Page 11 - SCS May 2018 - Day 2 Tasks

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (E3) - PRACTICE TASKS

EXERCISE 3

UPDATE

You are working at your desk when you receive the following email from Chet Nolan, Couchweb
CEO:

TRIGGER

Email

To: Senior Manager
From: Chet Nolan, CEO
Subject: Article in Mayland Daily Gazette

I don’t know if you have seen today’s edition of the Mayland Daily Gazette, but it features an
article which does not show Couchweb in the best light (copy attached).
I have been thinking for some time that our company needs to keep ahead of the rest of the
industry, but it would seem as though HomeVideo has managed to get one over on us here.
Also, I know that TV/movie content is different in many ways, but it strikes me that streaming
music has many similar attributes to what we do.

I would like your assistance therefore on a couple of matters:
Firstly, what do you think about Couchweb copying HomeVideo and allowing subscribers to
download content which they can watch later offline? More specifically, I’d like you to give me
your ideas on how different stakeholders might be affected and therefore how they might react.
Your notes will then serve as the starting point for a more detailed discussion later on whether
this is the right step for us to take.
Secondly, I would like you to evaluate the possibility of Couchweb setting up a separate business
unit which offers music streaming services. If you could look at the idea using the
suitability/feasibility/acceptability framework, that would be great.
I’d appreciate your thoughts before close of business tonight.
Many thanks

TASK
Prepare an email in response to Chet Nolan’s email as requested. (Time allocation: 60 minutes)

(Refer to the reference material overleaf)

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