Top Stories Übersetzen auf Englisch gt Übersetzen auf Englisch Dieser Inhalt ist speziell für unsere internationalen Zielgruppe. Umschalten auf US-Ausgabe Dieser Inhalt ist speziell für unser internationales Publikum verfügbar. Wechseln Sie zur kanadischen Ausgabe Dieser Inhalt ist für unser internationales Publikum angepasst. Switch to UK edition Dieser Inhalt ist für unsere internationalen Zielgruppe angepasst. Umschalten auf australische Ausgabe Moumlchtest du switch to english version wechseln Möchten Sie zur deutschen Ausgabe gehen Souhaitez-vous rendre sur leacublition franccedilaise Möchten Sie zur französischen Ausgabe gehen Noacutes especializamos nosso site para sua regiatildeo Vocecirc gostaria de ir para E Online Brasilien Wir haben unsere Website für Ihre Region spezialisiert. Möchten Sie auf unsere brasilianische Version umschalten iexclHemos especializado nuestro sitio para tu regioacuten iquestQuieres ir a E Online Latino Wir haben unsere Website für Ihre Region spezialisiert. Möchten Sie auf unsere Latino-Edition wechseln SWOT-Beispiele Facebook SWOT-Analyse Facebook ist ein wachsendes Social-Media-Netzwerk, das Millionen von Menschen ermöglicht, über Pfosten, Fotos, Videos und vieles mehr miteinander verbunden zu bleiben. Es ist eine fabelhafte kostenlose Social-Media-Tool, das die Welt verbindet hält. Sie können in Kontakt mit Familie und Freunden zu bleiben, die Sie folgen können Prominente und Politiker können Sie für Ihr Unternehmen werben und eine Pay-per-Click-Marketing-Kampagne. Lets Blick auf Facebooks SWOT Stärken, Schwächen, Chancen und Bedrohungen. Mit der wachsenden Nutzung von Mobiltelefonen und Einführung von Facebook-App, ein Präzedenzfall Anstieg ist in der gesamten Nutzung gesehen aufgetreten ist. Nach FY2015, hatte Facebook etwa 169 Millionen täglichen Account-Nutzer, die eine große Zahl im Vergleich zu den Vorjahren ist. Es eroberte auch bedeutende Märkte in den USA, Brasilien und Indien. Eine andere Sache, die zu Gunsten von Facebook geht, ist die Tatsache, dass es eine loyale Kundenbasis hat, bedeutet, dass jeder Nutzer regelmäßig seine persönlichen Daten und Anwendungen auf Facebook eingerichtet hat, die sie regelmäßig aktualisieren und somit aktive Nutzer sind. So hat Facebook den Status eines nicht replizierbaren Wettbewerbsvorteils. Ihr Ziel ist es, Entwicklungen auf Tag-zu-Tag-Basis anzubieten, so dass ein Benutzer-Engagement auf maximalem Niveau erreicht wird. Das zieht auch Werbetreibende im großen Maßstab an. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Facebook für die Verbesserung der Benutzerfreundlichkeit bekannt ist, sehen wir verschiedene neue Produkte von Facebook angeboten. Das Konzept von 360-Grad-Fotos, Notify und Facebook live sind beste Beispiele dafür, wie gut sich ihre Nutzerengagement im Laufe der Jahre durch Innovation entwickelt hat. Facebook hat einen anderen Wettbewerbsvorteil zu sammeln lukrative Datenbanken. Informationen über den Standort, die Interessen der Nutzer, die Verbindung ist für Werbetreibende wertvoll, da sie die richtige Zielgruppe ansprechen können. Das Unternehmen hat auch ein Rekord von starken finanziellen Performance, die es belastbar macht auf dem Markt. Facebook generiert seine Einnahmen nur durch Werbung und damit ist es eine seiner Schwachstellen. Diese Inserenten verteilen ein kleines Budget für Facebook-Werbung und ihre Verpflichtungen sind auch kurzlebig. Zusammen mit, dass die Vermarkter mag nicht, wie einige der Produkte von Facebook angeboten und die bereit sind, zu beenden, Geschäft mit Facebook beenden oder weniger zahlen als die fälligen Betrag für die Werbung. Das Unternehmen muss langfristige Engagement Angebote mit Werbetreibenden zu unterzeichnen, um zu wachsen. Digital-Marketing ist hier, um im Geschäft für eine Weile zu bleiben und Facebook ist gut positioniert, um maximale Gewinne aus ihm zu gewinnen. Es wird von der Industrie geglaubt, dass über Aktien von U. S digitalen Display-Display-Markt wird eine Zunahme von 26,9 bis 2017 zu sehen und Facebook wird erwartet, dass Einnahmen aus ihm zu gewinnen. Zielgruppe Marketing für Werbetreibende ist eine der Stärken für Facebook. Nicht nur, dass es die Demographie, Interessen, Aktivitäten und Verbindungen seines Benutzers versteht, es hilft auch, den Verkehr auf der Grundlage von Angeboten, Nachrichten und Veranstaltungen zu generieren. Dies zieht Werbetreibende auf einer großen Ebene und ihre bequemste Option für die Werbung, dennoch ist Facebook. Mobile Werbung ist auch eine weitere Möglichkeit für Facebook. Im Dezember 2015 stieg die tägliche durchschnittliche Nutzer für mobile auf rund 25 Prozent in erster Linie durch die Einführung von Smartphones und Tabletten. Facebook kann mehr Gewinn durch mobile Werbung verdienen und nutzt dieses Wachstum in der Nutzerbasis von mobilen Apps. Vor kurzem ist eine große Zahl von Social-Sites wie Facebook kommen in der Front und haben starke Konkurrenz mit Facebook entwickelt. Diese Social-Sites entwickeln Tools wie Facebook-Anwendungen, um die Verbraucher zu engagieren und werden erfolgreich. Darüber hinaus gibt es mobile Unternehmen, die Publikum Informationen wie Facebook bieten kann und ziehen Werbetreibende zu. Diese Apps oder mobile Unternehmen können eine riesige Bedrohung für Facebook zu sein. Das Unternehmen steht auch vor Drohungen von Gesetzgebung Agenturen für die Entwicklung von Produkten, die nicht Schutz der Privatsphäre der Nutzer und Kontaktdaten etc. Eine weitere Bedrohung für Facebook ist die große Anzahl von Spammern, die die Benutzeroberfläche unattraktiv machen und eine große Anzahl von Menschen können Facebook wegen Zu ihrer unnötigen Anzeige von sich wiederholenden Informationen. SWOT-Analyse SWOT-Analyse ist ein Werkzeug für die Prüfung einer Organisation und ihrer Umgebung. Es ist die erste Stufe der Planung und hilft Vermarktern, sich auf Schlüsselthemen zu konzentrieren. SWOT steht für Stärken, Schwächen, Chancen und Bedrohungen. Stärken und Schwächen sind interne Faktoren. Chancen und Bedrohungen sind externe Faktoren. Eine Stärke ist ein positiver innerer Faktor. Eine Schwäche ist ein negativer innerer Faktor. Eine Chance ist ein positiver externer Faktor. Eine Bedrohung ist ein negativer externer Faktor. Diagramm: Eine SWOT-Analyse Wir sollten darauf abzielen, unsere Schwächen in Stärken und unsere Bedrohungen in Chancen zu verwandeln. Dann endlich gibt SWOT Manager Optionen, um interne Stärken mit externen Chancen zu erfüllen. Das Ergebnis sollte eine Wertsteigerung für Kunden sein, die hoffentlich unseren Wettbewerbsvorteil verbessern wird. Der Hauptzweck der Analyse ist es, Wert auf unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu legen, damit wir neue Kunden gewinnen, treue Kunden gewinnen und Produkte und Dienstleistungen langfristig auf die Kundensegmente ausweiten können. Bei erfolgreicher Durchführung können wir unseren Return on Investment (ROI) erhöhen. Einfache Regeln. Seien Sie realistisch über die Stärken und Schwächen Ihrer Organisation. Es sollte unterscheiden, wo Ihre Organisation heute ist und wo es in der Zukunft sein könnte. Es sollte immer spezifisch sein. Vermeiden Sie graue Bereiche. Immer das Werkzeug in Bezug auf Ihre Konkurrenz anwenden, d. H. Besser oder schlechter als Ihre Konkurrenz. Halten Sie Ihre Prüfung kurz und einfach. Vermeiden Sie Komplexität und Überanalyse Es ist subjektiv. Sobald die wichtigsten Fragen mit Ihrer SWOT-Analyse identifiziert wurden, füttern sie in Marketing-Ziele. Das Tool kann in Verbindung mit anderen Tools für Audit und Analyse, wie PEST-Analyse und Porters Five-Forces-Analyse verwendet werden. So SWOT ist ein sehr beliebtes Werkzeug mit Marketing-Studenten, weil es schnell und einfach zu erlernen ist. Während der SWOT-Übung, Listenfaktoren in den entsprechenden Feldern. Es ist so einfach. Hier sind einige kostenlose Beispiele für SWOT-Analyse klicken Sie direkt zu ihnen. Stärken und Schwächen sind interne Faktoren. Eine Stärke könnte sein: Ihre Fachkompetenz im Marketing. Ein neues, innovatives Produkt oder eine neue Dienstleistung. Standort Ihres Unternehmens. Qualitätsprozesse und - prozesse. Jeder andere Aspekt Ihres Unternehmens, die Wert auf Ihr Produkt oder Ihre Dienstleistung. Eine Schwäche könnte sein: Mangel an Marketing-Know-how. Undifferenzierte Produkte oder Dienstleistungen (d. h. in Bezug auf Ihre Wettbewerber). Standort Ihres Unternehmens. Schlechte Qualität von Waren oder Dienstleistungen. Beschädigte Reputation. Chancen und Bedrohungen sind externe Faktoren. Eine Chance könnte sein: ein sich entwickelnder Markt wie das Internet. Fusionen, Joint Ventures oder strategische Allianzen. Umzug in neue Marktsegmente mit verbesserten Gewinnen. Einen neuen internationalen Markt. Ein Markt von einem ineffektiven Konkurrenten. Eine Bedrohung könnte sein: Ein neuer Wettbewerber in Ihrem Heimatmarkt. Preiskriege mit Konkurrenten. Ein Wettbewerber hat ein neues, innovatives Produkt oder eine neue Dienstleistung. Wettbewerber haben einen besseren Zugang zu Vertriebskanälen. Die Besteuerung wird auf Ihrem Produkt oder Ihrer Dienstleistung eingeführt. Ein Wort der Vorsicht kann es sehr subjektiv sein. Verlassen Sie sich nicht auf SWOT zu viel. Zwei Personen selten kommen mit der gleichen endgültigen Version von SWOT. TOWS-Analyse ist sehr ähnlich. Brauchen Sie eine erweiterte SWOT-Analyse Einige der Probleme, die Sie mit SWOT begegnen können, sind als Folge eines seiner wichtigsten Vorteile, d. H. Seine Flexibilität. Da SWOT-Analyse in einer Vielzahl von Szenarien verwendet werden kann, muss es flexibel sein. Dies kann jedoch zu einer Reihe von Anomalien führen. Probleme mit der grundlegenden SWOT-Analyse können mit einem kritischen POWER SWOT angesprochen werden. Geschichte der SWOT-Analyse Auf dieser Seite angekommen haben Sie wahrscheinlich im Internet surfen und gecheckte Bücher und Zeitschriften auf der Suche nach der Geschichte der SWOT-Analyse. Die einfache Antwort auf die Frage Was ist SWOT ist, dass es keine einfache Antwort, und man braucht, um ein wenig akademische Weisheit zu zeigen, dass niemand die Mühe, die erste endgültige Zeitschrift Papier oder Buch, das die Geburt der SWOT-Analyse angekündigt hatte zu schreiben. Es gibt eine Reihe von kontrastierenden, wenn auch nicht widersprüchlichen Ansichten über die Herkunft von SWOT. Sind hier einige der führenden Denker auf dem Thema (und wenn Sie mehr uns bitte informieren, damit wir sie addieren können). Mehr. Kostenlose SWOT-Analyse-Beispiele Eine Zusammenfassung der kostenlosen SWOT-Analysen Fallstudien sind in unserem Lesson Store skizziert. SWOT-Analyse Yahoo Möchten Sie eine Lektion auf SWOT-Analyse Stärken. Yahoos Overture ist ein enorm profitables Internet-Werbung Geschäft. Es konzentriert sich auf Affiliate-Werbung für große Werbe-Konten, in der gleichen Weise wie Googles Adsense-Programm. Dies ist eine wichtige Einnahmequelle für Yahoo. Yahoo hat über 350 Millionen Nutzer seiner Dienstleistungen und Lösungen. Dies macht es zu einem sehr leistungsfähigen Marketing-Unternehmen, mit einer sehr bekannten Marke. Einige Berichte zeigen, dass es ist die beliebteste Website in der Welt. Chancen Der internationale Markt ist eine riesige Chance für Yahoo. Yahoo. Microsoft und Google sind damit beschäftigt Carving Nischen und Übernahme von Unternehmen in sind rund um die Greater China Region. China hat über 1.200.000.000 Einwohner. Auch andere Volkswirtschaften wie Indien bieten ein enormes Wachstumspotenzial. Die Entwicklung des Yahoo-Verzeichnisses hat Potenzial für neue Geschäfts - und Einkommensströme. Zwei Drittel der Organisationen in Ohmaes Triad (Europa, Japan und die USA) sind Small Medium Enterprises (KMU). KMU sind potenzielle Verzeichnis-Werbetreibende. Mobile Technologien bieten eine weitere Möglichkeit für Yahoo. Heute greifen wir über Personalcomputer auf das Internet zu. Morgen Telefone, Fernsehgeräte, persönliche Organisatoren, Musik-Player und Computer verschmelzen und morph. Die mobilen Geräte der Zukunft benötigen Dienste und Lösungen. Yahoo wäre gut platziert, um viele von ihnen bieten. Die größte Bedrohung für alle Web-basierte Organisation ist der Wettbewerb. Riesige Gewinne ziehen Investoren, Innovatoren und Unternehmer an. Dotcom-Fieber ist nicht weggegangen, es ist jetzt mehr auf Gewinnlieferung fokussiert. Alle Yahoos wichtigsten Dienstleistungen haben Konkurrenten wie AOL, Google und viele andere. Internationale, kulturspezifische Konkurrenten könnten Yahoo in Zukunft beeinflussen, es sei denn, strategische Allianzen werden gefälscht. China hat seine eigenen Suchmaschinen entwickelt, wie Indien hat. Warum sollte die Welt USA-basierte Unternehmen wie Yahoo. Es muss eine Reihe von erheblichen Wettbewerbsvorteile zu sehen, das Geschäft bleiben als internationale Marke. Schauen Sie, was gelernt wurde aus der globalen Automobilindustrie oder Elektronikindustrie. Wenn Yahoo. Wurde 1994 von Stanford Ph. D. Studenten, David Filo und Jerry Yang, begann es als Hobby und hat sich zu einer globalen Marke entwickelt, die die Art und Weise verändert hat, wie Menschen miteinander kommunizieren, Informationen finden und auf sie zugreifen und Einkäufe tätigen. Lesen Sie mehr Haftungsausschluss: Diese Fallstudie wurde aus Informationen erstellt, die aus öffentlichen Quellen frei verfügbar sind. Sie dient lediglich der Verwendung für Bildungszwecke. Eine wichtige langfristige Stärke ist Yahoos internationale Geschäftspräsenz. Wie das Internet ausdehnt und es durch mehr Nationen angenommen wird, beginnen die Gelegenheiten für Internet-Marken zu entstehen. Yahoo ist gut platziert, um diese Chancen mit ihren strategischen Geschäftseinheiten in Asien, Europa und Australien nutzen zu können. Das Yahoo-Verzeichnis ist eine originale Quelle für strukturierte Informationen. Es hat in den letzten zehn Jahren gebaut, und im Gegensatz zu Mainstream-Suchmaschinen, ist sein Inhalt moderiert (d. H. Websites werden vor ihrer Aufnahme getestet). Schwächen. Differenzierung ist für Yahoo schwierig. Fast alle seiner verpackten Dienstleistungen sind aus anderen Quellen erhältlich. (I) Sucheinrichtungen sind auf MSN und Google verfügbar. (Ii) Kostenlose E-Mail-Konten von Hotmail (MSN) oder G-Mail (Google) und viele, viele andere. (Iii) Neu ist bei CNN oder BBC erhältlich. (Iv) Einkaufen ist überall im Internet möglich. Google hat Froogle. Online-Werbung ist eine neue Einnahmequelle für Organisationen wie MSN, Yahoo und Goggle. Ja, heute sind sie sehr, sehr profitabel. Doch wie sich Technologie entwickelt und neue unvorhergesehene Werbemedien entstehen, ist die Zukunft für diese Einkommensströme ungewiss. Dies ist eine Schwäche für Yahoo und seine Konkurrenten. Ein anderer Einkommensstrom, der Schlüssel zu Yahoo war, ist von seinen Partnerschaften mit Telekommunikationsanbietern abgeleitet. Zum Beispiel, kaufen Sie ein Internet-Anschluss-Paket von Ihrem lokalen Telefongesellschaft, und es enthält eine kostenpflichtige Yahoo-Paket einschließlich E-Mail-Konten, Benutzer-Support und andere Mehrwertdienste. Wenn dieser Kanal geändert oder entfernt wird, wäre der Einkommensstrom betroffen. Williams-Sonoma SWOT Company Overview Williams-Sonoma ist ein US-basierter Spezialist für hochwertige Lifestyle - und Einrichtungsprodukte. Sie verkaufen ihre Waren über drei Kanäle: Einzelhandelsgeschäfte, Kataloge und sechs Webseiten. Es hat seinen Hauptsitz in San Francisco, Kalifornien. Möchten Sie eine Lektion für SWOT-Analysen? Ihr starkes Markenportfolio bietet eine erstklassige Endverbraucher-Nische der Heimtextilien - und Zubehörindustrie. Ihr Portfolio, das sich auf verschiedene demografische Segmente und vielfältige Kundenbedürfnisse konzentriert, bietet einen Wettbewerbsvorteil. Die Firmen-Kernmarken sind Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn und Pottery Barn Kids. Williams-Sonoma konzentriert sich auf küchenbezogene Kochgeschirr und andere Produkte, einschließlich Töpfe, Pfannen, Kochgeschirr, Messer, Lagerbehälter, kleine Elektrogeräte, Tischwäsche, Besteck und Gläser. Sie haben auch High-End-Private-Label-Lebensmittel. Pottery Barn Läden verkaufen überdimensionale, gefüllte Stühle, Kerzen, Spiegel, Rahmen, Kissen, Decken, Teppiche und Fensterbehandlungen und Möbel. Pottery Barn Kids ist eine Erweiterung der Pottery Barn Konzept und konzentriert sich auf Kinder-Ausstattung und Zubehör. Pottery Barn Kids bieten auch die Möglichkeit der Anpassung der Produkte. PBteen zielt auf Jugendliche mit ihren bunten, sportthemenorientierten, individuellen und anderen thematischen Lifestyle-Produkten. West Elms Produkte sind einfacher und moderner als das, was normalerweise in einem Pottery Barn Speicher gefunden wird. Die Ware wird an den Massenmarktpunkten festgesetzt. Williams-Sonoma Home zielt auf High-End-Kunden mit mehr formale Möbel und Wohnkultur Produkte. Im Jahr 2008 führte das Unternehmen ein neues Warenwirtschaftssystem ein. Dies gab ihnen ein starkes Einzelhandels - und Betriebssystem sowie ein vorteilhaftes Vertriebssystem. Sie sind sehr erfolgreich bei der Logistik, Bestandsführung von Geschäften und Lieferung von Aktien durch ihre Kataloge und Websites. Schwächen Ähnliche Produkte sind zu einem niedrigeren Preis in Big-Box-Läden wie Target und Wal-Mart Stores erhältlich. Mehrere Einzelhandelskanäle erhöhen die Nähe zu den Kunden, was wiederum zu einem Spitzenwachstum führen würde. Allerdings ist die US-Heimtextilien-Industrie mit 50 größten Unternehmen zersplittert, die 70 der Branche Umsatz, so dass es eine schwierige Industrie zu überleben in. Das Unternehmen hat sinkende Profitabilität seit 2006. Das Unternehmen operativen Gewinn und Reingewinn sank von 345,1 Millionen Und 214,9 Millionen im Jahr 2006 auf ein Betriebsergebnis und einen Jahresüberschuss von 313,4 Millionen und 195,8 Millionen im Jahr 2008. Der Rückgang der Profitabilität, des operativen Cashflows und der Margen könnte Expansionspläne behindern, die das Vertrauen der Anleger in das Unternehmen stören könnten. Das Unternehmen konfrontiert ein Urheberrechtsverletzungsklage im Jahr 2008, behauptet, dass sie urheberrechtlich geschützte Designs für ihre Teppiche verwendet. Im Jahr 2008 erlebte der Wohnungssektor in den USA einen der bedeutendsten Abschwünge in 40 Jahren. Dieser Rückgang führte zu erheblichen Volatilitäten an den Finanzmärkten und depressiven Wachstumsraten in der Wohnungseinrichtung und Zubehörindustrie insgesamt. Das Verbrauchervertrauen in den USA sank in den Jahren 2007-2010, bedingt durch geringere Verkäufe von Wohnungen, steigende Treibstoffpreise, einen schwächeren Arbeitsmarkt und strengere Gesetze zur Kreditaufnahme. Opportunities Das Unternehmen arbeitet an der Wiederherstellung des Umsatzes und der Reputation seiner Kernmarken durch eine fünffache Strategie: bietet seinen Kernkunden innovative und einzigartige Produkte an, die die sich verändernden Trends nutzen, um ihre Marketing - und Visual Merchandising-Produkte für ein spannenderes Shopping-Erlebnis zu verbessern Prüfung neuer Versandkosten. Sie betonen Wert, um Wettbewerbsvorteil zu erzielen, ihre Produktdarstellung und - darstellung in den Speichern ändernd. Dazu gehören das Remixieren des Sortiments, die Neuverteilung der Raumfläche zwischen den Kategorien und die Verbesserung der Store-Merchandising. Sie erhöhten den Einzelhandel vermietet Quadratmeterzahl von etwa 8 im Geschäftsjahr 2009 und plant auch zu erweitern oder umbauen weitere 20 Läden. Sie legen großen Wert auf Direktmarketing, um die Kundenzufriedenheit zu steigern. Im Geschäftsjahr 2008 verbesserte das Unternehmen seine Online-Vertriebsaktivitäten durch die Implementierung neuer Funktionalitäten in DTC-Marketing-Systemen, die es dem Unternehmen ermöglichten, den Katalogumlauf zu senken und die Relevanz seines Online-Marketings zu verbessern. Sie haben auch damit begonnen, sich auf Kostensenkungen zu konzentrieren, um einen Wettbewerbsvorteil zu erzielen. Sie reduzierten die Versandkosten von Pottery Barn Produkten. Williams-Sonoma korrigierte die Versandkosten in seinem Frühjahrskatalog 2008. Reduzierung der Versandkosten könnte in Richtung Pottery Barn Marke Revitalisierung verleihen, neue Kunden zu gewinnen und auch auf Wachstum zu übersetzen. Der Übergang zu einer globalen Wirtschaft könnte das Risiko diversifizieren und einen stärker erkennbaren Markennamen schaffen. Sie können auch prüfen, Partnerschaft mit Whole Foods, Inc. eine organische Lebensmittelkette, die demographisch ähnliche Kunden bietet. Williams-Sonoma konfrontiert intensive Konkurrenz durch lokale, regionale und nationale Einzelhändler einschließlich Kaufhäuser, Fachgeschäfte, Versandhändler, Rabatt-und Massenwarengeschäften und nationalen Ketten. Ihre Hauptkonkurrenten sind Bed, Bath amp Beyond, Crate and Barrel, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, JC Penny, Haverty Furniture und Cost Plus. Jede fortgesetzte langfristige Verlangsamung in US-Wohnungsmarkt wird auch weiterhin auf ihren Umsatz und Umsatz zu beeinflussen. Da der Verkauf von Häusern verlangsamen, so ist der Verkauf von Heimtextilien, Heimwerker-Produkte und Zubehör. Referenzen MarketLine. (2010). Williams-Sonoma Firmen-Übersicht. Abgerufen am 8. September 2010 von marketline Wikiwealth. (2010). Williams-Sonoma (WSM) Stock Research, Investment Nachrichten amp SWOT-Analyse. Abgeholt am 9. September 2010 von wikiwealthresearch: wsm Charles E. Williams gründete den ersten Williams-Sonoma Store in Sonoma, Kalifornien im Jahr 1956. Das Unternehmen begann seine Direct-to-Customer (DTC) Geschäft im Jahr 1972 mit dem Start seiner Flaggschiff-Katalog unter Williams-Sonoma-Marke. Sie erwarben Pottery Barn, ein Einzelhändler von Casual Heimtextilien, im Jahr 1986, von The Gap. Die erste Pottery Barns Kids Store wurde im Jahr 2000 