Ebay

Recently, Amazon. com has enjoyed amazing sales and market share growth. However, Amazon. com is still running under an operating loss. This report will examine the historical strengths and . com, as well as the current opportunities and threats. The current strategic plan includes expanding into either online auctions or B2B exchanges. It is believed that Amazon. com’s many partnerships, as well as its technical expertise with online web platforms, would make it an instant leader in online auctions and B2B exchanges. After examining these metrics, I have come to the conclusion that Amazon.com.

• Increasing its international market share, possibly into the Middle East and China.
• Increasing market share in current markets in North America and Europe.

Delay entrance into online auctions and B2B exchanges until Amazon.com shows a consistent profit and those profits can sustain the large expense of setting up a new business model. Evaluation of Current Objectives and Current Strategy Amazon. com has always had an objective to sacrifice short-term profits for building long-term growth, market share, and increased shareholder value.

Now, Amazon. com is concerned with developing an effective differentiating enterprise-wide strategy, all the while maintaining the desire for expansion. This includes the possibility of moving into online auctions, competing with eBay, and B2B exchanges, optimizing Amazon. com already has.

Current Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths:

• Amazon. com has shown record sales and has reduced its operating loss dramatically and consistently increased market share and expanded product offerings.
• Amazon.com has a reputation for being one of the first businesses online and embracing the idea of taking orders through a website – first-mover advantage.
• Amazon. com has no physical stores. This creates low overhead which means a bigger profit margin on increased sales
• Amazon. com collects payments immediately and floats vendor payments 30-40 days, which generates a large working capital.
• Amazon. com has contracts and alliances with many suppliers.
• Amazon. com has a large and loyal customer base.
• Amazon. com has an online shopping platform that is the envy of the retail shopping world. • Amazon.
• com has partnerships with other retail companies to cross-sell products.

Weaknesses:

• Investment in other online companies resulted in a loss of close to $135 million. With the current economy, similar losses could be felt again.
• Amazon. com is still maintaining an operating loss.
• Shareholder pressure to show a profit is great. Analysis of Current Environmental Threats and Opportunities Threats:
• Increased competition.
• Overall poor economic environment.
• Possible repeal of the sales tax exemption.

Opportunities:

• Leverage the large customer base in expansion into new market segments.
• Use experience of expansion into foreign markets to further expansion into the Middle East and China, with large computer-savvy populations.
• Use well-known and easy-to-use platform to expand base of suppliers that use Amazon. com’s website offerings for their own online presence. Stakeholder Analysis
• Government agencies are interested in Amazon. com because of its wide reach. Being an international organization and crossing state lines within the United States, Amazon. com’s increase in sales could yield high profits to the countries and states in the form of taxes and permits.
• International government would also be concerned with an American presence and the affect that has on the people.
• Labor unions do not have much of a stake in what happens to Amazon. com because it has very few employees and all of the positions are traditionally not union jobs.
• Competing organizations are definitely interested in Amazon. com’s performance. Amazon. com has developed so many partnerships that it is difficult to increase market share and almost impossible to enter the market. If they were to expand into online auctions or B2B exchanges, Amazon.com’s reach may drastically cut into the market share of its competitors.
• Employees would be affected by Amazon. com’s performance because of stock options and the viability of the company.
• Suppliers would be concerned with Amazon. com offering competitive products at a lower price, similar to Amazon. com’s concern when they set up Stores. They would also be concerned with Amazon. com offering products that are competitive on the same site.
• Customers would benefit from an increase in availability of the products they desire on a platform that is well-known, safe, easy, and custom-tailored to meet their needs.
• Civic groups may be more interested in the Amazon. com as more products will be more available to the population.
• Public interest groups may take a greater interest in Amazon. com in a similar manner to the civic groups. They would also be interested in the working conditions of Amazon. com’s partners.
• Stockholders will most definitely be affected by any change in Amazon. com. Being so close to showing a profit rather than an operating loss, shareholders are interested in increasing sales, decreasing cost, and increasing market share. Identifying Current Problems
• The first alternative (online auction) encourages email marketing (spam) and television marketing (which has proven not to be cost effective in the past).
• Setting up a separate online auction takes the risk of diluting the image of the overall organization. Amazon. com is known for quality, and auctions are known for deep discount shopping. It also goes against the mission of creating one giant organization all under one brand.
• Competing with eBay on pricing structures sets up a price war, which minimizes the draw of Amazon. com’s quality and customer service.
• Setting up a B2B exchange could cause a conflict of interest for Amazon.
• com between existing partners and potential ones, stifling the availability of suppliers available in the exchange.
• Creating a B2B exchange that is not specialized waters down some of the impact.
• Coupled with competition from other exchanges, it could compromise Amazon. com’s existing partnerships.

Alternative Strategies

• Focusing on maintaining market share in existing markets.
• Not expanding into other markets until Amazon. com is showing a healthy profit and is able to finance the expansion with profits.
• Expand into other countries, developing even more of a presence, perhaps in the Middle East and China.

Recommendations

My recommendation would be for Amazon. com to focus its finances and energy on increasing its existing market share. Expansion has worked for Amazon. com all along, but I am concerned that it is becoming too large of a giant, potentially spreading too thin. If Amazon. com focused its efforts on expanding into other markets, like the Middle East and China, doing what it does best, and increasing market share in existing markets, it could show a profit for a while. Then, after the auction industry has settled down, Amazon. com could present itself as a fresh new alternative to the tired, worn-out ways of the likes of eBay and Covisint.

Ebay, an online auction company that started in 1995 is offering more than fifty thousand categories of merchandise with its numerous local offices all over the globe.  Transaction is easy with Ebay because the buyer and seller perform payments for the items through PayPal and Skype Internet phone service for actual conversation.

What is eBay’s core competency? How does it relate to their chosen strategy?

Ebay’s core competency is being an online auction serving many customers in all parts of the world with large listing of items for sale.  In order to sustain its core competency, it negotiated with Google.com to have a joint venture, using the facility of google.com in search engine.  Aside from that, it uses the services of PayPal in receiving payments from the customer and Spyke for negotiation or business transactions with the customers.  It also developed its website in such a way that fraudulent clients may be detected and prevented to enter the negotiation.

How would you explain how eBay has decided to configure and coordinate its value chain?

