Autoliv QB A Proposed Joint Venture

Autoliv QB A Proposed Joint Venture Problem statement In this case study, the General Manager of Qualibrand, Mr. Orosa is faced with a prospective joint venture proposition. A quick look at the situation reveals that Qualibrand Company is the right choice to consider in the joint business venture with Autoliv because it has good marketing capabilities in the targeted market in terms of sales of its products.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Autoliv QB: A Proposed Joint Venture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However the venture involves production and distribution of a new product which Qualibrand lacks knowledge in and thus possesses limited technological expertise to produce. In addition to this, Mr. Orosa has not factor in the future goals and objectives of Qualibrands as related to possible profits and losses or further market expansions derived from increased demand. Another problem that is inherent in this assessment structure is that Qualib rand does not cover all aspects required before involving itself in a joint venture. In addition to this, the potential market (Thailand) is already saturated by other self established suppliers of the same product and this will pose a serious problem when it comes to distribution and marketing. Problem analysis Qualibrand Company has been dealing with the production of minor car accessories and distribution of differentiated products on a local level. This venture proposes a production capacity higher than what qualibrand can handle. In addition to this, it is a new product to Qualibrand which means new technology, better labor and new marketing and distribution strategies in order to efficiently ensure success in this joint venture.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the same note, there are some aspects that have been neglected during the whole process. For example there is no specific timeframe as to how long the alliance will last or how the profits and losses will be divided in the future of the venture. To add on this, there is no clear information on how the joint venture will affect Qualibrand’s current operations. Also Mr. Orosa would be the general manager if the joint venture went through but it is clear that he and Qualibrand as a whole lacked the expertise to produce and market this new product both in terms of skills and experience. As Schniederjans (1998) literates, poor management skills leads to poor results and without this knowledge, the venture was bound to fail. Also, Autoliv has not fully addressed the human resource aspect. This is because SMACA as a partner is given a small portion on the overall management of the venture yet its contribution is of great significance to the whole operation. This would bring some unforeseen conflicts in the future if not addressed. In addition to this, Qualibrand has not co nsidered how it will handle its human resource during the transition. As suggested by Autoliv, in order to be fully compliant they require new employees who are conversant and experienced with the technology and production of the seat belts. The other option would be to offer training to the current employees a process which would evidently take time and consume more resources in terms of finances. This is the most important aspect to consider because the employees are core to the success of any venture. Qualibrand should instead figure out a better option through which they can maintain their worker and equip them with the necessary skills.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Autoliv QB: A Proposed Joint Venture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another problem that may arise from this venture is the communication issue. For any joint venture to realize full potential there must be efficient communication channels between the partners (Dianne, 1995). From the provided case it is evident that there is a communication problem. This is evident from the fact that there has not been any meeting convened between the key players of this venture. This means that Autoliv is trying to manipulate the whole deal without considering the different opinions in strategy that the other partners may have. Probable solutions for the problems Before signing the final papers, all the partners must ensure that they meet and discuss the whole venture. In so doing, they will be able to settle any differences that they may have and at the same time come up with ideal solutions and decisions. In addition to this, they all must produce their financial statement and other information accompanied with their set goals as pertaining to the venture to ensure that trust prevails through out the venture. Also, a detailed SWOT analysis should be presented to all partners so that they can further understand the dynamics of the venture. On the same note, an implementation model should also be designed to ensure that the proceedings are systematic, and all the political, economical, social and technological (PEST) aspects are covered and handled accordingly. Additionally, a recruitment strategy should be put in place to ensure that all the employees in this venture are more than qualified for the available jobs and the process of recruiting, retraining and hiring is balanced between all the involved partners. Gutterman acclaims that a good joint venture is one that evaluates all the strengths and weaknesses of the partners and maximizes on them irrespective of the prevailing conditions (2002).