Marketing Cases
Marketing Expansion Across Cultures Using Psychometric Leadership Matching
Abstract
AdLead is in the growing energy industry. Turbulent times are ahead for all entities in this industry based on consumption and technology trends. AdLead is in a position to leverage its portfolio of products and services to enable the growth of energy sector companies in a very competitive global market. The company has chosen to expand into three countries located across the globe. These locations have unique capabilities within the portfolio of services based on expertise that was either developed or acquired at this location. Three executives will be relocated from HQ, each to a growth location. Stagnation has happened at each of these offices and in some cases, leadership turnover is a problem. With the use of psychometric testing to find the right candidates along with alignment with cultural attributes as provided by the globe study a discussion of the matching is included in this case to provide the best opportunity for success. Time is of the essence and so some due diligence on selecting the right candidate is required to avoid the time that would be otherwise lost during a transformation failure.
Resisting Caffeine is Futile at StarCafé
Abstract
Star Burger is one of the largest foodservice providers and quick-service restaurants on the planet. As competitors have risen and consumer preferences continue to shift, Star Burger is faced with the dilemma of how to maintain and grow its market share. As modern customers increasingly demand more personalized options, as well as health-conscious options, upper management must adapt the product offering to reflect these trends, as well as increase the quality of ingredients. Star Burger introduced the concept of the StarCafé. These developments represented a significant shift in the way Star Burger has operated. The training and development initiatives and their execution are of paramount importance. A critical aspect of the deployment plan is to understand resistance. Consequently, one of the best offensive strategies an organization being changed can develop is a resistance mitigation plan to help minimize the potential losses caused by unintended consequences or lost revenue due to an inability of the company to adapt.
The Geographic Expansion of Joe’s Supermarket
Abstract
Joe’s Supermarket is about to expand into Asian and South American markets. They want to expand by 400 stores in the next year. To accomplish this, they will start by changing the organizational structure to include geographic divisions. These divisions will duplicate the functions that already exist and report to the CEO. This redundant functional design will need to maintain a synchronized stance with the legacy functions. For example, the HR function in the Asian division will need to stay coordinated with the existing HR function. The same applies to finance and operations to avoid billing issues and to make sure that operational best practices are maintained. Joe’s Supermarket will need to make sure that the affected staff is ready to make this change before actually executing the change.
Using Super Users to Transfer Technology to Users
Abstract
Atlas is a capital company in a very competitive and regulated environment. Technology is a game-changer in this industry. The portfolio of Atlas was getting stale and they were losing market share. The time to change was now. The board decided to pursue technologies that would attract and engage customers. Client acquisition costs for one-time loans were prohibitive in light of tight margins. Leveraging initial acquisition costs by encouraging engagement with other products would keep clients contributing to profits at Atlas. These products appealed to the largest demographic market and so contributed significantly to the financial health of Atlas Capital Group.
Best in Class Body Armor Production
Abstract
Motorcycles have been a source of fun and adventure for many years. More so lately as sales have been increasing. Injuries from impact and sliding during accidents are an increased concern. Birota, Inc. has decided to move towards selling body armor as a core competency. This has led the company to focus on an aspect of safety through performance, quality, and a quick turnaround time on orders to penetrate the safety product market. This will likely lead to other opportunities as brand equity is established through a synergized product line. This case discusses the product portfolio and penetration drivers for the growth of a company that had been languishing in the status quo.
Business Development for Bioengineered Organs
Abstract
BioPrint had developed a new technology that made it possible to print human organs using cells from the person who would be the recipient. Patient-matched organs made it possible to eliminate the difficulties associated with organ rejection and significantly improved the short- and long-term mortality rate of transplant recipients. With this success came the need to monetize the research and development that was proven to be viable through human trials. This case explains how BioPrint, Inc. used a business development framework to help their sales prospects take the journey from awareness to revenue. The commercialization of BioPrint’s products helped patients have a better quality of life by reducing the cost of the transplant experience. BioPrint had a built-in market from the backlog of people who were waiting for an organ. Time was of the essence for all stakeholders.
Intelligent Marketing using a Demand Side Platform
Abstract
Millions of pets are lost every year. Some of these pets show up later in shelters in need of someone to adopt them. This noble cause was linked to products to care for pets on a platform created by a pet food company. The company used a platform to bid for ads across many channels to attract possible adopters of pets. The platform manages the bidding for the ads thereby controlling the advertising budget, but it also connected new pet owners with products that their pets need. The idea of the Demand Side Platform is discussed in light of this marketing strategy.
