Two Colombian entrepreneurs started a restaurant that was very similar to an already existing franchise. Since the case describes the similarity -even in the details- between the business model formulated by these couple of graduates from a private university in Bogotá and a restaurant created in the Netherlands, which already offered franchises in Colombia, it paves the way to discussing dilemmas associated with startups and our role as consumers in society. To what extent is it legitimate to imitate a business model? What potential benefits can be drawn from imitating a business model? In what circumstances does imitation lead to win-win scenarios?
Despite spending US$50 million to land one of the most respected coaches in National Hockey League (NHL) history, the Toronto Maple Leafs — an iconic team with abysmal performance — are once again setting fans up for disappointment. If the goal is to increase compensation levels for the fraternity of hockey coaches, then the Leafs have succeeded. But if the objective is to bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto, the data does not support importing a proven winner. In fact, if Babcock wants to add another Cup to his impressive record, the odds say he should have stayed with the Detroit Red Wings. It is easy to be seduced by the glitter of a Stanley Cup ring and to argue for the proven-winner theory. But as this article explains, the Leafs have had proven winners with former coaches Burke and Carlyle and have failed to achieve the desired results.
Entravision, a leading Spanish-language broadcasting company in the United States that targets Hispanic Americans, has just set up a digital analytics division called Luminar, which uses Big Data to focus a company’s marketing to a particular set of consumers. The idea of launching Luminar has been mooted by an outsider who is a friend and protegé of the company’s founding chairman. As the incumbent president of the new division, he is grappling with some major issues. How should he secure the buy-in of line and staff managers at Entravision? How should he find a structural fit between Entravision and Luminar? How should he leverage business opportunities beyond digital analytics? What kind of entry barriers can he build so that Luminar retains its first mover advantage?
This document is one of three available case-based simulations used as the basis for a multisession course on design thinking. The course emphasizes deep user understanding, iteration, and a focus on the possibilities as a way to enhance value creation for stakeholders. Please refer to the course teaching guide to view the additional essential pedagogical tools available to the course instructor-including several hours of video content and a set of posters that summarize ethnographic interview findings for each simulation scenario. Arena Industries is a global company seeking to improve the wellness of its employees. Students are asked to read a short introduction to Arena's business and operating philosophies, as well as details concerning the challenges present in the larger health care environment in the United States. Students play the role of a consultant who has been charged with recommending to Arena's leaders how best to address the opportunity to improve employee wellness.
This document is one of three available case-based simulations used as the basis for a multisession course on design thinking. The course emphasizes deep user understanding, iteration, and a focus on the possibilities as a way to enhance value creation for stakeholders. Please refer to the course teaching guide to view the additional essential pedagogical tools available to the course instructor-including several hours of video content and a set of posters that summarize ethnographic interview findings for each simulation scenario. The vice provost for academic affairs at Trenton State College (TSC) is tasked with designing a new retirement experience for faculty at the college. TSC, a public institution serving the state of Missouri, employs more than 1,500 full-time faculty and is facing a wave of upcoming retirements and an existing process that few feel is working well. Students play the role of a member of the provost's office who has been charged with reviewing the experience of retirees and recommending to TSC's leaders ideas to improve the retirement experience for faculty.
This case focuses on Acıbadem Healthcare Group's, Turkey's only premium nationwide hospital network, potential expansion strategies after it was acquired by International Healthcare Holdings Berhad (IHH) in 2011, the world's second-largest publicly listed health care group and a private hospital leader in Singapore and Malaysia. By providing perspectives on both Acıbadem and IHH-Parkway-Pantai's operational models, growth aspirations, collaboration and synergies, as well as cultural and operational differences, the case allows students to discuss which expansion strategies would be best suited for Acıbadem's operations--which geographic regions should initially be targeted, what business model is best suited for Acıbadem's growth (specialized chain, public-partnership etc.) Also, students are encouraged to discuss how Acıbadem should leverage its relationship with IHH and collaborate with Parkway-Pantai.
Many early adopters of data mining wasted millions of dollars due to the significant amounts of dirty data contained in IT systems and the length of time required to build data warehouses. But the potential payoff of data mining has soared along with the growth of digital data. Today, thanks to the massive amounts of user-generated content online, firms do not need to build a data warehouse to benefit from data mining. Mining social media sites for actionable intelligence should be on the radar of consumer product businesses. This article examines research that has helped develop an innovative, high-validity method of mining online product reviews such as those on Amazon.com. Firms can now learn what customers consider the strengths and weaknesses of their products and competitors’ products — right from the horse’s mouth — without conducting costly surveys or focus groups.
Stack Brewing, a start-up craft brewery, has a capacity of approximately 5,600 litres per month based on twelve 117-litre batches per week. A government grant based on growth and job creation potential will help boost production capacity by five times, necessitating the development of additional distribution and marketing communication strategies. The owner cannot afford a listing in the Beer Store, the distribution monopoly owned by Labatt Breweries of Canada and Molson-Coors Canada Inc., and his budget for communications is small. While this case provides an opportunity for students to perform quantitative analysis based on revenues and market size, the focus of the case, however, is on an improved distribution and communication plan.
