個案總覽

In June 2008, the Kimpton Hotels' area director of revenue management (director) for Washington, D.C. finished creating 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.com. He realized there was even more potential to gain revenue by posting more than one price; however, this would add further complexity into the strategy and he was unsure of the potential impact of having multiple posted prices.

The Kimpton Hotels' area director of revenue management (director) for Washington, D.C. was excited about using Priceline.com to help fill rooms on some of Kimpton's low-demand weekends. He estimated the coming weeks' demand across three rate classes and across three lengths of stay (LOS), and he wanted to make sure he did not use Priceline.com too aggressively by releasing too many rooms onto the site.

Apple Inc. is one of the world's most successful and most recognizable companies. Over its 30 year existence, the company had seen a lot of changes in the computer industry. What would the future hold for the computer giant in a rapidly changing world? How should the company allocate resources between its more traditional offerings (computers) and its newer products (iPods, iPhones, Apple TV, etc.) in order to maintain and improve its market position. Also, how should Apple's unique retail strategy be used to support the company's product decisions, and by capitalizing on new and emerging trends thus further maintaining its competitive advantage.

Everyone loves a scrappy underdog-and brands can profit from this positioning.

Michelle Obama has an astonishing effect on the stock prices of the companies whose clothes she wears.

Although firms from emerging markets are becoming significant global players, our knowledge about how these latecomers catch up with existing multinational firms remains limited. This article summarizes the patterns of internationalization strategies pursued by firms from these markets. These leading emerging markets firms can be best understood in terms of their levels of R&D intensity and marketing intensity and represent four types of firms: multinational challengers; global exporters and importers; OEM/ODM technology leaders and followers; and regional exporters and importers. Based on these analyses, this article develops a set of propositions that summarize the internationalization strategies of these firms.

The founder of organicKidz is trying to create a plan to grow her start-up manufacturing firm. Calgary-based organicKidz is a manufacturer of stainless steel baby bottles and is sold in more than five countries. The founder's challenge is how to convey the superior benefits of her product and manage her retail channels given her limited resources. The setting of the case is at the September 2009 juvenile products tradeshow in the United States where organicKidz has to make a few key decisions about product promotion. All the key buyers from the retail organizations the founder is targeting will be at the show. In particular, the buyer from Costco, a large warehouse club chain, is interested in carrying her bottles and the founder wonders how she should respond.

In 2009, Parle Products Pvt. Limited (Parle), a leading Indian biscuit manufacturer, had the distinction of producing the largest selling glucose biscuit brand by volume in the world, the Parle-G. Parle-G biscuits sold for approximately US$1 per kilogram and as very few processed and ready-to-eat foods were available at this price point, Parle-G was strongly associated with offering value for money (VFM). A looming problem in this brand category for Parle was that the input prices of two major raw materials for the Parle-G biscuits (which together accounted for 55 per cent of their input costs) had risen enough in the past 18 months to decrease margins from 15 per cent to less than 10 per cent. Pressure to restore margins led Parle to consider a price increase yet a previous attempt had caused dramatic reduction in sales. Parle subsequently addressed rising input costs by reducing the weight of the package, franchising production, reducing supply chain costs and reducing packaging costs. Parle could not ignore the deeply entrenched perception of VFM when devising both short- and long-term marketing plans to retain Parle-G's success in the marketplace. These plans needed to address segmentation, positioning and changing Indian demographics when considering a potential price increase for Parle-G biscuits.

In late 2009, Brian Rolapp, senior vice president of media strategy and digital media for the NFL, was faced with the challenge of determining the league's strategic approach to the wireless market - and presenting his views to NFL team owners. What was the league's best strategy for the mobile space? The case describes the antecedents of what is widely regarded as a landmark deal for the NFL, its $780-million, four-year exclusive partnership with Verizon. Provides in-depth information on the NFL's digital media revenues, and relates those to the league's overall media and other revenues. Enables a rich discussion of new distribution opportunities and ensuing marketing and channel-management challenges.

Canada is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic and many members of these groups start small retail businesses. This case is an example of one such situation. Princessa sold beauty products to the English speaking black community in Montreal. In 2005 and 2006, sales were flat and, in 2007, sales fell by about 16 per cent. The owner was concerned and wondered what action, if any, he should take. While the issues were clearly marketing oriented, recommendations and their implementation were constrained by limited human and financial resources.<br><br> Demographic information and maps for Montreal are provided. The case is designed to familiarize students with issues related to marketing to ethnic groups, dealing with secondary data, defining a retail market and developing a strategic plan for a small business operating under severe resource constrictions.

