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In November 2010, Charles Henry, chief marketing officer of a major consumer packaged goods company, was trying to convince his senior managers to enhance the digital presence of the company's brands by significantly increasing their online marketing budget. However, he faced strong resistance from many of his colleagues who questioned the tangible value of digital spending.

The founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Teksavvy Solutions Inc. has achieved sales of $18 million in just more than 10 years as an Internet service provider (ISP) across Canada but he must decide whether to distribute his service via cable carriers, telecom carriers or both, or even integrate forward into laying fiber-optic cable in homes and businesses himself. If he invests in last mile connections to homes, he will need a great deal more funds and he will need a healthy uptake by the new customers, most of whom would be located in smaller cities and towns. The added investment for this option would require him to look seriously at bringing in a venture capital company for major investment but he would have to sell it some equity and live under its covenants and guidance until some type of liquidity event would buy out the venture funder.

The management and marketing of global events has enabled growth at Hockey Canada, the National Sport Organization responsible for the sport of ice hockey in Canada. Indeed, through a planned approach to events, Hockey Canada has established an event program that includes guaranteed profit figures in the millions, high interest from host cities, good attendance, and impressive television ratings. The executive who has led the organization through this growth, COO Scott Smith, is the central figure in the case, which includes background information, financial numbers and strategy elements of the growth over the past decade. The case touches on a number of important topics in sport and event management including international growth, risks, event-hosting, sport development, television, social media, sponsorship, digital media, women's sport, and online viewing.

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This case highlights the puzzlingly high rate of diarrhea-related child mortality in developing countries despite the existence of a simple, effective treatment: oral rehydration therapy (ORT). ORT treated extreme dehydration caused by diarrhea, which was a leading cause of death among young children in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Heralded in the 1970s as one of the most important medical advancements of the 20th century, ORT contributed to a reduction in diarrhea-related child deaths from roughly 4.5 million in 1980 to 1.5 million in 2000. Yet for reasons unclear to the global public health community, the mortality rate stalled at around 1.5 million, where it remained in 2010. In presenting the problem of diarrhea-related death, the solution represented by ORT, and the various factors potentially influencing ORT utilization, the case allows students to analyze the possible causes of low ORT utilization and potential measures to address them.

Venezuelan-based Chocolates El Rey processes some of the best cacao beans in the world, for use in premium products from Belgium and Switzerland. But so far its own brand of chocolate is relatively hard to find outside its home market, and consumers aren't willing to pay a price comparable with those of Belgian or Swiss products. Overcoming the perception that premium products come exclusively from certain geographies is becoming the marketing and branding challenge for emerging markets in the next decade.

Consumers today connect with brands in fundamentally new ways, often through media channels that are beyond manufacturers' and retailers' control. That means traditional marketing strategies must be redesigned to accord with how brand relationships have changed. In the famous funnel metaphor, a shopper would start with a number of brands in mind and then systematically narrow them down to a final choice. His relationship with both the manufacturer and the retailer ended there. But now, relying heavily on digital interactions, he evaluates a shifting array of options and often engages with the brand through social media after a purchase. Though marketing strategies that focused on building brand awareness and the point of purchase worked pretty well in the past, consumer touch points have changed in nature. For example, in many categories today the single most powerful influence to buy is someone else's advocacy. The author describes a "consumer decision journey" of four stages: consider a selection of brands; evaluate by seeking input from peers, reviewers, and others; buy; and enjoy, advocate bond. If the consumer's bond with the brand becomes strong enough, she'll enter a buy-enjoy-advocate-buy loop that skips the consider and evaluate stages entirely. Smart marketers will study the decision journey for their products and use the insights they gain to revise strategy, media spend, and organizational roles.

