The case describes how HTC, a pioneer of mobile computing from Taiwan, evolved from a local subcontractor of PDA (personal data assistant) to a worldwide contender of smartphone. It assesses the successful transition of the business from an anonymous provider of Western clients (like HP and Palm) to a brand marketer that is considered a major threat to Apple Computer (from its founding in 1997 to 2010). The essential issue in this case is the introduction of the HTC brand carried by products delivered to network operators worldwide, such as AT&T, British Telecom, NTT DoCoMo, Rogers, Verizon, Vodafone, and so on.
Unlike most subcontractors in the East that encountered strong opposition or even harsh retaliation from their present customers, HTC had the benefits of several Western buyers in the introduction of its own brand name. This case identifies the structural problems between a subcontractor along with a customer that may potentially dictate the branding status of the final product sold to end-users, specifically, when a subcontractor should remain anonymous to end users and when it should attract end-users by branding its own merchandise.
PUBLICATION DATE: August 12, 2011 PRODUCT #: W11227-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about STRATEGY & EXECUTION
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