Assignment:
Choose a company (Airbnb)and evaluate their e-commerce activities through economic analysis.
The selected company should be one you are interested in, potentially one you might like to work for in the future. If you choose a public company, be sure to scrutinize their annual reports and other filings with the SEC for a detailed view on the company's financial performance and disclosures. If you choose a very well known firm, you will be expected to provide a more in-depth analysis or some fresh insights based on the amount of public information available.
Analyze the current strategy and future options for your company while considering industry factors such as the nature of brick-and-mortar and online competitors, barriers to entry, economies of scale, economies of scope, economies of specialization, first mover advantage, externalities, reputation and the pace of innovation in the sector.
Consider the company's target marketing, product customization/differentiation, pricing, bundling, marketing, supply chain, value chain, customer lock-in and customer segmentation. Be sure to explain the company's unique selling points, as well as how it creates and delivers value.
Among other points, your conclusion should summarize the company's actual or potential competitive advantage(s) and assess whether it is sustainable. Will the company survive? If so, how well will it do and would you invest in it?
https://www.econ.ucla.edu/sboard/teaching/tech/Airbnb.pdfhttps://www.econ.ucla.edu/sboard/teaching/tech/Airbnb.pdf
Readings:
Airbnb
By Teve wu and frank lee, jeremy reynard