...The Randolph Electric Membership Corporation follows an electric cooperative business model. The investor-owned models followed by bigger corporations, the corporations are mainly run by stockholders. This model holds the largest percentage of the consumer market. Duke energy is very popular in Randolph County, North Carolina, and the United States. Private corporations with a lot of power aren’t always the best. Municipal owned corporations are public utilities that are operated by the city in which they reside. Municipal owned corporations hold a smaller percentage of consumers than the investor-owned model, though higher than electric co-ops. Electric co-ops rank highest in member satisfaction among the three types of utilities. Electric co-ops serve the smallest number of consumers....
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...VINO Co. aims to fullfil the high demand for quality international wines experienced in the chinese market over the past few years, in particular, first class Spanish Rioja wines. We believe that the sales of Spanish wine makes for a great economic opportunity in China, especially in the capital city of Beijing. Increasingly, the importers, distributors and, most importantly, the general public have become familiar with Spanish wine and its superior quality. Thus, China has become the third most important market for Spanish wine in the world. The sales of Spanish wine bottled to China increased 41,1 % in value during the first semester of this year, with 36.9 million euros sold between January and July, This has positioned Spain as the third world seller, with 6,9 % of the market, behind France and Australia. Statistics indicate that in a decade China will be a substantial market for Spanish partly due to the fall of tariffs since Chinas entry into the World Trade Organization , the fast growing middle and upper class and therefore, the increase of purchasing power. According to Vinexpo, the wine consumption in China boomed between 2007 and 2011 reaching a growth of 142.1 % with a total of 159.25 million boxes purchased. Although it is foreseen that the growth rate will slow down to 39.6 % between 2012 and 2016, the Chinese will drink 252 million boxes of wine in 2016. In 2010 the Chinese bought nearly 47 million liters of Spanish wine. Six times more than in 2009, therefore...
Words: 839 - Pages: 4
...Merck: Business Analysis Tamikiia Brown MGT521 July 11, 2011 Sharon Palmitier Merck: Business Analysis Merck is a flourishing research-driven pharmaceutical company, which discovers, develops, manufacturers, and promotes an extensive variety of human and animal health products. Although Merck is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies of the world, they still come across problems today while striving to sustain a lead against its competition. Merck has achieved success with its lengthy history of breakthrough drugs and the development of three significant pharmaceutical products: antibiotics, vitamins, and hormones. Merck’s success relies heavily on its management and how they modify the business model in place to that of the ever-changing economy. Influence of Economic Trends The global pharmaceutical market is likely to undergo a wide variety of changes with new competition arising in India, China, Malaysia, South Korea, and Indonesia. This new competition has a growing economy and has made a difference between the product cost and disposable income of consumers. According to NASDAQ (2011),“ Global pharmaceutical market sales are expected to grow at a 4-7% through the year 2013 largely being driven by the growing access to health care in emerging economic regions” (para. 2-5). Short-term growth within this area is stimulated by the United States market, as it continues to be the largest pharmaceutical market in the world. A focal point on research and...
Words: 1954 - Pages: 8
...M. W. Long Short Term Paper Hollister & Co. A200 For this assigned paper I chose to write about Hollister Co. Hollister Co., or HCO, is a California-based apparel company and subsidiary of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. established in July of 2000. I selected Hollister Co. for my report because ever since getting a job for the company in January of 2002, I have always been interested in how they have been successful with their exceedingly high level of theft (both by customers and by employees, which is often called “shrinkage”). Hollister Co.’s competitive strategy is comprised of the in-store atmosphere that sets the “surfer mood”, or relaxed mood, for customers to feel like they are in a little slice of paradise. It is also comprised of training their associates to treat customers like close friends (speaking in a friendly manner and even sparking conversations) in order to make the customer feel more welcomed, in turn making them more willing to spend money on clothes that will make them more like the friendly, good-looking, southern California-looking associates. Although I am not certain of it, I am almost positive that Hollister Co. uses a Just-In-Time (JIT) approach to inventory management. I am so sure of this because when working in the stockroom at a Hollister Co. store, I was taught to use a scanner. Before taking any clothes out on to the floor, I would scan their price tag, which would then send a message to headquarters saying that I was replacing...
