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Researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College had formed a company, Immuno-Genetics Inc., to develop new technologies to measure the immune response of dairy cows by using a blood test and skin thickness test on individual cows. Cows who showed a high immune response were unlikely to contract a number of common diseases. The test results thus allowed dairy producers to determine the likelihood of cows having health problems over their lifetimes. This information was valuable in managing a dairy herd to optimize performance and minimize health costs. Immuno-Genetics' early marketing research supported the launch of the technology, but an effective marketing strategy had to be developed. Immuno-Genetics had to determine who should be targeted, what products should be sold to each target, how the products should be priced, and what method of distribution to use. In addition, a promotional strategy needed to be developed for the product launch, and sales and profit projections needed to be made for the first two years of operations.

Student spreadsheet for case W16781.

Researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College had formed a company, Immuno-Genetics Inc., to develop new technologies to measure the immune response of dairy cows by using a blood test and skin thickness test on individual cows. Cows who showed a high immune response were unlikely to contract a number of common diseases. The test results thus allowed dairy producers to determine the likelihood of cows having health problems over their lifetimes. This information was valuable in managing a dairy herd to optimize performance and minimize health costs. Immuno-Genetics' early marketing research supported the launch of the technology, but an effective marketing strategy had to be developed. Immuno-Genetics had to determine who should be targeted, what products should be sold to each target, how the products should be priced, and what method of distribution to use. In addition, a promotional strategy needed to be developed for the product launch, and sales and profit projections needed to be made for the first two years of operations.

In 2012, the founder of Patanjali Ayurved Limited (PAL) and his associate were leveraging a unique business model by venturing into the fast-moving consumer goods sector in India. By March 2016, PAL had become the fourth-largest company in this highly competitive industry and was planning to become the market leader by 2020. Through its low-priced herbal and Ayurvedic products, PAL occupied a unique white space in the already existing strategic groups of domestic and multinational competitors. Industry experts were undecided about whether PAL posed a serious threat to multinational and domestic firms or if PAL should be praised for creating a new market for its products in India. If PAL was posing a real threat, then other fast-moving consumer goods firms had to develop strategies to maintain their own position, and PAL needed a plan to face the challenges involved in its future growth.

In late 2011, Netflix was migrating from its highly successful business model of delivering DVDs by mail to streaming movies and other media content directly to subscribers' televisions. To be profitable, Netflix decided to charge more for receiving DVDs by mail—a service that its existing customers had come to expect as a minor add-on to their original subscription arrangement. This charge led to a huge backlash: subscribers defected and Netflix's stock price dropped. Netflix faced the dilemma of remaining profitable in the video streaming business while paying much more for content and dealing with competition that had been absent in its DVD-by-mail business model. The company was at a crossroads; the path it chose would affect its future. Should it return to combining the two services or continue with two separate services and live with the consequences?<br><br>This case is a follow-up to Netflix, 9B09M093, and precedes Netflix: Proving the Skeptics Wrong, 9B16M081.

Netflix, a subscription-based movie and television show rental service, offered content to subscribers either via DVDs delivered by mail, or through Internet-based streaming. After splitting the two services, the company lost subscribers, and its stock price plummeted. Most observers were skeptical that Netflix could maintain its profit margins, given the increased cost of acquiring streamable content. However, Netflix not only reduced its cost per user but also increased its subscriber growth both in the United States and internationally. Were these moves sufficient to deliver the growth needed to support its rising stock price? Netflix also faced increased streaming costs because it used disproportionately more bandwidth than other streaming companies. Would these costs mean that the Netflix business model was no longer viable?<br><br>This is a follow-up case to Netflix, 9B09M093, which describes the company’s innovative business model of delivering DVDs by mail, and Netflix Inc.: The Second Act—Moving into Streaming, 9B16M080, which describes the after-effects of the dual-subscription model.

In late 2011, Netflix was migrating from its highly successful business model of delivering DVDs by mail to streaming movies and other media content directly to subscribers' televisions. To be profitable, Netflix decided to charge more for receiving DVDs by mail-a service that its existing customers had come to expect as a minor add-on to their original subscription arrangement. This charge led to a huge backlash: subscribers defected and Netflix's stock price dropped. Netflix faced the dilemma of remaining profitable in the video streaming business while paying much more for content and dealing with competition that had been absent in its DVD-by-mail business model. The company was at a crossroads; the path it chose would affect its future. Should it return to combining the two services or continue with two separate services and live with the consequences?

