...HBS CASE: BMW FILMS 1. How fit is the BMW brand at the time of the case? Are there any reasons to anticipate undesirable financial performance in the future? How fit is BMW at the time of the case? Justify: BMW is very fit at the time of the case, which was August 2001. Verify: During the period from 1996~2001, BMW sales rebounded and eventually reached record levels in the US Quantify: Compared to their slump around 1991 where BMW sold around 55,000 cars, they were able to sell 190,000 in 2001 in the US Are there any reasons to anticipate undesirable financial performance in the future? Justify: No Verify: 1. Because BMW’s US unit sales have been increased since 1991. 2. The BMW films were launched in 2001 with great success. Their creative, innovative style of marketing through short films that were directed by big name directors starring famous actors have given them more positive publicity than ever. 3. BMW was also planning on introducing new products including the redesigned 7-series, new Z4 Roadster, and the $20K subcompact Mini-Cooper. Quantify: Analysts were reporting that over the next few years, BMW was planning to increase US sales by 40%, to 300,000 cars a year. Keep in mind that as of 2001, they sold roughly 190,000 units. 2. What is BMW’s unique selling proposition? Describe a typical BMW’s target customer and how the company’s products fulfill his needs. Unique Selling Proposition: The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the...
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...configuration of processes, product designs, and development of parterships with suppliers and channels of distribution. Although the development of analytical tools is not one of the primary objectives of the course, students should be comfortable with quantitative analysis. By the end of the course, you should have developed an appreciation for the major strategic issues trade-offs in supply chain management as well as the ability to use conceptual frameworks to make decisions. TEACHING/LEARNING METHODOLOGY The detailed course outline starting on page 6 lists, for every class session, the reading(s), case(s), assignment(s), and anything else of importance. Please read this outline carefully before every session. Because class time is our most precious and inelastic resource, please come to every class prepared. Essential preparation includes reading the assigned readings and cases and doing the assignments. Recommended Text Book1 (VM) Van Mieghem, Jan, Operations Strategy: Principles and Practice, Dynamic Ideas, Charlestown, MA, 2008. Optional Reference Chopra, Sunil and Peter...
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...environment, strategy plays a very critical role in ensuring the success of a company. This report gives a limelight on the extent to which strategy has contributed to the superiority of BMW in the UK automobile industry. In analysing this, the report will begin with an evaluation of BMW as a premium car manufacturer. The report then employed the use of PESTEL and Porters five forces to analyse the external car industry environment. The internal environment are analysed by use of value chain analysis. Bowman’s Strategy Clock is also explored in understanding the marketing strategy used by BMW Company. Finally, Resource/ competence framework has also been explored in understanding the key competencies and resource capabilities that has enabled the BMW to maintain market leadership position. In compiling this report, major sources of information used were journals, empirical literature and the internet. The findings of this report show that strategy has played a pivot point in BMW’s overall performance. Generally, the report shows that unstable political environment in the UK and the global market is greatly affecting the industry. Moreover, socio-cultural environment greatly affect the industry as consumers are becoming more environment conscious. This has especially reduced the sales volume of BMW. The UK government legal policies have also been addressed in the report. Advances in technology have also spurred competition in the industry thereby reducing the significance of branding...
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...9-605-054 REV: JUNE 30, 2005 FRANCES X. FREI Zipcar: Influencing Customer Behavior Anita Karr frantically gathered everything she needed for her road trip: water, her favorite “mix” CD from Javier (the ex-boyfriend), ear plugs. After years as a struggling musician her sister was making her debut as the new drummer for No Bags to Check, a performance art/hard rock band that was gaining momentum on the East Coast college circuit. The venue for this breakthrough in her sister’s career was Lupo’s in Providence, Rhode Island and Karr had to be there. Living in Cambridge a car hadn’t been necessary; most of the places she needed to visit on a daily basis were within walking distance of Karr’s Valentine Street apartment. To visit her sister across the river, grocery shop, and run errands Karr relied on Zipcar, which she had signed up for a year ago rather than continue to pay for parking, car insurance, and gas. For tonight’s trip she had reserved weeks ago, using Zipcar’s convenient online reservation system, a VW Jetta Jericho. It was 3:30 pm. Karr was scheduled to pick up the Jetta at 4:00 pm, her sister by 4:30 pm, and arrive at Lupo’s by 6:00 pm. Both she and her sister had figured that this was more than enough time to get to Boston from Cambridge, load the drums, and make Providence by the appointed hour. Karr made one final sweep of her belongings—she couldn’t find Javier’s Best of Bob Dylan CD, which she had conveniently forgotten to return—then gathered her bags and...
