Developing Business Strategies Hardcover - 2001 - 6th Edition

In the 1930s, Sears and Montgomery Ward were approximately equal in sales, profits, capability, and potential.

This powerful, revised edition of David Aaker's enduring classic helps managers institute long-term business. Presenting a new chapter on strategic positioning, which places a face to the business strategy for customers and for employees, Aaker shows how it can play a powerful role in crystallizing and clarifying strategy, driving strategic initiatives, guiding communication strategy, and supporting the organizational structure.

This book provides a framework for looking outside the business to sense changes, trends, threats, and opportunities, and to analyze these conditions to develop strategic options. A set of agendas helps start the process, which is supported by a summary flow diagram and planning forms. Plus, new and updated sections on topics such as knowledge management, downstream business models, brand extensions, illusionary synergy, global leadership, creative thinking, and more round out the book.

Crucial to the success of any long-term strategy is the development of sustainable competitive advantages built from organizational assets and competencies. Aaker presents methods and concepts for identifying these advantages and making them the centerpiece of successful methods of branding, advertising, distribution, manufacturing, and finance.

This book also helps organizations select investment levels and chart growth directions for existing business areas as well as alternative growth directions, including market penetration, product expansion, market expansion, diversification, and more. Using methods such as strategic uncertainties, portfolio models, and scenario analysis, managers will learn to evaluate numerous investment alternatives.

Aaker explains how an organization's structure, systems, people, and culture contribute to the successful implementation of a strategy. He also describes how to implement a dynamic strategy that responds to changing conditions, how to use alliances to gain strategic advantage, and how to implement strategies when markets are hostile or declining or when competition is global in scope.

Completely revised with new examples from business-to-business to the Internet-related arena, Developing Business Strategies, Sixth Edition is a virtually inexhaustible resource for managers at all levels, as well as small business owners and managers.