Sondologics, a manufacturer of video, audio, and gaming accessories products, was experiencing pricing and distribution problems in its channels. Numerous retailers were complaining about unfair price competition from unauthorized retailers, i.e., gray marketers, on standalone websites or Amazon's Marketplace, offering discounts of up to 30% off list price. The company estimated that about 10% of its retail volume in the United States was being generated by unauthorized retailers. Compounding the problem, gray marketers and authorized retailers alike were selling at below-list prices, which violated the Sondologics MAP (minimum advertised pricing) policy. Sondologics was considering numerous initiatives to address the MAP and gray-market problems, including retaining a third-party service to monitor pricing and distribution in the channel. Students are asked to develop recommendations that would promote sales while protecting the name-brand image and price points of Sondologics' products.

In November 2015, Westridge Cabinets (Westridge) was facing a sales decline of approximately 35 per cent. Westridge manufactured and sold kitchen cabinets for the new home market, the home renovation market, and both the low-rise and high-rise multi-unit markets. The company was based in Alberta, Canada, which had been hit hard by a 75 per cent drop in world oil prices in the last year. Westridge was re-evaluating its sales strategy and considering three alternative structures for the account management team: leave the existing system in place, but with a renewed focus on growth; off-load some of the order-management and customer-care responsibilities of the account managers to allow them to focus more attention on winning new contracts; or add new account managers to generate new business, and allow the existing team to focus on existing customers. The situation was urgent.

In November 2015, Westridge Cabinets (Westridge) was facing a sales decline of approximately 35 per cent. Westridge manufactured and sold kitchen cabinets for the new home market, the home renovation market, and both the low-rise and high-rise multi-unit markets. The company was based in Alberta, Canada, which had been hit hard by a 75 per cent drop in world oil prices in the last year. Westridge was re-evaluating its sales strategy and considering three alternative structures for the account management team: leave the existing system in place, but with a renewed focus on growth; off-load some of the order-management and customer-care responsibilities of the account managers to allow them to focus more attention on winning new contracts; or add new account managers to generate new business, and allow the existing team to focus on existing customers. The situation was urgent.

Hope Blooms was a social enterprise based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, that grew its own garden produce and manufactured and sold a line of herb dressings. For a small social enterprise, it was remarkably successful. Hope Blooms had appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and was constantly selling out of its products in local markets. In addition, it had secured placement in a national grocery retailer and was continuing to fulfill its social mission of empowering marginalized youth by providing education on food, sustainability, and entrepreneurship issues. These successes started to create a series of problems associated with production and capacity shortfalls associated with using a youth volunteer workforce, stock outs, and potential mission drift. As the executive director of Hope Blooms prepared for the final board of directors’ meeting in 2015, she wondered how to solve two of the organization’s fundamental problems: How could the retail operations provide stable employment for its youth members? How could Hope Blooms increase its profits to continue to expand its activities?

In the summer of 2016, PepsiCo Beverages Canada faced a choice: whether to launch its new product, organic Gatorade, in Canada. Only a few months previously, PepsiCo North America Beverages' chief executive officer had announced a company-wide initiative that was designed to offer consumers a greater variety of healthier products. Would such a product ultimately make PepsiCo more competitive in the Canadian market in light of recent trends that emphasized healthy options? Did Canadian consumers want organic Gatorade? PepsiCo also had to keep in mind its long-standing competition with The Coca-Cola Company, and decide how that would affect its strategic choices.

QuintilesIMS was a leading healthcare consulting firm best known for its data and information offerings, as well as its market research and management consulting services for life science companies. By 2015, the company was expanding beyond the biopharmaceutical industry, offering analytical services to healthcare systems, like the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK). In June, 2015, QuintilesIMS published a study highlighting inconsistencies in the care of RA patients in England. In particular, the company considered the current use of biologic medications to treat RA in England, as well how the introduction of biosimilar medications might affect costs to the NHS and medication access for patients. Students must use epidemiology, cost, and market share information given in the case to estimate potential cost savings one year after the introduction of biosimilars. The case also explores qualitative questions around the appropriate communication with patients and the role of QuintilesIMS.

The case presents the dilemma of Sita Sen, Assistant Marketing Director at the Tudor House hotel. A disgruntled customer had posted his experience regarding a mishap with the cake order he had placed with the hotel on a Facebook food group. Now there was heated discussion happening around it and the VP for hospitality at the Tudor House had also been tagged in the conversation. After a meeting of the executive team at the Tudor House, the responsibility of handling the grievance had been given to Sita. This might set a precedent for a series of similar complaints if posted on the Facebook group, so would it be better to do nothing? Or maybe an apology should be offered? Cash or coupons? Something in kind? To give or not to give, that was the question.

