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Industry Dynamics

Applying global trends A look at Chinas auto industry
article | McKinsey Quarterly

Applying global trends: A look at China’s auto industry

July 2010—Strategists can challenge conventional wisdom and better prepare for uncertainty by analyzing the complex and not-so-obvious ways global trends interact in their industries.more

Foundations of industry analysis

Enduring Ideas The strategic control map
article | McKinsey Quarterly

Enduring Ideas: The strategic control map

July 2010—In this interactive presentation—one in a series of multimedia frameworks—Lowell Bryan, a director in McKinsey’s New York office, describes the strategic control map, a framework that tracks the dynamics of market capitalization within industries.more

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Enduring Ideas The industry cost curve
article | McKinsey Quarterly

Enduring Ideas: The industry cost curve

April 2009—In this interactive presentation—one in a series of multimedia frameworks—McKinsey director Rob Latoff offers insight into the industry cost curve, a business school classic for understanding pricing. By bringing discipline and a practical set of definitions to bear, this framework can be applied to real-world, competitive markets.more

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

Enduring Ideas: The SCP Framework

July 2008—In this interactive presentation—one in a series of multimedia frameworks—McKinsey director emeritus John Stuckey comments on SCP, a framework that illustrates the influence of an industry's structure on the conduct and performance of industry players, and the effects of external shocks on all three.more

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

When and when not to vertically integrate

August 1993—A strategy as risky as vertical integration can only succeed when it is chosen for the right reasons.more

Industry applications

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

Another oil shock?

November 2011—It’s possible, though far from certain, that oil prices will spike in the years ahead. Here’s why—and how you can prepare. more

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

How new Internet standards will finally deliver a mobile revolution

April 2011—As the Web experience evolves, smartphones may soon live up to their name, and every business’s mobile strategy will grow in importance.more

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

The commodity crunch in consumer packaged goods

December 2010—Packaged-goods companies have been socked by rising commodity prices. Executives in other industries can learn from their experience.more

Sector snapshots

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

Learning from Japan’s early electric-vehicle buyers

March 2013—About one-third of early buyers in Japan say their next car may not be an electric vehicle. Companies should heed their complaints.more

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article | McKinsey Quarterly

Measuring the real cost of water

March 2013—Big savings are available to companies that look beyond their utility bills and understand the broader economic costs of their water consumption.more

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Sizing the advantages of incumbency

October 2012—In many industries, depreciated fixed assets provide a cost edge that favors incumbents. Airlines are different.more

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How much will consumers pay to go green?

October 2012—A sizable share of consumers say they are willing to pay a small premium—but willingness to pay melts away as the premium rises.more

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Small enterprises offer large potential for global banks

July 2012—Innovative ways of reaching unbanked companies will be the key to capturing emerging-market opportunities.more

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Better performance from locally deployed marketing

July 2012—New research indicates that when companies deploy marketing resources locally, they may raise growth and efficiency more than they would with centralized functions.more

article | McKinsey Quarterly

When company IT is ‘consumerized’

July 2012—More employees are using tablet devices and smartphones for work-related tasks, and that’s raising security concerns.more

Summary

As new players and market opportunities upend industries, leaders can gain powerful insights from the experience of sectors other than their own and from the strategic principles that continue to shape the nature of competition.