eröffnet, und seine Website folgte ein Jahr nach. Williams-Sonoma ist ein US-basierter Multi-Channel-Händler von Lifestyle-Produkten, die auf Heimtextilien und Zubehör konzentriert. Das Unternehmen bietet Produkte zu Hause, die von kulinarischen und Serviergeräten wie Kochgeschirr, Kochbücher, Besteck, informelle Geschirr, Gläser, Tischwäsche, Spezialitäten, Kochen Zutaten zu Heimtextilien. Williams-Sonoma vertreibt diese Produkte über Einzelhandelsgeschäfte, Kataloge und über das Internet. Herr Williams beschafft die Waren für das Unternehmen von ausländischen und einheimischen Herstellern und Importeuren in etwa 43 Ländern, vor allem in Asien und Europa. Das Unternehmen ist in zwei Segmente tätig: Einzelhandel und Direct-to-Customer (DTC). Im Jahr 2008 betrieb das Unternehmen 600 Einzelhandelsgeschäfte in 44 US-Bundesstaaten, Washington, D. C und Kanada. Dazu gehören 256 Williams-Sonoma, 198 Pottery Barn, 94 Pottery Barn Kids, 27 West Elm, neun Williams-Sonoma Home und 16 Outlet-Stores. Sie verkaufen auch ihre Produkte über sechs Webseiten: williams-sonoma, potterybarn, potterybarnkids, ptete, westelm und wshome. Sie haben auch sieben erfolgreiche Versandkataloge. Ihr umfangreiches Filialnetz hilft dabei, die Bedürfnisse und Segmente unterschiedlichster Kunden zu bedienen und Produktbewusstsein und Loyalität zu schaffen. Online-Umsatz, verbessern ihre Margen durch Senkung der Betriebskosten. Die Webseiten und Kataloge schaffen ein Bewusstsein für ihre Produkte unter den Kunden. Mehrere Einzelhandelskanäle ermöglichen es dem Unternehmen, seine Reichweite zu verbessern, eine breitere Kundenbasis zu schaffen und ihre unterschiedlichen Bedürfnisse effizient zu erfüllen. SWOT-Analyse Whole Foods Company Geschichte Im Jahr 1980 fünfundzwanzig Jahre alten College-Dropout John Mackey und einundzwanzig Jahre alten Rene Lawson Hardy erstellt die Whole Food Company (WFC) in Austin, Texas. Es wurde mit der Idee geboren, einen Lebensmittelgeschäftspeicher zur Verfügung zu stellen, der gute, gesunde Nahrung kennzeichnet, die nicht ein Gesundheit Nahrungsmittelspeicher gefüllt mit Pillen und Tränken ist. Die Verkäufe verdoppelten sich jedes Jahr für die ersten vier Jahre. Diese SWOT-Analyse ist über Whole Foods. Sie haben eine tolle Website mit Blogs, Rezepten, Verkaufsposten, Tipps, Podcasts und vieles mehr. Die Website ist gut gestaltet und erklärt die Whole Foods Konzept sehr gut. Unterstützt werden sie durch Komplementärindustrien wie: Gesundheitswirtschaft, Krankenkassen, Gesundheitsspezialisten, Fitnesszentren und Wellnessprogramme. Whole Foods hat ein Engagement für den Verkauf von qualitativ hochwertigen natürlichen und ökologischen Produkten, die Befriedigung und Freude seiner Kunden, und die Pflege ihrer Gemeinden und Umwelt. Diese drei Faktoren sind zum großen Teil, warum Kunden von der Marke angezogen werden. Sie haben ein angesagtes Bild und ziehen jüngere, wohlhabendere Käufer an. Ihr Ruf für die größte Auswahl an organischen, gesunden, lokal angebauten Lebensmitteln aller Supermärkte weltweit macht sie attraktiv für Kunden. Schwächen Gegenwärtig subventioniert die US-Regierung die Maiszünderindustrie, aber nicht die Bio-Landwirte. Daher können Unternehmen, die keine Bio-Zutaten verwenden, mehr Nahrungsmittel billiger und schneller anbauen. Die Zahl der Bio-Landwirte wächst, aber langsam und die Supply Chain für Bio-Lebensmittel ist unterentwickelt und kann nicht die Bedürfnisse der amerikanischen Lebensmittel-System. Sie sind als ganze Gehaltsscheck bekannt, weil einige der Lebensmittel sind teurer als andere Lebensmittelgeschäfte. Chancen Das Engagement für qualitativ hochwertige natürliche und biologische Lebensmittel führt zu höheren Preisen als nicht organische und natürliche Lebensmittel. Als die Welt wird immer mehr bewusst, wie wichtig es ist, gesund zu essen, müssen ganze Lebensmittel, um dort die Verbraucher in die Läden zu ziehen. Viele Verbraucher haben das Missverständnis, dass gesunde Lebensmittel teurer als andere Lebensmittel sind, wenn sie in der Tat bieten eine Filialmarke, die im Vergleich zu anderen Lebensmittelketten vergleichbar ist. Whole Foods muss die Einstellung der Verbraucher zu ändern. Während einer Zeit, wenn die Wirtschaft in einem Abschwung ist, muss Whole Foods eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, ein wenig etwas zurück zu geben Kunden, die auf einer regelmäßigen Basis zu kaufen und versuchen, neue Kunden in der gleichen Taktik zu bekommen. Making eine kostenlose Belohnungen Karte nach so viel gekauft oder Punkte angesammelt ein Kunde kann einen Rabatt auf den nächsten Kauf erhalten oder erhalten etwas frei von dem Laden. Sie konnten mehr Stadtereignisse (nicht nur im Ladenereignis) sponsern, um Anerkennung des Markennamens zu erhöhen und Kunden auf die Produkte aufmerksam zu machen, die sie anbieten. Sie müssen die Identität der Marke mit Bio-Lebensmitteln zu fördern und zu bauen, schließlich zu der Vorstellung, dass, wenn die Leute denken, organisch werden sie denken, Vollständige Lebensmittel. Vollständige Nahrungsmittel haben Konkurrenz von vorhandenen Supermärkten erhöht, die re-branding sind, um mit ihnen zu konkurrieren - Wal-Handelszentrum, HEB zentraler Markt (Texas, Mexiko) Wegmans (New York) und Publix (südliche US). Diese Geschäfte haben die Atmosphären und einige der Lebensmittel, die von Whole Foods verkauft kopiert. Die wirtschaftliche Situation in den USA ist eine Bedrohung durch Amerikaner Wunsch, Geld zu sparen und das bedeutet Lebensmittel. Nahrung ist teuer und Amerikaner sehen nicht die Kosteneffektivität des Kaufens der organischen Nahrung. Jede Änderung der staatlichen Vorschriften über Bio-Lebensmittel würde Auswirkungen auf die Konsumausgaben noch weiter. Was für eine Fahrt. Zurück im Jahr 1980 begannen wir mit einem kleinen Laden in Austin, Texas. Heute waren die Welten führend in natürlichen und biologischen Lebensmitteln, mit mehr als 270 Filialen in Nordamerika und dem Vereinigten Königreich. Was für eine lange, seltsame Reise. Wir ehren noch unsere ursprünglichen Ideale, und wir denken, dass das viel mit unserem Erfolg zu tun hat. Lesen Sie mehr Haftungsausschluss: Diese Fallstudie wurde aus Informationen erstellt, die aus öffentlichen Quellen frei verfügbar sind. Sie dient lediglich der Verwendung für Bildungszwecke. Whole Foods Market (Whole Foods) besitzt und betreibt eine Kette von natürlichen und Bio-Lebensmittel Supermärkte durch mehrere hundertprozentige Tochtergesellschaften. Die Unternehmens-Supermärkte befinden sich in den USA, Kanada und Großbritannien. Es beschäftigt etwa 52.900 Menschen. 1984 begann Whole Foods Market seine Expansion von Austin. Während sie fortfuhren, neue Speicher von Grund auf zu öffnen, trieben sie schnelles Wachstum an, indem sie andere natürliche Nahrungsmittelketten während der Neunziger Jahre kauften: Wellspring Lebensmittelgeschäft von North Carolina, Brotverstärker Zirkus von Massachusetts und Rhode Island, Frau Goochs natürliche Nahrungsmittel-Märkte von Los Angeles, Brot des Lebens von Nordkalifornien, frische Felder Märkte an der Ostküste und im Mittleren Westen, Florida Brot des Lebens speichert, Detroit Bereich Kaufmann von Vino speichert und Natures Heartland von Boston. Im Jahr 2001 zog Whole Foods nach Manhattan, was ein gutes Interesse von den Medien und Finanzindustrie generiert. 2002 kam es zu einer Expansion nach Kanada und 2004 trat Whole Foods Market mit der Akquisition von sieben Fresh amp Wild Geschäften in Großbritannien auf. Das Unternehmen verzeichnete im Geschäftsjahr (FJ) Ende September 2008 einen Umsatz von 7.953,9 Mio. Dies entspricht einem Anstieg von 20,7 gegenüber dem Vorjahr. Sie hatten 25 Jahre zweistellige Umsatzwachstum. Sie sind der unbestrittene 4.7B organische Supermarkt-Industrieführer. Ursprünglich waren Gesundheit Nahrungsmittelspeicher klein, kostspielig und trugen nicht eine große Vielzahl der Produkte, vollständige Nahrungsmittel veränderten alles dieses und sie wurden die gründende Firma dieser Industrie. Sie bieten Catering. Saisonale Produkte und Rezepte, In-Store-Veranstaltungen wie Kochkursen, kostenlose Touren rund um den Laden für Kunden mit Nahrungsmittelallergien. SWOT-Analyse Wal-Mart Möchten Sie eine Lektion auf SWOT-Analyse Wal-Mart ist eine starke Einzelhandelsmarke. Es hat ein Renommee für Wert für Geld, Bequemlichkeit und eine breite Strecke der Produkte alle in einem Speicher. Wal-Mart ist in den letzten Jahren stark gewachsen und hat weltweite Expansion erlebt (zum Beispiel den Kauf des in Großbritannien ansässigen Einzelhändlers ASDA). Chancen Um strategische Allianzen mit anderen globalen Einzelhändlern zu übernehmen, zu verschmelzen oder strategische Allianzen zu bilden, die sich auf bestimmte Märkte wie Europa oder die Großregion China konzentrieren. Die Geschäfte sind derzeit nur Handel in einer relativ kleinen Zahl von Ländern. Daher gibt es enorme Chancen für zukünftiges Geschäft in expandierenden Verbrauchermärkten wie China und Indien. Neue Standorte und Store-Typen bieten Wal-Mart Möglichkeiten, die Marktentwicklung auszuschöpfen. Sie diversifizierten von großen Super-Zentren, lokale und Mall-Standorte. Chancen gibt es für Wal-Mart mit seiner aktuellen Strategie der großen, Super-Zentren fortzusetzen. Als Nummer eins bedeutet, dass Sie das Ziel des Wettbewerbs, lokal und global sind. Als globaler Einzelhändler bedeutet, dass Sie in den Ländern, in denen Sie tätig sind, den politischen Problemen ausgesetzt sind. Die Kosten für die Herstellung von vielen Konsumgütern sind aufgrund niedrigerer Herstellungskosten tendenziell gesunken. Die Herstellungskosten sind durch Outsourcing auf kostengünstige Regionen der Welt zurückgegangen. Dies hat zu Preiswettbewerb geführt, was zu Preisdeflation in einigen Bereichen führt. Intensiver Preiswettbewerb ist eine Bedrohung. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ist der weltweit größte Einzelhändler mit 256,3 Milliarden Umsatz im Geschäftsjahr zum 31. Januar 2004. Das Unternehmen beschäftigt 1.600 Mitarbeiter weltweit über mehr als 3.600 Einrichtungen in den Vereinigten Staaten und mehr als 1.570 Einheiten . Lesen Sie mehr Haftungsausschluss: Diese Fallstudie wurde aus Informationen erstellt, die aus öffentlichen Quellen frei verfügbar sind. Sie dient lediglich der Verwendung für Bildungszwecke. Das Unternehmen verfügt über eine Kernkompetenz mit dem Einsatz von Informationstechnologie zur Unterstützung seines internationalen Logistiksystems. So kann man sehen, wie einzelne Produkte auf einen Blick landesweit und store-by-store auf einen Blick durchführen. IT unterstützt auch Wal-Marts effiziente Beschaffung. Eine fokussierte Strategie für Personalmanagement und - entwicklung ist vorhanden. Menschen sind der Schlüssel zum Wal-Marts-Geschäft und investieren Zeit und Geld in die Ausbildung von Menschen, und behalten eine Entwicklung sie. Schwächen Wal-Mart ist der weltweit größte Lebensmittel-Einzelhändler und die Kontrolle über sein Imperium, trotz seiner IT-Vorteile, könnte es schwach in einigen Bereichen aufgrund der enormen Spannweite der Kontrolle zu verlassen. Da Wal-Mart Produkte in vielen Bereichen (wie Kleidung, Lebensmittel oder stationär) verkaufen, kann es nicht die Flexibilität von einigen seiner fokussierteren Wettbewerber. Das Unternehmen ist global, hat aber eine Präsenz in relativ wenigen Ländern weltweit. SWOT-Analyse Trojan (Kirche und Dwight Company) Firmengeschichte Trojan ist im Besitz von Church amp Dwight Company, Incorporated, auch bekannt als Arm Amp Hammer. Das Unternehmen hat seinen Hauptsitz in Princeton, New Jersey und beschäftigt etwa 3.700 Menschen im Dezember 2008. Church amp Dwight Co. Inc. gegründet 1846, ist der führende US-Hersteller von Natriumbicarbonat, im Volksmund als Backpulver bekannt. Möchten Sie eine Lektion über SWOT-Analyse Schwächen Die Industrie hat hohe Skaleneffekte und die Investitionen sind hoch, während die variablen Kosten zu niedrig sind, so dass es ein hohes Volumen, Low-Cost-Geschäft. Die Etablierung des Markenimage in Ländern, die keine Geburtenkontrolle in Anzeigen zulassen, kann eine Herausforderung sein. Einige Verbraucher finden das Produkt unangenehm und kann es nicht verwenden. Kondome sind nicht 100 effektiv und kann brechen. Trojaner kann nicht auf bestimmten Plattformen werben und sie sind nur für Werbung im Fernsehen spät in der Nacht beschränkt. Trojan Kondome, sind weltweit bekannt, aber sind nicht das dominierende Kondom in den meisten Ländern des Auslandes. Opportunities They can aid the global community by increasing personal care product sales throughout Africa and reducing the spread of AIDS. Expansion of product line and brands, expand into a non-profit segment. Increasing use of condoms in India and South Korea, makes them attractive markets. Products can be sold in multiple outlets: home delivery, online, hospitals, supermarkets, medical facilities, free clinics, hotels, club bathrooms. Expanding sales to Amsterdam, where they are well known for a more laid back, open-minded lifestyle and sexual activity is accepted more than other countries and condoms are not the top selling form of birth control. It is an international market that only has one other brand of condom available. Prostitutes in the red light district are licensed and completely legal, which also means that prostitutes have access to medical care. Medical care is an important channel for sex education for the employees of the sex industry. The progressive style and thought process in Amsterdam could be a successful way of increasing Trojan condom purchasing and usage. There may be religious, cultural and social restrictions among certain groups that object to utilizing birth control methods. Trade restrictions, and the costs of obtaining certifications and establishing sales locations in some countries can be excessively high. There are several substitutions for condoms, such as birth control pills, sterilization and IUDs. The education level and attitude of the consumer can lead them to avoid using the product, especially among high risk groups such as teenagers. Church amp Dwight Co. Inc. founded in 1846, is the leading U. S. producer of sodium bicarbonate, popularly known as baking soda, a natural product that cleans, deodorizes, leavens and buffers. The Companys ARM amp HAMMER brand is one of the nations most trusted trademarks for a broad range of consumer and specialty products developed from the base of bicarbonate and related technologies. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Church amp Dwights consumer products business is organized into two segments: Consumer Domestic, which encompasses both household and personal care products, and Consumer International, which primarily consists of personal care products such as condoms and home pregnancy tests. This SWOT analysis is about Trojan. Trojan brand condoms are Americas 1 condom, and have been a recognized, trusted, global brand for over 90 years. Trojan brand latex condoms are made from premium quality latex to help reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. They have over 30 varieties of condoms to suit the needs of every target consumer. Each condom is electronically tested to help ensure reliability. The company recorded revenues of 2,422.4 million during fiscal year (FY) ending December 2008, an increase of 9.1 over FY2007. The operating profit of the company was 340.3 million during FY2008, an increase of 11.6 over FY2007. The net profit was 195.2 million in FY2008, an increase of 15.5 over FY2007. In the first fiscal quarter of 2009 (April 2008-January 2009) sales increased by 11.2 million. In 2008 Trojan had a 70 market share in the prophylactic industry world wide no other company even comes close. The increasing consumer awareness of risks of sex has led to an increase in the use of the product. The product is relatively easy to obtain and inexpensive compared to other forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, which have to be obtained from a doctor and take an initial three months of continued use to work properly and then have to be taken on a regular basis, whereas the condom is used only when needed. Channels of distribution have been created to have an effective line of communication with prospective buyers to ensure that the benefits of the product are being disseminated effectively. They provide literature on how to use the product properly and they provide the product for free to high risk groups at free clinics. SWOT Analysis Toys R Us Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Strengths. Toys R Us has in excess of 1500 superstores in the United States and Worldwide. It also owns the baby brand, Babies R Us which adds another 200 stores. Toys R Us also markets successfully on the Web (in collaboration with Amazon). It has a huge distribution network that benefits from advanced logistical systems. Having so much shelf space means that the company has a strong bargaining position when it comes to buying prices from manufacturers. It turned over more than 11 billion in 2005. There is strong competitive rivalry in the toy market, not only form Wal-Mart, but also from KB Toys and Target. The toy brand is often not associated with the retailer. So if a particular kids toy has grabbed the imagination and the spending power of its target consumer, any retail outlet is as good as another. Differentiation is difficult, and toy retailers often have to compete on price, range or availability. Lets face it today China and similar low cost manufacturing paradises are where toys are made. Low manufacturing costs are important if margins are to be retained. The problem, and potential weakness, is that countries and trading communities tend to impose quotas and tariffs in order to protect local manufacturing. All countries do it. However, Toy R Us could potentially be left without the toys people want to buy if embargoes are implemented on countries such as China. In 1948, at the young age of 25, Charles Lazarus began a business totally dedicated to kids and their needs just in time for the post-war baby boom era. He had no idea that his first baby furniture store in Washington D. C. would evolve into an 11 billion dollar business with approximately 1,500 stores worldwide Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The company sells many different product ranges. There are benefits and disadvantages to this. However, a key strength is that the company has a diversified portfolio of products, which means that while some ranges are underperforming, others are out performing. As long as technology allows them to spot successes and then to focus upon them, they have a competitive strength. Weaknesses. These days, Toys R Us has no single and sustainable competitive advantage, other than brand. In the US, its traditional stronghold, the company has lost its number one positions as toy retailer to Wal-Mart. Being large may not be enough, when customers can go to another large retailer and buy the same and similar goods, sometimes getting a better deal. As with all retailers in Western society, Toys R Us is heavily dependent upon successful sales during the final quarter of the year. They need to make profit from Christmas. Retail is notoriously seasonal and Toys R Us is no different to other retailers. In fact it could be argued that toys are a key Christmas present product, so are even more likely to be dependent upon seasonal sales. Opportunities. There are opportunities for joint ventures and strategic alliances. Toys R Us works closely with Amazon and its baby products category. This not only plays to the strengths of both companies, but also provides opportunities. Amazon is strong at the online part of the business, creating the web site, warehousing products and delivering them to customers. Toys R Us will use its buying power, but ultimately carries the inventory risk (i. e. if it doesnt sell, its money is tied up in physical stock). Toys R Us is a good neighbour. For example, in 2005 it went out of its way to help the Louisiana victims of hurricane Katrina. Toys R Us donated six trucks full of toys and baby supplies including diapers, wipes, and formula, as well as batteries and water to multiple locations that were housing evacuees. Babies R Us has also donated over 17 pallets of baby and childrens clothing to the national charity Kids In Distressed Situations (KIDS). Such associations will help to sustain its brand with key consumers. As with many of the brands considered by MarektingTeachers FREE SWOT analyses, the International market is very important to Toys R Us. The citizens of emerging nations such as China and India are getting wealthier and better educated. Consumers have more disposable income and leisure time, and both of these could increase over coming years. The types of goods and services retailed by the company could be marketed more aggressively overseas. Toys R Us could look out for strategic partners, or indeed go it alone. SWOT Analysis Toyota Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Strengths. New investment by Toyota in factories in the US and China saw 2005 profits rise, against the worldwide motor industry trend. Net profits rose 0.8 to 1.17 trillion yen (11bn 5.85bn), while sales were 7.3 higher at 18.55 trillion yen. Commentators argue that this is because the company has the right mix of products for the markets that it serves. This is an example of very focused segmentation, targeting and positioning in a number of countries. Opportunities. Lexus and Toyota now have a reputation for manufacturing environmentally friendly vehicles. Lexus has RX 400h hybrid, and Toyota has it Prius. Both are based upon advance technologies developed by the organization. Rocketing oil prices have seen sales of the new hybrid vehicles increase. Toyota has also sold on its technology to other motor manufacturers, for example Ford has bought into the technology for its new Explorer SUV Hybrid. Such moves can only firm up Toyotas interest and investment in hybrid RampD. Toyota is to target the urban youth market. The company has launched its new Aygo, which is targeted at the streetwise youth market and captures (or attempts to) the nature of dance and DJ culture in a very competitive segment. The vehicle itself is a unique convertible, with models extending at their rear The narrow segment is notorious for it narrow margins and difficulties for branding. Product recalls are always a problem for vehicle manufacturers. In 2005 the company had to recall 880,00 sports utility vehicles and pick up trucks due to faulty front suspension systems. Toyota did not g ive details of how much the recall would cost. The majority of affected vehicles were sold in the US, while the rest were sold in Japan, Europe and Australia. As with any car manufacturer, Toyota faces tremendous competitive rivalry in the car market. Competition is increasing almost daily, with new entrants coming into the market from China, South Korea and new plants in Eastern Europe. The company is also exposed to any movement in the price of raw materials such as rubber, steel and fuel. The key economies in the Pacific, the US and Europe also experience slow downs. These economic factors are potential threats for Toyota. