In May 2022, the founder and chief executive officer of Just Kitchen Holdings Corporation (Just Kitchen), a Canada-based and publicly listed operator of ghost kitchens in Taiwan, met with the company’s management team to deliberate on the company’s plan to expand into new markets, specifically, the Philippines. Their optimism for the Philippine market stemmed from the country’s growing online food delivery industry, favourable demographics, and supportive government policies. While the founder his team explored this expansion possibility, they recognized that entering the thriving online food delivery market presented advantages and disadvantages, and questions loomed: What would be the most effective approach to enter this market? And, equally importantly, what challenges and pitfalls should they anticipate as they ventured into such a business opportunity in the Philippines?
In April 2022, the founder and chief executive officer of Just Kitchen Holdings Corporation (Just Kitchen)—a Canada-based and publicly listed operator of ghost kitchens in Taiwan—was sitting with part of his team to discuss the marketing plans for the year. The company reported revenues of CA$4.6 million for the second quarter of 2022. In the second quarter 2022, total revenues increased by 127 per cent and retail order volume grew by 151 per cent. That year, the number of ghost kitchen locations had increased from 14 to 28. The founder wanted to double the company’s revenue by 2023. To achieve this goal, the management team faced several questions: Should Just Kitchen focus more on local brands in Taiwan or invest in international brand licensing and partnerships? How could the company leverage the omni-channel opportunity to better engage with its consumers and not depend on the delivery partners? What strategies should Just Kitchen consider to attract and retain customers, grow its sales revenues, and increase profitability?
This case describes unruly passenger behaviour on National Aviation Company of India Ltd.’s New York-Delhi flight. It elaborates on the airline crew’s failure to effectively address an elderly woman’s predicament and assuage her concerns after an inebriated passenger urinated on her. As a result, Air India was exposed to social media ridicule, public scorn, loss of customer loyalty and trust, and a severe dent in its brand image. With the plummeting net loss in 2022 and reputation damage threatening to come in the way of its goal of becoming the airline of choice in passenger service and comfort, what can Air India do to rebuild its brand image, revive its past glory, prevent or manage such instances, and reclaim customer loyalty and trust?
Tea Connect, a chain of five tea cafés in India, had ended 2019 with sales revenues of ₹48.1 million. The co-founder of Tea Connect had the ambitious target of opening 20 cafés and achieving sales revenues of ₹200 million by 2020. The co-founder planned the renovation of the cafés to improve the speed of service, but he also wanted to launch Tea Connect–branded consumer packaged products. Three franchising offers for stores in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Mount Abu were also under consideration. He was wondering whether renovation would help to enhance the customer experience and whether this was the right time to launch consumer packaged goods. Also, was it the right time to explore the franchise route of expansion?
With the acquisition of Rustan Supercenters Inc. (Rustan’s) in November 2018, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (Robinsons) had become one of the top retailers in the Philippines, with over 1,800 stores. Although the acquisition brought Rustan’s network of more than 80 stores, located largely in Metropolitan Manila, under the Robinsons umbrella, the multiformat retail giant could not use the trademark and trade name “Rustan’s” without the Tantoco family’s approval. This case assesses the Robinsons brand and the retailer’s possible post-acquisition growth strategies. It also discusses the benefits and risks associated with this acquisition, the possible brand-transition options available to Robinsons, and whether this trend-reversal strategy will provide the retailer with a competitive edge.
In January 2018, the Philippine cement industry changed forever with the entry of the 100-per-cent Filipino-owned cement manufacturing company Big Boss Cement Inc. (BBCI). When the company decided to set up shop with a cheaper, eco-friendly manufacturing process that promised less carbon emission, competition became fierce. BBCI planned to expand its capacity to take advantage of a growth in both infrastructure projects and local demand for cement, but it had to analyze the macro-environmental and competitive forces relevant in the context of its entry in the cement industry. It had to ascertain whether it could differentiate its product based solely on ecological appeal. BBCI also had to ensure that its environmentally-friendly brand promise would work, and anticipate potential obstacles to its success and determine how to counter these hurdles.