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Applicability of the solutions In presenting the SWOT analysis of each partner, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding each individual company shall be known. The information gathered from the analysis can be used to identify which firm best suits a particular responsibility. For example Qualibrand lacks the technology and skilled man power needed for the success of this venture but this is covered by Autoliv which has both. On the other hand, Autoliv’s lack of marketing and distribution channels in the Philippines is compensated by Qualibrand’s efficiency in the same. The PEST analysis would help this venture in evaluating how other factors may influence the venture. For example, the impact that taxes, fiscal policies, political atmosphere, social and environmental factors have on the prices and demand of the product. In so doing, production limits and prices can be set in relation to the demand and supply tendencies of the targeted markets. The recruitment process is core to the survival of any business venture and by carefully selecting the most qualified candidates it ensures that the venture will survive the developing stage which is the hardest stage in a business cycle. Also, the process helps create a unified vision among the partners and employees hence motivating them to work even harder. Impact of the solutions to the company As a result of the PEST analysis, the company will be able to minimize the overall cost of production because an illustrative study of the market will always be available. Also the information gathered can be used to monitor demand and therefore reduce the rick of over or under production. The SWOT analysis will help the company fully utilize the available resources from the firms efficiently thereby providing it with a competitive edge against other competitors. The recruitment strategy will have the greatest effect on marketing, production and service provision. If the most qualified an d experienced workers are employed in the various departments, then the company will run with lots of ease due to the high level of professionalism employed by the workers. Possible issues arising from the solutions Due to the changes in operation, some of the employees currently working in Qualibrand will have to be laid off. This is bound to cause commotions and a demonstration is likely to occur due to the drastic move. However the managers of Qualibrand should organize a compensation package to all the employees that have dedicated themselves to the company but do not have adequate qualifications for the transition. Due to the importation of man power from other countries, there should be some training offered to the foreigners so as to bridge the cultural diversity that would arise from the employees. This will help in reducing conflicts that may come up due to the various differences that the employees may have. Conclusion From the above analysis, a detailed discussion has bee n offered concerning the alliance of Qualibrand and the partners. The potential problems have been highlighted and solutions given. Also the social and ethical impacts of this joint venture have been mentioned and recommendations as to how they can be resolved have been put across. If implemented, the joint venture would be as productive as expected. References Schniederjans, M. J. (1998). Operations Management in a Global Context. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group Gutterman, A. (2002). A short course in international joint ventures: negotiating, forming, and operating the international joint venture. World Trade Press. Dianne, J, C. (1995). The human resource challenge of international joint ventures. Greenwood Publishing Group.

Red Bull Marketing Strategy What You Need to Know + How to Copy It

Red Bull Marketing Strategy What You Need to Know + How to Copy It Red Bull is an unbeatable marketing powerhouse. When it comes to their marketing strategy, the brand takes everything it does to the extreme. However, their marketing efforts always put the audience first. In fact, selling their product comes second. While theyre active on array of channels and use tons of different tactics, everything revolves around one concept:  creating content and experiences people would be interested in even if they dont care about energy drink brands. By going above and beyond to produce content on par with major publishers, pull off mindblowing events, and more, theyve become one of the most talked about brands in the world. In this post, youll learn how they went from small startup to global media empire (and borrow their ideas for your own brand). Red Bull Marketing Strategy: What You Need to Know (And How to Copy It)Get Your Red Bull Marketing Stats Infographic What’s the best way to dominate a market? Create one that doesn’t exist yet. That’s exactly what Red Bull did with energy drinks 30 years ago. Thanks to smart marketing and creative strategy, they’ve stayed on top for three decades. So, what does the data look like behind that domination? Download this infographic and find out. DID YOU KNOW: You can plan and organize your entire marketing strategy with , the industry's best-selling marketing calendar solution? Learn how here. How Red Bull Got Started Red Bull first came to the market in 1987  after Austrian toothpaste salesman Dietrich Mateschitz came to Thailand and heard about an â€Å"energy tonic†, created by Chaleo