...100+ Authorized Resellers and VARs suddenly realized that they faced an uphill battle. Many would close their doors in the months to come. As an Authorized reseller I bought our Apple branded products from first tier distributors such as Ingram Micro and Tech Data with only small price variances based on the size of the Purchase Order. Smaller PO’s were often ignored or faced delays in shipping. A big reason for the gasp in the room was the increasing trend of Apple product scarcity for resellers. While Apple’s new retail stores had full shelves we had to fight over the leftovers. Often this meant we missed out on the initial surge of purchases made by early adopters. (Eventually Apple would release game-changing products like the iPhone and not allow Apple resellers to sell them.) When Apple opened their new store 5 minutes from one of mine I was forced to pivot or close my doors. We changed from being an Apple Reseller who sold some accessories to more of a system integrator and service provider. In some ways we were similar to a VAR but we did not sell to a high-end niche market such as professional videographers or musicians. We sold to the general public so we got very good at asking questions such as: “What are going to be doing with your mac?” We focused on packaging other products with Apple depending on the customers needs. For a hobby photographer for example we...
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...success, and then they passionately pursue it (Boone, 2011, p. 192). Entrepreneur Bill Gates, born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, had a vision. Pursuing this vision through technical innovation and business strategy, he and his partner Paul Allen built one of the world’s largest software company, Microsoft. Two computer genius and enthusiasts met at Lakeside school and went into business together. According to Biograpy.com, in 1981, while working together with Apple to develop software for Macintosh computers, Gates recognized a threat to Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system that primarily used text and keyboard as opposed to Apple’s system that used a mouse to drive a graphic interface, displaying text and images on the screen. Knowing and understanding where the market was going, Microsoft launched Windows systems that looked very similar to the Apple’s Macintosh system. Gates, who had advised Apple to license their software, which Apple ignored, took full advantage of the situation. Though Apple sued, Microsoft was able to prove that although there were similarities between the two, their function was different. Unlike other software companies, Microsoft understood the market and where it was heading. It made its Operating system compatible with other PC giving Microsoft an absolute advantage. Gates was genius in refusing to sell the...
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...industrial average was first calculated on May 26, 1896. Currently owned by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which is majority owned by McGraw-Hill Financial, it is the most notable of the Dow Averages, of which the first (non-industrial) was first published on February 16, 1885. It is an index that shows how 30 large publicly owned companies based in the United States have traded during a standard trading session in the stock market. 6-july-2015 Explanation: On 6-july-2015 the trend in the US-30 or Dow Jones industrial was bearish which shows that market’s closing was at low than its opening (i.e. open at 17,728.08 and close at 17,683.58). During the day the stock traded at highest price of 17,734.36 and the lowest price was about 17,564.36 The market was bearish because most of the performers went worst. The worst performers of the session were Cater pillar Inc. (CAT), Chevron corporation (CVX), General electric (GE) etc. Except of bad performers the companies which outperform during the day were Apple Inc., American Express Company, and The Boeing etc. News released on 6-july-2015 was about one of the listed company in the US-30, the main heading of the news was “Goldman Expands Activism Defense Group after Anderson Departure”. The news was about Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is turning its activism defense team into a broader advisory group after the team’s leader, William Anderson, left for Even core Partners Inc. Banks have built up practices in recent years that advice companies...
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...The two stocks I chose for the sell-side analyst are Fitbit Inc. (FIT) and CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (CBG). Through intensive research and evaluation of the two stocks I strongly believe that FIT will underperform the S&P 500 and CBG will outperform the S&P 500. I believe that CBG will outperform the S&P 500 in the coming fiscal year based on the firm’s strong background, prior history, and comparative advantage. I believe that FIT will underperform the S&P 500 in the coming fiscal year due to its recent stock decline, lack of innovation, and the credibility of its well-known competitors. CB Richard Ellis Group Inc., or simply CBRE, is a worldwide real estate services & investment firm that serves real estate owners, investors, and occupiers throughout the world. In short, CBRE offers strategic and execution advice for a multitude of real estate properties and investments. According to CBRE’s website, “CBRE consists of 70,000 professionals whom provide outcomes for clients in 60+ countries”, based off this information it is clear that CBRE is an enormous firm that is continually expanding and improving. According to CBRE’s official website it had substantial revenues of around $10.9 billion. Based on the company’s recent history it’s quite evident that CBRE is one of the most dominant firms in its field for numerous reasons. For one, its size, CBRE Group, Inc. is the world’s largest commercial and real estate services and investment firms. Not only is this firms size quite...
