個案資料

After four successful years on the market, the founder and chief executive officer of Sanzo Brands Inc. (Sanzo) was looking for ways to continue the momentum and growth of his company. Sanzo was an Asian-inspired flavoured sparkling-water beverage company with an innovative approach to marketing and branding. Rather than promoting its sparkling water through traditional media channels, Sanzo relied on a digital-brand story approach and adopted social-media marketing tools in a mass-marketing environment. Alessandro Roco knew this was the right product at the right time, but his greatest concern was how to maintain the social-media buzz and continue to build the community around the brand. He wondered how Sanzo should manage social media to keep the community engaged and the brand story relevant.

This case is intended for students at undergraduate and graduate levels. It is best used as part of an introductory course on marketing or branding or as part of a course or module on marketing and digital marketing and branding. The topics addressed in this case include brand positioning, brand storytelling, cultural branding, and social-media marketing. This case helps students understand how brands use storytelling to create value for consumers. It provides multiple opportunities to discuss core marketing strategy and innovation topics. After working through the case and answering the assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<br><br><ul><li>Analyze the components of good brand storytelling: a central conflict, empathic characters, a compelling plot, and an important message.</li><li>Apply theories of cultural branding to demonstrate how marketers use social and cultural tensions to create stories.</li><li>Explain the role of authenticity in brand storytelling and how consumers respond to markers of (in)authenticity.</li></ul>

• niche marketing
• branding
• brand storytelling
• digital marketing