Yoovidhya. The tonic was supposed to help keep drinkers awake and alert. After three years of testing Red Bull launched in Austria, but the two businessmen had doubters. â€Å"There is no demand in the market for this type of drink,† they said. There was no way anyone would go for it. They were wrong. Today, Red Bull dominates, with over 43% of the market share in 2015. The best part? They’re still going strong. Considering Red Bull created the market in the first place, dominating just about half of it after nearly three decades years isn’t bad. Check out this infographic of their whole history: The History Of Red Bull's Unconventional Marketing Strategy When Red Bull first came out, energy drinks didn’t exist, and traditional advertising was expensive. So, Red Bull went rogue and went with a different strategy. What did they do, exactly? They simply went straight to their target audience (18 -35-year-old males)at college parties, libraries, coffee shops, bars and other places where they hang out. By bringing their audience free samples, they put the product right in their consumer's hands. That got their audience talking, spreading the word about their product for free. Today, they still employ a similar strategy: they go wherever their audience is at. Whether that means sponsoring a music festival or creating top-notch culture content, they'll do it. In fact, the content Red Bull publishes is executed at the same level as a professional publishing house. They're effectively a media company that happens to sell an energy drink, rather than the other way around. Recommended Reading: How to Mature Your Publishing Process With Matthew Ankeny From Gear Patrol How Red Bull Reaches Its Target Market Red Bull focuses on three significant tactics to attract its target audience: Publishing awesome content:  The content that the Red Bull marketing team creates is on the same level as other major media outlets that their audience might consume content from. Colossal publicity stunts:  Red Bull takes â€Å"Go Big or Go Home† to the next level by producing massive stunts that cause everyone to freeze and watch what happens. Sponsoring or creating events:  Red Bull proved its marketing prowess by taking their product and associating it with things their audience loves by sponsoring or creating events for them. Check out this Slide Deck on Red Bull’s marketing strategy: How Red Bull Approaches Content Marketing  Strategy Red Bull’s content does three things exceptionally well. First, it  covers  topics that interest their audience. Extreme sports, concerts and music festivals are just a few of the topics covered on the Red Bull website. Picture anywhere you might see someone enjoying (or needing) a Red Bull and their content will cover it. Second, is their ability to sell their brand but not push their product. Their content focuses solely on the enjoyment of the reader, not selling Red Bull. In turn, their audience begins to associate their product with content that they love to consume. Want to do marketing like @redbull? Push content, not product.Third, it publishes videos, blog posts, landing pages and other types of content at the same professional level as media sites that their target audience consumes content from. Take this video for example. It’s high energy, high impact, and full of content that people who love extreme air stunts would enjoy: How Red Bull Uses Publicity Stunts to Generate Hype Another piece of the Red Bull marketing strategy is their insane publicity stunts. They sent a man up 128,000 ft above the earth in a small ship and helium balloon and had him free fall out of it. This stunt, commonly known as the Red Bull Stratos Jump  broke two different world records: By creating massive stunts, like the Stratos Jump, it causes their audience (and let’s face it, probably everyone else) to stop and think, â€Å"Whoa what’s that? I NEED to watch this.† Recommended Reading: How to Generate Data-Backed Social Media Campaign Ideas How Red Bull Uses Events to Reach Consumers The third part of their strategy involves hosting and sponsoring events that their target market is already attending. Whether that means music festivals, film events, or even extreme cliff diving, Red Bull will either create or sponsor an event around them. Why is this a brilliant move? Their audience is already there. Their target audience is an active group. They’re trying new and crazy stunts, they love extreme sports or rocking out at a music festival. So Red Bull shows  up at places they know their target audience would be. Take Coachella for example. This massive music festival takes place over the course of two weekends in the desert and fans don’t want to miss a second of it. That may mean sacrificing a few hours of sleep. Red Bull shows up and gives them the wings (and energy) they need to stay awake and keep jamming at the festival. Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects 8 Ways Red Bull Executes Its Marketing Strategy Red Bull’s  ability to stay true to its branding and values is what makes them successful. DID YOU KNOW: makes it easy to plan and execute your entire marketing strategy. See how you can schedule content, automate social media, manage your team, and more on one marketing calendar. 1. Maximizing The Idea Behind Their Tagline Red Bull's messaging strategy revolves around their tagline, â€Å"Red Bull gives you wings.