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...Apple Preference Mapping A central location trial was conducted for 10 dessert apple varieties using participants from Bristol and Hull. The following presentation will analyse the statistical results gained from the data received and suggest areas for future product launches within the UK apple industry. Task 1 Recruitment of Panellists The Market Research Company was asked to recruit 100 Panellists in each city for the trial with 50% of the panellists from each age group (1 & 2). The data shows that the number of people recruited in Bristol exceeded the required amount with a total of 169 Panellists. Further to this, 71% of the panellists recruited were from the age bracket 2. Recruitment in Hull matched closely to the total requirement of panellists, however again the recruitment favoured towards the age bracket 2 with 73% coming from this. The company therefore exceeded the total requirement of panellists by 71 people. Sum of Age City Bristol Bristol Total Hull Hull Total Grand Total Age 1 2 1 2 Total 49 120 169 28 74 102 271 Task 1 Overall Mean Liking Data Average of Top Red Average of Gibson's Green Average of Royal Gala Average of Braeburn Average of Fuji Average of Pink Lady Average of Granny Smith Average of Sun Gold Average of Johnson's Red Average of Golden Delicious Total 4.290229885 4.5 4.790229885 5.324712644 5.483908046 5.701149425 5.713218391 5.876436782 6.094252874 6.962643678 Overall Golden Delicious had the highest mean liking with a score...
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...Good figure. Though the stock prices of Apple had dipped after the fmous resignation of Steve Jobs from the position of CEO followed by appointment of Tim Cooks in the same position; financial analysts now say that Apple is all set to conquer expectations in the 2nd quarter. After Tim Cook joined the board he drove major financial ventures like increasing Apple’s buyback intentions to a figure of 90 billion dollars from 60 billion dollars which in turn drove up dividend by 8%. The robust financial performance of Apple seems to be a direct result of Apple’s broader price range on I phones and increased portfolio. Obviously portfolio diversification has fueled sales and nearly 50% of activations that happened in the last year came from new sales. Apple’s gross profitability ratios are pegged at 44.11 and it is quite higher than the average of 43.5 (Morningstar 2012). The retail outlets owned by Apple helps allocation of selling and distribution expenses in an efficient manner and this way the discount fee which is paid to wholesellers is avoided. The industry average ratio of net profit is 26.97 while Apple’s figures show that its nets profit is 26.97 (Morning star, 2012). Apple’s market share is 29% in smartphone segment and 60% in tablet segment. The low price to earnings ratio of Apple (14.5) confirms that is a lesser risky investment (Garner, 2012). The current ratio of Apple is 1.6 which demonstrates that short term assets of Apple can be quickly dissolved to form hard cash...
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...1. Describe how this organisation positions their brand against their competitors. APPLE Company background: - Apple Inc. uses the Apple brand to compete across several highly competitive markets. Apple's brand has evolved as it has expanded its range of products and services. Originally starting in the late 1970s with desktop computers and then laptops in the 1990s, it took over 20 years before the company expanded into its first major new product area with the launch of the iPod in 2001, followed by I-Phone in 2007, I-Pad in 2010, and now Apple Pay and Apple Watch in 2014. * Business Strategy The Company is committed to bringing the best personal computing, portable digital music and mobile communication experience to students, educators, creative professionals, businesses, government agencies, and consumers through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services, and Internet offerings. The Company's business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating system, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative industrial design. The Company believes continual investment in research and development is critical to the development and enhancement of innovative products and technologies. In addition to evolving its personal computers and related solutions, the Company continues to capitalize on the convergence...
