beirut | 1 Dec 18, 2018

It’s January 14th, 2003, and 56-year-old Mardiros Iskenderian, the founder of the family-owned chain of rotisserie restaurants Zankou Chicken, is leaving the house for the first time in months.

Twenty years ago, the Iskenderians transplanted their business from war-torn Beirut to sunny Los Angeles, where it blossomed into a California institution. But today, Mardiros is battling cancer—and losing. He kisses his wife Rita and heads for the door. It’ll be the last time she’ll see him alive.

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Browser Wars - Even When They Lose They Win | 6 Dec 13, 2018

Microsoft has officially won the battle against Netscape, but for Bill Gates, the browser war is far from over. The federal government has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, and called Gates to Washington, D.C. for questioning.

Hotshot prosecutor David Boies aims to show that Microsoft used its monopoly on PC operating systems to drive Netscape out of business. The case has the potential to bring down the software giant once and for all. And the televised drama of a smooth-talking lawyer facing off against a geeky billionaire leaves the nation riveted.

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Browser Wars - Microsoft on the Hot Seat | 5 Dec 11, 2018

To compete with Netscape, Bill Gates is forced to do the one thing he hates most: give tech away for free. He bundles Internet Explorer with Windows, effectively making his browser ubiquitous--and Netscape’s redundant. Suddenly, Netscape, the company that launched the dot-com boom and shattered records with its IPO, finds itself on life support.

But the battle isn’t over. Attorney General Janet Reno has been watching Microsoft snuff out the competition, and she’s about to make life hell for Bill Gates.

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Browser Wars - An Offer They Can’t Refuse | 4 Dec 06, 2018

It’s summer 1995, and Bill Gates is worried about the sudden rise of the Internet. In the world of computers, Gates is used to being in the driver’s seat. Now it seems he’s not even in the car.

Marc Andreessen has just launched the latest version of Netscape Navigator. It’s faster and more stable than the last version, and still, inexplicably, free. The Internet is a massive success, certain to work its way into every person’s life, but as Gates pokes around he can’t find a single Microsoft file on it. To stay in the game, Gates realizes, that will have to change.

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Browser Wars - Poker Face | 3 Dec 04, 2018

It’s 1974, and a young programmer named Paul Allen has just caught a glimpse of the world’s first personal computer, the Altair 8800. It has the potential to change the computing landscape forever — but it doesn’t yet have an operating system. Altair’s developers sank every dollar they had into its hardware, banking that someone else would figure out how to make their machine run.

Now programmers are racing to develop an operating system and deliver it to the company’s headquarters in New Mexico. Allen knows he can do it, but in order to do it first, he’ll need some help. For that, he reaches out to his childhood friend, a 19-year-old Harvard sophomore named Bill Gates.

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Browser Wars - The Birth of a Dot Com Giant | 2 Nov 29, 2018

Two disgruntled tech whizzes, Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen, join forces to exact revenge on the companies that wronged them, building a browser so fast and powerful that it wipes their competitors off the face of the web. In private, they call it a “Mosaic Killer,” but in public, it’s called “Netscape Navigator.”

The launch of their new browser will mark the beginning of a new era in computing, the birth of a new economy based on the web, and the moment Microsoft put a target on their backs.

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Browser Wars - Kickstarting a Revolution | 1 Nov 27, 2018

It’s 1992, and in the basement of the chemistry building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, two computer science students are working on a new web browser. Up to this point, browsing has made up less than one percent of all internet traffic, but Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina are about to change all that. Fueled by a combination of Pepperidge Farm cookies, Skittles and hubris, Andreessen and Bina emerge from the basement with Mosaic, the user-friendly web browser that will popularize the internet—if it doesn’t crash the school’s server first.

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Red Bull vs Monster - Buzzkill | 3 Nov 20, 2018

As the extreme marketing battle between Red Bull and Monster reaches unprecedented heights (128,000 feet above sea level, to be precise), a new challenger steps onto the scene. 5-hour Energy, the tiny titan in the two ounce can, quickly plows through the energy drink market, generating hundreds of millions of dollars each year and leaving a trail of failed imitators in its wake.

But for the moment, Red Bull and Monster have bigger issues on their hands. A string of unexpected deaths and hospitalizations, a high-profile lawsuit, and whispers of a government ban threaten to topple their energy empire.

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Red Bull vs Monster - Beast Gores Bull | 2 Nov 15, 2018

As Red Bull plans its U.S. invasion, an unlikely upstart vies to beat it to market. Led by branding guru Mark Hall, the wholesome Hansen Beverage Company launches Monster, a grungy, all-American alternative to its yuppie European competitor. Not only does Hall intend to pull Hansen back from the verge of bankruptcy, his plans will position Monster to take a massive bite out of Red Bull’s multi-billion dollar industry.

