Beyond Meat, a producer of plant-based meat substitutes, was founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The company's vision is for consumers to enjoy a meat-like taste and texture in their favourite dishes while avoiding the many chemicals used in processed meat and reducing the number of animals killed every year. Wanting to reduce global meat consumption by 25 percent by 2020, the company works to educate consumers about the superior benefits that eating vegan products will provide not only to the consumers but to the environment they live in and the animals they live around. The largest market for Beyond Meats is the younger generation, which is more health and environmentally conscious and, ultimately, the driving force behind using plant protein for food. Can the company reach beyond this demographic to increase sales of its products? Will the food tastes of Americans change quickly enough to ensure that growing profits will attract more investors?
Intuit, was the market leader in tax-filing software. Its software program, TurboTax, assisted 29 million users versus just seven million each for the tax software programs of rival firms H&R Block and TaxAct. But Intuit's total revenues had fallen in 2015, and in order to help the tech company boost its 2016 sales, it would need to decide on an effective advertising-testing technique. Should it look the relatively new phenomenon of applying neuroscience to marketing research-neuromarketing?
Intuit, was the market leader in tax-filing software. Its software program, TurboTax, assisted 29 million users versus just seven million each for the tax software programs of rival firms H&R Block and TaxAct. But Intuit’s total revenues had fallen in 2015, and in order to help the tech company boost its 2016 sales, it would need to decide on an effective advertising-testing technique. Should it look the relatively new phenomenon of applying neuroscience to marketing research—neuromarketing?
The Holy Grail of modern online marketing is video content that "goes viral,"meaning that it captures an enormous number of views and leads audiences to share, comment or click that they "like"a video. Various experts have ventured theories about what kind of content makes for a hit. The advice varies widely and is even contradictory. Depending on the expert, success is thought more likely if a video is humorous, shocking, dramatic, topical, warm, arousing, angry, scary, socially beneficial, cute, violent, sexy, uplifting, intriguing, quirky, interesting, authoritative, tear-jerking, educational, controversial or baby- and animal-filled. One of the reasons for the various views is that researchers have often looked at only popular videos and did not compare the popular clips with the content almost no one saw. To see if they could clarify some of the contradictions, the authors examined a mix of popular and unpopular videos, then systematically coded and empirically tested the effect of each element on some relatively objective and observational measures of viewer engagement. The authors assigned a team of research assistants to watch 750 videos and to independently score each on a range of attributes. Did the video feature babies, attempt to be funny or use sexually suggestive content? How would watching the video make the typical viewer feel? They collected information on dozens of different video elements and correlated these with three measures of engagement: the number of times people left comments on the video, the overall "liking"index for each video (calculated by subtracting the number of "dislikes"from "likes") and the number of views. The authors' key finding? Emotionally surprising videos generated liking and views more than any kind of specific content element they studied. The authors also looked at novel and incongruous content and found that both were associated with feelings of surprise, which increased views and liking.
On July 12, 1971, Sport Participation Canada, a not-for-profit company, was established by the Canadian government to encourage Canadians to increase their physical activity levels to fight the "obesity epidemic" that was causing health care costs to soar. One year later, the company was nationalized and renamed ParticipACTION. To spread its message, it relied on humourous ads, especially on TV, to encourage adults and children to exercise more. Despite considerable public support, the organization did not have enough capital to continue its operations without increased government funding and was forced to close in January 2001. The resulting uproar led the government to change its mind, and ParticipACTION was revived in 2007. However, its success with nationwide programs such as Sports Day in Canada and Bring Back Play was not enough to save it from further cuts in 2014. Would turning to social media outlets help to re-energize its campaign to encourage Canadians to adopt a healthier lifestyle? Could the organization attract enough donations from the public and private institutions to make up for the shortfall in government funds? These were the dilemmas facing its board in 2015.
By 2013, Victoria's Secret, one of the most successful intimate apparel companies in the world, controls 35 per cent of the global lingerie market from its headquarters in California. However, the company's gross profits are beginning to decline because of higher buying and occupancy expenses and higher promotional costs. This slide in profitability, if left unchecked, has the potential to destroy the share price and brand equity of this eponymous brand. What can be done to reverse these financial trends?
Sony has become one of the most successful innovators of technology. Recently, however, the company’s significant setbacks have led analysts and investors to question its long-term viability. Sony’s PlayStation 4 was launched in the North American market in 2013, to be followed by releases in the United Kingdom and Japan. After experiencing high sales and profits from the PlayStation 4’s two precursors, Sony anticipates the new release will also attract high sales. This case focuses on the idiosyncrasies of the gaming console industry and Sony’s strategy to ensure success for the launch of the PlayStation 4.
In 2013, Target Corporation, the fourth-largest retailer in the United States, launched its first international expansion by opening 125 stores in Canada. Senior executives expected that Target Canada stores would generate $1 billion in annual revenue. However, by late 2013, after losses of more than $900 million, it became obvious that the Canadian expansion had failed. As a result of the stores’ underperformance, Target has appointed a new president of Target Canada, who is challenged to turn the Canadian stores around. The new president must analyze the situation and decide on the best strategy to provide the highest return in the short term and the best strategic positioning for the long term.
Sony has become one of the most successful innovators of technology. Recently, however, the company's significant setbacks have led analysts and investors to question its long-term viability. Sony's PlayStation 4 was launched in the North American market in 2013, to be followed by releases in the United Kingdom and Japan. After experiencing high sales and profits from the PlayStation 4's two precursors, Sony anticipates the new release will also attract high sales. This case focuses on the idiosyncrasies of the gaming console industry and Sony's strategy to ensure success for the launch of the PlayStation 4.
