Case-Oriented Syllabus
address a variety of challenging strategic
issues. Asks students to reverse-engineer
the brand strategy from these documents.
television and entered a four-year deal
Net.Genesis, Inc.
500009
18p
TN 501062
U.S., Internet
software, 70
employees, 1999
Net.Genesis needs to plan a strategy for
the developing Internet market. In
particular, it is creating the category of e-
business intelligence and striving to be the
Chapter 13: Designing and Managing Services
Starbucks:
Delivering
Customer Service
9-504-016 ,
revised 2006,
20p
TN 5-504-089,
19p
U.S., coffee, $3.3
billion revenues,
60,000 employees
Starbucks, the dominant specialty-coffee
brand in North America, must respond to
recent market research indicating that the
company is not meeting customer
expectations in terms of service. To
increase customer satisfaction, the
company is debating a plan that would
increase the amount of labor in the stores
and theoretically increase speed-of-
Case-Oriented Syllabus
size and the composition of its customer
base and to look at the links between
sales and profitability.
related activities.
Four Seasons
Hotels and
Resorts
800385
26p
TN 801048
Canada, hotels and
resorts, 2,000
employees, 2000
This case explores how a leading service
firm delivers high tech/high touch,
including its progressive human resource
strategy.
RadioShack
500081
24p
TN 500106
United States,
consumer
electronics
retailing, 2000
Outlines the transformation of
RadioShack from a parts and accessories
business to a provider of high-bandwidth
Internet access. Is this new retail strategy
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Chapter 14: Developing Pricing Strategies
and Programs
Virgin Mobile
USA: Pricing for
the Very First
Time
504028
19p
TN 504108
U.S., cellular,
2003
categories. This case focuses on its initial
Dan Schulman, the CEO of Virgin Mobile
USA, must develop a pricing strategy for
a new wireless phone service targeted
toward consumers in their teens and
twenties, many of whom are believed to
have poor credit quality and uneven usage
patterns. Contrary to conventional
industry wisdom, Schulman is convinced
that he can build a profitable business
InPart
898213
24p
Silicon Valley CA,
CAD software, 30
employees, 1997-
1998
The case examines issues involving the
organization of the salesforce and the
pricing of the product.
customer buying environment (cost
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Products Division
– 1980
contractors drive piles faster, and must
decide how to price it.
Chapter 15: Designing and Managing Integrated
Marketing Channels
The Passion of the
Christ (A)
505025
17p
B case 505026
U.S.,
entertainment,
$400 million,
2003-04
to opt for a wide or limited release and
Bob Berney, president of Newmarket
Films, must decide on a distribution and
marketing strategy for Mel Gibson’s
controversial new movie, The Passion of
the Christ. Fueled by Gibson’s star power
as well as an extensive prescreening
campaign among Christian leaders and
others representing likely target audiences
in the summer of 2003, the religious
movie had started to generate publicity in
Raymond James
Financial
504027
24p
504083
U.S., financial
services, $1.5
billion, 2002
Raymond James Financial (RJF) currently
sells financial services through two
channels. It is considering adding a third
in the “middle” of the other two. The
current strategy has one channel with
employees and another with independent
contractors. These attract very different
Case-Oriented Syllabus
CVS: The Web
Strategy
500008
16p
TN 501064
New England,
drug retailing
How should America’s second-largest
pharmacy chain respond to the challenge
from online drugstores? What threat does
Goodyear: The
Aquatred Launch
(Condensed)
500039
13p
TN 500044
Akron, OH, tires,
Fortune 500
company, 1992
Goodyear is planning to launch an
innovative new tire in a price-sensitive
and highly competitive category. The case
deals with channel conflicts and
management issues arising in mature
product categories.
Arrow Electronics
598022
21p
North America,
electronic parts,
Deals with the issue of cross-selling and
managing a portfolio of products and
new e-commerce site, which could
Chapter 16: Managing Retailing, Wholesaling,
and Logistics
7-Eleven, Inc.