Online auction is a risky business because no one could take hold of the customer’s decision and whereabouts; negotiation is done by means of trust.  Ebay’s value chain is characterized by integration of various strategies to meet the sellers and the buyers using technology.  Primarily, it has a listing of sellers posted on the web; it has value creation that allows for easy access and bidding to the stores; it facilitate Escrow system to limit fraud; it has marketing and sales strategy on the web; lastly, it has database that tracts the record of negotiation between the seller and buyer (Bidgoli, 2004, p. 534).

Ebay’s value chain is developed in such a way that the engines would be useful in trading goods and products as well as in facilitating transaction in the easiest and comfortable means possible.

Would you characterize eBay’s value chain as virtual or real? Why?

Ebay’s value chain could be characterized as virtual because the business is operational/existing though employs imagination because transaction is done and completed using computer and other technology.  As an e-market, it follows certain guidelines in the process meeting both customer satisfaction and problems encounter daily without the need for face to face transaction.  It is imaginary because it does not handle any physical products nor see the clients in other part of the globe.

Consider again your description of eBay’s strategy. Is it different from what it was ten years ago? Why?

Ebay is different from what it was ten years ago.  In the first place, Ebay entered into global trading through which its facilities and equipments cater to meet the demand of global competitiveness.  Omidyar, the owner, ran the business using a message board where buyer and seller could communicate until that message turned to a feedback system (Dralle & Reno, 2006, p. 5).  Today, it has developed its own website that facilitates many types of transaction all at the same time.

What implications to the challenges identified in the case have for eBay’s strategy – today and in the future?

With Ebay’s current strategy it is putting itself in a strategic position.  The investment done on the webpage design will allow for a better and a convenient transaction between clients, which is more important for a e-market like Ebay.  Probably, this strategy and innovation may not be effective in the future as it is today, but continues adaptation of computer technology will always make it to the top.

Reference

Bidgoli, H. (2004). The Internet Encyclopedia. USA: John Wiley and Sons.

Dralle, L. & Reno, D. (2006). The Unofficial Guide to Making Money on Ebay. USA: John

Wiley and Sons.

In Minneapolis, more than 5 percent of people bike to work. The bike culture has spawned a winter bike expo, a bike-related art poster fair and supports a community of artisan bicycle makers, independent bike retailers and accessory makers.

Shops like A Train Cycles, Appleman and Peacock Groove (no relation to me) turn out a variety of bicycles, including some designed for riding in the Minnesota snow.  will even deliver fresh-baked bread by bicycle right to your door.

Today’s consumers crave unique and personalized products and services, and businesses like these are part of a massive new opportunity for small businesses to take on the big guys.

Related:

The bulging beer cooler at your neighborhood market is another perfect example. Craft breweries quadrupled their share of the U.S. beer market from about 5 percent in 2008 to now more than 20 percent, according to the Craft Brewers Association.

Niche grocers also are grabbing share. Fueled by hyper-localization and specialization — think local honey and small batch hot sauce — natural/gourmet stores are projected to grow 6.8 percent annually over the next four years. That’s more than double the growth expected for discount stores, according to a recent Nielsen report.

The North American Handmade Bike Show has grown to 180 exhibitors and thousands of attendees from its beginnings in 2005, when 23 exhibitors showed off their wares for 700 biking enthusiasts.

No matter what the business, today’s consumers want something unique. That means the huge scale of big chains and corporations has turned from an advantage to an Achilles heel that small businesses can take advantage of. It might seem daunting, but the opportunity is real.

According to a , this rising demand for niche products and services is one of the key trends small businesses can leverage to drive success and tap new markets.

Access to world-class business infrastructure, valuable data, a talented pool of on-demand employees and cost-effective online advertising are also leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs who take advantage of them, according to the QuickBooks Future of Small Business report. 

What I love is that these technology-driven shifts complement what has always been the essence of small business success — passion, community (now either physical or digital via social networks) and the personal touch. Technology has just set them on fire.

Custom wheels: The rise of the artisan bike shop.

Today’s consumers are not just looking for a product or a service. They are looking for experiences and personalized service, and they expect to be given the opportunity to shape the products and services they use. All of those things are right up the power alley of small businesses. That’s part of what has driven the rise of the artisan bike maker.

Related:

Despite a U.S. market dominated by big manufacturers like Trek, Giant and Huffy, a thriving industry of very small manufacturers has developed over the last decade. Most of those firms employ between five and 20 people who produce two-wheelers that can come with a price tag of $10,000 or more — handmade and customized to fit their owner. People might have passionate differences of opinion over materials and quality of hand-crafted frames versus what a high-tech factory might produce, but what’s not up for debate is the attention to detail and customization that is driving the rise in these micro-shops.

In Portland, Oregon, where biking is at the heart of city culture, the number of bike-related small businesses exploded to 217 last year — employing almost 1,500 people; almost 10 times what it was in 2002.

It’s clear that successful small businesses — from bike shops to breweries — win by sharing their passion, embracing their craft and developing personal relationships centered around their shared passion and mission.

The power of the platform: Hitch a ride to growth.

Even the smallest of businesses focusing on niche products can extend their reach through marketplaces to access new customers and expand internationally.

Amazon, eBay, etsy and other platforms all do one thing extremely well. They use technology to connect supply and demand in a way that is frictionless to create a network effect. What that means for a small business — join in and get more customers and more sales.

The number of U.S. small businesses who have used eBay to sell outside of the U.S., which was previously near impossible, has increased more than six-fold in six years. Today, more than 190,000 small businesses in the U.S. use eBay to reach customers outside of the U.S. 

Related:

What I think is so exciting about these trends is that they help knock down some of the biggest challenges any small business owner faces — finding customers, cost barriers to entry and opportunity to experiment. Not only do marketplaces expand your brand and product exposure, they also give sellers the opportunity to test out new markets in a cost-effective way. So think about Amazon, eBay or etsy if you are selling products.

If you are selling services, your geographic reach might be more limited, but you can test Upwork, TaskRabbit or Catalant as platforms to expand your client base.

I believe that almost every small business can take advantage of an online marketplace to sell niche products and services at scale — reaching customers who are looking for a more personal touch. It’s just one of the ways today’s small businesses can power their future by thinking big.

