Compare and contrast how your local grocery (Publix, Winn Dixie, Sedanos, Presidente, Aldi, Fresco y Mas or my favorite Trader Joes) would position the pre-made meals area of its stores if it were trying to excel on performance, price, or relational value. What value proposition do you recommend as the path to sustainable competitive advantage?
Performance: emphasize quality, taste, convenience, nutrition, or other functional attributes. Aim for parity with competitors on customization and price.
Price: emphasize low price. Aim for parity with competitors on customization and on functional attributes (quality, taste, etc.).
Relational: emphasize personal touch, customization, and service. Aim for parity with competitors on functional attributes (quality, taste, etc.) and pricing.
Suppose Home Depot decided to adopt a relational value proposition. What business model should Home Depot adopt to support this strategy? Include in your answer a discussion of whether a CRM or Comprehensive Solution Management System would be more appropriate.
Discuss one company that you think is compromising its strategic success by focusing on too many different customers. What changes do you recommend?
What are the value creation and value capture mechanisms that Amazon uses in its business model? How consistent are these with its value proposition?
Identify a company that is threatened by morphing product boundaries? What strategies should it take to protect its value in the marketplace?
