CASE 2-1

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, Inc. (A)

Scotland in the mid to late eighteenth century enjoyed its own “information age,” the Scottish
Enlightenment. It was an era that embraced industrialization, spawned revolutionary ideas
(Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” theory of economic is one example), and transformed Edinburgh
into a world-renowned cultural center. So it is not surprising that during this time, two
enterprising men decided to capture and market that knowledge.

Colin Macfarquhar was a printer and Andrew Bell an engraver when they formed a
partnership in 1768 to publish what they called a “Dictionary of Arts and Sciences.” William Bell,
hired to edit the vast collection, emphasized usefulness in his preface to the three volume set.

“Wherever this intention does not plainly appear,” he wrote, “neither the books nor
their authors have the smallest claim to the approbation of mankind.” Thus did serving society’s
need to know become the mission of Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc (EBI).

The new reference guide, which took three years to complete, was offered to consumers
in weekly installments. This timing was right, for the edition sold out quickly. A second edition
soon followed, then a third and a fourth, each bigger and more comprehensive than the last. By
1815, when the fifth edition was published, the set had ballooned to 20 volumes. A pirate
version, published in the US in 1790, tapped growing new market. Even George Washington
bought a set.

Throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, when the company was
purchased by Americans and moved into US, EBI continued to enhance its reputation as the
premiere source of knowledge. The company maintained, “Our brand represents material you
know is authoritative and trustworthy.” The company recruited notable scientist and scholars,
including Thomas Malthus, Sigmund Freud, and Marie Curie, to contribute. It expounded upon
such cutting-edge topics as taboos, anarchism, ether and Darwin’s theory of evolution. As
demand mushroomed, it hired a permanent editorial staff and began printing-and updating-
annually. In 1943 William Benton, founder of Benton and Bowles, took the helm as publisher
and board chairman. He extended the company’s global reach and expanded its product line,
acquiring in the process Compton’s Encyclopedia and dictionary publisher G & G Merriam.

EBI entered the digital age in 1981 when it offered an electronic version to business
users of Lexis-Nexis, an information retrieval service of Mead Data Central. EBI declined to offer
this version to any non-business users, specifically, “any schools, libraries, or individuals that
[were] subscribers to the Mead Corp. subsidiary retrieval service.
 In 1989 the company moved further into the electronic age when it published
Compton’s Encyclopedia on CD. The target audience was schools and libraries, which paid $750
for the privilege of owning the first multimedia encyclopedia on CD-ROM.

The company boasted 2300 sales associates in 1989. They moved door to door, talking
with individuals and families, persuading them to invest in EBI’s voluminous storehouse of
knowledge. A key selling point was the product’s upscale cachet. Many parents believed having
the books in their homes would give their children an advantage in school and in life…

By 1990, consumers were snapping up EBI sets at $1500 to $2000. The company’s sales
revenues hit a new high --$650 million. Not only that, the 32-volume set remained the standard
to which other encyclopedias around the world aspire.

During the early 1990’s, the software giant Microsoft decided to enter the encyclopedia
market. Microsoft licensed material from Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia which sold its sets in
supermarkets, added some public-domain content, and released it on CD-ROM in 1993. The
product, called Encarta, sold for less then $100. Many computer manufacturers simply gave it to
buyers of their computers.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERES

1. Describe the strategy and tactics of EBI as of 1990

EBI as of 1990 use the business unit strategy. Business unit strategies deal with how to
create and maintain competitive advantage in each of the industries in which a company
has chosen to participate. As we know that the mission of EBI is becoming the premiere
source of knowledge. So, EBI do every way to extended it market. We could see from the
tactics that EBI use like door to door, talking with individuals and families, persuading
them to invest in EBI’s voluminous storehouse of knowledge. These ways successful to
make many parents believe that if their children use this book, it will give many
advantages. Here, EBI has the competitive advantage. Moreover, EBI always try to make
a new thing like entered a new digital age and continue with electronic age.

2. Why was EBI’s business model so successful for more than 200 years?
Because EBI has a competitive advantage, so they can maintain well what they have
accepted. Thus, EBI always make a new innovation. First, hires several notable scientist
and scholars. This will make the EBI trustworthy and authoritative like their brand
representative. Then EBI try to enter the digital age when it offered an electronic version
to business users of Lexis-Nexis, an information retrieval service of Mead Data Central.
Then, the company moved further into the electronic age when it published Compton’s
Encyclopedia on CD. Even they moved door to door, talking with individuals and families,
persuading them to invest in EBI’s voluminous storehouse of knowledge. In every
strategies, EBI has a clearly target, so they can be more focus to reach their target.

3. How vulnerable was this model in the early of 1990’s?

During the early 1990’s, the software giant Microsoft decided to enter the encyclopedia
market. Microsoft licensed material from Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia which sold its
sets in supermarkets, added some public-domain content, and released it on CD-ROM in
1993. Whereas EBI still in their electronic age, even EBI is still moved door to door, talking
with individuals and families, persuading them to invest. This is so vulnerable, because if
EBI doesn’t make a “breakthrough” , Microsoft will take over their market as a premiere
source of knowledge.

4. Should EBI respond to Microsoft’s moves? If so, how should EBI respond? Why?
Yes, EBI should respond to Microsoft moves. EBI should do the industry analysis or solely
competitor analysis. EBI should think about innovation again so their market still can be
reached.

5. What control systems would you recommend for EBI so that the company can
understand the potential for transforming its business model?
As we know that there are four control systems
1. A detector
A device that measures what is actually happening in the process being controlled
2. An assessor
A device that determines the significance of what is actually happening by comparing
it with some standard or expectation of what should happen
3. An effectors
A device (often called “feedback”) that alters behavior if the assessors indicate the
need to do so
4. A communication network
Devices that transmit information between the detector and the assessors and
between the assessors and the effectors

EBI should have at least these four elements to understand the potential for
transforming its business model.