Problem: Darden Restaurants is one of the most watched companies on the stock exchanges. Applying Information from Chapter 16, other material from the book and lectures, as well as the articles. Answer the following questions. Based on the current state of Darden, as discussed in the articles.
A) Based on the article by Chris Wack, where in the Ansoff Product Growth Matrix (Figure 16.5) would Darden's decision to acquire Ruth's Chris Steakhouse fall? Describe each zone and explain why you decided upon the zone you did as opposed to the others.
B) Based on the events detailed in the WSJ articles by Graham and Jakab, which of the zones of the BCG Matrix (Figure 16-6) would you put Darden Restaurants? Describe each of the zones and provide the reason why you decided upon the zone you did.
C) Based upon what you know of Segmentation (Chapter 3) and Targeting (Chapter 4), do you see yourself as a member of the target market for Olive Garden? Would you see yourself as part of their intended target market? Provide reasons based on this class to support your answer. If you would like additional information for context, look to the bibliography of the example