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This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. It's a marketer's dream--the ability to develop interactive relationships with individual customers. Technology, in the form of the database, is making this dream a reality. Now companies can keep track of customer preferences and tailor advertising and promotions to those needs. For instance, a grocery store system could note that you recently purchased a sample size of dishwashing detergent and could offer you a coupon to buy the large size. Explores the impact of this development on marketing practices and gives practical advice on designing a marketing database and staffing an interactive marketing department. Also addresses customer fears and the public debate over marketing and privacy.

Becton Dickinson, a phenomenally successful company with an 80% market share in the blood collection needles and syringes market faces a change in the customer buying environment (cost containment pressures at hospitals). This forces a reevaluation of the company's highly successful product policy and channel strategy. One of the company's largest customers threatens to leave them for refusing their "low-price" request. It is obvious to students that giving in to this customer's threat would compromise the company's "value-added" thrust, yet the potential business at stake makes it difficult to be inflexible.

Burlington Northern (BN) hauls low-sulfur coal from the northern Great Plains to electric utilities in the Midwest. Acid rain legislation may affect the geographic scope of BN's markets. Railroad managers need to assess the economic effects of acid rain controls and their chances of influencing the controls' structure.

First National Bank Corp., a major regional bank in the Northeast, must decide how large a provision for credit losses to accrue in its 1990 financial statements. The recession in New England has caused serious problems in its loan portfolio.

Describes recent proposals to change bank credit loss accounting rules.

Supplement to case UV6118. This case complements the A case by providing the decision-maker's view on the key sources of risk and his probability assessment of the uncertainties that give rise to them. The case can be used as an introduction to simulation modeling.

This two-part case series describes how the option of launching USA Today was defined and evaluated by the Gannett Corp. This case supports a broad discussion of whether the concept of a national, general interest daily fits with the changing external environment and Gannett's internal resources and capabilities; it also allows specific analysis of the economics of the proposed venture.

Provides an update and supports additional discussion of the process by which Gannett pursued the USA Today project.

Update on the organized migrant farm worker in Ohio working with the tomatoe and cucumber growers and companies such as H.J. Heinz and Dean Foods.

Examines the principles that apply in any persuasive business situation. Describes how to analyze the goals and audience; how to devise a persuasive message; and how to execute a persuasive strategy in writing, presentations, and larger corporate communication tasks.

Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd., one of Japan's two premier pencil manufacturers, has been using a subcontractor network in order to respond to changing market conditions. The system currently faces a new challenge as Tombow moves to address a volatile business market for promotional pencils: an expanding market demanding novel products, short delivery lead time, and large quantities. To overcome growing stockouts and inventory problems, Yohei Ogawa, the company's new president and grandson of the founder, must evaluate the performance of Tombow's subcontractor-based production system and formulate a plan of action. Introduces students to the subcontractor-based production system, a system prevalent in certain parts of the world outside the United States, and allows them to analyze its performance for simple products with which they are all familiar. The analysis poses profound questions about ways to manage it more effectively and its future potential as an alternative to vertically integrated operations.

The director of equipment finance at Burlington Northern Railroad Company must decide if a leveraged-lease proposal is acceptable. The case emphasizes the importance of the lessee's tax status to the value of the lease and how the perception of residual value affects the valuation for both the lessee and lessor. To value the lease properly, the student must identify the relevant cash flows and the appropriate discount rates for those flows.

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 292040

Goodyear is nearing its first major capital commitments for the largest investment project in its history, the All American Pipeline. The pipeline will transport heavy crude oil from California to Texas. It is the centerpiece of a major program by Goodyear to diversify away from its core tire business. Goodyear estimates construction cost at just under $1 billion, while outside observers believe the cost could be twice as high. Students are asked to evaluate the project by analyzing data on the supply and demand for heavy crude oil and the economics of transporting it, and by computing and discounting the cash flows the pipeline can be expected to generate.

The introduction of the Sensor Shaving System, one of the biggest product launches ever, forced Gillette to reevaluate its strategy in its shaving and non-shaving business. It had to decide whether to go ahead with the launch and if so, at what scale. Permits analysis of the margins and volumes the Sensor is likely to achieve, and issues of sustainability and flexibility.

The assistant brand manager for Lenor, Procter & Gamble Germany's fabric softener brand, was preparing a presentation on the national launch of an environmentally friendly refill package.

Brings students up to date on events at Apple Computer as of August 1991. Outlines resolutions of, or attempts to deal with, problems outlined. Illustrates what Apple had done to address problems, shows progress to date, and alludes to further issues to be addressed. Can also be used mid-class to develop discussion of what to do next in the evolution of Apple's implementation of its new strategy.

In early 1991, a spirit of innovation and organizational change was in the air at Mutual Benefit Life, with the success of the new "case manager" program its most concrete manifestation. Using powerful computer workstations, case managers could see insurance applications through from start to finish, and many had been trained to do their own underwriting. The shift from manual bureaucracy to a new era of "Personalized Computing" would however present many new challenges to the company, particularly its human resources function. Objective is to explore the organizational changes necessitated by personal computer technology in the setting of a rapidly changing firm.

Dore-Dore, a French manufacturer of socks and children's knitwear, has just converted a portion of its knitwear operations to a flexible modular system to allow faster response and greater flexibility. The case provides an opportunity to assess the changes in knitwear operations, and to evaluate whether a similar conversion to modular is appropriate for socks. Other opportunities for lead-time reduction can also be examined. Can be used to illustrate the impact of changing from a traditional linear batch operation to manufacturing cells and the impact of operating system design and lot size on through-put time, quality, productivity, etc. In addition, provides an opportunity to discuss channel lead time reduction.

Momenta is a one-year-old corporation that has sought to build a distinct culture and identity through a structured process and organized rituals. The company is seeking to be a major player in the highly competitive pen-based computer market and has attracted significant funding and top-quality talent. The case describes the emergence of the corporate culture from the point of view of several key managers. Teaching Objective: To discuss the process and content of corporate culture in a start-up in a rapidly growing and competitive market. Also to discuss the CEO's role in managing highly qualified and talented subordinates. May be used with Momenta Corp. (A).