Case Preview for 918547.

The Forta Furniture case highlights the need to consider new market expansion to grow a firm. It demonstrates that simply doing what has always been done is not sustainable when other competitors enter the market with differentiated or potentially superior offerings. In addition, the case suggests there are many routes to global expansion; a firm could look to build a brand in these new markets or compete as a private label. Further, the case addresses the need to combine quantitative and qualitative analyses for making superior decisions. Additionally, this case touches on the need to understand differences in resources and customer preferences in different countries and how a company should consider these factors when defining its growth strategy in deciding whether, where, and how to expand internationally. This case can be used in an introductory marketing management course for undergraduates or MBA students that discusses new market expansion and/or global or multi-market marketing strategy. In addition, it could be used in an elective course on international marketing. The case also be used as an example of sales forecasting when a firm launches in a new market.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 918547.

CNS Worldwide has long been the market share leader in the IaaS cloud server market, yet it has remained unprofitable for years. Industry capacity utilization is low, and prices have declined over 70% over the last decade. CNS is considering withdrawing from the market if it cannot find a way to increase prices. As a large public bid is about to be held, CNS must decide whether to bid and, if so, at what price. This case is intended for use an introductory marketing management course that involves an in-depth analysis of pricing. It can also be used in courses on pricing, business-to-business (B2B) sales, or competitive strategy. The case introduces students to specialized pricing mechanisms, oligopolistic markets, the challenges of avoiding a price war, the concept of price leadership, and the possible effects of a firm taking this role, including what it needs to do to succeed. There is a direct analogy to the airline industry that can be discussed during the last part of the class.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 917531.