Cognizant, a multinational technology company, has effectively applied the 'Playing to Win' strategy in its business operations. For instance, Cognizant's winning aspiration is to be the leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services. They have determined their 'where to play' as industries that are heavily reliant on IT such as healthcare, retail, and banking. In terms of 'how to win', Cognizant focuses on providing innovative solutions and maintaining strong client relationships. They have developed core capabilities in areas like digital engineering, cloud, and data analytics. Finally, Cognizant has implemented robust management systems to support their success, including a strong leadership team and a culture of continuous learning and improvement. This is a broad overview and specific strategies may vary based on the business unit or geographical location.

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P&G applied the five strategies in the following ways:

1) Articulating a winning aspiration: P&G aimed to dominate the skin care market, recognizing its profitability and potential for brand loyalty.

2) Determining where to play: P&G chose to focus on the skin care market, which makes up 25% of the entire beauty market.

3) Knowing how to win: P&G identified gaps in the market, such as the need for a soft, cloth-like feel and price-sensitive options in the paper towel market. This led to the creation of Bounty Extra Soft and Bounty Basic.

4) Developing core capabilities: P&G leveraged its understanding of the skin care market to generate insights that could be transferred to other product categories like hair care and fragrance.

5) Implementing management systems: P&G avoided complacency during successful times, continually analyzing the market and customer needs to develop new products.

The five sections of "Playing to Win" are: 1) Articulating a winning aspiration; 2) Determining where to play; 3) Knowing how to win in your chosen location; 4) Developing the core capabilities required to win; and 5) Implementing the management systems that support success.

P&G's application of these principles can be seen in their skincare strategy. They articulated a winning aspiration by committing to skincare, a highly profitable market that creates brand loyalty and generates consumer insights. This is their 'where to play'.

Their 'how to win' was understanding the attractiveness of the skincare market for other parts of their business, such as hair care and fragrance.

The development of core capabilities can be seen in their product innovation, like the creation of Bounty Extra Soft and Bounty Basic to cater to different customer needs.

Finally, their management systems that support success would include their market analysis capabilities, which helped them identify gaps in the market and avoid complacency.

The book 'Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works' is a guide to strategy, written by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin. It provides a framework for businesses to follow in order to be successful. The book outlines five key choices that a business needs to make: defining a winning aspiration, deciding where to play, figuring out how to win, identifying core capabilities, and setting up management systems. The book uses real-world examples, including from P&G, to illustrate these points. It emphasizes the importance of not becoming complacent, even during successful times, and always looking for opportunities to innovate and improve.

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Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

Are you playing the game or are you playing to win? Develop a winning strategy for your organization...

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