RiQian Motor was a Chinese company focusing on the development of wheel motors for mining machinery. Its long-term track record with providing high-quality products and service had won the trust and favour of its many clients. In 2016, the mining machinery industry began to focus on the production of electric vehicles. RiQian Motor invested in this new direction, but as of 2018, it was suffering losses in this new area. RiQian Motor was faced with a difficult choice: Should it discontinue its efforts at diversification and go back to the specialized strategy it excelled at? Or should it take a risk and continue the diversification strategy?

<p align="justify">Established in 2002, Chengdu, China’s Four Inter Catering Group Co. Ltd. (Four Inter) was a company specializing in Sichuan cuisine and Sichuan culture dissemination. After 21 years of development, Four Inter formed a business model that emphasized both inheritance and innovation of Sichuan cuisine and provided a broader channel for its growth. In 2023, as COVID-19 came to an end, the food and beverage industry ushered in a new round of development. But Four Inter was caught in the predicament of a regional business model. At this juncture of development, Xiaohong Xu, chairperson and CEO of Four Inter, needed to make a decision about the company’s future direction. Should it deepen the awareness of existing brands (refine) or explore the unknown map (expand)?

RiQian Motor was a Chinese company focusing on the development of wheel motors for mining machinery. Its long-term track record with providing high-quality products and service had won the trust and favour of its many clients. In 2016, the mining machinery industry began to focus on the production of electric vehicles. RiQian Motor invested in this new direction, but as of 2018, it was suffering losses in this new area. RiQian Motor was faced with a difficult choice: Should it discontinue its efforts at diversification and go back to the specialized strategy it excelled at? Or should it take a risk and continue the diversification strategy?

Founded in 2006, Shanghai Action Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Action Education), a provider of management training services for small and medium-sized private enterprises, was the first listed management education company in China. In 2014, due to the fierceness of the market competition and the splitting of the top management team, Action Education changed their strategy from a product-oriented one to customer-oriented one and repositioned themselves as a “world-class practical business school.” This strategic change not only helped Action Education win the recognition and loyalty of their customers but enhanced the company’s profitability and management ability. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and rising consumer demand, Action Education faced increasing pressure. Li Jian, the chair of Action Education, is considering two paths with different customer value focuses: should he add a consulting business unit and provide one-stop services for customers or standardize the company’s management training services and improve their quality and delivery?

Founded in 2006, Shanghai Action Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Action Education), a provider of management training services for small and medium-sized private enterprises, was the first listed management education company in China. In 2014, due to the fierceness of the market competition and the splitting of the top management team, Action Education changed their strategy from a product-oriented one to customer-oriented one and repositioned themselves as a "world-class practical business school." This strategic change not only helped Action Education win the recognition and loyalty of their customers but enhanced the company's profitability and management ability. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and rising consumer demand, Action Education faced increasing pressure. Li Jian, the chair of Action Education, is considering two paths with different customer value focuses: should he add a consulting business unit and provide one-stop services for customers or standardize the company's management training services and improve their quality and delivery?

Since its establishment in 1999, Xiamen Golden Home Co., Ltd. (GoldenHome) had adopted a high-end strategic positioning for its professionally produced kitchen cabinets. The company had first established a high-end brand image by differentiating its service and providing consumers with the ultimate full-process shopping experience. It had then consolidated a high-end perception of its products in the minds of its target customers by continuously researching and developing new processes and selecting high-quality materials. When changes in market and competition patterns led it to expand into new home-furnishing categories such as wardrobes and wooden doors, the company worked to transform its brand to encompass the entire range of customized home products. While customers had long recognized the high-end nature of the company’s kitchen cabinets, it had been more difficult to transfer this brand recognition over to the new product lines. Moreover, substantial changes in the competitive landscape had made the company’s original high-end positioning ambiguous. In 2022, the company faced a dilemma about its future development: Should GoldenHome use high-level strategic changes to establish its entire series as high-end products, or should it implement differentiated positioning for different product lines, maintaining the high-end positioning of its kitchen cabinet products while positioning other product lines for mass-market consumers?

