The Thunderbird website had become very difficult to manage. The ability to change content in a dynamic manner was increasingly limited. The website was not resource or SEO friendly. The Web crawlers (e.g., Googlebot, Bingbot) had difficulty finding the correct key words because of the junk code embedded in the HTML pages. In November 2012, after a broad institutional effort, a new website was launched. The new website ran on an open source technology, the code was cleaner, and offered much better access to crawlers. It made SE0 management more effective. As the MBA recruitment process becomes increasingly dependent on its online marketing strategy, the ability to buy media effectively, measure performance, and adjust its plans quickly acquire incredible relevance. The performance of the new website and the school's online media buying must be evaluated. Data on the first four months of Web traffic is available from Google Analytics. The data has been downloaded and is available as an Excel file. Thunderbird's online marketing goals are defined as (a) to improve the effectiveness of display/sponsored ads placement, (b) to increase traffic to the programs pace by 25%, (c) to improve conversions, measured by the downloading of an application form, by 30%.
Since the early days of skateboarding in Southern California, Volcom, through its founders, has been intrinsically associated with the sport. Its motto, "youth against establishment," has stood strong through three decades. The company has been truly in touch with its customers and has learned to evolve with them-styles, tastes, activities, music, and behavior. Skateboarding, from a marketing perspective, has transcended the U.S. borders and has become a global phenomenon with its own unique culture, rules, and values. However, as the brand lands on foreign shores, it must establish local roots and develop/adapt its personality. Possibly, influence marketing solely via American riders may need a strong face lift in view of the different roles that skateboarding may play in other cultures. Millennials like brands that are open source and embrace participation. They are sensitive to diversity, value global community, and care about the environment. They spend almost six hours a day online and use social media daily. Besides, skateboarding (and all action sports) is increasingly connected with music and popular culture. Volcom's CMO faces several challenges: balance revenue growth and brand authenticity, balance the localization of marketing and sales with the standardization of functional processes, and balance the need to meet profit targets while protecting market share.
The IDIEM, through its Energy and Sustainability Department, has launched a new line of consultancy services for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in Chile. A central component of this initiative is the online Catalogo Verde, a portal for the environmental rating of construction materials. The site is designed to provide technical specifications and detailed materials testing results for architects designing buildings to be certified as LEED compliant. The LEED certification constitutes a third-party validation of the energy and environmental performance of buildings. An LEED certification is seen by the general public as an indicator of corporate social responsibility and good citizenship for the owners and users. The IDIEM-Catalogo Verde was designed as a knowledge instrument for the engineering and architecture markets, but also as a tool to build relationships and open doors for other IDIEM services. Besides, it is a tool to build the IDIEM brand among key influencers in the construction industry, government agencies, real estate investors, and materials suppliers. Catalogo Verde has been very well received. The backing of IDIEM is an umbrella that guarantees its excellence and competence. Management has launched a series of initiatives to build up online traffic and accelerate the adoption of LEED by architects in Chile.
The United Nations' Millennium Development Goals represented a global commitment to cut in half the population living in extreme poverty, and improve the lives of women and children worldwide. In Brazil, the population living in the extreme poverty represented about 16 million people in 2012. Several very successful initiatives during the Lula administration radically improved the lot of the poor in Brazil. Casa Transitoria is a charity located in the Valley of ParaÃba, state of São Paulo, whose central goal is to provide extended comprehensive assistance to expectant mothers. Urbanization, migration, and social dislocations have led to the creation of slums around large Brazilian cities. Casa Transitoria is one of the nonprofit institutions committed to alleviating the problems of these families and transforming their economic and social prospects. The charity has been recognized as one of the best-managed nonprofit organizations in the country. After 40 years of service under the leadership of its original team, the organization must confront the difficult process of succession, while, at the same time, adjusting to a new set of circumstances, both at the level of the populations served and its volunteer work force.
Netshoes is the largest online specialty retailer in Brazil, with sales approaching R$1b ($512m USD) in 2012, and annual growth next to 30%. With over 70% of its sales concentrated in the south of Brazil, the company has decided to expand internationally simultaneously starting operations in Argentina and Mexico. Both countries have in common a passion for soccer, economic affluence, and urban density, and large populations. The fact, however, that there is a large unexploited market at home works against the internationalization decision. The competition by several larger players seeking to increase their scale of operations (brick and mortar, flash fashion sales), and the possibility of foreign players (e.g., Amazon.com) entering Brazil via acquisition represents a major competitive risk for Netshoes.com. In addition, the challenge is trying to recreate the customer experience and launch a new positioning strategy to compete in the multi-screen retail world.
