Designing a Competitive Business Model and Building a Solid Strategic Plan

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前期文献回顾1
• Amit 和 Zott （2000）考察了 59 家美国和 欧洲电子商务上市公司的价值创造过程，发 现电子商务通过实施跨边界的与顾客、供应 商和合作伙伴的新交易结构和机制 (商业模式) 来创造价值。但是，没有一种单独的理论能 够很好的诠释价值创造,应该以种多理论交叉 的眼光来看待商业模式。
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Amit,Ｒ.＆ Zott,C. References（2000-
2010）
[1]Strategies for Value Creation in E-commerce Best Practice in Europe，2000.
[2] Value Creation in E-business， Strategic Management Journal，2001，(22) : 493-520．
• Amit 和 Zott （2010-2011）两篇论文综述 商业模式研究现状，并提出未来研究方向。
• Amit 和 Zott（2010-1012）开始关注 Business Model Innovation ，提出商业模 式创新的意义和思路；他们认为，以价值创造 为目的进行商业模式创新应该“与时俱进”。 （经济、技术、战略网络、管理系统）
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Thesis framework
1Business Model Research: State of the Art (Present)
2Reflections on “The Business Model: Present and Future—Beyond a Skeuomorph”
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(a) business models center on the logic

Positioning in PracticeStrategic Role of MarketingFor large firms that have two or more strategic business units (SBUs), there are generally three levels of strategy: corporate-level strategy, strategic-business-unit-level (or business-level) strategy, and marketing strategy. A corporate strategy provides direction on the company's mission, the kinds of businesses it should be in, and its growth policies. A business-level strategy addresses the way a strategic business unit will compete within its industry. Finally, a marketing strategy provides a plan for pursuing the company's objectives within a specific market segment. Note that the higher level of strategy provides both the objectives and guidelines for the lower level of strategy.At corporate level, management must coordinate the activities of multiple strategic business units. Thus the decisions about the organization's scope and appropriate resource deployments/allocation across its various divisions or businesses are the primary focus of corporate strategy.Attempts to develop and maintain distinctive competencies tend to focus on generating superior financial, capital, and human resources; designing effective organizational structures and processes; and seeking synergy among the firm's various businesses.At business-level strategy, managers focus on how the SBU will compete within its industry. A major issue addressed in business strategy is how to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. Synergy for the unit is sought across product-markets and across functional department within the unit.The primary purpose of a marketing strategy is to effectively allocate and coordinate marketing resources and activities to accomplish the firm's objectives within a specific product-market. The decisions about the scope of a marketing strategy involve specifying the target market segment(s) to pursue and the breadth of the product line to offered. At this level of strategy, firms seek competitive advantage and synergy through a well-integrated program of marketing mix elements tailored to the needs and wants of customers in the target segment(s).Strategic Role of PositioningBased on the above discussion, it is clear that marketing strategy consists of two parts: target market strategy and marketing mix strategy. Target market strategy consists of three processes: market segmentation, targeting (or target market selection), and positioning. Marketing mix strategy refers to the process of creating a uniqueblend of product, distribution, promotion, and pricing strategies (the four Ps) designed to satisfying the needs and wants of customers. Target market strategy and marketing mix strategy are closely linked and have a strong interdependence. The position of a product identified from the target market strategy serves as a guideline for formulating marketing mix strategy.Market segmentation is the process by which a market is divided into distinct customer subsets of people with similar needs and characteristics that lead them to respond in similar ways to a particular product offerings and strategic marketing programs.Targeting or target market selection is the process of selecting a segment or segments to serve by evaluating the relative attractiveness of each segment, the benefit sought, and the firm's relative business strengths.Finally, positioning is the process of designing product offerings and developing strategic marketing programs which collectively create an enduring competitive advantage in the target market.The concept of target market strategy especially positioning is well-known and widely accepted by most marketing practitioners especially consumer goods managers as useful Atheoretical concepts in formulating marketing mix strategy. In practice, however, marketers tend to bypass formal positioning and go directly to formulate marketing mix strategy. This may be due to the fact that these managers do not know how to obtain perceptual maps, which are maps that show the positions of products on a set of primary customer needs.The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a practical way for marketing practitioners to obtain perceptual maps for positioning and marketing mix strategy formulation. Specifically, perceptual mapping and its relation to positioning are first discussed. This is followed by discussion of statistical techniques that can be used to create perceptual maps. Finally, a example of positioning process by factor analysis is demonstrated.Perceptual Mapping: Identification of StrategicBenefitsPositioning is the perceived fit between a particular product and the needs of the target market, and thus positioning concept must be defined relative to the customer’s needs and competitive offerings.It is one of the most important strategic concepts because it is concerned with differentiation. Positioning reflect the careful efforts of marketing firms to portray the benefits they offer customers and to differentiate themselves from competition. Positioning is critical for a product=s success. Not only must the product deliver the benefits the customer needs, but it must do so better than competition.Effective positioning requires assessing