Marketing Management Case Study Review: IBM Analysis

This case study review analyzes International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), focusing on its marketing management strategies. The review addresses IBM's key success factors, including its brand recognition, global distribution, and adaptability to technological changes. It highlights IBM's shift from hardware to software and its embrace of data analytics. The analysis also identifies IBM's main competitors, such as Wipro Technologies, Hewlett Packard, and Accenture, while acknowledging the risks associated with competition and potential obsolescence of R&D efforts. The case study references the company's strategic focus on "Smarter Planet" technologies and its investments in research and development. The assignment is based on the provided case study brief that requires detailed answers supported by scholarly sources, including the textbook and academic websites, with all references cited in APA format.

Running head: CASE STUDY REVIEW
Case Study Review
(Marketing Management)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note

1CASE STUDY REVIEW
Case study of International Business Machines Corporation (IBM):
Answer to question number 1:
IBMS’s key success factor involves popular brand name, worldwide distribution abilities,
ability to alter the business as there is change in technology. Besides, they have man power and
capital for surviving poor economy. Firstly, IBM has gained the latest success levels under the
development of bust of dot-com. Further, they changed their business from selling to hardware to
ThinkPad division towards Lenovo and different current drives. Apart from that they embraced the
worldwide data analytics and consulting through gaining close towards 10 firms that also involved
the PricewaterhouseCoopes. Their strategic focus regarding various smart technologies are been
reflected on the current campaign known as the “Smarter Planet”. Besides, the company has
displayed some of the accomplishments till date and then explored the ideas for future (Kotler &
Keller, 2016). Apart from that they have solving some of high-tech issues like traffic congestion,
collaborative healthcare and water management. Further, they have been constantly changing their
business mix for embracing advantageous innovation and opportunities form markets. Yes, their
planning of solving some of the challenging issues faced success. For instance, 27% of their income
during 2012 came from the software sector. During 2012 it was 45%. They have invested 50 billion
dollars in research and development and 30% of their budget for research and development for
prolonged research.
Answer to question number 2:
Their main competitors are Wipro Technologies, Hewett Packard, Infrastructure Software
and Accenture. The biggest ones are Amazon, Oracle, and Microsoft. Regarding hardware they
make competition against HP, Dell and Oracle and for global financing they competes against

2CASE STUDY REVIEW
various small players. The risks are their issues such as congestion and pollution. Besides, there are
low rate of success, and their R&D might turn to be obsolete during competition. Further, other
organizations might come up with the response solving important issue prior IBM (Kanter & Cohen,
2017).

3CASE STUDY REVIEW
References:
Kanter, R. M., & Cohen, J. (2017). IBM Transforming, 2012–2016: Ginni Rometty Steers Watson.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th global ed.). England: Pearson.