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Red Bull vs Monster - Get Your Wings | 1 Nov 13, 2018

It’s the early 1980s, and in Bangkok, Thailand, a jet-lagged toothpaste marketing exec named Dietrich Mateschitz has just tasted Krating Daeng, an energy tonic popular with rickshaw drivers. The flavor is repellant—it’s sickly sweet—but to Mateschitz’s surprise, it completely cures his jetlag. Suddenly, he sees a business opportunity. Energy drinks like these are huge in East Asia, but virtually unheard of in Europe. The biggest challenge will be figuring out how to market it—starting with a new name. He knows “Krating Daeng” won’t sell, so he opts for the nearest English equivalent: Red Bull.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - Interview with Mikael Wood | 7 Nov 08, 2018

Host David Brown sits down with L.A. Times pop music critic Mikael Wood to talk about how Napster changed not only the music business, but music itself. It turns out digital music downloads paved the way for a lot of trends we see in music today… Justin Bieber joining the remix of Despacito? Beyoncé’s surprise album drops? The countless list of songs featuring Nicki Minaj? It all started here. Plus: after all is said and done, was Napster good for music or not? The answer might not be that simple.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - Fight to the Death | 6 Nov 06, 2018

Napster is approaching its death throes. The file sharing company has one shot left: Bertelsmann, the record label that’s confident it has come up with a foolproof plan to profit from its former foe. But Bertelsmann forgot about one thing. It needs the buy-in of other labels to make its rescue plan work. And the other music bosses are still livid that Bertelsmann went behind their backs to partner with Napster. They won’t be stepping up to help either company.

Napster is running out of options. There’s only one thing that might still work: it’s got to go legitimate.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - A Fatal Email | 5 Nov 01, 2018

Some of the biggest names in music have gathered to duke it out over the future of Napster. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s intellectual property hearing finally brings the pioneers of the peer-to-peer revolution face to face with the record labels. Napster is feeling good about its chances. But the judge overseeing the whole affair isn’t going to just swallow whatever arguments Napster’s high-priced lawyer dishes up. And buried somewhere in the mountains of evidence is one message that could destroy everything.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - Battle of the Bands | 4 Oct 30, 2018

As the game of cat and mouse heats up with the record labels. The labels know that unless Napster is stopped, it’ll destroy the record labels. That doesn’t stop Napster co-founder Sean Parker from feeling the vice grips closing in. By early 2000, Napster has 10 million users and a landmark copyright case from the RIAA and a court date with Metallica. It’s survival of the fittest, and both sides are playing with fire.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - Free is Costly | 3 Oct 25, 2018

Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker finally get to Silicon Valley, where their dream for music sharing is supposed to take off. When word gets out about what Napster is doing, software programmers are literally banging on the doors, begging to work for Napster for free. Their idea is solid, but the finances are weak. It’s time to incorporate and find investors. Shawn turns to draw up papers. To Shawn’s shock, his uncle takes 70 percent of the company for the effort. And, as it turns out, it costs a lot of money to bring the world free music.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - Silicon Valley or Bust | 2 Oct 23, 2018

Naysayers tell Shawn Fanning that only an experienced Silicon Valley software engineer solve all the technological challenges to get Napster working. But Shawn thinks he’s got the answers and asks himself, ‘’why not me?” And he gets to work, turning to an online chat group of hackers who are eager to help so they can take the fight right to the doorstep of the record labels.

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Napster vs The Record Labels - The Beginning of the End | 1 Oct 18, 2018

It’s 2000, and the record industry is just waking up to a major threat to its business model: an online file-sharing system created by a 17-year-old kid from Massachusetts. With Napster — so called after the nickname its founder earned on the basketball court — users can download music for free. Why would anyone pay 18 or 20 bucks for a CD ever again?

Musicians like the Offspring greet the technology with open arms. Some bands see Napster as a way to make more money on each song while breaking the control of the record labels over their music. But not so fast. The record industry isn’t just going to give up its $15 billion in annual profits. And the music execs are convinced: the courts will be on their side.

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Xbox vs Playstation - Interview with Tristan Donovan | 4 Oct 16, 2018

Host David Brown sits down with Tristan Donovan, series writer and author of Replay: The History of Video Games, just as this console war enters uncharted territory. What’s next for Xbox, PlayStation and wild card Nintendo Switch? Hint: probably not three more generations of consoles. Plus, what a groundbreaking announcement from Microsoft could mean for the gaming industry moving forward.

