Weekend Digest: The Mad Men Edition

TV PREVIEW: A HUCKABEE ADVANCE
This week on Talk Business & Politics:

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is set to announce that he’ll run for President in 2016. He rolled out a video this week in advance of his May 5th speech in Hope. His chief spokesperson Alice Stewart is in studio to discuss.

Health care reform. We’ve explored the politics of what’s on the horizon? How do business leaders feel about the pending changes? Mark White, CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer is a guest.

Plus, T. Boone Pickens comes to Arkansas; Wal-Mart is expanding in China; and Gov. Asa Hutchinson names a new highway study group. Talk Business & Politics business editor Wesley Brown discusses what all of these moves mean.

Tune in to Talk Business & Politics with Roby Brock on Sunday at 9 a.m. on KATV Ch. 7.

MAD MEN LESSONS FOR MODERN BUSINESS OWNERS
If you are addicted to the AMC series Mad Men, you’re probably like millions who will have withdrawals after the soon-to-air series finale.

Viewers are reluctant to say goodbye to the characters, who represent the quintessential ’60s experience. One reason may be the intimate look the series has depicted of the advertising industry during that decade.

Another may be its insightful glimpse into a time of hard-and-set demographic lines — which in turn provides a significant lesson for modern business owners.

In short: We’re no longer in the Mad Men era, and our marketing shouldn’t be, either.

To understand why psychographics now trumps demographics, click on this link from Entrepreneur.

THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION EFFECT ON THE ECONOMY IN THE COMING YEARS
Forbes reports, “This year, Millennials are expected to surpass Boomers as the largest living American generation, and soon, their effects on the economy will be felt in even greater measure, according to a new Standard & Poor’s report released Wednesday.”

The report by Beth Ann Bovino, Standard & Poor’s U.S. chief economist, noted that this generation, born from 1981 to 1997, numbers 80 million and that they spend an annual $600 billion. By 2020, they could account for $1.4 trillion in spending, or 30% of total retail sales.

But what distinguishes Millennials spending habits from other generations and how will they affect the economy over the next five years? Forbes takes an in-depth look at this link.

HOW POLICY MAKERS CAN SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS
Forbes says, “The facts are simple. Entrepreneurs drive economic growth.”

They do this by creating new goods and services, employing people and paying taxes. They generate wealth that is pumped back into the system so that governments can reinvest it for the benefit of all. And they have done this faithfully for centuries. Without entrepreneurs, the world as we know it would not exist.

“But while entrepreneurs are usually independent and resourceful, they still need policymakers to build the supportive business environment that will enable them to thrive.”

Connect here to learn five proposals for providing that environment.

THE 4 TYPES OF SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WHY EACH ONE MATTERS
It’s a fact that Harvard Business Review points out all too clear.

“America loves small businesses.”

A 2010 poll by The Pew Research Center found that the public had a more positive view of them than any other institution in the country – they beat out both churches and universities, for instance, as well as tech companies.

As Janet Yellen pointed out in a speech last year, “the opportunity to build a business has long been an important part of the American Dream.”

There are 28 million “small businesses” in America, defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees, and they fall into four different segments:

More at this link.

POLICE IN BALTIMORE HAVE ‘EXHAUSTED EVERY LEAD’
The Baltimore Sun reports, “Baltimore police have found that Freddie Gray suffered a serious head injury inside a prisoner transport wagon, with one wound indicating that he struck a protruding bolt in the back of the vehicle, according to sources familiar with the probe.”

New details of the investigation emerged as police officially turned over the case to city prosecutors Thursday. Police said they have “exhausted every lead.”

In announcing an early conclusion to the first phase of their investigation, police also revealed a previously unknown stop by the transport van driver. Officials declined to comment further on what happened but said they had obtained private security footage depicting that event.

As unrest continues in Baltimore over Gray’s arrest and then death, police and investigators are now focusing on what happened inside that van according to The Sun.  Go to this link for details.

‘REPUBLICAN AMENDMENTS COMPLICATE EFFORTS TO SECURE DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT’
Calling it a “mess” POLITICO reveals, “Sens. Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio used a hardball procedural tactic on Thursday to force contentious votes on a bill allowing congressional review of a nuclear deal with Iran, a move that jeopardizes the measure’s future.”

After being blocked by Democrats for several days, Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rubio (R-Fla.) used a parliamentary procedure to try to compel votes on amendments that would make Iran relinquish its nuclear facilities before getting economic sanctions relief and require that Iran recognize Israel’s statehood as a condition of any nuclear deal.

The move blindsided Democrats who had been working with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) to pass the bipartisan bill. Afterwards, Corker offered a grim assessment of the amendment process.

So is the bill likely now to pass and how could “cloture” come in to play?

Follow this link for the complete story plus analysis.

CAN THE ‘LONGSHOT’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FORCE CLINTON TO THE LEFT?
Progressives are hoping that is the case, reports POLITICO.

After months of fretting about a Hillary Clinton coronation, progressives are hoping Bernie Sanders is threatening enough to the Democratic front-runner to force a real debate.

Sanders, the 73-year-old Vermont independent senator who on Thursday officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, is a long shot. But for now, he can command the liberal wing of the party and try to gain momentum to force Clinton onto his turf on three issues — income inequality, climate change and campaign finance reform.

Making his announcement on the steps of the Capitol, Sanders gave a short, un-scripted announcement speech.

He railed against a billionaire class “literally able to buy elections and candidates,” while calling for a massive infrastructure plan, student debt relief and major action on climate change.

For complete coverage, click here.

BRITISH LONGSHOT NOW THE FAVORITE
In the beginning, he was called “too weak and too weird to be Britain’s prime minister.” Now The Washington Post reports Ed Miliband is the favorite to win.

His approval ratings flirted with the lowest ever recorded for a major party leader. Among his Labor supporters, there were whispers of a coup. And with Britain’s economy recovering from the depths of recession, Conservative Party leader David Cameron seemed to have reelection locked up.

But British voters, not known for their faith in the powers of redemption, have done something unusual over the past month.

What have they done and how has Miliband taken advantage of it? Connect here for the full story.

NASA SPACECRAFT ENDS ITS MISSION WITH PLANNED CRASH INTO MERCURY
After four years of exploring the solar system’s closest planet to the sun, the Messenger Spacecraft slammed into Mercury this past Thursday.

Hurtling toward the planet at more than 8,700 mph (3.9km per second), Messenger smashed into a plain smoothed over by past lava floods, according to NASA’s estimates. The probe crashed near a large impact basin named Shakespeare, a 250-mile-diameter zone of craters; Messenger’s own crater is estimated to be 52 ft at its widest.

Check out some beautiful almost psychedelic images Messenger took of Mercury and learn more about the mission at this link.

NO SELECTIONS IN ADVANCE
That is in the NFL Draft that commenced in Chicago Thursday night. It seems “draft scoops” from the media like ESPN’s Adam Scheftner were not popular with the fans.

“We just got ridiculously negative feedback, and it was taking the air out of our show,” said Seth Markman, ESPN’s lead producer for the draft. “It was bad business.”

And last week, the league used its clout to secure the added agreement of CBS, Fox and NBC that their reporters would not report who was being drafted in advance.

How have media types responded to this twitter lockout sneak peek of draft selections that some say is “a sacrifice of journalism.” Will the NBA follow suit? Find out here.