COMM 491
Summer 2015
Team Presentation 1
Industry Analysis Presentation

Due: Wednesday, July 29, 8:30am; submitted via email to bernie.maroney@sauder.ubc.ca , and presented in class

Format: Presentation: 10 minute in-class presentation of your industry analysis; I would recommend no more than 15 slides (aside from the opening slide and a “thank you/ questions” slide). Each member of your team must be present and must contribute to the presentation, unless other circumstances prevent. Worth 10% of your final grade. Please, no “Presi,” we’re all sick of it, and it isn’t “cool” anymore.

Filename protocol: In order to distinguish your file from every other groups, you must name your submitted file as such: COMM491-VSP_Summer2015_IndustryAnalysis_Cohort#_Team# , where Cohort# is either Cohort4 or Cohort 5; and Team# is your team number, such as Team2.

Topic: Each team must perform an industry analysis on one of the following industries:

* Craft or micro-breweries in B.C. * Food trucks in Vancouver * The cleantech industry in Canada * Private tourism agencies in Canada catering to Chinese tourists.

Thus you have different geographic areas to also consider; you must choose your topic and post it on the discussion forum on Connect no later than 1700hrs on Sunday, July 26. No more than three teams in each cohort may choose the same topic.

Assignment: Suppose that your team is thinking of starting a new business in the industry chosen. Using Porter’s Five Forces: 1. Existing Industry Rivalry 2. Threat of New Entries 3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4. Bargaining Power of Customers 5. Threat of Substitutes 6. plus the sixth force of Complements if it is applicable

Analyze factors which apply to the industry, and categorize them as either
(+) increasing that factor (e.g., makes the threat of new entry greater) or
() decreasing that factor (e.g., reduces the threat of new entry).

List the factors, in point form, beneath each category heading. I have provided an example (an Excel template) on Connect (Class 3) for you to reference as to how to do it. The points should be brief, yet be clear enough to understand the intent. You can show the entire graphic from Excel on one slide, then copy each of the appropriate forces into a separate slide for more detailed discussion if you wish.

Finally, summarize the opportunity for your team to enter the industry. Is it a favourable market for you to enter, or not? Is time a factor? In other words, is it a bad time now, but that is expected to change in the future, and if so, when? Or, is it a good time now, but the window is short (for a specified reason)?

Here is the grading rubric:

1. Provide a brief description of the industry being analyzed. How big is it? Who are the main competitors? What is the approximate market share for each? How rapidly is the industry growing? What major changes are expected in technology? In general, who does the industry serve? Who are the customers? Describe them. 5 points.

2. Perform a five-factor (or six if appropriate) analysis, using the template provided on Connect (in the Modules for Class 3; excel spreadsheet, Sample_ExpressCourierIndustry). Identify the key variables under each factor and their direction of influence (positive or negative) upon the factor. 15 points.

3. Discuss the variables and the direction of impact for each of the five factors. Structure the discussion to mirror the mapping of the variables from the excel spreadsheet. 10 points.

4. Characterize each of the factors. (e.g., intense rivalry, powerful buyers, etc.) 5 points.

5. Provide an overall assessment of the attractiveness of the industry (attractiveness meaning how enticing it is for a firm to enter the industry), at present and as you see it evolving, based on your five-factor analysis. 5 points.

6. Identify the key issues firms face in this industry (for example, difficulty attracting key personnel, or increasing threat of substitution.) 5 points.

7. Presentation quality. 5 points.

Grading: Scale of 50 points

You may wish to read the supplementary article (also provided on Connect, Class 3), “How to do Strategic Analysis,” by Boardman / Vining. It is not necessary as part of the assignment, but if you wish to become quite adept at this type of analysis, which is regularly used in all types of organizations, it is a helpful read.

The presentations are graded with the expectation that you have adequately analyzed the industry. How well you present the idea is always evaluated in presentations; you will, in your professional lives, give presentations to customers, vendors, and supervisors, so I encourage you to practice and perfect this skill. Note this does not indicate, in any way, the perceived quality of the analysis itself; this is an evaluation of the information given during your presentation, and how well you delivered it. You should utilize graphics (charts, diagrams, etc.) in your presentation rather than filling it with text; you want the audience to pay attention to what you have to say rather than reading the text off the slides, and if you’re just reading the slides, why do they need you there? So present as much information as possible in graphics; when you cannot do so, use minimal text (such as headings) and then elaborate with your presentation. 5 points. You SHOULD include information in your notes at the bottom of the slides (which you can see in presentation mode); it is NOT acceptable to hold large pieces of paper with full text in your hand while presenting; it IS acceptable to hold smaller pages, such as index cards, with key words on it. The best presentations are when each presenter clearly knows their material, but it is normal to periodically need a quick reminder of a topic, so writing/typing key words in large font (usually 36 point) on index cards is helpful and acceptable. You can buy index cards at the UBC Bookstore, a pack of 100 is pretty cheap, and you would have one card per slide, so won’t need many.