Since its establishment in 1999, Xiamen Golden Home Co., Ltd. (GoldenHome) had adopted a high-end strategic positioning for its professionally produced kitchen cabinets. The company had first established a high-end brand image by differentiating its service and providing consumers with the ultimate full-process shopping experience. It had then consolidated a high-end perception of its products in the minds of its target customers by continuously researching and developing new processes and selecting high-quality materials. When changes in market and competition patterns led it to expand into new home-furnishing categories such as wardrobes and wooden doors, the company worked to transform its brand to encompass the entire range of customized home products. While customers had long recognized the high-end nature of the company's kitchen cabinets, it had been more difficult to transfer this brand recognition over to the new product lines. Moreover, substantial changes in the competitive landscape had made the company's original high-end positioning ambiguous. In 2022, the company faced a dilemma about its future development: Should GoldenHome use high-level strategic changes to establish its entire series as high-end products, or should it implement differentiated positioning for different product lines, maintaining the high-end positioning of its kitchen cabinet products while positioning other product lines for mass-market consumers?

BGI Genomics (BGI), founded in China in 1999, covered the entire field of genomic sequencing applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, BGI’s strategic corporate social responsibility initiative, developing coronavirus nucleic acid test kits, created shared value for BGI and society; brought revenue growth to the company; and won BGI acclamation from the government, media, and public. However, as the market competition in the COVID-19 testing business intensified, Zhao Lijian, chief executive officer of BGI, had to consider the company’s next direction: Should BGI significantly increase investment in the COVID-19 testing business and shoulder greater social responsibility for fighting the pandemic? Or should it shift the focus back to its main business?

BGI Genomics (BGI), founded in China in 1999, covered the entire field of genomic sequencing applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, BGI's strategic corporate social responsibility initiative, developing coronavirus nucleic acid test kits, created shared value for BGI and society; brought revenue growth to the company; and won BGI acclamation from the government, media, and public. However, as the market competition in the COVID-19 testing business intensified, Zhao Lijian, chief executive officer of BGI, had to consider the company's next direction: Should BGI significantly increase investment in the COVID-19 testing business and shoulder greater social responsibility for fighting the pandemic? Or should it shift the focus back to its main business?

Founded in 2014 in Guangdong, China, Guangdong Haiqixing Marine Technology Co. Ltd. (Haiqixing) was a total solution service provider for marine big data applications. In the early stage of its development, Haiqixing achieved growth through a business development strategy. Unfortunately, since 2019, it had been affected by such factors as the reorganization of national government agencies and the impact of COVID-19, which had caused its business to suffer inevitable shocks. In 2020, to enhance the company's ability to cope with environmental changes and ensure continuous growth of the business, Haiqixing's chair carried out a strategic transformation, changing the company's business development strategy to one oriented toward product development. Consequently, the company achieved a rapid increase in operating income. However, the company's existing technical capabilities could not meet customers' needs. The chair needed to determine Haiqixing's next steps. Should Haiqixing continue to pursue its product development strategy, or should it adopt a technology exploration strategy to improve its technical capabilities?

Dalian Bio-Chem Co. Ltd. (Bio-Chem) had been deeply involved in the field of industrial fungicides for nearly twenty years and occupied a place in both domestic and overseas markets. Since its establishment in 2003, Bio-Chem had adhered to a strategy of centralization, with industrial fungicides as its main business products. Bio-Chem was successfully listed on the A-share market in China in 2012, and it grew rapidly in the ten years that followed. Although Bio-Chem had become a leader in the field of industrial fungicides, its chairman believed that companies should not be content with the status quo. Some within the company believed Bio-Chem should carry out a diversification strategy because it had sufficient funds to do so; others thought it should carry out an integrated strategy because the downstream industry was very profitable; and others thought it should stick to a centralized strategy because the market demand for industrial fungicides was still very large, and adhering to a centralization strategy meant there would be room for growth. The chairman had to consider the opportunities and challenges of each strategy and determine which direction to take the company.

