05 Dec Note: · Do not use any outside research EXCEPT where

Note:

· Do not use any outside research EXCEPT where indicated in the M&A section. 

· All research is contained within the case PDF. Please provide your own, original analysis. 

Read the case study PDF:  Reinventing Best Buy in order to complete this assignment. Find the  case study here

WRITE YOUR PAPER FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CONSULTANT SENDING A PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP ANSWERING THE PROMPTS BELOW. MAKE THIS LOOK, FEEL AND SOUND LIKE A REPORT FROM A PRO (NO FIRST PERSON, NO CASUAL LANGUAGE (DON’T JUST USE BIG WORDS TO USE THEM, BE COMMUNICATIVE AND READABLE).  

Please answer the following (in a Case Study / written paper format):

· First, read the entire case, highlight, mark it up and make notes.

· Foundational work:

· Create a Strengths & Weaknesses analysis (basically a SWOT without the Opportunities & Threats)

· Create a Five Forces analysis

· Write a case paper using your foundational work and the case  and deliver the following analyses:

· After reading the history of Best Buy and then seeing how far they had fallen in 2012 describe the key factors that you believe drove their decline (look at Best Buy’s mistakes and where they had deviated from their original strategy)

· Describe the competitive environment for Best Buy as of 2012 (do  not give their entire history – look at 2012-2017 the key time period of the case study)

· Using all your analysis above proceed to review three pillars of the Five Point “Renew Blue” plan created by Joly’s (CEO) team delving into the specifics requested under each pillar (Note: layout your paper with the three pillars as paper sub-sections)

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· Reinvigorate and rejuvenate the customer experience.

· Analyze the following:

· Analyze how did Best Buy deal with “showrooming”

· Comment on how best Buy reduced scope

· Describe how Best Buy improved their e-commerce strategy

· Attract, grow, engage and inspire transformational leaders and employees.

· Analyze the following:

· Describe (a couple of paragraphs) what you have ascertained Best Buy was trying to accomplish with it’s senior management hires from 2012 onward (remember, investors were initially turned off at brining in a CEO with no retail experience as well as a lot of new faces)  

· Describe what Best Buy did to improve team member culture and performance and the impacts these moves created. 

· Work with vendors and partners to innovate and drive value.

· Analyze the following:

· Describe how Best Buy utilize partnerships or brands they acquired to improve their performance and maximize their strategy

· Final analyses using exhibits from the case:

· Take a look at Exhibit 2 and pick 5 major trends and  briefly describe (using the context of the case) why you believe these patterns occurred.

· Based on Exhibits 1, 4a, 4b and 4c give a brief written assessment of whether Best Buy has performed strongly since Joly’s arrival in 2012

· M&A recommendation: Based on Exhibit 6 and all the analysis you have done thus far in the paper recommend  two feasible acquisitions for  Best Buy detailing the following for EACH acquisition:

· Identify key opportunities, weaknesses and/or threats (past 2017) and explain why it should be a high priority for the company – base this on the case document not your opinion or outside research

· Detail recommended acquisition targets and “connect the dots” as to why these proposals will give Best Buy a sustainable competitive advantage that overcomes the key focus priorities you have identified. 

· Feel encouraged to be creative but please make sense. (e.g. Best Buy cannot buy Hogwart’s Castle)

· Feasibility infers you recommendations are possible (e.g. Best Buy cannot Buy Coca Cola or Facebook based on Market Capitalization alone.) SPECIAL RULES:

· Use Yahoo Finance to look up Best Buy’s Market Capitalization (that’s the value of the company) and the market cap of the target company.

· You may Google information on a target company that will support your case for why the target will be an intelligent acquisition

· Use the textbook (esp. Chapter 10) and key concepts within such as (but not limited to) synergy and fit when making the case for why an acquisition makes sense. 

· IF the target is privately held you may Google the company’s revenue (only) and multiply is 10X to determine a potential value. The value cannot be more than 50% of Best Buy’s Market Cap. 

· Give citations (links are fine) for all your sources ( do not spend a lot of time on target research, this is merely to confirm fit at a high level so that you are not doing it from memory)

· Summary: You may research Best Buy’s Market Cap and target company information – NO OTHER OUTSIDE RESEARCH IS ALLOWED.

· Important notes: 

· Do not use any outside research EXCEPT where indicated in the M&A section. 

· All research is contained within the case PDF. Please provide your own, original analysis. 

· Any use of outside research, discussion with anyone (including classmates) will result in a failing grade

· Case studies are from the perspective of the information in the case. If you know in real life what Burberry ended up doing you cannot use this information. You are only to use information in the case to perform analysis or make recommendations.

· References should be made to material taken from the case. (if you cite the case, mention the citation as you would any source that is not your own ideas). 

Here is important information that WILL IMPACT YOUR GRADE throughout this course.

· Covid-19 / Pandemic impacts on strategy

·

· You will usually be asked to make a minimum 3 strategic recommendations in most assignments.  The pandemic is NOT to be a core part of your strategic analysis UNTIL AFTER you have provided 3 examples that examine the business without regards to the pandemic. 

· IF you choose to make Covid a central point, it will  need to be your 4th recommendation (3 recs need to be non-pandemic related)

· The reason / the “Why”: While the pandemic has clearly had global impact, it is vital you learn to analyze businesses, markets and strategies without only looking at the pandemic alone. The pandemic is a somewhat rare event and we want to make sure we exercise other forms of situational and strategic analysis as well. 

· Grade impact: You will  lose as much as a full grade level if your analyses all hinge on the pandemic alone.

· Sustainability & influencer strategies are a given, mentioning them without research and market insights is the worst form of leadership… therefore they are  NOT allowed unless specifically directed. 

· If you want to use them, ask in advance and let’s decide if there’s a strategic reason backing their use

· If they are specifically requested then they will be relevant to your answers and encouraged

· The reason / the “Why”: Students have tended to simply use influencers or sustainability as suggested business strategies with no research or data backing them. Analyzing the impacts of sustainability is encouraged IF you are willing to do the research to back it up.

· If it matters to the business or to you then contact me in advance at  [email protected]  and let’s vet whether you are strategically applying sustainability. 

· Obligatory use of “sustainability” or “influencer”  will result in points loss – as much as a grade level

· Never use first person (I, me, myself) in class writings. They will result in immediate loss of a grade level

· The reason / The “Why”: We are here to write as future leaders so let’s “level up” our discourse such that we communicate at the most senior level possible.