Answers to The Strategist quiz (#328)

1. This company in the early 1900s undertook every imaginable means of unfair competition, including physically assaulting competitor's employees. Its field force consisted of Knockout Salesmen, who fanned across the US selling machines that were copies of competitors' machines, but did not work. Finally in 1913, its top executives were indicted for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and were sentenced to a year in jail. Name the company.
   National Cash Register (NCR). Its founder John H Patterson and Thomas J Watson (Sr), who was the sales head, were among the two dozen executives of the company who were indicted and sentenced to a year in Jail.
    
2. In order to help their finances, three public authorities in Europe resorted to selling a prized commodity they all stocked. The French city of Dijon sold off 3,500 bottles roughly half its stock of this commodity to fund municipal services. The UK government sold from its vast collection for the first time, putting 54 bottles of the best up for sale to raise £74,000. The French presidency put 1,200 bottles of its finest on the block, which comprised one-tenth of the Elysee Palace's cellar. Name the commodity.
   Wine.
    
3. This bank's origin dates back to the late 1880s. It published its first annual report this month to become more open after a money laundering scandal. Name it.
   The Vatican Bank also known as The Institute for Religious Works or Istituto per le Opere di Religione
    
4. This company was founded after an invention made by a great British inventor, entrepreneur and eccentric. He got the inspiration for his product from an egg timer he saw at a pub. He also made underwater naturist films, flew helicopters, drove a fire engine, was a World War II pilot, a talented accountant and owned a naturist camp. His invention celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Name the product and the company's founder.
   Edward Craven Walker the inventor of the iconic Lava Lamp. He named his company Mathmos after the lava-like substance
    
5. What is the slang used for describing the sale of a security or other asset regardless of how much loss will be incurred?
   Puke Point
    
6. Which company is using a new age material called Imflux to revolutionise its product packaging?
   Procter and Gamble.
    
7. An advertisement, which lasted less than a minute showing tipsy Scotsmen in kilts, was projected on to a building in New York's Herald Square way back in 1897. It was the first ever filmed advertisement for a beverage. Name it.
   Dewar's Scotch whisky.
    
8. What is common to the following books: Animal Spirits, Finance & the Good Society and The New Financial order?
   These are all books written by Robert Shiller, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2013 along with two others
    
9. Which brand is linked with this baseline "Come meet your dark side"?
   After Dark, a whisky brand manufactured by Radico Khatan.
    
10. Identify the company from these logos. Mention the significance the first logo
    

These are logos used by the Sealed Air corporation famous for the Bubble Wrap packaging. It was created by two of its founders Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, in 1957. Like many innovations, it was accidental. The story begins in a garage in Hawthorne, NJ, where two engineers were trying to make plastic wallpaper with a paper backing. Surprisingly, this product did not take off but they quickly realised that their invention could be used as a cushioning material for packaging. Sealed Air Corporation was founded in 1960.

 

There were 18 correct entries for quiz no. 328. S. Venkatesan from T Nagar, Chennai wins Rs 2000. Winner was chosen by drawing lots.