P&G had become known and recognized as a marketing machine. It was the largest advertiser in the world, with 2010 spending of $8.68 billion. From the company's early exploitation of broadcast media (radio and television) for its soap products to more recent experiments in digital media for its men's hygiene brand Old Spice, P&G was a seasoned marketer with strong consumer research, a powerful innovation network, and the world's largest financial commitment to advertising.
In 2011, Colgate-Palmolive (Colgate) was the global leader in oral care, with a dominant market share lead in toothpaste and a growing presence in toothbrushes and mouthwash. However, the firm faced stiff competition with perennial rivals P&G increasing their focus on the oral care and emerging markets where Colgate had traditionally been untouchable. To defend its lead Colgate attempted to cover all fronts, leveraging brand equity, fostering close relationships with dental professionals, innovating in underutilized markets, using its global network to quickly move products to market and reinvesting steadily in its brand.
Vanguard Group management, led by CEO John Brennan, was considering whether to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in early 2000. ETFs, first created in the early 1990s, combined aspects of traditional mutual funds and closed-end funds. The US ETF industry had reached $36 billion in assets under management, growing rapidly over the past few years. Because ETFs were exclusively index-tracking products, Vanguard, the largest index mutual fund company, had some potential expertise in managing ETFs. However, entering this market would present also unique challenges for Vanguard. Vanguard had a philosophy espousing low-turnover investing, while ETFs enabled short-term trading. The company would also need to develop a distribution network for ETFs. Finally, since Vanguard's mutual fund investors owned the company, management considered whether existing shareholders would benefit from an ETF product launch.
Muhtar Kent, CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, faced a critical decision in 2011 after closing a $12 billion deal to buy its troubled North America bottling operations from its biggest bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises. The decision was prompted by several changes in the U.S. market, including the bottler's inability to make crucial investments, the growth of alternative, non-sparkling drinks, and the growing power of national accounts, such as Wal-Mart. Now that Coke owned most of its North American bottling network, Kent had to decide whether keeping the labor and capital-intensive side of the bottling business was in Coke's long-term strategic interest. If not, should he re-franchise the bottling business, again, as Coke had done in the past? Or was there a third path? For one of the most successful companies in the world over the last 100 years, Kent's answers to these questions had the potential to redefine Coke's business model for the next century.
Founded in 2007, Bolaven Farms is a coffee business with a social purpose. Set up in Laos and Hong Kong, Bolaven Farms aims at providing high-quality coffee to the worldwide public while helping to alleviate poverty among coffee farmers in Laos. The business model involves a full integration of the coffee supply chain, from planting the coffee seed to selling the final branded product to wholesale and retail customers. Consequently, farmers and the company benefit from excluding intermediaries from the supply chain and keeping profit margins for themselves. The company's vision of educating farmers and providing them with higher income for their work is very compelling to the public and was quickly picked up by the media. However, the business model has yet to be tested. For one thing, once the farmers graduate from the programme, they need employment assurance and additional land to cultivate. For another, the coffee market is a mature one, with many players and a multitude of competing and lower-priced offers to choose from. People find the company's vision very inspiring, but it is also very difficult to translate into viable actions. The company has already invested US$4.0 million in the project, but is still a long way from educating the public and finding customers willing to pay premium prices for the coffee. Both ends of the supply chain need further refinement, and Say is not willing to compromise on quality or price. The case begins with an introduction of the coffee industry and its practices. A description of Laos as a business environment for Bolaven Farms follows. The case describes the development and implementation of a business model that incorporates vertical integration supported by social networks. It allows for an advanced analysis of issues related to choosing an appropriate business model and focuses on the risks related to future expansion and resulting from the strategic choices of the entrepreneur.
The case introduces students to the concept of supplier management with scorecard and other performance measures and the concept of Total Cost of Ownership The purpose of this case is to enhance the student's understanding of the role of performance measures in the inter organizational setting - buyer supplier partnerships. In particular their role in managing the purchase allocation decision made by the buyer. • The role of management accounting information in the purchase allocation decision is explained by the total cost of ownership concept. • Purchase allocation decisions are made with respect to various factors including past performance, strategic importance and inventory requirements • Understanding the extent to which these factors are in play in the purchase allocation decision by buyers is important to the development of modern management systems in settings where there is increased outsourcing of non-core value added activities. As more parts of the global supply chain are being located in China, greater responsibility falls on the management to adopt systems that can help them to manage and satisfy international standards for delivery and quality.