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of indivduals who make up the Toyota family, Toyota has become the forth biggest automaker in North Amercia. Here you will find some of the many figures behind that fact. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. In 2003 Toyota knocked its rivals Ford into third spot, to become the Worlds second largest carmaker with 6.78 million units. The company is still behind rivals General Motors with 8.59 million units in the same period. Its strong industry position is based upon a number of factors including a diversified product range, highly targeted marketing and a commitment to lean manufacturing and quality. The company makes a large range of vehicles for both private customers and commercial organizations, from the small Yaris to large trucks. The company uses marketing techniques to identify and satisfy customer needs. Its brand is a household name. The company also maximizes profit through efficient manufacturing approaches (e. g. Total Quality Management). Weaknesses Being big has its own problems. The World market for cars is in a condition of over supply and so car manufacturers need to make sure that it is their models that consumers want. Toyota markets most of its products in the US and in Japan. Therefore it is exposed to fluctuating economic and political conditions those markets. Perhaps that is why the company is beginning to shift its attentions to the emerging Chinese market. Movements in exchange rates could see the already narrow margins in the car market being reduced. The company needs to keep producing cars in order to retain its operational efficiency. Car plants represent a huge investment in expensive fixed costs, as well as the high costs of training and retaining labour. So if the car market experiences a down turn, the company could see over capapacity. If on the other hand the car market experiences an upturn, then the company may miss out on potential sales due to under capacity i. e. it takes time to accommodate. This is a typical problem with high volume car manufacturing. SWOT Analysis Time Warner Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Dominant Market Share Time Warner is not only a dominant US company it is one of the worlds largest media companies. Its pre-eminence in the US market is evident in the publication of 23 magazines, such as, Sports Illustrated, Time, InStyle, Real Simple, People, Fortune and Southern Living. The company also boasts nearly 50 websites internationally, such as People, SI and CNN Money. Slumping AOL Revenues Recent data show a downward trend in revenues for Time-Warners AOL division. In FY 2008 AOL reported a drop in revenues from 4,165 in 2006 to 7, 786 million in FY2008, representing a negative compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27. The decline is primarily due to the decrease in the number of domestic AOL brand subscribers and the sale of AOLs German access business. Also, AOL revenues as a percentage of total revenues declined 17.8 during the same period. The declining performance of AOL may negatively impact the companys overall revenue and profitability. Opportunities Joint Affiliations and Partnerships The company has formed alliances with several leading companies in the media and entertainment industry. In October 2009, Warner Home Video (WHV) entered into a multi-year alliance with Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit educational organization. Under the terms of the agreement, WHV will exclusively distribute multiple Sesame Street titles, including the Sesame Street library. In August 2009, Time-Warner and The Nielsen Company signed an agreement to provides Nielsen services to Time Warners broadcast, cable, syndication business units and affiliates, including Turner Broadcasting, The CW Television Network, HBO, Warner Brothers Domestic TV Distribution, Time Inc. RET Media and station WPCH. In addition, Time Warner and YouTube signed an online video distribution agreement, which allows Warner Bros. Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting System to program videos on YouTube using a Time Warner embeddable player. MBC Group and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) signed a multiyear programming deal in April 2009. These are just some of the multiple partnerships which will enable the company to extend its reach and increase its subscriber base in the coming years. Competitive Environment Time Warner has formidable competition in each of its major business segments. The companys AOL Division must face off against such firms as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. In addition, MySpace, Facebook and Fox Interactive Media also compete with AOL for internet based revenues. Also, other traditional media firms have begun to offer their own internet services, among them are WPP Group (247 Real Media) and ValueClick. Broadband access providers also compete against AOL for internet subscribers. Increasingly, Time Warners film entertainment business faces intense competition from new market entrees such as websites with internet streaming, user-generated content and interactive games. Alternative distribution systems such as cable and satellite provide competition for Turner Networks and Turners websites. With so many competitors in the industry there may be a scarcity of producers, directors, writers, actors and other skilled areas. In recent years, competitors have launched new magazines and websites in the celebrity, womens service and business sectors, these ventures compete directly with Time Warnerss People, InStyle, Real Simple, and Fortune magazines. Such intense competition as described above, could impact Time Warner pricing decisions and in turn effect revenues and market share. Unauthorized Distribution of Content Time Warner is increasingly impacted by the piracy of its television, motion pictures programming, DVD, and video games. Piracy is on the rise due to technological advances which allow thieves to create, transmit and distribute high quality unauthorized copies of content. This unauthorized distribution has the potential to reduce Time Warners revenues. Time Warner is also vulnerable to content theft in countries where it operates if those countries have weak laws protecting intellectual property or enforcement is lax. Dependence on Google Google is the main web search provider for nearly all of Time Warners AOL network and products. AOL has agreed to use Googles algorithmic search and sponsored links on an exclusive basis through December 19, 2010. Failure to renew the agreement with Google will adversely affect the companys operations. In addition any unilateral change Google may make in pricing, algorithms or advertising terms, could have a significant negative impact. Time Warner Inc. a global leader in media and entertainment with businesses in television networks, filmed entertainment and publishing, uses its industry-leading operating scale and brands to create, package and deliver high-quality content worldwide through multiple distribution outlets. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Publishers Information Bureau rates Time Warner the largest magazine publisher in the US based upon advertising revenues received, while Nielsen Media Research and Media Metrix state that the companys websites average over 29 million unique visitors monthly. Time Warners AOL Web Content Services Division reached 75 million unique visitors in 2009 according to comScore Media Metrix data. AOLs internet access subscription service is one of the largest in the US and Mapquest is one of the most prominent map and direction service in the US. Consider also, Time Warners dominance of television programming. It distributes programming in more than 200 countries through its Warner Bros Television Group (WBTVG). In the US, Turners entertainment networks include TBS, with more than 90 million US households as in 2008 and TNT, with over 90 million households in the US. Its presence even reaches into the contemporary cartoon genre such as the Cartoon Network (including Adult Swim, an overnight block of contemporary animation airing in 2008, which boasted approximately 97.7 million households in the US. Time Warner is also prominent in the classic movie and cable television news areas. Its television news services, reached over 95 million US television households in 2008. Meanwhile, CNN operated 46 news bureaus and editorial operations, including 13 located in the US. In addition, Time Warners HBO is a pay television service (including its sister service, Cinemax), which collectively had approximately 40.9 million subscriptions as of FY2008. Substantial Entertainment Programming Time Warner produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures, television shows, animation and other programming such as videogames. In addition, the company distributes DVDs containing filmed entertainment produced or acquired by the companys various content-producing subsidiaries and divisions, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, New Line, Home Box Office and Turner Broadcasting System. LEGO Batman, Speed Racer and Guinness World Records, and co-published Lego Indiana Jones are among the interactive videogames produced by Time Warner through its subsidiaries. Weaknesses Substantial Dependence on the US Markets Although, the company has operations across South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East, the US is its primary market. Over 80 of its total revenues come from the US. The slumping US economy may negatively impact demand for the Time Warner s products and services. SWOT Analysis Tata Motors Limited The company began in 1945 and has produced more than 4 million vehicles. Tata Motors Limited is the largest car producer in India. It manufactures commercial and passenger vehicles, and employs in excess of 23,000 people. This SWOT analysis is about Tata Motors. Opportunities In the summer of 2008 Tata Motors announced that it had successfully purchased the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford Motors for UK 2.3 million. Two of the Worlds luxury car brand have been added to its portfolio of brands, and will undoubtedly off the company the chance to market vehicles in the luxury segments. Tata Motors Limited acquired Daewoo Motors Commercial vehicle business in 2004 for around USD 16 million. Nano is the cheapest car in the World retailing at little more than a motorbike. Whilst the World is getting ready for greener alternatives to gas-guzzlers, is the Nano the answer in terms of concept or brand Incidentally, the new Land Rover and Jaguar models will cost up to 85 times more than a standard Nano The new global track platform is about to be launched from its Korean (previously Daewoo) plant. Again, at a time when the World is looking for environmentally friendly transport alternatives, is now the right time to move into this segment The answer to this question (and the one above) is that new and emerging industrial nations such as India, South Korea and China will have a thirst for low-cost passenger and commercial vehicles. These are the opportunities. However the company has put in place a very proactive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee to address potential strategies that will make is operations more sustainable. The range of Super Milo fuel efficient buses are powered by super-efficient, eco-friendly engines. The bus has optional organic clutch with booster assist and better air intakes that will reduce fuel consumption by up to 10. Other competing car manufacturers have been in the passenger car business for 40, 50 or more years. Therefore Tata Motors Limited has to catch up in terms of quality and lean production. Sustainability and environmentalism could mean extra costs for this low-cost producer. This could impact its underpinning competitive advantage. Obviously, as Tata globalises and buys into other brands this problem could be alleviated. Since the company has focused upon the commercial and small vehicle segments, it has left itself open to competition from overseas companies for the emerging Indian luxury segments. For example ICICI bank and DaimlerChrysler have invested in a new Pune-based plant which will build 5000 new Mercedes-Benz per annum. Other players developing luxury cars targeted at the Indian market include Ford, Honda and Toyota. In fact the entire Indian market has become a target for other global competitors including Maruti Udyog, General Motors, Ford and others. Rising prices in the global economy could pose a threat to Tata Motors Limited on a couple of fronts. The price of steel and aluminium is increasing putting pressure on the costs of production. Many of Tatas products run on Diesel fuel which is becoming expensive globally and within its traditional home market. Bibliography Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The internationalisation strategy so far has been to keep local managers in new acquisitions, and to only transplant a couple of senior managers from India into the new market. The benefit is that Tata has been able to exchange expertise. For example after the Daewoo acquisition the Indian company leaned work discipline and how to get the final product right first time. The company has a strategy in place for the next stage of its expansion. Not only is it focusing upon new products and acquisitions, but it also has a programme of intensive management development in place in order to establish its leaders for tomorrow. The company has had a successful alliance with Italian mass producer Fiat since 2006. This has enhanced the product portfolio for Tata and Fiat in terms of production and knowledge exchange. For example, the Fiat Palio Style was launched by Tata in 2007, and the companies have an agreement to build a pick-up targeted at Central and South America. Weaknesses The companys passenger car products are based upon 3rd and 4th generation platforms, which put Tata Motors Limited at a disadvantage with competing car manufacturers. Despite buying the Jaguar and Land Rover brands (see opportunities below) Tata has not got a foothold in the luxury car segment in its domestic, Indian market. Is the brand associated with commercial vehicles and low-cost passenger cars to the extent that it has isolated itself from lucrative segments in a more aspiring India One weakness which is often not recognised is that in English the word tat means rubbish. Would the brand sensitive British consumer ever buy into such a brand Maybe not, but they would buy into Fiat, Jaguar and Land Rover (see opportunities and strengths). SWOT Analysis Starbucks Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Strengths. Starbucks Corporation is a very profitable organization, earning in excess of 600 million in 2004.The company generated revenue of more than 5000 million in the same year. It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 9000 cafes in almost 40 countries. Starbucks mission statement is Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. The following six guiding principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. The company is a respected employer that values its workforce. The organization has strong ethical values and an ethical mission statement as follows, Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business. Weaknesses. Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time. The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of their cafes located in the home market. It is often argued that they need to look for a portfolio of countries, in order to spread business risk. The organization is dependant on a main competitive advantage, the retail of coffee. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise. Opportunities. Starbucks are very good at taking advantage of opportunties. In 2004 the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers create their own music CD. New products and services that can be retailed in their cafes, such as Fair Trade products. The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential. Who knows if the market for coffee will grow and stay in favour with customers, or whether another type of beverage or leisure activity will replace coffee in the future Starbucks are exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products. Since its conception in Pike Place Market, Seattle in 1971, Starbucks success has lead to the market entry of many competitors and copy cat brands that pose potential threats. SWOT Analysis Smith and Wesson Company History Smith amp Wesson Holding Corporation, a global leader in safety, security, protection and sport, is parent company to Smith amp Wesson Corp. one of the worlds largest manufacturers of quality firearms and firearm safetysecurity products and parent company to Smith amp Wesson is based in Springfield, Massachusetts with manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Houlton, Maine, and Rochester, New Hampshire. This SWOT analysis is about Smith and Wesson. Weaknesses Only 7 of their sales are produced from international venues. A vast majority of their sales are in the United States market, and while they are an international company, their sales and market share in foreign markets are low. They do not dominate the hunting enthusiast market. From 2004 to 2009, sales of revolvers dropped from about 40 of the companys sales to around 20. Opportunities To diversify and add breadth to its brand, the firm licenses its name to makers of apparel, watches, sunglasses, gift sets, and more. The creation of law enforcement products that do not injure public offenders such as guns that shoot bean bags or large pellets. Technological advancements for this company are always leading to more opportunities-for instance they could create a gun that has fingerprint recognition capabilities and can only be fired by whoever programmed the gun. Expanding its products in the areas of tactical and long-gun lines, as well as non-firearm products and services. Their major competitors are Browning Arms, Glock and Ruger. Sales of firearms in the United States are based on laws passed by the government giving citizens the right to carry weapons however, this is a hotly debated issue and could change. Expanding into foreign markets is challenging due to political and legal laws prohibiting the sale and use of weapons. In some countries only law enforcement is allowed to carry weapons. Smith amp Wesson is one of the worlds most recognizable brands, and for good reason. Since we first opened our doors, we have focused on designing and manufacturing innovative solutions that are unparalleled in the field of personal safety and protection. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed their partnership in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, with the aim of marketing a lever action repeating pistol that could use a fully self-contained cartridge. They went bankrupt and began again in 1856, when Smith amp Wesson produced a small revolver designed to fire the Rimfire cartridge they patented in August of 1854. This revolver was the first successful fully self-contained cartridge revolver available in the world. Smith amp Wesson secured patents for the revolver to prevent other manufacturers from producing a cartridge revolver giving the young company a very lucrative business and established Smith amp Wesson as a world leader in handgun manufacturing. ThompsonCenter Arms, Inc. a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting rifles, black powder rifles, interchangeable firearms systems and accessories under the ThompsonCenter brand. Smith amp Wesson licenses shooter eye and ear protection, knives, apparel, and other accessory lines. Smith amp Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States and one of the most recognizable brands in the world. They manufacture and distribute a full line of firearms for defense, law enforcement, hunting and sporting. They provide products that are utilized by virtually every police agency and military force around the world and The Smith amp Wesson Academy is Americas longest running firearms training facility for law enforcement, military and security professionals. Law enforcement personnel from every state and over 50 foreign countries have come to the Springfield, Massachusetts facility to receive state-of-the-art instruction, to prepare for and exceed the demanding needs of law enforcement. The academys superior training gives todays police force the tools necessary to handle tomorrows most extreme situations. They are a company dedicated to research and development and have produced the first American made double action auto-loading pistol, stainless steel firearms and perimeter security systems and have driven product development for more than 150 years. In 2009 they won the first ever ASIS Accolades Award for the Expeditionary Mobile Barrier (EMB) in the category of Most Transformational Product or Service. The EMB is a completely mobile barrier that can stop a 7,500-pound vehicle traveling 45 miles-per-hour. This product increases the likelihood that vehicle occupants will be unharmed. It is immediately resettable after impact, with few or no replaced parts. An adjustable net allows the system to secure a variety of roadway widths without requiring additional parts. Smith and Wessons Universal Safety Response (USR) serves a variety of clients in the defense, transportation and petrol-chemical industries, as well as corporate facilities, airports, Fortune 500 companies, national laboratories and museums. USRs security systems are also used by the US Homeland Security and to safeguard high-risk facilities. They are a leading advocate of the development and use of firearms safety devices, incorporated multiple safety features into each of their handguns, maintained the countrys longest-running shooters training facility, promoted the NSSF Child Safe gun lock program nationwide, and they currently license numerous safety devices to the shooting sports market. Despite the economic recession in the Unites States, sales grew 13.2 in 2008. They have a 70 market share in the handgun segment of the firearms industry in the United States. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Substantial Brand Identity Sony is a corporate brand whose identity is deeply rooted and very well established in the minds of potential customers. The brand remains healthy despite dropping from 25th to 29 in name recognition according to InterBrands 2009 ranking. Interbrand valued Sony brand at 11 million. Projected Growth in the Consumer Electronics Market The Consumer Electronics Market is expected to grow at a rate of 7.2 annually to reach a value of 136,700 million in 2014. Sony is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this increase. As one of the largest global companies in the industry Sony has the capacity to tap into changes in consumer demands as they emerge. Sonys recent reorganization has put digitally savvy and globally experienced staff in positions to maximize the potential seen in growth projections. Strong Positioning in Emerging Economies Sony is firmly entrenched in the so-called BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China). These regions are emerging markets and represent over 40 of the worlds population. The firm plans on following its model of success experienced in India where it emphasized its television film, and music product content. The company has a goal of doubling its revenues in the BRIC markets. The Continued Economic Slump The negative economic conditions in The United States, Japan and Europe have had a disastrous impact on Sony. The company receives approximately 74 of its revenues from these markets. As the economic slump lingers, consumer confidence remains low and Sony has felt the impact in decreased revenues. Sony leadership has acknowledged that the downturn exposed weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the firm that have needed addressing for some time. Impact of Strong Japanese Yen Sony is vulnerable to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and exposed to fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen, the US dollar and the Euro. Recently, the Japanese Yen appreciated significantly against the US dollar and Euro. A stronger yen makes Sonys products appear expensive in comparison and cuts into the value of overseas earnings. The firm acknowledges the need to implements effective hedging strategies to counter foreign exchange translation effects. The Impact of the Black Market Smuggled goods and counterfeit products have really plagued the electronics manufacturing industry in recent times. Counterfeit goods are projected to double to 18 of total world trade by 2010. In addition, Chinas growing share of electronics production represents an increase in the number of potential counterfeit products in the market. These knockoffs, although cheaper and of less quality still the potential to divert revenues from Sony. The Impact of Compliance Regulations Environmental, health and safety compliance laws which impact Sony operations and production may be burdensome and have a negative impact on profits. To maintain compliance the firm must incur capital and other expenditures. Potential expenditures related to regulations are not limited to compliance, but may also be felt in fines and penalties in the wake of non-compliance. The Origins of the SONY Brand The Sony name was created by combining SONUS, the original Latin for SONIC, meaning sound, with SONNY, denoting small size, or a youthful boy. It was chosen for its simple pronunciation that is the same in any language. Mehr. Sony products and services are available throughout the world in approximately 200 countries and territories. The United States market accounted for 17.9 of the revenues, Europe (13.9), and others (25.8), while Japan consisted of the largest segment at 42. This diversification helps to minimize the impact of adverse conditions that may arise in any one geographic region. Weaknesses Downward Trending Revenues Four major Sony division experienced revenue losses in 2009, specifically Electronics down 17, Games down 18, Pictures down 16.4 and Financial Services down 7.4.In the U. S Revenues were down 15.4 , while revenues in Japan fell 15.2. Poor Proximity of Production to Customers Sonys production facilities are located far from its customer base. Approximately 60 of the annual production in Japan must be distributed to for other regions. In FY2009, the group produced 50 of the electronics segments total annual production in Japan. Substantial Retirement Benefit Commitments The unfunded status of the pension liabilities (approximately 3.6 billion) increased at a rate of 62 over 2008. Sizeable unfunded post retirement benefits would force the company to make periodic cash contributions, diverting money away from production related uses. Opportunities Joint Ventures and Strategic Acquisitions Sony benefits from the flexibility to enter into key join ventures and execute key corporate acquisitions. For example, established a joint venture project with Sharp to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules. Another example includes its alliance with Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry for the production of LCD TVs. Among recent acquisitions are the purchase of a TFT liquid crystal display (LCD) business from Epson Imaging Devices and Convergent Media Systems, which makes video integration solutions for the enterprise market. SWOT Analysis Sandals Company History Sandals (Beaches) is a Caribbean Based Resort Hotel Chain, that was only recently established, but has proved to be highly successful, based on their innovative marketing concepts. This SWOT analysis is about Sandals. Winner of thousands of awards, including: Six time winner of the Gold Travel Life Award by Virgin Holidays. Nine time winner of the Baxter Travel Media award for Favorite Resort. 2008 Thomas Cook Award for Best Hotel Chain, and Best Wedding and Honeymoon Hotel. TripAdvisor awarded them the 2007 and 2008 Worlds Most Romantic All-Inclusive Resort. Travel Leisure Magazine awarded them one of the top 25 hotels in the Caribbean for 2002, 2006 and 2008. Cond Nast Magazine Readers Choice Poll awarded them one of the top 25 Caribbean Resorts for 2006, 2007 and the top 15 Caribbean Resorts and Spas for 2000, 2004 and 2005. They have made the Cond Nast Magazine Gold List every year from 2000-2007. In 2007, they were given a World Savers Award by Cond Nast Magazine for their Adopt-A-School program. In 2006 they won second place in the Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine Readers Choice poll for Best All-Inclusive Resort. In 2005 Modern Bride Magazine voted them the Favorite All-Inclusive Resort and in 2008 the Best All-Inclusive Resort chain. American Express gave them the Caribbean Environmental Award for Green Hotel of the year, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. They earned the Travel Weekly Magellan Award for Overall Eco-Friendly Resort in 2008. They were voted Travel Weekly America and UK Readers Choice for Best All-Inclusive Resort, six years in a row. TravelAge Editors Pick Award for Best Caribbean Resort in 2006, 2007 and 2008. World Travel Magazine award for Caribbeans Leading Resort Hotel Brand winner 14 years in a row Best All-Inclusive Company winner 12 years in a row, Worlds Most Romantic Resort winner 11 years in a row. 2006 British Airways Best Independent Hotel Group. 2007 British Travel Awards for Best All-Inclusive Resort-13th year in a row-and the Consumer Favorite All-Inclusive Resort. Porthole Cruise Magazine Editor-in-Chief Award for Best All-Inclusive Resort, 2005-2007. Selling Long-Haul UK Travel Award for Best All-Inclusive Resort, and Best Hotel in the Caribbean in 2003. Sandals and Beaches resorts offer an innovative concept in their all-inclusive environments, contrived to give vacationers completely worry-free accommodations. Guests do not have to pay for food, activities, babysitting, or entertainment while at their resorts. This allows guests to relax and more effectively utilize their vacation time. They employ guest coordinators, trained to be experts in human relations, to make guests feel at home, coordinating the guest activities and making sure that everything works the way it should. They practice TQM throughout all levels of staff. In the couples only market (that they created) they cater to different markets by offering three different levels of suites: the basic all-inclusive suites, the crystal suites that have their own private pool and the millionaire suites that are separate villas with butler service. Weaknesses They need to communicate the resorts view on environmental issues. For instance, Sandals beach resort received a Green Globe Certification for commitment to natural resources, but they dont advertise or communicate it In this economic downturn, Americans want to feel good about spending their money in socially responsible ways and the Green Globe Certification is highly prestigious. They spent a huge amount of capital setting up a new resort in Barbados, only to have it sit there, unoccupied. The government of Barbados does not allow their beaches to be blocked off with fences, and Sandals requires that their guests be kept separate from other people to prevent crime and interlopers. They have been at odds about this issue since 2001 and their fully completed resort there has yet to see its first guest. As with all tourist destinations, they are dependent on a healthy economy in countries whose citizens have more discretionary income to spend, and vacation regularly. The American trend toward staycations will cause their revenue to decrease. They need to better position themselves against competition, other luxury resorts, Breezes All-Inclusive Resorts and other popular destinations for honeymoons and families. Opportunities Opening new resorts in Belize, or Hawaii, and some non beach areas such as Alaska and Colorado they could also open resorts in other International settings such as China, Japan, Taiwan, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Australia, Mexico and Brazil. Promote their resorts at all Bridal and ChildBaby Expos in major cities, in order to reach the largest numbers of their target market. They can make use of high definition, interactive sales pitches that will allow honeymooners and families to book their vacations on the spot. Attending the National Wedding Show in London every February. Creating a joint venture with Davids Bridal, creating a presence on all of the major wedding planning websites, Parents Magazine and on Nickelodeon. During the economic downturn, they need to play up the all-inclusive angle of their resorts: creating a marketing campaign that emphasizes the money saving aspects of their vacation destinations, and the fact that guests dont need to worry about extra expenses. July 2009 Sandals announced that they will partner up with Martha Stewart to Launch Martha Stewart Weddings Program in the Caribbean beginning in 2010. Guests will be able to book a Martha Stewart Wedding at any of the 12 Sandals Resorts or four Beaches Family Resorts. In addition, they will introduce Martha Stewart Crafts classes for adults at Sandals Resorts and craft camps for families at Beaches Resorts in 2010. The Futures Company (formerly Yankelovich), said that destination weddings are on the upswing with 31 of brides ages 21-30 planning to have a destination wedding previous studies indicated that destination weddings represented 10 to 20 of all weddings. One threat that cannot be controlled is the weather. Hurricanes are bad for business all over the Caribbean however, they can offer guarantees so their guests will feel more secure when booking a vacation. There are several ethical arenas that need to be understood when dealing with the tourism industry. If any of these becomes a problem or causes bad PR it can affect the company and eventually their profit margin. Crime rates typically increase with the growth and urbanization of an area and growth of mass tourism is often accompanied by increased crime. The presence of a large number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelry, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. Tourism can also drive the development of gambling, which may cause negative changes in social behavior. Many jobs in the tourism sector have working and employment conditions that leave much to be desired: long hours, unstable employment, low pay, little training and poor chances for qualification. In addition, recent developments in the travel and tourism trade (liberalization, competition, concentration, drop in travel fares, growth of subcontracting) and introduction of new technologies seem to reinforce the trend towards more precarious, flexible employment conditions. For many such jobs young children are recruited, as they are cheap and flexible employees. The commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women has paralleled the growth of tourism in many parts of the world. Though tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation, it provides easy access to it. Tourism also brings consumerism to many parts of the world previously denied access to luxury commodities and services. The lure of this easy money has caused many young people, including children, to trade their bodies in exchange for T-shirts, personal stereos, bikes and even air tickets out of the country. References Anonymous. (Jul 27, 2009). Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Sandals Resorts to Launch Martha Stewart Weddings Program in the Caribbean Martha Stewart Weddings at Sandals Resorts Available Beginning January 1, 2010 Martha Stewart Crafts Programs to Launch in 2010. PR Newswire. New York. Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. In Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1981, Gordon Butch Stewart, took notice of an old hotel sitting on Jamaicas largest private white sand beach, bought it, fixed it up and opened the hotel doors for business. With no prior experience, the investor envisioned a marketing plan for the resort to cater to couples only. Sandals Montego Bay became the first all-inclusive vacation concept, and by year-end of 1988, Sandals refined and perfected concepts, such as, swim-up pool bars, royal treatment with private beaches, breakfast in bed, and beachfront gourmet meals. In 2004, the resort hit great heights with the creation of the companys ultimate all-inclusive butler service. With thriving expansions, Sandals currently holds locations in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, and the Bahamas, totaling 12 resorts. A long way from one, run down hotel on a private sandy beach Today, the resort offers luxury package vacations, fine dining, night entertainment, scuba diving and water sports, golf and land sports, spas, and wedding packages. Sandals is committed to the resorts mission of. attaching a premium to human resources and being among the most environmentally responsible and community friendly groups in the hospitality industry (Sandals Resorts, 2007). Sandals resorts continue to penetrate the market with their couples only concept, and have expanded this concept with accommodations for families through other beach resorts, branded Beaches. They created the idea of a couples only resort by introducing the Sandals resort they also opened Beaches, a family luxury resort Royal Plantation, three exclusive luxury oriented resorts with butler service and private airplanes and the Grand Pineapple, a value resort for families. All Sandals resorts are Green Globe Certified it means that the staff is continually trained by local government run environmental organizations, they monitor and conserve all water use on property, they use times on all electrical equipment such as Jacuzzi blowers, steam rooms at the Spa, outdoor lighting for walkways, refrigeration equipment in the kitchens, etc. recycling food, and office paper, reducing the use of all hazardous chemicals and Inviting local craft vendors to the hotel at least once per week to display and sell their craft items. SWOT Analysis PepsiCo Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Branding One of PepsiCos top brands is of course Pepsi, one of the most recognized brands of the world, ranked according to Interbrand. As of 2008 it ranked 26th amongst top 100 global brands. Pepsi generates more than 15,000 million of annual sales. Pepsi is joined in broad recognition by such PepsiCo brands as Diet Pepsi, Gatorade Mountain Dew, Thirst Quencher, Lays Potato Chips, Lipton Teas (PepsiCoUnilever Partnership), Tropicana Beverages, Fritos Corn, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, Doritos Tortilla Chips, Aquafina Bottled Water, Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks, Quaker Foods and Snacks, Ruffles Potato Chips, Mirinda, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, and Sierra Mist. Opportunities Broadening of Product Base PepsiCo is seeking to address one of its potential weaknesses dependency on US markets by acquiring Russias leading Juice Company, Lebedyansky, and V Wwater in the United Kingdom. It continues to broaden its product base by introducing TrueNorth Nut Snacks and increasing its Lipton Tea venture with Unilever. These recent initiatives will enable PepsiCo to adjust to the changing lifestyles of its consumers. International Expansion PepsiCo is in the midst of making a 1, 000 million investment in China, and a 500 million investment in India. Both initiatives are part of its expansion into international markets and a lessening of its dependence on US sales. In addition the company plans on major capital initiatives in Brazil and Mexico. Growing Savory Snack and Bottled Water market in US PepsiCo is positioned well to capitalize on the growing bottle water market which is projected to be worth over 24 million by 2012. Products such as Aquafina, and Propel are well established products and in a position to ride the upward crest. PepsiCo products such as, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips, Ruffles potato chips, Sun Chips multigrain snacks, Rold Gold pretzels, Santitas are also benefiting from a growing savory snack market which is projected to grow as much as 27 by 2013, representing an increase of 28 million. Decline in Carbonated Drink Sales Soft drink sales are projected to decline by as much as 2.7 by 2012, down 63,459 million in value. PepsiCo is in the process of diversification, but is likely to feel the impact of the projected decline. Potential Negative Impact of Government Regulations It is anticipated that government initiatives related to environmental, health and safety may have the potential to negatively impact PepsiCo. For example, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of food products may be altered as a result of state, federal or local dictates. Preliminary studies on acrylamide seem to suggest that it may cause cancer in laboratory animals when consumed in significant amounts. If the company has to comply with a related regulation and add warning labels or place warnings in certain locations where its products are sold, a negative impact may result for PepsiCo. Intense Competition The Coca-Cola Company is PepsiCos primary competitors. But others include Nestl, Groupe Danone and Kraft Foods. Intense competition may influence pricing, advertising, sales promotion initiatives undertaken by PepsiCo. Resently Coca-Cola passed PepsiCo in Juice sales. Potential Disruption Due to Labor Unrest Based upon recent history, PepsiCo may be vulnerable to strikes and other labor disputes. In 2008 a strike in India shut down production for nearly an entire month. This disrupted both manufacturing and distribution. PepsiCo is a world leader in convenient snacks, foods and beverages with revenues of more than 43 billion and over 198,000 employees. Take a journey through our past and see the key milestones that define PepsiCo. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The strength of these brands is evident in PepsiCos presence in over 200 countries. The company has the largest market share in the US beverage at 39, and snack food market at 25. Such brand dominance insures loyalty and repetitive sales which contributes to over 15 million in annual sales for the company Diversification PepsiCos diversification is obvious in that the fact that each of its top 18 brands generates annual sales of over 1,000 million. PepsiCos arsenal also includes ready-to-drink teas, juice drinks, bottled water, as well as breakfast cereals, cakes and cake mixes. This broad product base plus a multi-channel distribution system serve to help insulate PepsiCo from shifting business climates. Distribution The company delivers its products directly from manufacturing plants and warehouses to customer warehouses and retail stores. This is part of a three pronged approach which also includes employees making direct store deliveries of snacks and beverages and the use of third party distribution services. Weaknesses Overdependence on Wal-Mart Sales to Wal-Mart represent approximately 12 of PepsiCos total net revenue. Wal-Mart is PepsiCos largest customer. As a result PepsiCos fortunes are influenced by the business strategy of Wal-Mart specifically its emphasis on private-label sales which produce a higher profit margin than national brands. Wal-Marts low price themes put pressure on PepsiCo to hold down prices. Overdependence on US Markets Despite its international presence, 52 of its revenues originate in the US. This concentration does leave PepsiCo somewhat vulnerable to the impact of changing economic conditions, and labor strikes. Large US customers could exploit PepsiCos lack of bargaining power and negatively impact its revenues. Low Productivity In 2008 PepsiCo had approximately 198,000 employees. Its revenue per employee was 219,439, which was lower that its competitors. This may indicate comparatively low productivity on the part of PepsiCo employees. Image Damage Due to Product Recall Recently (2008) salmonella contamination forced PepsiCo to pull Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix from retail shelves. This followed incidents of exploding Diet Pepsi cans in 2007. Such occurrences damage company image and reduce consumer confidence in PepsiCo products. SWOT Analysis Nintendo Nintendo started back in 1889. Would you believe that the business started by making playing cards Through the years, the company progressed into the manufacture of toys and games and then ultimately to the manufacture and What is marketing of electronic games. Early popular products included Nintendo 64, and Game Boy which was introduced in Japan in 2001. Popular current products include Wii fit and derivatives of the DS portable video game player. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Weaknesses As you might have noticed by reading other SWOT analyses on the marketing teacher website, such a large supplier and manufacturer is largely dependent on its own supply chain. So if suppliers are overseas then it is more difficult to manage the supply chain, and the business is exposed to currency fluctuations and the economic climates in other parts of the world. The lack of a single key component for whatever reason would be a problem for Nintendo. Margins are very tight in the gaming industry. You might have heard rumours that the Sony PlayStation 3 is manufactured and sold at a loss. Console and games manufacturers need to make sure that it is their device that is in the home of the consumer. There are many rumours that Nintendos margin per unit is low and that this may cause them some Marketing and Finance difficulty. Opportunities The main opportunity to games manufacturers lies in the opening of many new small and large segments. Players are getting older and younger. For example, the average age of gamers in the United States is now over 35 years old. As already mentioned, the Nintendo Wii gives the business access to many generations of gamers, regardless of class, culture and income. The gaming industry now churns far more cash than the movie industry, and this is set to continue. Gaming today happens online. Did you know that more than 500 million homes will soon have access to broadband Internet Thats 500 million gamers ready to buy Nintendo products, potentially. So products, which are Wi-Fi and Internet enabled are going to be popular. Nintendo is in this space, and has a competitively positioned offering. Who knows where the entertainment industry will go next If there can be a migration from TV and movies to online gaming, there could also be a new and emerging technology in the future. Also who knows whether consumers will swap from Sony PlayStation, to Xbox, to Nintendo and so on So consumer choices in the future might change. Nothing is ever certain in business. The cell phone market saw that consumers wanted new products every year. Now some consumers change their mobile phone at very regular intervals. This would be an example of very sharp and short customer life-cycles. The same will be the case for the gaming industry, with consumers changing their preferences and games changing in popularity, more and more quickly. As soon as one product is in the market. its replacement is off the drawing board being prepared for the shops. As with all of the global businesses discussed on this website, Nintendo will be exposed to changes in currency values and the global economic climate at that time. Competitors will be Nintendos biggest threat. Sony and Microsoft have their own particular competitive advantages which Nintendo will need to offset. These three key players will fight it out over the next few years, although there may be new entrants from China or India as their economies become more consumerist. One of the businesses main strengths is the fact that it is truly global has a geographical presence in most corners of the world. Manufacturing is still primarily undertaking in Japan, although distribution networks exist worldwide. A global business means that the company is not over-reliant on specific markets and therefore its business risk is reduced. The Nintendo brand and logo is adopted worldwide as a major electronic gaming brand. Just think how far the business has progressed from the Nintendo 64 to the GameCube to the Nintendo DS and finally to the Wii. They have worked themselves into new and interesting segments. For example, the Nintendo DS is ideal for travel as well as a handy device to keep children entertained. The Wii is a family entertainment device and also has niches for keep fit and sports. Ultimately, the devices have become well-known household names. SWOT Analysis Nike, Inc. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Strengths. Nike is a very competitive organization. Phil Knight (Founder and CEO) is often quoted as saying that Business is war without bullets. Nike has a healthy dislike of is competitors. At the Atlanta Olympics, Reebok went to the expense of sponsoring the games. Nike did not. However Nike sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage. Nike is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that Nike may be manufacturing andor selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. The model developed by Phil Knight in his Stamford Business School days (high value branded product manufactured at a low cost) is now commonly used and to an extent is no longer a basis for sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nikes market share. As discussed above in weaknesses, the retail sector is becoming price competitive. This ultimately means that consumers are shopping around for a better deal. So if one store charges a price for a pair of sports shoes, the consumer could go to the store along the street to compare prices for the exactly the same item, and buy the cheaper of the two. Such consumer price sensitivity is a potential external threat to Nike. If you have a body, you are an athlete Bill Bowerman said this a couple of decades ago. The guy was right. It defines how he viewed the world, and it defines how Nike pursues its destiny. Ours is a language of sports, a universally understood lexicon of passion and competition. A lot has happened at Nike in the 30 years. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Nike has no factories. It does not tie up cash in buildings and manufacturing workers. This makes a very lean organization. Nike is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the lowest possible price. If prices rise, and products can be made more cheaply elsewhere (to the same or better specification), Nike will move production. Nike is a global brand. It is the number one sports brand in the World. Its famous Swoosh is instantly recognisable, and Phil Knight even has it tattooed on his ankle. Weaknesses. The organization does have a diversified range of sports products. However, the income of the business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. The retail sector is very price sensitive. Nike does have its own retailer in Nike Town. However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very similar experience to the consumer. Can you tell one sports retailer from another So margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto Nike. Opportunities. Product development offers Nike many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand. However, like it or not, consumers that wear Nike product do not always buy it to participate in sport. Some would argue that in youth culture especially, Nike is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities, since product could become unfashionable before it wears out i. e. consumers need to replace shoes. There is also the opportunity to develop products such as sport wear, sunglasses and jewellery. Such high value items do tend to have associated with them, high profits. The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand recognition. There are many markets that have the disposable income to spend on high value sports goods. For example, emerging markets such as China and India have a new richer generation of consumers. There are also global marketing events that can be utilised to support the brand such as the World Cup (soccer) and The Olympics. SWOT Analysis Nestl Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Global food producer, located in over 100 countries. Consistently one of the worlds largest producers of food products, with sales in the USA in 2008 of 10 billion sales and earnings in 2008 were better than expected, even in a downturned economy. Global sales in 2008 topped 101 billion. Weaknesses Their LC-1 division was not as successful as they thought it would be in France. In the late 1980s, Dannon entered the market with a health-based yogurt, and become the top selling brand of yogurt Nestls 1994 launch was behind the product life cycle curve in an already mature market and could not compete against a strong, established brand. Growth in their organic food sales division was flat in 2008, even though the industry grew 8.9. Since 2004 the breakfast cereal industry has been under fire from the FDA and the American Medical Association, both of which say that false claims of heart healthy and lower cholesterol need to be removed from packaging and advertising. They have also been forced to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, as parents advocates groups claimed they were contributing to the diabetes epidemic among American children. General Mills is an experienced, established brand and are the market leader in the USA, however, they have been lacking in innovation, have not cashed in on the booming health food craze and have been behind in creating new, niche products, especially in their yogurt division, where Yoplait is the only brand making a profit. In 2008, although their products did not carry the recalled pistachios, several of their ice cream brands, Dryers, Edys and Haagen-Dazs, were still plagued with bad PR and loss of sales. Opportunities In todays health conscious societies, they can introduce more health-based products, and because they are a market leader, they would likely be more successful. Provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. They launched a new premium line of higher cacao content chocolates dubbed Nestl Treasures Gold, in order to cash in on the recession economy in which consumers cut back on luxury goods, but regularly indulge in candy and chocolate. Americans want luxury chocolates, and high-end chocolate is immune to the recession (so far), because it is an inexpensive indulgence. Open Nestl Cafs in major cities to feature Nestl products. Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Their Toll House brand cookie dough was recalled in March of 2009 because of e-coli. Outbreaks were linked to 28 states and the product had to be recalled globally. Nestl has yet to find out how this happened, and is still investigating. They were affected by the pet food recall in 2007, in which 95 different brands of dog and cat food were recalled due to contamination with rat poison. Also in 2007, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food. Raw chocolate ingredient prices are soaring dairy costs alone rose 50 in 2008, this cuts heavily into their profit margins and often gets passed on to consumers, by shrinking the packaging in a way that is almost unnoticeable-therefore the consumer is paying the same prices for less product. They have major competitors, like Hersheys, Cadbury-Schweppes (owned by Pepsi), Lindt and Ghirardelli, Kelloggs, Post, Starbucks, Beech-Nut, Quaker, Kraft Foods, Dannon, Del-Monte, Iams, Earths Best, Heinz, Frito-Lay (owned by Pepsi). References Slideshare. (2009). Nestl 2008 Q3 Earnings. Retrieved July 12, 2009. Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Repeatedly ranked as the worlds largest bottled water company and have set up facilities to operate water resources in a responsible manner. In 2008, Nestl was named one of Americas Most Admired Food Companies in Fortune magazine for the twelfth consecutive year. Nestl provides quality brands and products and line extensions that are well-known, top-selling brands including: Lean Cuisine, Yoplait, Maggi, DryersEdys, Haagen-Dazs, Stouffers, Boost, Dibs, Hot Pockets. Chocolate and Candy: Kit Kat, Toll House, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch Bar, the Willy Wonka Candy line. Pet Products: Purina, Alpo, Cat Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Tidy Cat. Drinks: Carnation, Perrier, Nesquik, S. Pellegrino, Nescafe, CoffeeMate, Tasters Choice, Juicy Juice. General Mills: subsidiary which makes Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Hamburger Helper, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, cereals, fruit snacks, frozen pizza, canned soups, frozen vegetables, ready-made frozen meals. Gerber: baby formula, prepared baby foods, baby cereals, water, juice, yogurt, foods for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Professional brands sold to restaurants, colleges, hotels, and food professionals including Jenny Craig meals, Impact liquid meals for trauma patients, liquid meals for diabetics, and OptiFast weight loss products. Successful due in part to their unquestionable ability to keep major brands consistently in the forefront of consumers minds (and in their shopping carts) by renovating existing product lines, keeping major brands from slipping into saturationdecline and having superior access to distribution channels. Molson-Coors SWOT Company Overview Molson Coors Brewing Company (Molson Coors) is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing, packaging and selling of malt beverage products, including alcoholic beer, cider, ales, stouts and lager. The company operates primarily in the US, Canada and the UK. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Coors is the name of an ambitious 19th-century pioneer whose dream grew into the worlds largest single-site brewery. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Weaknesses Coors operates the worlds largest brewery at its headquarters in Golden, Colorado, and distributes its 13 branded malt beverages in 30 countries worldwidebut 98 percent of revenues are generated in the United States, and that decreased by 97 in 2009 . They rely on only a few popular brand names, which exposes the company to vulnerability when sales and economic regions fluctuate. In 2009 company revenues decreased 36.5. The Canadian region revenues decreases 9.8 The UK revenues decreased 8.6 revenues in the US decreased 97 It seems that the revenues declined primarily due to weak demand in its core markets. Molson Coors Brewing Company sold a 68 equity interest in its Brazilian unit, Cervejarias Kaiser to FEMSA Cerveza in 2006. They are dependent on the raw materials of aluminum, wheat, barley and hops. The price of these raw goods have increased dramatically since 2008. The perception in the US is that beer is for middle class or lower class members of society, making it difficult to sell their product to those with the most disposable income. Opportunities The Asian beer market provides ample business expansion possibilities, because they are a large consumer of the product and their populations are growing. Creating more strategic alliances with other companies reduces risk as they move into foreign operations Licensing agreements with theme parks, NASCAR racing circuit, Bowling Companies andor complimentary food companies such as Johnsonville Brats. They can produce a line of Organic Beer, Gluten free beer, or move into the higher priced market of beers. Producing liquor or soda can also diversify risk, as sales of beer fluctuate. Top competitors include: Ashai, Carlsberg, Heineken, Kirin, and Tsingtao. Any significant increase in raw materials prices will negatively affect their margins. Any significant decrease in the ability to obtain their raw materials will also affect their margins. A negative perception that beer is not as healthy as other alcoholic beverages such as wine. Economic recession in the US increases the sales of beer at first, but as the recession continues over a longer period of time, it may cause sales to decrease. References MarketLine. (2010). Molson Company Overview. Retrieved on September 8, 2010 from marketlineinfo Molson Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1786 and Adolph Coors was founded in 1873. They survived prohibition in the US by bottling water. In 1959 they developed the aluminum can, a revolutionary way to package the product. In 1997, they developed the first non-alcoholic beer. In 2002, Adolph Coors acquired Coors Brewers and Molson Coors Brewing Company became one of the worlds largest brewers. The company now has a diverse portfolio of more than 65 strategic and partner brands positions with signature brands including Coors, Coors Light, Molson Canadian, and Carling. The company operates around 18 breweries and a number of distribution centers in more than 30 countries, mainly in Canada, the US and UK. They are an innovative company, first by surviving prohibition in the US, when their product was deemed illegal, they began to bottle water to keep the company going. When prohibition was repealed, they returned to bottling alcoholic products and developed the first aluminum can. The company also has licensing agreement for Canadian market with other leading brands, which include: Amstel Light Heineken and Murphys, Asahi and Asahi Select, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukees Best and Milwaukees Best Dry, Miller, and Fosters. They recorded revenues of 73.9 million in FY2009, an increase of 17.5 over 2008. The operating profit of the company was 754 million in FY2009, an increase of 21.2 over 2008. The net profit was 720.4 million in FY2009, an increase of 90.2 over 2008. In 2006, they signed a five-year partnership with the San Diego Chargers, an American football team. The agreement provided them with multiple marketing opportunities, including outreach to San Diegos large military population and Hispanic consumers. Also in 2006, New Orleans Saints, another American football team, signed a two-year partnership with them. In 2007, Coors Brewing introduced a package redesign and new advertising campaign for its Coors beer. In the same year, Coors Brewing rolled out its 2007 multicultural marketing strategy which was built on positioning Coors Light to the African-American and the US Hispanic populations. In 2008, they launched Coors Light beer in Sweden. In 2009, the company launced the new 8, 10, 12 and 16 ounce Coors Light and Coors Banquet Cold Activated Cans across the US. Carling, the UKs beer brand by Molson Coors, launched a 99 calorie bottle with 100 British barley. Also in 2009, Molson Coors (UK) and Cobra Beer formed Cobra Beer Partnership, a joint venture company for the manufacture and marketing of the Cobra beer brand across the UK. In 2009, they partnered to introduce Coors Light beer in Costa Rica. They also introduced Coors