Acquiring a Pharmaceuticals Company to Improve Brand Strength
Abstract
Nakakuma Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. is a pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Asia. However, in the last year, they became the target for some lawsuits that have started to influence revenue trends in some territories. Nakakuma plans on increasing its brand image by purchasing a small company that has a mature drug pipeline and rigorous processes. Their brand equity is strong. Nakakuma hopes that the acquisition will turn into a positive reflection for the consolidated enterprise while providing for expanded market share. The clash of company cultures is listed as a significant part of the integration-related risk assessment. Nakakuma wants to reset the culture, base the new culture on a new set of values, and promote process rigor. The expectation is that the acquisition will be the catalyst for changes that are needed.
Scalable Vertical Farms to Reduce Food Deserts
Abstract
Given the increase in population, there may be a situation in the near future where food shortages occur because of a shrinking supply of productive arable land and the increase in food demand. This case discusses a solution to the problem through the use of vertical scalable farming that significantly increases the supply of food by introducing efficiencies that are better for the environment than current agricultural methods. TrueFarm is introducing a vertical farming method that makes anyone an indoor farmer. The farm can be as big as the farmer wants it to be. The method and the economic benefits are discussed. In addition, the impact on quality of life and the environmental benefits of indoor vertical farming are discussed in the context of spatial economic theory.
Tracking Children to Stop Trafficking
Abstract
TreckID was a company with a mission. Their CEO had recently visited and become aware of human trafficking and wanted to make an impact at home and abroad. This case discusses how a product development team used product development and manufacturing methods to launch a product that was robust against the need and reliable not to fail. It was possible that this product will only be needed once. When the time comes, it will need to perform. Design for Manufacturability and Assembly is used to optimize both the reliability and the cost of manufacturing the product. A multi-disciplined design team was organized to launch this product with a purpose.
Interactive Digital Signage using Digitally Addressable Surfaces
Abstract
A company has spent considerable effort figuring out how to paint displays on continuous surfaces. This technology has opened up a significant market for them in digital signage. A unique technological advance has made it possible to display advertising on these paint-on surfaces. While this challenge is behind them, the next one is daunting. Swansea Digital now needs to take the advertising content used in static and interactive displays and prepare the elements into an asset package that will be used by a centralized distribution system that will manage the content on each display at any location globally. The content is often localized to accommodate language, censorship, and cultural differences. These packages need to be prepared from a content library continuously curated for the advertising company's clients. The schedule must be adhered to for SD to be profitable in this market. Creating an optimized workflow with a suitable throughput will be essential. This case discusses their approach to leveraging the opportunity.
In-Road Charging of Commercial EVs
Abstract
he primary barrier for electric vehicle (EV) adoption is range anxiety. Solving this problem would typically mean more access to charging stations along a route. The consumer would need to stop and spend 30 to 45 minutes charging up their batteries, delaying their arrival significantly compared to filling a gas tank at a petrol station in about 5 minutes. A better solution would be to charge the EVs battery while still moving. Technology for quicker charging is becoming available. The added benefit of not having to stop along the route would give EVs a practical competitive advantage over petrol-powered cars. The uniqueness of the technologies being used for EVs allows for this. In this case, Dynamic Electric is leveraging its proprietary technology to exploit government-funded initiatives enabling a subsequent IPO launch. They also exploit a digital marketing strategy to create brand awareness to facilitate growth across European countries and beyond.
Marketing an Integrated System of Products
Abstract
Product launches are fraught with risk. While the product's usefulness is essential, getting the product in front of potential purchasers and then acquiring the product at a price that makes everyone happy is complicated. In this case, a group of interactive products was invented. The product is an opportunity to solve whatever someone wants to hang from a surface (generally a vertical one). A variety of items could be hung, removed, and replaced quickly due to a proprietary snap design in each of the items in either male or female form. Snap Lights was working on launching this product, which had become mature through feedback from experts in a commercial context who used large quantities of related products and input obtained from individual users of similar products. The portfolio offered by Snap Lights made this type of work easier. Their marketing strategy for getting the product in front of consumers to make a purchase is discussed. Further discussion includes extending the lifecycle of the system of products through incremental additions to the system, creating additional value.
