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68-531: Starz Distribution , formerly IDT Entertainment from 2003 to 2006 and Starz Media from 2006 to 2013, was an American television production, distribution, and syndication company and the distribution arm of Starz Inc. , a subsidiary of Lionsgate , established in 2003. It developed, produced and acquired original programming content branded as Starz Originals , feature films and other audiovisual programming for distribution across television , home video and streaming media . In November 2003, IDT Corporation ,

136-1137: A telecommunications company based in New Jersey , formed an audiovisual entertainment division known as IDT Entertainment following Digital Production Solutions (DPS)' acquisition of a controlling interest in animation studio Film Roman in May and a minor interest in Vanguard Animation in July. Later on in the year, it acquired Troy , Michigan -based home video distributor Anchor Bay Entertainment , and stakes in Mainframe Entertainment and Archie Comics (in January 2004) and in March 2004, IDT's DPS also acquired Toronto -based DKP Studios for an undisclosed price and turned it into their own animation studio. In May 2004, IDT Entertainment announced that it would acquire Manga Entertainment and

204-414: A company's overall strategic vision and mission . Developing a coherent distribution plan is a central component of strategic planning . At the strategic level, as well as deciding whether to distribute directly or via a distribution network, there are three broad approaches to distribution, namely mass, selective and exclusive distribution. The number and type of intermediaries selected largely depends on

272-429: A diverse range of activities and disciplines including detailed logistics , transportation , warehousing, storage, inventory management as well as channel management, including selection of channel members and rewarding distributors. Before designing a distribution system, the supplier needs to determine what distribution channel to achieve in broad terms. The approach to distributing products or services depends on

340-551: A formal strategic-planning process, the process was not being used for their "most important decisions". For Michael C. Sekora, Project Socrates founder in the Reagan White House, during the cold war the economically challenged Soviet Union was able to keep on western military capabilities by using technology-based planning while the U.S. was slowed by finance-based planning, until the Reagan administration launched

408-409: A formalized process. Therefore, he underscored the role of plans as tools to communicate and control. It ensures that there is coordination wherein everyone in the organization is moving in the same direction. The plans are the prime media communicating the management's strategic intentions, thereby promoting a common direction instead of individual discretion. It is also the tool to secure the support of

476-406: A framework for strategic planning. Such tools include: Simply extending financial statement projections into the future without consideration of the competitive environment is a form of financial planning or budgeting , not strategic planning. In business, the term "financial plan" is often used to describe the expected financial performance of an organization for future periods. The term "budget"

544-722: A head office in Singapore which can be used by manufacturers outside the region to increase their regional market penetration and grow sales. Channel-switching (not to be confused with zapping or channel surfing on TV) is the action of consumers switching from one type of channel intermediary to a different type of intermediary for their purchases. Examples include switching from brick-and-mortar stores to online catalogues and e-commerce providers; switching from grocery stores to convenience stores or switching from top tier department stores to mass market discount outlets. A number of factors have led to an increase in channel switching behaviour;

612-403: A major trigger for disintermediation in some industries. Certain types of traditional intermediaries are dropping by the wayside. Strategic planning Strategic planning is an organization 's process of defining its strategy or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to attain strategic goals. Furthermore, it may also extend to control mechanisms for guiding

680-484: A minority share in POW! Entertainment with exclusive distribution rights to POW's animated DVD properties and joint development of 6 cartoon films. In June 2004, IDT Entertainment founded its international sales division, IDT Entertainment Sales (later renamed as Starz Worldwide). In 2005, IDT signed a deal with 20th Century Fox . On May 16, 2006, IDT agreed to sell its IDT Entertainment division to Liberty Media (owners of

748-478: A number of factors including the type of product, especially perishability ; the market served; the geographic scope of operations and the firm's overall mission and vision. The process of setting out a broad statement of the aims and objectives of a distribution channel is a strategic level decision. Strategically, there are three approaches to distribution: Summary of strategic approaches to distribution In consumer markets, another key strategic level decision