MKT 505 – International Marketing COURSE DESCRIPTION This course reviews the organization for international marketing, foreign demand analysis, product development and policies, trade channels, promotion policies, pricing, and legal aspects. Emphasis is on development of effective international marketing strategy addressing the major global market areas (Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas). INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Required Resources Keegan, W. J. , & Green, M. C. (2011). Global marketing: 2011 custom edition (6th ed. ).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall / Pearson. Supplemental Resources Colton, D. A. , Roth, M. S. & Bearden, W. O. (2010). Drivers of international e-Tail performance: The complexities of orientations and resources. Journal of International Marketing, 18(1), 1-22. Friedman, T. L. (2005). The World is flat 3. 0: A brief history of the twenty-first century, New York, NY: Picador. McCue, S. (2006). Force to force: Building profitable e-commerce strategies. Mason, OH: Thomson Higher Education. Mulki, J. , Jaramillo, J. , & Locanders, W. (2009).

Critical role of leadership on ethical climate and salesperson behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(2), 125-141. Okazaki, S. , Mueller, B. & Taylor, C. (2010). Global consumer culture positing: Testing perceptions of soft-sell and hard-sell advertising appeals between U. S. and Japanese consumers. Journal of International Marketing, 18(2), 20-34. Santos, N. J. , & Laczniak, G. R. (2009). Marketing to the poor: An integrative justice model for engaging impoverished market segments. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 28(1), 3-15.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Formulate, implement, and evaluate effective marketing strategies based on an analysis of global operating environments, market dynamics, and internal capabilities. 2. Analyze the major economic, cultural, and political/legal aspects of the international business environment, including the economic dynamics of foreign trade, impact of regional and global trade integration, and key cultural dimensions affecting marketing operations. 3. Assess the potential risks and benefits of various international markets and formulate ffective market entry strategies to support foreign market expansion. 4. Integrate global information systems in the use of market research. 5. Integrate the concepts of market segmentation, product development, and pricing policies into viable marketing strategy to fit a variety of international market environments. 6. Configure product distribution channels and logistics to meet marketing objectives and fit a variety of global market environments. 7. Analyze an integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy to support global marketing operations. 2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 1 of 17 MKT 505 – International Marketing 8. Evaluate and adapt corporate marketing strategies to fit the changing dynamics of foreign markets and foster a competitive advantage. . Develop and integrate global e-Commerce into the marketing strategy. 10. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing. 11. Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics. WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE The standard requirement for a 4. 5 credit hour course is for students to spend 13. 5 hours in weekly work. This includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of delivery mode.

Week 1 Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 1: Introduction to Global Marketing o Case 1-2: McDonald’s Expands Globally While Adjusting Its Local Recipe Activities • • Discussions Evaluation • 2 • None Reading(s) o Chapter 2: The Global Economic Environment o Chapter 3: Regional Market Characteristics and Preferential Trade Agreements Preparation 20 Preparation, Activities, and Evaluation Points e-Activity o Research the NAFTA trade agreement to determine the pros and cons of the agreement and the ethical issues of outsourcing as a byproduct of the agreement.

Be prepared to discuss Activities • • Discussions Evaluation • 3 • None Reading(s) o Chapter 4: Social and Cultural Environments o Chapter 5: The Political, Legal, and Regulatory Environments o Case 4-1 Disney Adapts to Cultural Differences e-Activity o Research the marketing mistakes that were made at Euro Disney. Be prepared to discuss. o Go to the Transparency International Website, located at http://www. transparency. org/, to review the global corruption Preparation 20 • ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved.

This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 2 of 17 MKT 505 – International Marketing links. Determine the pros and cons of doing business in countries that are recognized as being corruptive. Be prepared to discuss. Activities • Discussions Evaluation • 4 Case Study 1: Acer (Case 1-3) 20 280

Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 6: Global Information Systems and Market Research o Chapter 7: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning o Case 6-1: Market Research Transforms Coach Activities • • Discussions Evaluation • Case Study 2: America’s Cuban Conundrum (Case 5-1) 20 240 5 Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 8: Importing, Exporting, and Sourcing o Chapter 9: Global Market Entry Strategies: Licensing, Investment, and Strategic Alliances o Case 9-2: Jaguar’s Passage to India Activities • •

Discussions Evaluation • None Reading(s) o Chapter 10: Brand and Product Decisions in Global Marketing o Chapter 11: Pricing Decisions o Case 11-2: LVMH and Luxury Goods Marketing e-Activity o Research the NAFTA trade agreement and be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of the agreement and the ethical issues of outsourcing as a byproduct of the agreement. Be prepared to discuss. o The top-ranked brands for 2008 are shown in the textbook as Table 10-2. Browse through the list and choose any brand that interests you. Compare its 2008 ranking with the most recent ranking at http://www. usinessweek. com/interactive_reports/top_brands. html. Determine how the brand’s ranking has changed and support your assessment with outside sources. Be prepared to discuss. 20 6 Preparation • • ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 3 of 17 MKT 505 – International Marketing

Activities • Discussions Evaluation • 7 • Case Study 3: Carmakers Target Gen Y (Case 7-2) Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 12: Global Marketing Channels and Physical Distribution o Chapter 13: Global Marketing Communications Decisions I: Advertising and Public Relations o Case 12-1: Tesco Expands in the United States Activities • Discussions Evaluation • 8 • None Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 14: Global Marketing Communications Decisions II: Sales Promotion, Personal Selling, Special Forms of Marketing Communications o Chapter 16: Strategic Elements of Competitive Advantage o Case 16-2: Kodak n the Twenty-First Century Activities • Discussions Evaluation • 9 Case Study 4: Advertising, Public Relations, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Case 13-1) 20 240 20 20 240 Preparation Reading(s) o Chapter 15: Digital Revolution o Case 15-1: Global Marketers Use Social Media Activities • • Discussions Evaluation • None Reading(s) o Chapter 17: Leadership, Organization, and Corporate Social Responsibility o Case 17-2 Boeing versus Airbus: A Battle for the Skies e-Activity o Research the news and present a company that has currently violated its commitment to corporate social responsibility 20 10 Preparation • • ©2011 Strayer University.

