...Case Analysis “Virgin Mobile USA: Pricing for the Very First Time” Marketing II – BUSI2202U Group 40, Tuesday Session Word Count: Paper 2,912, Appendix 345 Problem Definition The unimpressive performance numbers in the market belonging to Virgin Mobile are mainly due to the lack of an attractive pricing strategy that would appeal to the target market group. The target market group (consumers aged 19 to 25) have different characteristics than other market groups and Virgin Mobile’s current pricing strategy is clearly not complementing those characteristics. As a result, a re-evaluation of the target market group is required in order to choose a better and more correct pricing strategy to appeal to the majority. The re-evaluation should result in a more successful pricing strategy as well as a solid entrance strategy to get the largest amount of exposure. Situation Analysis External Variables The American cellular market was not an easy market to penetrate as it was already overcrowded. Adding another service provider would not be an easy feat for Virgin Mobile. By 2001, there were already six national carriers and many regional players as well. Based on market share there were only four main industry players; Verizon, Cingular, AT&T, and Sprint. These companies controlled over 60% of the market along with VoiceStream, Alltel, US Cellular, Leap and number of smaller carriers. On top of there being many competitors, it was also believed that the cellular market...
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...Virgin Mobile USA: Pricing for the Very First Time - CASE STUDY Kiran Chimmiri Virgin is a U.K-based company led by Sir Richard Branson and is one of the three most recognized brands in Britain. Dan Schulman has been appointed CEO of the Virgin Mobile USA and is now trying to determine what pricing strategy would be most efficient in attracting and sustaining customers in the USA. There are several other decisions which also need to be made, such as unique features Virgin mobile can offer to differentiate from their competition, channels to use in order to sell their product and advertising strategy to market the product most efficiently. The company had couple of failures in the past in MVNO and so is more keen in building a robust strategy to venture into the US market. The key issue for Virgin Mobile USA is to select a pricing strategy for market penetration. There are 3 alternatives provided in regards to the key decision: Clone Industry Prices, Price below the Competition & A Whole New Plan. Analysis and Evaluation: The Company decided to target the market which is underserved i.e., in the 15 to 29 age group. For this the company analyzed the strategic issues such as a)Develop value proposition that will appeal the youth market b)Maintain customer loyalty & Life time Value c)Address the unmet needs of the target market d)Make the venture a profitable one e)Don’t want to trigger off competitive reaction The Mobile communication industry in 2001 was highly...
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...Kazakov MKTG 489 02/05/14 Virgin Mobile Case The Virgin Mobile USA case exemplifies a challenging dilemma faced by CEO Dan Schulman when faced with the task of introducing Virgin Group’s mobile service to the American public. The Virgin Group led by Richard Branson, is a British based company with Virgin branded products extending into industries from apparel to airplanes. In 2001, the Branson led Virgin Group made the decision to extend their mobile service into North America: a market dominated by companies such as Verizon, At&t, and Sprint. In order to better distinguish themselves as a brand and to appeal to an emerging youth market, Virgin Mobile needed a pricing strategy that served the needs of their target market while being profitable. In In 2001, the mobile phone market in the U.S. was entering the maturity stage with a 50% industry penetration rate. However, the penetration rate for consumers age 15-19 was much lower. The main factor preventing this age group from being active mobile phone users was poor credit. Most mobile carriers overlooked this market due to high customer acquisition costs of about $370 per customer. However, Virgin Mobile USA CEO Dan Schulman was determine to reach the fast growing youth market stating that “By focusing exclusively on the youth market from the ground up, we’re putting ourselves in a position to serve these customers in a way that they’ve never been served before”. Schulman positioned the Virgin Mobile brand as a hip, fun, honest...
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...Virgin Mobile USA: Pricing for the Very First Time Company Background Introduction Case Background Issue of Concern Market Research Analysis All Options Theory Application Calculation Virgin Response Conclusion Recommendations Inviting Questions 2 Introduction Analysis Conclusion Company Background • Virgin, a leading branded venture capital organization, is one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. • Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow very successful business in sectors ranging from mobile telephony, to transportation, travel, financial services, leisure, music, holidays, publishing and retailing. • Virgin has created more than 200 branded companies worldwide, employing approximately 50,000 people, in 29 countries. Case Background Issue of Concern [Source: company website Available from: http://www.virgin.com/AboutVirgin/WhatWeAreAbout/WhatWeAreAbout.aspx] 3 Introduction Analysis Conclusion Company Background Case Background Issue of Concern 4 Introduction Analysis Conclusion Company Background Case Background Issue of Concern Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950), is an English entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin brand, a banner that encompasses a variety of business organizations. The name Virgin was chosen because a female friend involved in setting down the initial record shop commented that there...
