International Business Machines Corporation, better known as IBM, is a multinational IT company involved in the manufacture and retail of computer hardware and software applications, and IT consulting services. The company has established itself as one of the selected information technology companies since the 19th century. Adoption of marketing strategies for IBM has been a planned structure since the 19th century and by means of these strategies, it has earned enough success all over the world. With its growth in the manufacturing as well as marketing domains of computer hardware and software, it has gained the nickname of “Big Blue”. On marketing grounds, IBM follows strict infrastructural services, added by hosting provisions and consulting services in various areas from mainframe computers to the persuasion of nanotechnology. Also learn, Tata Motors Acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, Case Study on Marketing Strategy of IBM!
Well – devised and efficient marketing strategies have been the key to IBM’ global success. The company strongly believes that devising effective marketing strategies requires making appropriate decisions that can well enhance all kinds of competitive advantages and can create all kinds of new sources of value for the purpose of improving the organizational revenue growth. According to Luq Niazi, Leader of Strategy and Change at IBM, “when the leaders of an organization think about their business as components, it becomes clear which ones they need to own – and which they do not”. This clearly indicates the great emphasis that IBM places on the performance and decision-making capabilities of leaders in devising effective marketing strategies. In addition, the firm also considers understanding the requirements and needs of customers as crucial for developing effective marketing strategies. Understanding the innovative demands of customers lies at the core of developing effective marketing strategies.
Based on IBM’ market share and dominance in the IT industry, the firm can be aptly described as a ‘market leader’. Being a market leader, an important marketing strategy which IBM uses against its competitors is the defensive marketing warfare strategy. The defensive marketing strategy involves the firm employing tactics to maintain its market share. There are several tactics that firms use for defending their market shares, such as fortification, counterattack, mobile defense and strategic retreat. Being the courageous market leader that IBM is, the firm adopts the best defensive marketing strategy which is “self-attack”. IBM’ strategy is “cheaper and better than IBM”. Aware of IBM’ tactic, customers wait for IBM’ new prospects as they know that the Big Blue will constantly introduce new and better products which makes the firm’ own products obsolete. Another key marketing strategy employed by IBM for sustaining its market leadership is product differentiation strategies.
Product differentiation can be achieved using a variety of factors such as distinctive products, reliability, durability, product design etc. IBM uses a product differentiation strategy based on the quality of performance. In line with its quest for further growth and market leadership, the firm adopts a diversification strategy. The importance of IBM’ growth strategy has heightened in the current economic situation with companies in the computer industry had faced a massive drop in the industrial production and productivity of computer hardware and the future growth for this segment also appearing dim. In such a context, IBM has strategically reduced its exposure to hardware by diversifying into software and services.
IBM also realizes the importance of maintaining good relationships with its customers and in line the firm lays great emphasis on trust-based marketing strategies. Trust-based marketing strategies stress the need for organizations to gain ethical hold over consumer dealings and also be honest and open about its products and the services. For IBM, adoption of this strategy has been very effective in developing its brand identity and image. In all of its marketing activities, the firm strives at building customer trust and loyalty.
The motive of any electronic business is to efficiently meet consumer demands through internet networking. The internet provides a medium for businesses to reach out to customers globally at very low costs. It is an exclusive means adopted through the dealings related to information and communication technologies. In case of IBM, the role of e-business is very strong. Through e-business strategies, IBM is equipping itself with all kinds of external activities and is applying determined relationships for respective business dealings; with individuals, diversified groups and corporate clients. According to ‘Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?’; a book by a former CEO of IBM, Louis Gerstner (2003), IBM’ approach for e-Business strategies is handled by specialized e-business teams operating under IBM’s marketing department.
It is through its e-business strategies that IBM is able to link it’s internal as well as external data processing systems with greater efficiency and flexibility. E-business helped IBM in reaching closer to its consumers, conveying the message of reliability and inurn enhancing customer loyalty to the brand. The proceedings led by IBM for the development and implementation of e-business concentrate on the diversified functions occurring through electronic capabilities. IBM is also a part of the entire value chain proceeding for more profitable dominance over the local as well as global market. There are some predominant sectors where the e-business strategies are applied to gain more trust and money from the consumer. These activities are noted below;
These proceedings add special technical standards in the e-business structure of IBM. The firm also utilizes e-business strategies to exchange of data between its partners and associate companies. As a matter of fact, the e-business strategies of IBM are not much different from the other marketing strategies. The basic difference, however, depends on the expansion of management for sending and receiving contracts from the consumer. Case Study on Corporate Governance for Satyam Scam!