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...In 2004, Nintendo had a number of strategies available to change the company position in the market. It had become more than clear that following the same tactic would not allow them to overlap its competitors. In order to growth further, Nintendo could integrate the opportunity to reduce costs and expand into other markets at the same time. Secondly, and maybe most promising, they could explore different consumers segments, which would enable Nintendo to reach market opportunities that had been ignored by Sony and Microsoft so far. VERTICAL INTEGRATION After analyzing its core competences, the costs, benefits and risks involved, Nintendo developed a strategy based on internalizing as much as possible gaining substantial influence in the final products. This allows the company to outsource primarily activities in which either they possess a low level of core competencies and/or transaction costs show clear disadvantages in internalizing. Nintendo follows a fabless production model (derived from “fabrication-less”) which means that all production processes are outsourced to external suppliers and production factories and then sent and assemble in Nintendo-owned factories. By avoiding investing money on expand vertical, the company reduce their transaction cost by outsourcing the manufacturing and still manage to maintain lower retail prices than competitors. This result in a different vertical integration compare to the previously existing model allowing Nintendo to succeed...
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...PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porter's Five Forces is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. Porter referred to these forces as the micro environment. They consist of those forces close to a company that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. The overall industry attractiveness does not imply that every firm in the industry will return the same profitability. Firms are able to apply their core competencies, business model or network to achieve a profit above the industry average. The five forces of porter’s five forces model are as follows: 1. The threat of the entry of new competitors 2. The threat of substitute products or services 3. The bargaining power of customers (buyers) 4. The bargaining power of suppliers 5. The intensity of competitive rivalry 1. The threat of the entry of new competitors Profitable markets that yield high returns will attract new firms. This results in many new entrants, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. The new entrants face barriers to entry. They need to overcome them to compete successfully. Some of the barriers are capital requirement, customer loyalty, experience, etc. Specialized technology, production and distribution require high capital costs which acts as one of the barrier. The high customer’s loyalty and experience of the established firms also...
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...Marketing strategy PPPP 1) Bit of space explaining scenario, trends, etc 2) Target Market 3) Small paragraph about mainstream vs niche 4) Hotel Marketing mix 5) Recommendations 6) Contingency plan Put X instead of info you don’t have, make situation clear for Rach to edit. Target atleast 3 pages and max 5, although getting info in crucial (excl. references) Page1: Scenario, Trends, customer profile, mainstream vs niche Page 2+3: Marketing Mix Page 4: Estimated Budgetary recommendations and Contingency Plan Marketing Plan Introduction For a startup company, an effective marketing plan is essential in order to ensure that it stands out from other, larger and more established brands. Established brands not only have tremendous brand recognition and a developed customer base but also the financial wherewithal to influence or manipulate the market conditions to make them more favorable to them. Nowhere is this more evident than in the hotel industy where large family firms have dominated the industry for decades. in addition the large initial investments, large overheads and fierce competiton often deter new entrants. However, the advent of the internet and consequently E-busness and IT business solutions has significantly leveled said playing field. With tourism increasing rapidly, especially from inxcreasingly affluent middle classes from the Newly Industrialized Economies (NICs), the hotel industry faces new challenges and opportunities, somthing...
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...Introduction Mr. James Cash Penney Jr. was born on September 16, 1875 to the parents of James Cash Penney and Mary Frances Paxton in Caldwell County, Missouri (Elizabeth, 2010). Mr. Penney got his start in retail business on April 14, 1902 by becoming one-third partners in a New Golden Rule Store. His partners were Thomas M. Callahan and W.Guy Johnson (Elizabeth, 2010).Mr. Penney partners sold their interest in three Wyoming stores in 1907. Four years later, January 17, 1913 the J.C. Penney was incorporated. It started out with 34 stores and 20 shareholders (Elizabeth, 2010). The shareholders were store managers, former partners, Mr. Penney as the president and major shareholder. JC Penney became a public traded listed company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1927 (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc, 2012).The headquarter is located in Plano, TX, and operates in the United States and Puerto Rico, with more than 1,100 stores and counting. JCPenney merchandises include Women’s, Kid’s, Home, Shoes, Men’s Clothing, and Bed & Bath. My role is an organization consultant. I will provide new idea to JCPenney on how they can become more profitable to consumers again. To improve sales and their image, JC Penny close their catalog business, outlet stores, exit the drug store business, and closed under-performing stores (Booten, 2011). With this reformation, many people were laid off. Problem Statement JCPenny had set the top company priority as making sales for the quarter. With downsizing...
