Week 5 Assignment: Dealing with Competition

Read the following passage. Answer the questions below using research to support your answers, thoughts, opinions.

Your submission should be in APA formatting, one-inch margins, double-spaced, appropriate headings, include a title page and a reference page, including in-text citations.
There is no page count requirement. However, your work should be indicative of a college student. Typically, each answer is one to two paragraphs long.
References should include at least one source from a business journal or business magazine (ex: Harvard Business Journal)

        You are an executive at Pepsi, and youve just made what feels like a great decision. For many years, various health and childrens groups have been calling for reductions of high-calorie and high-fat foods in US schools. Even if schools provided nutritious, fresh, and healthy food, they argued that it was no competition for the salty and sugary treats available in vending machines. These groups even had the first lady, Michelle Obama, leading a nationwide campaign.

        In response to these campaigns, youve made a monumental decision, the first by any soft-drink producerto remove full-calorie beverages from all schools in over 200 countries by 2012. Your decision is being hailed by numerous organizations, from the World Heart Federation and the American Heart Association to the William J. Clinton Foundation. Not only do they credit your company for taking an important first step in the fight against childhood obesity, but they also celebrate your willingness to take initiative instead of waiting for government regulations.

        Some of your colleagues, however, are not in a celebratory mood. Though your company has received some great publicity, theyve read numerous reports that Coca-Cola will take a different course. While all soft-drink producers agreed not to sell full-calorie products in primary or elementary schools, Coca-Cola recently revised its sales policy to allow sales in schools if parents or school officials request it. What is more, Coca-Cola has decided that it will continue to sell full-calorie beverages to secondary schools as they argue that parents and school officials should have the right to choose what is best for their schools.

          Your colleagues worry that Coca-Colas policy could give them a huge competitive advantage. Even though Pepsi will still have a presence in primary and secondary schools, their offerings will be limited to low-calorie diet drinks, bottled water, low-fat milk, and juice with no added sugar. These products may have to compete with Coca-Colas lineup of full-calorie, sugar-loaded drinks. There doesnt seem to be much doubt about what the students will choose. After all, if students opted for diet drinks or water in the first place, the sale of full-calorie drinks would not have turned into a public health issue.

          Your colleagues fear that Pepsis commitment to public health will give Coca-Cola an insurmountable competitive edge. So one business day, a group of colleagues come to your office. Youre the one that came up with this great plan, they say, how are we going to respond?

Reference

McKay, B. (2010, March 8). Soft-drink sales drop in schools, group says. The Wall Street Journal. B3.

McKay, B. (2010, March 17). Pepsi says no to soda sales at schools. The Wall Street Journal. D3.

Questions

Using Porters five industry forces and research, map the soft-drink industry.
What are the risks and opportunities of the strategies followed by Pepsi and those of Coca-Cola?
How would you respond to Coca-Colas change in sales policy? How would you assure Pepsis board of directors that this response will allow you to remain competitive and profitable?