All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 4 of 17 MKT 505 – International Marketing (CSR). Be prepared to discuss. Activities • Discussions Evaluation • 11 • Case Study 5: eBay in Asia (Case 15-2) Preparation Reading(s) o Case 4-2: Barbie: Growing Pains as the American Girl Goes Global o Case 10-2: The Smart Car Activities • Discussions Evaluation • None 20 20 240

GRADING SCALE – GRADUATE Assignments Case Study 1: Acer (Case 1-3) Case Study 2: America’s Cuban Conundrum (Case 5-1) Case Study 3: Carmakers Target Gen Y” (Case 7-2) Case Study 4: Advertising, Public Relations, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Case 13-1) Case Study 5: eBay in Asia (Case 15-2) Participation (22 discussions worth 10 points apiece) Totals Total Points 280 240 240 240 240 220 1,460 % of Grade 19% 16% 16% 16% 16% 15% 100% Points 1,314 – 1,460 1,168 – 1,313 1,022 – 1,167 Below 1,022 Percentage 90% – 100% 80% – 89% 70% – 79% Below 70% Grade A B C F ©2011 Strayer University.

All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 5 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Case Study 1: Acer (Case 1-3) Due Week 3 and worth 280 points Write a 4-5 page report that answers the following: 1. Acer’s strategy has been described as “divide and conquer. ” Compare and contrast this to Lenovo’s strategy. . Explain how the “global markets-local markets” paradox figures into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. 3. Determine what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third-largest PC company, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard. 4. Even before the current economic crisis deepened, growth in the U. S. PC market had begun to slow down. Despite strong competition from Dell and Hewlett-Packard, Acer’s U. S. market share increased from 1 percent in 2004 to 3. 3 percent by the end of 2006. Analyze Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. . Provide evidence from at least three (3) qualified sources with the answer to number four, e. g. , textbook, peer-reviewed journals, government, or professional organizations Websites. Note: Properly cite your sources in the report and on a separate reference page that follows the APA style conventions. Your assignment must: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. • The specific Course Learning Outcomes associated with this assignment are: • • • Formulate, implement, and evaluate effective marketing strategies based on an analysis of global operating environments, market dynamics, and internal capabilities. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing.

Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric. Points: 280 Criteria 1. Acer’s strategy has been described as “divide and conquer. ” Compare and contrast this to Lenovo’s strategy. Weight: 20% 2. Explain how the “global markets-local markets” paradox figures Case Study 1: Acer (Case 1-3) Unacceptable (Below 70% F) Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted Acer’s strategy to Lenovo’s strategy.

Did not submit or incompletely explained how the Fair (70-79% C) Partially compared and contrasted Acer’s strategy to Lenovo’s strategy. Proficient (80-89% B) Satisfactorily compared and contrasted Acer’s strategy to Lenovo’s strategy. Exemplary (90-100% A) Thoroughly compared and contrasted Acer’s strategy to Lenovo’s strategy. Partially explained how the “global markets-local Satisfactorily Thoroughly explained how the explained how the “global markets-local “global markets-local ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved.

This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 6 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. Weight: 20% “global marketslocal markets” paradox figures into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. Did not submit or incompletely determined what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third largest PC company, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Did not submit or incompletely analyzed Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. No references provided. markets” paradox figures into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. Partially determined what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third largest PC company, behind Dell and HewlettPackard. Partially analyzed Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. markets” paradox figures into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. Satisfactorily determined what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third largest PC company, behind Dell and HewlettPackard.

Satisfactorily analyzed Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. markets” paradox figures into Stan Shih’s strategy for China. Thoroughly determined what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third largest PC company, behind Dell and HewlettPackard. Thoroughly analyzed Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. 3. Determine what strategies Acer can apply to become the world’s third largest PC company, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Weight: 20% 4. Analyze

Acer’s prospects for gaining further share in the United States. Weight: 20% 5. 3 References Weight: 10% 6. Clarity and writing mechanics. Weight: 10% More than 6 errors present Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices. 5-6 errors present Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices. 3-4 errors present Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices. 0-2 errors present ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved.

This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 7 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Case Study 2: America’s Cuban Conundrum (Case 5-1) Due Week 4 and worth 240 points Write a 4-5 page report that answers the following: 1. Analyze the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO. 2. Decide who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. . Compose a resolution to the trade situation between the U. S. and Cuba. 4. Given that trade relations resume between the U. S. and Cuba, determine what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. firm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. Your assignment must: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.

The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. • The specific Course Learning Outcomes associated with this assignment are: • Analyze the major economic, cultural, and political/legal aspects of the international business environment, including the economic dynamics of foreign trade, impact of regional and global trade integration, and key cultural dimensions affecting marketing operations. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing.

Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics. • • Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric. Points: 240 Criteria 1. Analyze the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO. Weight: 20% Case Study 2: America’s Cuban Conundrum (Case 5-1) Unacceptable (Below 70% F) Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO.

Did not submit or incompletely decided who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. Did not submit or incompletely composed a Fair (70-79% C) Partially analyzed the key issue that prompted the EU to take the HelmsBurton dispute to the WTO. Partially decided who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. Partially composed a resolution to the trade situation Proficient (80-89% B) Satisfactorily analyzed the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO.

Satisfactorily decided who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. Satisfactorily composed a resolution to the Exemplary (90-100% A) Thoroughly analyzed the key issue that prompted the EU to take the HelmsBurton dispute to the WTO. Thoroughly decided who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. Thoroughly composed a resolution to the 2. Decide who benefits and who suffers from an embargo of this type and explain your rationale. Weight: 20% 3. Compose a resolution to the trade situation between the U.

S. and ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 8 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Cuba. Weight: 25% resolution to the trade situation between the U. S. and Cuba. Did not submit or incompletely determined what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. irm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. More than 6 errors present between the U. S. and Cuba. Partially determined what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. firm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. 5-6 errors present trade situation between the U. S. and Cuba. Satisfactorily determined what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. firm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. 3-4 errors present trade situation between the U. S. and Cuba. Thoroughly determined what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. irm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. 4. Given that trade relations resume between the U. S. and Cuba, determine what type of economic barriers would have to be overcome by a U. S. firm to conduct business successfully in Cuba. Weight: 25% 5. Clarity and writing mechanics. Weight: 10% 0-2 errors present ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 9 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Case Study 3: Carmakers Target Gen Y (Case 7-2) Due Week 6 and worth 240 points Write a 4-5 page report that answers the following: 1. Explain the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y. 2. Analyze the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. 3. Determine the rationale behind Toyota’s decision to limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Do you agree or disagree? Provide a rationale. 4.

