Introduction and Problem Statement
Weight Watchers has faced a number of issues in the past several years, many of which are highlighted in the case study for this assignment. The company was able to reach a financial high point earlier this decade in 2011 when it recorded a record breaking 1.8 billion in revenues. However, the company’s finances have slowly dwindled ever since then, culminating in losses for seven straight quarters and low stock prices at the beginning of 2015. The core of the problems it was facing were relatively straightforward. The weight loss industry was changing, and Weight Watchers was having difficult changing along with it. Specifically, the company had troubles modernizing its business model to account for the digital age as represented by increasing online options for weight loss. This fact was compounded by the reality that there was greater competition, including that from organizations whose primary business was to capitalize on digital technology to attract customers. Technologies such as mobile devices, mobile applications, cloud computing, and social media had made considerable strides in the way that people were monitoring and attempting to lose weight. Weight Watchers, however, had had only marginal success using these technologies, and faced the undesirable situation in which its methods were becoming rapidly outdated.
Financial Analysis: Vision/Mission
The vision of Weight Watchers has always been fairly basic in nature. The company
The third issue for Trader Joe’s is their lack of social media presence. Trader Joe’s from their beginning has used a customer newsletter and occasional radio ads in order to promote their brand, and these advertising methods have not changed with the introduction and prevalence of social media. Many brands nowadays are seeking to gain a competitive advantage over the
Background: Publix is a supermarket chain that opened its doors in 1930. A huge characteristic of the store is that it has always cared about their customers. The founder, George W. Jenkins stressed customer service and quality when he first opened and these values hold true to this day. These values paid-off as Jenkins was able to open over five stores during the Great Depression. Jenkins was ahead of his time (http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/publix-super-markets-inc-history/). “It is no stranger to social media with at least 2.7 million fans combined across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram and it sets the standard for what customer-company interaction on social media should look like; much when you walk into a Publix Store” (Matthews, 2015).
In 2010, Big Skinny CEO Kiril Alexandrov was looking to transcend from retail distribution and print advertising to the world of online marketing to achieve maximum growth. The retail sales pitch was an easy one, as Alexandrov focused on the value of the wallet and the impulsiveness of consumers (Benjamin & Kominers, 2012). Unfortunately, translating this type of sales pitch was much harder to do in the world of cyberspace.
The purpose of this analysis is to inform the board of team Risky Business’ strategic proposal related to Target Corporation’s Health & Wellness category. Target is already a multi-million dollar company, but after analyzing the company, our team has come up with a few strategic recommendations to aid in the continued success of Target. We have found that Target strives to combine top of the line innovation, excellent customer service, and unparallel value at attractive prices to customers using their Expect More. Pay Less® brand promise. The Target Corporation
We are successfully utilizing social media as a powerful way to gain positive exposure and connect with our internet-savvy customers in a global and local level. We rely heavily in word-of-mouth advocacy”. (John Mackey, 2012)
Purchasing decisions made by customers regarding weight management is biased and can easily be affected by many different things. Weight Watchers’ competition is anything that is perceived to be more effective or a more favorable weight management system. This industry is contingent on the customer demands, based on the popular appeal of the latest and greatest programs.
Weight Watchers is facing the issue of increased competition and cost concerns with a large majority of the population impacted in some fashion by the economic downturn. In addition they have to overcome the stigma of being viewed as the
The final stage of the digital diet is to vitalize. Once again in this section Sieberg stresses the importance of balance, “The success of this process comes down to you – make balance a priority, and the rewards will manifest” (Sieberg 1687). This section really focuses on how the readers can take what they have learned from the past three stages and apply them to every day life. He discusses how it is important to understand how technology plays a role in your life, how it enhances it and diminishes your every day life and why you are using it. Thinking about these things will allow you to make better decisions regarding your use of technology.
Weight Watchers is an excellent program to aid in weight loss and healthy eating. It is an easy, healthy, and effective method for losing weight and eating correctly. Weight Watchers has based their program on a point system, making it easy to follow by counting points assigned to foods. It promotes healthy eating habits by regulating serving sizes, which are set by the United States Department of Agriculture. In addition to promoting healthy eating habits, it offers support for people who might need it. The support, along with the eating plan, helps dieters lose weight and eat healthy.
We believe that the company should restructure its online marketing strategy, by a) building a strong identity on social media; b) turning existing customers into brand advocates; c) designing a better website and d) streamlining paid inclusion.
In business, a solution to a problem must have a significant impact, for the customer or the organization; otherwise it may not be worth perusing. Currently professional development, hiring an accountant and implementing social media into the organization of Precision Chem-Dry have been assessed to determine if the risks are worth the reward, but the impacts of those solutions on the organization and its clients must still be examined to determine if they are worth perusing. When assessing the impacts of these solutions there are two factors that should be considered, why should Precision Chem-Dry’s owners care about implementing theses solutions and perhaps more importantly, what impact does each solution have on its mangers, employees and customers?
The Weight Watchers advertisement, “All You Can Eat,” expresses the view that the food industry has taken control of people’s eating habits, and it encourages the audience that, with the help of Weight Watchers, they can take back control.
4. How would you use Dell’s social media experience to rebrand the company, as Michael Dell wants to do?
Whole Foods Market began in 1970 as a local supermarket. Over the past 31 years, Whole Foods Market has grown from a single store in Austin, Texas, to becoming one of the worldwide leaders in providing consumers with natural and organic foods. They have grown to over 300 stores in both North America and the United Kingdom. (Whole Foods Market, Inc., 2011) This report examines the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market has put into place. Also, it uses past financial data to provide an assessment of the condition of the company going forward. Those assessments include recommendations of future actions, along with concerns I have about the way the company is currently operating and some difficulties that may be on the way.
McDonald’s can use the power of social media to interact with its consumers to understand their grievances. Perhaps the negative publicity that the company has received is due to lack of proper interaction with the customers (Selcke, 2012). Through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the company can enlighten the public on the quantity of calories that is present in every food item. Millions of McDonald’s customers can be reached via Facebook and Twitter. The company should use its Facebook pages to apologize for any bad decisions, set the record straight, and even seek advice from its consumers to enhance positive publicity (Selcke, 2012).