the positions occupied by competing products, determining the important dimensions underlying these positions, and choosing a p osition in the market where the organization’smarketing efforts will have the greatest impact. An essential tool for strategic benefit positioning is perceptual maps.Customer Needs and Perceptual Mapping: Method and ProceduresPerceptual maps represent the positions of products on a set of primary customer needs. Perceptual maps visually summarized the dimensions that customers use to perceive and judge products and identify how competitive products are placed on those dimensions. In practice, marketers need to know the number of dimensions, the names of those dimensions, what more detailed customer needs make up the dimensions, where competition is positioned, and where the ideal position for a new product or for repositioning is.A set of useful consumer behavior model has been developed to handle consumer attitudes toward various brands in a marketplace. Hauser and Urban (1977), in a new-product setting, describe the processing of product attributes as compression into smaller number of aggregate dimensions called Aevaluation criteria. The central idea is that the brands in a market can be represented as a set of points in a multidimensional space. The axes of this space represent the perceived attributes that characterize the stimuli. Two main analytical approaches most frequently used to derive evaluation criteria and build perceptual maps are decompositional methods, based on multidimensional scaling, and compositional methods, based on factor analysis (Lilien and Kotler 1983). Each of these procedures is discussed in the following section.Multidimensional Scaling (MDS)Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a set of procedures in which a reduced space of product alternatives reflects perceived similarities and dissimilarities between products by the inter-product distances.mensional scaling to create perceptual maps:1.Have customers evaluate existing products according to their relative similarity and form an average proximity matrix whose entries represent the similarities or dissimilarities among the products for each group of customers you wish to analyze.e multidimensional scaling to produce a map in 2, 3, ... dimensions.3.Based on managerial judgments, limitations owing to the number of stimuli, and a plot of Astress select the appropriate number of dimensions.4. Name the dimensions based on the relative position of the stimuli or a regression of the map coordinates on attribute ratings.Multidimensional scaling is a powerful technique, but it must be used with caution. Several issues need to be considered. The first issue is concerned with the number of stimuli (i.e., products) needed. Klabir (1969) showsthat at least eight products are needed to create a good two-dimensional map. Green and Wind (1973) suggest that the number of dimensions should be less than one-third of the number of products. The second issue is concerned with the naming of the dimensions. The analyst generally names the dimensions by using knowledge of the product category to explain best the products= positions. This procedure is arbitrary and involves a high degree of creativity. The final issue is concerned with the number of dimensions. There is little theory to guide the selection of the number of dimensions. However, the stress measure obtained from MDS can be plotted against the number of dimensions to determine when marginal changes in stress are becoming small.Widely used, user-friendly statistical packages such as SAS and SPSS contain the programs for multidimensional scaling. For example, in SPSS, one can obtain a multidimensional scaling analysis from the statistics menu by choosing scale and then multidimensional scaling.Factor AnalysisFactor analysis was originally developed in connection with efforts to identify the major factors making up human intelligence. Educational and psychological researchers did not believe that every test in an educational battery measured a different facet of intelligence. In fact, test scores for certain pairs of tests were highly inter correlated, indicating that a more basic mental ability underlies test performance. Factor analysis was developed to explain these intercorrelations in the test results of a few basic intelligence factors, subsequently identified as verbal ability, quantitative ability, and spatial ability. Since that time, factor analysis has been applied to many other problems and is a frequently used technique in performing product-evaluation analyses in marketing.The basic factor-analysis model assumes that original perceptual ratings about a product are generated by a small number of latent variables, or factors, and that the variance observed in each original perceptual variable is accounted for partly by a set of common factors and partly by a factor specific to that variable. In the construction of a perceptual map by factor analysis, the positions of the products/brands studied can be obtained by averaging the factor scores of the respondents for each product/brand. Factor scores are calculated from the matrix of factor-score coefficients, which describes factor scores as a linear function of the original ratings.To use factor analysis to create perceptual map:1. Have consumers rate all the products/brands under studied, one at a time, on a set of product attributes. You can use Likert scales (scales anchored with strongly agree and strongly disagree) or semantic differential scales (scales with bipolar adjectives) in your questionnaire.2. Analyze the data by factor analysis with rotation (e.g., with varimax rotation). Also request for factor scores for all the products/brands.3. Average the factor scores over all the respondents for each product/brand.4. Use the average factor scores for each product/brand as coordinates to plot the position on the perceptual space. Normally, two-dimensional maps are meaningful and easy to understand. If more than two factors are extracted/identified from the set of product attributes, more than one two-dimensional maps may be generated.5. Use factor loading table, which is an output