Chapter 5. Business Marketing
Vignette: Fifteen air carriers come together to offer travelers an integrated flying program with a variety of flying options. Star Alliance aims to create many benefits for business travelers and other flying customers.
Featured URL: http://www.star-alliance.com
Strategic Alliances
Strategic alliances and partnerships are, as you have read in Chapter Five, "key to the future for businesses of all sizes and in every industry worldwide". This can be something as simple as sharing restaurant space such as the partnerships enjoyed by Tim Hortons and Harvey's or as complex as multiple partnerships which are reflected in Star Alliance and multiple air carriers. Critical partnerships share resources and draw on collective expertise in order to advance their mutual businesses. You will find it helpful to refer to the six tips for making an alliance successful found in this chapter.
Activity
Visit the Cisco Systems Strategic Alliances web page - http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/756/partnership/
Thirteen alliances are profiled:
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Investigate two of these further and give evidence for the success of these alliances. What can each of these companies bring to the partnership to forward the success of both?
Resources
Article: Do You Really Have an Alliance Strategy? by Benjamin Gomes-Casseres - http://www.alliancestrategy.com/MainPages/Publications/SandL.shtml
Article: Bid Blue: eBay partners with IBM by Bryce G.
Hoffman -
http://mag.recapit.com/article.asp?category=deals&url=IBM-eBay.htm
Article: She's the Real (Internet) Deal - Fast Company writer, by Cheryl Dahle profiles dealmaker Larraine Segil - http://www.fastcompany.com/online/40/ideazone.html
Instructors: Optional Activities
As with all of the Web exercises, the exercise for Chapter Five can be used as suggested or certain parts can be adapted to better suit your student population. You will want to estimate how much time is required to complete any part or all of the parts. It will be helpful to give students a suggested time frame for completing their assignments. It will also help to determine how much credit might be given for the assignment.
1. Partnerships
Read the article, "Do You Really Have an Alliance Strategy?". Based on what you read here of the failures and success of alliances, create a description of two companies that could make a successful merger. What factors lead you to believe this will be a success? Are there any risks involved? How can these companies avoid failure in their partnership?
2. eBay and IBM
Read the article, "Bid Blue: eBay Partners with IBM". Find another article on the Web that discusses this alliance or another alliance between IBM and another corporation. LIst the advantages and disadvantages of these two alliances.
3. The Dealmaker
Read the article "She's the Real (Internet) Deal". Based on your reading of this and your visit to Segil's website, discuss why you think she is successful in dealmaking. Can you find another dealmaker on the Web?