Marketing Case

Kelly Word

11/11/2011

1. The Gore-Tex brand exploded in sales after the patent expired. There are several generic versions of breathable fabric now on the market. The success of the product grew in popularity to outdoor pursuits during this time. One way a firm can maintain advantage is to seek out other avenues of that product just like Gore did with the outdoor pursuits.

2. Some of the products are the Medical Products, fabric products, electronic products and of course the industrial products. He has estimated around 650 US Patents and thousands worldwide.

3. Some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology are the fact that it is ever-changing. When something new comes out, there will be a more improved or better way to do it. It is expensive and frustrating at times keeping up with all the new technology. Another danger is dealing with technical problems which can slow a firm down and cost money. You have to make sure you have file back-ups.

4. It does sound wonderful not to have a boss and be able to manage yourself and not have to worry about the chain of command. However, structure is important in any organization and builds a strong team. You are all considered the same when it comes to your title, however that means you can't really get a promotion since everyone is considered the same. You can also lack the capital to develop and implement new programs when needed. Since Gore is not a publicly traded market, this limits the employee's profit. If the company as a whole is not doing well, then it reflects on the firm. You also can not remove the managers since there is a "no manager" policy.

5. The way that Gore has achieved success has been their organization structure (or lack thereof) on how to run a firm with over 7,000 employees! The un-management strategy has allowed its employees to be more creative and explore their entrepreneurship. Since Gore encourages hands-on innovation instead of chains of command. The employees have sponsors instead of bosses which help associates plan a course in the organization that gives them a sense of fulfillment. The use of small teams helps with one-on-one communication. This strategy is now being challenged because Bayer, Hoecht, Corning, Dow and Dupont all compete in Gore's product fields.