representing the correlations between the attribute scales and the factors that the computer algorithm identified, to name the factors.6. Theideal line (representing the relative importance of the factor scores in determining attitude toward the brand) can be identified from the multiple regression function with attitude as the dependent variable and factor scores as the independent variables.Factor analysis is a very powerful and useful technique for producing perceptual maps. There are also many software for PC that contains this statistical technique (e.g., SPSS, SAS, BMDP).In this session, we briefly went through the concepts of target market strategy (which consists of market segmentation, targeting, and positioning), strategic brand management, and positioning research. Then we went through the concept and the steps in the data analysis for positioning research.Target Market StrategyTarget market strategy is the process of identifying one (or more target markets) and its (or their) unique positioning(s). Target market strategy consists of (1) market segmentation, (2) targeting, and (3) positioning.Market Segmentation. Market segmentation is the process of segmenting a heterogeneous potential market into a few or several homogeneous segments. In other words, customers in a potential market may have different preferences. As such, it is not effective and efficient to teach all of them by one product and one plan. To be effective and efficient, a manager needs to group the potential customers into group according to their unique preferences and serves one or more of these groups according to the company's strength. The other way to look at market segmentation is that it is the process to test if the potential market is homogeneous in terms of preferences. Good market segmentation should result in segments with the following characteristics: (1) substantiality ( i.e., each segment is large enough), (2) profilability/identifiability/measurability (i.e., each segment can be described in terms of demographic or psychographic characteristics), (3) accessibility (i.e., the media consumption and shopping behavior can be identified), and (4) differential responsiveness (i.e., each segment has a unique preference).Targeting. Targeting or target market selection is the process of selecting one or more segments to be the target market or target markets. The segment(s) is(are) chosen by matching the strengths/ability of the companyto serve the segment with the profit potential in each segment. GE Matrix (market attractiveness versus business position) is a good tool for targeting.There are four targeting strategies that you can use: (1) concentrated or focused targeting strategy (i.e., selecting one large segment to be your target market), (2) multi-segment or differentiated targeting strategy (i.e., selecting two or more large segments to be your target markets with a unique positioning for each of them), (3) mass targeting strategy (i.e., selecting two or more or all segments to be your target market with only one positioning for all of them), and (4) niche targeting strategy (i.e., selecting one small market to be your target market).Positioning. Positioning has two meanings. First, positioning is the most important benefit or benefits desired by the customers in a particular target market. Second, positioning is the process of creating brand image (in terms of benefit or benefits) in the customer's mind through marketing mix strategy (the 4Ps). The brand image must reflect the most important benefit(s) that the target customers want. To position your brand in a target market, you first conduct positioning research to create a perceptual map of competing brands in the target The following note is provided by Prof.Powpaka SamartWhat Is Marketing?STRATEGIC MARKETINGAs you may already know, the main objective of any business is to make profit. On the other hand, there are also non-profit or not-for-profit organizations that exist in the society. Their main objective is to achieve a non-profit objective or to serve a certain cause, e.g., HK Red Cross wants to obtain enough blood to help the patients. These non-profit organizations still need to make money or obtain money. But they do not do it for profit; they do it in order to secure enough resources to help them achieve their non-profit objectives.To achieve their objectives, businesses and non-profit organizations need to have different people to perform different functions. They normally organize people who perform the same function into the same "departments". Accounting, finance, production, R&D, logistics, marketing, and sales are examples of departments that normally exist in a business organization."What is marketing?" Using American Marketing Association's (1985) definition, marketing is "the process of planning and execution of the conception, pricing, distribution, and promotion of goods, services, and ideas to create or facilitate exchanges that satisfy both individual and organizational objectives." Based on the definition, it is quite clear that the definition is inclined toward marketing as a business function (or what marketing people do). In essence, the function of marketing is about identifying the right target market (a group of consumers or business customers) and creating, communicating, and delivering the company's products (which can be goods, services,ideas, or combination of goods, services, and ideas) to the chosen customers. What marketing people do is to plan and execute the marketing plan, which consists of product strategy, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, and communication strategy. The execution of the marketing plan will create or facilitate the exchange or transaction between the target customers and the organization.Then we look into the definition of marketing by AMA in 2004. Marketing is "an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders." It is clear from the definition that marketing includes both marketing as a business function (an organizational function) and as a management philosophy/orientation (a set or cross-functional or cross-departmental processes for [a] creating, communicating, and