...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Brian C. Cassidy, Jenna Tanner, Carla D’Amato, and Courtney Goddard ECO 365 April 13, 2015 David Copeland Norcross IV Introduction Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is a favorite and beloved American treat throughout the United States and 33 countries around the globe. Since Ben & Jerry’s are focused on providing a delicious and wide variety of flavors, they have recently decided to expand their products and develop and introduce a new product onto the market. In doing so, a strategic planning group has been gathered to conduct a series of analyzed to organize their strategy in the development of the new products. This will involve a comprehensive market analysis, as well as analyzes of supply and demand and variable costs that are involved in the development and marketing processes. This paper will discuss the history of Ben & Jerry’s and analyzes their product that are required to determine the product’s potential success. Background Ben and Jerry’s, (Ben &Jerry’s Homemade Holdings, Inc.) is an American dairy company. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded the company in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont. Ben and Jerry met in 7th grade gym class, in 1963. Both men moved together to Vermont. While living in Vermont the young entrepreneurs decided to attend a correspondence course in ice cream making, at the Pennsylvania University Creamery. With a $12,000 investment, Ben and Jerry opened their very first ice cream parlor...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis ECO/365 Bill Gates and Paul Allen made a company called Microsoft in 1975. They were computer fanatics that had a idea for personal computers. Microsoft then established itself into a household name. The marketplace for the personal computer became a actuality with the dream and hard work of Microsoft. Our group has been selected to be a part of a strategic planning team at Microsoft. They are the worldwide front-runner in software, services and solutions that support individuals and companies to realize their full potential ("A History of Windows", 2014). Microsoft is thinking about developing a new TV line. The marketing director directed our team to do a competitive market analysis and figure out the TV’s possible success. Our analysis will include an emphasis on Microsoft’s primary challenger (Sony) in the TV market. This report will look at the company as it relates to the current market settings and as it pertains to Microsoft concerning the marketplace structure, knowledge, price elasticity of demand, and participants. Tec-view vs. Sony HD Television Microsoft has developed a new television that will be an all in one component called Tec-view. This product will take the place of your computer and various digital devices while maintaining the expected functions of a television. Microsoft has brought superior upgrading to the line of visual experience. The competitor Sony HD television, is also working...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis ECON365 Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Companies spend extensive amounts of time, money and resources when exploring the creation of a new product or service. It is imperative that companies thoroughly research the market, the demand, and what consumers want. To best determine the potentials of this new product, it is important also to understand the existing and potential competitive market, explore different opportunities or issues that the company could face, and consider the factors that could affect the cost of producing the product. Company History Samsung was founded by Lee Byung Chul in 1938 in Taegu, Korea as an export trade company selling to nearby countries. During the 1980s, Samsung devoted more focus to its electronic division and began introducing products such as DVD technology, computer technology, and many other electronics as well. (Kovach, 2013) In 1983, Samsung Electronics evolved. It was not until 1999 when Samsung would make their mobile phone division the most profitable part of the company by releasing their first internet ready phone. Over ten years later, they released the first version of their flagship Android phone, the Galaxy S. (Kovach, 2013) Product History Since the original model hit the scene in 2010, many new versions have been released in the Galaxy S Series cell phone made by Samsung. (Kovach, 2013) The Galaxy S series is best known for its sleek design, its complex...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Apple, Inc. is a multinational. Their leading product is a smartphone called the iPhone, which began selling in the early 2000's. It has made them billions of dollars over time because their cost to manufacture the phone is less than what they can charge to sell the phone to consumers. Apple is known to have expensive products, but their products still have a high consumer demand. In this paper, we will discuss Apple Inc. competitive market analysis. Company History Apple Computers Inc. was founded back in April, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Their main goal was to develop and sell personal computers. Since then, Apple has become more than a company that just sells computers. They have now broadened their line of products to phones, music purchasing software, MP3 players, televisions and even a form of payment. Later in 2007, they changed their name to Apple, Inc. It reflected their shift from a personal computer only to consumer electronics. After Samsung, Apple is the second largest information technology company, according to revenue. In March 2015, they joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Their iPhone has revolutionized the cellphone industry. It's operated by Apple's operating system iOS. Since its debut in 2007, the iPhone has had eight generations – starting with the first generation model and its current models, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. With each new model, major changes were made to...