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In April 2018, Hunter Leigh, the recently appointed head of esports for the Golden State Warriors (GSW), was in charge of developing a marketing communications strategy for the first season of the Warriors Gaming Squad, the first NBA 2K esports team to be geo-located and directly affiliated with the championship-winning GSW National Basketball Association team. The season was kicking off within a few weeks, and Leigh knew that his players and brand needed to perform for fans, not only on the virtual court, but also in the digital and physical market. He needed to quickly make choices about objectives, audiences, messaging, and media in order to successfully develop a large, loyal fan base.

In late January of 2020, Hratch Jabrayan of Homeland Foods contemplated international expansion into North America and increasing exports to Russia. Would potential customers appreciate and pay a premium for the high-quality, organically-produced dried fruits and nuts. Was the product line’s brand name (“Vozni” was Armenian for “hedgehog”) culturally transferrable? Was it financially feasible to bring the product to Canada and the United States? How would other elements of the marketing mix need to be adjusted for Homeland’s entry into both the Canadian and American markets for dried fruit products?

PeopleFirst Inc. (PeopleFirst) was a management consulting company founded and run by Renee Janssen. Janssen had recently promoted a star employee, Marcela Lopez, to the position of manager. However, Lopez’s first foray into management was turning into a disaster. Lopez was suddenly aggressive and defiant toward Janssen. Worse, the results from a survey Janssen administered indicated that Lopez’s team lacked psychological safety—an important factor in their ability to work together and be successful.<br><br>Janssen’s efforts to learn more about the dynamics of Lopez’s team led to three findings. First, Lopez was not taking responsibility for her past actions. Second, Lopez was doing a disproportionate amount of work relative to the rest of her team. Third, Lopez was lying to Janssen about past events. Janssen was faced with the challenge of determining how to persuade Lopez to become a more effective manager and how to increase the morale of the members of Lopez’s team.

The president of Atotam Productions, a media production company near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was dedicated to helping industry meet its social licence to operate by creating positive stories of existing and mutually beneficial media projects. He wanted to show that partnerships among industry, the government of Canada, First Nations communities, and the Canadian public could exist, and Indigenous people could be consulted and engaged in major industrial projects. Though he was aware of the long-standing and inherent disconnect among these groups, he understood how changing market conditions in the oil and gas industry in Alberta could influence a First Nation member-owned media. Should his company continue pursuing work with the oil and gas industry or consider branching out into other industry sectors? If the company branched out, which sector(s) could it focus on? He wondered how industry could best convey to the communities that worthwhile benefits could be shared through cooperative and collaborative approaches in industrial development projects. How could the First Nations communities be assured that industry would take their culture and history seriously? More specifically, how could Atotam Productions best address the need for meaningful and respectful communication and knowledge sharing among these groups in the context of market volatility and change?

The RealReal Inc. (Real), a San Francisco, California-based start-up engaged in the trade of used luxury goods, experienced significant growth in its revenue and customer base in fiscal year (FY) 2018, but it was yet to turn profitable after nine years in the business. The reported accumulated losses until the quarter ended March 2019 were US$280.98 million. On June 27, 2019, Real launched its initial public offering (IPO) at US$20 per share. Would investing in the company be worthwhile for investors? What parameters would realistically indicate the future prospects of an emerging growth company like Real?

Spreadsheet for product 8B20N035.

Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B20N035.

In 2018, ITC Hotels, a chain of luxury hotels based in India, achieved a distinct positioning with its branding, “ITC Hotels: Responsible Luxury.” The company intended to communicate its image of being environmentally sustainable, responsible to the local communities and society, and responsible for the safety and comfort of guests and employees. This strategy shaped many of its operational decisions and processes. However, the executive director of ITC Hotels, felt cautiously optimistic about its positioning in the market. Could ITC Hotels succeed in balancing responsibility with luxury? Could this business strategy and positioning counter the intensifying competitive threats from India’s other major luxury hotel chains?

In February 2020, Apple Inc. (Apple) was fighting litigation by one of the oldest patent troll firms (a non-practicing entity) in the United States, VirnetX Holding Corporation (VirnetX). VirnetX targeted innovative and cash rich firms and had begun to use specific US locations with patent troll–friendly courts as major hubs for filing litigation. For targets such as Apple, this meant resources intended for innovation were wasted in fighting legal battles. In collaboration with its competitors, Apple took several initiatives, including pre-emptive litigation and appeals to both the US and the European Union governments to improve patent laws and prevent patent trolling. How could Apple’s chief executive officer encourage innovation at Apple amid patent trolling issues? What strategies should he take to fight against non-practicing entities?