delivering value to the target customer and [b] to manage relationship with customers in ways that benefit the stakeholders). Marketing as a management philosophy requires an integrated effort of every members of the organization to provide superior "value" to the customer and to build, enhance, and maintain "relationship" with (profitable) target customers.When we look at the definition of marketing by AMA (2004), you can see that marketing, as a management philosophy, requires the integration of every function or department to work together to satisfy the target customers. The target customer is the focus of the company's operations. Everybody in the company (1) works together to create, communicate, and deliver value to the customer and (2) manages the relationship with customers in ways that benefits the company and its stakeholders.We then discussed about the formula of value to demonstrate that customer value creation comes from the integrated effort of every employee of the firm.Value = quality/price + relationshipsQuality: Quality represents everything that customers get from buying your product. As such, quality must be defined by your customers. There are two types of quality: (1) objective quality (i.e., actual quality as can be tested in the lab according to the specification) and (2) perceived or subjective quality (i.e., quality as "perceived" or "believed" by the customers). R&D and production staffs make sure that the objective quality of the company's products is acceptable. Quality standards and measures such as TQM, QC, ISO, etc are used to ensure objective quality. Marketing people use integrated marketing communication (IMC) to build perceived quality in the mind of the customers. It is important that there is a match between objective and perceived quality.Price: One of the determinants of price is cost. Today, there are two major sources of cost reduction: (1) global sourcing and (2) logistics management. Global sourcing concerns with two consecutive decisions: (1) tomake or to buy (i.e., to manufacture the products by yourself or to sub-contract other people to produce for you), and (2) where to make or where to buy. Proper global sourcing can give cost advantage to the firm. Logistics concerns with the strategic movement and storage of products into the firm, inside the firm, and out of the firm. Purchasing or inbound logistics concerns with the movement and storage of raw materials, processed materials, and component parts into the firm. Manufacturing support of intra logistics concerns with the movement and storage of semi-finished products inside the firm. Finally, physical distribution or outbound logistics concerns with the movement of finished products from the firm to its customers. The main concept of logistics is (1) to provide the desired service level to both internal and external customers and (2) at the lowest total cost. A logistics system consists of 3 performance cycle: (1) inbound logistics (or purchasing), (2) intra or inside logistics (or manufacturing support), and outbound logistics (or physical distribution). A good logistics system not only reduces the cost for the company but also provides competitive advantage for the company. In other words, a good logistics system can give a company sustainable competitive advantage by providing appropriate level of service at the lowest total cost.The service level in logistics consists of:1. Availability2. Operational performancea. Speedb. Consistencyc. Flexibilityd. Malfunction and recovery3. ReliabilityThe costs in logistics include:1. Order management costs2. Inventory management costs3. Material handling costs4. Transportation costs5. Warehousing costsRelationships: There are two types of relationships: (1) relationship with your customers (i.e., relationship marketing and customer relationship management or CRM) and (2) relationships with suppliers and channelmembers (i.e., strategic alliance/partnership). Strong relationships with both customers and suppliers/channel members are important in the value creation process for the customers.A company that adopts marketing as its management philosophy or company orientation will try to survive and grow in long-term by focusing on satisfying the needs and wants (i.e., preferences to be more accurate) through the integrated effort of everybody in the firm. As such, a marketing-oriented company has the following characteristics:* Long-term focus (i.e., profit and growth as a result of customer loyalty/long-lasting relationship)* Customer focus or customer orientation (i.e., understanding the target customers' needs/wants/problems and their alternatives now and in the future)* Competitor focus or customer orientation (i.e., understanding the major competitors' objectives and strategies now and in the future)* Inter-functional or inter-departmental coordination (i.e., every employee takes full responsibility of the success/failure of the firm)。

Running a successful business is a dream shared by many, but it requires more than just a good idea or a solid product. It demands a combination of strategic planning, marketing savvy, and a deep understanding of customer needs. Here, Ill share my personal experiences and insights on how to effectively manage and grow a business.Identifying Your NicheThe first step in any business venture is to identify your niche. This is where my journey began. I started by analyzing the market and pinpointing areas where I could add value. Its crucial to find a gap in the market that your business can fill. This could be a unique product, a specific service, or a novel approach to an existing problem.Developing a Business PlanOnce I had identified my niche, I developed a comprehensive business plan. This document served as my roadmap, outlining my business goals, target market, competition analysis, and financial projections. Its essential to have a clear vision and a plan to guide your decisions and actions.Building a Strong BrandA strong brand identity is the cornerstone of any successful business. I invested time in creating a brand that resonated with my target audience. This involved crafting a compelling brand story, designing a memorable logo, and