Inbal Dror: Expanding the Global Reach of a Couture Bridal Wear Brand

In October 2018, Yehuda Katzman, vice-president of marketing and business development at design house Inbal Dror, was attending the 2018 New York Bridal Fashion Week event, where Inbal Dror and its direct competitors revealed their spring lines to distinct buyers. As in previous years, Katzman had lined up meetings with interested retailers and wanted to make sure they appreciated the unique nature of Inbal Dror’s designs and the quality of its craftsmanship and the raw materials it used. Katzman also wanted to ensure that the couture brand was recognized for its dependability, sincerity, and understanding of different cultures. Travelling from Israel to participate in international bridal shows was a costly undertaking, and it was critical for Katzman to identify new retailers to continue expanding Inbal Dror’s global reach. His challenge this time was to successfully penetrate the vast markets of China and the Far East—a challenge that could, if successful, generate incredible growth.

This case is suitable for undergraduate-level courses on global marketing, entrepreneurship, or international business where there is an emphasis on business relationships in business-to-business and business-to-consumer business models. It is especially appropriate for classes focused on growth management as well as expansion risks and opportunities. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Understand the challenges and opportunities encountered by a small, independent local business wishing to expand globally.</li><li>Understand the bridal gown industry, which consists of both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing efforts, as well as the opportunities for global expansion.</li><li> Use various forms of analysis, including a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis, to identify Inbal Dror’s potential path for continued expansion.</li><li>Develop an understanding and appreciation for the value of relationships and trust in marketing.</li><li>Understand how culture and language play into new market identification and expansion.</li></ul>

• global expansion
• marketing
• entrepreneurship
• international business
• bridal industry
• bridal gowns
• SWOT
• five-Cs analysis
• B2B
• B2C
• growth management
• stakeholders