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...Issues Virgin, a U.K.-based company is one of the top three most recognized brands in Britain. Virgin’s cellular operations in the U.K. had signed up approximately 2.5 million customers in just three years. The company had a history of brand extensions and one of these extensions is the launch of their wireless phone services in the USA called "Virgin Mobile". The key issue for Virgin Mobile is to select a pricing strategy that will both attract and retain subscribers. There are three options for pricing that are under consideration. Dan Schulman, CEO of the Virgin Mobile USA is trying to determine which pricing strategy would be most efficient in attracting and sustaining youth market in the USA. Other factors such as unique features that Virgin Mobile can offer in order to differentiate from the competitors, their marketing strategy and Life Time value (LTV) of the customers and customer retention also need to be part of the decision making criteria. SWOT Analysis Virgin Mobile draws its strengths from the vast experience that the parent company has in the UK market. With a 50-50 joint venture with Sprint, Virgin Mobile has setup MVNO model which has low fixed costs as well as low operation and maintenance requirements. Virgin Xtras is a value added proposition that would appeal to the young customers. The strategic agreement with MTV to deliver entertainment functions as well as the cooperation with Target, Sam Goody music stores and Best Buy, will help Virgin Mobile in marketing...
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...Situation Analysis Virgin, a U.K.-based company, has been one of the top recognized brands in the U.K. with a brand identity that encompasses value, innovation and fun. This allows for the firm to play in numerous industries, everything from aviation to mobile phones. When assessing new market entry, Virgin typically moves into industries where the customer is less than satisfied and the incumbents are complacent. In the U.K., Virgin has been incredibly successful in the firm’s venture into the mobile phone provider industry and is looking to continue the success abroad in the established U.S. mobile phone provider market. The mobile phone provider market in the U.S. is currently a very saturated market with six strong national incumbents and a series of regional providers. That said, it is also a market that is currently neglecting the consumers aged 15 – 29 due to the high cost to attract the consumer, the proportion of individuals in this segment that cannot pass credit checks needed for the traditional voice plans, and the hesitation of pre-pay plan options. Virgin plans on entering the U.S. market through targeting these consumers (age 15-29). The firm has a solid marketing plan which is tailored specifically to appeal to these consumers, including VirginXtras (a focus on exclusive content through the non-traditional phone services such as text messaging, ring tones, music, etc), special packaging and point of purchase, advertising spends targeted specifically at the...
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...Problem Statement Virgin Mobil is venturing into the US market and their launch date is July 2002. The company’s goal is to have one million total subscribers by the end of the first year and three million by year four. In order to achieve their goals, the company has to come up with a competitive pricing strategy to attract and retain customers in an already mature market. Recommended course of action Despite a mature US market, the cellular service industry has a market penetration of only about 15% in the segment comprising of users aged between 15 and 19 years. This segment is characterized by inconsistent cell phone usage, low credit ratings and usage pattern different from the typical businessperson. Hence, Virgin Mobile USA is looking to penetrate this segment and create brand loyalty through attractive pricing and additional feature in mobile entertainment. Based on our analysis, we recommend the following: 1. Aim for the non-contractual prepaid segment with a new pricing structure: Virgin Mobile USA should look to price at 20-30 cents per minute. 2. Increase the off peak hours: The company could extend the off-peak hours by 2 hours, starting at 7pm instead of 9pm. 3. Lowering of Acquisition Cost (AC): Virgin Mobile USA should keep its AC around $130 by passing on a part of the handset cost to the customers. Rationale for Recommendation We can see from Exhibits 1 & 2 that if Virgin Mobile opted for a contractual service plan with rates at par with industry...