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...zi9-605-054 REV: JUNE 30, 2005 FRANCES X. FREI Zipcar: Influencing Customer Behavior Anita Karr frantically gathered everything she needed for her road trip: water, her favorite “mix” CD from Javier (the ex-boyfriend), ear plugs. After years as a struggling musician her sister was making her debut as the new drummer for No Bags to Check, a performance art/hard rock band that was gaining momentum on the East Coast college circuit. The venue for this breakthrough in her sister’s career was Lupo’s in Providence, Rhode Island and Karr had to be there. Living in Cambridge a car hadn’t been necessary; most of the places she needed to visit on a daily basis were within walking distance of Karr’s Valentine Street apartment. To visit her sister across the river, grocery shop, and run errands Karr relied on Zipcar, which she had signed up for a year ago rather than continue to pay for parking, car insurance, and gas. For tonight’s trip she had reserved weeks ago, using Zipcar’s convenient online reservation system, a VW Jetta Jericho. It was 3:30 pm. Karr was scheduled to pick up the Jetta at 4:00 pm, her sister by 4:30 pm, and arrive at Lupo’s by 6:00 pm. Both she and her sister had figured that this was more than enough time to get to Boston from Cambridge, load the drums, and make Providence by the appointed hour. Karr made one final sweep of her belongings—she couldn’t find Javier’s Best of Bob Dylan CD, which she had conveniently forgotten to return—then gathered her bags and...
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...NOVEMBER 1, 2001 STEFAN THOMKE BMW AG: The Digital Car Project (A) “Looks great,” thought Chris Bangle as he walked by a picture of the new BMW 3-Series which was about one year away from its scheduled 1998 launch in Germany. Bangle, a former Wisconsin native, who became the company’s director of worldwide design at age 35, glanced at his watch. In just 30 minutes, he would meet with other senior managers about project recommendations that might revolutionize the way cars had been designed over the past eight decades at BMW. The meeting was in the inner sanctum of BMW’s research and engineering building, the Forschungs-und Ingenieurszentrum, known locally as the “FIZ” (pronounced “fits”). Built in 1987, this massive building centralized the work of 40 facilities previously scattered through Munich. All work from product concept to pilot production occurred in the FIZ. But only a privileged few out of the five thousand who worked in the building had ever visited this corner of the company where the meeting was to be held. Bangle pulled out his card key that would let him pass through a sleek space-age security system that resembled an oval chamber. After negotiating a push card entry system, a set of doors slid close behind him and another set opened up to reveal the styling area—a world of future visions, inhabited by many life-size clay models of cars under development that would eventually come to life on roads of the next millennium. BMW had weathered several storms over...
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...Launching the BMW Z3 Roadster January 1996 marked the beginning of Phase II of BMW of North America Inc.’s Z3 roadster introduction. Phase I had centered on the placement of the new $28,750 two-seat convertible in the James Bond hit movie, GoldenEye, which premiered several months earlier. While not yet critically evaluated, results of the “out-of-the-box” pre-launch campaign appeared very positive: word-ofmouth concerning the Z3 and the James Bond cross-promotion were favorable, and product orders far exceeded BMW’s initial expectations. The challenge now was to design a marketing program that would sustain product excitement until dealer product availability beginning in March. Phase II planning had to be undertaken within the context of other important events in the BMW product family: (1) the April launch of the redesigned 5-Series; and (2) the company’s role as “official international automotive sponsor” of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, which would begin in earnest with the Olympic Torch Relay 5-Series event in June. While these other elements of the BMW product family clearly impacted the Z3, the marketing approach and ultimate results for the Z3 would influence the whole BMW operation in the United States. Dr. Helmut Panke, Chairman and CEO of BMW (U.S.) Holding Corp. since 1993, noted that the Z3 was destined to be “the first BMW not made by mythical little creatures in the Bavarian woods. This car will be made in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Some people think BMW means German-made...