504057
30p
TN 505067
Japan + U.S.,
retail, $10 billion,
2003
Can 7-Eleven United States replicate the
successful experience of 7-Eleven Japan
in selling fresh foods through convenience
stores? Describes the Japanese system and
shows the steps the company is taking to
try to achieve the same success in the
United States.
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Wal-Mart Stores
in 2003
704430
32p
U.S., retail, $245
billion, 1965-2003
problems are starting to surface even as
the company is winning recognition as the
minimum-wage employees and
allegations of gender discrimination are
alleged. Teaching purpose: To introduce
students to creating a competitive
advantage.
Examines Wal-Mart’s development over
three decades and provides financial and
descriptive detail of its domestic
operations. In 2003, Wal-Mart’s
Supercenter business has surpassed its
domestic business as the largest generator
RadioShack
500081
24p
TN 500106
U.S., consumer
electronics
retailing, 2000
Outlines the transformation of
RadioShack from a parts and accessories
business to a provider of high-bandwidth
Internet access. Is this new retail strategy
viable?
business?
Costco
Companies, Inc.
599041
21p
TN 599088
U.S.,
retail/membership
clubs, 55,000
employees, 1998
Costco Companies, a major player in the
wholesale club industry, has developed a
new class of membership that offers
discounted services in exchange for a
higher annual fee. How should the new
membership be marketed, to whom, and
how much should be spent on the effort?
What are the potential risks and benefits
for Costco?
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Can the business survive as Roddick steps
Chapter 17: Designing and Managing Integrated
Marketing Communications
yesmail.com
HBS
500092
15p
TN 501028
Chicago, IL,
Internet/advertisin
g
71 employees,
1999
Yesmail sends clients’ promotional e-mail
messages to targeted consumers who said
“yes” when asked whether they wished to
receive promotional offers in certain
categories of interest. The company’s
CEO must decide how best to build a
large membership base quickly. The case
highlights trends in marketing
communications, with a focus on
permission marketing.
Bronner Slosberg
Humphrey
598136
22p
TN 598141
U.S., direct
marketing/
advertising, 700
employees, 1998
Bronner Slosberg Humphrey has
succeeded by providing integrated direct
marketing solutions for major service
companies such as AT&T, American
Express, and FedEx. A new CEO takes
over for the company’s founder and is
wondering how to grow the company.
Options include selling individual services
and/or opening global offices.
Case-Oriented Syllabus
and Advertising
TN 598080
1994
identify the values of the Heineken brand
and to translate these into effective
advertising messages.
Chapter 18: Managing Mass Communications:
Advertising, Sales Promotions, Events and
Experiences, and Public Relations
Cofidis
501055
19p
TN 501084
France, consumer
credit, 1,452
employees, 2000
can we advise Michel Guillois, CEO of
preserve Cofidis’ competitive edge?
An offspring of French catalog marketer 3
Suisses, and a popular sponsor of Tour de
France, Cofidis sells consumer credit over
the phone, defying conventional banking
with a product policy and a
communication strategy that perfectly fits
the company’s comparative
(dis)advantages. This case describes: 1)
Autobytel.com
500015
21p
TN 500076
Irvine, CA,
Internet,
automotive, 200
employees, 1999
Autobytel enjoys first-mover advantage in
the Internet new car buying space.
According to a number of metrics, it is the
online leader in this category. However, a
Case-Oriented Syllabus
number of competitors have emerged,
raising questions about the long-term
viability of Autobytel’s purchase referral
model. In addition, Autobytel is struggling
Heineken N.V.:
Global Branding
and Advertising
596015
13p
TN 598080
Amsterdam/
Netherlands, beer,
1994
Heineken managers are evaluating the
results of the research projects designed to
identify the values of the Heineken brand
and to translate these into effective
advertising messages.
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Warner-Lambert
Ireland: Niconil
593008
16p
TN 594062
Ireland,
pharmaceuticals,
1989
The company’s launch of “the patch” was
impending. Declan Dixon must decide on
a sales forecast, pricing, and an
advertising strategy for the launch.
