In April 2018, Hunter Leigh, the recently appointed head of esports for the Golden State Warriors (GSW), was in charge of developing a marketing communications strategy for the first season of the Warriors Gaming Squad, the first NBA 2K esports team to be geo-located and directly affiliated with the championship-winning GSW National Basketball Association team. The season was kicking off within a few weeks, and Leigh knew that his players and brand needed to perform for fans, not only on the virtual court, but also in the digital and physical market. He needed to quickly make choices about objectives, audiences, messaging, and media in order to successfully develop a large, loyal fan base.
In April 2018, Hunter Leigh, the recently appointed head of esports for the Golden State Warriors (GSW), was in charge of developing a marketing communications strategy for the first season of the Warriors Gaming Squad, the first NBA 2K esports team to be geo-located and directly affiliated with the championship-winning GSW National Basketball Association team. The season was kicking off within a few weeks, and Leigh knew that his players and brand needed to perform for fans, not only on the virtual court, but also in the digital and physical market. He needed to quickly make choices about objectives, audiences, messaging, and media in order to successfully develop a large, loyal fan base.
In its first four years, Fancam Pty Ltd. (Fancam), a high-definition, 360-degree crowd-imaging business based in Cape Town, South Africa, had enjoyed considerable growth that was driven in part by its network of resellers around the world. However, the structure and incentives of the reseller channel were becoming too difficult for the business to manage. By February 2015, Fancam's chief executive officer was considering how to fix the firm's channel management strategy. He was considering the use of reseller exclusivity agreements and wondered how to manage such agreements. He also wondered how to improve the company's multi-faceted sales incentive structure, whether to replace resellers with an in-house sales force, and what role these decisions would have on the brand positioning of his company’s product.
In its first four years, Fancam Pty Ltd. (Fancam), a high-definition, 360-degree crowd-imaging business based in Cape Town, South Africa, had enjoyed considerable growth that was driven in part by its network of resellers around the world. However, the structure and incentives of the reseller channel were becoming too difficult for the business to manage. By February 2015, Fancam's chief executive officer was considering how to fix the firm's channel management strategy. He was considering the use of reseller exclusivity agreements and wondered how to manage such agreements. He also wondered how to improve the company's multi-faceted sales incentive structure, whether to replace resellers with an in-house sales force, and what role these decisions would have on the brand positioning of his company's product.
Brita's Stephen Curry sponsorship splash is set in the U.S. water filtration industry in the first nine months of 2016. The case study documents the initial period of market-leader Brita's sponsorship of the NBA's Golden State Warriors' point guard Stephen Curry. Curry was regarded as one of the greatest basketball shooters of all time, had recently won his second Most Valuable Player (MVP) award from the NBA League, and was ranked as the ninth most powerful celebrity endorser in the United States. Although the announcement of the sponsorship deal had generated substantial and positive media reaction, sales of Brita products were still declining nine months into the period of the sponsorship deal, after several years of sluggish growth. By August 2016, Brita had experienced a 7.2 percent annual decline in total sales, including its well-known water pitchers and filters. The case documents the communication activities related to the Curry sponsorship undertaken by Brita's Director of Marketing, Tad Kittredge, during 2016. Given the pressure to deliver weekly sales and the regular NBA season scheduled to begin in just three weeks' time, Kittredge needed to find a way to use the Curry sponsorship to contribute to a sales turnaround in the coming months. The case offers four strategic alternatives that Kittredge was considering in October 2016 to change the way Brita used Curry.
Following the board's suspension of the chief executive officer (CEO) due to a corruption scandal, Cricket South Africa (CSA) appointed an acting CEO in March 2012. After successfully restoring the organization's damaged reputation, re-establishing the confidence of existing sponsors and attracting new corporate partners within his first four months, the acting CEO submitted his letter of resignation. In it, he cited hostility from some members of the board and a lack of confidence in his judgment. However, after his resignation he was encouraged to reconsider his decision. Should he withdraw his resignation and continue the important turnaround task? If so, could he manage the challenges facing him and CSA in a different way? If not, what would the implications be for him, the management of cricket in South Africa and the multiple stakeholders, including sponsors?
Following the board’s suspension of the chief executive officer (CEO) due to a corruption scandal, Cricket South Africa (CSA) appointed an acting CEO in March 2012. After successfully restoring the organization’s damaged reputation, re-establishing the confidence of existing sponsors and attracting new corporate partners within his first four months, the acting CEO submitted his letter of resignation. In it, he cited hostility from some members of the board and a lack of confidence in his judgment. However, after his resignation he was encouraged to reconsider his decision. Should he withdraw his resignation and continue the important turnaround task? If so, could he manage the challenges facing him and CSA in a different way? If not, what would the implications be for him, the management of cricket in South Africa and the multiple stakeholders, including sponsors?