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816-447: A pattern of activity (emergent) as the organization adapts to its environment or competes in the market. Strategy includes processes of formulation and implementation; strategic planning helps coordinate both. However, strategic planning is analytical in nature (i.e., it involves "finding the dots"); strategy formation itself involves synthesis (i.e., "connecting the dots") via strategic thinking . As such, strategic planning occurs around

884-549: A powerful channel member may coordinate the interests of the channel for personal gain. Territories are often seen as a source of conflict, sometimes because boundaries are only loosely defined. American building materials supplier Johns Manville noted in the years before the US entered World War II that distributors needed support in a range of practical areas if they were going to be successful in connecting with housing developers, and instituted "Housing Guilds" which brought together

952-428: A risk leading distributors to move their business to other supply lines. Channel conflict can arise when one intermediary's actions prevent another intermediary from achieving their objectives. Vertical channel conflict occurs between the levels within a channel, and horizontal channel conflict occurs between intermediaries at the same level within a channel. Channel conflict is a perennial problem. There are risks that

1020-561: A series of questions they want to be answered in formulating the strategy and gathering inputs. The output of strategic planning includes documentation and communication describing the organization's strategy and how it should be implemented, sometimes referred to as the strategic plan. The strategy may include a diagnosis of the competitive situation, a guiding policy for achieving the organization's goals, and specific action plans to be implemented. A strategic plan may cover multiple years and be updated periodically. The organization may use

1088-412: A single organization uses a variety of different channels to reach its markets, this is known as a multi-channel distribution network. In addition, online retailing or e-commerce is leading to disintermediation , the removal of intermediaries from a supply chain. Retailing via smartphone or m-commerce is also a growth area. The firm's marketing department needs to design the most suitable channels for

1156-405: A variety of methods of measuring and monitoring progress towards the strategic objectives and measures established, such as a balanced scorecard or strategy map . Organizations may also plan their financial statements (i.e., balance sheets, income statements, and cash flows) for several years when developing their strategic plan, as part of the goal-setting activity. The term operational budget

1224-752: Is a generic quality that draws on shared institutional understanding on the substance, form and communicative purposes of the strategic plan. Hence, they posit that strategic plan is a genre of organizational communication (Bhatia, 2004; Yates and Orlikowski, 1992 as cited in Cornut et al., 2012). In this sense, genre is defined as the "conventionalized discursive actions in which participating individuals or institutions have shared perceptions of communicative purposes as well as those of constraints operating their construction, interpretation and conditions of use"  (Bhatia, 2004: 87; see also Frow, 2005; Swales, 1990 as cited in Cornut et al., 2012). The authors compared

1292-451: Is both the impetus for and result of critical thinking, optimization, and motivation for the growth and development of organizations. The core disciplines, which are inherent in systems thinking , personal and organizational mastery, mental models, building a shared vision, and team learning. In a time of machine learning and data analytics, these core disciplines remain to be relevant in so far as having human resource and human interest become

1360-564: Is co-created by all the players within the distribution chain, including the value created by customers themselves. This emphasis on value-creation is contributing to a change in terminology surrounding distribution processes; "distribution networks" are often termed value-chains while "distribution centers" are often termed customer fulfillment centers . For example, the retail giant Amazon , which utilizes both direct online distribution alongside bricks and mortar stores, now calls its distribution centers "customer fulfillment centers". Although

1428-545: Is found to have a positive impact on organizational performance. Strategic planning is particularly potent in enhancing an organization's capacity to achieve its goals (i.e., effectiveness). However, the study argues that just having a plan is not enough. For strategic planning to work, it needs to include some formality (i.e., including an analysis of the internal and external environment and the stipulation of strategies, goals and plans based on these analyses), comprehensiveness (i.e., producing many strategic options before selecting

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1496-445: Is frustrating in the educational sector. To meet the changing needs of this new society, educational institutions must reorganize. Finding ways to maintain achievements while improving effectiveness can be difficult for educational institutions. Keeping up with society's rapid changes. Some strategic planners are hesitant to address societal outcomes, so they often ignore them and assume they will happen on their own. Instead of defining

