Business Wars (Wondery)

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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In this special episode, we're taking you behind the scenes of the show. We'll delve into how we chose our host and how the first season got off the ground. Then we'll explore how we bring the story to life with sound. And comedian Josh Gondelman will give David Brown a bit of a grilling. Plus, David reflects on a listener's message. 

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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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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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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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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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David loves Lantana Hummus and so can you! Go to LantanaFoods.com and find Lantana Hummus at your local grocery store.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13.

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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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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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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.

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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‘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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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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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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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.

This series was originally released as a Wondery+ Exclusive in 2021.

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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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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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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.

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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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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Bob Iger has held the keys to the Disney castle since 2005. The last time this larger-than-life CEO tried to leave, an entire proxy battle broke out under the nose of his successor. Now, with Iger’s contract up in 2026, the entertainment industry (and Wall Street) are wondering who — and what — will come next. Sean McNulty, co-host of The Ankler Podcast, joins David to break down Disney’s next steps, and whether Iger can finally land the plane on his successor. 

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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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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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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When Texas hippie John Mackey opens an organic supermarket, he gets high on running a business. But when his ambitions sink its profits, sparks fly between him and his co-founders. They clash over the question of whether to chase a bigger dream or enjoy the money they’re already making.

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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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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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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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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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After 10 years of rapid growth, the dollar stores hit big trouble. Rats, burglars, unhappy workers, online agitators and inflation erode their profits. And a new online dollar store makes inroads. Can they survive these existential threats?

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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?

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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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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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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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 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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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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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.

Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13.

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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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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. 

Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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 DC and! 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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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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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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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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