個案總覽

IIF (Institute of International Finance) was eight months into the customized development of a customer relationship management system (CRM) by a small software development firm, QuaTeams. IIF, a member organization, wants to replace its current CRM, an Access database, by integrating member information from different departments: economic research, membership, events, and finance. In addition, it wants to be able to handle the growing number of members and track the interactions between its staff and membership. With two months to go before the scheduled launch, both sides must make decisions to overcome the remaining technical hurdles with the database and security. The IIF must also consider implementation issues and think of creative ways to use the CRM system once it is operational.

The Porsche 911 has long been the face of the company's product line. Over the years, Porsche has added models priced either above or below the 911, but only the lower-priced models have sold well. Porsche seems to struggle between what an executive calls the "pull of the market" and the "tug of brand equity." This case provides an opportunity for students to analyze the optimal breadth of a product line that will balance sales, profitability, dealer satisfaction, and long-term brand health and customer satisfaction.

NonStop Yacht S.L. is a Web site that provides e-commerce service to the mega-yacht industry. Originally, the founder had planned to run NonStop Yacht as an Internet business. However, success with this business model is proving elusive and investors are growing restless as performance continues to fall short of the business plan. Substantial pressure to improve the company's performance had the founder considering a variety of alternative business models that would enable him to capture value more effectively from the concept of nonstop parts procurement for high-end yachts. These options involve key decisions about the strategic positioning of the company and the relative advantages and disadvantages of pursuing strategic alliances with players at different points in the industry value chain.

Audible Inc. is one of the largest providers of audio content, such as books, magazines, and newspapers. The company has a large "library" of hours of content; strong alliances with partners, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Random House; and a growing customer base. But the company has lost money since it began. The chief executive officer and chief financial officer must decide how to raise funds to keep the company going while maintaining its partner and customer relationships.

The director of marketing for Levi Strauss Canada needs to decide the fate of the GWG brand, a fallen giant in the Canadian jeans market. For the last three years, GWG has been licensed to a small manufacturer, who has failed to meet the requirements in the license agreement. Although the director wants to use some of the latent brand equity in GWG, Levi's and Dockers brands come first and she cannot divert marketing dollars toward the brand's revival. Also, she must be careful to manage her small but powerful portfolio of brands in the five main channels without cannibalizing the already declining volumes of the Levi's brand.

Audible Inc. is one of the largest providers of audio content, such as books, magazines and newspapers. The company has a large library of hours of content, strong alliances with partners including Microsoft, Amazon and Random House, and a growing customer base, but the company has lost money since it began. The chief executive officer and chief financial officer must decide how to raise funds to keep the company going, while maintaining its partner and customer relationships.

Non Stop Yacht S.L. is a Web site that provides e-commerce service to the mega-yacht industry. Originally, the founder had planned to run Non Stop Yacht as an internet business. However, success with this business model is proving elusive and investors are growing restless as performance continues to fall short of the business plan. Substantial pressure to improve the company's performance had the founder considering a variety of alternative business models that would enable him to more effectively capture value from the concept of non stop parts procurement for high-end yachts. These options involve key decisions about the strategic positioning of the company and the relative advantages and disadvantages of pursuing strategic alliances with players at different points in the industry value chain.

This case describes the history of the Red Bull brand and how the company stimulated and harnessed word-of-mouth to build a new product category (functional energy drinks) and brand franchise. The case concludes by asking the reader to consider how Red Bull should react to competitive challenges in the United States. The case was written to foster discussion of nontraditional brand-building strategies and the growing globalization of brands and products targeted toward younger consumers.