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Xbox vs Playstation - Tear Down This Wall | 3 Oct 11, 2018

As Nintendo burns with the failure of Wii U, Sony can’t woo PS2 users to the new Playstation 3. It vows to not make that mistake again, and the Playstation 4 prioritizes on what the gamers want: a better gaming experience. But it’s not just the focus on gaming that makes the PS4 a hit - it’s also the failure of Microsoft’s new Xbox One to deliver.

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Xbox vs Playstation - The Red Ring of Death | 2 Oct 09, 2018

Microsoft put all its efforts into it’s new console, the Xbox 360 to beat combat Sony’s market share and it looked like it was working. Thousands of consoles sold, and then suddenly, mysteriously, thousands of consoles died. Meanwhile Sony announces their new PlayStation will cost more than any console, by a lot, and it’s new processor confuses game designers. But that’s not all. Nintendo is back and they’re about to introduce another console that will send both companies scrambling. The Nintendo Wii is instantly a sensation, and Microsoft and Sony are left in it’s dust.

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Xbox vs Playstation - The Biggest Cannon in the World | 1 Oct 04, 2018

Sony was preparing Playstation to eventually replace personal computers. Microsoft sees that coming and goes into combat mode. Bill Gates spends more than two billion dollars to launch Microsoft’s Xbox console with innards that Gates hopes will not only put Sony on the defensive but will one day replace PCs as the future of digital home entertainment.

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Southwest vs American - Interview with Joseph Guinto | 7 Oct 02, 2018

Host David Brown chats with freelance journalist and series writer Joseph Guinto about the 22 years he’s spent covering Southwest Airlines… including his memories meeting and interviewing Southwest’s major players, from Rollin King to Herb Kelleher himself. Plus, the famous part of Southwest’s history that didn’t quite happen the way the company says — it’s all on this episode of Southwest vs. American Airlines, on Business Wars.

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Southwest vs American - Free LUV | 6 Sep 27, 2018

Thanks to deregulation, no-frills knock offs of Southwest take to the skies like crows. About 120 airlines have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy since the industry was deregulated in 1978.

American’s SABRE system optimizes...everything. It manages ticket pricing so flights are always full, and American is building new hubs and terminals. Meanwhile, Southwest company culture is shifting from sex appeal to backyard barbecue vibe. Is it enough to attract families to fly?

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Southwest vs American - The Cult of Herb | 5 Sep 25, 2018

Everyone loves Herb Kelleher—even FAA regulators. The onetime corporate counsel-turned-CEO is coming into his own at the helm of Southwest. But his latest challenge is coming up with a way to skirt the FAA’s pesky “slot” system, designed to limit air traffic by rationing takeoffs and landings. Kelleher has a business to run. So he embarks on a crazy plan to snag a few extra slots for Southwest. It may not work, but one thing’s certain: it will be a whole lot of fun.

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Southwest vs American - The Darling of Deregulation | 4 Sep 20, 2018

As deregulation dawns, Southwest Airlines’ founder and CEO are locked in a power struggle. In the middle is Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s corporate attorney. And after 18 months serving as a punching bag for the company’s top brass, he’s had enough.

But as Southwest deals with a succession crisis, American Airlines is facing another emergency. It needs money, fast. The company is cash-poor after investing in its proprietary online reservation system, SABRE. The situation is so dire CEO Al Casey turns to a drastic option — moving the company’s headquarters from its homebase in New York City to Dallas.

Just as American is getting a financial lift, Southwest takes a nosedive. Deregulation has the company eyeing expansion routes, but the powers that be will do anything to stop it.

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Southwest vs American - Aviation Cyber Wars | 3 Sep 18, 2018

The computer age is on the horizon, and American Airlines has a secret weapon: SABRE. Sure, the airline is top of the heap under the current pen-and-paper reservation system — the one where travel agents use a massive phonebook to look up flights, then call individual airlines to book a ticket. But they’re tired of playing phone tag. The American Society of Travel Agents has plans to roll out a new electronic system, one that could force American to lose its unofficial preferred status. The company has to get its system to market first — and its leaders have to convince the travel agencies to get onboard.

But there’s a much bigger threat looming on the horizon, one that could give a big boost to upstart rivals like Southwest Airlines. Deregulation is coming, and when it does it will change everything.

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Southwest vs American - Dogfight Over Dallas | 2 Sep 13, 2018

Baniff and Southwest battled in court for domination over the skies. Southwest came out on top for a little while, but Baniff pushed back with prices Southwest just couldn't beat. The only way Southwest could fight back was to give the mostly male, mostly businessmen clientele something they couldn't refuse: free booze. For the first time ever, Southwest is in the black. With Baniff tamed, there's more turbulence. This time, it's a national airline. American Airlines is here to play.

