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T. Rowe Price's mutual funds, separate accounts, institutional investors and retirement accounts were in the aggregate Dell Inc.'s third largest shareholder in 2013 when Dell announced a management-led buy-out, or MBO, structured as a merger. In considering whether to vote for or oppose the transaction, Brian C. Rogers, chairman and chief investment officer at T. Rowe, and his team had to consider whether the price offered represented the fair value of Dell. In addition, if Rogers concluded the merger price did not represent fair value, should T. Rowe simply sell its shares, or was it is the best interests of T. Rowe's fund and other investors to oppose the deal risking its possible collapse? And if T. Rowe opposed the transaction but it was nevertheless approved, should T. Rowe pursue appraisal of its shares in the Delaware courts?

Supplement to case 317088. After deciding to oppose the Dell MBO, T. Rowe Price together with other dissident Dell shareholders sought appraisal of their shares in the Delaware courts. The appraisal process resulted in a significant increase in the price to be paid to dissenting shareholders for their Dell shares. T. Rowe Price discovered, however, that a voting glitch had resulted in T. Rowe's shares being voted in favor of the transaction thus potentially disqualifying it from obtaining the increased value resulting from the appraisal. What obligations did T. Rowe have to its fund and other investors and should it do?

We live in a world of digital disruption, hyper-personalization, just-in-time marketing, and artificial intelligence. To lead in today’s environment and meet the needs of today’s consumers, businesses must take advantage of the new tools that are available. Business leaders must empower their chief marketing officers (CMOs) to take control of their firms’ disruptive growth agendas. Failing to do so risks losing customers to a new wave of disruptive competitors. In order to take control of the disruptive growth agenda, CMOs must pivot and become more data-driven to better understand their customers. If they don’t, they will lose the opportunity to change consumer behaviours and will risk being forgotten. CMOs who want to reach their potential can try three approaches: 1) align with IT; 2) leverage intelligent automation and integrate analytics capabilities; and 3) understand the complexity of the change involved. Canadian CMOs are well positioned to take control of the disruptive growth agenda and generate new value for businesses. But that positioning is futile if they do not align with the CEO—and other business functions—to effect change.

DesiFirangi.com was an online women's apparel retailer in India. Started in November 2014, DesiFirangi catered to the fashion needs of modern Indian women with international style. Within the short span of its operations, the company had established itself as a niche electronic retailer of lingerie, nightwear, and clubwear. However, the online apparel market in India was highly crowded, and the fledging company faced stiff competition from a number of established and upcoming players. Given this intense competition in the market, DesiFirangi was incurring high marketing and customer acquisition costs, which were hurting the company's bottom line. In order to increase revenues, DesiFirangi's founders needed to find ways to increase the number of unique visitors to the site, and convert more visitors to buyers.

By any measure, Chipotle Mexican Grill was a success story in the restaurant business. It grew from one location in 1993 to over 2,000 locations by 2016 and essentially created the fast casual dining category. Its stock appreciated more than 1,000% in the ten years following its 2006 IPO. However, after more than 20 years without a major reported food safety incident, Chipotle was revealed as the source of multiple outbreaks of illness from norovirus, salmonella, and E. coli that sickened nearly 600 people in 13 states in 2015. The company closed stores, spent several months under investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health organizations, and faced a criminal investigation in connection with the incidents. After a much-publicized closing of all of its stores on February 8, 2016, and numerous changes to its food sourcing and preparation practices, Chipotle tried to win back customers with dramatically increased advertising and free food promotions. However, on April 26, the chain announced its first-ever quarterly loss as a public company. Same-store sales for the first quarter were 29.7% lower than in the previous year. Operating margins fell from 27.5% to 6.8% over the same period, and the company's share price was down 41% from its summer 2015 high.

In March 2010 VP, Sales and Marketing, was reviewing the launch plan for the first brand of cooking oil, Freedon, of GEF set up by a professional turned entrepreneur, in AP in 2009. The case provides brief profile of the entrepreneur and the overall business strategy including brand architecture. Also describes the launch plan, particularly key decisions of brand name, packaging, sales promotion and distribution. Data on household us of oils in India, South India and AP is included.