Words: 1562 - Pages: 7
...Conflict and Change Harvard Case Study Professor: Robert Lazer PhD Team: Zerrin Hejazi, Mark Klabonski, Elizabeth Lamb, Hari Thenneti Pandurangamoorthi, & Hareshkumar Surani The History of Merck U.S. sales office opened in and George Merck, Heinrich’s grandson, was appointed head of the U.S. branch Friedrich Jacob Merck opened Merck in Germany 1668 1827 Heinrich E Merck transformed the business and Merck began manufacturing 1887 Merck merged with Philadelphia pharmacy Sharp & Dohme 1891 The renamed company Merck & Co. opens for business 1953 2009 Merck merged with ScheringPlough Corporation and Organon BioSciences Pharmaceutical Industry • The average drug development time is over fifteen years with an average R&D expenditure of $800 million. • The FDA requires three phases of testing to assess safety and effectiveness. o Test results dictate what is displayed on the drug’s label and how the doctor will prescribe it. • Follow-up studies (Phase 5) can be performed to assess the drug after market release (Phase 4) and amend the drug label for improved sales. Pharmaceutical Success • 1981 to 2001, Merck experienced an upward trend on several industry metrics. • Their Return on Sales (ROS) for their Human Pharma line peaked at just over 40% in 2001 with an average of 24% . • The early 1990’s exhibited a downward trend just prior to Gilmartin assuming the role of CEO. Pharmaceutical Success ...
Words: 3826 - Pages: 16
...factors of the macro-environment that affect the attractiveness of the U.S. jewelry industry? Specifically, are general and industry economic conditions and socio-cultural factors favorable to Tiffany & Co.’s business situation? According to the PESTEL Analysis, the strategically relevant factors are: political factors, economic conditions, socio-cultural forces, technological factors, environmental force, and legal/regulatory factors. Economic conditions and socio-cultural factors have not been favorable to Tiffany & Co. Economic hardships and the recession have led to revenue declines between 2006 and 2010. Retail jewelers in the U.S. were affected by these poor economic conditions and stores dropped from 62,000 in 2007 to 56,000 in 2011. In 2006, the price of gold increased from $600 per ounce to $1,600 in 2011. This resulted in the industry average profit margin to decrease to 5.1 from 2006 – 2011. In term of socio-cultural factors, the aging population, and the reduced number of weddings has affected the industry average profit margin. Consequently, the number of weddings in the U.S. has dropped from 2.3 million per year to 2 million between 2001 and 2010 and dropped again in 2009 and 2010. 2. How strong are the competitive forces confronting Tiffany & Co. and other retail jewelers? Which once of the five competitive forces is the strongest? Do a five-forces analysis to support your answer. Threat of Entry: The threat of entry is strong because to enter...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
...Merck’s Business Environment MNGT/521 University of Phoenix November 7, 2011 Kevin Wilhelmsen Merck’s Business Environment There are many factors a business, such as Merck, must have in order to be successful, for example strong financial statements, leading technology, and globalization. With the help of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, a financial analysis can be applied in a wide variety of situations to give business managers the information they need to make critical decisions (Financial Analysis, 2010). They also provide information in regards to the financial health of a company. Pharmaceutical companies are using technology to conduct clinical trials, which has proven to be beneficial to research, development, and the introduction of new products. Globalization is also important for Merck when it comes to product distribution. Outsourcing was been adopted by Merck in order to produce equal quality vaccines and medications at a cheaper cost. Review of Finances Analyzing a company’s income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow is a prime way in determining their success. A comparison can be made between the competition in the industry and a leader can be established. An analysis can also show which company is spending more on research and development and in turn, producing better products. After review of the income statements, Merck’s worldwide sales were $12 billion...