The case study presents facts pertaining to the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), one of the best-known nonprofit housing development companies in the United States, at a time of fundamental transition--a new chief executive officer has been installed after several months of the board of directors running the company. Working with the founder, Eugene Ford, the first chief executive had made a specialty of using a variety of complicated financial arrangements to revive assisted low-income housing projects that had become or were at risk of becoming dilapidated, crime-ridden disasters. The organization had become famous for blazing new trails in providing services for the low-income residents of its housing projects, particularly related to technology. Federal, state, and local government agencies, private corporations, foundations, and universities had joined with CPDC in its development and resident service projects. But despite the worthy redevelopment projects and dazzling programs, CPDC was a house divided. Concerned about CPDC's difficulties in accounting and reporting its revenues and expenditures, members of the board of directors became more involved in running the organization and contributed to the departure of the organization's founding CEO. Fundamentally, CPDC was afflicted with what might be called organizational schizophrenia, with two different lines of business, each with its own organizational structure, funding mechanism, and supporters on the board of directors. The case presents the reader with the question of what strategies and ultimately business model the incoming CEO should adopt to keep the organization viable and fulfill its mission. HKS Case Number 1924.0
Tracy Chan, managing director of the Student Learning and Writing Services (SLWS) at St. Charles University in Calgary Alberta was faced with a difficult situation. Her newest employee Michael Hinske, had just emailed her a list of faculty members he had contacted to educate on the SLWS graduate writing initiatives. Chan quickly noticed that the faculty names were contacts that had already been initiated. There was no indication that Hinske had made any attempt to discuss the program with other faculties on campus. Since joining the team six months earlier Hinske's mandate for the academic year was to create a series of workshops and liaison with different faculties on campus. Due to restructuring the funding request for the position originally made by Chan was resubmitted under Nicole Duncan, the associate director of the Faculty Educational Development Office (FEDO). The result was the approval of a position that would see the SLSW receive a staff member four days per week and one day per week in the FEDO. Duncan wanted to have a direct role in the recruiting since she was to be responsible for the overseeing of the budget for the initiative. She called Chan to inform her that a resume from Michael Hinske had been sent directly to her and that it should be included in the pile if potential candidates. After the interview process Duncan stated that the best candidate for the position was Hinske. Chan stated her hesitation with the candidate given that he lacked any formal training in writing theory and the disciplines of writing at the university level. However, Duncan stated that she wanted the job filled before she went on vacation and Hinske should be given the job. Problems started when Hinske asked for other team member's presentations and curriculum material. Over the next two months Chan and other staff members noticed that Hinske seemed distant.
This note is designed to give readers an overview of some useful tools within Excel and VBA. These include Offset, Vlookup, Dynamic Charts, Form Controls and Pivot Tables. The note contains explanations followed by examples for each tool.
Office romance has challenged sexual mores at work. Under the prevailing norms of 40 years ago, a workplace affair meant a semi-clandestine liaison between a male executive (married or unmarried) and a female secretary or low-level assistant. Over the past few decades, sexual mores have become more flexible, and office romances are more likely to be out in the open. This case provides six real-life examples of office romance. In each case, students have an opportunity to consider how well the parties to the romance have conducted a romance in a business context and what leaders could have done to manage the situation.
Describes methods to calculate the carbon footprint (greenhouse gas emissions) of an organization's operations and supply chain, and a product or service. Illustrates concepts with examples of calculating the carbon footprint of organizations and products. Provides data necessary for carbon footprint calculations.
Larry Smarr, the founding director of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), reflects on the Institute's past 10 years of successes and challenges. In 2010, more than 700 university scientists, artists, engineers, and social scientists and over 300 non-university partners are associated with the Institute. Innovative and multi-disciplinary research projects are being carried out in diverse fields such as environmental monitoring, human/robotic communication, digital archaeology, nanotechnology, life sciences, information technology, and telecommunications. Calit2 was one of four new research initiatives created in 2000 in a partnership between the State of California, the University of California, and California industry in order to foster and drive entrepreneurial business growth and expand the California economy into new industries and markets. Calit2 was the result of a partnership between both the University of California, San Diego and University of California, Irvine. As Calit2's first decade comes to a close, Smarr considers the future of the Institute and, in particular, its leadership and sustainability.
