MKT 450 Topic 2 Case Study Amazon .com 2018 GCU

The purpose of this assignment is to explain the marketing decision-making process and to assess strategic issues and problems associated with marketing.

Amazon began in the late 1990s as an online bookseller in a highly fragmented market for books and associated reading materials (periodicals, audiobooks, etc.). By the early 2000s, Amazon was a successful online business with other product lines, including music, games, and housewares. The company’s early success was fueled by affiliations with small retailers nationwide who could advertise and sell on the Amazon.com website. Amazon also developed an easy-to-use navigation and search function and kept detailed records on prospects and customers. The consumer information permitted Amazon to promote products that appealed to each consumer individually based on prior history of searches and purchases. The company has expanded internationally, added product lines and services, and continued to grow both top-line revenue and bottom-line profits. Today, its founder, Jeff Bezos, is the richest man in the world.

Amazon has also been accused of driving booksellers like Borders out of business and creating an online sales juggernaut that has pressured Walmart, Target, and other large retailers into creating their own online businesses to remain competitive. Amazon has been accused of taking unfair advantage of the U.S. Postal Service by pressuring it into delivering packages at low costs and profit margins. The city of Seattle, Amazon’s home town, has suffered while Amazon grew: Housing prices in Seattle have skyrocketed, creating a difficult housing market for poorer families. Amazon has recently expanded its distribution services and purchased Whole Foods. Therefore, the company is at a strategic crossroads.

Read the Amazon.com, 2018 case study. Create a SWOT analysis for Amazon based on the case study. Define two or three items for each quadrant of the SWOT. In a 500-750-word paper, describe the strategic decisions facing Amazon and recommend strategic actions. Address the following in the paper:

1. Briefly summarize the key business sectors currently in the Amazon portfolio.
2. Make recommendations for the strategic choices that will work best for Amazon in the next 5-10 years based upon your assessment of strategic issues and problem.
3. Recommend three to five business strategies focusing on the elements of the marketing mix (product/service, price, promotion, place [distribution], people, processes, and physical evidence) to justify your choices.
4. Include the SWOT analysis as an appendix for the paper.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

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