Words: 2950 - Pages: 12
...| You Decide | FIN 561-60619 | Mergers and Acquisitions, Week 3Professor Gene Smith, PhD | Melissa Walter | 7/27/2014 | | Abstract Merck & Company (Merck) is evaluating the possible acquisition of Medco Containment Services Incorporated (Medco). The Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and the Chief Financial Officer have all stated their thoughts and concerns regarding this matter. It is my job to make the final recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Executive Summary Merck is a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and Medco is a leading pharmacy benefits manager. Both companies have a strong hold on their piece of the market. In 1992, Merck had revenue of $9.7 billion while Medco recorded $2.2 in revenue.4 Benefits of the merger include: * Increased marketing potential through Medco’s accumulated data * Access into the Managed Care market * Decreased costs in sales and marketing efforts Risks include: * Merging of corporate cultures * Loss of R&D dollars due to subsidizing Medco * Regulatory and compliance threats. The stated price for the merger is $6.6 Billion. At the time of the merger, I would have recommended to the Board to proceed with the merger as benefits seem to out-weigh the risks. However, in looking back, due to the FTC findings stating the merger did create an unfair advantage to Merck, I would have to re-evaluate. Merck was unable to issue the intended...
Words: 1915 - Pages: 8
...REI – Working Together for a Better World Best Company for 25 Years REI is a cooperative – and a spirit of cooperation is infused in everything that they do. Leaders and employees cooperate with each other to insure that work is done well, people have a good time, and the labor conditions for employees at REI and at suppliers meet high standards. Employees cooperate with customers to listen to what they want and provide them with great products and great service. Everyone at REI cooperates with the environment, making numerous contributions outside of work time – in the form of community service work, educational programs and financial support – to help insure that the planet continues to exist in a healthy way into the next century. And all of this cooperation has brought REI significant positive recognition as one of only 5 companies to have been selected as one of the 00 Best Companies to Work for in America in both editions of the book of that name, and in every edition of the list published annually in Fortune magazine. REI is a model of the power and positive contribution that the spirit and practice of cooperation can bring to an enterprise. Living the Mission REI is a group of people striving to live up to the fullest meaning of the words used to describe the company. REI’s core purpose is to “… inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.” As a cooperative, everyone in the company and customers, producers and suppliers, are...
Words: 3859 - Pages: 16
...CO-BRANDING OF CREDIT CARDS: AS A TOOL FOR CUSTOMER ACCQUISITION Contents CO BRANDING: .......................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION: ....................................................................................................................................... 3 TYPES OF CO BRANDING: ...................................................................................................................... 4 Reach & Awareness Co-branding ............................................................................................................. 4 Value Endorsement Co-branding .............................................................................................................. 4 Ingredient Co-branding ............................................................................................................................. 5 Complementary Competence Co-branding ............................................................................................... 5 The Power of Co-Branding ........................................................................................................................... 5 Benefits of Co Branding ............................................................................................................................... 7 Problems with Co-branding .........................................................................
Words: 3420 - Pages: 14
...How the co-branding affect company According to Srinivasan (2007), Co-branding is the marriage between two brands with different backgrounds, which focuses on combination of the partners’ resources and best capacities. In this competitive society, hundreds of forward-looking companies are trying to expand their business scale and impact by doing brand alliance and refresh themselves by lowering prices using new technologies. According to Mckinsey & Company Statistics: the number of joint enterprises in worldwide in 1994 - including co-branding company, involving millions of dollars assets with an annual rate of 40% growth.(1994) That is because consumers become more and more dependent on brands, and become more difficult for company if they want to keep the strong competitiveness and get more profits. Co-branding provides the chance for this situation. However, the co-branding does not fit for every company and does not bring the benefit for them. There are also exist some problems not only in culture but also between in partners. So I will talk about how co-branding affects the company in positive ways and negative ways. There are several reasons why some companies would want to pursue co-branding. The first one is that co-branding can attracts a wide range of consumers. Because once company adopts the co-branding, for consumers, it means that it provides more selection and more function of products. For example: Nike and Ipod, announced a partnership, which resulted...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
.... Tiffany and CO. A case study presented by: Ben Turkia Emna For MGMT 6000: Marketing management Harvard summer term Synopsis Prince charming on his white horse, Cinderella and her glass shoes, princesses, fairy tales…. Are strong definers of pop culture and perception. Those symbols learned and adopted during a girl’s childhood translate into brands and product as that girl becomes a woman some brands have done a very good job capturing these concepts and translating them in a marketing proposition: the Vera Wang dress, The Louboutin shoes and of course the tiffany’s six prongs setting diamond ring are part of the myth they are part of every women’s dream wedding. Like everything born in New York tiffany has a strong mythic history founded in 1837 by Charles Tiffany, the brand became since its first day a destination for luxury and uniqueness, reinforced by its founder commitment to high end unique world renown pieces such as the tiffany’s yellow diamond – a 28 carat unique stone- or the French crown jewelry he acquired the brand gained very quickly a unique identity associated with the world’s best pieces of jewelry. The tiffany’s brand today: In 2012 tiffany launched a new product Rubeto to celebrate its 175th anniversary this new metal called rose gold is in the fact a composite made only from 31% of gold and a mix of other metals featuring essentially copper. Despite its very low concentration in gold the Rubeto collection retails for over 7000usd a piece. (FORBES) ...