The Coca-Cola Company ("Coca-Cola") announced a plan in September 2008 to acquire China's biggest domestic juice manufacturer, China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited ("Huiyuan"). This acquisition will boost the market share of Coca-Cola from 12.7% to 20.2% in the country's juice market that year. Because Huiyuan-branded fruit juice is one of China's home-grown prominent brands, this news has triggered a public outcry rooted in patriotic nationalism against Coca-Cola's acquisition. Local juice manufacturers have also protested, claiming that Coca-Cola's enhanced market position would drive them out of business. China's antitrust officials plan to conduct a public hearing in late December 2008. Coca-Cola's senior executives are mulling over the best strategies to convince the authorities that this acquisition benefits the consumers and the society at large. Factors of considerations may include the rationale of regulatory control of M&A, synergies of the merging companies, and the potential effects of merging on competition, consumer interests and industry development. (Note: Case B covers the ruling by China's antitrust authorities on Coca-Cola's case and its implications for foreign companies trying to expand business in the country through acquisition of top domestic brands.)
The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) announced a plan in September 2008 to acquire China's biggest domestic juice manufacturer, China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited (Huiyuan). This acquisition will boost the market share of Coca-Cola from 12.7 percent to 20.2 percent in the country's juice market that year. Because Huiyuan-brand fruit juice is one of China's prominent homegrown brands, this news has triggered a public outcry rooted in patriotic nationalism against Coca-Cola's acquisition. Local juice manufacturers have also protested, claiming that Coca-Cola's enhanced market position would drive them out of business. China's antitrust officials plan to conduct a public hearing in late December 2008. Coca-Cola's senior executives are mulling over the best strategies to convince the authorities that this acquisition benefits the consumers and the society at large. Factors of considerations may include the rationale of regulatory control of M&A; synergies of the merging companies; and the potential effects of merging on competition, consumer interests, and industry development. (Note: Case B covers the ruling by China's antitrust authorities on Coca-Cola's case and its implications for foreign companies trying to expand business in the country through acquisition of top domestic brands.)
On 8 June 2010, India's leading integrated telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel Ltd ("Airtel"), completed its acquisition of the mobile operations of Kuwaiti company Zain in 15 countries throughout Africa. At US$10.7 billion, it was Airtel's most expensive and ambitious acquisition yet, and the largest ever cross-border deal from one emerging market to another. Airtel hoped that, with this deal, the company would be transformed into a truly global telecom company, fulfilling its vision of building a world-class multinational. Airtel was a pioneer in India's telecom sector and was the flagship company of the Bharti conglomerate of industries. Sunil Bharti Mittal had founded the Bharti group in 1976, and it had grown from being a small-scale manufacturer of bicycle parts into one of the largest business groups in India, with operations in the telecom, financial services, retail and food sectors. Airtel had started its telecom services business in 1995 by launching mobile services in Delhi, India. In a short span of about 15 years, the company had become India's largest cellular service provider and one of the top five wireless operators in the world, with revenue of US$8.8 billion and net income of about US$2 billion as of 31 March 2010. The acquisition of Zain would add 40 million subscribers, bringing its total user base to approximately 185 million. What strategy should Bharti pursue to ensure its success in Africa?
In March 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Sweet overturned 30 years of legal precedent and ruled that unaltered human genes could not be patented. This case reviews patent law and how it relates to our increasing knowledge of the Human Genome. The case issues deal with the potential implications of Judge Sweet's decision for biotechnology entrepreneurs and investors.
India as an emerging market offers tremendous opportunities to marketers. The marketing scenario is an upbeat one both for mundane products as well as luxury offerings. Marketing art was an unexplored area. www.dhonuk.com was an entrepreneurial company that was making an attempt to market art. This case study is about the attempt by the company to study the behaviour of the consumers interested in art. The case study delves into the nuances of segmentation and psychographics with information on the involvement levels of consumers. The challenge for www.dhonuk.com was to use consumer insights to formulate marketing strategies that would enable the company to target various segments and decide how these segments could be differentiated. Some of the interesting questions that the case reflects are (1) Would capturing the perception of consumers about art forms work? (2) What about their level of involvement in art forms? (3) Were art forms something that consumers used to reflect their personality? (4) Were consumers associated with art different from other consumers in terms of their lifestyle? The case has a blend of several aspects of consumer behaviour that will be useful to formulate a strategy for this unusual category in the Indian marketing context. The case can be used to illustrate how the various aspects of consumer behaviour can contribute to marketing strategy of a firm, especially with regard to a category that has not diffused widely among the consumers. The case also illustrates how consumer behaviour concepts can be combined to obtain consumer insights in a given scenario. The outcome of the case is reflected in how marketing mix elements can be formulated using behavioural concepts. This angle is different from formulating marketing mix using competitive data without the information on behavioural dimensions.