Brand Mgmt & Strategic Mktg

I want to make sure to clarify the assignment for next week. On the syllabus the next article we were supposed to read and have talking points over was “Porter’s Model of Generic Competitive Strategies.” This was a new article that I have not assigned in previous semesters.  I think between the article assigned for next Thursday, and the lecture/discussion we will have in class over the Generic strategies, you will gain an understanding of the theory/model behind the generic strategies. Therefore, I am not assigning that as a reading or talking points assignment. However, I would like you to do an alternative assignment – an analysis of the hamburger fast food industry relative to the five forces based on your knowledge and understanding of the industry as consumers. (You do not need citations for this exercise, but will need them for your research project).This is not a formal writing assignment and is mainly to improve our discussion on Tuesday, and to allow you to apply the model prior to doing your project installment (and the midterm). Please do the assignment in bullet form, but give just enough information to explain your rationale. It should be typed so I can tell you’ve prepared for the discussion. You may do this in small groups (no more than 5 to a group and doesn’t need to be your project group) or individually depending on your preference. If you choose the group option, you will need to discuss and agree as a group on the analysis you develop. For each force you should start by labeling it as either strong, moderate or weak, then identify what impacts on profitability are present, and finally what conditions in the industry lead to the force being stronger or weaker. I will post the PowerPoint slides so that you have the information on the forces we haven’t discussed yet. If you have questions, please let me know if you have any questions. The next set of talking points will be the Kim, Nam & Stimpert article that is posted on BB and is due on Thursday of next week.