Definition and Discussion of Differentiation and Integration

- Used business strategy called vertical integration, which a company would control every stage of industrial process, from mining the raw material to transporting to product.

Vertical integration is a concept in which a company develops or acquires production units for outputs which are

Vertical integration is when one firm joins with another at a different stage of the same production process. Forward Vertical is when the other firm is at a later stage and Backward Vertical is when the other firm is at an earlier stage. Vertical integration as a whole allows for a firm to control key stages of the production process; guarantees access to a market; and gains control of supplies. Companies such as Zara and American Apparel are vertically integrated, especially at key stages of

Differentiation strategy is generally reserved for companies with a clear competitive advantage. Companies such as Mercedes and Apple employ this strategy. Differentiation strategy is demonstrated when a company provides value to customers through unique unique features and characteristics of a company's products rather than by the lowest price (Open Learning World 2010).

Vertical integration – when you choose to produce raw materials and/or distribute finished goods themselves rather than rely on independent suppliers, factors and agents for these tasks

Vertical integration is a business growth strategy for economics of scale. It is typified by one firm engaged in different parts of production example; growing raw materials, manufacturing, transporting, marketing, and/or retailing to expand business in existing market for the firm. It can function in two directions both forward integration and backward integration.

Starting of reading this article, I was completely lost and wanted to quit. Vertical integration seemed too big of a concept to wrap my head around and the article had so many stats and figures I was going crazy. After dissecting the article parts by part and figuring out what vertical integration meant, the research started to make sense. To start off what the research talks about lets define vertical integrated. According to Adelman, it states that “a firm is vertically integrated whenever it ‘transmits from one of its departments to another good or service which could, without major adaptation, be sold in the market.’”. Ultimately a company is vertically integrated when “firms integrates activities in the value chain to produce its own inputs and/or takes care of its own

Differentiation strategies refer to the strategies that are adopted by businesses in a bid to gain competitive advantage in a given industry and over their competitors. Through differentiation, the company’s products or services stand out among other products that are offered by their competitors. Therefore, differentiation in essence refers to a scenario whereby, a company offers products or services which are unique or have features which are unique and which makes them stand out among its competitors. The airline industry is termed as an industry that experiences rapid and volatile changes amidst growing competition among many competitors in the globe. With this in mind, different airlines have to adopt different strategies that are to differentiate them among the many competing airlines in the world. This paper will focus on Southwest Airlines in the discussion of the differentiation strategies that it has adopted. Also, recommendations will be made will be done in reference to Southwest Airlines.

Backward integration is a type of vertical integration in which a company takes control over its suppliers. It is a form of acquisition of the intermediary players involved in supplying the raw materials used in the production process of the firm. Raw materials, intermediate manufacturing and assembly are controlled by the firm whereas distribution to the end customer is done by a third party company. In this way, company increases production efficiency and gains a competitive advantage by lowering its production cost.

In 1985 Michael Porter surmised that a market can be subjected into different strategies, thus, three variations of competitive advantage were born. The differentiation strategy is the focus for the purpose of this paper. Furthermore, the differentiation strategy in its most exposed form is a strategy that places prominence toward the brand name and advantage is the prestige that follows. This type of angle draws in a specific high-end consumers which in turn sets its corner of the market apart from its competition. Additionally, in this advantage there is a uniqueness perceived by the consumer, industry wide. The differentiation strategy is distinct in attributes indescribable by price but all the same customers are more than willing to pay a premium for the product or service. Firms that are successful in this advantage are fully equipped with a product development team high in creativity and innovation. Additionally, this strategy is only able to be an advantage if a firm is able to access an unlimited amount of research.

In differentiation strategies, the emphasis is on creating value through sustainable uniqueness. This can be achieved through product innovations, superior quality, or superior service, which is then sustained and leveraged through creative advertising; brand-building and strong supply chain relationships. Another requirement for a successful differentiation strategy is that customers must be willing to pay more for the uniqueness of a product or service than the firm paid to create it. A differentiation strategy will lead to higher firm performance only if buyers value the attributes that make a product or service unique enough to pay a higher price for it or if they choose to buy from that firm preferentially. If

Differentiation can be achieved in a variety of ways: unusual features, responsive customer service, rapid product innovations, technological leadership, perceived prestige and status, appeal to different tastes, and engineering design and performance. Methods of controlling costs, however, may be limited. The ability to price differentiated products competitively will be important for reducing upward pressure on customer prices so that they do not exceed the level customers are willing to

Differentiation: In Differentiation strategy, a company ‘s goal is to create uniquely desirable products and service, that are different and more attractive than their competitors. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price.

Calculating value added, could also contribute to determine a strategy of differentiation of products in businesses. Lets take the previous example NIKE. Nike has a low vertical integration but a high value added (thanks to its logo). Since this value added is marketing, value added is in this case an intangible entity. Differentiation is one of the competitive advantages.

This strategy is usually associated with charging a premium price for the product - often to reflect the higher production costs and extra value-added features provided for the consumer. Differentiation is about charging a premium price that more than covers the additional production costs, and about giving customers clear reasons to prefer the product over other, less differentiated products.