1564-481: Is known as a zero-level distribution system or direct marketing . A level one (sometimes called one-tier ) channel has a single intermediary. A level two (alternatively a two-tier ) channel has two intermediaries, and so on. This flow is typically represented as being manufacturer to retailer to consumer, but may involve other types of intermediaries. In practice, distribution systems for perishable goods tend to be shorter - direct or single intermediary, because of

1632-428: Is often used to describe the expected financial performance of an organization for the upcoming year. Capital budgets very often form the backbone of a strategic plan, especially as it increasingly relates to Information and Communications Technology (ICT). While the planning process produces outputs, strategy implementation or execution of the strategic plan produces outcomes. These outcomes will invariably differ from

1700-460: Is relating a company to its environment. Michael Porter Strategic planning activities include meetings and other communication among the organization's leaders and personnel to develop a common understanding regarding the competitive environment and what the organization's response to that environment should be. A variety of strategic planning tools may be completed as part of strategic planning activities. The organization's leaders may have

1768-471: Is typically iterative, with feedback loops throughout the process. Some elements of the process may be continuous and others may be executed as discrete projects with a definitive start and end during a period. Strategic planning provides inputs for strategic thinking , which guides the actual strategy formation. Typical strategic planning efforts include the evaluation of the organization's mission and strategic issues to strengthen current practices and determine

1836-429: Is used for a financial plan for the upcoming year. A "forecast" is typically a combination of actual performance year-to-date plus expected performance for the remainder of the year, so is generally compared against plan or budget and prior performance. The financial plans accompanying a strategic plan may include three–five years of projected performance. McKinsey & Company developed a capability maturity model in

1904-449: Is whether to use a push or pull strategy. In a push strategy , the marketer uses intensive advertising and incentives aimed at distributors, especially retailers and wholesalers, with the expectation that they will stock the product or brand, and that consumers will purchase it when they see it in stores. In contrast, in a pull strategy , the marketer promotes the product directly to consumers hoping that they will pressure retailers to stock

1972-509: The Insurance Distribution Directive in 2016 to enhance a level of harmonisation in this market across EU member states. Typical intermediaries involved in distribution include: A firm can design any number of channels they require to reach customers efficiently and effectively. Channels can be distinguished by the number of intermediaries between producer and consumer. If there are no intermediaries then this

2040-632: The Starz Entertainment Group ) "for all of Liberty Media's interests in IDT, $ 186 million in cash and the assumption of existing indebtedness." On August 31, 2006, the sale of all of IDT Entertainment's US operations and several international operations was completed. "The remainder of the deal, to include the Canadian and Australian operations, is expected to be closed in the next few weeks after regulatory approval has been given." This sale

2108-482: The 1970s to describe the sophistication of planning processes, with strategic management ranked the highest. The four stages include: Categories 3 and 4 are strategic planning, while the first two categories are non-strategic or essentially financial planning. Each stage builds on the previous stages; that is, a stage 4 organization completes activities in all four categories. Later McKinsey research undertaken and published in 2006 found that, although many companies had

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2176-509: The 25% stake owned by Weinstein in October 2015. On January 11, 2013, Liberty Media Corporation completed the "spin-off" of its Starz Entertainment segment as a separate entity. Under this new structure, the entity that was known as "Starz Media" became Starz Distribution . In November 2015, Waterman Entertainment purchased Film Roman from Starz Distribution. On December 8, 2016, Lionsgate purchased Starz Inc. for $ 4.4 billion. As part of

2244-568: The Socrates Project, which should be revived to keep up with China as an emerging superpower . Strategic planning has been criticized for attempting to systematize strategic thinking and strategy formation, which Henry Mintzberg argues are inherently creative activities involving synthesis or "connecting the dots" which cannot be systematized. Mintzberg argues that strategic planning can help coordinate planning efforts and measure progress on strategic goals, but that it occurs "around"