First National Bank (FNB), one of South Africa’s “Big Four” banks, has, under the stewardship of its CEO, invested in a strategy of innovation to grow its market presence in South Africa, other emerging-market African countries and India. In line with its strategy to lead digital banking in South Africa, FNB has invested in building a social media strategy to enable the brand to strengthen its relationships with customers, through building customer knowledge and stickiness and humanizing its brand.<br><br>In 2012, FNB’s head of digital marketing and media sees a tweet from Standard Bank stating that it has instructed its attorneys to lodge a complaint against what it alleges to be FNB’s misleading advertising. She wonders whether Standard Bank’s use of Twitter to communicate this competitive action is related to FNB’s extensive and well-publicized use of the micro-blogging service. She knows that the debate on Twitter will be a significant indicator of whether her social media strategy has been successful. How can FNB continue to differentiate itself and alleviate the pressure on non-interest revenues?<br><br> Banking on Social Media (B), 9B14A071, is a supplement to this case.
This case is a supplement to Banking on Social Media (A), 9B14A070.<br><br>In January 2013, First National Bank (FNB) launches the “You Can Help” brand campaign, which calls for change and is based on the bank’s research on South African children’s hopes for the country. The campaign receives mixed reactions from political parties, with the governing African National Congress declaring, “This isn’t an advert — it’s a political statement. An attack on the president, his ministers and government as a whole.” Following the harsh criticism by some, select clips are taken off YouTube, the Group CEO sends an apologetic text message to a government minister involved, and the bank buys newspaper advertisements trying to explain the campaign. Has FNB managed the crisis properly?
First National Bank (FNB), one of South Africa's "Big Four" banks, has, under the stewardship of its CEO, invested in a strategy of innovation to grow its market presence in South Africa, other emerging-market African countries, and India. In line with its strategy to lead digital banking in South Africa, FNB has invested in building a social media strategy to enable the brand to strengthen its relationships with customers, through building customer knowledge and stickiness and humanizing its brand.<br><br>In 2012, FNB's head of digital marketing and media sees a tweet from Standard Bank stating that it has instructed its attorneys to lodge a complaint against what it alleges to be FNB's misleading advertising. She wonders whether Standard Bank's use of Twitter to communicate this competitive action is related to FNB's extensive and well-publicized use of the micro-blogging service. She knows that the debate on Twitter will be a significant indicator of whether her social media strategy has been successful. How can FNB continue to differentiate itself and alleviate the pressure on non-interest revenues?
<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - Emerald/AABS Case Study Competition</strong></p><br>In December 2012, the CEO of the professional services company Business Systems Group (BSG) called his management team together to evaluate the firm’s continued sponsorship of the BSG Triathlon Series. The previous five years of the sponsorship were considered a worthwhile investment by the business, although the relationship with Triathlon South Africa (TSA) was becoming increasingly strained. The case charts the growth of BSG’s business in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as the evolution of the sponsorship and relationship with TSA. The decisions facing BSG were whether to renew the sponsorship and build towards the Rio Olympics in 2016, continue with the BSG Triathlon Series without TSA sanction or exit the firm’s involvement in the sport.
In December 2012, the CEO of the professional services company Business Systems Group (BSG) called his management team together to evaluate the firm's continued sponsorship of the BSG Triathlon Series. The previous five years of the sponsorship were considered a worthwhile investment by the business, although the relationship with Triathlon South Africa (TSA) was becoming increasingly strained. The case charts the growth of BSG's business in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as the evolution of the sponsorship and relationship with TSA. The decisions facing BSG were whether to renew the sponsorship and build towards the Rio Olympics in 2016, continue with the BSG Triathlon Series without TSA sanction or exit the firm's involvement in the sport.
The founder and CEO of a mountain bike race in South Africa wonders how to build on the world-class event that he and his team have created. Although the event is popular and continues to grow in prestige, the business’s dependence on a single event creates both a threat and an opportunity. The threat is that the business would be in serious jeopardy if something were to go wrong with the event. The opportunity is that the event can be a launch pad for additional events or for other business concepts. Although the team has experimented with some ideas, they have not hit on anything that they want to pursue on an ongoing basis. The founder and CEO is therefore looking for the concept or idea that will provide the business with its next injection of growth. Learnings from the case may be applied to any event-based creative industries business, such as music festivals, exhibitions, fairs or film festivals.
The founder and CEO of a mountain bike race in South Africa wonders how to build on the world-class event that he and his team have created. Although the event is popular and continues to grow in prestige, the business's dependence on a single event creates both a threat and an opportunity. The threat is that the business would be in serious jeopardy if something were to go wrong with the event. The opportunity is that the event can be a launch pad for additional events or for other business concepts. Although the team has experimented with some ideas, they have not hit on anything that they want to pursue on an ongoing basis. The founder and CEO is therefore looking for the concept or idea that will provide the business with its next injection of growth. Learnings from the case may be applied to any event-based creative industries business, such as music festivals, exhibitions, fairs or film festivals.