Thunderbird has built a strong and efficient Internet presence in the past five years. The effort was supported by a consistent effort to develop its internal online marketing capabilities, resources, and technical infrastructure. As the MBA recruitment process becomes increasingly dependent on its online marketing strategy, the ability to buy media effectively, measure performance, and adjust plans quickly acquire incredible relevance. Kelly Santina, the school's online marketing director, must assess the Google Analytics data covering the past seven months of website activity. Thunderbird's online marketing goals are defined as follows: (a) to improve the effectiveness of display/sponsored ads placement; (b) to increase traffic to the programs pace by 25%; (c) to improve conversions, measured by the downloading of an application form, by 30%.
Airwide International was one of the top suppliers of commercial and residential air conditioning systems in Europe, with a growing presence in the attractive markets of Asia. Increasing competition from Chinese and international manufacturers coupled with a sales organization built primarily by hiring (from other industries) and retraining have produced a pattern of uneven sales. At a recent national sales meeting, the performance of the Shanghai region surfaced as an area of concern for senior management. The transition from product selling to key account selling has met with obstacles; primary among them is the insufficient commitment of some area sales leaders. A review meeting with a Shanghai's sales leader reveals some of the problems and provides the Sales VP an opportunity to go over the essence of Key Account Management
TAEQ was a new branding concept in the Brazilian retail market. The name represented a combination of two concepts associated with modern wellness: tao, representing balance and naturalness, and eki, representing vital energy. TAEQ was developed to become one of the leading private brands in the Grupo Pao de Acucar (GPA) portfolio. As the largest Brazilian retailing conglomerate, GPA wanted to extend its marketing reach into the evolving wellness market with the new brand concept.
Mitalio is a software developer with a solid presence in the enterprise business software. Its installed base includes European and American global corporations and its products are also gaining traction with Asian customers. Mitalio, a specialized vendor, competes in a crowded field with many highly regarded technology brands (e.g., IBM, SAP), that cover a much broader spectrum of business applications. While IBM, SAP, BEA, Tibco and other major competitors have embraced social media tools almost from the beginning, and showed willingness to learn through trial and error, Mitalio has lacked the internal leadership and vision to build its internal capabilities in Social Media. They need now to play catch up in Social Media, and try to gain parity in a short period of time.
This negotiation introduces a situation full of opportunities for hard bargaining and out-of-the-box thinking about value-creating solutions. The American supplier Reed Oilwell views this business opportunity as a side door into the Petroecuador supplier network. The cross-cultural elements of the relationship are important, especially in the context of the various political aspects that shape the relationship between YPEC and its major customer, Petroecuador. The negotiation illustrates the potential for a cooperative approach but also offers the opportunity for a competitive outcome. The parties are instructed to reach a deal that satisfies their short-term goals, but their decisions will impact their ability to establish a preferred supply position in the new oil field operations.
This negotiation introduces a situation full of opportunities for hard bargaining and out-of-the-box thinking about value-creating solutions. The American supplier, Reed Oilwell, views this business opportunity as a side door into the Petroecuador supplier network. The cross-cultural elements of the relationship are important, especially in the context of the various political aspects that shape the relationship between YPEC and its major customer, Petroecuador. The negotiation illustrates the potential for a cooperative approach, but also offers the opportunity for a competitive outcome. The parties are instructed to reach a deal that satisfies their short-term goals, but their decisions will impact their ability to establish a preferred supply position in the new oilfield operations.
The Kyoto Protocol established targets for reductions in greenhouse gas concentrations by creating a mechanism of restrictions for developed countries, and incentives for developing countries, to cut their greenhouse gas emission levels. By the end of 2005, Brazil is beginning to consolidate its recent economic progress. However, among the challenges brought by economic progress is the creation and management of a basic services infrastructure. Solid waste management has been raised to the top tier of Brazilian President Lula de Silva's administration priorities. Population growth, economic affluence, expanding consumption, and urbanization have continued to push up the rate of solid waste generation. The problem is compounded by the fact that current waste processing capacity is under severe strain in the big Brazilian metropolis, and is virtually crumbling in large parts of the country. In addition, current practices, especially the discarding of residues in open dumps, have caused the release of large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG), into the atmosphere. Innovative thinking, openness to risk-sharing, and political will are necessary to put in place solutions that can accelerate the delivery of waste management services in the scale and quality that the Brazilian society is starting to demand. Private Public Partnerships have become a sound option, provided that an appropriate legal framework is approved in Congress. Private Public Partnerships will allow private sector capital and technology to help the government extend infrastructure services to the population.
