Bike Mikes

Instructions: Complete a five year simulation, and answer the following questions on the actual approach you used for the simulation. You may type your answers directly on this form, but the completed document must be 2-3 pages in length (please do not change the margins). Due November 25, 11:59pm

During a MikesBikes wrap-up session, students offered these “lessons learned” to future players. The number of “votes” recorded for each suggestion is used to rank order of the items.

The team, after much deliberation and little success, has just 3 weeks before entering the case at the HBS Business Plan competition. In the team there is, Sasha, a former HBS MBA student with experience in drastically different industries; Igor and Roman, exceptionally gifted Russian musicians; Henry & Dana

Another budgeting strategy is the objective/task method. Objective/task “considers advertising to be a marketing tool to help generate sales.” (Arens, page 294) I feel this method is a well planned out proposition. The steps include defining the objectives, determining strategy and estimating cost. The objective here is to increase the awareness of Southern Rice Company’s instant rice. Next, we will research and determine which ads, television or print, and media outlets to use. Measuring the results from these campaigns will determine whether or not they need to be revised. Based on this information, we can estimate the overall cost and then allocate the money in the marketing budget into each specially designed task. If we cannot afford some of the tasks, we can devote more of our budget to a task that will work in the most effective way. Objective/task is more accurate and flexible when it comes to budget allocation.

The marketing plan should have objectives that meet the SMART criteria, which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time specific. The first objective of the marketing plan is to raise awareness for the product, which is measurable because we can take studies of consumer awareness. We want to have this product known by 5% of total consumers and 50% of the target market within one year. The second objective is with respect to media coverage. We want to have stories about this product appear in 100 print and online publications (via syndication, most likely) within six months. Also we want the number of media inquiries at our office to be at least 20 in the first month and 50 in the first two months. Also, in the first year, sales should be 2000 units, or $2 million in revenue.

Strategy refers to the plan or action taken to achieve organizational goals. When Ellen took over Tufts-NEMC, the hospital was struggling with payroll and scale. Ellen had to focus on meeting payroll, a short-term strategy, and could not focus entirely on the longer term. She took some immediate measures to help cut cost

The tactics part of the marketing plan defines relevant product and service characteristics. It will also include the pricing of the product and how the information is communicated to its target market, stakeholders and company personnel.

In terms of sales and marketing, we adapted our strategy based on how the products played in each segment. Our strategy was to spend efficiently in marketing & sales to keep the customer awareness and accessibility high for the premium products, while maintaining a decent level of awareness and accessibility in other segments.

As a consequence of the president’s strategy to become profitable in two years, the senior vice president of sales and marketing and the vice president of advertising must formulate a marketing plan that will allow the company to achieve desired goals. This plan must take into consideration market segmentation, continuation of current marketing strategy, and sales promotions.

According to Meyer, (2010), strategy is the action that company can take to achieve its desired goals. When it comes to a company, thinking can be said to be either long-term or short-term. When translated into action, it is what is called operations or projects. However there are differences between operations and

These objectives are reasonable. However, objectives should be specific and measurable. Some alternative objectives would be to focus the Company's resources toward achieving profitability by the fourth quarter of 2000 (an annual objective), and to increase profitability by 5 percent per year for the next 3 years (long-term objective). These objectives would give meaningful, measurable goals that management would need to obtain, or it would require management to re-evaluate the Company's objectives or the Company's strategy to achieve the objectives. With the aforementioned objectives in mind, the Companyneeds to implement a strategy to achieve the desired results. It is necessary to evaluate alternative strategies before selecting the actual strategy to implement. The SWOT or TOWS, SPACE, Grand Strategy, IE, and QSPM Matrices are tools to help in the evaluation and selection of alternative strategies. The matrices indicate that Amazon is in a strong competitive position, and that the Companyshould build and grow. The matrices indicate that, despite Amazon's financial position, the Companyhas some distinct competitive advantages in a high-growth or unstable industry. Some strategies for companies that fit this profile are backward, forward and horizontal integration, market penetration, market development, product development and joint venture. One strategy that would fit into

(To make a summary of the article while answering the question, the answer directly related to the questions are highlighted )

A strategic marketing plan focuses on the goals, objectives, strategies and strategies related to the goals. Goals are comprehensive and it provides the general guidelines on how the marketing organization wants to achieve, such as an expanded market segment (Kotler et al, 2013). Objectives are tied up together with target goals and provide further specific, determinate results - for example, an increase in the market share of a specific geographical area for a particular product, with a certain amount

A company 's strategy consists of the competitive moves and business approaches that managers are employing to grow the business, attract and please customers, compete successfully, conduct operations, and achieve the targeted levels of organizational performance.

“Setting objectives for a marketing plan is not simple and straightforward matter. It is an iterative process whereby objectives are set, strategies and action plans are developed, and then it is decided whether the planned objectives are impossible, achievable or easy. Marketing objectives should be difficult, but they must be achievable. The aim is to set objectives that a challenge, but can be achieved with effort. They must be motivating rather than discouraging.” (Westwood, 2002).