Companies today increasingly find themselves under attack from dissatisfied customers, disgruntled employees, and just about anyone who has a personal computer and an ax to grind. As many are learning the hard way, small-scale snipers in command of new-media and social-network weapons can inflict large-scale damage to a company's reputation-and fast. Blogs, tweets, text messages, online petitions, Facebook protest sites, and digital videos all represent potent new threats, and companies need to learn how to respond. Gaines-Ross, the chief reputation strategist at a global public relations consultancy, outlines six defensive tactics for companies whose good names come under assault. It's important to avoid a disproportionate show of force; to respond quickly, with instincts honed by advance training; and to empower the front line to meet message with counter message. Companies should not be afraid to "go rogue" themselves, and they should recruit and deploy supporters to serve as "force multipliers." Finally, they should muster their past credentials as they prepare to go into battle. It may never be possible to declare final victory in reputation warfare; the battle is ongoing. But by changing their mind-sets and adopting new tools, companies can protect their businesses from the worst of the reputation snipers' attacks.

Social technologies are helping-if not forcing-marketers to form new kinds of relationships with customers. But traditional brand management models don't account for these new kinds of interactions between companies and consumers. Brand marketers need to update their models to include "new-media ringmasters"-digitally savvy executives who move fast, understand how to integrate social media into corporate communications, and can organize cross-functional teams.

It's wrong to think we're entering a world in which traditional marketing activities will become irrelevant. Yet the scale and speed of social media make it urgent to get the branding basics right. Remember the internet-fueled backlash against Dell's flammable laptops and Kryptonite's expensive but easily picked lock. The obvious danger is failing to keep pace with social media developments. An equal, less obvious danger is getting distracted by them and losing sight of the fundamentals. Brands should exploit new media's possibilities to deliver on four basics: offering and communicating a clear customer promise; building trust by delivering on it; continuously improving the promise; and innovating beyond the familiar. Virgin Atlantic does this by, for example, scanning travel websites to learn what people are saying; including travel tips from crew members on its Facebook page; communicating with customers on Twitter in rapidly changing situations; offering a taxi-sharing system to enhance its brand; and maintaining V-Travelled, a site where customers exchange stories and advice while they plan a big trip. As they experiment with social media, companies should gain customer insights rather than simply try to increase sales, capitalize on the media's speed and reach while protecting the brand's reputation, and carefully follow the unwritten rules of customer engagement online.

Multinational retailers have been slow to understand consumers in the developing world. As a result, they've been vulnerable to local competitors that know how their shoppers think, what they crave, and how they buy. These local retailers offer some valuable lessons: Forget the myth that the high end is the most lucrative segment. In emerging markets, the number of affluent consumers who could champion your product is small, and the wealthy tend to favor shopping trips abroad. Instead, aim your products at low-income segments from the start. Cater to consumers' tendency to buy a lot of the cheapest products and a little of the best by providing decent quality at the low end and aspirational choices at the high end. Turn your stores into centers of learning, where shoppers can fill the gaps in their product knowledge. Expect the unexpected and develop quick reflexes-you'll need them to deal with the rapid market expansion and demographic change of emerging economies.

Kiai Marketing Group is a start-up advertising company providing innovative marketing solutions to businesses in London, Ontario. The company's first undertaking is aimed at reaching the post-secondary student demographic by attaching a business's advertising to laptop computers by means of a laptop "skin." The proprietor needs an overall strategic marketing plan to secure his first client. The proprietor must decide what clients to target, how to reach the student market, what to charge clients and what to pay the team of students displaying the laptop skins.

The case analyzes the response of the non-users of shampoo in an emerging environment, namely India. The non-users belong to the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and they respond with their perceptions about the category of shampoo and well-known brands. The entrepreneur's challenge is to obtain the insights, analyze the attitude of the non-users towards the category and brands, and prepare a strategy to position a new brand of shampoo (Super brand) in the Indian mass market.

The case analyzes the response of the non-users of shampoo in an emerging environment, namely India. The non-users belong to the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and they respond with their perceptions about the category of shampoo and well-known brands. The entrepreneur's challenge is to obtain the insights, analyze the attitude of the non-users towards the category and brands, and prepare a strategy to position a new brand of shampoo (Super brand) in the Indian mass market.