Founded in 2014 in Guangdong, China, Guangdong Haiqixing Marine Technology Co. Ltd. (Haiqixing) was a total solution service provider for marine big data applications. In the early stage of its development, Haiqixing achieved growth through a business development strategy. Unfortunately, since 2019, it had been affected by such factors as the reorganization of national government agencies and the impact of COVID-19, which had caused its business to suffer inevitable shocks. In 2020, to enhance the company’s ability to cope with environmental changes and ensure continuous growth of the business, Haiqixing’s chair carried out a strategic transformation, changing the company’s business development strategy to one oriented toward product development. Consequently, the company achieved a rapid increase in operating income. However, the company’s existing technical capabilities could not meet customers’ needs. The chair needed to determine Haiqixing’s next steps. Should Haiqixing continue to pursue its product development strategy, or should it adopt a technology exploration strategy to improve its technical capabilities?

Dalian Bio-Chem Co. Ltd. (Bio-Chem) had been deeply involved in the field of industrial fungicides for nearly twenty years and occupied a place in both domestic and overseas markets. Since its establishment in 2003, Bio-Chem had adhered to a strategy of centralization, with industrial fungicides as its main business products. Bio-Chem was successfully listed on the A-share market in China in 2012, and it grew rapidly in the ten years that followed. Although Bio-Chem had become a leader in the field of industrial fungicides, its chairman believed that companies should not be content with the status quo. Some within the company believed Bio-Chem should carry out a diversification strategy because it had sufficient funds to do so; others thought it should carry out an integrated strategy because the downstream industry was very profitable; and others thought it should stick to a centralized strategy because the market demand for industrial fungicides was still very large, and adhering to a centralization strategy meant there would be room for growth. The chairman had to consider the opportunities and challenges of each strategy and determine which direction to take the company.

Founded in 1996, Dalian Leasun Food Co., Ltd. had become one of the largest canned food manufacturers in northeast China by 2020. In 2016, it began a digital transformation, adopting digital technologies such as data mining and cloud computing. The company also revised its internal operations and adopted an omnichannel sales strategy. Digital transformation enabled Dalian Leasun Food Co., Ltd. to move beyond the traditional retail and distribution market, which was becoming oversaturated. Its successful transition also helped the company maintain a stable sales growth rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next stage for its digital transition however, presented a dilemma. One option for the chairman of the company was to develop a customer-oriented platform and create value for customers. The other option was to digitalize the company's supply chain and internal management system. The chairman had to decide which direction to follow.

Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co., Ltd. (Feihe) was located in Qiqihar City, a medium-sized city in Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China. Situated in the golden milk source zone at 47 degrees north latitude, the city had been producing powdered milk products and sold them to domestic consumers for 58 years. However, the 2008 melamine incident (MLM) almost wiped out local brands in the domestic infant formula market and left a vacancy for foreign brands to fill. In a further blow to domestic brands, a fierce price war started as Chinese companies all attempted to regain market share. MLM nearly destroyed consumer confidence in domestic brands across-the-board. In 2015, Feihe realized it needed to create a new brand image that resonated with Chinese mothers if it was going to emerge from the mire. In 2015, Feihe redirected its strategy towards building a domestic infant formula brand that most suited the nutritional needs of Chinese babies. By upgrading its technology and production capability and adjusting its promotional tactics, Feihe was able to grow into an industry leader. In 2020, Feihe's chairperson Leng Youbin was thinking of Feihe's future. Feihe's past win reassured him that Feihe should continue its mission of creating more value for customers. However, there were several paths to that goal. He asked himself whether he should customize the production of infant formula to cater to the needs of each individual baby and reach for higher premium, or, should he choose the low-hanging fruit of adding more product lines so that Feihe could leverage its current reputation to realize higher market growth?