It is under this strategic implementation that IBM has adopted many local dealers to be a part of its services. These dealers are of course selected through some professional modes. The reputations of these dealers are marked by IBM first before offering the partnership. In terms of services for each product sold through e-business, IBM provides appropriate training to all those people who are a part of this structure. With strategic planning, IBM is also in the dealings related to integrated intra and inter-firm business proceedings.
The importance and use of information are vital to gaining success. In line, IBM adopted the strategy to take up Social Networking to the workplace. It is an absolute means of sharing ideas, complains and letters of appreciation in public. By means of adopting networking opportunities, IBM established its stronghold over competitive market. It is through the provision of Social Networking (SN), that IBM established its commitment to technology and developed an enterprise-wide SN mindset. IBM is the first major IT supplier that has got potential provisions for social networking and is in the process of changing the entire enterprise along with a credit application to address the market.
By means of investments made in the social networking domain, IBM has gained enough market strengths in the enterprise lineage, global services, deep pockets and above all in gaining loyal customers. By the success of social networking, IBM proved to be a fine player in the domain of information networking. The proceedings have added many advantages to its organizational global services. Social networking for enterprises have been implemented with enough marketing strategies and this is what is providing IBM with technical expertise in the field of organizational/adoption issues.
The launching of more facilities related to social networking is relevant to the competition of the market. The launcher came up with a new idea and launched it much before the thought had developed in anyone’ mind. The second big thing to the adoption of marketing strategy is the IBM’s mindset in the launching of Lotus Connection. It is an informal networking process with the collaboration-centric approach to social networking and helps in information sharing and uninterrupted workflow. By few minutes of exploration, anybody can well get hold over its functionalities. IBM kept it easy and user-friendly; the basics of marketing strategies. Google’s Acquisition of Motorola Mobility for Case Study!
When it comes to the use of information system in IBM, the adoption of unique kind of marketing strategies is predominant. The basic approach is in being innovative and adopting something that is very user-friendly and easy for the customer to adopt. Complicacies in the same field can lead to failure of the same. This is the reason that IBM lays emphasis on making it simple, easy and sharing more than the consumer can expect. Once there is a kind of trust and sense of being facilitated gets into the consumer, he hardly will opt for any other company and this is what IBM believes to the core. Application of innovative ideas in the field of information sharing units can be at great risk, but under the marketing strategy of IBM, this risk has been taken again and again with enough success.
In the global context, IBM has proved itself as a strong contender by managing to sustain in the most difficult situations. It has overcome the twists and turns it initially faced in adjusting to the ‘bricks-and-clicks’ business structure. Overcoming all the hurdles IBM is now achieving milestones through the advantages forwarded by brick-and-click enterprises. It is through this enterprise structure that IBM has transformed into a major player in terms of getting hold over global marketing plans. Its formalizations are inclusive of creating a global brand blueprint. It is a mode that usually gets expressed locally and after attaining some success approaches on global grounds. IBM always follows the process of establishing the central framework and then architects the relevant consumer experiences to gain consistency with the brand.
IBM always concentrates on gaining the single view from its consumers and that helps in assessing the risk factors of global marketing strategies. In order to meet the diversified point of views, IBM follows the structure noted below;
The marketing strategies adopted by IBM to meet global demands and competitions are well inclusive of a robust infrastructure. It has the provision for optimizing flexibility and a hub-and-spoke architecture for collecting consumer demands on the global arena. There is also well-marked acknowledgment for all the innovative ways adopted by the partners of IBM. Developments attain by the partners of IBM in global terms is also directly related to the marketing strategies followed by IBM. IBM understands the fact that partners can add much hold over the local market and can reach the consumer with more in-depth formulations. This is the reason that they believe in developing the capitalized relationship with these partners for future opportunities.
It can be well concluded that the marketing strategies adopted by IBM are very much structured on the basis of trust-based marketing strategies. It is through this theoretical approach that IBM has established itself very strongly, amidst burgeoning and very unpredictable online as well as the global marketplace. IBM concentrates on providing its consumer every possible facility that he demands and that too with very balanced services. It is more about having the trust of every single consumer, rather than having lots of them without the trust. The products and services provided by IBM can guarantee their utility to the customer’s satisfaction. In a nutshell, IBM has got professional and the courage to take a risk for innovative ideas. It explores the consumer’s domain through proper hold over the local and global proceedings.
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