Business Analysis: New Belgium

According to Ferrell & Hartline (2014), “When we refer to competitive advantages, we usually speak in terms of real differences between competing firms. After all, competitive advantages stem from real strengths possessed by the firm or in real weaknesses possessed by rival firms” (p.98). Competitive advantages, specifically; social responsibility and customer intimacy, in my opinion, is New Belgium’s most important competitive edge, and the cornerstone of the company’s strategic focus. Customer intimacy, As stated by Treacy & Wiersema (1993), “While companies pursuing operational excellence concentrate on making their operations lean and efficient, those pursuing a strategy of customer intimacy continually tailor and shape products and services

TBL incorporates economic, social, and environmental factors into its business strategies. In other words, the company looks at its impact upon profits, people, and the planet rather than simply on the bottom line” (p.354). For me, social responsibility, represent a reflection of the heart of a company. For example, corporate social responsibility, is the blueprint of how businesses take responsibilities for their actions. According to Kroupa (2016) “It’s about how they identify and manage their social and environmental risks and footprint. Defined this way, quite a few people are impacted by CSR. The breadth of stakeholders is vast—it includes the company’s shareholders, employees, customers and business partners. They will all be affected by corporate social responsibility defined as operational excellence” (p.1). Traditionally, competitive advantages, are ways for business to stand apart from other competitors. Successful businesses, must be able to deliver a product to a target audience. Moreover, while focusing on the need of the audience, a business must also deliver a superior product than the competition (Ferrell & Hartline,