MEDIA ALERT:
October 25, 2007
For
technology, business and economic
reporters, editors and producers
Contact:
Carrie Handwerker,
301-405-5833,
chand@rhsmith.umd.edu
UMD BUSINESS EXPERT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON MICROSOFT’S STAKE IN FACEBOOK
Associate professor Chris
Dellarocas in the decision and
information technologies department
at the University of Maryland’s
Robert H. Smith School of Business
is a noted Web expert in the field
of social networking and can comment
on the Microsoft-Facebook deal that
values Facebook at $15 billion.
Dellarocas can discuss:
Whether the deal overvalues
Facebook and if the social
networking site lives up to its
potential
“The $15 billion valuation
that is implied by Microsoft’s $240
million investment in Facebook
indeed sounds exorbitant. There is
probably no way that it can be
justified by looking at the expected
cash flows that Facebook is likely
to generate, ever.”
Major deal implications and how
much value a stake in the social
networking site adds to the rest of
Microsoft’s businesses
“Microsoft’s investment in
Facebook ensures that Microsoft’s ad
placement technology stays relevant.
In an era where software is
increasingly becoming a service,
Facebook’s Web services platform —
which allows any individual or
corporation to roll out new software
services to the entire Facebook
community — can be of huge relevance
to Microsoft, both in terms of
facilitating the rollout of its
future products as well as in
controlling the competition. View
this investment as a ‘stocking fee’
that secures a stake on a valuable
future channel for Microsoft’s core
businesses that also happens to have
social networking features.”
— Dr. Chris Dellarocas,
e-mail:
cdell@rhsmith.umd.edu
Dellarocas’ research studies the
economic and strategic
implications of online
reputation mechanisms, search
engines, online product reviews,
social networks and other Web
2.0 technologies for consumers
and firms.
MEDIA
ALERT:
August 10, 2007
For financial, business and economic
reporters, editors and producers
Contact:
Carrie Handwerker,
301-405-5833,
chand@rhsmith.umd.edu
UMD FINANCE
PROFESSORS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON
HOUSING MARKET AND ITS IMPACT ON STOCK
MARKETS
Finance professors at the University
of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of
Business, can comment on the current
housing market and its impact on stock
markets. The Smith School has an
in-house ReadyCam broadcast facility for
live or taped interviews via fiber-optic
line for television or multimedia
content.
Dr. Albert S. “Pete” Kyle, the Smith
Chair Professor of Finance, is an expert
on financial markets and closely follows
the housing market and its impact on
bond markets. He also served as a staff
member on the Brady Commission after the
stock market crash of 1987 and has been
a member of NASDAQ’s economic advisory
board.
Kyle can talk about:
- Impact of subprime lending on
bond markets and hedge funds
- Whether organizations such as
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could
help ease subprime mortgage credit
problems and broader recession
- Financial contagion stemming from
the subprime mortgage industry,
spreading to real contagion felt in
other markets
- How the current state of financial
markets compares to the stock market
crash of 1987
“The big question now is whether
the rest of the economy is strong enough
to prevent a recession from happening
or whether the housing market will drag
the rest of the economy into recession.”
Dr. Albert S. “Pete”
Kyle
Phone: 301-405-9684
E-mail:
akyle@rhsmith.umd.edu
Dr. John A. “Jack” Haslem, Professor
Emeritus of Finance, is an expert on
mutual funds, focusing on financial,
regulatory and policy issues.
“The basic battle is between
the disappearance of liquidity in
the junk bond and mortgage markets
and the strong global economy.
Strong global economic growth will
defeat the panic in domestic
financial markets. This victory
requires only for the Fed to state
its willingness to provide needed
liquidity. Domestic growth may slow
a bit, but the Fed’s assurances will
calm financial markets, and global
economic growth will continue on
solid fundamentals.”
Dr. John A.
“Jack” Haslem
Phone: 202-236-3172
E-mail
jhaslem@rhsmith.umd.edu
To arrange an interview please contact:
Carrie Handwerker, Public Relations
Associate
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Phone: 301-405-5833; E-mail:
chand@rhsmith.umd.edu
MEDIA ALERT:
June 15, 2007
Attention: Reporters, editors and broadcast
producers
Contact: Carrie Taschner, Office: 301-405-5833;
Cell: 301-613-6356
BUSINESS EXPERTS
COMMENT ON “HARRY POTTER” BRANDING PROWESS
Experts from the University of Maryland’s
Robert H. Smith School of Business are available
to comment on the final “Harry Potter” book
in J.K. Rowling’s hit series, as well as
how branding of the series — through traditional
and new media channels — plays into its
success and the success of the upcoming
release of the latest movie.