Stack Brewing, a start-up craft brewery, has a capacity of approximately 5,600 litres per month based on twelve 117-litre batches per week. A government grant based on growth and job creation potential will help boost production capacity by five times, necessitating the development of additional distribution and marketing communication strategies. The owner cannot afford a listing in the Beer Store, the distribution monopoly owned by Labatt Breweries of Canada and Molson-Coors Canada Inc., and his budget for communications is small. While this case provides an opportunity for students to perform quantitative analysis based on revenues and market size, the focus of the case, however, is on an improved distribution and communication plan.
In June 2014, leading healthcare and consumer technology company, Royal Philips ("Philips"), announced its HealthSuite Digital Platform to house healthcare data and enable applications used by physicians and patients. Philips had strong equity in the healthcare technology space, due to its extensive portfolio of medical devices and related software sold primarily to hospitals. Philips designed the first two apps for the platform (eCareCoordinator and eCareCompanion) in-house, but it planned to open it up to third-party developers who would create an array of health-focused apps. Healthcare had long lagged behind other industries in adoption of technology as well as patient-relationship management. However, many health players had recently increased investment in new infrastructure and data analytics. Would the new Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform find success in the rapidly evolving industry?
The case outlines GE's origin leading to it becoming the world's largest corporation under Jack Welch. Welch's chosen successor Jeff Immelt has confronted multiple negative external events, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 financial crisis. GE's stock price has continued to lag the overall market recovery. As a result, Immelt is restructuring GE to focus more on industrial engineering. The case surrounds Immelt's decision to divest GE Capital and the associated positive market reaction. This enables evaluation of the impact of the external environment on firms, Immelt's leadership, as well as GE's corporate strategy. Corporate strategy can be examined from material in the case statically or how it has evolved under Welch and Immelt to include where Immelt should invest the cash generated from the sale of GE capital.
It was 30 December 2012, and Lee Kian Soon, the founder of Ezra Holdings Limited (Ezra), a Singapore-headquartered offshore oil and gas services company, was stepping down after 20 years as Executive Chairman of the company. Having been at the helm of the company for two decades, Lee had been instrumental in leading the business development, strategic planning and overall vision of the company. In 1992, Ezra had started off as a subcontractor in shipyards, and by 2012, had grown to become a US$984.2 million group in revenue, with activities encompassing marine and offshore support services and subsea construction. Although Ezra was a family-owned business, Lee was convinced that to enter the global stage and achieve its goals of internationalisation beyond the Asia-Pacific, the company would need someone with an experienced background who could provide the required leadership. On 31 December 2012, Ezra appointed an external candidate, Koh Poh Tiong, as the Chairman of its Board. Lee's son, Lionel, who had been with the company for ten years, remained as Ezra's Managing Director. Lee wondered if he was making the right move in appointing an external successor to the role of Chairman, and what were the implications of choosing an external successor for the company.
Disappointed by how poorly his two favorite football teams were playing against each other on a Thursday night in November 2009, Warren Packard considered the other games he could watch. It was late fall and there were college basketball, college football, and hockey games being played. With all of those different options, Packard thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if somebody could just tap me on the shoulder and say, 'you should be watching this game.'" That thought is what sparked the creation of Thuuz Sports. This case covers the evolution of Packard's idea from side project to Thuuz Sports, a start up with the mission of providing fans with personalized sports entertainment. Thuuz, which assigned every game an excitement rating and alerted users about games they would not want to miss, began as a B2C app. When Packard and his team realized that the biggest pain point was with the companies that saw sports as a way to drive interest, Thuuz pivoted and began prioritizing a B2B2C approach. The case explores how Thuuz approached a number of challenges, including running low on cash, developing a pricing model, and positioning its Automated Highlight Reels. As the only businessperson at the company, Packard was very resource constrained, making prioritization of issues and initiatives even more imperative. Students are asked to evaluate the B2C and B2B2C approaches, identify growth opportunities, and recommend how to pursue those opportunities.
In October 2013, Colgate-Palmolive Company, the world's leading oral care company, was about to launch its new Colgate® Maximum Cavity Protection™ plus Sugar Acid Neutralizer™ toothpaste in Brazil. Oral care category accounted for 46 percent of Colgate's $17.4 billion sales worldwide in 2013. The new toothpaste was clinically proven to reduce and prevent cavities more effectively than toothpaste with the same level of fluoride alone. All major industry players, including Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline and Colgate itself, had long ago launched products with the maximum amount of fluoride allowed by Health authorities. Yet cavities remained a significant threat to public health in many countries, both developing and developed. As Suzan Harrison, Colgate's president of Oral Care, prepared to launch CMCP+SAN in Brazil, the world's third largest oral care market, her executive team was divided over the product's positioning and pricing. Should it be positioned as a basic product to maximize reach for its health benefits or as a premium product for consumers who sought superior cavity protection?
Sai Marine Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SMEPL) had been in business for 20 years and had established itself as one of the major Indian shrimp exporters, with the United States and European Union as its primary markets. Following unprecedented market conditions due to early mortality syndrome affecting the exports of leading Southeast Asian shrimp-exporting countries in 2009, Indian companies were at a competitive advantage. SMEPL’s revenues had increased significantly from 2010 to 2014. Its current markets, the United States and Europe, were lucrative, but SMEPL’s chairman feared the risks of concentration in only two markets. Should SMEPL penetrate deeper into the U.S. and E.U. markets or enter new international markets like Japan and China?