In 2022, the Crocs Classic Clog was the best-selling item of clothing on Amazon, the brand was one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S., and global net revenue had increased to approximately $3.6 billion. By most accounts, Crocs had become the "it" shoe. Crocs shoes were spotted on high-fashion runways, collaborating with luxury brands and designers including Balenciaga, Christopher Kane, and Christian Cowan, and on the feet of massively popular celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Bad Bunny, and Luke Combs. Crocs was also considered a top preferred footwear brand among U.S. teens in 2023. Few could have predicted Crocs' meteoric success given the state of the brand just ten years earlier. Indeed, in the late 2000's and early 2010's, Crocs shoes were often mercilessly mocked for their hideous appearance, and the organization had nearly gone bankrupt. So how did Crocs clogs go from internet meme fodder to sought-after cultural sensation? Could the Crocs brand maintain its popularity and grow more globally, or was the brand destined to fall out of favor once the tides of fashion changed again? How should Crocs evolve its product portfolio and marketing strategy to ensure a stable and permanent place in consumers' wardrobes?

Founded in 2018 by Jake Bullock and Luke Anderson, Cann sold "social tonics," or cannabis-infused beverages. By 2022, the company had several notable celebrity investors and talent partners, had sold over 10 million beverages to consumers, was distributing in six states and two Canadian provinces, and had closed on a $27 million Series A funding round. Moreover, Anderson and Bullock had their eyes set on expanding into New York and New Jersey, both of which legalized recreational sale and use of cannabis in 2021 and appeared to be a promising new market for Cann. However, Cann faced significant challenges to growing the business. First, cannabis was illegal at the federal level in the U.S., and the laws varied across states regarding the manufacturing, packaging, sale, distribution, and use of recreational cannabis. Second, distribution of recreational cannabis was still limited primarily to licensed dispensaries. There were also severe limitations on advertising cannabis, even in states where consumption was legal, and individual media properties and platforms commonly rejected or prohibited advertisements for cannabis products. Finally, Anderson and Bullock were trying to create an entirely new category for cannabis consumption and position themselves as an alternative to alcohol. Could they convince mainstream consumers to integrate cannabis drinks into their social imbibing? How should they allocate their marketing spend to give themselves the best chance of success? Which markets should they focus on serving and how should they position the product?

Athletic Brewing Company ("Athletic," for short) was founded by Bill Shufelt and John Walker in 2017. In creating Athletic, Shufelt and Walker opened the first U.S. brewery and taproom fully devoted to the production of non-alcoholic (NA) craft beer. By 2021, Athletic was generating around $15 million in annual revenue, and struggling to keep up with consumer demand. Athletic's success was notable in light of long-standing stigmas associated with drinking non-alcoholic beer, particularly in U.S. markets. For example, there was a historical societal stigma surrounding non-alcoholic beer as a result of assumptions that people who chose not to drink alcohol are abstaining because of a problematic relationship with alcohol. Athletic overcame this barrier, and found early success, by specifically addressing the needs of athletes who wanted to enjoy a great beer and be included in the social ritual of drinking without compromising their athletic performance. However, Athletic's success was also part of a larger cultural shift and increased receptivity to non-alcoholic beer in the U.S., which subsequently attracted stiff competition from both small and large brewers who created their own non-alcoholic offerings. Can Athletic continue its upward trajectory or will it be squeezed out by competitors? Will the bubbling embrace of non-alcoholic beer in the U.S. become mainstream or will it prove to be a passing fad?