By 2009 Hikma Pharmaceuticals operated 13 manufacturing plants in 8 countries of which 5 were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hikma tracked its sales revenues over the period to show from where the largest contributors were from...

A business school graduate has been assigned the responsibility of running a profit centre that deals in the production and sales of animal feed. The structure and operations of a mid-sized agri-input company are discussed, along with the interactions among several stakeholders in the supply chain and the sources of cooperation and conflict between them. The case details the interactional dynamics among agri-input sellers, the nature of competition between them, their sources of trade dominance and the distribution channel structure. Amid such a scenario, the graduate is trying to enhance the performance of his profit centre. On the other hand, a former classmate and recruit in an NGO is striving to achieve the developmental objectives of her organization. The case poses questions to evoke reflection on building mechanisms and institutions that deliver benefits for the many rather than profits for the few.

A business school graduate has been assigned the responsibility of running a profit centre that deals in the production and sales of animal feed. The structure and operations of a mid-sized agri-input company are discussed, along with the interactions among several stakeholders in the supply chain and the sources of cooperation and conflict between them. The case details the interactional dynamics among agri-input sellers, the nature of competition between them, their sources of trade dominance and the distribution channel structure. Amid such a scenario, the graduate is trying to enhance the performance of his profit centre. On the other hand, a former classmate and recruit in an NGO is striving to achieve the developmental objectives of her organization. The case poses questions to evoke reflection on building mechanisms and institutions that deliver benefits for the many rather than profits for the few.

As her boyfriend's birthday was fast approaching, Ashley struggled to make a decision on what mp3 player to buy him (Kade) as a gift. After failing to acquire her first desired choice, Ashley narrowed her selection down to two different mp3 models. Option A was to buy the Creative Zen Stone Plus, which was recommended by her boyfriend's best friend; a friend who knew Kade's personality and character very well. Ashley believed Kade's friend would be a good source to ask for recommendations, as he would have a better knowledge over Kade's interests and preferences. Option B was to buy the Rio Carbon 5, which was recommended by the salesman, who claimed to be an expert in mp3 players. She felt somewhat relieved hearing from an expert, as she did not know much about mp3 players. Given these two options, Ashley struggled to make a decision. Should she go with the suggestion offered by the friend? Or should she go with the suggestion offered by the expert? Should she go with her interpersonal advisor or the expert advisor? Ashley had to make the decision today, and she was running out of time.

The case illustrates the opportunities, challenges and trade-offs involved in the design, evolution and institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) within the Tata Group, an India-based indigenous multinational enterprise (MNE) with a unique 140-year old commitment to the community as the key stakeholder of business. Despite the 2008-2009 global recession, the Tata Group topped the economic value creation charts. In 2008-2009, the Group had grossed US$70.8 billion in revenues; 64.7 per cent of the Group's revenues were now coming from outside India. Its 96 independent companies spanned seven sectors: information systems and communications, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Economic turbulence had put a break on social and environmental investing for many other companies, but renewed Tata Group's commitment: the Group had recently revised its charitable giving, adopted a group-wide climate change policy, and separated its mandatory and voluntary initiatives. The case deals with the intricate connections between the Group's profitability and competitiveness on the one hand and its long-standing tradition of social responsibility on the other. It explores value-creation, leadership, ethics and sustainable development on the backdrop of rapid internationalizations and shifting stakeholders' expectations for corporate social responsibility.

In June 2008, the Kimpton Hotels' area director of revenue management (director) for Washington, D.C. was trying to process the most recent customer information report from Priceline.com (Priceline). In an attempt to improve revenues during periods of low occupancy at the hotel, the director had recently been using Priceline's name your own price bidding format. While using this sales channel had limited success, the director was wondering the best way to maximize the revenue coming from Priceline without cannibalizing existing sales or tarnishing the Kimpton brand. His challenge was to create a pricing strategy that would determine the optimal posted price for rooms in the Washington, D. C. hotel as well as the number of rooms that should be provided to Priceline.