Strategy and Creativity
Order Description
You will work in groups to analyse a company and its operating environment making use of creativity and strategy tools to develop scenarios and strategic options for the company and decide upon the most appropriate. The individual report will outline the outcomes of this process and justify the choices made supported by a rigorous analysis. This process enables you to work with the tools and frameworks that form the basis of good strategic thinking.

Threshold standards:

• Deliver a report in which you identify a range of plausible strategic options supported by ideas and techniques drawn from academic theory and analysis

• Select and justify an appropriate solution from a range of alternatives using ideas and techniques drawn from strategy and creativity

Report scenario:

You are a company that is entering the Bookselling industry. As a new entrant you should decide upon which sector within the industry will enter. You should decide upon which strategic position you will adopt and what your value proposition should be.
You should use creativity tools and frameworks to help you to develop a business model that will enable you to compete.
As a new entrant you will not be able to rely on economies of scale or on brand strength. You will therefore be expected to develop a business model that relies on differentiation.
Your analysis of the industry will enable you to examine potential areas of differentiation and to identify the likely areas where competition is most fierce. Even within these areas there may be a possibility to develop a business model that allows entry.
You may not suggest a partnership with an establish player in the industry.
Your analysis of the company will be limited to the development of a business model, strategic position and value proposition.

Make sure that you understand what you are being assessed on. This is shown in the marking criteria.