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Rishi Madhav ECO/ 365 June 18, 2014 Professor Renee Barela-Gutierrez Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Here at Apple Inc. we are coming to our years end with the success of the iPhone 5s. With the iPhone 6 in development, it is that time of year where we must look at our new product and determine its potential success. With all newly upgraded software and added features such as a new camera system, it vital that we show our customers just how much more beneficial our product remains as the best. We will look at our competitors and more importantly their products that can potentially compete with the iPhone 6 and how this will affect our prices. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded the company back in 1976, and both have driven Apple Inc. to be the largest computer companies in the world. While both were very smart, they decided to drop out of college and pursue their passion in the technology industry. Wozniak has a passion in computer design and eventually created the Apple I. Steve Jobs however always looked to the future and was able to convince Wozniak to sell the machine and eventually helped to start Apple Computer. Many people did not take the Apple I very seriously, and it was the design of the Apple II that helped launch Apple. Fast forward to 1982, apple because the fastest company to make $1 million in annual sales and by 1985, turmoil struck the company that eventually led to Steve Jobs firing...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Christina Hand, Ray Philips, Emmet Flynn, Cat Guerrera, Christa Rehmeyer, Mike Norton, & Nikolas Morrow August 6, 2012 ECO/365 Franny Chan Factors that affect demand, supply, and equilibrium prices in the market in which the competing organization operates; define the market for your chosen product, including an analysis of its competitors, potential customers, or potential buyers. The cell phone market is a massive market. Some studies conclude that more than half the world has cell phone accounts. One attribute that defines the cell phone market is the idea of consumers giving up their land line use. Many individuals are now giving up their land line use in favor of using only a cell phone. This causes a large influx of customers into the market for cell phones. As technology continues to advance new types of cell phones are developed and marketed to different segments of the population. Now cell phones are available for business purposes and social purposes such as social networking, text messaging, or gaming. Apple Inc., like any other corporation, has supply and demand that is affected by a variety of factors. In fact businesses create products and offer services based on their customers’ demands and the demands of the customers, or the lack thereof, affects the available supply. One of the main issues that drive demand of a product is customer preference. The preference of the customer and the desire of...
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...Letia Mangum-Patterson, Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis: Starbucks ECO/365 Ed Hartman February 24, 2014 Abstract Economics as we know it today was born to a premise of thought. From the idea of how individuals could express their freedoms to sell or produce goods was the founded basis for which the world of economics evolved. “Economics is the science that concerns itself with economies, from how societies produce goods and services, to how they consume them. It has influenced world finance at many important junctions throughout history and is a vital part of our everyday lives.” (Beattie, 2011, para. 1). Introduction Economics as we know it today was born to a premise of thought. From the idea of how individuals could express their freedoms to sell or produce goods was the founded basis for which the world of economics evolved. “Economics is the science that concerns itself with economies, from how societies produce goods and services, to how they consume them. It has influenced world finance at many important junctions throughout history and is a vital part of our everyday lives.” (Beattie, 2011, para. 1). The United States of America sets the bar for what other countries strive to replicate and the reason why many from around the world seek to live in the land of the free market dream. According to Colander, (2010), “the powerful U.S. economy generates a high standard of living and sense of economic wellbeing (compared to most other...
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...online-based games on the market for years since its initial release. The game maintains a high level of subscriptions that cost a fixed rate of $15 per month. The game itself once controlled over 50% of the multiple player market shares in 2006 for the western region. Subscriptions have reached more than five million by 2006 and exceeded 10 million subscribers for a 2nd time by the end of 2012. Subscriptions for this game have even exceeded 14 million in year 2009. At a steady rate of $15 per subscriber, profits have steadily risen over the years. Multiple player platform-based games have steadily risen in subscriptions as Internet speeds have improved and more gamers seek personal interaction within his or her gameplay. This is a good market for our company to venture into based on the demand for current gaming. Technology is expected to increase while driving prices down for current computer systems; allowing further access for consumers to this gaming market. Multiple player games can extend to multiple platforms for reaching different consumer bases. These games currently exist for personal computers as well as home consoles that appeal to more casual gamers. The United States online gaming market represents 3.8 million dollars in annual revenues. This market is further expanded when games are crossed over to other regions of the world. These types of games have a high potential for sustained growth. Most factors that affect the demand for this market, revolves around the...
