Marketing Strategy Advice for WikiMinds Entrepreneurs

Write an advice for the entrepreneurs of WikiMinds on what their best marketing strategy should be, with what consequences. The management of WikiMinds has formulated some specific topics that must be included and addressed in your advice. These topics are marked as ‘requirements’ after the background info. Make sure to stick to the list given. The advice must be concise and to the point.

WikiMinds is a start-up that connects active, creative and socially involved students with organizations that are concerned about societal issues.

Organizations concerned about societal issues are, for instance, the greater municipalities (Amsterdam etc.), governmental organizations, Greenpeace, Red Cross, Salvation Army, and all organizations and (profit) businesses that are -in general- also concerned about the world we live in and want to contribute to making the world a better place. For instance, Shell New Energies, the Shell program that “finds ways to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change”, but also wants to make a tidy profit! It just goes to show that companies are seeing the social need AND commercial possibilities for making the world “better”. When one looks at mission and vision statements, one sees the significant development that in the last 10 years, companies are becoming more and more socially concerned. The rise of CSR in businesses is spectacular and a force (knowledge, capacity, funds) that might be deployed usefully within the context of WikiMinds. There is much capacity just waiting to be spent on good and suiting causes.

Businesses are always on the lookout for the bright young minds, preferably the ones with extracurricular activities that show a genuine social involvement. Research has also shown that the number of students who want to be “meaningful in society” is growing fast and that the hearts & minds of these students are “freer” in creating possible solutions for complex issues than, for instance, high paid consultants. These students also want to be “recognized” for their uniqueness for career purposes.

1. Please reflect on the possible (resources and competencies to be developed) Strengths and Weaknesses of the concept of WikiMinds. Also, perform an analysis of the organization’s external context. This list must be included in your main body text. Write down WHY they are -in your opinion- strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities, in today’s world, and add these explanations as “addendum 1” to the assignment (so it doesn’t add to the word count)

2. As regards the internal analysis, please describe and explain what the company’s unique marketing proposition as well as the company’s competitive advantage is.

3. As regards the external analysis, please describe and explain the company’s key customer segments as well as the needs of these customer segments. In addition, describe and explain the company’s key competition.

4. Please reflect on a possible Mission, Vision and Value Proposition for WikiMinds. What are they, in your opinion, and why? How do they fit in with which societal needs?