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 ...
Apr 14, 2021•23 min•Season 51Ep. 7
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/id1482067...
Apr 13, 2021•24 min•Ep. 7
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 L...
Apr 12, 2021•22 min•Season 51Ep. 6
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 dise...
Apr 07, 2021•26 min•Season 51Ep. 5
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 . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 06, 2021•5 min
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 shop...
Apr 05, 2021•24 min•Season 51Ep. 4
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 ...
Mar 31, 2021•25 min•Season 51Ep. 3
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 ...
Mar 29, 2021•20 min•Season 51Ep. 2
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...
Mar 24, 2021•22 min•Season 51Ep. 1
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 d...
Mar 22, 2021•22 min•Season 50Ep. 7
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 ...
Mar 17, 2021•29 min•Season 50Ep. 6
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...
Mar 15, 2021•29 min•Season 50Ep. 5
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...
Mar 10, 2021•25 min•Season 50Ep. 4
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. Pre-order our new book&...
Mar 08, 2021•26 min•Season 50Ep. 3
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 val...
Mar 03, 2021•25 min•Season 50Ep. 2
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 audience...
Mar 01, 2021•30 min•Season 50Ep. 1
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 Beaut...
Feb 24, 2021•24 min•Season 49Ep. 7
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, ...
Feb 22, 2021•25 min•Season 49Ep. 6
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 tu...
Feb 17, 2021•25 min•Season 49Ep. 5
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 hor...
Feb 15, 2021•26 min•Season 49Ep. 4
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. ...
Feb 10, 2021•26 min•Season 49Ep. 3
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...
Feb 08, 2021•24 min•Season 49Ep. 2
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 t...
Feb 03, 2021•27 min•Season 49Ep. 1
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 p...
Feb 01, 2021•22 min•Season 48Ep. 7
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. Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all...
Jan 27, 2021•27 min•Season 48Ep. 6
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. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https...
Jan 25, 2021•27 min•Season 48Ep. 5
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. Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13. Listen to new...
Jan 20, 2021•24 min•Season 48Ep. 4
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. Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free lis...
Jan 18, 2021•27 min•Season 48Ep. 3
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. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery...
Jan 13, 2021•26 min•Season 48Ep. 2
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. Pre-order our new book The Art of Business Wars now before it is released on April 13. Listen to new episodes 1 week early...
Jan 11, 2021•29 min•Season 48Ep. 1
