What factors, internal or external, were responsible for Dow Corning’s poor performance between 1995 and 2001 as shown in case Exhibit 3?

1. What factors, internal or external, were responsible for Dow Corning’s poor performance between 1995 and 2001 as shown in case Exhibit 3?2. What did the new segmentation reveal about customers beyond that which the company knew already? In what ways was the needs-based segmentation scheme an improvement over the previous and traditional end-use segmentation?3. Trace the development of Xiameter from its beginnings: what were in your opinion the key decisions that shaped its successful business model and marketing strategy?4. Given Xiameter’s performance to date, and recent changes in the competitive scene, is the moment ripe to make changes in the business model? See the following questions also.5. Is a price seeker focused “Dare to compare” value proposition still valid? Or should Xiameter drop its low-price positioning and compete on other benefits including product quality, simplicity, reliability etc.?6. On the other hand, should Xiameter drop its low-price positioning and compete on other benefits including product quality, simplicity, reliability, etc.?7. Should Xiameter “let the customers decide” by expanding its limited range of products to include all other Dow Corning silicones and possibly complementary non-silicone compounds from third parties?8. What advice do you have for Ron Fillmore?