Brand and Product Decisions in Global
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| 335 Discussion Questions 10-1. What is the difference between a product and a brand? 10-2. How do local, international, and global products differ Cite examples. 10-3. What are some of the elements that makeup a brand Are these elements tangible or intangible? 10-4. Which criteria should global marketers consider when making product design decisions? 10-5. How can buyer attitudes about a product’s country of origin affect marketing strategy? 10-6. Identify several global brands. What are some of the reasons for the global success of the brands you chose? 10-7. Each year, the Interbrand consultancy compiles a ranking of global brands. The top- ranked brands for 2017 are shown in Table 10-2. Browse through the list and choose any brand that interests you. Compare its 2017 ranking with the most recent ranking, which you can find online at www.interbrand.com. How has the brand’s ranking changed Consult additional sources (e.g., articles from print media, annual reports, the company’s Website) to enhance your understanding of the factors and forces that contributed to the brand’s move up or down in the rankings. 10-8. Hofstede’s social values framework can be used to help explain the Asian version of Maslow’s hierarchy. Which dimension from Table 4-2 is most relevant In Chapter 4, we also noted the differences between innovation diffusion processes in Asia and the West. Review the discussion in the chapter. Can you relate it to Figure 10-1? 10-9. Compare and contrast the three categories of innovation discussed in the chapter. Which type of innovation do flat-panel widescreen HDTVs represent The iPad? CASE 10-1 continued (refer to page 307) G oogle’s dominance in search and other online spaces allows it to collect vast amounts of data that help it deliver targeted advertising. In fact, advertising revenues from the Google unit accounted for more than 90 percent of Alphabet’s $110 billion total revenues in 2017. However, as growth in the core advertising business slows, company executives are seeking to diversify Alphabet’s revenue stream. Plans for some promising new products, including Google Glass, have been scaled back. Moreover, Google’s ability to link its various Websites to the search process has attracted the attention of antitrust regulators in Europe. Android OS In terms of global sales, smartphones that use Google’s Android operating system account for roughly 80 percent of the market. Google provides Android—and its green Bugdroid brand mascot—free to handset and tablet manufacturers Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG all use Android. One reason for Android’s popularity is the fact that Samsung and other handset manufacturers offer a variety of screen sizes and price points. By contrast, Apple’s iOS is exclusive to the iPhone. Prior to 2014, the iPhone was not available in large screen sizes. Although the number of Android apps slightly exceeds the number for Apple, some developers prefer the iOS platform. One reason cited is the superior ease of use of Xcode, Apple’s development environment, compared with Android’s Eclipse. Also, the iOS customer base tends to be more affluent. As mobile video games grow in popularity, Apple and Google are jockeying for dominance in the mobile space. Both companies offer game developers extra promotional support in exchange for exclusivity for new game titles. For example, Electronic Arts released Plants vs. Zombies 2” on Apple’s App Store two months before the title was made available for Android phones. One industry observer likens the competition to an arms race for the best content.” Waymo Phrases such as autonomous functionality and “robocars” are used to refer to cars and other vehicles that can operate without a human driver. Driverless technology is one example of the type of moonshot that Alphabet is aiming for. Audi, BMW, Daimler, GM, and other traditional car manufacturers are also racing to develop the technology, as are tech disrupters such as Uber. Despite the competition, Alphabet believes that it will be, in management guru Peter Drucker’s words, the fustest with the mostest.” The development process began in 2009; the company has invested more than $1 billion and its driverless cars have logged more than 3.5 million actual driving miles so far. Alphabet has created a separate business unit called Waymo, which has been conducting extensive tests at a research facility in California and in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona see Exhibit Many of Waymo’s test vehicles are specially modified Chrysler minivans equipped with roof-mounted lasers. Although the technology originally cost about $75,000 per vehicle, engineers working on the project expect that figure to quickly fall. Data from the lasers are used to create a picture of a vehicle’s surroundings. Those readings, plus information from sensors in the wheels and elsewhere, are fed M10_KEEG9756_10_SE_C10.indd 335 24/10/18 5:52 AM |