In 2013, Target Corporation, the fourth-largest retailer in the United States, launched its first international expansion by opening 125 stores in Canada. Senior executives expected that Target Canada stores would generate $1 billion in annual revenue. However, by late 2013, after losses of more than $900 million, it became obvious that the Canadian expansion had failed. As a result of the stores' underperformance, Target has appointed a new president of Target Canada, who is challenged to turn the Canadian stores around. The new president must analyze the situation and decide on the best strategy to provide the highest return in the short term and the best strategic positioning for the long term.
The marketing director of an advertising agency is considering marketing options to present to Porsche Canada. The goal is to generate sales of Porsche vehicles in Canada by using social media to highlight the fact that Porsches can be driven in winter conditions. The objective of this program, which includes a variety of social media tools and messages, augments Porsche Car Canada's traditional marketing campaign of billboards, event sponsorships and print ads in premium publications. The marketing director faces resource constraints: he has only a three-person marketing team and the limited marketing budget means the program can likely focus on only three distinctive social media vehicles. In addition, much of Porsche's social media efforts are run out of the United States. The marketing director needs to work within these constraints to build a social media campaign with a Canadian focus.
Near the end of November 2013, Lululemon Athletica (Lululemon) became the subject of a viral firestorm after a series of negative events seriously ruptured the company's reputation. The company found itself facing its worst quality control problem to date, with a recall of 17 per cent of its Luon pants due to issues with sheerness. In addition, the company’s chief executive officer had stepped down. Was Lululemon destined to follow Blackberry as another example of a failed Canadian company, or could it resurrect its former glory by facing its critics head on?
Near the end of November 2013, Lululemon Athletica (Lululemon) became the subject of a viral firestorm after a series of negative events seriously ruptured the company's reputation. The company found itself facing its worst quality control problem to date, with a recall of 17 per cent of its Luon pants due to issues with sheerness. In addition, the company's chief executive officer had stepped down. Was Lululemon destined to follow Blackberry as another example of a failed Canadian company, or could it resurrect its former glory by facing its critics head on?
Rebranding is a marketing strategy often used by companies. The rebranding of a city is not only less common but far more complex. By 2013, the city of Detroit, Michigan was facing a multitude of problems: declining population, crumbling roads and bridges, abandoned properties, an alarming school drop-out rate, poverty, high cost of pension plans, government corruption, growing crime and crippled emergency services. The 2008 recession had dealt a serious blow to its core automotive industrial sector, and although some high tech companies were moving in, the “Motor City” was wallowing in debt. In July 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection, which was granted that December. Its financial emergency manager was able to strike deals with its major debt-holders, the banks, and with the city’s largest union, but these forward steps were threatened when the water department started cutting off water to households that could not pay bills that had risen 120 per cent over the past decade. How does a city facing outraged residents and investors, that lacks infrastructure to such a degree that almost half of its traffic lights are non-functional and that is in an atrocious financial state repair its image and attract new investors?
Rebranding is a marketing strategy often used by companies. The rebranding of a city is not only less common but far more complex. By 2013, the city of Detroit, Michigan was facing a multitude of problems: declining population, crumbling roads and bridges, abandoned properties, an alarming school drop-out rate, poverty, high cost of pension plans, government corruption, growing crime and crippled emergency services. The 2008 recession had dealt a serious blow to its core automotive industrial sector, and although some high tech companies were moving in, the "Motor City" was wallowing in debt. In July 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection, which was granted that December. Its financial emergency manager was able to strike deals with its major debt-holders, the banks, and with the city's largest union, but these forward steps were threatened when the water department started cutting off water to households that could not pay bills that had risen 120 per cent over the past decade. How does a city facing outraged residents and investors, that lacks infrastructure to such a degree that almost half of its traffic lights are non-functional and that is in an atrocious financial state repair its image and attract new investors?
The marketing director of an advertising agency is considering marketing options to present to Porsche Canada. The goal is to generate sales of Porsche vehicles in Canada by using social media to highlight the fact that Porsches can be driven in winter conditions. The objective of this program, which includes a variety of social media tools and messages, augments Porsche Car Canada’s traditional marketing campaign of billboards, event sponsorships and print ads in premium publications. The marketing director faces resource constraints: he has only a three-person marketing team and the limited marketing budget means the program can likely focus on only three distinctive social media vehicles. In addition, much of Porsche's social media efforts are run out of the United States. The marketing director needs to work within these constraints to build a social media campaign with a Canadian focus.
Ten years after its founding, California-based Tesla Motors is close to becoming one of the world’s premier luxury car manufacturers. Its innovative design — using carbon fibre and aluminum rather than steel to construct body and parts — and technology — lithium ion battery packs rather than gasoline for power and a simple powertrain to provide maximum acceleration — make its models treasured options for eco-friendly and tech-savvy consumers as well as wealthy professionals. Relying almost entirely on word-of-mouth promotion through social media, the company sells its cars through factory stores in upscale malls rather than through dealerships and has built service centres to provide free battery charging. However, just as it is expanding into Europe and Asia and is contemplating buying its own factory to secure its battery supply, three of its cars have burst into flames following collisions, although no one has been injured. In addition, analysts claim that the company has been covering up its lack of cash flow by using non-generally accepted accounting principles for reporting its revenue. The CEO knows that the company has tremendous potential but is struggling with public relations problems arising from the crashes and questions about its financial stability and return on investment to investors.
Since 1996, Indigo Books and Music had grown to become essentially a book retail monopoly in Canada. But the global recession had hit the company hard, and the chief executive officer (CEO) was focused on creating innovation at every level of the national operation. The hope was that Indigo would eventually be able to compete internationally with giants such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobles. How to stabilize the company's financials while at the same time creating and promoting creative product lines that customers would crave was the critical question that the CEO had to answer if her company was to thrive in the future.