Ch. 10 Organizational Alignment: Managing the Total Enterprise – Blog 2
The business life cycle is discussed on pages 614 and 315. It’s interesting how, in each stage, the strategies for maintaining and growing a business change. What’s even more fascinating is that it appears that the most prominent change occurs during the maturity cycle. One would think that once a company has reached maturity that it would continue to maintain its success, but instead this is the time when a company lets go of old ways of doing things and seeks renewal. In the Abercrombie & Fitch example, the company experienced an about-face by changing their target audience. Given that the death cycle can occur in any phase, companies in the maturity cycle are no more immune to failure than those in the birth cycle. Although the Abercrombie & Fitch story is listed as a success story, there have been recent complaints that their advertising exploits young adults and is too provocative for its target audience. Even successful companies in the maturity cycle, such as Abercrombie and Fitch, must still continue to evaluate themselves and how they communicate to the outside world.
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2 comments:
It's interesting to see what organizational alignment is about. I also liked how you used the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing store as an example. I had no idea that it was assumed that there advertisements were targeting young people. Now, that I realize, I can see how that makes sence. I have walked into that store a couple of times, but I always felt a little out of place, because not only did the employees "look" a certain way, but the ads that they have up on the walls seemed to attract a certain audience. I don't have ANYTHING againts Abercrombie and Fitch, but I do feel that they only attract a ceratin type of audience/shoppers. Maybe that's what the company wants to do, atrract young thin people.
It does make sense that once a company reaches the maturity cycle there is a need for change because although the old ways were successful without change their is nothing new for people. People tend to get tired of seeing the same thing and eventually will move on. I have noticed change with the radio station wild 94.9 subtly I have noticed new genre of songs are played, there are new radio personalities and the old is never talked about. I don't know if these subtle changes will bring about the response they are looking for but so far I ahve not liked the changes.
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