個案資料

On December 15, 2020, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Australian event-staging company Stagekings Pty. Ltd. (Stagekings) was honoured with a SmartCompany Resilience award. Speaking at the event, he reflected on the dreadful day of Friday March 13, 2020, when a lockdown was announced due to COVID-19. In the 48 hours following this announcement, Stagekings lost all its live-event jobs. Sick to the core, the CEO decided to post an open letter asking Australians what they needed the most. Addressing many requests from people working from home, Stagekings rapidly launched a new brand, IsoKings, with a single product: a flat-pack desk. In just 15 months after its launch, IsoKing reported revenue of AU$1.5 million. As lockdowns lifted and people returned to offices, the CEO was worried: Should IsoKings be further developed, or should the company get back to its core business of making stages?

This case is intended for first-year undergraduate- or graduate-level courses on principles of marketing, marketing management, entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, and human resource management. It can be taught in core and elective courses on marketing, strategy, organizational behaviour, and leadership. It can also be used for executive audiences to illustrate shifts in marketing strategy toward flexibility, competitiveness, and agility. This case lets students experience the business agility and marketing practices that support businesses in turbulent environments and offers an opportunity to work through the challenges of family businesses by introducing the effects of political, economic, and social factors on these businesses’ survival.<br><br>After working through the case and assignment questions, students should be able to do the following: <ul><li>Critically evaluate the effects of external political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) forces such as the COVID-19 pandemic on business success.</li><li>Describe the agile business model and identify the major factors driving agile marketing.</li><li>Apply creativity and knowledge of marketing principles to explain why some marketing activities are more successful than others.</li><li>Explain the importance for a company of employee capabilities and commitment to stakeholders (i.e., employees, society).</li><li>Describe the impact on market orientation of changes in consumer behaviour.</li><li>Identify and assess organizational capabilities and market learning that can be used to sustain agility.</li></ul>

• Marketing Agility, Marketing Environment