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Southwest vs. American - Clearing the Runway | 1 Sep 11, 2018

In Texas in the 1960s, Rollin King had a crazy idea. He wanted to create a no-frills airline service that served San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. All he and his lawyer had to do was convince the Federal Regulations Bureau that they had no jurisdiction on flights that never left Texas. Of course getting Southwest off the ground would have been a lot easier if they had any planes…

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Coke vs Pepsi - Interview with Tristan Donovan | 7 Sep 06, 2018

Host David Brown chats with series writer Tristan Donovan, author of Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World, about some of the juicy tidbits that didn’t make the final series. Like Fanta’s roots in Nazi Germany, Pepsi’s frantic struggle to make sure Coca-Cola didn’t beat it into space, and why Coca-Cola bottles have that iconic silhouette. And then there’s the cola that almost dethroned Coke. (Hint: it’s not Pepsi). David Brown even cops to his favorite cola...and the answer may surprise you.

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Coke vs Pepsi - The Soda Revolt | 6 Sep 04, 2018

Coke continues to grapple with Pepsi’s winning ads, but as Y2K nears both companies realize this isn’t just a cola war anymore. There’s more backlash for both companies, this time from schools. Coke and Pepsi are now seen as allies in America’s obesity. Both companies consider this but choose drastically different paths for the future. One gets as far away from soda as they can, the other doubles down. Both wrestle for dominance over every pocket of the soft drinks market - juice, bottled water, sports drinks and yes, cola - and show no signs of slowing anytime soon.

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Coke vs Pepsi - No Sacred Cows | 5 Aug 30, 2018

With the Pepsi Challenge under attack by Coke, Pepsi needs a new ad campaign. So the company turns for inspiration to the biggest pop star in the world: Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has a new chief executive who’s convinced tinkering with Coca-Cola’s prized formula is the key to winning the cola wars. He’ll stop at nothing to bring Coca-Cola fans New Coke—whether they like it or not.

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Coke vs Pepsi - The Imitator's Revenge | 4 Aug 28, 2018

Welcome to the Pepsi Generation. As Pepsi fires up a hot new ad campaign, Coca-Cola starts getting nervous. But a sudden plane detour through Ireland gives Coke executive Bill Backer inspiration for one of the most iconic ads of the 20th century. It seems Coke is on top once again—but Pepsi has another trick up its sleeve. The company is out for blood with the Pepsi Challenge, a nationwide taste test that will endanger the most precious part of Coca-Cola lore: its secret recipe.

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Coke vs Pepsi - Cola über Alles | 3 Aug 23, 2018

With world war on the horizon, Coca-Cola and Pepsi face a supply crisis. How to get enough sugar to continue bottling their sweet fizzy goodness? One man has the answer -- to secure its supply line, Coke must sell itself as the all-American cola. For GIs and liberated citizens the world over, Coca-Cola will become a symbol of hope. But the company’s all-hands patriotic marketing strategy leaves Pepsi out in the cold. With Coca-Cola claiming Europe, America’s number two cola turns south of the border to survive.

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Coke vs Pepsi - Candy Monster | 2 Aug 21, 2018

The cola cops are coming. Pepsi, an upstart Coca-Cola imitator, grabs its rival’s attention by serving up its own beverage to unsuspecting soda fountain customers. Coca-Cola moves fast -- but it’s not enough to stop Charles Guth, Pepsi-Cola’s new owner and the head of Loft Candy. He stays one step ahead of Coke with his dirty business practices. It’ll be up to lawyer and turnaround artist Walter Mack to stop the baddest man in the candy business.

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Coke vs Pepsi - Cocaine is King | 1 Aug 16, 2018

In turn of the century Atlanta, pharmacist John Pemberton has invented a dynamite health tonic with some secret ingredients his customers can’t get enough of. There’s only one problem. With the city about to go dry, the temperance authorities are coming for him. Pemberton needs to cook up a new recipe, fast — before his own demons tear him apart.

And there’s another problem on the horizon. Its name is Pepsi-Cola.

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eBay vs PayPal - Interview with Kara Swisher | 7 Aug 14, 2018

We hope you enjoyed our series on eBay vs PayPal. Here to discuss her thoughts on the PayPal mafia alums is Kara Swisher. Swisher is the self-described "grumpy lady of tech" and host of the podcast Recode Decode. She's known for her tough takes on Silicon Valley, is Silicon Valley royalty, and even had a cameo in Season 1 of HBO's Silicon Valley. Have we mentioned Silicon Valley enough? Here's our conversation with Kara.

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eBay vs PayPal - Outta the Gate | 6 Aug 09, 2018

PayPal is running out of time. The online payment service is hauling in new users, but its bottom line is bleeding red. Without a buyer to pump it full of cash soon, the company could go under. Should it take the safe route and sell out to its longtime nemesis eBay? Or should it risk the open market with an initial public offering?