Calyx & Corolla
592035
31p
TN 596116
U.S., new firm,
mail order flowers,
1991
Calyx and Corolla has successfully
penetrated the retail flower industry,
shipping cut flowers via FedEx directly
from growers to consumers. Now it has to
decide how to grow.
Chapter 19: Managing Personal Communications:
Direct and Interactive Marketing, Word of Mouth,
and Personal Selling
Marketing James
Patterson
505029
18p
505033
U.S., book
publishing, $120
million, 2004
Can a successful novelist use direct-to–
consumer marketing to grow his brand?
The author, who in a previous career ran a
major advertising agency, uses advertising
with great success to build his stature as a
Centra Software
502009
17p
U.S., software, $23
million revenues,
2001
Centra is a pioneer in software eLearning.
It is debating how to modify its go-to–
market strategy, adding telesales to
improve sales force productivity. At the
same time, its market is evolving, and
management thinks it may be about to
Case-Oriented Syllabus
markets, and competition between best-of-
breed collaborators and single-source
vendors.
Siebel Systems:
Anatomy of a
Sale, Part 1
503021
9p
503087
Part 2 503022
Part 3 503023
New York and
Boston, software,
$2 billion, 1998-99
stage. Part 1 describes the start of the sale
How does a $2 million software sale
happen? This case traces efforts by Siebel
Systems to sell lead management software
to discount broker Quick & Reilly. The
buying process is mapped out over four
years. Covers in detail the last six
Hewlett-Packard
– Computer
Systems
Organization:
Selling to
Enterprise
Customers
500064
23p
Computers, high-
technology,
Fortune 500, 1996
HP’s current customer management
approach, though successful, involved
structural changes that forced a deep-
rooted overhaul of HP’s traditional
regional sales approach. The new
recommendations would necessitate
another round of drastic changes in the
way HP manages relationships with its
Case-Oriented Syllabus
Chapter 20: Introducing New Market Offerings
Henkel Group:
Umbrella
Branding and
Globalization
Decisions (A)
(B) 585100
585185
17p
TN 587164
6p TN (B)
592056
U.S. and Germany,
1985
Henkel’s adhesive group is considering a
major change in the international selling
of its two major adhesives products for
households.
potentially appeal to a different
“audience” within the client’s IT
organization. Once management decides
when to introduce the product, it must
also decide how to do so. Specifically,
should this product be sold through the
same sales force as other successful
products? Teaching Purpose: Examines
sales organization, sales strategy, and new
product introduction.
TiVo in 2002:
Consumer
Behavior
502062
14p
San Jose,
television services,
$19 million, 1999
Brodie Keast is anxious to understand the
sharp contrast between the inertia of
prospects and the deep emotional response
shown by converted users of TiVo. After
Case-Oriented Syllabus
explore the essence of its value
proposition.
employees, 2000
moving to early-stage human testing. The
firm must decide whether to sell the
product development program to a large
pharmaceutical company or to enter into a
Strategic
597051
14p
TN 597052
U.S., food, 1995
The marketing director of Oscar Mayer
faces a series of strategic marketing
options regarding established and new
products, including budget and capacity
Colgate-
Palmolive
Company: The
Precision
Toothbrush
593064
24p
TN 595025
U.S., consumer
products, 1992
Brand manager Susan Steinberg has to
develop a marketing mix and pro forma
profit-and-loss in preparation for the
launch of a new and superior toothbrush.
Chapter 21: Tapping into Global Markets
Global Marketing
32p
TN 505022
electronics, $20
billion, 2003
assessing how to build the global brand
reputation of the company further and
upgrade the company’s worldwide brand
image. To show how to build a global
Supermercados
Disco: Regional
Strategy
599127
24p
TN 501008
South America,
retailing, 1998
The Disco supermarket chain has pursued
a successful local niche strategy in
Argentina to compete with multinational
chains. Now, Disco considers options for
expanding its regional strength.