2312-473: The acquisition by Lionsgate, Starz Distribution was folded into Lionsgate's respective home entertainment and television distribution units. Starz Distribution previously held minority stakes in: Starz Distribution/IDT Entertainment have been in charge of the animation production or distribution of the following films: Theatrical TV specials Direct-to-Video Distribution (marketing) Decisions about distribution need to be taken in line with

2380-415: The advent of the internet and social media has become one of the most important vehicle to which corporate strategic plan can be distributed to an organizations internal and external stakeholders. This distribution of knowledge allows for staff of organization to access and share the institutional thinking this able to reformulate it in their own words. Strategic planning through control mechanisms (mostly by

2448-451: The authors argued, a true strategist is one who is able to instantiate the genre strategic plan through appropriate application of language. Spee, et. al. (2011) explored the strategic planning as communicative process based on Ricoeur's concepts of decontextualization and recontextualization, they conceptualize strategic planning activities as being constituted through the iterative and recursive relationship of talk and text, this elaborate

2516-493: The company (i.e., the internal environment), while the latter two relate to factors external to the company (i.e., the external environment). These elements are considered throughout the strategic planning process. Data is gathered from various sources, such as interviews with key executives, review of publicly available documents on the competition or market, primary research (e.g., visiting or observing competitor places of business or comparing prices), industry studies, reports of

2584-463: The construction of a strategic plan as a communicative process. This study looks at the way that texts within the planning process, such as PowerPoint presentations, planning documents and targets that are part of a strategic plan, are constructed in preparation, through a series of communicative interface. Throughout the process, strategy documents were essential in detaining the developing strategy as they were constantly revised up until an ultimate plan

2652-617: The corpus of strategic plans with nine other corpora. This included annual reports from the public sector and nongovernment organizations, research articles, project plans, executive speeches, State of the Union addresses, horoscopes, religious sermons, business magazine articles and annual reports for-profit corporations included in the Standard & Poor's 500 largest companies (S&P 500). The authors used textual analysis, including content analysis and corpus linguistics . Content analysis

2720-401: The course to follow) and careful stakeholder management (i.e., thinking carefully about whom to involve during the different steps of the strategic planning process, how, when and why). Henry Mintzberg in the article "The Fall and Rise of Strategic Planning" (1994), argued that the lesson that should be accepted is that managers will never be able to take charge of strategic planning through

2788-808: The distributor (as the materials supplier), design services, sub-contractors, local realtors and housing financiers. Laurence C. Hart refers to the extensive development of these guilds and the "Training Schools" which they operated, converting these into a radio-based program from 1942. Hart, who worked for the supplier, put this experience forward to the American Marketing Association as "an outstanding example of manufacturer-distributor collaboration on an industry-wide basis". Companies wishing to grow through sales to new markets may need to identify and develop relationships with local distributors, for example to support export to new markets. In southeast Asia , for example, many distributors have

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2856-489: The driving force behind organizations. Moreover, it cannot be denied that communication plays a role in the realization of learning organizations and strategic planning. In a study by Barker and Camarata (1998), the authors noted that there are theories that could explain the invaluable role of communication, and these are from Rational Choice Theory to Social Exchange Theory where costs, rewards, and outcomes are valued in maintaining communication and thus relationships to serve

2924-519: The end-user, the consumer. This is mostly accomplished through merchant retailers or wholesalers or, in the international context, by importers. In certain specialist markets, agents or brokers may become involved in the marketing channel: for example in the insurance sector, the European Union has noted that "insurance and reinsurance intermediaries play a central role in the distribution of insurance and reinsurance products" . The EU introduced

2992-402: The firm's products, then select appropriate channel members or intermediaries. An organization may need to train staff of intermediaries and motivate the intermediary to sell the firm's products. The firm should monitor the channel's performance over time and modify the channel to enhance performance. To motivate intermediaries the firm can use positive actions, such as offering higher margins to

3060-460: The goals, setting a timeline, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions. A strategy describes how the ends (goals) will be achieved by the means (resources) in a given span of time. Often, Strategic Planning is long term and organizational action steps are established from two to five years in the future. The senior leadership of an organization is generally tasked with determining strategy. Strategy can be planned (intended) or can be observed as