An Ocean Yachts 42 Super Sport (42SS) in mint condition and loaded with the latest in sportfishing accessories has been listed for sale at a time when the market for this kind of equipment is slow. The seller inherited the boat and the sportfishing charter business from his father. However, after six months, the seller opted to close the doors and sell the boat. Ads have been placed in specialized magazines, but no concrete interest has materialized. Two days ago, however, an interested buyer came on the scene. The buyer is planning to start his own saltwater fishing business in the Florida area. There are a few similar boats on the market that may satisfy the buyer, but the 2006 Ocean 42SS is almost perfect for the buyer's objectives.
The Kyoto Protocol established targets for reductions in greenhouse gas concentrations by establishing a mechanism of restrictions for the rich countries and incentives for developing countries to cut their greenhouse gas emission levels. However, the programs proposed are not without opposition. The economic costs, some experts argue, may be too high, social disruptions may too great, such a fluid system may invite cheating by countries and powerful economic groups, and it may not produce the necessary changes in the behavior of the heaviest polluters.
Airwide manufactures a broad line of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) products. The Italian director of Sales and Marketing for Residential and Light Commercial is reviewing the company's channel management policies. The Italian market is currently served by three master-distributors who have geographic responsibility for the North, Central, and South regions of Italy, and accounts for 85 percent of Airwide sales in Italy. The balance is sold by small dealers, remnants of an early channel management arrangement. Nuova Climatizzazione, the dealer based in Genova, has approached Airwide with a proposal to have their reseller discount be equaled to a master distributor's. Airwide's management must examine the decision and consider the implications for their channel strategy and partnership arrangements
Plantar S.A. is a pig iron producer based in Brazil working toward an integrated supply chain producing 100% green pig iron. The company is gradually converting the coke fed into the blast furnaces from fossil to green (i.e., coal produced from renewable biomass). The company owns large eucalyptus plantations in Brazil, and was the first in Brazil to obtain the approval to trade Kyoto Protocol carbon credits. At the time of the case, both internationally and locally, the process and the technical methodologies were yet insufficiently defined. The World Bank saw Plantar as an opportunity to consolidate the process and showcase the Kyoto Protocol. The Plantar project was a success from a strictly financial viewpoint. In addition, it put the organization on the path of significant transformation, and new growth opportunities.
Adezan is a medium-sized Brazilian company in the packaging and logistics business. It serves a broad portfolio of customers, and counts several global companies among its key accounts. Adezan's transformation from a manufacturer of wood packaging to a supplier of logistics services is, in part, the result of opportunistic strategies and the entrepreneurial ability of Cesar Zanchet. At a time of profound market changes, Adezan is confronted by the 7-7-7 challenge posed by Cebrace; a joint venture of global glass manufacturer Saint Gobain and Pilkington, to deliver a 7% annual reduction in packaging costs for three consecutive years. This case covers Cesar's leadership and highlights what academic literature defines as "entrepreneurship capital."
The case describes the challenge faced by the CEO and newly hired Chief Marketing Officer to reposition the Philips brand and drive the organizational changes to support the new vision. Central to the version was the Sense and Simplicity marketing campaign, which came to embody a whole new way of doing business at Philips. The primary target of the Sense and Simplicity campaign was customers aged 35-55. Philips was not thought of as a cool and attractive brand by Generation Y consumers. Philips must rewire the Sense and Simplicity campaign for the Generation Y market.
Mitalio is a BPM (Business Process Management) developer with a solid presence in the business enterprise arena. Its installed base includes global corporations in three continents. The announcement of the merger of BEA and Fuego, two well-known BPM competitors, has placed Mitalio in a reactive position. With 140 projects with potential clients around the world in the proposal stage and with an additional 60 pilot projects under way, the BEA announcement is likely to produce fear and uncertainty among its customers. Its effects need to be neutralized as soon as possible. The loss of any of the current projects or an extended decision delay, due to the BEA announcement, may have an undesirable impact on the company financial performance in 2006 and 2007. Mitalio must address this challenge with a decisive e-marketing strategy that boosts the sales pipeline and helps position the company as thought leader in the BPM field.