Why not both?

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eBay vs PayPal - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do | 5 Aug 07, 2018

By late 2000, PayPal and X.com are yoked together, with X.com CEO Elon Musk leading the newly combined company. But it’s a rocky marriage: PayPal’s founders clash with their new leader over everything from his imperious management style to his choice of server platforms. Finally the PayPal loyalists decide there’s only one option left: it’s time to engineer a coup.

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eBay vs PayPal - How Bad Is It? | 4 Aug 02, 2018

Remember the summer of 2000? The Olympics were in full swing and PayPal was under attack. Not from eBay, but Russian hackers. In looking for soft targets in the early days of the untethered Internet, PayPal was the fattest cow. On top of that, there are competitors, and they’re catching on fast. Between the money stolen from hackers and competitors, PayPal has to figure out a way to survive, and fast.

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eBay vs PayPal - PayPal Goes Viral | 3 Jul 31, 2018

In the midst of the dot-com boom, there's also a lot of dot-com bust. PayPal desperately needed to grow but they companies who'd raised millions more suddenly disintegrate. The solution was so simple it seemed almost illegal - let the converted proselytize. And they do to incredible results. It doesn't take long for eBay to notice but there's nothing they can do to stop PayPal's viral momentum.

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eBay vs PayPal - The E-commerce Revolution | 2 Jul 26, 2018

As eBay gathers steam, a libertarian chess champion and a programmer who fled Communist Ukraine team up to change the world with their encryption software. But when their plan to piggyback on the ubiquitous Palm Pilot hits a snag, they stumble upon a new idea. The concept is so revolutionary, it will change the landscape of e-commerce and turn the fledgling company into a viral phenomenon. There’s just one problem. PayPal is set on a collision course with the one company it needs to succeed: eBay.

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eBay vs PayPal - Going Once, Going Twice | 1 Jul 24, 2018

At the dawn of the dotcom era, a Silicon Valley tech geek on a personal vendetta rolls out the world’s first e-commerce site. Vintage lunchboxes? Second-hand guitars? B-list celebrity autographs? It all finds a home on AuctionWeb, and before long the site’s growth is skyrocketing.

But founder Pierre Omidyar isn’t prepared for the infrastructure challenges that come with turning his pet project into a real company. Brownouts and site outages soon follow, raising the ire of customers. And without a way to close transactions online, AuctionWeb might be doomed before it takes off.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - Interview with Gabriel Kahn | 7 Jun 28, 2018

Joining us today is Gabriel Kahn, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California. He’s a former Los Angeles bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal and a frequent commentator on monetization and the media.

He’s also taught courses on the history of journalism. He recently wrote an open letter to the new owner of the Los Angeles Times, Patrick Soon Shiong, and now he's here to talk about Hearst vs Pulitzer!

Join us next week as we visit a new business war: Ford vs Chevrolet.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - Days of Atonement | 6 Jun 26, 2018

By 1900, the days of yellow journalism were already fading, and both William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were searching for a new direction even as their newspapers diverged.

Hearst tries for a political career, but finds himself defeated and dragging back to a lagging paper by the end of the decade.

Pulitzer doubled down on news, and in 1909 caught the biggest scoop of his career. While the paper is going as strong as ever, Pulitzer’s health is suffering.

Both men created legacies and changed the face of American journalism forever.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - Newsies | 5 Jun 21, 2018

A close up look at a crisis of their own making. One that nearly cost Hearst and Pulitzer their grip on the country’s first media empires. Instead of pitting them against each other, the crisis would see the two media moguls finding rare common ground.

At the turn of the century, newspapers flew off the presses in 8 or 10 separate editions a day. Newsies grabbed them off stacks in the alleys and took to the streets, their little hands stained with ink. But when the Newsies go on strike, no papes get sold. No papes, no profit - which leaves both Hearst and Pulitzer with a BIG problem.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - War Drums | 4 Jun 19, 2018

What happens when there’s no news? You have to MAKE the news.

When Hearst heard from his top reporter that the Spanish-Cuban tension wasn’t looking like anything would happen, Hearst wasn’t just going to wait around for an explosion.

He already bought and assembled a collection of powder kegs. It was just a matter of lighting the fuse.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Price of News | 3 Jun 14, 2018

In 1883, 15 years before the Headless Torso Murder, New York City's population was rapidly growing and the newspaper scene was pretty sleepy. The city's nearly 50 daily papers, even the small New York Times, was a pretty sedate bunch, informing citizens about zoning board decisions and weather trends. They rarely draw any blood, stir up society, get the city talking.

