In 2023, Marvin Ellison, CEO of Lowe's, contemplated enhancements to the company's Total Home Strategy to accelerate performance and grow market share. In the last five years since becoming CEO, Ellison had championed a turnaround of the company, completing a comprehensive foundational reset before embarking on a forward-looking growth plan called the "Total Home Strategy." This strategic plan identified five critical areas for driving growth: elevating product assortment, driving Pro customer penetration, accelerating online business, expanding installation services, and driving localization. As Lowe's entered its second century and revenues approached $100 billion, Ellison considered ways to take the growth strategy to the next level and grab market share from its archrival Home Depot. He mulled over whether and how initiatives such as expanding the customer base to include more medium-sized and Hispanic Pros as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) male consumers, advancing online commerce, leveraging new technologies like generative AI, and increasing the localization of stores would not only uphold Lowe's legacy but also propel it to new heights.

In December 2020, Mary Kay Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Sheryl Adkins-Green considered several strategic dilemmas. Founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay was a direct sales company whose Independent Beauty Consultants purchased its beauty and cosmetics products at wholesale and sold them to end-consumers at retail. As the coronavirus pandemic spread in 2020, Mary Kay worked to equip its Consultants with digital tools and strategies to help them run their businesses remotely. Adkins-Green and the Mary Kay team were now looking for ways to continue refining the company's digital approach and product sampling strategy. Looking beyond COVID-19, Adkins-Green and her team had several other big questions to consider around product innovation, the competitive landscape, navigating the digital world and its implications for retail, and communicating its brand values to the next generation-all while honoring and staying true to the rich history, heritage, and culture that had served as the foundation of Mary Kay for the past 57 years.

In 2016, JCPenney was in the midst of a multi-year turnaround after coming dangerously close to bankruptcy. Under CEO Marvin Ellison, the company had identified three strategic objectives-a focus on omnichannel, private label goods, and increasing revenue per customer-to guide all company initiatives. The company was running pilot tests on a new line of appliances, rebranded hair salons, and new private label merchandise, and management now needed to decide how best to roll out and market these initiatives across the chain. Ellison also considered how to build upon the company's new ad campaign, Get Your Penney's Worth, and how to strike the right balance between serving its "core" and "emerging" customer segments. He wondered if these objectives and initiatives were enough to restore JCPenney's position in the evolving retail landscape.