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...Competitive Market Analysis: Microsoft Xbox Daniel Silva, Antionette Ybarra, and Raul Salinas ECO/365 July 31, 2013 Instructor: Karl Bitter Competitive Market Analysis: Microsoft Xbox Microsoft capitalized on the need for an operating system for the blossoming personal computer industry. Gates developed the BASIC programming language in the late 1970s, but the DOS operating system created for the IBM personal computer in the early 1980s solidified Microsoft's position. Teaming with IBM on additional projects, Gates and his team also developed a series of languages for new IBM systems: BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, and Pascal. As IBM computers grew faster and more efficient in the late 1980s, Microsoft continued to upgrade the renamed MS-DOS, while also marketing the system to other manufacturers (Batchelor, unkn). After the company's IPO in 1986, it received the funds necessary to increase research and development, which led to the introduction of Microsoft Office, a software bundle created to improve business productivity, including Microsoft Word and Excel. Microsoft Office soon became the market leader, far surpassing its closest competitors. The explosion of the Internet in the 1990s initially caught Microsoft off guard. However, it soon recovered with Internet Explorer, a web portal that gave users a starting point for Internet activities. Internet Explorer became the de facto web homepage. Microsoft also launched other web ventures, including Microsoft Network (MSN) (Batchelor...
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...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Principles of Microeconomics ECO 365 David Norcross April 13, 2015 Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis In this paper, Team A is participating in a strategic planning group creating a new product at General Motors. The following is a competitive market analysis on the potential of our new 2016 Chevy Volt’s success. We will be focusing on our competitor Toyota and their Prius lineup. Additionally, we will summarize our target consumer and current market conditions. Then we will cover variables that weigh on supply, demand, and equilibrium prices. Next, we will consider the pros and cons our firm faces while identifying the effect on our competitiveness and long-term profitability. Then, we will evaluate factors that influence fixed and variable costs. Lastly, we will provide recommendations on how GM can grow their profits and increase their competiveness. The Product The Chevy Volt was a concept designed by Bob Lutz Jon Lauckner of General Motors ‘GM’ in 2006 to overcome many of the limitations of pure electric vehicles while retaining many of the beneficial elements. The purpose of this car was to leap-frog the technology of the Prius hybrid. The theory of this concept was a car that would be able to drive on electricity for the first forty miles, and then a generator would run gasoline to extend the range of the car. In 2010, the production version was able to achieve 35 miles on electric and average 37 miles...
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...Assignment 4: Analysis of the Business Cycle April Hammer Strayer University Online Assignment 4: Analysis of the Business Cycle Introduction 1. The Current Economic Conditions Microeconomics is a social science that deals with the behaviors of individual consumers, firms and industries. It is an analysis of certain firms, individuals and households’ decision making processes as well as behaviors that affect how resources are allocated (EconGuru Economics Guide, 2006). Where macroeconomics deals with the economy as a whole, microeconomics deals with individual firms and how consumers make decisions as well as how companies decide what to sell and at what price to sell it at. The economy today has been in a big uproar with major downfalls and setbacks that have come about. We are in a current recession. One would hope that the economy will be able to repair after this downfall. Today’s economy in the United States is becoming a major disaster in more areas then one. One major issue is that the United States does not make enough products that we need to sustain ourselves. We import far more then we export. This has put the United States in debt to other countries. This debt continues to grow and become unreachable. Some of our major companies are being bought out by other countries. There are many data tools that can be evaluated to determine how well a current economy is doing. GDP growth is a measurement of the total value of goods produced is an...
