Name: Nhu Tam Lam

Student ID: 3764884

A. Selected Topics 1 – Strategic and Competitive Priority

a. Since coming to Fredericton for month, a shop that I regularly visit is Walmart. There are

several factors, which from my opinion and own experiences, found about Walmart that

seems to be outstanding compared to its competitors in the same industry, such as

Sobeys, Atlantic Superstore, etc.:

- Same products, same quality, but lower prices, and more substitutions

o From my previous experiences with Walmart and Sobeys, as well as Atlantic

Superstore, I found that in general, Walmart seems to provide a low-price strategy

within its operations. I have compared products such as dairy, bakery, meats, etc.,

surprisingly most of them had prices lower than those of Sobeys’ or Atlantic’s.

This factor encourages the purchasing power of customers as customers’

behaviors are mostly driven from low price goods.

o Moreover, it was difficult for me to find substitutions of products I wanted in

Sobeys and Atlantic Superstores. I have always wanted to compare the prices and

preferred to choose ones that have the lowest price but with the same quality. I

then recognized Sobeys and Atlantic Superstore are strongly focus on selling

company’s specific brands (e.g., Compliments – Sobeys’ own brand name).

 Walmart is different since it does not provide any particular brands of its own, and

focus on all brands, giving customers more options to decide what to buy.

- Variety of products

o Walmart has wide range of products, from grocery to electronics, housing, health,

etc. Moreover, not only providing wide range of products, but Walmart also

provide services such as photo processing services, cellular service plan, etc. This

factor helps customers to purchase goods and services that meets their current

needs without traveling to different stores to buy different things.

b. My personal goal: Animal sanctuary and environmental projects

- Mission, vision, and values

o A small non-profit project, including a small group of graduates.

o With the desire to rescue animals, including wild animals, reduce the risk of

extinction, protect the ecosystem, raise community’s awareness, and save the

environment for all living species.

- Goal and objectives

o Constructing animal sanctuaries.

o Introducing environmental protection and planting trees projects.

o Operating environmental activities.

- Strategies
o Finance: raising funds and seeking revenue

o Events: through tickets selling sales, in return of introducing the

organization to supporters, community.

o Merchandise: this help the organization to be widely known in the

community since the products were purchased by some in your

community.

o Donations: politely introduce your project to potential donors, can be

through mail, phone, or in-person. Make sure to honors their names.

o Peer-to-peer fundraising: run, walk, cycling, etc. events.

o Marketing: requires a blend of online and offline strategies, along with consistent

communication and engagement with your audience.

o Define target audience: Identify the specific group of people and

community who are most likely to support your project. Make sure to

understand your audience's demographics (e.g., age, gender, location,

income, cultural, etc.), interests, and motivations (do they have their

personal story which might be contributed to their decision-making)

o Come up with a convinced story: Develop a clear and emotional narrative

that explains your non-profit's mission, goals, and the impact you aim to

achieve. This is a powerful tool for connecting with your audience on a

personal level.

o Create a strong online presence: including website, social media, email,

etc. This helps organization to share updates, engage with its audience,
 keep supporters informed about the project's progress, events, and

donation opportunities.

o Sponsorships: provide companies with an opportunity to showcase their

commitment to corporate social responsibility and enhance their reputation

with the public.

o Engage with supporters: Respond to comments, messages, and inquiries

promptly. Engage your supporters by acknowledging their contributions

and sharing their stories (with their consent).

o Measure and analyze: Use analytics tools to track the effectiveness of

organization’s marketing efforts. Assess which strategies are working and

adjust your approach accordingly.

o Tactics: since the objectives are (1) Constructing animal sanctuaries; (2)

Introducing environmental protection and planting trees projects, and (3)

Operating environmental activities, tactics that might be used are:

 Locations research: habitat suitability, roximity to animal populations in

need, etc.

 Fundraising campaigns: to have stable finance status to accomplish the

goal.

 Permission and legality: from the government to make sure the goal’s

process would happen legal and smoothly.

