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In the fall of 2010, the founders of Campus FundSource, an organization developed to help campus groups raise money for their respective causes, were asked to present to a potential investor. The three founders were struggling with how to scale their start-up that connected campus groups that needed funding (such as language groups, intramural sports teams, and singing groups) with major brands that were trying to reach a younger demographic with their marketing messages. The company was still at the start-up stage, and the founders had just graduated from a business accelerator program, where they finished developing their website and tested both the site and the business concept--connecting brands with students. In order to show potential investors that they were readily scalable, they needed to show that they could quickly attain a critical mass of both student groups and national brands. This presented a chicken-and-egg dilemma, as it was proving difficult to penetrate two markets at once. How could Campus FundSource attract both the student groups who needed funding and the national brands that wanted to attract and keep post-secondary students as their customers?

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?

In June 2016, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is planning for the upcoming launch of an endeavor that is a first for a Hollywood actor with superstar status-a digital channel. The channel (named "Seven Bucks Digital Studios") will be a new part of film and television production company Seven Bucks Productions, which Johnson co-owns with his business partner and former wife, Dany Garcia. Under Garcia's guidance, Johnson has made a successful transition from being a top wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment to also climbing the ranks in Hollywood, becoming one of its most bankable and highest-paid actors. The two stand out for pursuing an ambitious slate of projects as producers as well, making Seven Bucks Productions a force to be reckoned with in the world of entertainment. Are Johnson and Garcia right to bet on a new digital channel, which is scheduled to make its debut on YouTube in the next month, and do they have the best approach to making that channel a success?

In 2016, JCPenney was in the midst of a multi-year turnaround after coming dangerously close to bankruptcy. Under CEO Marvin Ellison, the company had identified three strategic objectives-a focus on omnichannel, private label goods, and increasing revenue per customer-to guide all company initiatives. The company was running pilot tests on a new line of appliances, rebranded hair salons, and new private label merchandise, and management now needed to decide how best to roll out and market these initiatives across the chain. Ellison also considered how to build upon the company's new ad campaign, Get Your Penney's Worth, and how to strike the right balance between serving its "core" and "emerging" customer segments. He wondered if these objectives and initiatives were enough to restore JCPenney's position in the evolving retail landscape.

In 2014, India's HCL Technologies emerged as one of just eight 21st-century listed technology companies in the world to surpass US$1 billion in net profits, $5 billion in revenue, and $15 billion in market capitalization. When most companies were using their websites as online information pages, HCL Technologies converted its legacy website into an effective lead-generation vehicle. Within one year of implementation, the website began generating a lead funnel worth $1 billion. HCL Technologies used its updated website to implement various strategies to ensure effective lead generation, revenue generation, and site-traffic generation. Over time, the website evolved into a driver for thought leadership for the business and its customers.

In 2014, India’s HCL Technologies emerged as one of just eight 21st-century listed technology companies in the world to surpass US$1 billion in net profits, $5 billion in revenue, and $15 billion in market capitalization. When most companies were using their websites as online information pages, HCL Technologies converted its legacy website into an effective lead-generation vehicle. Within one year of implementation, the website began generating a lead funnel worth $1 billion. HCL Technologies used its updated website to implement various strategies to ensure effective lead generation, revenue generation, and site-traffic generation. Over time, the website evolved into a driver for thought leadership for the business and its customers.

Supplement to case W16649.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC), a government-owned enterprise in India, was responsible for building, operating, and managing the metro rail network in the National Capital Region of India. Delhi's reliable, punctual, clean, and green metro services began operation in 2002. By 2016, DMRC had transformed peoples' lives and become an essential form of transit for an average of 2.5 million commuters per day. In terms of customer satisfaction, DMRC was ranked in a global online survey as the second-best metro system in the world. But management at DMRC knew that to maintain that level of customer satisfaction, it had to be conscious of the gap between performance and customer expectations, which were increasing with demands from DMRC's assertive and ambitious millennial commuters. In addition, the government was embarking on strategies to induce commuters to switch from private to public transit. DMRC needed to evaluate its strategic service priorities while continuing to deliver value to its stakeholders. Should DMRC focus on enhancing customer experience with augmented services or invest in measures to reduce operational costs? Was DMRC's culture of customer delight sustainable?

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 May 2016, Target Corporation was one of America's largest retail chains, with nearly 2,000 well-located general merchandise stores and a reputation for being stylish and chic. However, in the wake of the 2008 U.S. financial recession, profitability had weakened as a result of allocating more space to low-margin groceries in an attempt to continue to attract customers. Once the recession was over, Target Corporation had to decide whether to reduce or even eliminate the grocery category in order to offer a broader selection of clothing and household goods.

In 2012, Graham's Pharmacy opened to offer more traditional pharmacy services and counselling in contrast to franchise pharmacies. The business was the brainchild of a pharmacist and entrepreneur with a strong commitment to the pharmacist profession. Located in the heart of the historic business sector of Kingston, Ontario, Graham's Pharmacy had taken over a historic building that formerly housed a bank. The pharmacy was intended to improve the quality of life of its clients through prevention and active engagement, rather than merely through the passive and mundane role of a pill dispensary. However, the pharmacy needed to be profitable if the vision was to be fully realized. Although the founder was confident in the capabilities of his team, and that a market existed for a pharmacy that provided personalized service and advice, he wondered how to market the business in light of competition from much larger rivals.

Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited (HKT) is a member firm of the PCCW conglomerate and Hong Kong's largest telecommunications company. With its core telecom business maturing, HKT has been exploring new business opportunities to sustain its growth momentum. In November 2011, HKT rolled out eSmartHealth; the first cloud-based health data management service in the territory. eSmartHealth aimed at providing integrated data on personal wellness and healthcare management. The business kicked off with a wellness management service targeting figure-conscious females, marathon lovers, and health-conscious urban dwellers. Over the next five years, eSmartHealth evolved its positioning from wellness to healthcare and explored new segments. HKT would typically give a new business venture a year's grace period to break even. But eSmartHealth was going into its sixth year and still looked like it was in the startup stage. Teresa Ng, the Head of marketing for HKT's consumer group, sensed the pressure to turn eSmartHealth around and make it a success was intensifying. She and her team realized that the generosity of top management would not persist if the business failed to make a decent profit.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (LA Phil), under the leadership of Deborah Borda, had enjoyed great successes in the 2000s and 2010s, even as other U.S. orchestras faltered. The architecturally acclaimed Walt Disney Concert Hall had opened its doors. The institution's finances looked healthy after years of operating losses. A celebrity music director, Gustavo Dudamel, had joined the team. The LA Phil had launched its Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA), a classical-music outreach program. Yet the LA Phil still faced real challenges, as all U.S. orchestras did--an aging subscriber base, concern around appeal to younger audiences, and development of a pipeline of donors for the future. How could Borda continue to position the orchestra for success?

Aravind Eye Care Systems (Aravind) had started setting up vision centers (VC) in 2006 and 51 VCs were operational by March 2015. The location for each VC was chosen to ensure easy access for about 50,000 people across 15 to 20 villages within a 5-7 km radial distance. Each VC had a target of reaching at least 10% of the population, that is, around 5,000 patients, which served as a benchmark for penetration. Consultations related to eye care were provided at the VC. They also dispensed medicines and spectacles. The VC would facilitate arrangements for patients requiring surgeries at the base hospital, including their transport, food and any other reimbursement. Each VC had three key personnel - coordinator, ophthalmic technician, and field worker. The VC was equipped with basic ophthalmic equipment and internet connectivity. The presence of a permanent establishment, in the form of a VC, motivated people in rural areas to seek earlier treatment for vision problems. This helped in eliminating vision care problems and enabled them to get back to earning their livelihoods. The permanent setup also positively influenced the healthcare seeking behavior of the people. Most VCs had performed well, however some VCs were not attracting enough patients, thus not enabling Aravind's classic, volume-driven model, to work and support self-sustainable operations. Thulsiraj, Director of Aravind, was analyzing the performance of all VCs. How should he analyze the performance of VCs from a marketing perspective? Should he change the marketing strategies for those VCs which had attracted a very low number of patients and if yes, how will it be be designed, considering the unique market in which VC operates? Were the VCs innovative in their approach to reach out to patients? Were the VCs self-sustainable? What parameters should he use to evaluate the performance of VCs? How should he increase the number of patients at VCs?

In February 2016, a young intern was waiting to speak with the founder and chief executive officer of Surbhi Gramodyog Vikas Sansthan (SGVS), a producer and supplier of hand-made herbal cosmetic products. The founder was speaking on the phone with a potential reseller and turning down a new order due to the company being at full capacity. It was the third such request that he had declined in the past week. The young intern was puzzled. SGVS was located in Kashipur, a small town in the state of Uttarakhand in India. With a minimal Internet presence and marketing efforts, it had gained loyal customers in India and across the world, from the United States to Australia. However, SGVS was not willing to increase production capacity and expand the business, thereby forgoing a potential increase in profits. Was the company's reluctance to scale up the business sustainable over the long run?

In December 2015, South Korean technology giant Samsung announced a new head to its mobile division. The announcement came on the heels of a challenging year for Samsung. Two handset launches that year had received criticism in the press for the way they were handled. The appointment was interpreted by many in the industry as Samsung signalling a desire to further intensify innovation in an increasingly commoditized product area. This was a time of intense challenge but also great promise. Complex questions involving significant trade-offs had to be answered. Should the mobile division push for profitability or market share? Were those objectives mutually exclusive? What was the best strategy for obtaining the chosen objective? And, how could Samsung differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded, competitive, and commoditized market?

The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola), the brand that "taught the world to sing," was widely considered to be the leader when it came to music marketing. The 2010 and 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup games provided an ideal backdrop for analyzing Coca-Cola's success in music marketing. While the company's marketing approaches were similar in both World Cup games, they differed in their delivery and results. In 2016, in the face of new competition in the music marketing space, namely from Pepsi, FIFA, and even Coca-Cola itself, the company needed to lead the way with the ultimate goals of selling sodas and songs.

The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola), the brand that “taught the world to sing,” was widely considered to be the leader when it came to music marketing. The 2010 and 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup games provided an ideal backdrop for analyzing Coca-Cola’s success in music marketing. While the company’s marketing approaches were similar in both World Cup games, they differed in their delivery and results. In 2016, in the face of new competition in the music marketing space, namely from Pepsi, FIFA, and even Coca-Cola itself, the company needed to lead the way with the ultimate goals of selling sodas and songs.

In December 2015, South Korean technology giant Samsung announced a new head to its mobile division. The announcement came on the heels of a challenging year for Samsung. Two handset launches that year had received criticism in the press for the way they were handled. The appointment was interpreted by many in the industry as Samsung signalling a desire to further intensify innovation in an increasingly commoditized product area. This was a time of intense challenge but also great promise. Complex questions involving significant trade-offs had to be answered. Should the mobile division push for profitability or market share? Were those objectives mutually exclusive? What was the best strategy for obtaining the chosen objective? And, how could Samsung differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded, competitive, and commoditized market?