Within a few years of its establishment in 2010 by four young engineers in Pune, India, BlazeClan Technologies had prospered as a cloud solutions delivery company by providing true value to its customers in India and around the world. By 2014, though, the company was facing a long and slow sales cycle in the Indian market where businesses were hesitant to give up in-house data control to the cloud. Though the company invested a lot of marketing dollars in educating this potential segment through events, webinars, social media campaigns and talks at important industry forums, the customer base was not building and market penetration was not gaining ground. The momentum that was badly needed to push cloud adoption to the next level was also affected by external factors such as the availability of the Internet, regular service outages leading to network disruptions, resistance to change and unclear licensing issues. The company worked hard to reduce these fears, but it had a number of decisions to make to go forward.
CoCubes.com, (CoCubes) an entrepreneurial firm, instituted a paradigm change in the way campus recruitment occurred in India. In a paradoxical environment of the high availability of a formally educated yet not readily employable talent pool in a growing economy, CoCubes offered unique value propositions to its dual set of customers (colleges and companies). It was critical for CoCubes to effectively manage engagement with the recruiting companies and attempt to change their mindset regarding recruitment from non-established, non-premier institutes. Conventionally, colleges have not paid to have their students placed. Getting colleges to see the value in this and to pay for it was critical for CoCubes to succeed and grow in the face of increasing competition.
Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. (Xiaomi) had grown into the third-largest cell phone brand in China and the sixth-largest in the world. The company solely deployed online channels, which contributed to its success. In the initial stage, Xiaomi depended on its own online channel to interact with consumers to develop user-friendly products and sell products. Three years after its inception, the company successfully established its flagship store on the largest business-to-consumer e-commerce platform in China. However, Xiaomi was facing a series of challenges, such as competitors’ imitation and consumer complaints regarding services. Xiaomi was at a crossroads: should it stick to its online channels or develop online-to-offline channels?
In September 2012, the vice-president of Internal Audit at Prashanti Technologies, a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India, was reviewing an external audit team’s report before a meeting of the company’s ethics committee. The committee had only one item on the agenda: a sensitive case involving a company vice-president, the head of its financial services division, who had been accused by an anonymous whistleblower of conducting a workplace affair with a subordinate. Further, it was alleged that he had unfairly promoted her by giving her additional undeserved responsibilities and that she had taken undue advantage of her workplace romance by giving orders to the rest of the team. The ethics committee was required to decide what action, if any, should be taken against the vice-president and the junior manager.
In September 2012, the vice-president of Internal Audit at Prashanti Technologies, a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India, was reviewing an external audit team's report before a meeting of the company's ethics committee. The committee had only one item on the agenda: a sensitive case involving a company vice-president, the head of its financial services division, who had been accused by an anonymous whistleblower of conducting a workplace affair with a subordinate. Further, it was alleged that he had unfairly promoted her by giving her additional undeserved responsibilities and that she had taken undue advantage of her workplace romance by giving orders to the rest of the team. The ethics committee was required to decide what action, if any, should be taken against the vice-president and the junior manager.
Founded in 1984 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, La Martina has grown from a high-end polo equipment company into a global fashion brand with operations in 56 countries. Polo, which is not only a sport but also a way of life, is at the core of the brand DNA. Polo is a unique sport with a long history and strong culture that the brand intends to protect, preserve, and share with as many people as possible. The world of polo has traditionally conjured up images of exclusivity, sophistication, and elegance, attracting a wealthy crowd of royals, movie stars, and successful business entrepreneurs. It has naturally developed into a suitable environment for luxury brand sponsorship, co-branding, and partnership opportunities. At the same time, polo is a "niche" sport with limited expansion opportunities. Could La Martina continue to grow within the polo world boundaries? Should La Martina diversify into other sports? What impact would a departure from its polo roots have on the brand identity and authenticity? As a global fashion retailer, La Martina was also confronted with a new set of challenges driven by changes in technology, e-commerce, social media, consumer preferences, and shopping behaviors. In 2015, in a fast-paced, globalized, and ultra-competitive environment, La Martina needed to reconsider its business model and decide on its next strategic move.
The successful rise of Ferns N Petals, a branded flower boutique, coincided with the post-liberalization retail boom in India, a period of rapid growth for organized modern retailing, including online retailing. As the economy grew, disposable incomes rose, driving demographic and lifestyle changes and fuelling aspirations. The Ferns N Petals chain tapped franchisees aggressively. In a predominantly unorganized and localized market, the company successfully convinced potential franchisees to become part of the chain of nationwide branded stores. However, Ferns N Petals' unique franchising business model faced many challenges - including creating and sustaining volume growth for franchisees while continuing to widen and deepen its retail footprint and replicating its model in the high-priced, highly skill-oriented and competitive wedding segment.
