Leg 6. From Hong Kong to Auckland (IX). Value Chain for Differentiation Analysis. Better understand the buyer… BTW, Do you like cheesecake?
Good afternoon. Wishing you a lovely day. Let´s start today by asking you the following question: Do you like cheesecake?
Today we will finally finish this theme of VCA Methodology Approach and continue sailing in the Doldrums. Hopefully, we can leave the Doldrums stage as far as tomorrow. I would like to share with you some pictures (screenshots) of the sailors’ situation at the moment. The breeze is light where they are right now, and all they are doing is trying to find patches of wind.
Without wind, sailing can´t happen. Without a strategy, beautiful companies can´t flourish. A good strategy of course. Let´s finish our last 4 steps when doing a differentiation analysis using the Value Chain. In addition, I will introduce another company example, The Cheesecake Factory.
Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake, The Cheesecake Factory.
Why cheesecake? Simply because I love cheesecake. If someone wants to make me happy, I will be pleased and thankful, so amused if I am gifted with Cheesecake. Cheesecake in all forms and flavors. Alejandro Guillermo Lozano Artolachipi, l´amour de ma vie, loves cheesecake too. Of course, the classic one is my favorite, but every time I go to the US, I always try to make a memorable experience in my trip’s itinerary agenda (whatever is the case, business, academic or leisure), to go to the nearest Cheesecake Factory and try a new flavor of it.
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cheesecake, The Cheesecake Factory.
This company has more than 70 cheesecake versions and many other light smart dishes, an innovative menu and pastry options. Today, the Cheesecake Factory has 210 shops in all the USA, and 18 shops internationally licensed. The Cheesecake Factory was founded by Evelyn Overton, by making cheesecakes in a small shop in Detroit, Michigan in the 50s. In 1972, the family Overton moved to Los Angeles, where they opened a wholesale bakery. They produced cheesecakes and other desserts for local restaurants.
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. The Cheesecake Factory.
During the 80s, Evelyn Overton´s son (David), started to expand the company in LA, and then to other US states. Nowadays, the company has revenues of US$ 2.2 Billion USD (2016). The company owns and operate two bakery production facilities, one in Calabasas Hills, California, and one in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The Cheesecake Factory is a company with multiple and diversified uniqueness drivers. In the next presentation slides, I will finalize to explain the last 4 steps of the framework for the Value Chain Analysis applied to differentiation (or uniqueness), and on my next post, we will try to land with the example of The Cheesecake Factory (by doing some numbers analysis). We will see how to do it. With the slides of today, I am preparing you for it. OK!
If you wish to see the set of slides in PDF Format, click here: Eliescalante Leg 6 The Value Chain Analysis G 21feb2018.
Gita´s Impact over New Zealand. Source: Accuweather.
Let me tell you, I am so glad we are almost done with the Doldrums stage as much as our 6 sailors´ teams. Or at least that is our hope. We don´t know. We hope we can find signals of wind soon. Positively, I feel the wind coming. We hope to finish the race on time. Even though Gita tropical cyclone has been downgraded to a storm grade, we hope Gita Storm will not give us troubles over the next days.
Thank you very much, and have a beautiful and pleasant rest of the day.
14:28 pm – San Salvador.
Source References:
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Competitive-Advantage/Michael-E-Porter/9780684841465
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/
Disclaimer: All the presentation slides shown on this blog are prepared by me. Nevertheless, all the pictures or videos shown on this blog are not mine. I do not own any of the lovely photos posted unless otherwise stated.
Eleonora Escalante Strategy 