  Government advocacy: advocate for supportive environmental policies at

the local, regional, and national levels to facilitate tree planting and

conservation initiatives.

 Sustainable practices: promote sustainable land management practices to

ensure long-term survival and growth of planted trees.

 Monitoring and reporting: observing tree growth and survival rates and

share progress reports with stakeholders to maintain transparency.

 Community partnership: collaborate with local businesses, schools,

organizations, etc. to expand the reach and impact of the project’s

objectives towards the community.

c. Puma’s goals/mission statement: “Forever Faster is more than being quick. It is our

mantra. It is more than 70 years of fast products for fast athletes. We aim high, and when

we score our goals, we aim even higher. All to achieve one thing: to be the Fastest Sports

Brand in the World”.

Puma’s strategy/action plans: still in progress

1. Brand heat

- Utilize partnerships with athletes.

- Working with trend-inspired ambassadors to attract customers.

1. Product

- Focus on innovations, designs (e.g., eye-catching, innovative and commercial styles

shoes products)

2. Women
 - Puma believes that Women are their priority since they acknowledge that women not

only lead the way in incorporating sportswear into their daily fashion choices but are

also progressively engaging in sports and physical activities on a global scale.

3. Distribution

- Puma has consistently enhanced the efficiency of its distribution while

simultaneously extending its reach to significant sports performance and sport style

retailers worldwide.

4. Organization

- Puma is advancing in the ongoing improvement of its International Trading

Organization, which oversees global order and invoice processes centrally,

implementing a new product development system, enhancing to overall IT

infrastructure.

5. Sustainability

- Human rights are featured with an own target section in Puma’s strategy.

- Centered around creating maximum positive impact.

- Partnership with vendors to achieve common goals.

- Industry peers to joint efforts towards implementing good practices to create positive

impact.

- Sustainability team to continuously work on improving Puma’s sustainability

performance.

- Reducing injury rates to a significant status.

- Researching on wages level in major sourcing countries in order to provide a fair

income for workers.

6. Climate and environment

- Join forces on reducing plastic pollution.

- Implement existing science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

- Non-chemical using in the supply chain process.

- Use certified and trackable materials.

7. Circularity

- Provide recycling products.

d. Timbuk2’s competitive priority is widely known as "Customization". The company is

well-known for allowing customers to design and customize their bags (e.g. decide

fabrics and colors), including messenger bags, backpacks, and other accessories,

according to their preferences. Moreover, there is an on-going environmental project that

Timbuk2 has been working on, it includes (1) manufacture a collection of bags made

from recycled materials and create products that require less water, use fewer chemicals,

and to reduce emissions; (2) the R.R.R (Repair – Replace – Renew) with the hope to

repair broken bags as well as to donate those end-of-life bags to Apparel2Energy to

convert into clean energy that helps power cities; and (3) the “break up with your bag”

with the hope of drive customers to donate their usable and clean bags to local

organizations to give them a second life, in return of giving those customers a 20%

discount off any full priced Timbuk2 product.

e. Jiffy Lube case

What market niche does Jiffy Lube fill?

 - Market niche that Jiffy Lube fill is pioneered the fast oil change industry in the US in

1979 by establishing the first drive-through service bay, providing customers with fast

and professional maintenance service for their vehicles.

- Responsible for some of the major advances in automotive preventive maintenance

service.

- Introduced a window cling reminder sticker to help drivers keep track of their oil

change intervals.

- The company employs advanced computer technology to educate customers about

vehicle maintenance services and provides services that comply with manufacturers'

warranty requirements.

- The company is also renowned for its strong commitment to environmental

responsibility and community service. They collect used oil, re-refine, and use them

for industrial applications, such as concrete manufacturing, electricity generation and

heating asphalt to pave roads.

 This market niche is characterized by customers looking for quick and reliable service

without the need for a full-service auto repair shop.

What is its competitive priority?