Research current strategies that Ford and GM are using to cater to this particular market segment. Your assignment must: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. •

The specific Course Learning Outcomes associated with this assignment are: • • • Integrate the concepts of market segmentation, product development, and pricing policies into viable marketing strategy to fit a variety of international market environments. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing. Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 240 Criteria 1. Explain the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y. Weight: 20% 2. Analyze the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. Weight: 20% Case Study 3: Carmakers Target Gen Y (Case 7-2) Unacceptable (Below 70% F) Did not submit or incompletely explained the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y. Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. Did not submit or incompletely determined the

Fair (70-79% C) Partially explained the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y. Partially analyzed the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. Proficient (80-89% B) Satisfactorily explained the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y. Satisfactorily analyzed the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. Satisfactorily determined the rationale behind Exemplary (90-100% A) Thoroughly explained the strategy behind Asian automakers targeting Gen Y.

Thoroughly analyzed the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion. 3. Determine the rationale behind Toyota’s decision to limit the Partially determined the rationale behind Toyota’s decision to Thoroughly determined the rationale behind ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 10 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Do you agree or disagree? Provide a rationale. Weight: 25% rationale behind Toyota’s decision to limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Provided a rationale for agreement or disagreement. Did not submit or incompletely researched current strategies that Ford and GM are using to cater to this particular market segment. More than 6 errors present limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Provided a partial rationale for agreement or disagreement.

Partially researched current strategies that Ford and GM are using to cater to this particular market segment. Toyota’s decision to limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Provided a satisfactory rationale for agreement or disagreement. Satisfactorily researched current strategies that Ford and GM are using to cater to this particular market segment. 3-4 errors present Toyota’s decision to limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale. Provided a thorough rationale for agreement or disagreement. Thoroughly researched current strategies that Ford and GM are sing to cater to this particular market segment. 0-2 errors present 4. Research current strategies that Ford and GM are using to cater to this particular market segment. Weight: 25% 5. Clarity and writing mechanics. Weight: 10% 5-6 errors present ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 11 of 17

MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Case Study 4: Advertising, Public Relations, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Case 13-1) Due Week 8 and worth 240 points Write a 4-5 page report that answers the following: 1. Analyze the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 2. Assess the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics. 3. Evaluate whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. 4.

Analyze how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests. Your assignment must: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific Course Learning Outcomes associated with this assignment are: • • • Analyze an integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy to support global marketing operations. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing. Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric. Points: 240 Criteria 1.

Analyze the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Weight: 20% Case Study 4: Advertising, Public Relations, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Case 13-1) Unacceptable (Below 70% F) Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Did not submit or incompletely assessed the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Fair (70-79% C)

Partially analyzed the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Proficient (80-89% B) Satisfactorily analyzed the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Exemplary (90-100% A) Thoroughly analyzed the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 2. Assess the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics. Weight: 20%

Partially assessed the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics. Satisfactorily assessed the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics. Thoroughly assessed the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics. ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 12 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics 3. Evaluate whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. Weight: 25% Olympics. Did not submit or incompletely evaluated whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. Did not submit or incompletely analyzed how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests.

More than 6 errors present Partially evaluated whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. Partially how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests. Satisfactorily evaluated whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. Satisfactorily how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests.

Thoroughly evaluated whether the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offsets the potential for bad publicity. Thoroughly how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests. 4. Analyze how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests. Weight: 25% 5. Clarity and writing mechanics. Weight: 10% 5-6 errors present 3-4 errors present 0-2 errors present ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved.

This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 13 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics Case Study 5: eBay in Asia (Case 15-2) Due Week 10 and worth 240 points Write a 4-5 page report that answers the following: 1. Analyze the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided 2.

Compare and contrast the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. 3. Assess what eBay’s shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies. 4. Formulate some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian market. Your assignment must: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. • The specific Course Learning Outcomes associated with this assignment are: • • • Evaluate and adapt corporate marketing strategies to fit the changing dynamics of foreign markets and foster a competitive advantage. Use technology and information resources to research issues in international marketing. Write clearly and concisely about international marketing using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric. Points: 240 Criteria 1. Analyze the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided. Weight: 20% Case Study 5: eBay in Asia (Case 15-2) Unacceptable (Below 70% F) Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided.

Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. Did not submit or Fair (70-79% C) Partially analyzed the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided. Partially compared and contrasted the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. Proficient (80-89% B) Satisfactorily analyzed the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided.

Satisfactorily compared and contrasted the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. Satisfactorily Exemplary (90-100% A) Thoroughly analyzed the key factors that have caused eBay to struggle in Japan, China, and other Asian markets to determine if these mistakes could have been avoided. Thoroughly compared and contrasted the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. Thoroughly 2. Compare and contrast the strategies used by Yahoo and eBay in their Asian market approach. Weight: 20% 3. Assess what eBay’s Partially assessed 2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 14 of 17 MKT 505 – Assignments and Rubrics shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies. Weight: 25% incompletely assessed what eBay’s shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies.

Did not submit or incompletely formulated some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian market. More than 6 errors present what eBay’s shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies. assessed what eBay’s shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies. Satisfactorily formulated some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian market. 3-4 errors present assessed what eBay’s shift to giving control of its main China operation to Tom Online signifies. 4. Formulate some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian arket. Weight: 25% 5. Clarity and Writing Mechanics. Weight: 10% Partially formulated some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian market. 5-6 errors present Thoroughly formulated some additional strategies that eBay could use in the Asian market. 0-2 errors present ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 15 of 17 MKT505 – Student Notes Weekly Course Schedule The purpose of the course schedule is to give you, at a glance, the required preparation, activities, and evaluation components of your course. For more information about your course, whether on-ground or online, access your online course shell. The expectations for a 4. 5 credit hour course are for students to spend 13. 5 hours in weekly work. This time estimate includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of the delivery mode. Instructional Materials

In order to be fully prepared, obtain a copy of the required textbooks and other instructional materials prior to the first day of class. When available, Strayer University provides a link to the first three (3) chapters of your textbook(s) in eBook format. course shell for availability. Review the online course shell or check with your professor to determine whether Internet-based assignments and activities are used in this course. Instructional materials are obtained through the university’s virtual bookstore and can be accessed through iCampus: http:bookstore. mbsdirect. net/strayer. htm.

