Ba 490 Corporate Analysis Paper

Ryanne Tarvin
Corporate Analysis of XO Group Inc.
BA 490
Assignment 4
Gary Keller, Ph.D.
March 17, 2013

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I approve the Capstone Paper of Ryanne Tarvin:

________________________________________________________________________ Gary F. Keller, Ph.D., Professor Date

Executive Summary
XO Group Inc. is an internet based lifestage media company. XO Group has four flagship brands and each brand is specific to a particular market. The Knot and Wedding Channel are focused on the wedding industry. The Nest is dedicated to the home environment. The Bump is focused on family planning. XO Group provides
Their teams of employees are knowledgeable in marketing, publishing and media based platforms. XO Group has a duty to its corporate governing teams, its experts, editors and directors, and everyone else working within the company; in the U.S., Australia and China. To keep these highly skilled professionals and other hard-working personnel, the company has to treat them well. That is why, in 2012, there was an increase in operating expenses of 3.6% “primarily attributed to increased personnel and information technology costs to support our growth initiatives” (XO Group Inc., 2012). While spending more might not seem like the best idea for companies, it meant that XO Group was willing to highly regard the needs of their employees. It is important for companies to truly care for their employees. Having satisfied employees leads to an increase in production, enhanced employee morale and ultimately, an increase in profitability. Also, when workers are satisfied, they tend to become more knowledgeable, making them a more valuable asset to the
On this aspect, XO Group Inc. does an amazing job targeting consumers through their demographic status; after all, they are a “lifestage” media company. Since XO Group is geared specifically to help individuals/ couples with their own lives, XO Group has to cover a wide variety of customers. XO Group has to be sure they have information and advice readily available for all types of peoples and their backgrounds or affiliations. TheKnot.com has several ideas and advice that pertain to different tastes and styles of many (many) different people. From unique color combos to wedding etiquette, XO Group takes care of all problems and concerns; if not individually, a person could easily find already asked questions or ideas that others have addressed. XO Group’s other brand names, including TheNest.com and TheBump.com, have those same features provided to consumers; they just tackle different issues. As mentioned earlier, TheNest.com deals with home management while TheBump.com deals with expecting or new parents. Changes in trends and styles will occur, but XO Group does a good job keeping up with the latest fashions. Plus, each brand of XO Group’s company presents real-life examples for people to browse through to gather ideas, tips and