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Spreadsheet supplement for case 902A22.

Excel spreadsheet for case 9B02A022.

Warners Inc. is a world-leading packaged goods company that supplies a large number of packaged goods to Marshalls International Inc., a leading mass merchandiser. The health and beauty category manager at Warners has been asked to examine its hair care category for opportunities to allow Marshalls to achieve a leadership position in the category among its competitors. He must examine the leading retailers in the category and their marketing strategies and compare them to Marshalls' strategy.

The group product manager for Xbox Canada was working on his marketing plan for the product's second year in the Canadian market. Xbox is a video game console and trailed Sony's PlayStation 2 in the marketplace. The group product manager must present his plan at the Microsoft Global Briefing. He knew the gaming market was turbulent and fickle and he wondered what he might do as an encore to the Xbox launch program.

Warners Inc. is a world-leading packaged goods company that supplies a large number of packed goods to Marshalls International Inc., a leading mass merchandiser. The health and beauty category manager at Warners has been asked to examine its hair care category for opportunities to allow Marshalls to achieve leadership position in the category among its competitors. He must examine the leading retailers in the category and their marketing strategies, and compare them against Marshalls' strategy.

This note is a discussion of the major considerations for a marketer faced with implementing a marketing plan. A five-part framework is offered to integrate concepts ranging from capacity of the marketing team to managing commitment to change.

This technical note describes many of the issues, techniques and resources available in the field of shelf space management in the early 2000s. It assumes basic familiarity with category management and merchandising techniques.

This technical note describes many of the issues, techniques and resources available in the field of shelf space management in the early 2000s. It assumes basic familiarity with category management and merchandising techniques.

Data-driven marketing is not an entirely new concept or practice. With advances in information technology, many aspects of marketing operations have become informationalized. This note provides technical information about database marketing. The intent is to familiarize readers with database technologies, including data mining from a marketing perspective, databases, data warehouses, and decision support systems.

The concept of customer relationship management (CRM) and why it is important is examined in this note. It also examines the implementation process: corporate culture and strategy, software providers, technology and ways to measure the success of a CRM program. Many traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses are creating electronic commerce operations, therefore traditional CRM has expanded to include doing business on the Internet and this note looks at electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) as well. Also included are some examples of companies that have successfully implemented a CRM program, a list of CRM software vendors and examples of CRM software solutions.

Casino gaming companies such as MGM Mirage, Harrah's and Park Place Entertainment, in addition to their traditional land-based casino properties, must consider the potential impact of Internet gambling on their existing operations. It appears that several Internet gaming companies have been quite successful and that the global market potential could be significant. Each of the United States gaming companies has taken very conservative approaches to Internet gaming in an effort to maintain their long-standing relationships with their respective state gaming authority. However, non-traditional casino companies have developed off-shore Internet gaming operations to circumvent traditional land-based gaming regulations. Going forward, traditional gaming companies will need to consider the possible legalization of Internet gaming on a large scale and how they would respond.

The marketing manager for a hockey team has been told by senior management that revenues for the next season must increase or the franchise will be sold. The previous year's high-budget advertising campaign did not bring in the single-ticket sales results he expected. A database of past ticket holders is available and the question arises how to use this database. Using pivot tables, and recency, frequency and monetary value analyses, he must determine how to increase the return on the marketing investment. An Excel spreadsheet, product 7B02A022, is also available.

The marketing manager for a hockey team has been told by senior management that revenues for the next season must increase or the franchise will be sold. The previous year's high-budget advertising campaign did not bring in the single-ticket sales results he expected. A database of past ticket holders is available and the question arises how to use this database. Using pivot tables, and recency, frequency and monetary value analyses, he must determine how to increase the return on the marketing investment. An Excel spreadsheet, product 702A22, is also available.

Three years after launching a content-based web site, a nationwide hard goods retailer invested in software to support Internet shopping. The online component was one element in a multiple-channel retailing approach, which also included retail stores, a phone-order service, and an annual catalog. Although the company is the country's most shopped retailer, the online retail segment has not turned a profit. The director of marketing must consider the effect of multiple-channel retailing on the company's profitability.

The project manager for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario faces store network decisions in southeast Toronto. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario has developed a new five-year strategy in which all of their stores will be revamped into one of the four new formats, which has led to a review of every one of their nearly 600 retail locations. With a store within five minutes of 86% of the population of Ontario, the project manager's task is not about expanding coverage but rather improving the performance of the retail network. The (A) case focuses on what to do about a particular store in the area. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (B): Market Segmentation, product 9B00A021 is a short follow-up about further decisions on store layout and merchandising. (A higher price applies to this case due to color exhibits.)

Powerpoint presentation for product 9B00A020.

Three years after launching a content-based Web site, a nationwide hard goods retailer invested in software to support Internet shopping. The online component was one element in a multiple channel retailing approach, which also included retail stores, a phone-order service and an annual catalog. Although the company is the country's most shopped retailer, the online retail segment has not turned a profit. The director of marketing must consider the effect of multiple channel retailing on the company's profitability.

The growing popularity of the Internet for shopping has launched the latest round of multiple retail channel integration as traditional stores, cataloguers, online stores and others all seek to provide customers with the choice of when and how to do business with them. Multi-channel retailing presents both significant opportunities and challenges. Success depends on how well a retailer addresses these opportunities by creating a seamless, fully integrated, multi-channel operation focused on providing high-quality, cost-effective service to consumers. Multi-channel integration is a complex strategy to undertake. This note discusses the major issues that retailers have to address.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiatives have been disappointing There are five major reasons why CRM's failure rates are abysmally high. This article describes these five reasons and what was learnt from them. First, CRM is not properly understood, leading to unrealistic and inappropriate expectations. CRM is an attitude rather than a technique or software and implies comprehensive relationship marketing rather than mass marketing for most of the clients. Furthermore, any understanding of what CRM is must be accompanied by an understanding of what it is not. CRM does not replace, but rather complements, other marketing and customer service initiatives. Second, CRM initiatives should add value to the relationship for the customer, not just the company. Too many CRM initiatives are designed to help the company rather than the customer. Third, it is difficult to choose the appropriate CRM solution as the technology is constantly evolving. Recently, many CRM vendors are launching industry-specific suites (referred to as vertical tools) that enable companies to deploy the software faster than generic packages, and without the costly customization. Fourth, Implementing a CRM system is complex and difficult. While resistance may come from salespeople who do not wish to give up ownership of customer information or from IT people who do not wish to change legacy systems, experience has shown that for a CRM program to be successful, above all else it must have the full support and ongoing commitment of top management. They must view CRM as a strategic initiative, not as a technological tool or tactical program. Lastly, it is easier to demonstrate the costs of CRM relative to the benefits. While measuring the costs are fairly straightforward, measuring the payoff of a CRM system, especially in its early stages, can be difficult and contentious, which can lead to poor judgments by management. Measurement criteria should be based on the objectives of the CRM program and used to manage and continuously improve strategic CRM performance.

Two MBA students decide to launch an e-commerce, Internet-based business selling interactive games. Currently the video game market focused on personal computer-based platforms with only one offering Internet access. Over the next few months they would have a number of challenges, not only would the need to build the programming for the site, they must develop a business plan and marketing strategy that would compete with the strong personal computer-based video game market. The supplement, GamesEDGE.com (B), product 9B00A034 outlines the results after the launch of the business.