Courses with Internet-based assignments and activities on publisher sites may require the purchase of onetime access codes. When purchasing used textbooks, a separate access code purchase will be necessary. Discussions Students taking this course online are required to post their discussions to a weekly thread in the online course shell. Respond to at least two (2) other students’ posts to earn full credit for each discussion. As it is always possible that you could lose your work due to unforeseen circumstances, you should routinely save your work in a separate file before posting in the course discussion area.

Professors hold discussions during class time for on-ground students. Check with your professor if any additional discussion participation is required in the online course shell outside of class hours. Assignments A standardized performance grading rubric is a tool your professor will use to evaluate your written assignments. Review the rubric before submitting assignments that have grading rubrics associated with them to ensure you have met the performance criteria stated on the rubric. Grades are based on individual effort. There is no group grading; however, working in groups in the online or on-ground classroom is acceptable.

Assignments for online students are always submitted through the online course shell. On-ground professors will inform students on how to submit assignments, whether in paper format or through the online course shell. Resources The Resource Center navigation button in the online course shell contains helpful links. Strayer University Library Resources are available here as well as other important information. You should review this area to find resources and answers to common questions. Technical support is available for the following: •

For technical questions, please contact Strayer Online Technical Support by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus. strayer. edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket. ” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact Technical Support via phone at (877) 642-2999. ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 16 of 17 MKT505 – Student Notes • For concerns with your class, please access the Solution Center by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus. strayer. edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket. ” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact the IT Help Desk at (866) 610-8123 or at mailto:IThelpdesk@Strayer. edu. TurnItIn. com is an optional online tool to assess the originality of student written work.

Check with your professor for access and use instructions. The Strayer Policies link on the navigation bar in the online course shell contains academic policies. It is important that students be aware of these policies. . ©2011 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. MKT 505 Student Version 1118 (1016 9-27-11)   Page 17 of 17

What’s the most important investment you can make as an entrepreneur? An investment in you. And that willingess to grow and learn is something that conferences can help feed. Not only do they offer valuable opportunities for you to get away from the grind, but they help you make new connections, learn actionable strategies and sharpen your entrepreneurial instincts.

Related: 

Here are 10 conferences that, as a business owner, you should attend (with names of speakers at each event listed, if available):

Software Summit

Software and SaaS business owners should take heed of , a place you can go to learn about how to scale a software business. The first-ever summit is scheduled for December 4-7, 2016, and you can still claim a spot for free to hear from Jason Fried of Basecamp; Clay Collins of Leadpages; Pat Flynn of Smart Podcast Player; Eben Pagan of Get Altitude; Nathan Barry of ConvertKit and other names that have become familiar in the online space. This summit is entirely online, and it’s coming up soon, so act fast.

National Retail Federation

NRF’s is just around the corner. It will be held in New York City, January 15-17, 2017. The lineup for this upcoming event includes Jodie Fox, co-founder and chief creative officer of Shoes of Prey; Jerry Hum, co-founder and chief executive operator of Touch of Modern; Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel; and Meg Lustman, CEO of Hobb. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, Richard Branson is part of the speaker lineup, as well. So, if you’re in retail in any capacity, this is where you need to be.

Rakuten Marketing Symposium

Affiliate marketers, unite! Rakuten Marketing’s  will be held at the Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, February 1-2. Danny Kourianos, SVP of product at Rakuten Marketing; Kip McMillan, head of marketing at Vinomofo; and Bob Buch, CEO of Manifest Commerce, have all graced the speaker roster at past events. From emerging trends to discussions on buying behavior, if you’re an affiliate marketer in any capacity, the Symposium is worth a look.

SearchLove

The next  event will be held in San Diego, February 23-25, 2017. SearchLove will also be in Boston June 5-6 and in London, Oct. 16-17. The San Diego event will feature speakers such as Rand Fishkin of Moz; Larry Kim, CTO and founder of WordStream; Marcus Tober of Searchmetrics; and Seer founder Wil Reynolds. At the SearchLove conference, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about search, analytics, content creation, SEO, paid media and more. Hone your online marketing game at SearchLove.

Related: 

Catalyst

Interested in keeping up with the latest trends and happenings in ecommerce? In a fast-changing industry, the survival of your business depends on it. From eBay and Amazon to Yahoo! and Bing, most major brands have a presence at . Past speakers have included Simon Johnson, director of Seller Services at Amazon UK; Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman and executive director from Ogilvy Group; and Tom Clark, head of European E-commerce at Samsung. The next conference will be held at Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, March 6-8, 2017.

Dx3

At the 2016 conference, attendees got to hear Andrea Stairs, managing director of eBay Canada; Ryan Archibald, managing director of VICE Canada; Neil Stevenson, executive portfolio director of IDEO and others sharing valuable insights into digital marketing and retail. Business owners looking to learn about the latest technology in these sectors will benefit greatly from being a part of Dx3 2017, a two-day event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Canada, scheduled for March 8-9, 2017.

Adobe Summit Online

The 2017  will be held in Las Vegas, March 19-23. Last year’s speakers included actor, producer and activist Colin Farrell; Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL UK; Giles Richardson, head of digital analytics at the Royal Bank of Scotland; and Simon Sproule, vice president and chief marketing officer of Aston Martin Lagonda. Weezer also performed at last year’s conference. To learn from the leading digital marketing experts, check out Adobe Summit.

SMX West

 is put on by Search Engine Land and, unsurprisingly, it covers the ever-changing world of SEO and SEM. If you want to keep up with the latest best practices and leverage search traffic to grow your business, you need to add this event to your calendar. At the 2016 gathering, attendees heard from David Roth, CEO of Emergent Digital; Casey Meraz, founder of Ethical SEO Consulting; and Soren Ryherd, president and co-founder of Working Planet. Brush up on your SEO and SEM in 2017 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center March 21-23.