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...An analysis of the repositioning of the “BMW Mini” brand C. Simms and P Trott . Business School, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK Downloaded by Myongji University At 05:37 14 May 2015 (PT) Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to adopt a consumer behaviour perspective and investigate the extent to which BMW has repositioned the new “Mini”. It builds on a previous paper that explored perceptions of the “Mini” brand. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a two-stage approach to data collection, consisting of 66 in-depth interviews with a cross section of important stakeholders with high brand awareness and knowledge. The paper develops a conceptual framework and offers a novel way for firms to consider the effects of their repositioning strategies on consumers perceptions of a brand. Findings – The findings reveal a substantial repositioning of the brand’s functional appeal, moving away from the car’s price as an appeal towards product build quality. Furthermore, the Mini’s symbolic appeal, which is based on its fun and sporty image, has largely remained in place. Practical implications – Firms need to recognise the importance of repositioning at both the symbolic and functional level. Originality/value – The paper presents a novel conceptual framework for viewing repositioning strategies and presents evidence of repositioning at both the functional and symbolic level. Keywords Brands, Consumer behaviour, Cars, Brand image Paper type Research paper ...
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...For the exclusive use of Z. Xu, 2016. 9-701-132 REV. MARCH 8, 2002 GIOVANNI GAVETTI Ducati By the end of 2000, Federico Minoli had won his battle. Over the past five years, the “turnaround i artist” -- as Forbes magazine dubbed him –- had transformed a company on the verge of bankruptcy into one of the most profitable motorcycle manufacturers in the world; a mechanical concern into a global brand; a fast motorcycle into a symbol of Italian design and tradition, extreme performance, and technical excellence. Under Minoli, Ducati had enjoyed explosive growth and profitability. Revenues had quadrupled since 1996; EBITDA had grown from 33.4 million Euros in 1997 to around 60.0 million Euros in 2000; the market share had gone from 5.1% in the sport bikes segment in 1997 to 6.7% in 2000 (see Exhibit 1). Despite this success, Minoli was concerned with the future of the company. He knew that Ducati could not grow indefinitely, and was struggling with what strategy might overtake these bounds. Minoli and the rest of Ducati’s top management team were considering different alternatives. One alternative was to attack Harley Davidson’s niche with a Ducati interpretation of a cruiser. Was this broadening of Ducati’s traditional niche the right move to sustain the profitable growth of the company? The Market for Motorcycles in 2001 The roots of the motorcycle industry date back to 1868, when Louis Perraux installed a steam engine on a rudimentary bicycle. In 1894...
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...9-701-132 REV. MARCH 8, 2002 GIOVANNI GAVETTI Ducati By the end of 2000, Federico Minoli had won his battle. Over the past five years, the “turnaround i artist” -- as Forbes magazine dubbed him –- had transformed a company on the verge of bankruptcy into one of the most profitable motorcycle manufacturers in the world; a mechanical concern into a global brand; a fast motorcycle into a symbol of Italian design and tradition, extreme performance, and technical excellence. Under Minoli, Ducati had enjoyed explosive growth and profitability. Revenues had quadrupled since 1996; EBITDA had grown from 33.4 million Euros in 1997 to around 60.0 million Euros in 2000; the market share had gone from 5.1% in the sport bikes segment in 1997 to 6.7% in 2000 (see Exhibit 1). Despite this success, Minoli was concerned with the future of the company. He knew that Ducati could not grow indefinitely, and was struggling with what strategy might overtake these bounds. Minoli and the rest of Ducati’s top management team were considering different alternatives. One alternative was to attack Harley Davidson’s niche with a Ducati interpretation of a cruiser. Was this broadening of Ducati’s traditional niche the right move to sustain the profitable growth of the company? The Market for Motorcycles in 2001 The roots of the motorcycle industry date back to 1868, when Louis Perraux installed a steam engine on a rudimentary bicycle. In 1894, the Hildebrand brothers and Alois Wolfmüller produced...