But that’s changing, thanks to Joseph Pulitzer.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Headless Torso, Part 2 | 2 Jun 12, 2018

In 1897, America looked very different. Carriages rolled through the streets of New York. Mass media was just growing up, and Hearst was convinced that carrier pigeons - hunted to extinction by 1914 - were what would give his paper the edge during the early days of the Headless Torso case.

This case belonged to the whole city. Everyone - barkeeps in Brooklyn and bankers on the Upper East Side alike are invested in the mystery… and what happened to his head.

For more American History Tellers, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to Business Wars.

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Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Headless Torso, Part 1 | 1 Jun 07, 2018

This is the beginning of a mystery, a great business rivalry, and a look into American history. To tell the story of Hearst vs Pulitzer, we called our friend Lindsay Graham over at American History Tellers for help.

The Headless Torso mystery is about a jilted husband, a German midwife, a muscleman and more colorful characters. The city’s been mesmerized for months, and in Gilded Age New York, most people just couldn’t resist pressing their pennies into a newsboy’s ink-stained hand to find out the latest.

You can listen to more episodes of American History Tellers wherever you listen to Business Wars.

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Gregor Mendel vs the World - American Innovations | 1 May 10, 2018

Host David Brown interviews Steven Johnson, the host of the new podcast American Innovations.

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The First Computer War - Computing Gets Personal | 6 May 08, 2018

After all that IBM has been through over the decades, it would have never in a million years guessed that their undoing would be at the hands of a scrawny and unknown computer nerd named Bill Gates. Gates sees the future, but can IBM catch up? Will they still be on top 50 years from now? Only time will tell.

We hope you enjoyed this series on the first computer wars, and I want to give a special shout out to our fans, The Elfenbein family!

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The First Computer War - Betting the Store | 5 May 03, 2018

It’s 1961. Since his father retired 5 years earlier, Thomas Watson Jr pushed to modernize IBM from the top down. New management, new ideas, newer, faster, machines. The company has grown, employing 1,000 people, they’ve dominated the emerging computer market... and managed to frustrate the public all at the same time. IBM’s new technology is confusing and the only way out may be to create a Civil War, burning IBM from the inside out. Will they be able to agree, or will infighting cost them the entire company?

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The First Computer War - Abdication | 4 May 01, 2018

In Episode 1 the UNIVAC successfully predicted that Eisenhower would win the 1952 election. In Philadelphia, a champagne hangover quickly settled in over the Remington Rand building, the company elated at its success. But over at IBM, a company that doesn't allow its employees to drink, they’re working, furiously. And Watson Jr. is ready to take the 701 to market in a few months. Visiting the 701 is soon the hottest ticket in town, and The Watsons and IBM sit back to watch. They feel the momentum shifting back in IBM’s favor once again.

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The First Computer War - IBM versus The UNIVAC | 3 Apr 26, 2018

What’s a 16% market share when the public thinks you have more? A potential anti-trust suit, if you’re IBM. Watson Jr. sees a potential lawsuit as a way out from under his father’s control. Sr. sees his company rotting away in the hands of a kid who can’t handle it. But when the antitrust suit comes through in 1952, Jr’s in charge. Can he actually handle the business he desperately wanted?

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The First Computer War - Father, Son, and The Future | 2 Apr 24, 2018

How do you really “get ahead” in a war? Sometimes you don’t have to do anything, you just wait for your opponent to fumble.

And in the late 1940s, IBM’s CEO Thomas Watson Sr., did. He’s just beginning to grasp the potential of these electronic machines, and - although older than most other CEOs is desperate to stay on top. He takes his volatile temper and insecurities out on the one person who could have helped him out of this freefall: his son.

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The First Computer War - The Electronic Brain | 1 Apr 19, 2018

With so much information at our fingertips, it’s hard to remember that we haven’t always walked around with supercomputers in our pockets. In fact, in 1952, CBS thought that Americans would find it SO hard to imagine that a machine could even predict election results accurately that they built a pretend computer and resorted to, well, fake news, to make the public believe. This is Univac vs. IBM, and this is the First Computer War.

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Marvel vs DC - Interview with Jason Mewes and Reed Tucker | 7 Apr 12, 2018

What's that? Up in the sky? It's another episode of Business Wars. Today we're talking to two super guests, Reed Tucker is a journalist living in New York City, and the author of the book Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DCand! Reed is the author of the Marvel/DC episodes of Business Wars.

After we talk to Reed we sit down with Jason Mewes. Jason, or Jay, as you may know him, is a comic book fanatic and long time Kevin Smith collaborator. You've seen his face in things like Clerks, Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

And both of them were able to answer faster than a speeding bullet the question we now pose to you: Marvel or DC?

