Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Communication
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information
Supplement to case SCG534. Students engage in a high-stakes seed stage investment negotiation between Empire Ventures, a leading venture capital firm, and Rebel Technologies, a cutting-edge virtual reality game developer. The parties must quickly hash out the size of the investment, board composition, founder vesting provisions and other issues or risk falling behind in a fast-moving marketplace. This document contains general information and coonfidential information and instructions for Emperor Ventures.
Authors :: Scott Lenet, Laju Obasaju, Selina Troesch
Swot Analysis of "Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information" written by Scott Lenet, Laju Obasaju, Selina Troesch includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Emperor Rebel facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Venture capital and Communication.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information casestudy better are - – increasing energy prices, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is backlash against globalization, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, technology disruption, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs,
increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Emperor Rebel, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Emperor Rebel operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Emperor Rebel
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Communication field.
4. Making a Communication topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Emperor Rebel
Strengths Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Emperor Rebel in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Emperor Rebel has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Emperor Rebel to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Emperor Rebel in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Digital Transformation in Communication segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Emperor Rebel digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Emperor Rebel has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Organizational Resilience of Emperor Rebel
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Emperor Rebel does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Ability to lead change in Communication field
– Emperor Rebel is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Emperor Rebel in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Innovation driven organization
– Emperor Rebel is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Training and development
– Emperor Rebel has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Diverse revenue streams
– Emperor Rebel is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Emperor Rebel has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Emperor Rebel is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Emperor Rebel has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Emperor Rebel has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Weaknesses Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Communication strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Emperor Rebel is planning to shift buying processes online.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Scott Lenet, Laju Obasaju, Selina Troesch suggests that, Emperor Rebel is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information, in the dynamic environment Emperor Rebel has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Emperor Rebel has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Lack of clear differentiation of Emperor Rebel products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Emperor Rebel needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Emperor Rebel is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Communication segment. Emperor Rebel needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Emperor Rebel to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Emperor Rebel, firm in the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Emperor Rebel has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Emperor Rebel has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information, it seems that the employees of Emperor Rebel don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Emperor Rebel 's lucrative customers.
Opportunities Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information are -
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Communication industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Emperor Rebel can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Emperor Rebel to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Emperor Rebel to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Emperor Rebel can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Emperor Rebel can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Emperor Rebel operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Communication sector.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Emperor Rebel has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Emperor Rebel to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Emperor Rebel to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Emperor Rebel can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Communication segment.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Emperor Rebel in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Communication segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Emperor Rebel can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Developing new processes and practices
– Emperor Rebel can develop new processes and procedures in Communication industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Emperor Rebel can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Emperor Rebel to increase its market reach. Emperor Rebel will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Communication industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Emperor Rebel can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Emperor Rebel can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Threats Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information are -
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Emperor Rebel with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Emperor Rebel is facing in Communication sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Emperor Rebel can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
Backlash against dominant players
– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Emperor Rebel business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Emperor Rebel in the Communication sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Emperor Rebel in the Communication industry. The Communication industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information, Emperor Rebel may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Communication .
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Emperor Rebel needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Communication industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Emperor Rebel needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Emperor Rebel can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Communication industry.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Emperor Rebel demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Capital market disruption
– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Emperor Rebel.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Rebel Technologies Series Seed Negotiation: Emperor Information is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Emperor Rebel needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.