BlackBerry, Red Lobster, and Four Other Big Brands That Could Go Out of Business


4. Zynga. Founded in 2007, the gaming company was worth around $20 billion at one point, having launched one of the most popular social networking games ever: FarmVille. In the past couple of years, the company has been plagued by bad investments and employee complaints about workplace standards. Moreover, Zynga relied too heavily on Facebook, and as the social network changed, the company couldn’t keep up, the HuffingtonPost reports. The company has hired a new CEO, Don Mattrick, the former head of Microsoft’s Xbox, who is challenged with thinking of a way to successfully transition Zynga’s online gaming platforms onto a mobile setting.

5. Volvo. Volvo, long ago considered a safe and approachable vehicle, competes with way too many car brands. The Swedish manufacturer is in direct competition with mid-luxury cars, like Toyota and General Motors, while also finding itself up against lower-priced high-end cars from Mercedes and BMW, reports the HuffingtonPost. Therefore, the demand for Volvo, which offers a small selection of cars, has suffered. In comparison, Volkswagen owns Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Seat car brands, allowing for a company with a more diverse and broader audience since they can market their cars to people of all financial levels.

6. Martha Stewart Living. Lifestyle personality Martha Stewart is extremely popular, so it only makes sense that her magazine and television show, both of which started in the early 1990’s, would resonate very well with the American public. Martha Stewart Living magazine can’t sell any advertising pages. Publishing revenue dropped to $19.4 million, from $27.6 million between 2012 and 2013. The company laid off 100 workers in December 2013 and in restructuring the publishing division, two of its smaller magazines were discontinued: Everyday Food and Whole Living. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is undergoing a huge restructuring from a media company to a merchandising enterprise.

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