- It is quick and convenient automotive maintenance services since the company

focuses on providing fast and hassle-free automotive maintenance, particularly oil

changes and related services, to its customers. This emphasis on speed and

convenience has been a key selling point for Jiffy Lube, making it a go-to choice for
 individuals seeking efficient and reliable solutions for their routine vehicle

maintenance needs.

B. Mini case

1. The market segment that WestJet originally competed it was “low-fare” carriers to

target short trips in Western Canada. As according to Beddoe, one of the founders of

WestJet, “the key to expanding the market and luring masses of people who don’t

travel and those who drive is to charge them bargain-basement fares”.

2. The competitive priority that WestJet originally had was “cost”. WestJet positioned

itself as a low-cost carrier, initially focus was on cost efficiency and providing

budget-friendly air travel, emphasizing “charge them bargain-basement fares” as a

primary strategy to attract customers “the key to expanding the market and luring

masses of people”. This approach set it apart from other competitors in the same

industry in Canada.

3. The advantages of each of the initial principles used by WestJet in 1996 to reduce its

operating costs:

- Short-distance flights: require less fuel, reduce wear and tear on aircraft, and allow

for quicker turnaround times at airports, leading to cost savings and higher aircraft

utilization.
- Single class of passengers (no first or business class): reduces operational complexity,

enables faster boarding, and maximizes the number of passengers on each flight,

increasing revenue potential.

- No seat assignment: simplifies the boarding process, quicker turnaround times and

operational efficiency.

- Use only one type of airplane: Boeing 737: simplifies maintenance, training, and

spare parts inventory, reduces complexity and costs associated with maintaining a

diverse fleet.

- Fly to smaller cities: lower airport fees, less congestion, and fewer delays compared

to major hubs, attract passengers who prefer convenience.

- Recruit young, enthusiastic employees with slightly lower salaries but profit-sharing

and share-purchase programs: Lower starting salaries help control labor costs, while

profit-sharing and share-purchase programs incentivize employees to contribute to the

company's success, giving motivation and receiving dedication.

- Emphasize a "fun and friendly culture" and empower employees: enhance employee

satisfaction, reduce turnover, and improve customer service, ultimately leading to

customer loyalty.

- Use paperless tickets: reduces printing and distribution costs and simplifies the check-

in process, improving operational efficiency.

- No connecting flights and no baggage transfer: simplifies logistics, reduces the risk of

lost baggage, which require the airline to take responsibility, and minimizes the need

for additional staff and infrastructure for connecting flights.

 - No frequent flyer program: reduces marketing costs, and the need for complex loyalty

reward systems.

4. By adhering to these principles and maintaining a focus on efficiency and cost

control, WestJet has been able to expand its services (flying medium- and long-

distance flights, assigning seats, using 3 types of airplanes, flying to big cities, having

connecting flights and baggage transfers, etc.) and grow while still offering

competitive pricing (low-fare) to its customers.

C. Selected Topics 2 – Demand Forecasting

a.

Sales
25

20
f(x) = 0.5 x + 16.3571428571429
15

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
b.

a. Linear trend equation y = 0,5x + 16,357

F9 = 0,5(9)+16,857 = 20,9

b. Formula for moving average: Ft = ∑actual demand in previous n periods/n

4-month moving average: F9 = (20+22+18+20)/4 = 20

c.

d.
 e. Formula for weighted average: Ft = ∑ (weight of period n) x (actual demand of period n)

c. Least appropriate method is the linear trend equation.

d. The use of the term sales rather than demand presumes that the product in this case

has been successfully marketed, and customers have made purchases. Since demand

only implies their needs but doesn't mean that they would decide to buy the products.

It means that there has been a presence of both potential interest or desire (demand)

and actual transactions (sales).

Reference links

https://www.academia.edu/3646490/Sobeys_vs_Walmart_Comparitive_strategic_analysis

https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/nonprofit-revenue-streams

https://about.puma.com/en/this-is-puma/our-mission

https://about.puma.com/en/sustainability/our-targets