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...Problem Statement Virgin Mobile is launching its services in USA in the summer of 2002. It has to decide on its pricing strategy that would attract and retain subscribers. Situation Analysis Customer: The target consumer group is youth aged between 15 and 29 years. Penetration in this segment is significantly lower and the growth rate is projected to be robust in the coming years. Most of them have a history of poor credit quality, no credit cards and no facility to pass credit checks. The revenue generated is lower than the average acquisition and the cost of serving of the industry. Hence this group is largely under served. This consumer segment has their specific needs that are not being met by the mobile service providers. Virgin Mobile is addressing these specific needs. Virgin Mobile is targeting value added services like Text Messaging, downloading information, ringtones, graphics, etc. These are more popular and considered trendier by these young adults. Virgin Mobile also plans to introduce more new value added services via ‘VirginXtras’. Virgin also will have more ‘easy to buy’ mechanism and communicate it to the target segment through more youth focused media channels such as MTV, WB and advertorials in The Complex, Vibe & XXL. Company: Virgin Mobile, a venture of Virgin Group, was the 1st company to introduce a mobile service using Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model. Virgin Image emphasizes on value for money, quality, innovation, fun & sense of...
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...Case Study:-Virgin Mobile USA: Pricing for the very first time Introduction: Virgin Mobile Company led by Branson, is a British-base company. Dan Schulman was chosen as CEO in 2001. He was trying to find a niche market in US for virgin mobile. US market was under-served and dissatisfy with existing Carriers. Youth were ignored and no carrier had capitalized on this segment. The company entered in a 50-50 joint venture with US-based Sprint in which Virgin will use Sprint network for US services. The goal of the US Virgin mobile was to have one million subscribers by 2002 and 3 million by year four. Virgin mobile was planning to adopt pre-paid system instead of contract. It was intended to serve those that are unable to have credit cards yet. Virgin mobile had to fight many shortcomings that were endemic in the industry. They preferred to introduce new features that will attract youth to use their services. Therefore, they were worried about pricing their services that should be attractive for the consumers, profitable for the company itself, and not rise the reaction of the rivals. 1. Do you agree with Virgin Mobiles target market selection? What are the risks associated with targeting this segment? Indeed yes, the saturated nature of the wireless communication industry in U.S. made it very difficult for the new brands to enter the market. However the (15-29) market segment is yet remained untouched by the big players. If the youth segment remains the main focus for Virgin...
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...Business Strategy Analysis Virgin Group Yingzi Dong Xiange Liu Huan Wang Introduction Virgin is the managing company for the branded private investment group, which had interests ranging from transportation, financial services, health and leisure, and media and telecom to space travel. Virgin’s founder Richard Branson,started the Virgin group in the 1970s, with Branson and Murphy had decided in 2005 that Virgin would focus on two additional pillars of growth: health& wellness, and financial service.In the past, Virgin had generally financed its expansion by selling equity in its operating companies,then, Murphy contemplated the group’s strategy for the next decade. Business Strategy Virgin Group’s corporate strategy is change due to the whole financial situation. At the beginning, Virgin Group is a branded private investment group and seeking an internal rate of return of 30% or more on investments per year. And the initial strategy includes, 1) The founder of Virgin Richard Branson is enthusiastic about his career. The ideas for new investments can came from various people, such as Richard and his meeting friends, entrepreneurs or colleagues. Also, once...
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...Virgin Mobile USA : Pricing for the Very First Time 1) Virgin Mobile targets the 14 to 24-year olds market. The case lays out three pricing options. Which option woul you choose and why ? All three options are very interesting for Virgin Mobile to introduce the American market. Considering Virgin Mobile’s background, goals and strategy, I would have choose the option 3 « A Whole New Plan » There are few reasons that explain this choice : Firstly, Virgin Mobile’s cultural values are to be innovative, fun. It also wants to make things different from its competitors and continuously improve customers’ experience through innovation. Indeed the options 3 offer something very different than competitors. Secondly, regarding the segment target, 14–24 years old, it is known that those categories can not pass the credit check with the current carriers due to their lack of revenue. The result is that this target market has been forgotten. Moreover, it is an age where teenagers are looking for “independence” and like to do things without parents. It is why the option 3 fit well. Thirdly, I believe that the option 3 is the one that fit the best selling model that has been chose by Virgin. In fact, it does not require any salespersons...
