Case Study: Perdue Farms Poultry Company Perdue Farms is a large chicken (primarily) but also turkey and pork processor in America. It is the 3rd largest poultry business in terms of market share in America. Perdue Farms in 2021 recorded annual revenue of $8 billion ($8 billion). Perdue Farms' profit margins are significantly higher than the industry average. And to think that the products are chickens, that is, a very common good! And yet, its historic leader, Frank Perdue, doesn't believe that "all chickens are the same" - and so do his customers. And he explains the reasons: "it takes a lot of work to make the chicken tender" and he guarantees his dissatisfied customers a refund. His aim is to offer tender and tasty chickens, which his customers who know how to distinguish, pay more for. His view is this: if one offers superior quality products and has a reputable business, then big profits, market share and growth will follow. Despite the growth of the company (nowadays it has more than 21,000 employees compared to the 100 or so it had in the 1960s), the business has always been family-owned. Today, Perdue Farms has a fifth generation of family members involved in the business. The current CEO, Jim Perdue, states: we have changed dramatically in the last 10 years. My father passed away in 2005, but I think he would be thrilled to see what the business is like now. One of the 'legacies' that my father Frank Perdue left us, is how he taught us that you should always listen to the customer. With this approach, you will make more relevant products that are important to them. And if you do, you'll survive, you'll be fine as a company." As part of this philosophy, Perdue Farms was the first poultry company in America to remove antibiotics from the diet of its chickens about 15 years ago, as customers raised concerns about the drugs and hormones being used. Right now, Perdue Farms is probably the largest supplier of organic chickens in the country. Also, the company makes sure that the chickens have access to light and outdoors, to be free, so that the products are more tender and tastier. The company believes that consumers today, unlike what may have been the case a few decades ago, are quite aware of the conditions in which chickens are raised, the way they are raised, and - more generally - whether there are preservatives or colorings in the product. Questions: 2. Which factors of the marketing macro-environment influence the strategic planning of the specific business?