B Buffs

B Buffs

Economies of scale

Economies of scale in automobile manufacturing

Economies of scale refer to the cost advantages that businesses gain as they increase their production levels. Why do these advantages occur? To understand this, let’s review some key variables and introduce new ones along with appropriate notation. The variables…

External Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces (1/5)

Competitive Rivalry

Analyzing a business situation typically involves examining both the external environment and a company’s internal capabilities. In this session, we’ll begin by exploring frameworks specifically designed to assess the external environment. Why the External Environment Matters Understanding external factors—especially the…

External Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces (3/5)

Pizza and sandwich side by side representing the threat of substitute products in business

3st Force: Threat of Substitutes Rethinking Competition: More Than Just Direct Rivals We often think of competition as coming from businesses that offer the same product or service. However, there’s another, often subtler, type of competitor: substitutes. What Are Substitutes?…

External Analysis Porter’s Five Forces (4-5/5)

Diversifying and building cooperative relationships are effective ways to reduce the bargaining power of suppliers and customers.

4th Force: Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers are entities that provide the necessary inputs—such as raw materials, components, or services—that enable a company to operate. The following examples show supplier relationships across different industries: Industry Suppliers Airlines Aircraft manufacturers Medical…

External Analysis: Other Frame Works

A graph illustrating the industry life cycle model, showing the change in sales over time across five stages: Introduction, Growth, Shake Out, Maturity, and Decline.

Other frame works One of the most important reasons for analyzing the external environment is to anticipate future trends and identify potential challenges or opportunities. Of course, it’s not feasible to examine every aspect of the external environment. However, frameworks…

Internal Analysis: VRIO

Close-up of an albino alligator in water, symbolizing rare and valuable resources in the VRIO framework

VRIO resources—those that are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and well-Organized—can serve as powerful catalysts for sustained business success. VRIO What have we done so far? We’ve reviewed one possible structure for the marketing process: Situation Analysis – STP – 4P. As…

STP 1 – Segmentation and Targeting

Close-up of a dart hitting the bullseye on a dartboard, symbolizing segmentation, targeting and positioning in marketing strategy

Segmentation and Targeting: Pillars of Marketing Strategy Have you ever poured your heart and soul into developing a product or service, only to find that it doesn’t resonate with anyone? The more effort and sincerity you invest, the more painful…

STP 2 – Positioning

Close-up of a dart hitting the bullseye on a dartboard, symbolizing segmentation, targeting and positioning in marketing strategy

Competition in the market is almost always present, and to survive in this environment, effective positioning is essential. With strong positioning and meaningful differentiation, even if you can’t outperform your competitors, you can still coexist and succeed alongside them. For…