What the experts are saying:
The End Only Increases the Enchantment
“J.K. Rowling has created a sense
of scarcity with the release of the
final ‘Harry Potter’ book. This creates
further suspense (will Harry die?),
but also the sense that the Harry Potter
world may be coming to an end. If the
books were to continue indefinitely,
I think some of the charm would wear
off.”
— Amna Kirmani
is a professor of marketing whose research
interests include consumers’ inferences
of product quality from marketing signals,
consumers’ use of persuasion knowledge,
and branding. Phone: 301-405-2202; e-mail:
akirmani@rhsmith.umd.edu.
Big Box-Office Opening — for Both
Movie and Book
“There is no danger for the movie
studio — the upcoming ‘Harry Potter’
film will do really well, even if it
receives only mediocre reviews from
the critics. If you look at the ‘event’
movies this summer, most are tied to
something else — a book, television
show, prequel — which suggests studios
are really very risk-adverse and looking
to repeat proven successes. These ‘event’
movies are also very expensive for the
distributors, in terms of production
costs, acquisition of rights, marketing,
and salaries. So the real question is
not whether ‘Harry Potter’ will perform
well at the box office, but whether
the distributor would do better allocating
some of those resources to other lower
profile projects.”
— David Waguespack,
assistant professor of management and
organization, is an expert on the business
of film production and distribution.
Phone: 301-405-9542; e-mail:
dwaguesp@rhsmith.umd.edu.
“The book publishing industry
is becoming and more and more like the
movie box office, dependant on a strong
release, especially with blockbusters
like ‘Harry Potter.’ The publishers
make a big splash with promotions and
offer the book everywhere at first,
but then it quickly tapers off.”
— P.K. Kannan,
the Harvey Sanders Associate Professor
of Marketing and director of the Smith
School’s Center for Excellence in Service,
is an expert on the publishing industry.
Phone: 301-405-2188; e-mail:
pkannan@rhsmith.umd.edu.
Multimedia Marketing Magic
“The series has benefited from
modern media: Web sites, blogs, movies,
books, magazines, fan clubs, merchandising,
book signings, etc. Marketers make great
use of the Internet, with official and
unofficial Web sites for fans. J.K.
Rowling has her own Web site, creating
a further bond with readers and fans.”
— Amna Kirmani
is a professor of marketing whose research
interests include consumers’ inferences
of product quality from marketing signals,
consumers’ use of persuasion knowledge,
and branding. Phone: 301-405-2202; e-mail:
akirmani@rhsmith.umd.edu.
To arrange an interview please contact:
Carrie Taschner, Public Relations Associate
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Phone: 301-405-5833;
ctaschne@rhsmith.umd.edu
ATTENTION: TELEVISION
NEWS PRODUCERS AND BOOKERS
May 14, 2007- MEDIA ALERT
LEADING BUSINESS EXPERTS AVAILABLE
ON DEMAND FOR LIVE TV INTERVIEWS
Business experts from the University
of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of
Business are now available for live, broadcast-quality
television interviews directly from the
school’s campus. The business school has
established a fiber-optic-equipped studio,
outfitted with a professional camera, lighting,
audio equipment and a dedicated fiber line
connection to Verizon’s Audio Visual Operations
Center in Washington, D.C. and the Vyvx
network for switching to broadcast outlets.
Journalists gain quick and easy access to
live interviews, via fiber connection or
satellite downlink, with some of the world’s
leading experts in business areas ranging
from the financial markets to the airline
industry.
WHAT: Leading business experts
from the University of Maryland’s Robert
H. Smith School of Business are available
for live and taped interviews direct
from campus to your control room.
EXPERT SOURCES: Smith School
experts are recognized, world-leading
authorities on business topics that
include the financial markets, mergers
and acquisitions, trade and the economy
– as well as today’s top news-making
industries such as the airline and automobile
industries. Access the Smith School’s
expert directory at:
http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/expert/
SET UP AN INTERVIEW:
Contact Carrie Taschner,
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Phone:
301-405-5833; Email:
ctaschne@rhsmith.umd.edu
*For more
information about the studio and to access
a directory of the Smith School’s experts,
please visit
www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/studio.html.