In April 2020, the chief executive officer of Xiaoxiandun E-Commerce Co. (Xiaoxiandun), faced a tough choice. Founded in 2014 in Beijing, China, Xiaoxiandun focused on birds’ nests—an extremely popular traditional Chinese tonic product—and advocated the benefits of nourishing Chinese medicine. Low-temperature technology and timely delivery helped consumers to nourish the bird's nest on time and in standardized amounts. The "Expert of Fresh Stewed Bird's Nest" strategy during 2017-2019 helped Xiaoxiandun surpass the original leader in the bird's nest industry and became number one in sales on Tmall Double Eleven in 2019. In the same year, the leader regarded Xiaoxiandun as the main competitor, and adopted similar fresh stew technology. Faced with this challenge, how should Miao move forward: adhere to the "expert" strategy, diversify and expand, or make strategic changes to become a leader?

In April 2020, the chief executive officer of Xiaoxiandun E-Commerce Co. (Xiaoxiandun), faced a tough choice. Founded in 2014 in Beijing, China, Xiaoxiandun focused on birds' nests-an extremely popular traditional Chinese tonic product-and advocated the benefits of nourishing Chinese medicine. Low-temperature technology and timely delivery helped consumers to nourish the bird's nest on time and in standardized amounts. The "Expert of Fresh Stewed Bird's Nest" strategy during 2017-2019 helped Xiaoxiandun surpass the original leader in the bird's nest industry and became number one in sales on Tmall Double Eleven in 2019. In the same year, the leader regarded Xiaoxiandun as the main competitor, and adopted similar fresh stew technology. Faced with this challenge, how should Miao move forward: adhere to the "expert" strategy, diversify and expand, or make strategic changes to become a leader?

When the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 affected commercial circulation in various regions around the world, Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co. Ltd. (Feihe), a leading Chinese dairy company, had been facing difficulties for a while. The company’s enterprise strategy was actively adjusted, and various measures were taken to protect the company’s supply of raw materials and the business operations of its production, distribution logistics, sales, and other departments from adverse effects of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020. Feihe announced that its revenue growth rate in the first quarter of 2020 would not be less than 30 per cent. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the pattern of competition among milk powder brands had quietly changed. Although Feihe had successfully gained a share of the high-end market, which had previously been dominated by foreign brands, its proportion of this market was still not high. At the same time, the rapid rise of other domestic brands had disturbed Feihe’s brand appeal of being “more suitable for Chinese babies” and its claim that its sales were far ahead in China. How should Feihe further adjust its strategy to properly deal with its competitive relationship with other brands?

When the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 affected commercial circulation in various regions around the world, Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co. Ltd. (Feihe), a leading Chinese dairy company, had been facing difficulties for a while. The company's enterprise strategy was actively adjusted, and various measures were taken to protect the company's supply of raw materials and the business operations of its production, distribution logistics, sales, and other departments from adverse effects of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020. Feihe announced that its revenue growth rate in the first quarter of 2020 would not be less than 30 per cent. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the pattern of competition among milk powder brands had quietly changed. Although Feihe had successfully gained a share of the high-end market, which had previously been dominated by foreign brands, its proportion of this market was still not high. At the same time, the rapid rise of other domestic brands had disturbed Feihe's brand appeal of being "more suitable for Chinese babies" and its claim that its sales were far ahead in China. How should Feihe further adjust its strategy to properly deal with its competitive relationship with other brands?

Following the 2008 China milk scandal, Chinese infant milk formula products were regarded as unsafe, and Chinese consumers were preferring to pay high prices for the products of foreign brands. As one of the few companies not involved in the milk scandal, China Feihe Limited (Feihe) was able to maintain steady growth in product sales in the medium- and low-end market, but it did not have a differentiation advantage over foreign brands; therefore, its sales results in the high-end market were poor. In 2015, Feihe carried out a strategic transformation and repositioned its brand proposition, which led to increased customer value. The company also launched a new product series, which allowed it to create a competitive advantage. In 2019, Feihe was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. However, other brands started to imitate Feihe in developing products that were suitable for Chinese babies, which made investors doubt whether or not Feihe could maintain its competitive advantage. What action should Feihe take to maintain its competitive advantage and its position in the market?