Using Chapter $7$ content from the Schermerhorn, John R$.$ Jr$.$Exploring Management, Seventh Edition $,$ please completely answer the following questions. To earn full points; it is important to utilize content and examples from the text to support your answers. Once a niche company operating in the northeastern United States,Dunkin'is opening hundreds of stores and entering new markets. The java giant is also expanding its food and coffee menus to ride the wave of fresh trends and to appeal to a new generation of customers. Can the company keep up with its own rapid growth? Serving the Caffeinated Masses There's a lot more to a coffee shop than just change in the tip jar. Some $400$ billion cups of coffee are consumed every year, making it the most popular beverage globally. Estimates indicate that more than $150$ million Americans drink a total of $465$ million cups of coffee a day. With Starbucks driving tastes for upscale coffee, some customers may wonder whether any coffee vendors remember the days when drip coffee came in only two varieties$$regular and decaf. But Dunkin' does, and it's betting dollars to donuts that consumers nationwide will embrace its reputation for value, simplicity, and a superior Boston Kreme donut. Americans are familiar with the Dunkin' brand through its more than $8,500$ domestic outlets, which have their densest cluster in the Northeast and a growing presence in the rest of the country. But the brand has also managed to carve out an international niche with international shops in $36$ countries. Dunkin' shops are not only found in expected markets such as Canada and Brazil, but also in some unexpected locations like Qatar, South Korea, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Changing Course to Follow Demand For most of its history, Dunkin's primary product focus was implicit in its name: donuts, and coffee in which to dip them. First$-$time customers acquainted with this simple reputation were often overwhelmed by the wide varieties of donuts stacked end$-$to$-$end in neat, mouthwatering rows. But faced with fierce and innovative competition$$think Starbucks Caribou, and Seattle's Best among others$$Dunkin$\text{'}$opted for a time$-$honored business tradition: Follow the leader. The company now offers a competitive variety of espresso$-$based drinks complemented with a broad number of sugar$-$free flavorings, including caramel, vanilla, and Mocha Swirl. You can also breakfast on Dunkin's bagel$-$ and croissant$-$based breakfast sandwiches or sausage pancake bites, or have a Big N$\text{'}$ Toasted. Spot on with Partnerships Dunkin's history of offering simple and straightforward morning fare has given it the competitive advantage of distinction astheanti$-$Starbucks$$earnest and without pretense. Like Craftsman tools and Levi's jeans, the company appeals to unpretentious people who enjoy well$-$ crafted products. Although Dunkin' often partners with a select group of grocery retailers$$such as Stop & Shop and Walmart$$to create a store$-$within$-$a$-$store concept, the company won't set up shop in just

any grocery store. $"$We want to be situated in supermarkets that provide a superior overall customer experience," said John Fassak, vice president ofbusiness development. $"$Of course, we also want to ensure that the supermarket is large enough to allow us to provide the full expression of our brand $...$ which includes hot and iced coffee, our line of high$-$quality espresso beverages, donuts, bagels, muffins, and even our breakfast sandwiches." But why stop at grocery stores? Taking its cooperation philosophy a step further, Dunkin' has also entered the lodging market with their first hotel restaurant at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, North Carolina$$one of North America's largest indoor water parks. Dunkin' offers a variety of store models to suit any lodging property, including full retail shops, kiosks, and self$-$ serve hot coffee stations perfect for gift shops and general stores, snack bars, and convention registration areas. You'll also find Dunkin's packaged coffees for sale on grocery store shelves, just like Starbucks. They accomplished this through a distribution alliance with Procter & Gamble. So$,$ Dunkin' is clearly on the move. Who knows where the brand will pop up next? Sweet Future or a Cold Cup? If Dunkin' can find the sweet spot, by being within most consumers' reach but falling just short of a Big Brother$-$like omnipresence, the company's strategy of expansion may well be rewarded handsomely. But this strategy is not without its risks. In the quest to appeal to new customers, offering too many original products and placements could dilute the essential brand appeal of coffee and donuts and alienate long$-$time customers who respect simplicity and authenticity. On the other hand, new customers previously unexposed to Dunkin' might see it as "yesterday's brand" without the new offerings. For the time being, Dunkin' seems determined in its quest for domination of the coffee and breakfast market. Will Dunkin' strike therightbalance of product