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...strategies for mobile advertising: case studies Alexandra Rehak October 2008 Research from Analysys Mason Fixed Networks and Services Analysys Mason Fixed Networks and Services online market intelligence service MENA telecoms market: strategies and opportunities 2008–2013 Mobile broadband: another substitution threat for fixed operators? Business data services in Europe: market drivers and forecasts 2008–2013 Multi-play services in Western Europe: market sizings and forecasts 2008–2013 Central and Eastern European fixed telecoms: market sizings and forecasts 2008–2014 Pay TV in Western Europe: market sizings and forecasts 2005–2013 Legacy matters: ensuring a soft landing for TDM services Regulatory headaches in the transition to nextgeneration networks Next-generation network architecture: what and when? Success factors for hosted and managed VoIP in Europe Western European fixed telecoms: market sizings and forecasts 2004–13 Wireless broadband forecasts for 2008–2015: HSPA, HSPA+, EV-DO, LTE and WiMAX Mobile social networking: strategies and case studies Strategies for mobile broadband pricing and packaging Mobile proximity payments: scenarios for market development iPhone shows the way for mobile TV Critical ingredients of mobile TV: femtocells and sideloading Mobile media and entertainment in Western Europe: value chains and business models The business case for picocells and femtocells in the enterprise market Femtocells in the consumer market: business case and marketing...
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...THE VIRGIN GROUP CASE STUDY QUESTION 1: What examples does the case give of links between Branson’s strategy for Virgin and the environment in which it operates? The Virgin Group Ltd is a group of separately run British companies with the Virgin brand under the leadership of English celebrity business tycoon Sir Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle, among others. Richard Branson’s strategy comes from his deepest inner beliefs; “in principle there were no product or service boundries limiting a brand name, provided it was associated with quality products/services on offer” The corporate strategy of the Virgin Group is to operate like ‘a venture capital firm based on the Virgin brand.’ This strategy involves non-related diversification at the individual business unit level. Meanwhile, synergies are created from hierarchical relationships and the interaction of the corporate head office with individual business units. By leveraging on the Virgin Brand which has established prominence in the minds of consumers, Virgin is able to enter new business areas with a bang and shake up existing orders. The unique Virgin culture also allows Virgin to break into new markets and execute its ventures very effectively. Virgin’s corporate strategy is best described in the Virgin Charter – the individual businesses are focused and develop as autonomous enterprises under a single unified brand name. This decentralization...
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...{sansari@babson.edu, nanni@babson.edu} Dessislava A. Pachamanova, David P. Kopcso Mathematics and Science Division, Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02457 {dpachamanova@babson.edu, kopcso@babson.edu} T his article illustrates how simulation can be used in the classroom for modeling customer behavior in the context of customer lifetime value estimation. Operations research instructors could use this exercise to introduce multiperiod spreadsheet simulation models in a business setting that is of great importance in practice, and the simulation approach to teaching this subject could be of interest also to marketing and accounting instructors. At Babson College, the spreadsheet simulation exercise is part of an integrated one-case teaching day of the marketing, accounting, and operations research disciplines in the full-time MBA program, but the exercise is directly transferable to stand-alone courses as well. In our experience, students have felt empowered by the ability to incorporate their ideas about customer behavior directly into customer lifetime value models, and have appreciated the ease with which simulation enables them to obtain intuition about the sensitivity of their estimates to different assumptions. Key words : customer lifetime value models; spreadsheet simulation models; cross-disciplinary integration;...
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...Strategic Management Case plus Case Answer – Apple’s Profitable but Risky Strategy Case study Apple’s profitable but risky strategy When Apple’s Chief Executive – Steven Jobs – launched the Apple iPod in 2001 and the iPhone in 2007, he made a significant shift in the company’s strategy from the relatively safe market of innovative, premium-priced computers into the highly competitive markets of consumer electronics. This case explores this profitable but risky strategy. Note that this case explores in 2008 before Nokia had major problems with smartphones – see Case 9.2 and Case 15.1 for this later situation. Early beginnings To understand any company’s strategy, it is helpful to begin by looking back at its roots. Founded in 1976, Apple built its early reputation on innovative personal computers that were par-ticularly easy for customers to use and as a result were priced higher than those of competitors. The inspiration for this strategy came from a visit by the founders of the company – Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniack – to the Palo Alto research laboratories of the Xerox company in 1979. They observed that Xerox had developed an early version of a computer interface screen with the drop-down menus that are widely used today on all personal computers. Most computers in the late 1970s still used complicated technical interfaces for even simple tasks like typing – still called ‘word-processing’ at the time. Jobs and Wozniack took the concept back to Apple and developed their...
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