Smarter Planet” Business Strategy? Understanding How Data and Systems Are Used and Are Interconnected

Chapter 2 Case Assignment: David Plotkowski 000415004 1. What is IBM’s “ Smarter Planet” business strategy? Understanding how data and systems are used and are interconnected. As a forward thinking company and wise use of market orientation, IBM has the means to collect and analyze this data and understand how the world works along with all the available intelligence and continues to improve and provide tools an services and systems to improve living, communicating, educating, and healthy growth. From a marketing perspective, the IBM strategy focuses data technology and bringing together contrasting systems for the benefit of benefit its customers, the organization, its stakeholders, and society at large. How does this strategy relate to IBM’s mission and values? IBM continues to hold its 3 core values over a 100-year timespan regardless of changes in strategy or expression. The three core values are dedication to every client’s success, trust and personal responsibility in all relationships, and innovation that matters, for our company and the world. The Smarter Planet strategy easily defines and supports the core values. As people, devices and things connect, IBM sought through their core values to pull together the vast amounts of information to build better interconnectivity and defined their “Smarter Planet” strategy to benefit the world at large. The vision and foresight to embrace a need for interconnectivity provide new marketing opportunity for the “globally integrated enterprise.” IBM also has sold off other lines of business to focus on the core competencies, which kept them both competitive and well known over the past 100 years. 2. Conduct a SWOT analysis for IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative. SWOT Internal Analysis – Strengths History of valuable products, services, software, ideas, patents and brand recognition Recruit talented people Worldwide presence and workforce Have significant market share In a market space that is attractive to companies because the “smarter planet initiative makes companies more efficient SWOT Internal Analysis – Weaknesses High payroll for a huge number of employees A complex and costly management process High operating cost despite the revenue margins Spend Billions of dollars in research and development SWOT External Analysis – Threats Unstable economy and changing marketplace Innovative new companies or competitors looking to provide similar services Outsourcing and recruiting employees, maintaining current employees High liability SWOT External Analysis – Opportunities Continue to focus on the hot topic of making the world a smarter planet IBM financial status allows strong research and development efforts Growing demand for interconnectivity and content management Social responsibility What are the relevant trends to consider for the next three to five years? A growing demand for customized technology solutions. As businesses become more competitive they will require vast amounts of information, which help measure and achieve specific outcomes. More focus on software and services customized applications. There will be a continued focus on improvement of peripheral connectivity systems like phones, cameras, cars, and other appliances resulting in improved connectivity of economic, social and physical systems. Continue focus on market segmentation to ensure needs and responses are met. 3. How can IBM communicate its strategy to companies, cities, and governments? In general to each organization, IBM should continue its commitment to promote responsible innovation and creativity. Data analytics appears to be a competitive business however IBM has the equipment and manpower to promote solutions that involve large organizations with huge amounts of data. Likewise, as industries and markets grow and become more complex, IBM can market new products and express the diversified product/service/solution offering. Develop a specific marketing plan to communicate the strategy to the target audiences and the purpose of the initiative, showcasing the key features and benefits of the strategy (the mission, goals, core competencies and advantages). 4. What are the benefits of the Smarter Planet initiative to ( a) society and ( b) IBM? For society, it is a way for industries, infrastructures, processes, cities and societies to be more productive, efficient and responsive. It helps provide information for rebuilding infrastructure in slowing economies. It helps make sense out of the massive amounts of data. It changes the way the world works. For IBM, it has resulted in huge payoffs from both a revenue standpoint and a socially responsible standpoint. IBM received several awards for the branding and marketing efforts of “Smarter Planet”, these include a Gold Global Effie and PRWeek’s Corporate Branding Campaign of the Year. 5. How should IBM measure the results of the Smarter Planet strategy? Over 600 organizations have embraced the IBM Smarter Planet strategy. The broad range of industries certainly can measure the success where “smart” solutions are being implemented. In comparing the results from the marketing program with the marketing plan’s goals, I would say the strategy is a valued success. Perhaps IBM can utilize a marketing dashboard to represent the marketing achievements. They can also use a situation analysis to see where the product has been and where it is now while looking to see where it might be headed and what might make it better. .

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