Words: 2611 - Pages: 11
...new “American Style” expressed on silver hollowware, flatware and later jewelry. In 1845, Tiffany published its first “Blue Book” catalog, which is still being published today showcasing its collection of fascinating couture jewelry, custom- designed pieces and most breathtaking jewels. Tiffany was the first company to introduce the 925 sterling silver standard of purity and mostly because of the efforts of Charles Lewis Tiffany; this ratio was adopted by the United States Congress as the American sterling silver standard. The company was awarded the grand prize for silver craftsmanship at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1867, making Tiffany the first American design house to be honored by a foreign institution. By 1900 Tiffany & Co. had become America's leading supplier of jewels and timepieces as well as luxury personal, table, and household accessories. Tiffany’s reputation was not limited to the United States; the company had branches in major cities like London, Paris, and Geneva gaining international recognition as the leader in the diamonds and jewelry world. Throughout its history, Tiffany has been part of American tradition. The company has been asked multiple times by the United States to create special designs and commissions. Among them are: crafting ceremonial swords during the...
Words: 458 - Pages: 2
...translation as “Pharmacia”. Many people owe their lives to many lifesaving medicines, without which they might not have seen another day in their life. Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for discovering new drugs, marketing them and getting them licensed for their use as medications. All drugs so produced have to go through a strict process of patenting and testing and are subjected to all sorts of safety checks and a variety of laws and regulations. These pharmaceutical companies not only play a very important role in the medicine industry but also play a significant role in the revenue industry and the development of a nation. Here are top 10 pharmaceutical companies in world. The global economic crisis is impacting every area of business and forcing corporations to reevaluate how they conduct operations. In an effort to operate in the leanest most efficient manner, some corporations are merging operations to provide better service with greater flexibility at a lower cost. Merck and Schering Plough are two corporations attempting a merger. Merck has had some recent financial troubles when the drug Vioxx was pulled off the shelves and they have an opportunity to rebuild and develop new potentially profitable drugs if this merger is successful. Historically, mergers...
Words: 4970 - Pages: 20
...You Decide: Merck’s Acquisition of Medco Stacey D. Lawson FIN 561: Mergers & Acquisitions Keller Graduate School of Management Professor Gene Smith Fall 2015 Executive Summary Merck & Co., Inc. is one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world. The company is known for its discovery, development, production, and marketing of products and services that are geared towards the maintenance and restoration of health. The company’s business focuses on two areas: human and animal health products and Services and Specialty Chemical products. Medco Containment Services, Inc. is one of the largest pharmacy benefits manager (PBM). The company was mainly responsible for the management of drug benefits for more than 65 million Americans whose prescriptions were filled at retail drug stores or the company’s mail order business. Merck’s acquisition of Medco was one of the largest health care industry mergers, as well as one the largest U.S. corporate unions in the early 1990’s (Olmos, 1993). In addition the merger provided Merck with access to Medco’s technology and information. With the merger they acquired more than 1,000 pharmacists who decided or advised physicians on how prescriptions should be filled (Tanouye, 1993). This merger allowed Merck to increase its pharmaceutical sales through the use of patient information from Medco’s database. The merger was expected to solidify Merck’s presence in the pharmaceutical...
Words: 4515 - Pages: 19