All Traffic Solutions traditionally sold traffic signs that collected vehicle data to cities. In recent years, the firm connected their signs to the internet and began selling software that enabled cities to operate their signs remotely and collect data in a more efficient manner. Revenues from software represented a growing part of the organization's overall business. An important part of All Traffic Solutions' strategy involved a new software platform that would power the equipment of other traffic hardware manufacturers. In 2016, the company received a new round of funding. All Traffic Solutions had to decide what to do with its existing hardware sign business. Should they pursue a different type of customer?

In early 2016, Motoi Oyama, president and CEO of ASICS, a major sports apparel and footwear manufacturer based in Japan, lays out his company's growth plan for the upcoming 5 years. The new plan set ambitious goals in terms of revenue and profit increases. At the heart of the strategy to achieve these goals are a desire to embrace a more direct to consumer mindset, expand into new customer segments, and communicate a more consistent and emotional brand worldwide. With its primary core customer currently the "serious" runner and its innovation strategy geared towards high-end performance, pursuing these objectives in light of the fierce competitive landscape posed a multitude of challenges. Moreover, the company had recently launched several lifestyle brands (using brand names it had revived), which posed brand architecture issues. Lastly, the company had just acquired a digital fitness app, RunKeeper, and was wondering how best to leverage this asset and how it fit with the main pillars of the growth plan strategy. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games would coincide with the conclusion of the 5 year plan, and ASICS had paid over $100 million to be a Gold Sponsor of the games- Oyama wondered whether his company was on the right track to achieving the goals he intimated to shareholders.

In spring 2012, the issue of trans-boundary sales arose for China's Weikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Weikang). Sales of the company's products were allocated to distributors in different regions, with each distributor enjoying a monopoly within that region. However, issues had been arising with such a rigid demarcation of sales territory. One question was whether introducing competition between sales agents would lead to higher sales, or whether regional teams could co-operate and share best practices. The sales director of Weikang pondered a conflict between two distributors that had aroused great controversy. With each party sticking to its own view, the conflict seemed intractable, and now distributors from different regions were looking for a reasonable solution. It was time for a meeting to discuss the company's channel management. Faced with such a great difficulty as a cross-border operation, how should the company proceed?

Incorporated in 2012, Mukunda Foods Private Limited (Mukunda) was an Indian robotics company that focused on innovative, internet-enabled smart devices for use in home and industrial kitchens. These devices could be controlled with a smartphone application. Mukunda started as the manufacturer of the DosaMatic, an automatic tabletop machine that made dosas (a popular Indian food). The machine was targeted at the industrial market. Mukunda's chief executive officer had to design the marketing strategy for the April 2016 launch of the company's range of ready-made batters aimed at the consumer market. Subsequently, the company planned to launch the consumer version of its DosaMatic machine. The chief executive officer was aware that the consumer market posed challenges different from the industrial market in terms of product and branding decisions, pricing, promotion, and distribution. He also knew that as a start-up, Mukunda could not match larger competitors in their distribution and promotional spending, especially given that Mukunda was simultaneously developing several new products (such as automated roti- and curry-making machines), which required consistent investments in research and development. What was the best strategy for Mukunda's unique circumstances?

Incorporated in 2012, Mukunda Foods Private Limited (Mukunda) was an Indian robotics company that focused on innovative, internet-enabled smart devices for use in home and industrial kitchens. These devices could be controlled with a smartphone application. Mukunda started as the manufacturer of the DosaMatic, an automatic tabletop machine that made dosas (a popular Indian food). The machine was targeted at the industrial market. Mukunda’s chief executive officer had to design the marketing strategy for the April 2016 launch of the company’s range of ready-made batters aimed at the consumer market. Subsequently, the company planned to launch the consumer version of its DosaMatic machine. The chief executive officer was aware that the consumer market posed challenges different from the industrial market in terms of product and branding decisions, pricing, promotion, and distribution. He also knew that as a start-up, Mukunda could not match larger competitors in their distribution and promotional spending, especially given that Mukunda was simultaneously developing several new products (such as automated roti- and curry-making machines), which required consistent investments in research and development. What was the best strategy for Mukunda’s unique circumstances?

In August 2015, imiAID, an Indian start-up that provided portable first aid kits for emergencies, was struggling to reduce its production costs and increase awareness about its product. The company began operations in Guwahati, Assam, and subsequently expanded the business to other states in Northeast India. Key target segments for imiAID included educational institutions and health-care service providers. Customers were somewhat aware of the product; however, imiAID wanted to develop a strategy that addressed its two goals of reducing production costs and increasing awareness about the imiAID Pocket First Aid Kit. Management had to decide how to best guide the company’s growth. Would imiAID be able to successfully operate in the emerging market of Northeast India in the long term?