Environmental Factors Paper
Dallas Brekke
MKT 461 - Marketing
March 11, 2007
Environmental Factors Paper
In any company, external factors exist that have an effect on the firms operations. Much of the time, these factors are largely uncontrollable and can only be managed and influenced to the best of the firm's ability. These factors are what make up the marketing environment. In this paper, we will explore some of the domestic and global environmental factors that may impact Dell Computer Corporation's marketing decisions, how technology impacts Dell's marketing decisions, and we will also take a look at the importance of social responsibility and ethics as related to Dell's marketing ventures.
Dell Computer Corporation is the world's leading direct computer systems company. From the company's very modest start in 1984 to the present day, Dell has had many different environmental factors to work with and overcome. Like most companies, Dell must consider each of the major elements of the marketing environment, which include the social, economic, political and legally, technological, competitive, and institutional environments. These elements have are usually uncontrollable, yet they have an impact on the decisions a company can control. So, a company's marketing team must recognize opportunities and threats that exist in the marketing environment, and then factor this knowledge into marketing decisions in order to optimize the opportunities and minimize the threats. (Bearden, & LaForge, 2004, Ch 2 p 23-24)
Opportunities and threats are created through changes in the marketing environment. This can either directly affect a specific market, or it can direc ...