Week 2 Consumer Behavior

1. What led UPS to pursue an integrated marketing communications approach? What was the promotional objective as it repositioned itself in the "synchronized commerce" marketspace? UPS has been in the package delivery business for 95 years, providing services to businesses and consumers worldwide in more than 200 countries. In 1994, UPS began to investigate the potential of e-commerce and started an internal group focused on enabling e-commerce. UPS redefined its core business and found ways to change its structure and processes, forming new businesses to take advantage of new opportunities. UPS was interested in finding ways to leverage their extensive infrastructure and expertise in basic transportation of goods, services, and information. They wanted to enter new markets and continue to grow. They also wanted to undergo a more fundamental change—to transform their company into an enabler of global commerce. the company 's vision was to be "the leading package delivery company." They were able to grow significantly toward that goal, but they weren 't satisfied with just that. They wanted a larger challenge for the company. In 1999, they changed their vision statement to "the enablers of global e-commerce." It was at this time that their company purpose (vision), mission, and strategies were redefined as follows:
• Purpose (why they are in business): To enable global commerce.
• Mission (what they seek to achieve): Fulfill their promise to constituents by:
• Serving their evolving needs
• Sustaining a strong and employee-owned company
• Continuing to be a responsible employer
• Acting as a caring corporate citizen
• Strategy (their plan of action): Sustain the core and create their future by:
• Investing in core business of worldwide distribution and logistics
• Building competencies in the integration of goods, funds , and information
• Using technology to create new services
• Attracting talented people
• Studying customer behavior and anticipating

References: History of UPS. Retrieve from: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=20881&seqNum=3