CASE 2-1

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, Inc. (A)

Scotland in the mid to late eighteenth century enjoyed its own “information
age,” the Scottish Enlightenment. It was an era that embraced
industrialization, spawned revolutionary ideas (Adam Smith’s “invisible
hand” theory of economic is one example), and transformed Edinburgh into a
world-renowned cultural center. So it is not surprising that during this time,
two enterprising men decided to capture and market that knowledge.

Colin Macfarquhar was a printer and Andrew Bell an engraver when

they formed a partnership in 1768 to publish what they called a “Dictionary
of Arts and Sciences.” William Bell, hired to edit the vast collection,
emphasized usefulness in his preface to the three volume set.

“Wherever this intention does not plainly appear,” he wrote, “neither

the books nor their authors have the smallest claim to the approbation of
mankind.” Thus did serving society’s need to know become the mission of
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc (EBI).

The new reference guide, which took three years to complete, was
offered to consumers in weekly installments. This timing was right, for the
edition sold out quickly. A second edition soon followed, then a third and a
fourth, each bigger and more comprehensive than the last. By 1815, when
the fifth edition was published, the set had ballooned to 20 volumes. A pirate
version, published in the US in 1790, tapped growing new market. Even
George Washington bought a set.

Throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, when the
company was purchased by Americans and moved into US, EBI continued to
enhance its reputation as the premiere source of knowledge. The company
maintained, “Our brand represents material you know is authoritative and
trustworthy.” The company recruited notable scientist and scholars,
including Thomas Malthus, Sigmund Freud, and Marie Curie, to contribute. It
expounded upon such cutting-edge topics as taboos, anarchism, ether and
Darwin’s theory of evolution. As demand mushroomed, it hired a permanent
editorial staff and began printing-and updating-annually. In 1943 William
Benton, founder of Benton and Bowles, took the helm as publisher and board
chairman. He extended the company’s global reach and expanded its
product line, acquiring in the process Compton’s Encyclopedia and dictionary
publisher G & G Merriam.

EBI entered the digital age in 1981 when it offered an electronic

version to business users of Lexis-Nexis, an information retrieval service of
Mead Data Central. EBI declined to offer this version to any non-business
users, specifically, “any schools, libraries, or individuals that [were]
subscribers to the Mead Corp. subsidiary retrieval service.

In 1989 the company moved further into the electronic age when it
published Compton’s Encyclopedia on CD. The target audience was schools
and libraries, which paid $750 for the privilege of owning the first multimedia
encyclopedia on CD-ROM.

The company boasted 2300 sales associates in 1989. They moved door
to door, talking with individuals and families, persuading them to invest in
EBI’s voluminous storehouse of knowledge. A key selling point was the
product’s upscale cachet. Many parents believed having the books in their
homes would give their children an advantage in school and in life…

By 1990, consumers were snapping up EBI sets at $1500 to $2000. The

company’s sales revenues hit a new high --$650 million. Not only that, the
32-volume set remained the standard to which other encyclopedias around
the world aspire.

During the early 1990’s, the software giant Microsoft decided to enter
the encyclopedia market. Microsoft licensed material from Funk and
Wagnalls Encyclopedia which sold its sets in supermarkets, added some
public-domain content, and released it on CD-ROM in 1993. The product,
called Encarta, sold for less then $100. Many computer manufacturers simply
gave it to buyers of their computers.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERES

1. Describe the strategy and tactics of EBI as of 1990

EBI as of 1990 use the business unit strategy. Business unit strategies
deal with how to create and maintain competitive advantage in each of
the industries in which a company has chosen to participate. As we
know that the mission of EBI is becoming the premiere source of
knowledge. So, EBI do every way to extended it market. We could see
from the tactics that EBI use like door to door, talking with individuals
and families, persuading them to invest in EBI’s voluminous storehouse
of knowledge. These ways successful to make many parents believe
that if their children use this book, it will give many advantages. Here,
EBI has the competitive advantage. Moreover, EBI always try to make
a new thing like entered a new digital age and continue with electronic
age.

2. Why was EBI’s business model so successful for more than 200
years?

Because EBI has a competitive advantage, so they can maintain well

what they have accepted. Thus, EBI always make a new innovation.
First, hires several notable scientist and scholars. This will make the EBI
trustworthy and authoritative like their brand representative. Then EBI
try to enter the digital age when it offered an electronic version to
business users of Lexis-Nexis, an information retrieval service of Mead
Data Central. Then, the company moved further into the electronic age
when it published Compton’s Encyclopedia on CD. Even they moved
 door to door, talking with individuals and families, persuading them to
invest in EBI’s voluminous storehouse of knowledge. In every
strategies, EBI has a clearly target, so they can be more focus to reach
their target.

3. How vulnerable was this model in the early of 1990’s?

During the early 1990’s, the software giant Microsoft decided to enter
the encyclopedia market. Microsoft licensed material from Funk and
Wagnalls Encyclopedia which sold its sets in supermarkets, added some
public-domain content, and released it on CD-ROM in 1993. Whereas
EBI still in their electronic age, even EBI is still moved door to door,
talking with individuals and families, persuading them to invest. This is
so vulnerable, because if EBI doesn’t make a “breakthrough” , Microsoft
will take over their market as a premiere source of knowledge.

4. Should EBI respond to Microsoft’s moves? If so, how should EBI

respond? Why?

Yes, EBI should respond to Microsoft moves. EBI should do the industry
analysis or solely competitor analysis. EBI should think about innovation
again so their market still can be reached.

5. What control systems would you recommend for EBI so that the
company can understand the potential for transforming its
business model?

As we know that there are four control systems

1. A detector

A device that measures what is actually happening in the process

being controlled

2. An assessor

A device that determines the significance of what is actually

happening by comparing it with some standard or expectation of
what should happen
3. An effectors

A device (often called “feedback”) that alters behavior if the

assessors indicate the need to do so

4. A communication network

Devices that transmit information between the detector and the

assessors and between the assessors and the effectors

EBI should have at least these four elements to understand the

potential for transforming its business model.