In general, how do you decide what company’s products or services to buy? (put another way, how do you choose between competing products or sellers? Price? Quality? Features? Service? Convenience? Image? Some combination?
2. List three different products (i.e. “Shoes, Burritos, & Oil Changes”, or “Cars, Jeans, & Legal Services” or any other three products) and tell us what company’s product you purchase (or where you shop for that product). Why do you buy that brand or give that company your business? (answer separately for each of the three products)
Read the Mini-Case “Which Automobile Technology Will Win” (See attached article) discusses how after 100+ years of the internal combustion (gasoline) engine, we are looking at a future where a new automobile technology might become dominant.
1. For how many more years do you think that the gasoline engine will remain the dominant technology?
2. What factors do you think will be most critical in setting the next industry standard for car propulsion? (what will determine which technology will win)?
3. Which one of the competing technologies mentioned in the case do you think will win? Why?
4. If this happens and your predicted technology wins, what will change / what will it mean for the future of:
a. Oil companies?
b. Car manufacturers?
c. Gasoline stations?
d. Consumers?
.
1. How has the emergence of UBER changed the Taxi and Limo industry?
2. Why do you think UBER was able to have so much success so quickly in getting a big part of the industry revenue?
3. What is the future of Taxis specifically? What will Taxis have to do to survive and thrive?