developing a consistent brand voice across all marketingmaterials.Utilizing Digital MarketingIn todays digital age, leveraging online platforms is imperative. I embraced social media, content marketing, and search engine optimization to reach a wider audience. By creating engaging content and optimizing my website for search engines, I was able to increase my online visibility and attract potential customers.Understanding Customer NeedsListening to your customers is key to business success. I made it a priority to understand their needs and preferences. This involved conducting surveys, soliciting feedback, and staying active in customer service. By addressing their concerns and adapting my offerings accordingly, I was able to build customer loyalty and satisfaction.Networking and PartnershipsBuilding a network of contacts and strategic partnerships was another pivotal aspect of my business growth. I attended industry events, joined business associations, and collaborated with complementary businesses. These connections not only opened doors to new opportunities but also provided valuable insights and support.Adopting a CustomerCentric ApproachMy business philosophy has always been customercentric. I focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences, from personalized service to tailored solutions. By prioritizing customer satisfaction, I was able to build a reputation for quality and reliability.Innovating and AdaptingThe business world is dynamic, and staying ahead requires constant innovation and adaptation. I kept myself updated with industry trends and was not afraid to pivot my business model when necessary. Embracing change and being agile in response to market shifts allowed me to stay relevant and competitive.Fostering a Positive Company CultureA strong company culture can significantly impact a businesss success. I worked hard to create a supportive and collaborative work environment. By valuing my employees and encouraging their growth, I was able to build a dedicated team that shared my vision and contributed to the businesss success.Managing Finances WiselyFinancial management is a critical aspect of running a business. I paid close attention to cash flow, budgeting, and financial reporting. By keeping a tight rein on expenses and making informed investment decisions, Iensured the financial health and sustainability of my business.Learning from FailuresLastly, I embraced the lessons that came with failures. Every setback was an opportunity to learn and improve. By analyzing what went wrong and adjusting my strategies, I was able to turn failures into stepping stones towards success.In conclusion, running a business is a complex endeavor that requires a multifaceted approach. From identifying a niche to managing finances wisely, each aspect plays a crucial role in the overall success of the venture. By staying customerfocused, embracing innovation, and learning from setbacks, Ive been able to navigate the challenges and enjoy the rewards of entrepreneurship.。

商业模式创新英语Business Model InnovationBusiness model innovation is the process of creating new ways to generate revenue and deliver value to customers. It involves rethinking the traditional way of doing business and finding new opportunities for growth and profitability. In today's rapidly changing business environment, companies need to constantly evolve their business models to stay competitive and meet the changing needs of customers. This can involve introducing new products or services, entering new markets, or finding more efficient ways to deliver value.There are several key elements to consider wheninnovating a business model:1. Customer Value Proposition: This is the core of any business model and involves understanding what customers need and delivering it in a way that is unique and valuable. This can involve creating new products or services, or finding new ways to solve customer problems.2. Revenue Model: This is how the company generates revenue from its products or services. It could be through one-time sales, subscription-based services, or other innovative pricing models.3. Value Chain: This is the series of activities that a company performs to deliver a valuable product or service to its customers. Business model innovation can involve rethinking this value chain to make it more efficient or to deliver more value to customers.4. Market Positioning: This involves understanding the competitive landscape and finding a unique position in the market that sets the company apart from its competitors.5. Operating Model: This is how the company organizesits resources and capabilities to deliver on its value proposition. Business model innovation can involve finding new ways to organize the company's resources to be more efficient or to deliver more value to customers.There are several examples of companies that have successfully innovated their business models. One notable example is Netflix, which started as a DVD rental service and evolved into a streaming service. This shift in theirbusiness model allowed them to reach a wider audience and become a dominant player in the entertainment industry.Another example is Airbnb, which disrupted the hotel industry by creating a platform for individuals to rent out their homes to travelers. This new business model created a new way for people to find accommodations and became a major player in the travel industry.In China, the e-commerce giant Alibaba has innovated its business model by creating a platform that connects buyers and sellers, as well as offering financial services and cloud computing. This has allowed Alibaba to become one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.In conclusion, business model innovation is crucial for companies to stay competitive and meet the changing needs of customers. By rethinking the way they create value, generate revenue, and deliver products and services, companies can find new opportunities for growth and profitability. It is important for companies to constantly evaluate their business models and be willing to make changes in order to stay relevant in today's dynamic business environment.商业模式创新商业模式创新是创建新的收入来源和为客户提供价值的方式的过程。