Marketing Toolkit ...cont'd

Suggestions: Main Criteria for Analysis

Environmental

Technology

• Product technology
• bandwidth
• software
• Product innovation
  (development trends in product technology)
  • hardware
  • software
  • innovation potential
• Substitution technologies
• possible innovations
• cost trends
• Recycling technology

The Economy

• Development trends in the national income
• trade in goods
• economic integration
• protectionism
• Balance of payments and exchange rates trends
• Expected inflation
• Development of capital markets
• Development of employment
• Expected propensity to invest
• Expected economic cycles
• frequency
• severity
• Development of specific relevant economic sectors

Demographic and socio-psychological trends

• Population development in relevant countries
• general
• development of important groups
• migration
• Socio-psychological trends
• attitude to work
• propensity to save
• leisure patterns
• attitude to business
• attitude to automation
• attitude to relevant materials
• attitude to relevant products

Politics and the Law

• Global political trends
• East-West
• North-South
• general danger of local or international conflict
• market position of raw material producers

• Party political development in relevant countries
• Development trends in economic policy
• Trends in social legislation and labor legislation
• Importance and influence of trade unions
• Degree of autonomy for companies

Sector

Structure of the industry

• Number of companies
• Heterogeneity of companies
• Types of companies
• Organization of the industry (associations, agreements, etc.)

Competition

• Number of competitors with similar programs in this industry
• Market behaviour of competitors (informal agreements, opportunism, syndicates)

Employment Situation and Competition

• Capacity utilization
• Competition

Main Instruments of Competition

• Quality
• Range
• Consultancy
• Prices
• Delivery dates
• other

Distribution structure

• Geographical
• Sales channels

Orientation of Sector

• General orientation of industry (material, technology, client problems, etc)
• Innovation trends (products, processes, etc.)

Security

• Entry barriers to new competitors
• Substitution possibilities

Signs of Particularly Successful Companies

• Reasons for success of two most successful companies in industry sector (e.g.: size, image, international operations, advertising, etc.)

Outlook for the Sector

• How will the industry sector develop over the next five years? (Main trends and possible consequences)

Market

Analysis of the Market

• Client Structure
• Composition (private client, firms, groups of firms, etc.) of all clients in the market
• Importance of segments of clients
• Assessment of client loyalty and what causes it
• Client Requirements
• Client demand for services
• Client Information Behaviour
• What source of information are used by clients (agents, travel agencies, media, word of mouth, etc)?
• Clients’ Assessment of Different Suppliers
• What are four main reasons that induce a client to choose a certain supplier (price, delivery dates, experience, know-how, image/ reputation, etc.)?
• Market Prospects
• How is the market likely to develop over the next five years? (Main trends and possible consequence)

Analysis of Market for Suppliers’ Services

• Strategically Important Suppliers
• Finance
• Personnel
• Operating Funds
• Detailed Assessment of the Main Supplier
• Future availability and/or price trends
• Number of suppliers
• Homogeneity and/or heterogeneity of suppliers
• Degree of organization of suppliers (syndicates, trade unions)
• Forward integration trends among suppliers (potential competitors)
• Potential substitution suppliers