Between 2015 and 2018, competitors in China's two-wheel e-vehicle industry were embroiled in a price war. Yadea Group Holdings decided to differentiate its brand from competitors and move away from further price reductions, opting instead to raise prices and adopt a distinctive high-end product strategy. It planned to offer its products to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in China, and to expand into the international market. With upgraded product and service offerings, the company was becoming a market leader in China's two-wheel e-vehicle industry. However, its founder was well aware that competitors would soon imitate the company’s high-end product strategy and could potentially overtake its market position. In the current Internet-based business environment, new sales and rental models were constantly emerging, which meant Yadea Group Holdings risked losing market share to both domestic competitors and international investors. Therefore, the founder decided that the company needed to choose between two potential five-year plan options for the future: take advantage of the existing market or take the lead in a new high-end market.

In November 2019, Saudi Arabia’s government officials and advisers had to decide whether or not to proceed with a plan to make the government-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) a private company and list it on a stock exchange. At the time, Aramco was considered to be the most profitable company in the world. Therefore, its initial public offering would potentially be the largest in history. The company’s market capitalization would dwarf those of global giants Apple Inc. and Google LLC. Saudi Aramco managed the world’s largest oil reserves and had the world’s second-lowest cost of oil extraction. However, there were concerns about the targeted valuation of US$2 trillion. There were also various other questions to be answered: Should the government-owned Aramco become a private company? Was the timing right to list the company on a stock exchange? What fraction of shares should be offered to investors? How should the largest initial public offering in history be priced?

In July 2019, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of a one-year-old start-up in Los Angeles was reviewing the path forward with the company’s new technology platform. The product helped brand managers insert their brands virtually and in real time into television (TV) and movie scenes. With each placement customized to the individual habits and personal preferences of the viewer, virtual placement was a considerable improvement over physical placement of brands as permanent fixtures in TV plots and movie scenes. The technology represented a major disruption to the product placement industry. The company’s CEO needs to resolve three dilemmas to take Ryff forward. First, how should the company find its fit with large advertising agencies that operate in a traditional placement market? Second, how should the company convert traditional industry person-to-person interactions to interactions driven by software programs? Third, how should the company take its business global?

Spreadsheet for product 9B20N031.

Instructor Spreadsheet to accompany product 8B20N033.

Student Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B20N033.

On November 3, 2016, Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) launched a bid for Singapore-based food and beverage company Super Group Ltd. (Super). JDE had already acquired 60 per cent of the shares but needed another 30 per cent in order to delist the company and take it private. The minority shareholders of Super faced the task of evaluating whether the offer from JDE was reasonable and whether they should tender or hold on to their shares. Their decisions would depend on the valuation of Super’s shares, based on financial and other relevant and available market information.

Located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, RLS Logistics offered temperature-controlled logistics solutions. On a Tuesday morning in October 2019, RLS Logistics’ business development manager learned that a large baked goods manufacturer was seeking a logistics provider who could lower the bakery’s transport costs and alleviate problems with delivery delays. The delays, in particular, were blocking the bakery’s attempts to improve its relationship and scale up operations with big-box retailers such as Walmart Inc.. RLS Logistics’ business manager secured a meeting with the bakery for the following Monday. In the meantime, he and his team needed to analyze delivery data from the bakery and prepare a delivery model that would showcase RLS Logistics’ value and appeal to the bakery.

Presentation to accompany product 8B20D026.

In 2018, Vince Wong, the founder and chief operating officer of Toronto-based artificial intelligence firm Dessa, faced the challenge of developing a diverse workforce and a culture supportive of diversity through his hiring practices at the rapidly growing start-up. Until now, Wong had handled all of the hiring at the 30-person firm himself. However, as he expected the firm to double in size within the next year, Wong had hired an internal recruiter and was considering how to formalize and transition hiring in a way that supported expanding diversity within the firm. Wong’s main focus was on determining how to support diversity through hiring and inclusion via the development of a staffing system that aligned with his desire to develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The owner of All Women Recycling, a small manufacturing business in South Africa, is perplexed after the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. She wonders how she should structure business operations to ensure the safety of her staff and meet business goals. She debates between a remote staffing model and a limited staffing model. There will be compensation changes in either approach. The entrepreneur wonders how she should manage employee concerns while continuing to run a profitable business.