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Marvel vs DC - The Cinematic Universe | 6 Apr 10, 2018

After more than 50 years of fighting for the hearts and attention spans of millions of readers, television viewers, and movie-goers - who wins this war? Is it DC, the original comic company company behind classic American heroes that defined the dreams of many young men and women? Or is it Marvel, the young upstart who changed the game and fought tooth and nail to catch up with DC and create their own cinematic universe?

For now, there’s one clear winner, but expect this war to rage on. No superhero stays dead forever.

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Marvel vs DC - Big Screen Heroes | 5 Apr 05, 2018

Appearances on radio programs, television shows and thousands of comic books - all just another day in the life of a superhero. But to get a larger than life hero onto a larger than life screen, there’s one secret ingredient: verisimilitude. As both companies fight for box office domination, a power player from our Netflix/Blockbuster series reveals one company to be just another cold, corporate machine.

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Marvel vs DC - Schemes, Scans, and Double Crosses | 4 Apr 03, 2018

It’s 1970 and the unthinkable just happened. Jack Kirby, one of the men who made Marvel, has defected to DC. With him he brought an idea that may just end Marvel for good. But as soon as DC seems to be pulling back into the lead, something else goes wrong - there’s a spy in their midst.

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Marvel vs DC - Copycat | 3 Mar 29, 2018

As Marvel’s richer storylines captivate more readers, DC just can’t keep up, or fully understand Marvel’s success. They even try directly copying Marvel’s style, but go about it in the worst way. Just when it looks like DC’s days at the top are numbered, they throw one final Hail Mary that steals away one of Marvel’s finest artists.

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Marvel vs DC - The Fantastic Mr. Lee | 2 Mar 27, 2018

We’ve talked about several wars on this series, but here’s a first: DC and Marvel engaging with each other, sniping, making fun, and getting their fans involved in the argument. A series of editor’s letters, guest columns, and fan mail printed in the comics themselves has everyone choosing sides.

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Marvel vs DC - Origin Stories | 1 Mar 21, 2018

In the early 1960s, the Space Race was on, Chubby Checkers got everyone doin’ the twist and Superman was turning 25. DC has it all - a legacy comic, the talented writers and illustrators, and plush offices in Manhattan. Marvel is around but it’s much smaller. They only have one full time employee, actually. Have you heard of Stan Lee? He WAS Marvel for a long time, and in 1961 he wrote a story that would revolutionize comics forever.

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Nike vs Adidas - Interview with Liz Dolan and David Meltzer | 7 Mar 20, 2018

Today we talked to Liz Dolan, former Nike CMO, and David Meltzer, sports marketing guru and agent about this vicious war. If you loved them here, you’ll love their podcasts even more.

Liz co-hosts Safe For Work, a show that answers your burning business questions and provides the advice you need to keep your office drama-free, and Satellite Sisters, where she got to sit down with Phil Knight and talk about Nike with the man himself. You can listen to that interview here.

You can hear David on his show, The Playbook, talking to Tony Hawk, Gary Vaynerchuk, Reggie Bush, and more of sports biggest names.

Subscribe to Safe For Work, Satellite Sisters, and The Playbook in Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to Business Wars.

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Nike vs Adidas - The Defectors | 6 Mar 15, 2018

The rivalry between Nike and Adidas has been intense for decades, but always respectful. But with intensity comes… defectors. Just three at the beginning, who set out to create a “Disneyland for designers.” And it worked. For the first time in a long time, the Swoosh was outperformed by three little white stripes.

But it’s not all bad. The constant competition drove both companies to produce better shoes, better apparel, and have made each other better businesses. As the sneaker wars enter a new era, who will come out on top? Time will tell, but if Phil Knight knows anything at all, it’ll be the company who isn’t afraid to fail.

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Nike vs Adidas - Rebound | 5 Mar 13, 2018

Nike, the late starter struck gold with its “Just Do It” campaign. Launched in 1988, the shoe giant finally had a tagline as good as its shoes. Meanwhile, Adidas, the brand that started and found success long before Nike was even a dream, finds itself as the underdog. The American offices feel like a startup, and is passed between the hands of former Nike execs and European businessmen. What does it take to go from a million-dollar company to a billion-dollar company? Adidas has to find out, and fast.

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Nike vs Adidas - Nike Air | 4 Mar 08, 2018

Every new Nike employee gets a list of principles that serves as the company’s philosophy. One: Our business is change. Two: We’re on offense, all the time.

With those principles Nike sprinted from $29 million in revenue in 1973 to more than $850 million by 1983. But the biggest boost for Nike was an up and coming athlete. Like Jesse Owens fifty years before, a young Michael Jordan would carry a fledgling shoe brand to new heights.

