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Masters Thesis Defense Dipl.-Ing. Gnter Woltron Danube Business School Krems, July 25th, 2012
What is cement?
Cement is a hydraulic binder [] which, after mixing with water, sets and hardens independently as a result of chemical reactions with the mixing water and, after hardening, it retains its strength and stability even under water. The most important area of application is therefore the production of mortar and concrete, i.e. the bonding of natural or artificial aggregates to form a strong building material. (Locher 2005: 17)
Cement, the glue that holds concrete together, is a key ingredient of economic development. Concrete becomes our offices, factories, homes, schools, hospitals and roads, as well as our underground water and drainage pipes, bricks and blocks, and the mortar that bonds them together. None of these things could be built without cement. There is currently no other material that can replace cement or concrete in terms of effectiveness, price and performance for most purposes. (WBCSD-CSI, http://www.wbcsdcement.org/index.php/about-cement)
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Stages of Manufacturing and Application of Cement (Battelle 2002a: 6 adaptation by the author)
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
So what about marketing of cement in mature industrial environments like the European Common Market? Are there no interesting aspects? No specific challenges?
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Research Questions
1. Which of the Michael Porters generic competitive strategies or elements of them can be regarded as feasible options for a cement company active in a mature industry environment like the European Union? 2. Is there a feasible differentiation strategy for a cement company active in a mature industry environment like the European Union which is likely to lead to a sustainable competitive advantage? 3. What are the implications of pursuing a differentiation strategy for marketing strategy and management in the cement sector?
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Focus Strategies
Focus Strategies exhibit only moderate potential for cement companies active in mature markets. Options of and incentives involved in tailoring the value chain for specific segments are limited. Exploitation of interrelationships between segments exerts dominant influence. Compromises broad scoped producers are facing are insignificant. Consequence: the cement industry is mainly dominated by broad scoped producers. The Feasibility of focus strategies might be given for cement derived products or in specific cases of differentiation focus strategies.
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Differentiation Strategies
The research questions 2 & 3 are investigated in the course of a hypothetic case study analyzing the feasibility and implications of the following two differentiation approaches: Approach/case 1: Differentiation approach based on a product range of common cements/technologies. Approach/case 2: Differentiation approach based on a product range of other than common cements/technologies (assumption: technological change enables the development of a substitute to common cement).
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Modified Core-Satellite Model (cf. Homburg et al. 2011: 37 adapted and translated by the author)
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
What are other insights into Marketing of Cement provided by this masters thesis? two teasers
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
An insight into the complex multistage value system the cement sector is embedded to
The Cement Producers Downstream Value System (figure developed by the author)
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012
Acknowledgements
Thank you very much for your attention!
A special thanks to Ms. Wannerer MA for the valuable supervision! I owe my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Colin Egan BA, MBA who inspired me with his enthusiastic approach towards marketing! For detailed references please refer to the masters thesis original.
Gnter Woltron - The Challenge of Marketing Cement Danube Business School July 25th, 2012