Assignment
Based on the article “The future of the pencil” published on the Economist (http://www.economist.com/node/17043890) and any other relevant information you can find, discuss the following:

(a) (50%) Based on your knowledge of the company and its products, identify Faber-Castell’s core competencies.

(b) (50%) “The luxury pencils were introduced to bring back the handwriting culture that was thrown aside by modern technology” (Till Quante, Marketing Manager of Faber Castell for fine writing instruments). Based on your knowledge and understanding of the company, how do you think these strategies helped Faber Castell survive in the competition? What are the main issues and challenges Faber-Castell is facing in the Digital Era?