{"id":23250,"date":"2022-01-06T06:45:17","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T06:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/case-study-geek-squad-a-new-business-for-a-new-environment\/"},"modified":"2022-01-06T06:45:17","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T06:45:17","slug":"case-study-geek-squad-a-new-business-for-a-new-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/case-study-geek-squad-a-new-business-for-a-new-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Case study &#8220;geek squad: a new business for a new environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Watch<\/span>\u00a0the video case study &#8220;Geek Squad: A New Business for a New Environment.&#8221; &#8211;\u00a0<span>please see below link for video &#8211;\u00a0http:\/\/highered.mheducation.com\/sites\/0077861035\/student_view0\/chapter3\/video_cases.html<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Read<\/span>\u00a0the case study discussion on pp. 88-89 of the\u00a0<em>Marketing<\/em>\u00a0text. Keep this case study in mind as you complete this assignment. \u00a0&#8211;<span>please see attached document for case study<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Write<\/span>\u00a0a 1,050-word report using your company or one with which you are familiar (if you prefer, your facilitator can assign one to you). Answer the following questions for your chosen organization. &#8211;\u00a0<span>COMPANY I WOULD LIKE TO USE IS NIKE OR APPLE YOU CAN PICK<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain what the specific key environmental forces are that created an opportunity for your company.<\/li>\n<li>Identify if there have been changes in the purchasing patterns of your organization&#8217;s target market in recent years.<\/li>\n<li>Conduct an environmental scan for your chosen company to identify key trends.\u00a0 For each of the five environmental forces (social, economic, technological, competitive, and regulatory), identify trends likely to influence your company&#8217;s marketing efforts and product offering in the future.<\/li>\n<li>Explain what differentiation strategy your company should undertake to encourage their target market to choose them over other competitors.<\/li>\n<li>Analyze what lessons you might learn from the Geek Squad case study.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Include\u00a0<\/span>at least three references, at least one of which must come from the University Library.<\/p>\n<p><span>Format<\/span>\u00a0your paper consistent with APA guidelines.<\/p>\n<p><span>Click\u00a0<\/span>the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>THE COMPANY The Geek Squad story begins when Stephens, a native of Chicago,<\/span><br \/><span>passed up an Art Institute scholarship to pursue a degree in computer science. While<\/span><br \/><span>Stephens was a computer science student he took a job fixing computers for a research<\/span><br \/><span>laboratory, and he also started consulting. He could repair televisions, computers, and a<\/span><br \/><span>variety of other items, although he decided to focus on computers. His experiences as a<\/span><br \/><span>consultant led him to realize that most people needed help with technology and that<\/span><br \/><span>they saw value in a service whose employees would show up at a specified time, be<\/span><br \/><span>friendly, use understandable language, and solve the problem. So, with just $200,<\/span><br \/><span>Stephens formed Geek Squad in 1994. Geek Squad set out to provide timely and<\/span><br \/><span>effective help with all computing needs regardless of the make, model, or place of<\/span><br \/><span>purchase. Geek Squad employees were called \u201cagents\u201d and wore uniforms consisting of<\/span><br \/><span>black pants or skirts, black shoes, white shirts, black clip-on ties, a badge, and a black<\/span><br \/><span>jacket with a Geek Squad logo to create a \u201chumble\u201d attitude that was not threatening to<\/span><br \/><span>customers. Agents drove black-and-white Volkswagen Beetles, or Geekmobiles, with a<\/span><br \/><span>logo on the door, and charged fixed prices for services, regardless of how much time<\/span><br \/><span>was required to provide the service. The \u201chouse call\u201d services ranged from installing<\/span><br \/><span>networks, to debugging a computer, to setting up an entertainment system, and cost<\/span><br \/><span>from $100 to $300. \u201cWe\u2019re like \u2018Dragnet\u2019; we show up at people\u2019s homes and help,\u201d<\/span><br \/><span>Stephens says. \u201cWe\u2019re also like Ghostbusters and there\u2019s a pseudogovernment feel to it<\/span><br \/><span>like Men in Black\u201d In 2002, Geek Squad was purchased by leading consumer electronics<\/span><br \/><span>retailer Best Buy for about $3 million. Best Buy had observed very high return rates for<\/span><br \/><span>most of its complex products. Shoppers would be excited about new products, purchase<\/span><br \/><span>them and take them home, get frustrated trying to make them actually work, and then<\/span><br \/><span>return them to the store demanding a refund. In fact, Best Buy research revealed that<\/span><br \/><span>consumers were beginning to see service as a critical element of the purchase. The<\/span><br \/><span>partnership was an excellent match. Best Buy consumers welcomed the help. Stephens<\/span><br \/><span>became Geek Squad\u2019s chief inspector and a Best Buy vice president and began putting<\/span><br \/><span>a Geek Squad \u201cprecinct\u201d in every Best Buy store, creating some stand-alone Geek<\/span><br \/><span>Squad Stores, and providing 24-hour telephone support. There are now more than<\/span><br \/><span>20,000 agents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and China, and return<\/span><br \/><span>rates have declined by 25 to 35 percent. Geek Squad service plans are also being sold<\/span><br \/><span>on eBay and in some Target stores. The Geek Squad website proclaims that the<\/span><br \/><span>company is \u201cServing the Public, Policing Technology and Protecting the World.