2. MISSION STATEMENTS
McDonalds - mission statement is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat. Our worldwide
operations have been aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win centering on the five
basics of an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are
committed to improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.
Apple - Apple computer is committed to protecting the environment, health and safety of our
employees, customers and the global communities where we operate. We recognise that by
integrating sound environmental, health and safety management practices into all aspects of our
business, we can offer technologically innovative products and services while conserving and
enhancing resources for future generations. apple strives for continuous improvement in our
environmental, health and safety management systems and in the environmental quality of our
products, processes and services.
BP - In all our activities we seek to display some unchanging, fundamental qualities – integrity,
honest dealing, treating everyone with respect and dignity, striving for mutual advantage and
contributing to human progress.
Co-Op - To be the best co-operative business in the world
3. OPPORTUNITIES DURING
THE RECESSION
Apple has benefited from cheaper components due to the recession, this means
the same high quality products can be produced for less increasing the profit
margin
Apple Apple provides high quality for premium prices. This has benefited apple as it is
aiming at a market with more disposable income and have not felt the recession
as much. Apple has been able to have elastic prices as the market will still be able
to afford to pay a bit extra for their premium products.
Virgin said its higher-margin first and business class traffic rose 1 per cent in the
Virgin year.
BP
As the market leader, The Co-operative Funeralcare believe that it is the
Co-Op recession that has led to the 28 per cent rise in like-for-like sales of funeral plans
in the first half of 2009.
In the recession people ate out less and in more, when they did eat out they
would go to cheap places. McDonalds being a popular choice took advantage of
McDonalds this.
McDonalds has high employee turnover which means that it would be easier to
recruit replacement staff due to high unemployment levels.
4. THREATS DURING THE
RECESSION
Apple Google releasing a similar smartphone for a cheaper price.
Rise in fuel costs leads to lower profit margins, as well as
Virgin having to reduce prices.
People trying to be more fuel efficient to save money and in
BP some cases not using motorised transport at all when
possible.
Co-Op
McDonalds
5. LONG TERM STRATEGIES
Increased distribution and retail stores to promote and allow more accessibility to the apple
Apple products. They have spent more on research and development to allow them to be more
unique to the other computer brands.
Virgin’s strategy through the recession was growth, virgin managed to obtain more market
Virgin share and double profits. This could have been achieved by Virgin’s new advertisement
campaign.
BP
Co-Op
McDonalds has adopted a low cost, mass market strategy and focuses on market
penetration. This was beneficial during the recession because more customers were
encouraged to buy McDonalds food because it was seen as more value for money, however
before this McDonalds had been seen as an unhealthy and unethical company, however just
McDonalds before the recession McDonalds spent a lot of money improving the company’s image by
totally replacing ‘Fake’ meats etc with meat that is 100% from good cuts of the animals,
using free-range eggs, re-using the cooking oil as bio-diesel and many more. I think the
recession helped as it brought back the customers due to the low cost benefits and due to
the new ethical policies I think the new customers are more likely to stay.
6. SHORT TERM PLANS
ADOPTED
Apple
Virgin lowered airline costs to make them more
Virgin
affordable
BP
Co-Op
McDonalds increased the number of promotions and
McDonalds promotional items so that there is a promotion on constantly.
They issued millions of coupons.
7. FACTORS INFLUENCING
ADOPTED STRATEGIES
For McDonalds the main factor influencing the
adopted strategies was the bad company image, the
recession gave McDonalds to improve the company
image whilst getting back lost customers.
8. STRATEGIES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
ADOPTED IN PREPARATION
Companies such as woolworths could have focused
on retrenchment strategies to make the company
more efficient and less costly during the downturn
and slump
9. IMPACT OF RECESSION ON
STAKEHOLDERS & STAKEHOLDER
RELATIONSHIPS
Apple
Virgin -
Lower dividends per share in 2007 but in 2008/2009 have rose significantly. More
BP efficient - higher profits. higher capacity utilisation - can meet rising demands.
Co-Op
McDonalds