B2B Summit

You guessed it: The is all about the practice of marketing and selling between businesses. Details for the 2017 event are forthcoming, but last year’s conference was held at The Business Design Centre in London. The impressive 2016 speaker lineup included Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute; Jason Miller of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions; Carlos Hidalgo of Annuitas; and Rebecca Halls of Thales Alenia Space. If you’re selling B2B, you need to register interest right away.

Confluence

Marketing is a key piece to every business, and there is always lots to learn at . With speakers like Maree Jones of Luckie & Co.; Giovanni Gallucci, award-winning social media strategist and photographer; and Larry Kim of WordStream, it’s hard to go wrong. Details for the 2017 conference have yet to be announced, but keep an eye on the Confluence website for more information. This year’s conference was in Oklahoma City in September.

Final thoughts

As you add relevant events to your schedule, don’t forget to come up with a game plan for each. Make goals. Make note of whom you want to meet. Think about which breakout sessions to attend. Refresh your supply of business cards. Learn what you need to know to take your business to the next level.

Related Book:

The right conference will have you walking on clouds, and you’ll be ready for another round of hustle once you get back.

With achieving sustainable competitive advantage as the goal, organisational changes are considered to be an important part of the development process of a particular company. Aside from globalisation, technology also plays an important role in the changes among modern organisations. Technological boom, specifically through the dotcom and World Wide Web, had become one of the inevitable ways in obtaining a wealth of information about a certain issue or topic. For the organisations, the Internet was perceived to be a significant avenue for doing business and marketing per se such as being done by eBay with their online auction.

Individuals are able to obtain and purchase their needed and wanted items directly, without the hassle of traveling and physically looking for the products through online auctions. Strategies are deemed important in responding to various internal and external threats and problems which can directly and indirectly impact organisational decision making. This report purports to present and discuss the case of eBay through investigating the strategies that the company employs.

Likewise, the paper will also address the building blocks unique to the company. How eBay operates despite the fierce competitive nature of online auctioning business will also be addressed. Founded on 1995 by Pierre Omidyar, eBay was considered a pioneer in theonline auction industry whereby people are brought together on a local, national and international basis to serve the purpose of creating a person-to-person community where ever individual could have an equal access through the same medium which is the Internet.

eBay offers wide varieties of products and services for bargain hunters, hobbyists and collectors and sellers, changing the way people engage in trading hence eBay had changed the face of e-commerce from its inception. eBay participates in the demand-based or dynamic pricing segment of online commerce where transaction prices are determined entirely by buyers. The auction is the most familiar form of demand-based pricing (Bunnell and Luecke, 2000, pp. 8-9).

As Bunnell and Luecke (2000) put it, eBay has become the world’s leading auction market and one of a handful of major dotcom companies to actually turn a profit while also expanding the e-commerce industry (pp. 4-6). Today, eBay is continuously the brand preference with over 39 market presence and with $60 billion of the total value of sold items on the site’s trading platform. Basically, eBay introduced several crucial innovations tailor-made for the internet at the business level, a strategy which was conceived to be an improvisation.

One being the online auction business model wherein eBay served as the value-added facilitator of trade between a buyer and a seller in a highly individualistic manner. The online auction model developed by eBay marked an important extension of e-commerce, offering millions of individuals a low-cost opportunity to engage in a new type of economic activity. Gomes- Casseres (2001, p. 2) firmly believes that eBay had built an online person-to-person trading community in the Internet.

In addition, there had been a growth in the organisational structure which was primarily manned by Pierre as the visionary and his colleague Jeffrey Skoll as the strategist and then further growing to include Meg Whitman and other teams, striking a balance between over- and under-structuring. Theintegration of new systems and practices was seen to be a way to creating value than just focusing on efficiency of the people and the processes with further focus on internal innovations (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1998).

Throughout the history of eBay, regeneration and experimentation were both inherent, which were seen to be instrument of innovative processes and responding to competitive schema. EBay had developed proprietary software capable of supporting a robust, scalable user interface and transaction-processing system which can handle all aspects of the auction process. EBay users can browse through listed items in a fully automated way. The sellers are allowed to list items that they want to sell while the buyers bid on items of interest.

The items on eBay’s site are arranged by topics and each type of auction has its own category. It sends e-mails when users register for the service, when they place a successful bid, and when they are outbid, and it communicates the outcome of auctions in which they participate. The same system sends daily status updates to active sellers and bidders and maintains user registration information, account information, current auctions, and historical listings. All of this information is archived to a data warehouse.

Further, eBay has been bounded by two things: a clear mission to be the world’s largest person-to-person online auction company, and a focused strategy with five key elements: expanding the user base, strengthening the eBay brand, broadening the trading platform by increasing product categories and promoting new ones, fostering community affinity and enhancing site features and functionality. EBay must realised to live in the present and so strategies must be refreshed and realigned basically through clarifying the purposes of the company itself.

Priorities and responsibilities must be well-established (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1998) and for eBay, there are three main strategies implemented which are: building strategic partnerships at all levels of value chain, seeking customer feedbacking and working on with the information collated andmonitoring the external environment. Within eBay, functions were further subdivided intended for overseeing strategic direction and growth,business model and site development and community advocacy as well as strategic planning and analysis, competitive analysis, new business planning and incubation and customer support operations.

When Whitman arrived in 1998, brand building recognition at eBay was prioritised. The related problems of consumer product marketing were divided into two: first was clarifying what eBay stood for by which in their judgment is a personal trading community and second, brand building exercises or marketing per se. EBay made acquisitions in order to support its growth as a supplement to word-of-mouth and public relations advertising into tapping opportunities through national magazines and online alliances.

These acquisitions aid in the expansion and improvement of the company’s services. EBay’s boldest and most costly effort of gaining greater name recognition began in August 1998, when it entered into a three-year marketing deal with America Online (AOL) aiming at further enhancement of the site and value-adding features to be established. Other online allies include Kinko’s, First Auction, Z Auction, Netscape and GO. com. Broadening the products and services portfolio was another priority strategy for eBay, reaching to almost 3, 000 categories.