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.......................5 2. External Analysis ...................................................................................................5 2.1 Wider Macro-Environmental Analysis ............................................................5 2.2 Industry analysis .............................................................................................7 2.3 Industry Life cycle ..........................................................................................9 2.4 Competitor Analysis ..................................................................................... 10 2.5 Industry‟s Critical Success Factors ................................................................ 10 2.6 Opportunities & Threats................................................................................ 11 3. Internal Analysis .................................................................................................. 11 3.1 Starbucks‟s Strengths & Weaknesses ............................................................ 11 3.2 Evaluation of Starbucks‟ Main Capabilities .................................................. 12 3.3 Value Chain Analysis ................................................................................... 13 3.4 Starbucks‟ Main Internal Capabilities against industry‟s Critical Success Factors ......................................................................................................... 14 4. Starbucks‟ Current „Issue & Challenges‟ Diagnosis ......
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...Competitive Market Conditions Competitive Market Analysis Jeremy Clark, Marcia Falls, Alfred Bishop ECO/365 December 04, 2014 Donna Kassar Competitive Market Conditions Competitive Market Analysis Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Understanding the competitive forces within a market is essential for the successful rollout of a new product. The following paper will perform a competitive market analysis to determine the product’s potential success. Our team has selected the Coca-Cola and its new stevia sweetened cola product for this analysis. Stevia is a natural zero-calorie sweetener that has become popular among heath food consumers. Coca-Cola has already experimented with this product in overseas markets with an expected release in the United States soon. Using what we have learned about microeconomic concepts so far in ECO/365, we will analyze the fundamental market forces that will influence this product’s success in relation to the existing competition. Factors That Affect Demand, Supply, and Equilibrium Prices Supply and demand are forces that are always working to reach an equilibrium point in a competitive market. The soft drink industry is highly competitive and there are numerous firms seeking to gain market share. The two largest firms in the market are Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which collectively dominate the vast majority of the market. These two firms have built exceptional brand loyalty and have contracted with fast food chains to serve their...
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...reliable information regarding the analysis of the competitive forces and the external analysis. This group assessment is divided by 5 parts: Introduction that is an overview of the company and also an analysis of Lululemon performances since its beginning in 1998, PESTLE analysis that explains how the macro environment affects directly Lululemon’s operation and also the way that the company has react to its external environment, Porter five forces framework that determines the attractiveness of the garment industry and the competitive intensity based on the micro environment, Competitors analysis that identifies the strengths of current competitors for Lululemon in order to determine opportunities and threats of the company in the current market and the last part that is the Conclusion that answers the question How big is the competitive threat? Is Lululemon prepared for changes in the competitive environment? , that highlighted the main points discussed in the external environmental and competitors analysis in order to provide and accurate answer with regards of Lululemon’s current strategies and position in the market. Lululemon Athletica is a Canadian company that opens its first store in Vancouver 1998, since day one the company has focused in healthy life style and focused in yoga costumers. The market target for the company is women in middle and high social class with age range between 15 and 65 years old, Lululemon has positioned in the market as a brand that promote yoga...
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...Assignment 7.1 Designing a Competitive Advantage Methodology Robert C. Paramo Argosy University Dr. Lee Heinz August 20, 2010 Abstract My research topic on how implementing a differentiation and cost leadership strategy in parallel will facilitate mortgage companies to design a competitive advantage making industry conditions irrelevant within San Bernardino County is a quantitative analysis requiring a comprehensible methodology approach. In this paper I will discuss my research topic and provide sample research questions and hypotheses. Within the body of the analysis I will include a literature review and a draft methodology outlining the participants involved in my research, describe the purpose of sampling and the techniques I will use. Finally, I will illustrate the significance of my study and the anticipated findings as result of my research endeavor. Assignment 7.1 This detailed analysis will provide both depth and breadth vis-à-vis my research topic utilizing various research techniques and approaches. My research problem focuses on how implementing a differentiation and cost leadership strategy in parallel will facilitate mortgage companies to design a competitive advantage making industry conditions irrelevant within San Bernardino County. My research topic is designed to uncover the current strategies real estate companies are using to remain profitable and increase market share within San Bernardino County. This research problem will indentify...
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