Light in Trinidad ampTobago. In May 2010, they agreed to buy a 51 controlling interest in a new joint venture with the Hebei Sihai Beer Company for 40 million. They will have control over the Sihai brewing operations, including its contract brewing business in China. In 2009, revenues from other foreign countries (other than Canada and the UK) reached 118.8 million in 2009, an increase of 28.2 over 2008. SWOT Analysis McDonalds Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis McDonalds has been a thriving business since 1955 and 20 of the top 50 corporate staff employees started as a restaurant level employee. In addition, 67,000 McDonalds restaurant managers and assistant managers were promoted from restaurant staff. Fortune Magazine 2005 listed McDonalds as the Best Place to Work for Minorities. McDonalds invests more than 1 billion annually in training its staff, and every year more than 250,000 employees graduate from McDonalds training facility, Hamburger University. Weaknesses Their test marketing for pizza failed to yield a substantial product. Leaving them much less able to compete with fast food pizza chains. High employee turnover in their restaurants leads to more money being spent on training. They have yet to capitalize on the trend towards organic foods. McDonalds have problems with fluctuations in operating and net profits which ultimately impact investor relations. Operating profit was 3,984 million (2005) 4,433 million (2006) and 3,879 million (2007). Net profits were 2,602 million (2005), 3,544 million (2006) and 2,395 million (2007). Opportunities In todays health conscious societies the introduction of a healthy hamburger is a great opportunity. They would be the first QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) to have FDA approval on marketing a low fat low calorie hamburger with low calorie combo alternatives. Currently McDonalds and its competition health choice items do not include hamburgers. They have industrial, Formica restaurant settings they could provide more upscale restaurant settings, like the one they have in New York City on Broadway, to appeal to a more upscale target market. Provide optional allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. In 2008 the business directed efforts at the breakfast, chicken, beverage and convenience categories. For example, hot specialist coffees not only secure sales, but also mean that restaurants get increasing numbers of customer visits. In 2009 McDonalds saw the full benefits of a venture into beverages. They are a benchmark for creating cradle to grave marketing. They entice children as young as one year old into their restaurants with special meals, toys, playgrounds and popular movie character tie-ins. Children grow up eating and enjoying McDonalds and then continue into adulthood. They have been criticized by many parent advocate groups for their marketing practices towards children which are seen as marginally ethical. They have been sued multiple times for having unhealthy food, allegedly with addictive additives, contributing to the obesity epidemic in America. In 2004, Michael Spulock filmed the documentary Super Size Me, where he went on an all McDonalds diet for 30 days and wound up getting cirrhosis of the liver. This documentary was a direct attack on the QSR industry as a whole and blamed them for Americas obesity epidemic. Due in part to the documentary, McDonalds no longer pushes the super size option at the dive thru window. Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Major competitors, like Burger King, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendys, KFC and any mid-range sit-down restaurants. McDonalds is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 31,000 local restaurants serving more than 58 million people in 118 countries each day. More than 75 of McDonalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. Read more Last updated July 2009 Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The business is ranked number one in Fortune Magazines 2008 list of most admired food service companies. One of the worlds most recognizable logos (the Golden Arches) and spokes character (Ronald McDonald the clown). According to the Packard Childrens Hospitals Center for Healthy Weight children age 3 to 5 were given food in the McDonalds packaging and then given the same food without the packaging, and they preferred the food in the McDonalds packaging every single time. McDonalds is a community oriented, socially responsible company. They run Ronald McDonald House facilities, which provide room and board, food and sibling support at a cost of only 10 a day for families with children needing extensive hospital care. Ronald McDonald Houses are located in more than 259 local communities worldwide, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs offers cost effective medical, dental and education services to children. They also sponsor Olympic athletes. They are a global company operating more than 23,500 restaurants in 109 countries. By being spread out in different regions, this gives them the ability to weather economic fluctuations which are localized by country. They can also operate effectively in an economic downturn due to the social need to seek out comfort foods. They successfully and easily adapt their global restaurants to appeal to the cultural differences. For example, they serve lamb burgers in India and in the Middle East, they provide separate entrances for families and single women. Approximately 85 of McDonalds restaurant businesses world-wide are owned and operated by franchisees. All franchisees are independent, full-time operators and McDonalds was named Entrepreneurs number-one franchise in 1997. They have global locations in all major airports, and cities, along the highways, tourist locations, theme parks and inside Wal-Mart. They have an efficient, assembly line style of food preparation. In addition they have a systemization and duplication of all their food prep processes in every restaurant. McDonalds uses only 100 pure USDA inspected beef, no fillers or additives. Additionally the produce is farm fresh. McDonalds serves 100 farm raised chicken no fillers or additives and only grade-A eggs. McDonalds foods are purchased from only certified and inspected suppliers. McDonalds works closely with ranchers, growers and suppliers to ensure food quality and freshness. McDonalds only serves name brand processed items such as Dannon Yogurt, Kraft Cheese, Nestle Chocolate, Dasani Water, Newmans Own Salad Dressings, Heinz Ketchup, Minute Maid Juice. McDonalds takes food safety very seriously. More than 2000 inspections checks are performed at every stage of the food process. McDonalds are required to run through 72 safety protocols every day to ensure the food is maintained in a clean contaminate free environment. . McDonalds was the first restaurant of its type to provide consumers with nutrition information. Nutrition information is printed on all packaging and more recently added to the McDonalds Internet site. McDonalds offers salads, fruit, roasted chicken, bottled water and other low fat and calorie conscious alternatives. SWOT Analysis Johnson amp Johnson Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis A Substantial Marketing Arsenal Johnson amp Johnson can call upon a network of subsidiaries armed with significant sales and marketing prowess, as well as expertise in a number of therapy areas. The company possesses a global sales force which serves to attract joint venture possibilities. Opportunities Wide Range of Potential Cross-selling Opportunities Johnson amp Johnson is in a position to strategically develop a myriad of cross selling opportunities. Using the disease life cycle as a base the company could exploit its product line in CV, oncology, diabetes and IampI therapy to formulate linkages between patents and care-giving resulting in greater efficiency. Maximizing its balance between Pharmaceuticals, Diagnostics, and Medical Devices could result in increased revenues. Potential to Exploit Biologics Market The addition of further biologics to its portfolio can serve as a buffer as mall molecule patents expiries. JampJ is experienced in the development and commercialization of biologicsincluding the therapeutic proteins Procrit and Natrecor, and monoclonal antibodies Remicade, ReoPro, Simponi and Stelara. This represents an opportunity to gain key IP, product rights or strengthen discovery capabilities. In July of 2009 Johnson amp Johnson was selected by Elan to form a joint venture for the development and commercialization of these products. In addition, JampJ acquired an 18.4 equity stake in the company. Dependence on the Success of Launch Products Many new launch products are vulnerable to the uncertainty of regulatory review and ultimate market benefits may vary substantially from forecast, therefore, a reliance upon launch products potentially represents a threat to Johnson amp Johnsons outlook. Negative Impact of Recent Product Recalls Johnson and Johnson has the misfortune of having to recall of more than 40 medicines recently. FDA inspectors required the company to recall the childrens medications after discovering the company had not looked into dozens of consumer complaints about black or dark specks in Tylenol and other products. The company stands to take a hit to its sterling reputation as congressional lawmakers are blasting the companys competence and integrity. Caring for the world, one person at a time inspires and unites the people of Johnson amp Johnson. We embrace research and science bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Employees of the Johnson amp Johnson Family of Companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. Mehr. Johnson amp Johnson has maintained a stable financial position by utilizing cash reserves to finance timely corporate acquisitions. Its Triple A Credit Rating represents a company able to take advantage of opportunities that arise without being limited by burdensome levels of debt. The Johnson amp Johnson pharmaceutical portfolio, and ts large Medical Devices amp Diagnostics (M, D ampD) and Consumer Health divisions serves to reduce dependence upon any one area. The company plans to continue this broadening through 2008-14. This diversification allows a wider range of choice when pursuing opportunities with the greatest growth prospects. Positive Revenue Growth Projections The potential of an impressive number of new product launches and the promise of achieving forecast sales is said to bode well for Johnson amp Johnson, helping it weather the recent decline in prescription pharmaceuticals and projecting a turn-around through 2010. An increase at 1.8 CAGR across 200814 is believed to be achievable. Weaknesses Dependence on the Success of Launch Products Many new launch products are vulnerable to the uncertainty of regulatory review and ultimate market benefits may vary substantially from forecast, therefore, a reliance upon launch products potentially represents a threat to Johnson amp Johnsons outlook. Reliance on Small Molecule Drugs Compared to biologics, small molecules are notably more impacted by generic competition. As such, although the Johnson amp Johnson is engaged in producing new small molecule products, when coming off-patent, declines are still forecast. This is particularly the case in the US, where generic erosion rates are most aggressive. Johnson amp Johnsons small molecule drug sales declined in 2008 and are forecast to fall further into 2012. Teses issues reflect concerns expressed across the pharmaceutical industrythe necessity of finding replacements for billion dollar products as they mature represents an daunting task. SWOT Analysis Kroger Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Sturdy Market Position Kroger has weathered the economic recession with relative success due to the strong market position it had going in. Kroger held number one and number two market share position in 39 out of 42 major markets in 2009. The company competed with 1,418 other supercenters and has achieved at least a number three market share position in 35 of its major markets. Weaknesses Vendor Quality Control Lapses Kroger obtains a substantial portion of its merchandise from suppliers that it has limiter control over. As a result, a number of consumer alerts and product recalls have been necessary. In the first quarter of 2009, Kroger recalled a number of products including Lawry fajitas spices, and Lian How chili garlic sauce. Other recalls include Banquet Pot Pies, Kroger California Seasoning Blend Garlic Powder and Kroger Special Seasoning Blend Lemon Pepper. Obviously these recalls especially those deemed hazardous to ones health serve to harm the companys brand image by reducing customer confidence and loyalty. A Unionized Workforce Krogers unionized workforce puts it at a competitive disadvantage when compared with its peers Wal-Mart, Sears or Target. Its competitors enjoy lower labor costs and other operating efficiencies. This environment often includes time-consuming labor negotiations and the formulation of agreements in order to avoid work stoppages. Each work stoppage comes with the potential to impact the bottom line. Legal proceeding related to Ralphs Grocery Company case Kroger has faced a relatively long list of legal issues stemming from its acquisition of Fred Meyer and Ralphs Grocery. Among them include a settlement in 2006 over illegal hiring practices that occurred during a 141 day labor dispute. Potential legal issues for Kroger have also loomed in connection with Ralphs alleged improper accounting practices. Kroger is awaiting a decision by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service with regard to a transaction between Ralphs Holding Company and Ralphs Grocery. A negative decision in the case could have substantial financial impact on Kroger. Opportunities Increased Emphasis on Private Label Brands Kroger continues to develop its private brands as a strategic asset. With a goal of decreasing its dependence on national brands, Kroger has increased promotions of its own products which include more than 14,000 brands. During the fourth quarter of FY2009, the companys private label brands accounted for approximately 27 of the entire grocery sales. Private Selection, a private brand owned by Kroger, exceeded 1 billion in sales in FY2009. These brands have offered much appreciated savings to its customers during the economic recession. Strategic Expansion Plans Kroger plans on implementing an expansion plan which entails store relocations and store remodeling and new store openings. The Plan help the company enhance its in-store store productivity and to penetrate new markets. This in turn would allow Kroger to reach a larger customer base. Kroger has increased its capital outlay from 1.8 billion in 2007 to 2.1 in FY2009. The company is planning to spend around 1.9 to 2.1 billion during FY2010. Kroger hopes another by product is increase its operational productivity and reduced cost. In-Store Health Clinic Program Kroger is striving to better serve its customers by providing walk-in medical clinics and consumer health assistance in its stores. By partnering with The Little Clinic Kroger is able to offer the services of licensed nurses and certified physician assistants to diagnose treat and write prescriptions for common illnesses as well as for minor injuries. Kroger intends to implement the program throughout its stores and by doing so hopes to reap rewards of addition customer revenues. Increasing Labor Costs The majority of the Krogers 326,000 employees are covered by collective labor agreements negotiated with local unions affiliated with one of several different international unions. Kroger employees have benefited from recent increases in the federal minimum wage and it is predicted they will also benefit from health care reform. These changes present financial challenges for Kroger and have the potential to negatively impact its operating costs, as well as profitability. High Debt Burden Kroger may find itself in a position where a substantial portion of its cash flow must be funneled into paying down its indebtedness. A large percentage of debt has gone toward the implementation of its restructuring, remodeling and new store opening projects. The current economic climate has curbed the willingness of the financial industry to refinance debt. This reluctance, coupled with its 8 billion debt load may hinder future growth opportunities for the company. Dismal Economic Projections The slumping economy continues to have a negative impact of consumer expenditures. The first quarter of 2009 registered a drop of 60.5 in the US Consumer Confidence Index, the score of 26 in March 2009 as compared to the score of 65 during same period in the previous year. Current job data outlined in The Conference Board Employment Trends Index for April 2010 indicates a moderate recovery may be underway however a slow recovery may continue to stifle potential expenditures by Kroger customers. The Kroger Co. spans many states with store formats that include grocery and multi-department stores, convenience stores and mall jewelry stores. We operate under nearly two dozen banners, all of which share the same belief in building strong local ties and brand loyalty with our customers. Mehr. Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The companys brand equity provides a strong competitive advantage over other firms. In 2009 Kroger was listed 82nd in the Global 500 Brand Ranking (Ranking the Brands), while the Reputation Institute listed it among the top 20 most reputable companies. This strength will serve the company well as it endures its most recent negative earnings forecast. Three-pronged Branding Approach Private selection, banner brands and Kroger value represent the companys three-tiered branding approach. Specifically, the private selection brand strives to compete with national upscale brands, while Kroger value delivers quality items at lower prices. The banner brands consist of the companys private label items like Ralphs, King Soopers, and Kroger. The three-pronged approach enables Kroger to meet the demands of a wide range of customers and offers them savings not available with national brands. Proficient Manufacturing Capabilities Kroger operates around 40 manufacturing plants for processing, packaging and manufacturing its private label products. The company manufactured approximately 43 of its 14,400 private label items in its plants. Krogers inventory of manufacturing plants Include 18 dairies, 10 deli or bakery plants, five grocery product plants, three beverage plants, two meat plants and two cheese plants. These manufacturing capabilities allow for more efficient quality control and efficient distribution to stores. Diversified Retail Product Inventory Kroger product inventory includes a wide range of private and national brand products in a number of product categories including food produce, grocery, beverages, apparel, meat, jewelry, accessories, and general merchandise. The diversification strategy is also evident in its fuel service stations and financial services. This wide range of products and services enables the firm to create a one-stop atmosphere which facilitates frequent repeat visits for a number of purposes. SWOT Analysis ITC ITC is one of Indias biggest and best-known private sector companies. In fact it is one of the Worlds most high profile consumer operations. This SWOT analysis is about ITC. Its businesses and brands are focused almost entirely on the Indian markets, and despite being most well-known for its tobacco brands such as Gold Flake, the business is now diversifying into new FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) brands in a number of market sectors Opportunities Core brands such as Aashirvaad, Mint-o, Bingo And Sun Feast (and others) can be developed using strategies of market development, product development and marketing penetration. ITC is moving into new and emerging sectors including Information Technology, supporting business solutions. e-Choupal is a community of practice that links rural Indian farmers using the Internet. This is an original and well thought of initiative that could be used in other sectors in many other parts of the world. It is also an ambitious project that has a goal of reaching 10 million farmers in 100,000 villages. Take a look at eChoupal here itcportalagriexportse-choupalnew. htm ITC leverages e-Choupal in a novel way. The company researched the tastes of consumers in the North, West and East of India of atta (a popular type of wheat flour), then used the network to source and create the raw materials from farmers and then blend them for consumers under purposeful brand names such as Aashirvaad Select in the Northern market, Aashirvaad MP Chakki in the Western market and Aashirvaad in the Eastern market. This concept is tremendously difficult for competitors to emulate. Chairman Yogi Deveshwars strategic vision is to turn his Indian conglomerate into the countrys premier FMCG business. Per capita consumption of personal care products in India is the lowest in the world offering an opportunity for ITCs soaps, shampoos and fragrances under their Wills brand. The obvious threat is from competition, both domestic and international. The laws of economics dictate that if competitors see that there is a solid profit to be made in an emerging consumer society that ultimately new products and services will be made available. Western companies will see India as