This case tracks Jerome Chouchan's strategies and execution for a successful turn around of Godiva Japan's operations which was experiencing a decline in sales when he became the managing director of the company in 2010. Through various initiatives and innovations, Godiva Japan had targeted a variety of demographic segments in different sales points, acquired new customers and created a moment of luxurious consumption for all ages. Accordingly, within Godiva's global enterprise, Godiva Japan had become number two in terms of worldwide sales and number one in terms of profits. It exported made-in Japan products and concepts to Godiva's other markets. How could Chouchan keep the momentum and sustain Godiva Japan's top-line and bottom-line growth going forward? Would he be able to keep the balance between aspirational and accessible? How much of the success in Japan might contribute to the growth of Godiva's global sales?

Ami Shah who works with social media promotions associated with Bollywood movies was interested in obtaining behavioral insights with a comparison between '`Gulaab Gang" and '`Queen'' (both these movies are based on themes associated with women). '`Gulaab Gang'' was a box office failure while '`Queen'' was a major hit. An attitudinal survey among the viewers of each of these films forms the behavioral input to the case study. Amidst the high visibility campaigns of films in Bollywood, Shah believed that behavioral aspects of movies is something that has not been explored much with respect to branding of films. How can these behavioral inputs on movies enable lessons to be learnt on branding? Can a framework for branding be suggested from the analysis based on the behavioral analysis?

Research suggests a new way for companies to use customer satisfaction surveys: Instead of asking customers what went wrong, begin by asking what went right. This can positively influence customers' perceptions, increasing their reported levels of satisfaction, the chance that they will purchase again, the amount of money they will spend, and their loyalty over time.

Historically, globalization has been synonymous with mega brands' expansion into international markets. However, changes in the marketing landscape-namely, growth of immigrant consumers, new and emerging branding strategies, and advancements in technology-have created a shift in the globalization paradigm, opening opportunities for small brands. Focusing on the growing number of Asian-American consumers, the authors develop a two-stage global market entry strategy for small brands entering the U.S. market. Specifically, the authors show how Asian brands can penetrate the U.S. market by serving Asian-American consumers or using them as a launchpad to reach the mainstream American consumers. The growth of small global brands signifies an important and exciting change in the branded marketplace currently dominated by Western brands.

In 2015, AXE, one of Unilever's largest and most well-known personal care brands, was experiencing challenges in growing sales across its full product portfolio. Historically, AXE's unique activations and campaigns had been successful in generating high brand awareness and, ultimately, driving sales in Canada. However, sales growth had slowed over the past three years, and the AXE team wondered whether the brand's current messaging still resonated with consumers. The previous year, Unilever's global consumer insights team had conducted significant research to better understand the AXE consumer. The company now needed to prepare and present a client brief to AXE's advertising agency in preparation for a major 2016 campaign.

In 2015, AXE, one of Unilever’s largest and most well-known personal care brands, was experiencing challenges in growing sales across its full product portfolio. Historically, AXE’s unique activations and campaigns had been successful in generating high brand awareness and, ultimately, driving sales in Canada. However, sales growth had slowed over the past three years, and the AXE team wondered whether the brand’s current messaging still resonated with consumers. The previous year, Unilever’s global consumer insights team had conducted significant research to better understand the AXE consumer. The company now needed to prepare and present a client brief to AXE’s advertising agency in preparation for a major 2016 campaign.

In April 2016, Canopy Growth Corporation, one of Canada’s top producers of medical cannabis, was planning a strategy for its future. The government of Canada had just announced its plans to introduce a bill to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2017, followed by a rollout of the policy in early 2018. The company’s chief executive officer needed to plan a strategy that addressed three main issues: product messaging for recreational cannabis, establishing a retail footprint in recreational cannabis, and building an international business.

In April 2016, Canopy Growth Corporation, one of Canada's top producers of medical cannabis, was planning a strategy for its future. The government of Canada had just announced its plans to introduce a bill to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2017, followed by a rollout of the policy in early 2018. The company's chief executive officer needed to plan a strategy that addressed three main issues: product messaging for recreational cannabis, establishing a retail footprint in recreational cannabis, and building an international business.

