Consider the use of partnerships with customers to improve competitiveness. Discuss this within a group scenario using the following guidelines: a Make a list of companies in your chosen company’s industry known to undertake supplier development. This should include all its customers and other companies that are potential customers. b Make a list of all the types of development and improvement that your chosen company would like help with. c Assemble these lists along the two sides of a grid, following the example shown in Figure 8.22. Mark on the grid where each of the companies is able to provide the necessary help. d Examine the grid you have constructed and identify the following: ● issues that require help that current customers provide; ● issues that require help that only potential customers provide; ● issues that require help that no one provides; ● customers (current or potential) that provide a great deal of help; ● customers (current or potential) that provide little or no help. e Use these five criteria as the basis for identifying companies that should be valuable in ensuring your company’s long-term success. These companies are the ones that should be considered as likely partners. f Having identified the likely partners, identify the difficulties in establishing partnerships and the problems in maintaining them. g Conclude with the actions that you would undertake to overcome the problems associated with partnerships in order to achieve their advantages.

For over 20 years, now, the Blindekuh (“Blind Curve”) restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, has been serving restaurant patrons who come for the opportunity to experience eating a meal in complete darkness. Patrons arrive at the restaurant and enter into darkness, being guided to their seats and served by ‘darkroom professionals’ and servers. After enjoying a gourmet meal, diners are escorted back to the entrance and out into the light of the city. On their website, Blindekuh states that they are one of the largest private-sector employers for people with impaired vision and that they hope to foster dialogue between sighted people and those with visual impairments and provide new perspectives for all who visit. They have another restaurant location in Basel, Switzerland and the concept has been replicated in a handful of cities around the world.

a) Describe this business in terms of the ‘product levels’ framework that we discussed in class.

b) Does this business fit your own understanding of ‘societal marketing’? Explain why or why not.

c) What do you think the future holds for this enterprise? Think 5-10 years into the future and provide at least 3 suggestions that would help ensure that this business is still in existence and successful. Explain your reasoning.