Head ski case essay

1 ) The best signals to assess if Head Ski had the competitive benefit in the snowboarding industry should be to look at earnings ratios and compare them to competitors, that will allow all of us to assess whether Head Ski has endowed profits. The best ratios to think about are: go back on assets, return on sales when compared with other snowboard companies that sell high-priced skies, and return upon equity, coupled with numbers that show just how much Head Ski is loaned by debts.

Looking at net margin as compared to competitors will also be useful. If they may have the highest net margin as compared to competitors, than they have the most competitive edge.

2 . Head Ski efficiently matched buyers demand for top quality metal skiing for which consumers were willing to pay premium (as reflected by simply industry trends), with Mind Ski capacity to create difference by generating ski with superior features and quality. The skies were distributed primarily by experienced specialised retailer in the ski niche shops, which reflected developing customer inclination to buy skies in snowboarding specialty retailers.

Head snowboarding used differentiation strategy by making use of strategy centered on superior product quality, and focusing on exceptional service, and prestigious premium quality image. Mind Ski create a new steel ski practically 5 years before the launch of next competitive product, by implementing its outstanding R&D and creating air that were radically different in design than anything before. Head skies had exclusive product features (durable and long lasting, dependable: did not break, and exceptional performance (turning, tracking, traversing), which were better than other companies for which buyers were willing to pay more, costly to imitate (Head ski introduced several considerable upgrades for the product line through the years and did not hesitate to recall defective product), and organized to be exploited (VRIO).

In spite of the difficulty of organizing intricate ski manufacturing process, Head ski designed many processes from scratch, bettered them, and deployed manufacturing cost efficiencies when feasible (laminating press). It applied effective compensation reward program that consisted ofraises depending on seniority, worth reviews and profit sharing plan. Because of this, attempts to unionize Mind ski grow have been regularly rejected.

Top quality in service: Head ski was known for extraordinary service complete its skiing dealer organizations and viewed them always be the most important asset. 85% of Mind skis had been sold through carefully picked high quality skiing specialty retailers, where sales staff was highly experienced. Dealers were expected to assistance Head air, and for even more comprehensive fixes, skies had been sent back towards the Head skiing factory, wherever skies had been repaired under 3 weeks. This level of after-sale service was superior to competition, unique to Head ski, consumers valued this, and had been willing to pay more for it. It was organized being exploited however, not very costly to imitate, because others can set up identical service (VRO).

Shaping awareness through marketing(Superior to competition): 85% of Head air were marketed through thoroughly chosen high quality ski outlets, with experienced and knowledgeable sales staff, as part of web marketing strategy. This strategy helped to form the awareness of Mind ski staying superior in quality as well as the choice snowboarding for experienced and knowledgeable skiers. This kind of reflected buyer needs because ski product sales through specialty outlets stores grew more quickly than through other retailers. In addition , Head ski set up itself as an important factor in ski auto racing world, as “one third of top ten places on all ski racing occasions were in Head skies), thus adding legitimacy towards the product and adding to the value of its company. Moreover, customers were able to check the product just before purchasing that, by renting skies.

Snowboarding rental strategy was the best approach to present new customers towards the “ease if perhaps Head ski. This included soft-sale approach that counted on word of mouth marketing was one of a kind to Head snowboard, valuable to the consumer, costly to imitate as it essential integration of complex interactions, and well-organized to be exploited (VRIO). 3. The uniqueness of Head ski includes a sustainable competitive advantage could be sustained. Brain Ski is aware of its clients requirements and preferences and creates a exclusive product that customers benefit and are offering more to get.

Sources of Brain Ski competitive advantage happen to be sustainable, hard to duplicate, and hard and expensive to imitate. Head ski a new long great culture dedicated to quality and attention to details that grew out in the event that its gumptiouspioneering, up-and-coming history. It is difficult to replicate such special, integrated approach that involves “service, dealer relations, product quality, style, advertising. Attempts to imitate Brain ski technique would likely are unsuccessful because of the difficulty of replicating every aspect of the strategy, followed by integrating all of them in the right way.

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