3128-457: The growth of e-commerce, the globalization of markets, the advent of category killers (such as Officeworks and Kids 'R Us ) as well as changes in the legal or statutory environment. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, following a relaxation of laws prohibiting supermarkets from selling therapeutic goods, consumers have gradually switched away from pharmacies and toward supermarkets for

3196-484: The implementation of the strategy. Strategic planning became prominent in corporations during the 1960s and remains an important aspect of strategic management . It is executed by strategic planners or strategists , who involve many parties and research sources in their analysis of the organization and its relationship to the environment in which it competes. Strategy has many definitions, but it generally involves setting strategic goals , determining actions to achieve

3264-433: The intermediary, special deals, premiums and allowances for advertising or display. On the other hand, negative actions may be necessary, such as threatening to cut back on margin, or hold back delivery of product. Care must be exercised when considering negative actions as these may fall foul of regulations and can contribute to a public backlash and a public relations disaster. Manufacturer complacency has been highlighted as

3332-417: The media mix would be weighted toward mass-market media such as newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. Distribution of products takes place through a marketing channel , also known as a distribution channel. A marketing channel is the people, organizations, and activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption. It is the way products get to

3400-455: The need for new programming. The end result is the organization's strategy, including a diagnosis of the environment and competitive situation, a guiding policy on what the organization intends to accomplish, and key initiatives or action plans for achieving the guiding policy. Michael Porter wrote in 1980 that formulation of competitive strategy includes consideration of four key elements: The first two elements relate to factors internal to

3468-401: The need to reduce the time a product spends in transit or in storage. In other cases, distribution systems can become quite complex involving many levels and different types of intermediaries. In practice, many organizations use a mix of different channels; a direct sales force may call on larger customers. This may be complemented with other agents to cover smaller customers and prospects. When

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3536-513: The organization's external sphere, such as financiers, suppliers or government agencies, who are helping achieve the organization's plans and goals. Cornut, et al (2012) studied the particular features of the strategic plan genre of communication by examining a corpus of strategic plans from public and non-profit organizations. They defined strategic plans as the "key material manifestation" of organizations' strategies and argued that, even though strategic plans are specific to an organization, there

3604-497: The organization's performance, etc. This may be part of a competitive intelligence program. Inputs are gathered to help establish a baseline, support an understanding of the competitive environment and its opportunities and risks. Other inputs include an understanding of the values of key stakeholders, such as the board, shareholders, and senior management. These values may be captured in an organization's vision and mission statements. The essence of formulating competitive strategy

3672-411: The process to reduce resistance to change, ensure acceptance, and avoid common pitfalls. Strategic Planning does not guarantee success but will help improve likelihood of success of an organization. In educational institutions, strategic planning is also a need. We are already in a transitional period in which old practices are no longer permanent but require revision to meet the needs of academia, which

3740-473: The product or brand, thereby pulling it through the distribution channel. The choice of a push or pull strategy has important implications for advertising and promotion. In a push strategy, the promotional mix would consist of trade advertising and sales calls while the advertising media would normally be weighted toward trade magazines, exhibitions, and trade shows while a pull strategy would make more extensive use of consumer advertising and sales promotions while

3808-531: The product or service can be found at cheaper prices, when superior models become available, when a wider range is offered, or simply because it is more convenient to shop through a different channel (e.g. online or one-stop shopping). As a hedge against market share losses due to switching behaviour, some retailers engage in multi-channel retailing. The emergence of a service-dominant logic perspective has focused scholarly attention on how distribution networks serve to create customer value and to consider how value

3876-474: The purchase of minor analgesics, cough and cold preparations and complementary medicines such as vitamins and herbal remedies. For the consumer, channel switching offers a more diverse shopping experience, which may concern some sellers by its potential to erode market share. Evidence of channel switching can suggest that disruptive forces are at play, and that consumer behaviour is undergoing fundamental changes. A consumer may be prompted to switch channels when