† It focuses on the idea that their product gives people the â€Å"wings† or energy they need to do whatever they want when they want. This tagline fuels their content because they produce and record some of the most action-packed, high flying sports and activities the world has ever seen. Need a little help jumping out of a plane in a flying suit? Let Red Bull give you the extra push you need. 2. Keeping Consistent Visual Branding The visual branding that Red Bull has created is a key contributor to the brand’s success. Take a look at one of their more recent YouTube videos: The content keeps the watcher engaged through a fast-paced, high-intensity stunt that leaves them wondering if they’ll actually be able to pull it off. That edge of your seat, shock-inducing mentality is what Red Bull’s branding is all about. In turn, they’re able to say, we gave people the energy (and courage) they needed to attempt something this crazy. Recommended Reading: 16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic 3. Letting Values Be Their Guide Their values play a role in their content as well. They center around one core phrase â€Å"giving wings to people and ideas.† Everything that the Red Bull team communicates revolves around that tagline and their values. It’s the ability to keep that communication consistent over the past 30 years that has lead to their success. 4. Building a Strong Content Core RedBull’s content core can be summed up by saying: â€Å"Red Bull’s content core revolves around the intersection between their audience’s interest for extreme sports, festivals, and a fast-paced lifestyle with their product’s ability to keep people awake and give them energy during those events.† They focus on topics like extreme sports, music, art, dance, nightlife and a whole lot more. Because of that broad spectrum, their content can appeal to the right audience. There is one thing that Red Bull does with its content core that pushes them ahead of the pack. Every piece of content that they create matches the quality of other publications their target audience might read like Buzzfeed, Vice, ESPN, and more. That level of quality makes it seem like it’s coming from a powerhouse dedicated to creating consumable media, not an energy drink brand. Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects 5. Creating Content Around What Their Audience Loves What does every topic that they cover (and there’s a lot of them) have in common? They focus on activities that their audience would participate in while consuming their products.   They also publish that content everywhere their audience is likely to hang out. They publish a massive amount of material on their website, which, surprisingly, has no mention of their product whatsoever: They produce a magazine, The Red Bulletin, which circulates over 2.2 million copies a month: They also create awesome, awe-inspiring videos: In summary, if their target audience is consuming content on a given channel, you can count on Red Bull being there. Recommended Reading: The Most Complete Content Marketing Process Guide You Need to Get Organized 6. Revamping the Way They Use Traditional Media It’s not just content marketing that Red Bull dominates. The brand invests a substantial amount in traditional mass media channels as well. Red Bull’s TV content operates in two formats: videos they create for their online channels  (YouTube, social media, etc.)  and ads that they partner with traditional TV channel content: Their TV content resides on their online hub called Red Bull TV. Their videos and shows are segmented into formats like Events and Films as well as channel topics like Cliff Diving and Culture: They’ve moved into the music realm too. In addition to covering or sponsoring massive musical festivals, Red Bull also boasts it’s own record label, recording studio, music academy, publishing group, and online radio station. Recommended Reading: How to Make a Video Content Marketing Strategy That Will Engage Your Audience 7. By Being Loud and Proud With Social Media Strategy Social media is another channel that Red Bull dominates with authority. Their Facebook page, for example, is full of artistic videos that blend together visually appealing images, music created by their own record label that pumps up viewers, and the sports and events their audience loves. Their message is short and sweet while the first 3 seconds leave you wondering what is happening. You have no choice but to see it through to the end: Leonardo Fioravanti Man-made waves hand-made surfing skills. Posted by Red Bull on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 Their Twitter and Instagram channels on the other hand focus on â€Å"wow† worthy images  to promote shares and interaction with their fans. What’s a wow worthy image for Red Bull? According to Link Humans, it’s images that capture speed, sport and motion: Wings with a view. Where are your wings taking you this week? pic.twitter.com/ZKrEtr40yb - Red Bull (@redbull) November 14, 2017 Their  ability to create dynamic social media posts that  are so engaging it stops fans from scrolling past it is what makes them a social media success.  