The director of Edible Agro Products Limited (EAPL) was reviewing the production figures for Gujarat Til-2, a variety of white sesame that EAPL had introduced to West Bengal in 2008. He had hoped to bring about a revolution in sesame production with this superior new variety and to create higher value for West Bengal farmers and for EAPL. However, his plan had yet to achieve the outcomes he had anticipated. The year 2010 was the third consecutive year in which EAPL had received less than 20 per cent of the expected quantity of harvested produce. Should he quit sesame production and focus only on the oil trading business? Should EAPL change its communications policy/strategy for promoting the value of white sesame to farmers who are not formally educated? How should he address the growing concerns of the farmers? How can he prevent malpractice among vendors and farmers, such as selling the harvested produce to other traders at a higher price? Should he change the pricing policy?
Three friends have followed their entrepreneurial dream to build a five-star hotel in Liepaja, a seaside city in Latvia. After a few early profitable years, the hotel is struggling, due to the massive downturn in the Latvian economy as a result of the European Union financial crisis and slow recovery. The hotel has declined from generating an annual profit to now making a loss or barely breaking even. On several occasions, the co-owners have considered selling up while they can still break even. With the European Union showing signs of recovery, business confidence is returning and the future is starting to look up. The co-owners must decide whether to put all their struggles behind them, retain the ownership of the hotel and look forward to the potential days of profit that lie ahead. Alternatively, they can move in an almost opposite direction, by selling up and moving on. What strategic direction will produce a successful outcome?
The director of Edible Agro Products Limited (EAPL) was reviewing the production figures for Gujarat Til-2, a variety of white sesame that EAPL had introduced to West Bengal in 2008. He had hoped to bring about a revolution in sesame production with this superior new variety and to create higher value for West Bengal farmers and for EAPL. However, his plan had yet to achieve the outcomes he had anticipated. The year 2010 was the third consecutive year in which EAPL had received less than 20 per cent of the expected quantity of harvested produce. Should he quit sesame production and focus only on the oil trading business? Should EAPL change its communications policy/strategy for promoting the value of white sesame to farmers who are not formally educated? How should he address the growing concerns of the farmers? How can he prevent malpractice among vendors and farmers, such as selling the harvested produce to other traders at a higher price? Should he change the pricing policy?
The successful rise of Ferns N Petals, a branded flower boutique, coincided with the post-liberalization retail boom in India, a period of rapid growth for organized modern retailing, including online retailing. As the economy grew, disposable incomes rose, driving demographic and lifestyle changes and fuelling aspirations. The Ferns N Petals chain tapped franchisees aggressively. In a predominantly unorganized and localized market, the company successfully convinced potential franchisees to become part of the chain of nationwide branded stores. However, Ferns N Petals’ unique franchising business model faced many challenges — including creating and sustaining volume growth for franchisees while continuing to widen and deepen its retail footprint and replicating its model in the high-priced, highly skill-oriented and competitive wedding segment.
Three friends have followed their entrepreneurial dream to build a five-star hotel in Liepaja, a seaside city in Latvia. After a few early profitable years, the hotel is struggling, due to the massive downturn in the Latvian economy as a result of the European Union financial crisis and slow recovery. The hotel has declined from generating an annual profit to now making a loss or barely breaking even. On several occasions, the co-owners have considered selling up while they can still break even. With the European Union showing signs of recovery, business confidence is returning and the future is starting to look up. The co-owners must decide whether to put all their struggles behind them, retain the ownership of the hotel and look forward to the potential days of profit that lie ahead. Alternatively, they can move in an almost opposite direction, by selling up and moving on. What strategic direction will produce a successful outcome?
Sony has become one of the most successful innovators of technology. Recently, however, the company’s significant setbacks have led analysts and investors to question its long-term viability. Sony’s PlayStation 4 was launched in the North American market in 2013, to be followed by releases in the United Kingdom and Japan. After experiencing high sales and profits from the PlayStation 4’s two precursors, Sony anticipates the new release will also attract high sales. This case focuses on the idiosyncrasies of the gaming console industry and Sony’s strategy to ensure success for the launch of the PlayStation 4.
In 2013, Target Corporation, the fourth-largest retailer in the United States, launched its first international expansion by opening 125 stores in Canada. Senior executives expected that Target Canada stores would generate $1 billion in annual revenue. However, by late 2013, after losses of more than $900 million, it became obvious that the Canadian expansion had failed. As a result of the stores’ underperformance, Target has appointed a new president of Target Canada, who is challenged to turn the Canadian stores around. The new president must analyze the situation and decide on the best strategy to provide the highest return in the short term and the best strategic positioning for the long term.