Travelers, on the other hand, are willing to pay a slightly higher price for slightly higher performance and greater ease in carrying the unit around. Salespeople and others that are often on the road for business need a machine that can keep up with them and all of their work but that isn't cumbersome in terms of size or budget. Though a significantly smaller portion of the industry's customers fall under this category when compared to the Workhorse category, there is still substantial profitability to be had with these consumers as well as potential technology spillovers from innovations made on Traveler-focused products.
Competition
Iconic, Inc. is entering the microcomputer field along with six other competitors, and though Iconic, Inc. is currently the overall market leader there are specific sectors in which the company is being especially threatened, and competition is still quite fierce. Some competitors are focusing on other consumer segments, which carries certain clear advantages for Iconic, Inc. And the decision to focus on this company's strengths, yet there is also significant overlap in targeting and marketing efforts as well as the issue of ongoing competition in the industry as a whole. The following table breaks down the competitive analysis of Iconic, Inc. And its two primary competitors in the Workhorse and Traveler sectors.
Table 1: Competitive Analysis
Factor
Iconic, Inc.
Strength
Weakness
Ikonic
Quantum
Products
Products offered in all five consumer segments, with emphasis on targeted areas x
Offers products in four fo ive segments with less specialization
Offers products in only two consumer segments
Price
Target segments for the company are moderately...
oderately price sensitive x
Price sensititivty profile is similar to Iconic, Inc.'s, and products are competitively priced
Products have yet to show substantial competitiveness in pricing/feature ratios
Quality
Quality control costs have been kept relatively low without sufficient detriment to product quality x
Quality costs are lower, as is quality itself
Higher quality costs are contributing to slower sales
Selection
Four brands in five segments gives consumers greater selection and brand familiarity x
Four segments served by as many product lines provides Ikonic with similar familiarity
With a single brand in two segments, selection is not a focus of this company
Service
Service and customer satisfaction are primary concerns for the business and will represent a major resource outlay x
Service data currently unavailable
Service data currently unavailable
Location
Manufacturing ill take place in Mexcio for distribution throughout the Western Hemisphere
x
Manufacturing centered in Canada for North American markets
Asian manufacturing for Asian and European distribution
Sales Method
Direct-to-business sales will form the bulk of the company's revenue stream
Retail efforts have been identified by this company as the option with highest potential rewards
Wholesaling and retail options have been explored by this company
Advertising
advertising trhough websites and traditional media aimed at business consumers
Direct end-user advertisments are preferred
Trade shows and retail expos are the primary marketing tools of this company