Each media piece looks like their subject is in motion, which reflects the brand’s high energy aesthetic. Recommended Reading: How to Create the Best Documented Social Media Marketing Strategy in Eight Steps 8. Bringing The Product To The Audience With Sponsorships and Events Finally, Red Bull’s sponsorship and events are the last part of their marketing strategy that seals the domination of their brand. Let’s  break their efforts into three categories: Publicity stunts. Events they’ve created. Sponsorships. Their publicity stunts are so crazy it forces the world to stop and watch. Of course, there’s their Stratos Jump, but there’s more. Take the Red Bull Air Force  team  for example. This group is dedicated to pulling off some of the craziest aerial acrobatics ever seen: Then there are their events, like Red Bull Crashed Ice  or Red Bull Queen of the Bay  that focus on specific sports like ice cross or surfing respectfully. These events focus on fans of the sport and raise awareness of the Red Bull brand. Finally, there are sponsorships. From the Electric Daisy Carnival  in Las Vegas to Coachella, Red Bull is involved with it all. It’s a genius move on the company’s part because who attends all of those events? Their target audience. Not only that, but those sponsorships allow Red Bull to expose the brand to new audiences due to the sheer number of people who attend. Recommended Reading: How to Use an Event Calendar to Organize Your #IRL Attendance Why Their Strategy Works Red Bull’s strategy works because of three  different things: The first is their ability to tell a story that entices their audience. Their focus on everything from extreme sports to music festivals gives them a wide playing field, but it’s not just that. Red Bull puts its product second, and the content and value they can give their audience first. The attention to detail that their marketing team gives is evident. These are people who care about the topics their writing, recording or creating content around. Finally, it’s their commitment to the values and aesthetic that the brand created when they first got their start that makes their marketing work. Everything they create relates back to the idea of giving people and ideas wings to fly. How to Make Red Bull’s Marketing Strategy Work For You It goes without saying, Red Bull has come a long way in the 30 years since it’s inception. From very humble beginnings to the mega-brand publishing house it is today, Red Bull is a marketing success story. Seem intimidating? Let their story serve as a reminder that your organization needs to start somewhere. They didn’t go from an idea in Thailand to a multi-mega corporation overnight. That took time, luck and some seriously hard work  (and a lot of great marketing along the way). Follow their lead by starting small. Here are some ideas: Create a short weekly video series on a topic that interests your audience. Curate social media content that intersects with your product’s purpose and your audience’s interests (without directly referencing yourself). Publish an email newsletter full of cool and useful stuff your audience might like (and maybe slap your own logo in their somewhere). The main takeaway here is this: to succeed at content marketing like Red Bull, you have to put your audience’s interests first, and create stuff that looks and sounds like the kind of content they consume from publishers. Instead of emulating other marketers, that means emulating magazines, TV shows, news websites, and anything else your audience might read and watch. Want to learn more about how to do that, exactly? Here’s some additional reading material to get you started: 16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 How to Create a Social Media Strategy In Three Steps (With a Template) How to Write Like a Journalist to Be a Better Marketing Storyteller How to Generate Data-Backed Social Media Campaign Ideas Where will your wings take you from here?

Technological Determinism and Media Determinsim Essay

Technological Determinism and Media Determinsim - Essay Example (Williams) Technological determinism, attributed to Marshall McLuhan, frames questions around technology in terms on what effect technology has on culture. Marshall McLuhan when discussing media determinism states that the medium is the message. The personal and social consequences of any medium result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves or by new technology. The medium of conveying the information is bigger that the information, the information results as a consequence of the medium. He goes further to state that it is not the media but what one does with it that makes it important, makes it have consequences. (McLuhan) Raymond Williams on discussing cause and effect states that for a piece of technology to be in existence, something must have necessitated its creation. Alternatively, he states that technology occurred as a result of a sequence of events which might not have necessarily been geared toward the discovery of that piece of technology. Through all this he maintains that technology is self-generating. (Williams) I choose to look at technology as being developed with certain purposes in mind, and not in a haphazard manner as Williams tends to suggest. Taking the example of the television, one would be remiss not to see that there was a need to capture and transmit so as to occupy the time of the citizenry at the time, i.e. fulfil a particular purpose. Debates were had as to how much time one would spend watching television but none of them envisioned the impact that the television would have on their culture. (Williams) Another way to look at technology would be technological advancement brought about by the realization that the particular piece of technology would be used in a particular way. Necessity leading to invention, because of the lack thereof of a certain thing, it prompts an individual to set forth and try to come up with