1. Google "Holden Outerwear" and check out some of the company's online advertising (much of which appears in the advertising of distributors and retailers). Typically, what product features are stressed? Which features are designed to make products "look great"? Which features qualify as "technical features"? In general, does Holden seem to live up to LeBlanc's ideal of "making garments that look great [while] hiding a ton of technical features"?
2. As of this writing, Holden has a grand total of ten employees. We're introduced to a few of them during the video, although only briefly. What does Hillary Lloyd do? What cultural issues does she probably face in working with the outside vendor for whom she's responsible? Hint: Go to geert-hofstede.com/south-korea.html.
3. In explaining Holden's choice of outsourcing as a strategy, LeBlanc discusses three areas of product and marketing management. What are they, and what advantages does LeBlanc attribute to each? Which of the three has proved to be the biggest challenge, and what has Holden done to solve problems in this area?
4. In May 2012, Holden announced that it was moving its headquarters from Portland to Los Angeles, where operating expenses will be about 15 percent lower. The company also said that it intended to extend its product lines into apparel for hiking, skateboarding, bicycling, and, eventually, surfing. "We are a reflection of the global community that inspires us," explained Ben Pruess. Give some reasons why you think the strategy decisions were made and why you think they were good ones. Do you think that the two decisions are related? If so, in what ways?
5. A recent article entitled "Manufacturing Startups: What You Need to Know" begins this way:
With ever-advancing technology, cheap outsourced labor, and globalized logistics providers, it should be easy to start up a manufacturing company, right? Wrong. The challenges have simply become greater.
In what ways-specifically-does this statement apply to Holden Outerwear?