In September 2015, the marketing manager of the Advanced Surgical Solutions Division at Medtronic plc (Medtronic), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), weighs his options as to how best to respond to yet another instance of "grey marketing," that is, the unauthorized distribution of genuine branded products. The rampant parallel importation of one of Medtronics' best-selling products-LigaSure Vessel Sealing instruments-has resulted in a much smaller-than-usual order from one of Medtronics' most important customers, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center. Medtronics' marketing manager must find a way to respond appropriately to the customer without risking the ire of his sole authorized distributor in KSA.

This case is designed to highlight the vital role of promotion, the fourth "P" of the marketing mix, in a brand reinvention exercise. Using the context of the brand reinvention journey of Officer's Choice Whisky (OCW), the case highlights the importance and need for syncing brand objectives and communication objectives so as to build brand relevance in a competitive environment, increase revenue and enhance customer loyalty. The case also highlights the importance of systematic market research in identifying brand weaknesses and providing direction for effective marketing communications.Ahmed Rahimtoola, Head of Marketing at Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD), was leading the process of conducting an extensive brand reinvention exercise for Officer's Choice. Market research had established the need for brand reinvention, indicating that Officer's Choice had to overcome the challenges of low brand salience, lack of emotional connect with customers, and outdated brand communication. Accordingly, the best advertising agencies in India were invited to come up with creatives that would answer the following question: How should Officer's Choice reposition and repackage itself and reconnect with consumers? ABD had the tough task of choosing the creative that held the magic recipe that would strategically weave brand objectives and communication objectives to yield optimal benefits. In discussing the firm's creative options, the case brings to light the crucial aspects of a brand reinvention process, the role of communication objectives in brand reinvention, and the mechanics of a successful marriage of marketing communication and brand strategy objectives.

In September 2015, the marketing manager of the Advanced Surgical Solutions Division at Medtronic plc (Medtronic), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), weighs his options as to how best to respond to yet another instance of “grey marketing,” that is, the unauthorized distribution of genuine branded products. The rampant parallel importation of one of Medtronics’ best-selling products—LigaSure Vessel Sealing instruments—has resulted in a much smaller-than-usual order from one of Medtronics’ most important customers, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center. Medtronics' marketing manager must find a way to respond appropriately to the customer without risking the ire of his sole authorized distributor in KSA.

DesiFirangi.com was an online women’s apparel retailer in India. Started in November 2014, DesiFirangi catered to the fashion needs of modern Indian women with international style. Within the short span of its operations, the company had established itself as a niche electronic retailer of lingerie, nightwear, and clubwear. However, the online apparel market in India was highly crowded, and the fledging company faced stiff competition from a number of established and upcoming players. Given this intense competition in the market, DesiFirangi was incurring high marketing and customer acquisition costs, which were hurting the company’s bottom line. In order to increase revenues, DesiFirangi's founders needed to find ways to increase the number of unique visitors to the site, and convert more visitors to buyers.

Converting myriad data into a simple, visual conceptual model is the basis for developing the ability to communicate consumer marketing insights up, down, and across the organization. This enables the marketer to persuade others of his or her analysis and helps with alignment of the broader organization. And while throughout the MBA program, students have been exposed to various models, once students graduate and enter the workforce, they will be expected to convert complex data into usable insight, typically through visual models of their own design. This exercise, then, is designed to help the students transition from users of conceptual models to creators or developers of models. The ability to create a conceptual model sharpens the abstract thinking required to convert insight about the market, consumers, competitors, or other entities into an understandable model. The detailed teaching note accompanying this exercise guides instructors through the process of eliciting and evaluating students' visual models, and then proposes a simple, complete model that frames many consumer categories surprisingly well. Additionally, there are videos that can be used to help explain the development of a new-to-the-world conceptual model. This exercise is intended for use in either an undergraduate capstone class or at any point during an MBA, executive MBA, global MBA, or executive education program.