3944-419: The strategic approach. The overall distribution channel should add value to the consumer. Distribution is fundamentally concerned with ensuring that products reach target customers in the most direct and cost-efficient manner. In the case of services, distribution is principally concerned with access. Although distribution, as a concept, is relatively simple, in practice distribution management may involve

4012-453: The strategic goals. How close they are to the strategic goals and vision will determine the success or failure of the strategic plan. Unintended outcomes might also be an issue. They need to be attended to and understood for strategy development and execution to be a true learning process. A variety of analytical tools and techniques are used in strategic planning. These were developed by companies and management consulting firms to help provide

4080-659: The strategy formation activity. Strategic planning can be used in Project Management that focuses on the development of standard methodology that is repeatable and will result to high chances of achieving project objectives. This requires a lot of thinking process and interaction among stakeholders. Strategic planning in Project Management provides an organization the framework and consistency of action. In addition, it ensures communication of overall goals and understanding roles of teams or individual to achieve them. The commitment of top management must be evident throughout

4148-491: The strategy formation process rather than within it. It functions remote from the "front lines" or contact with the competitive environment (i.e., in business, facing the customer where the effect of competition is most clearly evident) may not be effective at supporting strategy efforts. While much criticism surrounds strategic planning, evidence suggests that it does work. In a 2019 meta-analysis including data from almost 9,000 public and private organizations, strategic planning

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4216-556: The term "customer fulfillment center" has been criticized on the grounds that it is a neologism , its use is becoming increasingly mainstream as it slowly makes its way into introductory marketing textbooks. Disintermediation occurs when manufacturers or service providers eliminate intermediaries from the distribution network and deal directly with purchasers. Disintermediation is found in industries where radically new types of channel intermediaries displace traditional distributors. The widespread public acceptance of online shopping has been

4284-432: The vision for how we want our children to live, they direct their attention to courses, content, and resources with the mistaken belief that societally useful outcomes will follow. When this occurs, the true strategic plan is never developed or implemented. Strategic planning is a process and thus has inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. This process, like all processes, has constraints. It may be formal or informal and

4352-749: The way of a communication program) is set in the hopes of coming to desired outcomes that reflect company or organizational goals. As further supplement to this idea, controls can also be realized in both measurable and intangible controls, specifically output controls, behavioural controls, and clan controls. By way of simple definition, output controls work toward to tangible and quantifiable results; behavioural controls are geared toward behaviours of people in an organization; and clan controls are dependent and are executed while keeping in mind norms, traditions, and organizational culture. All these three are implemented in order to keep systems and strategies running and focused toward desired results (n.d.). Strategic planning

4420-428: Was accepted. The book edited by Mandeville-Gamble (2015) sees the roles of managers as important in terms of communicating the strategic vision of the organization. Many of the authors in the book by Mandeville-Gamble agree that a strategic plan is merely an unrealized vision unless it is widely shared and sparks the willingness to change within individuals in the organization. Similarly, Goodman in 2017 emphasized that

4488-593: Was completed on September 29, 2006. Liberty then merged IDT Entertainment and its divisions with the Starz cable network to form Starz Media . On January 4, 2011, The Weinstein Company purchased a 25% stake in the operating unit. While not including TV rights, the deal spans Blu-ray, DVD and VOD, pay-per-view and digital distribution and covers up to 20 TWC and Dimension titles per year. They include The King's Speech , Blue Valentine and Company Men . Starz acquired

4556-406: Was interpreted as an indication that "commands and commitments are not overtly hedged, but neither are they particularly strong". Guidance on the sections of a strategic plan abound but there are few studies about the nature of language used for these documents. Cornut, et al's (2012) study showed that writers of strategic plans have a shared understanding of what is the appropriate language. Thus,

4624-459: Was used to identify themes and concepts, such as values and cognition; while corpus linguistics was used to identify naturally occurring texts and patterns (Biber, et al, 1998 as cited in Cornut et al., 2012). The strategic plans showed significantly less self-reference than all other corpora, with the exemption of project plans and S&P 500 annual reports. The results indicated that strategic plans have more moderate verbs of deontic value. This

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