At the onset, eBay utilised content-specific chat rooms and bulleting boards to provide real-time interface between buyers and sellers; customised home pages were also sought. EBay also collaborated with an online portal of the collectibles in exchange of affiliation referrals for Collecting Channel. Regional auctions were also established, focusing mainly on profitable markets in the US. It is believed that these regional auction sites could localise products while also providing buyers with the advantage of cutting off shipment or delivery charges.

Such strategy was known as co-adoption where eBay diversified the firms into units and then collaborated with individuals within the system. Such action was known to be an element of expanding the traditional business model where eBay now shifts its focus on exploiting economies of scale and scope and extending offerings to new market segments (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1998). The sense of community was further developed through designing an online tool with which could address more personal yet secure interactions between buyers and sellers and which is embedded on trust.

Interest-based chat rooms were created, allowing a more transparent interface among individuals. These Feedback Forums, however, did not guarantee an honest community and so fraud and other illegal activities were witnessed. Synergism as another co-adoption strategy was realised. A SafeHarbour program was launched with features including Mister Lister bulk-listing tool, help boards, and My eBay, which allows a user to track multiple auctions simultaneously and also About Me, which allows a trader to customise home pages.

EBay’s share of the total system consists of Sun database servers running Oracle relational database management systems and a suite of Internet servers that operate on Microsoft’s Windows NT. Generally, the most important chore-reducing features have been added through arrangements with partner firms or third-party suppliers such as iShip, Mailbox Etc. , Wells Fargo and E-Stamp. These are long-term strategies for eBay as the company launches more experimental products and services and creating more alliances toward nascent markets and emerging technologies (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1998).

As Venture Capitalists, our group had $5 million to invest among various companies that were categorized in different industries. After the entrepreneur pitches, our group, Vita Coco Ventures L. P had trouble narrowing down which companies we wanted to invest in and how much of our fund would be allocated in each company. Our major concern was to invest in a venture with the greatest potential of growth, which could maximize our profit during our exit within five to seven years. By the end of the pitches we narrowed down our list to three companies, which are Vinfolio, Glacier Bay Inc.

and Skyfire. We also came to an agreement amongst ourselves to place our full fund in one company because breaking down the $5 million was only going to give us a smaller ownership amongst the different companies that we had an opportunity to invest in. Analyzing what Vinfolio had to offer, our group determined that their online wine specialty service was very exquisite. We also did some research and discovered that their company had the largest market share among the few online specialty wine stores.

Similar to the online marketplace eBay, which is known as one of the largest successes in Internet history, Vinfolio offers a service specifically for people who purchase top quality wine. At first, we attempted to compare Vinfolio’s growth to eBay. We decided that because Vinfolio was specifically targeting wine enthusiast, they would definitely have a client base smaller than what eBay had during their growth. Also, we kept into consideration that eBay can interact with clients globally, while Vinfolio cannot work with some countries due to different rules and regulations on alcohol imports.

Another conflict we encountered was that Vinfolio had a post money valuation of over $70 million, our group was very discouraged to invest in a company that will give us less than 10% ownership in return. We also asked Vinfolio’s representatives after the pitch a few questions concerning flexibility on how much ownership they were willing to give up, but they were fixated on the numbers they presented during their pitch. From that point, we decided to keep Vinfolio in consideration, but we were seeking better opportunities. Another company we saw potential in was Glacier Bay Inc.

The industry they specialized in was unique but did not have a large market. Their company’s main product, which they displayed in their pitch, was a low energy air conditioning unit for trucks. What interested us further in the company was their future development plans. According to Glacier Bay’s representatives, the company was developing low energy air conditioning units for regular cars as well, which is a huge market. During the negotiations, we came across discrepancies with the percentage ownership, liquidation preference, and the redemption.

Glacier Bay Inc. projected a post money valuation of $26. 450 million dollars, which we believed was overvalued because they multiplied their EBITDA by 5, instead of a more reasonable multiplier of 4. Our $5 million investment would only secure us 18. 9% ownership of company if we agreed on their post money valuation of $26. 450 million. We also disagreed on the liquidation preference and redemption paragraphs of the term sheet. Glacier Bay Inc. was seeking a company favorable liquidation preference and would not come to agreement for middle of the road preference.

In the redemption section of the term sheet, we wanted the investor favorable paragraph to ensure that Glacier Bay Inc. does not become a company that only seeks to give its founders and management a salary, but Glacier Bay Inc. was insisting on the middle of the road paragraph. Because of the numerous disagreements, we never came to finalizing the term sheet. The third company we were interested in after the pitches was SkyFire. The product they had to offer was a mobile software upgrade that allows mobile phones to be as efficient as desktop computers when it comes to browsing the Internet.

We were interested in SkyFire because we felt that if we invested in that company, it would have great potential for growth. The product they had to offer was unique and was part of the exponentially growing technological industry. As entrepreneurs, the founders of SkyFire were very compromising when it came to negotiating the term sheet. Our share of ownership was 20% for a $25 million post valuation. During our negotiations of the liquidation preference and redemption paragraphs, we wanted at least one of these two paragraphs to be investor favorable but we ended up agreeing on a middle of the road preference.

In return for agreeing to a middle of the road preference, we were able to add an employee pool of stocks so we can give key employees a chance to own some part of the company. We believe that if the key employees own part of the company, they will work more efficiently to develop their products knowing that they would have greater incentive when the company grows. Out of the three companies, SkyFire agreed to our terms for our $5 million investment and we were able to finalize and sign the term sheet. During negotiations, playing the role of a venture capitalist was much more challenging than an entrepreneur’s role.

Because entrepreneurs were being approached by many venture capitalists, the wide range of choices for the term sheet was an advantage to them. As investors, not only did we have to persuade the entrepreneur to agree to our terms, but also, we had to take into consideration that the entrepreneur could pick another venture capitalist’s terms that were more company favorable than what we had to offer. From our first failed negotiation with Vinfolio, our group started understanding that negotiating is a progressive skill.

We advanced from negotiating on general ownership percentages to finally negotiating the different parts of the term sheet to make our investment a win-win situation for both parties. By the time we were negotiating with Glacier Bay Inc. and SkyFire, we understood that going into the technicalities of the term sheet, such as what we did with the liquidation preference, redemption, and employee matters, could change an entrepreneur’s opinion toward how beneficial our investment and ownership in their company would be.