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Nike vs Adidas - Walking Billboards | 3 Mar 06, 2018

As long as there have been professional sports, there have been professional athletes, willing to accept money to wear certain brands, but the biggest endorsement deals were only made possible by a mid-20th century invention: the television. Fans realized they could tune in to see their favorite athletes almost any day of the week. Brands realized they just got hundreds of walking billboards showing the capabilities of their athletic gear in action… and it’s a race to see who can reach the world’s best athletes first.

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Nike vs Adidas - The Starting Line | 2 Mar 01, 2018

Rudi and Adi Dassler started the “Dassler Business” in the 1920s in their parent’s garage, recycling materials from WWI military gear and uniforms. They got a pair of their track spikes on an athlete named Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics and the company took off… until WWII.

The war may have been over for Germany, but the rivalry between Adi and Rudi was just heating up.

Rudi left to start his own company, Puma, and Adi created Adidas.

50 years later, with a waffle iron and inventory from Onitsuka Tiger, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman start tinkering with some shoes in Bowerman’s kitchen. The waffle iron didn’t last long, but the shoes did.

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Nike vs Adidas - Sneakerheads | 1 Feb 27, 2018

In 2015, Kanye West turned his back on Nike, an all out battle in the ongoing war for sneaker supremacy. Nike and Adidas are two multinational companies worth billions in an industry estimated to be valued at $220 Billion by 2020 (which is double the GDP of Ukraine) but that begs the question - Why are companies sinking so much money into mesh and rubber for your feet?

In this series of Business Wars, we'll find out. This is Episode 1 of a 7-part series on the brutal business battle between Nike and Adidas.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - Interview with Rich Greenfield | 8 Feb 22, 2018

Rich Greenfield is a tech and media analyst with BTIG who’s been covering this battle in some capacity for decades. We had the chance to talk to him in depth on today’s episode.

Follow Rich on Twitter @RichBTIG

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - The Way We Watch | 7 Feb 20, 2018

Netflix goes from being a streaming company to a movement in which consumers all over the world decide what show to watch -- and when and how they watch them. The future that Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph envisioned two decades earlier has arrived. The unfettered reign of cable television has ended. The war for streaming viewers will become richer. And more cutthroat.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - Binge | 6 Feb 15, 2018

Hollywood execs thought Netflix was crazy to give up advertising and spin off opportunities by letting viewers flop on a couch and watch a whole season of a show all at once. But Netflix knew it was on to something. All of their studies and focus groups revealed something new: viewers who binged content formed an emotional attachment to Netflix.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - HBO Gets In The Ring | 5 Feb 13, 2018

We take a step back to explore how a little company called Home Box Office went from serving B-movies to 325 homes in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania to become the juggernaut that we know as HBO. In the process, HBO, become the standard by which all other cable companies would have to measure themselves - after all, it's not TV. It's HBO.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - The Digital Divide | 4 Feb 08, 2018

You know that expression “content is king”? Well it turns out, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a hard-working algorithm that burrows into customer habits and viewing patterns. With that, Netflix had a clear upper hand on Blockbuster.

That, and the fact that Netflix targeted this new “streaming” technology that in 2007, no one really believed in. Soon they were on top of the world.

But it’s dangerous being on top. If you trip, you have a long way to fall.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - Dirty Tricks | 3 Feb 06, 2018

Thinking like your enemy is the best way to beat them, and during the war, Blockbuster tried every trick in the books to get inside Netflix. Sometimes they succeeded - sending “housewives” into warehouses as spies, and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But when Blockbuster did deliver, they delivered big. They threw everything they had at Netflix, but the war raged on.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - Origins | 2 Feb 06, 2018

After Hastings pleaded with Antioco to buy Blockbuster Online, Antioco agreed to present Hasting’s proposal to the board. What he didn’t tell him was that he was pushing the board to reject the offer so Netflix would wither and die. Meanwhile, Netflix was struggling to gain legitimacy in Hollywood. Netflix quickly realized that before it could take on the Hollywood gods, it would have to slay Blockbuster.

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Netflix vs Blockbuster - Sudden Death | 1 Feb 06, 2018

This is Episode 1 of an 8-part series on the brutal business battle between Netflix and Blockbuster, and later HBO.

It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster, but what they didn’t anticipate was that their business model would take on network television and eventually change the entire movie industry.

This was an 8-year total war that left innumerable casualties in its wake: thousands of hollowed out buildings and economic losses in the billions.

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Introducing: Business Wars Jan 19, 2018

Netflix-HBO. Nike-Adidas. Business is war. Sometimes the prize is your wallet. Sometimes your attention. Sometimes just the fun of beating the other guy. From Wondery, the network behind Dirty John and American History Tellers.

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