Nawaal Motlekar is the managing director of Kwenta Media and founding editor of Mamas & Papas, a recently launched parenting magazine in Southern Africa. From her early entrepreneurial experiences, Motlekar developed a personal and professional interest in parenting magazines. As a Black South African women, married to an Indian man, in an increasingly multi-racial and multi-cultural society, Motlekar recognized a gap for a parenting magazine that would appeal to a wider and more racially and culturally inclusive target market. After extensive research and development, she launched the Mamas & Papas magazine in early 2009. The case charts Motlekar's journey as an entrepreneur, as well as her efforts between 2006 and 2009 to bring the magazine to life. The case explores the quantitative and qualitative research approaches employed by Motlekar, as well as her marketing and branding initiatives towards building a Mamas & Papas brand beyond just the physical magazine. With the magazine having been on the shelves for 12 months, Motlekar and her board faced a number of decisions. These included options to increase advertising revenues and circulation, as well as choosing how to extend the Mamas & Papas brand into related categories.
Nawaal Motlekar is the managing director of Kwenta Media and founding editor of Mamas & Papas, a recently launched parenting magazine in South Africa. From her early entrepreneurial experiences, Motlekar developed a personal and professional interest in parenting magazines. As a Black South African woman married to an Indian man in an increasingly multi-racial and multi-cultural society, Motlekar recognized a gap for a parenting magazine that would appeal to a wider and more racially and culturally inclusive target market. After extensive research and development, she launched the Mamas & Papas magazine in early 2009. The case charts Motlekar’s journey as an entrepreneur, as well as her efforts between 2006 and 2009 to bring the magazine to life. The case explores the quantitative and qualitative research approaches employed by Motlekar, as well as her marketing and branding initiatives towards building a Mamas & Papas brand beyond just the physical magazine. With the magazine having been on shelves for 12 months, Motlekar and her board faced a number of decisions. These included options to increase advertising revenues and circulation, as well as choosing how to extend the Mamas & Papas brand into related categories.
The Blue Bulls rugby team enjoyed a fanatical fan base and had been performing well in local and international competitions recently. As a leading South African rugby franchise, the Blue Bulls faced a social and political environment that emphasized racial transformation. An up-and-coming Afrikaans musician had become best-seller with his De La Rey song, which was about a Boer soldier who calls on General De La Rey to lead the Afrikaner people to victory in the second South Africa War between the Boer Republic and colonial Britain. Given the emotive theme of the song and the response by some to view it as a reassertion of Afrikaner nationalism, the song had attracted significant media coverage and controversy. As part of the entertainment at the Vodacom Super 14 rugby game between Western Force and the Vodacom Blue Bulls, De La Rey was played over the stadium loudspeakers. This delighted most of the mainly White Afrikaans spectators. As the evening progressed, the acting head of the Blue Bulls Company, the organization that managed the Blue Bulls rugby team and the Loftus Versveld stadium, received a number of complaints from supporters about the playing of the De La Rey song and thus decided to remove the song from the official stadium playlist. By Monday morning, a media frenzy had erupted about this decision and the acting head was faced with a number of options of how to respond. The case is written for a first-year MBA module and is designed to explore the following themes: 1) race, identity and language as consumer behaviour variables 2) spectator, supporter and consumer processes within sports marketing 3) sports brand development and sponsorship relationships.
The Blue Bulls rugby team enjoyed a fanatical fan base and had been performing well in local and international competitions recently. As a leading South African rugby franchise, the Blue Bulls faced a social and political environment that emphasized racial transformation. An up-and-coming Afrikaans musician had become best-seller with his De La Rey song, which was about a Boer soldier who calls on General De La Rey to lead the Afrikaner people to victory in the second South Africa War between the Boer Republic and colonial Britain. Given the emotive theme of the song and the response by some to view it as a reassertion of Afrikaner nationalism, the song had attracted significant media coverage and controversy. As part of the entertainment at the Vodacom Super 14 rugby game between Western Force and the Vodacom Blue Bulls, De La Rey was played over the stadium loudspeakers. This delighted most of the mainly White Afrikaans spectators. As the evening progressed, the acting head of the Blue Bulls Company, the organization that managed the Blue Bulls rugby team and the Loftus Versveld stadium, received a number of complaints from supporters about the playing of the De La Rey song and thus decided to remove the song from the official stadium playlist. By Monday morning, a media frenzy had erupted about this decision and the acting head was faced with a number of options of how to respond. The case is written for a first-year MBA module and is designed to explore the following themes: 1) race, identity and language as consumer behavior variables 2) spectator, supporter and consumer processes within sports marketing 3) sports brand development and sponsorship relationships.