\u201d THE<\/span><br \/><span>CHANGING ENVIRONMENT Many changes in the environment occurred to create the<\/span><br \/><span>need for Geek Squad\u2019s services. Future changes are also likely to change the way Geek<\/span><br \/><span>Squad operates. An environmental scan helps illustrate the changes. The most obvious<\/span><br \/><span>changes may be related to technology. Wireless broadband technology, high-definition<\/span><br \/><span>televisions, products with Internet interfaces, and a general trend toward computers,<\/span><br \/><span>smartphones, entertainment systems, and even appliances being interconnected are<\/span><br \/><span>just a few examples of new products and applications for consumers to learn about.<\/span><br \/><span>There are also technology-related problems such as viruses, spyware, lost data, and<\/span><br \/><span>\u201ccrashed\u201d or inoperable computers. New technologies have also created a demand for<\/span><br \/><span>new types of maintenance such as password management, operating system updates,<\/span><br \/><span>disk cleanup, and \u201cdefragging.\u201d Page 89 Another environmental change that contributes<\/span><br \/><span>to the popularity of Geek Squad is the change in social factors such as demographics<\/span><br \/><span>and culture. In the past many electronics manufacturers and retailers focused primarily<\/span><br \/><span>on men. Women, however, are becoming increasingly interested in personal computing<\/span><br \/><span>and home entertainment and, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, are<\/span><br \/><span>likely to outspend men in the near future. Best Buy\u2019s consumer research indicates that women expect personal service during the purchase as well as during the installation<\/span><br \/><span>after the purchase\u2014exactly the service Geek Squad is designed to provide. Our culture<\/span><br \/><span>is also embracing the Geek Squad concept. For example, in the recently discontinued<\/span><br \/><span>television series Chuck (2007\u20132012), one of the characters worked for the \u201cNerd Herd\u201d<\/span><br \/><span>at \u201cBuy More\u201d and drove a car like a Geekmobile on service calls! Competition,<\/span><br \/><span>economics, and the regulatory environment have also had a big influence on Geek<\/span><br \/><span>Squad. As discount stores such as Walmart and PC makers such as Dell began to<\/span><br \/><span>compete with Best Buy, new services such as inhome installation were needed to create<\/span><br \/><span>value for customers. Now, just as change in competition created an opportunity for<\/span><br \/><span>Geek Squad, it is also leading to another level of competition as Staples has introduced<\/span><br \/><span>EasyTech services and Office Depot has introduced Tech Depot services. The economic<\/span><br \/><span>situation for electronics continues to improve as prices decline and demand increases.<\/span><br \/><span>Consumers purchased 2 million 3D TVs in 2010, and sales of all consumer electronics<\/span><br \/><span>exceeded $180 billion. Finally, the regulatory environment continues to change with<\/span><br \/><span>respect to the electronic transfer of copyrighted materials such as music and movies<\/span><br \/><span>and software. Geek Squad must monitor the changes to ensure that its services comply<\/span><br \/><span>with relevant laws. THE FUTURE FOR GEEK SQUAD The combination of many positive<\/span><br \/><span>environmental factors helps explain the extraordinary success of Geek Squad. Today, it<\/span><br \/><span>repairs more than 3,000 PCs a day and generates more than $2 billion in revenue.<\/span><br \/><span>Because Geek Squad services have a high profit margin they contribute to the overall<\/span><br \/><span>performance of Best Buy, and they help generate traffic in the store and create store<\/span><br \/><span>loyalty. To continue to grow, however, Geek Squad will need to continue to scan the<\/span><br \/><span>environment and try new approaches to creating customer value. One possible new<\/span><br \/><span>approach is to create new partnerships. Geek Squad and Ford, for example, have<\/span><br \/><span>developed a partnership to help consumers install in-car communication systems. In the<\/span><br \/><span>future, Best Buy will offer 240-volt home charging stations for Ford\u2019s electric vehicle, the<\/span><br \/><span>Focus. Geek Squad will offer electrical audits and residential installations for the car<\/span><br \/><span>owners. Geek Squad is also using new technology to improve. Agents now use a<\/span><br \/><span>smartphone to access updated schedules, log in their hours, and run diagnostics tests<\/span><br \/><span>on clients\u2019 equipment. Best Buy is also testing a \u201cSolutions Central\u201d desk, similar to the<\/span><br \/><span>Genius Bar concept in Apple stores, and staffing it with Geek Squad agents. Finally, to<\/span><br \/><span>attract the best possible employees, Geek Squad and Best Buy are trying a \u201cresults-only<\/span><br \/><span>work environment\u201d that has no fixed schedules and no mandatory meetings. By<\/span><br \/><span>encouraging employees to make their own work-life decisions, the Geek Squad hopes to<\/span><br \/><span>keep morale and productivity high. Other changes and opportunities are certain to<\/span><br \/><span>appear soon. However, despite the success of the Geek Squad and the potential for<\/span><br \/><span>additional growth, Robert Stephens is modest and claims, \u201cGeeks may inherit the Earth,<\/span><br \/><span>but they have no desire to rule it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 Watch\u00a0the video case study &#8220;Geek Squad: A New Business for a New Environment.&#8221; &#8211;\u00a0please see below link for video &#8211;\u00a0http:\/\/highered.mheducation.com\/sites\/0077861035\/student_view0\/chapter3\/video_cases.html Read\u00a0the case study discussion on pp. 88-89 of the\u00a0Marketing\u00a0text. Keep this case study in mind as you complete this assignment. \u00a0&#8211;please see attached document for case study Write\u00a0a 1,050-word report using your company or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23250\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}