an exciting opportunity for themselves to find new market segments for their own offerings. ITCs opportunities are likely to be opportunities for other companies as well. Therefore the dynamic of competition will alter in the medium-term. Then ITC will need to decide whether being a diversified conglomerate is the most competitive strategic formation for a secure future. ITC was incorporated on August 24, 1910 under the name of Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited. Its beginnings were humble. A leased office on Radha Bazar Lane, Kolkata, was the centre of the Companys existence. The Company celebrated its 16th birthday on August 24, 1926, by purchasing the plot of land situated at 37, Chowringhee, (now renamed J. L. Nehru Road) Kolkata, for the sum of Rs 310,000. Read more Bibliography Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. including cigarettes, hotels, paper, agriculture, packaged foods and confectionary, branded apparel, personal care, greetings cards, Information Technology, safety matches, incense sticks and stationery. Examples of its successful new FMCG products include: Aashirvaad Indias most popular atta brand with over 50 market share. It is also present in spices and instant mixes. Mint-o Mint-0 Fresh is the largest cough lozenge brand in India. Bingo a new introduction of finger snacks. Kitchens of India pre-prepared foods designed by ITCs master chefs. Sunfeast is ITCs biscuit brand (and the sub-brand is also used on some pasta products). ITC leveraged it traditional businesses to develop new brands for new segments. For example, ITC used its experience of transporting and distributing tobacco products to remote and distant parts of India to the advantage of its FMCG products. ITC master chefs from its hotel chain are often asked to develop new food concepts for its FMCG business. ITC is a diversified company trading in a number of business sectors including cigarettes, hotels, paper, agriculture, packaged foods and confectionary, branded apparel, personal care, greetings cards, Information Technology, safety matches, incense sticks and stationery. Weaknesses The companys original business was traded in tobacco. ITC stands for Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited. It is interesting that a business that is now so involved in branding continues to use its original name, despite the negative connection of tobacco with poor health and premature death. To fund its cash guzzling FMCG start-up, the company is still dependant upon its tobacco revenues. Cigarettes account for 47 per cent of the companys turnover, and that in itself is responsible for 80 of its profits. So there is an argument that ITCs move into FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) is being subsidised by its tobacco operations. Its Gold Flake tobacco brand is the largest FMCG brand in India and this single brand alone hold 70 of the tobacco market. SWOT Analysis Indian Premier League (IPL) Where will you find the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers, the Deccan Chargers, the Channai Super Kings, the Delhi Daredevils, the Kings XI Punjab, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajesthan Royals In the Indian Premier League (IPL) the most exciting sports franchise that the World has seen in recent years, with seemingly endless marketing opportunities (and strengths, weaknesses and threats of course). This SWOT analysis is about The Indian Premier League. Opportunities Since it has a large potential mass audience, IPL is very attractive as a marketing communications opportunity, especially for advertisers and sponsors. The league functions under a number of franchises. Each franchisee is responsible for marketing its team to gain as large a fan-base as possible. The long-term success of all of the franchises lies in the generation of a solid fan-base. The fan-base will generate large TV revenues. Different fans will pay different amounts to watch their sport. There will be corporate hospitality, season tickets, away tickets, TV pay-per-view and other ways to segment the market for the IPL. There is a huge opportunity for merchandising e. g. sales of shirts, credit cards and other fan memorabilia. Grounds can also sell refreshments and other services during the games. Marketers believe that the teenage segments need to be targeted so that they become the long-term fan-base. Their parents and older cricket fans may prefer the longer, more traditional game. The youth market may also impress on their parents that they want them to buy their clubs merchandise on their behalf as a differentiator or status symbol. Franchise fees will remain fixed for the up until 2017-18, which means that the investment is safe against inflation which is traditionally relatively high in India. The level of competition that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can generate determines long-term viability of the league. If the level of competition drops, then revenue will fall. For example, if the top names in cricket cannot be attracted to India, the appeal of the game will fall. Often getting hold of the big names is a problem Australian domestic cricket runs concurrent with the IPL and if players move form Australia to India to follow the money then their domestic game will be hit. This is known as Free Agency. If the franchisees fan-base does not generate income then they may not have the cash to pay the salaries of the best players. However, if you invest in the best players and they do not win the trophies, then you may not see a return on your investment. It wont be a quick return on investment so owners need to be in it for the long-term. Franchises are very expensive. The most expensive franchise Mumbai Indians was bought by Mukesh Ambani for 111.9 million, whereas the lowest priced franchise Rajasthan Royals was picked up by Manoj Badale for a mere 67 million. The most highly priced teams may not be those that have the early success. Revenues will come from the most highly supported teams. The Indian Premier League (also known as the DLF Indian Premier League for sponsorship reasons often abbreviated as IPL), is a Twenty20 cricket competition created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).Read more Bibliography Indian Premier League, Wikipedia, 5th July 2008. Will crickets new czars make money Shamni Pande and Tejeesh N. S. Behl Business Today 14th May 2008. IPLs economics demystified, Ram Tamara and Michael Maloney Business Today 14th May 2008. Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is based upon the Twenty20 cricket game which should be completed in 2 hours. That means that is fast-paced and exciting, and moreover it can be played on a weekday evening or weekend afternoon. That makes it very appealing as a mass sport, just like American Football, Basketball and Soccer. It is appealing as a spectator sport, as well to TV audiences. The IPL has employed economists to structure its lead so that revenue is maximized. The more unified the sport, the more successful it is. Weaknesses Twenty20 has been so popular that it could replace other forms of cricket i. e. damage the game that generated it. Some fans will also have to pay for travel to the ground. There may be large queues for the most popular games. There may be some distance between where the fan lives and the cricket ground. Stakes are very high Some teams may not weather short-term failures and may be too quick to get rid of key managers and players if things dont go well quickly. Famously, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sacked their CEO Charu Sharma for watching his team lose 6 from their first 8 games. Some teams have overpriced their advertisingsponsorship in order to gain some short-term returns (e. g. Royal Challengers), and some sponsors and are moving their investment the more reasonably priced teams. SWOT Analysis Infosys Infosys is one of the largest businesses in India with a turnover in excess of 4 billion in 2008. The company specializes in Information Technology (IT) and consulting. N. R. Narayana Murthy and six others started the company in 1981, and it is now the largest IT company in India with its headquarters in Bangalore (although it was started in Pune). It employs more than 90,000 IT professionals and was famously rated Best Employer in India. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Opportunities At a time of recession in the global economy, it may appear that some companies will reduce take up of services that Infosys offers. However, in tough times clients tend to focus upon cost reduction and outsourcing with are strategies that Infosys offers. So hard times could be profitable for Infosys. There is a new and emerging market in China as the country undergoes a huge industrial revolution. The strategic alliance between Infosys and Schlumberger gives the IT company access to lucrative business in the gas and oil industries. There has been a trend over recent years for European and North American companies to base some or all of their operation in India. This is called an offshore service. Essentially there is a seamless link between domestic operations and services hosted in India. Examples include telecommunications companies such as British Telecom and banks such as HSBC that have customer service and support centres based in India. Think about the times that you have made calls to a support line to find that the adviser is in Mumbai or Bangalore and not in your home market. India is not the only country that is undergoing rapid industrial expansion. Competitors may come from countries such as China or Korea where there are large pools of low-cost labor, and developing educational infrastructures such as universities and technology colleges. Customers may switch to other offshore service companies in other countries such as China or Korea. Other global players have realised that India has the benefit of low-cost, highly-skilled labor that often speaks English and is culturally sensitive to Western practices. As with all global IT players, Infosys has to compete for skilled labor and this may have the effect of driving up wage levels, and making it more difficult to recruit and retain staff. Bibliography Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. It operates in a number of business sectors from banking to retail, and its services tend to encompass end-to-end IT solutions which includes a whole bundle of added-value solutions from infrastructure to software engineering. This SWOT analysis is about Infosys. Since the company is based in India its competitive advantage is enhanced. The Indian economy, despite weak economic indicators such as relatively high rates of inflation, has low labor costs. The workforce has relatively high skills levels in Information Technology. Couple these two elementstogether and you have an operational basis that offers low-cost based, highly skilled competitive advantage. Trained Indian personnel often speak very good English and are sensitive to Western culture, underpinned by Indias colonial past. Infosys is in a strong financial position. The business turned over more than 4 billion in 2008. This means that it has the capital to expand, and also the basis to leverage potential investors. The company has bases in 44 global development centres, most of which are located in India, although the company has offices in many developed and developing nations. This means not only that Infosys is becoming a global brand but also that it has the capability to support the global operations of multinational clients. Weaknesses Infosys on occasion struggles in the US markets, and has particular problems in securing United States Federal Government contracts in North America. Since these contracts are highly profitable and tend to run for long periods of time, Infosys is missing out on lucrative business. Added to this is the fact that its competitors do well in terms of securing the same Federal business (and one should also take into account that many of its competitors are domiciled in the US and there could be political pressure on the US Government to award contracts to domestic organizations). Despite being a huge IT company in relation to its Indian competitors, Infosys is much smaller than its global competitors. As discussed above, Infosys generated 4 billion in 2008, which is relatively low in comparison with large global competitors such as Hewlett-Packard (91 billion), IBM (91 billion), EDS (21 billion) and Accenture (18 billion). It is sometimes argued that Infosys is weaker when it comes to high-end management consultancy, since it tends to work at the level of operational value creation. Competitors such as IBM and Accenture tend to dominate this space. SWOT Analysis Ikea. IKEA is amongst the biggest retailers of furniture in the world. Would you believe that the business sells more than 10,000 furnishing products from well over 300 stores in around 40 countries. The company has in excess of 600 million visitors to its stores, and its very successful website attracts in excess of 600 million visitors every year. IKEA is a Scandinavian company famous for furniture from living rooms to childrens bedrooms. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Weaknesses The business is experiencing problems in one or two home markets. For example in the European market of the United Kingdom, IKEA has recently opened more stores which means that the number of visitors is divided by a greater number of retail outlets. So in the past the consumers would travel many miles to visit stores and each store had a large number of visitors, now these consumers have not really increased in number, but are now able to visit a more local store. This has reduced the footfall per store and any sales density. One problem experienced by IKEA is that its flagship stores are not located in city centres, or even secondary locations near large populations. They are out-of-town stores. So consumers have to travel large distances to visit the stores. Their customers have to not only cost their travelling expenses, but they also have to collect large packages and take them home. This would be a competitive disadvantage. Opportunities IKEA is traditionally famous for its diversification strategies. For example in the past they have sold food products and opened restaurants in their stores. So the online opportunity of trading through highly advanced e-commerce technologies is an ideal avenue for IKEA. Obviously this helps the business to overcome problems with out-of-town stores since consumers can stay at home to shop and then request that goods are delivered to their doorstep. Another opportunity lies within the new low-cost manufacturing nations of China and India. So costs can be reduced and margins possibly increased by reducing labour costs. This will also give the business the opportunity to enter these potentially lucrative developing consumer societies. Furniture could be made in factories in China, and textiles for curtains for example could be made in India. Businesses such as IKEA will struggle against the larger portfolio suppliers such as Tesco in the United Kingdom and Walmart in the United States. For example Tescos sells not only groceries, but TV sets and mobile phones, so it is only a matter of time before the business diversifies into a range of bedroom furniture or kitchens. Like any global marketing company IKEA has to compensate for the global economic situation. The business needs people to move through the family life cycle. Empty nesters need to equip their homes with furniture. So interest rates need to be low enough so that they can afford to borrow money to equip their new homes. There needs to be plenty of low-cost housing for them to be able to do this. Do they have job security The changing economic environment will impact and influence IKEAs furniture business. IKEA is trading in relatively mature consumer markets, and has entered all plausible free markets countries. The new and emerging nations of India and China sometimes make it difficult for IKEA to embed itself as a supplier to new consumers. For example, there are often foreign ownership rules which mean that IKEA might have to take a local business partner. The new partner could take more than 50 of its business and this is not always acceptable to its board. IKEA is certainly an environmentally friendly business with a keen focus upon sustainability. In years gone by the company had been accused of encouraging wastefulness since it made a very large numbers of furniture products at low prices. As part of an integrated public relations campaign IKEA now focuses on sustainability and made it an underpinning principle of its business philosophy. In 2011 IKEA has the enviable record of recycling more than 85 of the packaging and other waste from its stores. Products and materials, suppliers, climate change and community involvement are the fundamental principles of IKEAs sustainability approach. For example, IKEA imposes very strict control measures on some of its suppliers, such as those based in the greater China region. IKEA likes satisfied customers. The business manages to score highly in customer satisfaction surveys. Many marketing research companies rank IKEA in their top 10 companies for customer satisfaction. They managed to enhance their brand association with such great results. Lets face it IKEA is probably the biggest furniture retail name in the world. This is a business with more than 10,000 products available on every continent. They offer low prices and products that offer good value. If you want hard wearing and long-lasting, you will pay more for it elsewhere. IKEA has positioned its business offering away from high-quality and high price, and also a way from low quality, low price. It is in a very enviable position. SWOT Analysis Home Depot Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Brand Awareness Home Depot is the worlds largest company in the home improvement retail industry with revenues exceeding 70 billion. Specifically, while Home Depot is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, it is the largest in both Canada and Mexico. In addition, it ranks 127th in Forbes Global list of the 2000 largest companies. Opportunities Reorganization Initiatives Home Depot has responded to the current unfavorable economic conditions by readjusting its business focus and business practices. Specifically, the company has left behind its participation in such ventures as Yardbirds, THD Design Center, Expo and HD Bath businesses. Its new focus is also seen in the closure of 15 stores and renewed efforts to maximize productivity at existing stores. Increased Demand for Power Tools Home Depot will probably benefit from the growing demand for power tools. There was a forecasted increase of over 3 or 15.1 billion in sales in 2009. At the core of the increased popularity of these tools is the demand for high end power tools such as electric screwdrivers, electric drills and saws. Thanks to products like its Makita and Milwaukee Lithium-ion power tools Home Depot is well positioned to take advantage of the growing demand. Growth in Online Purchasing Home Depot should benefit from the projected growth in online sales. Online retail revenues for 2009 were projected to increase 4.1 from 2008 to 142.4 billion in sales. Despite an anticipated economic slowdown, online sales revenue is still estimated to increase by 9.5 in 2010 and 9.2 in 2011. Home Depot is positioned to capture its share of these online sales via its websites homedepot, homedepot. ca and homedepot. mx. Since these revenues can be obtained through online sales Home Depot will benefit through a reduction in operating costs. Rise in Customer Service Complaints Recently, visitors to Home Depot have encountered employees who did not have a thorough understanding of store inventory or product utility. This apparent lack of training has contributed to a rise in customer complaints. According to the J. D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Improvement Retail Store Study approximately one-half of shoppers (51) asked the sales staff for assistance during their most recent visit to a home improvement retail storedown from 61 percent in 2008. The two most common reasons customers ask for assistance are for help locating a product or for additional information about a product. If these encounters are negative they will no doubt have an adverse impact on company image and bottom line. Government Investigations and Litigation The Home Depot Brand image may also suffer from a number of government inquiries and investigations. For example, in 2008 the Environmental Protection Department of New Jersey alleged recordkeeping violations with respect to its use of generators. The department issued an Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment. A slumping US Economy The continuing economic doldrums gripping the United States has dampened consumer appetite for making major purchases. Spending on home improvement projects is expected to decline at an annual rate of 12.1 by the third quarter, according to a report by Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. Home Depot joins competitors such as Lowes and Menards in taking a second look at expansion plans. The Home Depot We are the worlds largest home improvement specialty retailer with stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U. S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. Mehr. Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. Such dominance boosts brand awareness for such private brands as Pegasus Faucets, Husky Hand Tools, and Vigoro Lawn Care Products. Such brand awareness is fortunate for Home Depot since recent studies show that 80 shoppers have a positive attitude about private brand labels and some even perceive their quality as being superior. Rapid Deployment Centers - Home Depot plans on increasing its utilization of Rapid Deployment Centers (RDC). RDCs allow the use of a single purchase order to consolidate product needs and more rapidly replenish inventories to individual stores from the center locations. Home Depot currently employs five Rapid Deployment Centers and plans to open additional centers in 2010. The result of this implementation will be improved transportation, and reduced lead time from notification of needs to inventory replacement. It is anticipated that this method will increase efficiently substantially. Weaknesses Negative Comparable Store Sales Figures Home Depot suffered a decrease in same store sales, down 8.7 is 2009 as compared to a smaller decrease of 6.7 in 2008. The decline is significant because it is a measure of operational productivity. In the case of Home Depot, some of the decrease may be attributable to the economic decline and the accompanying reduction of construction and home improvement expenditures. The current economic client and comparable store sales figures will force Home Depot to increase its focus on finding a merchandise mix that attracts more customers. Product Recalls A Home Depot practice of buying products from a large number of vendors makes it vulnerable when quality levels are insufficient recently the company has found it necessary to announce several product recalls. In-wall electronic timers, patio umbrellas, and candle holders are among products recently deemed unsafe. These recalls join others initiated in 2004, 2005, and 2006 suggest poor quality control practices and negatively impact Home Depots brand image. Dr. Jill Novak, University of Phoenix, Texas AampM University In 1924, The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company adopted the name International Business Machines Corporation. IBM has been involved in many technological advances since the early twentieth century from tabulating countries census reports to sporting event analysis to developing computer software and e-business. IBM today is not just the Hardware giant that we have come to know. Most of their revenue comes from software and consulting and leads the world in technological achievements. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Opportunities Increased globalization is an important opportunity that can be exploited by IBM in order to balance the fluctuations in different economies. Their brand image is synonymous with big and old they need to create products appealing to a younger generation and reposition their company. IBM needs to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace and innovation is key and working with IT-related companies to create new products in the ever changing market use patents to generate revenue. IBMs love of open source operating systems, specifically Linux, benefits IBM in both the short and long term. IBM can sell its i-series platforms with Linux to respond to the growing demands of the operating systems (OS). Also, IBM can also use Linux on its Z-series mainframe line and even its p-series machines which mostly uses IBMs own AIX which usually competes against the UNIX operating system. Open architecture is key to creating and maintaining market share. IBMs small-medium business (SMB) has improved over the years but there is definitely a need to increase its market share to have an overall competitive edge. The fact that they are completely dependent on Microsoft (in their computer services division) could be a huge problem if anything ever happened to them. Hackers and sensitive information can be exposed and exploited by individuals and IBM needs to be innovative with regards to firewalls and protective software. The supply chain has very few suppliers, leaving IBM very little to negotiate with or switch to. HP, Sun Microsystems are all competitors and are all threats to IBMs bottom line. Their competitors are able to create cheaper products and make more a considerable profit. Smaller companies that can move faster and provide less expensive products and services than IBM can become very costly to IBMs more lucrative bundles focusing more on larger companies with big budgets. History of IBM When you look at our history, you see that we have had a real and lasting impact on the world because of our unique character our core values, our behaviour and our performance as IBMers. Take a look back at the innovations, people and values that have defined IBM for nearly a century. Mehr. IBM leads the world in technological success with patents in the United States for 17 straight years. In 2008 IBM earned 4186 patents and in 2009 they increased that amount to 4,914. It published almost 4,000 technical inventions and products without patent protection in 2009 this is a valuable intellectual property. They are the company handling 95 of all business in the 1000 most profitable companies in the US. In 2009 they were recognized as the 4th most recognized brand name in the world and they have been consistently in the top 10 for 20 years. IBM is one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, with a value of 66 billion. They have over 400,000 employees worldwide. It is an old, established company, founded in 1896 as the Tabulating Machine Company by Herman Hollerith, in Broome County, New York. In 1945 they were the first company to establish dedicated research labs for the creation of technological innovation, which lead to the creation of computers, voice recognition software and products that assist those working in medicine and radiology. Weaknesses IBMs size is also its weakness. IBMs goliath size can make it slower to react to customers needs and wants as well as to the industrys fluctuations. And its more than 400,000 employees can make it difficult to find the support and services needed. Enormous operating costs and competitors eating into their market share forced them in 2010 to buy back 8 billion in stock. Transferring jobs oversees has been an option IBM is using more and more. At the end of 2009, IBM USA had a workforce of 105,000 down 30,000 in just a few years. In 2009, there were rumors that IBM wants to get the US workforce down to 70,000. This is not a weakness for other countries that are absorbing many of these US jobs. Communication across these different countries can be very challenging. For example, having the helpdesks in India creates language barriers in the US. Also, India has exported many engineers to the US because they are cheaper to pay but also Indian Engineers do not have both the educational and experiential accolades of their US counterparts. Many of them come over to the states and the few US employees left in the department have to re-train them, wasting countless hours that could be used in supporting their customers. The current recession has hurt everyone and IBM is not exempt. Financial services, which accounts for 30 of IBM revenue, has declined. Its riddled with subprime mortgages forcing to mark down their portfolios to ridiculously low market prices on packaged securities that are trading at a fraction of their theoretical value. This, in turn, is affecting the equity of banks, and therefore their ability to lend. Servers and Storage which account for about 20 of IBMs revenue has declined to 16 and a 6 decline in margins. SWOT Analysis General Motors Introduction General Motors is an omnipresent company in the United States, a company so essential to the overall health of the U. S economy that it spawned the phrase as GM goes, so goes the nation. Long known for the manufacturing of cars, trucks and automobiles, General Motors has also engaged in finance and insurance. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Opportunities Growth Potential in India and China There are positive projects for GM business in China and India. In China the market for new cars is in the midst of a 14 growth rate projected to reach over 97 billion in 2008. Meanwhile in India, the market for new cars grew by 15.5 in 2008 to a dollar value of 28 billion. A sign that India will play an even bigger is the projected increase to 2.5 million units by the end of 2013. Increased Global Truck Market Steady growth rates are projected in the next few years. The markets volume is expected to rise to 21.5 million units by the end of 2013. The light commercial vehicles segment was the markets largest in 2008, generating total volumes of 9.8 million units, equivalent to 58.1 of overall value. Rising Demand for Hybrid Vehicles General Motors produces six hybrid models in the US including the Saturn Vue and Aura Hybrids, Chevrolet Malibu and Tahoe Hybrids, GMC Yukon Hybrid as well as a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. The company is also investing in hybrid and plug-in vehicles, for both cars and trucks. It is anticipated that GM will produce up to nine hybrid models following the introduction of the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid. International demand for light hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is expected to increase. It is expected to rise to 800,000 units in 2009 and estimated to reach 4.5 million units in 2013. Therefore, a positive outlook for light hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in vehicles market would boost the demand for GMs products. The Continuing Global Recession Dire predictions for the global economy were realized in 2009 and stalled economic growth continued into 2010. The economic decline reduced consumer demand for less fuel efficient vehicles, including full size pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles, which had been GMs most profitable products. In addition, the economic climate has resulted in tighter credit markets making it harder for consumers to finance automobile purchases. Weakness in Global Automobile Industry Consumer Requirements for commercial vehicles declined in the NAFTA region, Western Europe and Japan. The Western European automobile markets suffered as well particularly the volume markets of Spain down 28.1, Italy down 13.4 and the UK down 11.3. Germany declined 1.8) and France 0.7 also experienced downward trend in the second half of 2008. In total, 8.4 fewer automobiles were sold in Western Europe. The Japanese car market also declined, with a drop in sales of nearly 4 in 2008. Intense competition GMs financial status makes it vulnerable to fierce competition from fits such as AB Volvo, Bayerische Motoren Werke, Daimler, Fiat Group Automobiles, Ford Motor, Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor, Isuzu Motors, Mazda Motor, Nissan Motor, PACCAR, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault, Toyota Motor and Volkswagen. Many have responded to the crises by adding vehicle enhancements, providing subsidized financing or leasing programs in order to sell more vehicles. They are also offering option package discounts, other marketing incentives and are reducing vehicle prices in certain markets. These actions are expected to have a negative effect on GMs vehicle pricing, market share and operating results particularly on the low end of the market. General Motors, one of the worlds largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 204,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. However, most recently the global recession has had a devastating impact on its, cash flows, financial condition and operations. To survive, the company has had to accept a government bailout plan and its employees the United Autoworkers of America, has also made concessions. This SWOT analysis is about General Motors. Branding Born in Detroit Michigan in 1910 General motors has produced a stable of automobiles such as Chevrolet, Pontiac Cadillac and Buick which have become household names in the U. S. As such, the General Motors Brand is well rooted not only in America but throughout the world. Worldwide Presence General Motors truly has an international presence with factories in Poland, Russia, South Africa Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Thailand. The company is even in Viet Nam. In addition, it also has assembly, manufacturing, distribution, office and warehousing operations in 55 other countries. Weaknesses Diminishing Dealer Network General Motors has compiled a list of more than 1,000 dealerships market for closure. The company has announced that it will not renew its franchise agreements with nearly one quarter of its U. S. dealerships. As of December 31, 2008, GM had 715 dealerships in Canada, as recent as May of 2009 plans called for a anywhere from 40 to 200 closures. Insufficient Liquidity General Motors has experienced a reduction in liquidity to 14 billion in FY2008 from 27.3 billion in 2007. Losses are attributed to lower sales volumes and a reduction in working capital. Both research and development, as well as relationships with suppliers are negatively affected by the reduced liquidity. Inadequate Performance among Some Business Segments In 2008 the GME segment accounted to 21.8 of the total revenues and its revenues decreased 8.8 to 32,440 million. Other business segments experiencing declines include GMNA which fell 23.9 to 82,938 million, and GMAP which stood at 12,477 million for FY 2008, a decline of 15. Low Debt Ratings Four independent credit rating agencies assess GMs debt ratings and ability to pay interest, dividends and principal on securities. Moodys Investor Service, Fitch Ratings DBRS and Standard amp Poors evaluate GM. As of 2008, all four had downgraded their assessment ratings for GM. SWOT Analysis Hewlett Packard Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis Strong Market Position Recently (April 2010), Hewlett-Packards shares closed at 53.15. According to NASDAQ, the stock is up 62 in the past year, better than the market at large. This continues a trend that saw the company ease pass the previous global pc leader Dell in 2006. In 2008 Hewlett Packard led Dell with over 17 of the PC Market while Dell settled for second at 14. Opportunities Expanding presence in cloud computing market Cloud computing describes a new delivery model for IT services. In July 2008, HP along with Intel Corporation and Yahoo created a global, multi-data center, open source test bed for cloud computing research and education. The goal of the project was to promote collaboration among industry, academy and governments by removing the financial and logistical barriers. In 2009, HP announced HP Cloud Assure, a new SaaS offering designed to assist businesses to safely and effectively adopt cloud-based services. HP Cloud Assure consists of HP services and software, including HP Application Security Center, HP Performance Center and HP Business Availability Center. These solutions are delivered to customers though HP SaaS platform. The increasing demand for cloud computing is likely to create demand for HPs solutions in coming years. The global spending on cloud computing is forecast to cross a value of over 40 billion by 2012 Expanding portfolio of imaging and printing solutions Hewlett Packard has made several strategic acquisitions and introduced new products in the imaging solutions segment in recent times. Its imaging solutions strategy entails the commercial markets, from print services solutions to new growth opportunities in commercial printing and capturing high-value pages in areas such as industrial applications, outdoor signage, and graphic arts. Among those key acquisitions are Tabblo, Logoworks, MacDermid and ColorSpan. HP has launched several retail photo printing solutions and services that provide consumers the tools to personalize their photos and publish customized creative output. In addition, it has introduced new digital printing technologies, HP Inkjet Web Press, HP Latex Inks and three HP Indigo presses, as part of its graphic arts offerings. In October 2008, it also announced a plan to launch full wireless HP Photosmart printer line-up by 2010. Projected decreases in the IT markets Forecasters predict a decrease in the worldwide demand for various IT products offered by HP. The economic slowdown has negatively affected many market segments, including information technology. Hewlett Packard has experienced this decline not only in the U. S. but also in its global markets. Worldwide spending on IT was predicted to decline by 4 in 2009. Hyper-competitive environment Although Hewlett Packard recently overtook Dell in sales, the latter remains a formidable competitor, as are other companies such as Toshiba, Lenova Group and Aver. It competes in terms of price, quality, brand, technology, reputation, distribution and range of products, among other factors. In some regions, the company faces competition from local companies and from generically-branded or white box manufacturers. Specifically, the companys competitors in enterprise servers and storage include IBM an in storage there is the EMC Corporation, Dell in industry standard servers and Sun Microsystems in UNIX-based servers. The imaging and printing groups key competitors include Canon USA, Lexmark International, Xerox Corporation, Seiko Epson Corporation, Samsung Electronics and Dell. HP even faces competition from re-manufacturers including private label brand stores, supply stores such, internet vendors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Lexmark. The re-manufacturers buy the original cartridges from customers, refill them with their own ink and resell them at a discount to the branded OEMS. These entities provide a continuous source of competition which could impact the profitability of HP. HP is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries around the world. We explore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and challenges, and realize their possibilities, aspirations and dreams. We apply new thinking and ideas to create more simple, valuable and trusted experiences with technology, continuously improving the way our customers live and work. Read more Disclaimer: This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only. In addition Hewlett Packard can boast of a 30 of the global server market. Its domination of the global printer market is evidenced by its 40 market share. In 2008 Hewlett Packard took a major step in strengthening its position in the IT services market by acquiring EDS. Prominent Brand Name Recognition Hewlett Packard is keenly aware of the importance of branding. It has long sought to adjust its brand image as required by changing market forces. In the late nineties it began to shift its image to encompass more than just the business to business segment making adjustments to increase its presence in the consumer market as well. Although business to business sales continue to prevail, the company seeks to exploit its good relationship with retailers. As a result of this strategy many current consumer products are business models stripped of costly features in order to appeal to the needs and pocketbook of the consumer market. Hewlett Packard has launched a branding initiative called, One Voice, in order to better integrate its line of consumer electronics and computer hardware products. With a fresh design to the packaging, they are striving to on brand across thousands of product lines and dozens of packaging types. The project has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings by automating package design creation. In addition, the company gained greater consistency in its packaging by providing a system that keeps the company on brand. In 2009 the company moved up from the 12th to the 11th most recognizable brand according to Interbrand. Successful Strategic Acquisitions Hewlett Packard continues its trend of recognizing and capitalizing on strategic acquisitions. The companys major mergers and acquisitions in recent past include Compaq Computer Corporation in 2002, Mercury Interactive in 2006 and Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) in 2008. In November of 2009, Hewlett Packard announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire 3Com, a provider of computer network equipment, for 2.7 billion in a deal that H. P. plans as a the beginning of an assault on the market leader in networking, Cisco Systems. Computer networking is a 40 billion-a-year market with high profit margins that is growing briskly and dominated by Cisco, which has so far had little head-to-head competition. The companys successful inorganic growth allows it to increase its competitiveness as well as create value for both investors and customers of the company. Weaknesses Weak Market Segment Integration Although Hewlett Packard is currently addressing its lack of presence in some seemingly obvious segments, there remains room for improvement. The companys portfolio of offerings lack significant software product or manage consulting services when compared to major competitors including, Accenture, EMC and IBM. For example, both IBM and Accenture are establishing management consulting divisions so as to provide more comprehensive and integrated range of services. Recently, Hewlett Packard has partnered with Thomson eXimius to provide front office processes for private client wealth management firms to support the increasingly sophisticated needs of their customers. 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