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...For the exclusive use of T. Song, 2015. 9-714-413 REV: JANUARY 24, 2014 ERIC VAN DEN STEEN Tesla Motors “Tesla is in California, so it is not April Fool’s yet!” tweeted Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, around 10 PM PT on March 31, 2013. “First profitable Q for Tesla thanks to awesome customers & hard work by a super dedicated team”1 he had tweeted a few minutes earlier. And indeed, on May 8, Tesla announced a net income of more than $10mln on $560 mln in sales.2 Tesla had outsold both Nissan and GM in electric cars in the U.S.3 Its Model S had sold more than the BMW 7 and Audi A8 combined.4 Tesla raised its Model S sales target for its first full year from 20,000 to 21,000 cars.5 Over the next three months, its stock price almost tripled.6 In its 10 years since founding, Tesla had launched both a high-end limited edition “Tesla Roadster” and its “Model S” production car, and was now taking reservations on its upcoming “Model X” electric crossover SUV. Despite a public controversy about its range, the Model S had received the coveted Car of the Year award and earned the highest rating that Consumer Reports ever gave to a car, an astonishing feat for a company that was only at its second car. While some of its most visible EV competitors went bankrupt or halted production,7 Tesla became profitable. Elon Musk wanted Tesla to be a mass manufacturer of electric cars.8 Becoming profitable meant that that goal was within reach. Or was it not? The Car Business ...
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...Executive Summary This report provides a strategic analysis on Tesla. The findings consist of an Internal and External analysis of the Automotive Industry focusing mainly on the UK, a resource based view and value chain analysis of Tesla, an analysis of two PR crises and to conclude an evaluation of Tesla’s strategies. 1. External Analysis The main findings from a PESTLE analysis found that legal and technological factors had the most significant affect on the UK automotive industry. In particular UK laws that enforce vehicle CO2 emission standards are forcing manufacturers to produce more eco-friendly cars. In addition, fast changing technology is increasing innovation and creating new market segments such as the Electronic Vehicle. The main findings from a Porters 5 Forces Analysis shows: The threat of new entrants is low, the risk of substitutes is low, the buyer bargaining power is high, supplier bargaining power is moderate and the intensity of rivalry is high. This concludes that the industry is still attractive and profitable for those who are already in it. 2. Internal Analysis An internal analysis of Tesla showed that their man competitive advantage comes from their vast amount of intellectual property and infrastructure. Tesla also has large amounts of capital being invested into the company to further boost production and innovation. 3. PR Crises The two examples of PR crises found that Tesla is a company who take CSR and brand reputation seriously. They are...
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...create value and profit for the company. Maintaining a strong and compelling value proposition and long-term relationship with the company’s customers are vital for the company’s continued success and require constant monitoring of market, environmental, technological and competitive forces. Marketing is therefore integral to establishing a company’s strategic direction. This in turn makes marketing skills and perspective essential to the success of all business managers in any business. This course provides an in-depth exploration and practical application of basic marketing tools. These include product policy, pricing, promotion, distribution, sales management, and customer segmentation and retention. In most classes, we will analyze case studies that require us to identify marketing opportunities, refine value propositions, select customer segments and develop marketing programs for a variety of management situations. The course also includes a number of creative and analytic...
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...create value and profit for the company. Maintaining a strong and compelling value proposition and long-term relationship with the company’s customers are vital for the company’s continued success and require constant monitoring of market, environmental, technological and competitive forces. Marketing is therefore integral to establishing a company’s strategic direction. This in turn makes marketing skills and perspective essential to the success of all business managers in any business. This course provides an in-depth exploration and practical application of basic marketing tools. These include product policy, pricing, promotion, distribution, sales management, and customer segmentation and retention. In most classes, we will analyze case studies that require us to identify marketing opportunities, refine value propositions, select customer segments and develop marketing programs for a variety of management situations. The course also includes a number of creative and analytic assignments, including a semester-long, group...
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...9 -7 1 6 -4 0 1 JUNE 25, 2015 DAVID B. YOFFIE ERIC BALDWIN Apple’s Future: Apple Watch, Apple TV, and/or Apple Car? Since the release of the iPod in 2001, Apple had been probably the most successful technology company in the world. It revolutionized three businesses in the next 10 years: music, smartphones, and tablets. When Steve Jobs died in 2011, it was up to his successor, Tim Cook, to revolutionize the next set of industries. In 2015, Cook appeared to have three potential targets: watches (wearables), television, and cars. All three were bets on highly uncertain futures. Watches were off to a promising start in their first quarter of shipments, but it was far too early to declare victory. Television seemed ripe for disruption, but many firms had tried and failed to change the TV landscape. And cars, of course, represented the biggest opportunity as well as the biggest leap for Apple. Financially, Tim Cook and his team were unconstrained: Apple was the most profitable company on the planet in the fourth quarter of 2014, generating $18 billion in net income (Exhibit 1). However, Steve Jobs had famously said that Apple’s success came “from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”1 The big questions for Tim Cook and his team included: Were watches, TVs,...
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