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...Technologies, said: "Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand in an industry where Nokia remains a truly iconic name. Instead of Nokia returning to manufacturing mobile phones itself, HMD Global plans to produce mobile phones and tablets that can leverage and grow the value of the Nokia brand in global markets. Working with HMD Global and FIH Mobile Ltd. will let us participate in one of the largest consumer electronics markets in the world while staying true to our licensing business model." II. Problems Encountered and Quamet Solution Used or Applied 2016 marks the year where Nokia is hoping for a comeback in the mobile industry. However, with the stronghold companies in the industry to the likes of Apple and Samsung, Nokia needs to have a very strong leverage in order to penetrate the market. Aside from Nokia returning to manufacturing of mobile phones, the company is looking to license its brand,...
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...of Google) What happened was Smartphone users in Taipei city had complained that they were unable to claim a refund if they downloaded and feel unsatisfied about it. The Taiwan Consumer Protection Act requirement of a free-trial period of at least seven days for items purchased is originated from mail-order merchandise which consumers cannot feel or touch the goods before ordering. The seven-day-period also considers time for shipping. Internet was included in the category of Mail Order Purchase Rules in Consumer Protection Act in the amendment to the Consumer Protection Act proclaimed in 2003. Taipei’s Law and Regulation Commission informed Google Taiwan, as well as Apple Asia, of the complaints in a formal letter, demanding an explanation and an outline of improvements by the date of June 23rd of deadline. Apple Asia responded before the deadline and amended its refund policy to comply with Taiwan’s by extending its trial period from 15 minutes to a full seven days. However, Google rejected and argued from the letter, “Android Market already provides a 15-minute refund period for all paid apps--which reflects the fact that apps are delivered over-the-air instantly and most users who request a refund do so within minutes of their purchase. We believe this policy helps consumers make educated...
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...Introduction Intersect Investments’ business, pricing, and competitive strategies have worked very well for many years. However, September 11, 2001, started chaotic market conditions for the financial services industry. A volatile climate has left many financial firms struggling to keep both their clients’ trust and investor’s credibility. In addition to the above, many factors including strong competition, technology, the economy, and social trends have started to have a significant impact on the financial industry. To succeed, investment companies need to offer a wide gamma of products coupled with expert advice. Therefore, Intersect Investments needs to consider carefully its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as part of its strategic planning process. This paper will analyze benchmarking research made on companies dealing with transformational issues such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co. Apple Computers and Legion Paper Co. Some of those organizations are global leaders within their respective industry. Therefore, any benchmarking analysis is relevant to the current situation at Intersect Investments. Coca-Cola Synopsis by Bruce McCormack It has become a cliché to state that tough times demand tough measures. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 redefined this cliché for most businesses on Wall Street and throughout the world. One such Wall Street business, Intersect Investment Services, tried boldly to overcome the toughness of the times without...
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...Apple (Computer) Inc. Whither the MAC? | Case Study Analysis | Strategic Analysis in terms of Capabilities Analysis & Five Force Model | Submitted by : Muhammad Saad Dasti Section B | 1. Prepare a Five Forces Analysis of the personal computer industry. (Think of your traditional Windows based PC.) How attractive is this industry? In order to properly identify and evaluate competitive position of personal computer , competitive analaysis model has been created to fully depict the position of display systems according to current scenario * The personal computer industry is somewhat vulnerable against the bargaining power of buyers. In recent years customers have more and more alternative options to the personal computer. Smartphone’s, tablet computers, and other handheld devices like IPods have most of the same capabilities as a personal computer. And because of the availability, sleekness, and trendiness of these alternatives, they have become increasingly popular making personal computers more and more obsolete. In order for the personal computer to compete with these newer alternative options, it must differentiate itself in order to regain market share. * Suppliers in the personal computer industry can be categorized into three groups, including hardware suppliers, software suppliers and service suppliers. The core of their...
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