ABSTRACT

'Tales from the Marketplace: Stories of Revolution, Reinvention and Renewal' is a highly innovative approach to building an understanding of the realities of market-led strategic change in companies. It provides an engaging, honest, and effective understanding of real market strategy in major organizations by focussing on the forces behind value-driven strategy.

Nigel Piercy provides new and incisive insights into strategy and marketing through business "stories" that are contemporary and provocative. These new "stories" depict how major organizations have experienced revolution in their traditional markets - created by new types of competitors with new business models. The search for superior value is overtaking traditional brand and relationship strategies. The challenge to companies is reinvention and renewal and the alternative is obsolescence and decline. After all, did the major banks really expect to be competing with supermarkets, car companies, Virgin and internet-based companies to provide retail bank services?

The book is based on the author's view that:

· Business is exciting, turbulent and unpredictable - the "stories" we read and study should be too!
· From Dell Computers and easyJet to Amazon.com and Skoda Cars, it is the most innovative companies that have most to teach us about reinvention and new business models
· The inflexible analytical frameworks of the past no longer apply - "stories" of reinvention and renewal show the creative strategies developed by companies to cope with threats and exploit opportunities around them.

'Tales from the Marketplace' is essential, timely and designed to be highly readable for managers. It also provides an innovative approach for undergraduate and MBA level teachers and students, and for participants on executive programmes in marketing and strategic management.

part |33 pages

Stories and Strategies

chapter Chapter 1|6 pages

Why a book of stories for managers?

chapter Chapter 2|25 pages

A new era of market-based strategy *

part |144 pages

Stories of Revolution and Reinvention

chapter Chapter 3|22 pages

British Airways

The next generation? *

chapter Chapter 4|19 pages

Dell Computers *

The Dell direct business model

chapter Chapter 5|28 pages

New marketing channels

E-commerce, E-fficiency and E-volution? *

chapter Chapter 6|16 pages

Reinventing the airline business *

If you want dinner, go to a restaurant!

chapter Chapter 7|24 pages

Treasure Island *

Paradoxes in supermarket and car pricing

chapter Chapter 8|16 pages

BT International *

The global adventure

chapter Chapter 9|16 pages

Retail banks *

The global adventure

part |113 pages

Stories of Obsolescence and Renewal

chapter Chapter 10|20 pages

M&S

Has Marks lost its Sparks? *

chapter Chapter 11|11 pages

Skoda Cars *

So, who's the joke on now?

chapter Chapter 12|19 pages

The Body Shop *

chapter Chapter 13|10 pages

Kellogg's Cornflakes *

Brand versus value?

chapter Chapter 14|15 pages

Laura Ashley *

The Frocky Horror Picture Show

chapter Chapter 15|13 pages

Boots the Chemists *

Vanity, value and vision

chapter Chapter 16|22 pages

WH Smith and John Menzies*

Revolution and renewal on the high street

part |59 pages

Reflections on the Stories

chapter Chapter 17|53 pages

Commentaries

chapter Chapter 18|4 pages

Final thoughts … for now