This case deals with the opportunities and challenges of Louis Vuitton, the leading European luxury-sector multinational firm, in Japan, taking into account the unique features of brand management and integrating culture and consumer behaviour in Japan. In the last decade, Japan has been Louis Vuitton’s most profitable market, but the global economic crisis has presented challenges.<br><br>Facing a weak economy and a shift in consumer preferences, Louis Vuitton has been adapting its unique strategy in the Japanese market. The days of relying on a logo and a high price seem to be gone, as there is more interest in craftsmanship and value for money. To promote sales, the company has had to launch less expensive collections made with cheaper materials. The brand has also been opening stores in smaller cities, where the lure of the logo still works.<br><br>Over the years, Japanese consumers have demonstrated fascination with and passion for the iconic brand. What have been the keys to Louis Vuitton’s successful business model in the Japanese market?

Canada is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic and many members of these groups start small retail businesses. This case is an example of one such situation. Princessa sold beauty products to the English speaking black community in Montreal. In 2005 and 2006, sales were flat and, in 2007, sales fell by about 16 per cent. The owner was concerned and wondered what action, if any, he should take. While the issues were clearly marketing oriented, recommendations and their implementation were constrained by limited human and financial resources. Demographic information and maps for Montreal are provided. The case is designed to familiarize students with issues related to marketing to ethnic groups, dealing with secondary data, defining a retail market and developing a strategic plan for a small business operating under severe resource constrictions.

In the fall of 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation, once revered for its commitment to quality and reliability, faced a highly publicized series of recalls in the United States representing approximately a year's worth of sales in one of its most important markets. While the first Toyota recall was met with widespread disbelief but continuing support for the brand, subsequent revelations and recalls tested the brand's resilience in the U.S. The firm's initial public response to the problems - a mixture of silence from top executives and vague, misleading public statements - frustrated U.S. government officials and the public. Not until weeks after the news first broke did Toyota organize a clear message around its commitment to return to quality. In late February 2010 Toyota President Akio Toyoda reluctantly accepts an invitation to testify to the U.S. Congress, 148 days after the first recall announcement. He has to decide what to say.

Case describes the testimony to the U.S. Congress of the Toyota CEO and the head of its U.S. motor sales.

Between February and July 2010, Toyota sales recover thanks to the use of extensive PR and sales incentives. Yet recalls continue. Can Toyota stem the tide and correct its organizational flaws to address the underlying issues?

In mid-February 2009, Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Colm McLoughlin received the January sales report. He left the report lying on his desk unopened and went to walk around the shops as he did every morning. When he returned, he sat down at his desk, looked at the cover of the report, then called his wife, Breeda, to confirm that they were hosting a dinner party that weekend for some friends from Ireland who were in town for a golf tournament Dubai Duty Free was supporting.

This case study deals with the opportunities and challenges of Louis Vuitton, the leading European luxury sector multinational firm, in Japan, taking into account the unique features of brand management, and integrating culture and consumer behaviour in Japan. In the last decade, Japan has been Louis Vuitton's most profitable market, but it seems that the global economic crisis has resulted in a decline in sales. Facing a weak economy and a shift in consumer preferences, Louis Vuitton has been adapting its unique strategy in the Japanese market. The days of relying on a logo and charging a high price seem to be gone as there is more interest in craftsmanship and value for money. To promote sales, the company has had to launch less expensive collections made with cheaper materials. The brand has also been opening stores in smaller cities, where the lure of the logo still works. Over the years, Japanese consumers have demonstrated fascination with and passion for the iconic brand. What have been the keys to Louis Vuitton's successful business model in the Japanese market? This case was written to help students develop their analytical and strategic decision skills. The case aims at helping in developing a business model, adapting to a new cultural environment, recommending a course of action for further strategic moves, identifying issues and eventually enhancing multidisciplinary decision making. This case can be used to discuss 1) the complexity of multinational business, particularly the issues of brand management, international marketing and marketing strategy for succeeding in East Asia 2) consumer behaviour in Japan and characteristic features of the Japanese market and 3) strategies to succeed in a foreign country.

India has millions of kirana (small stores) but modern retail outlets are emerging. The case illustrates the challenges confronting the shop owner of Shiny Provision Store, a kirana in the suburbs of Bangalore, India. A customer, who is a market researcher, decides to explore how a small retailer in the food and groceries business can survive in an environment that is getting increasingly sophisticated in terms of professional techniques being applied to modern retailing. Data on retail images of small shops and modern outlets as well as lifestyle information on consumers is presented.

In late 2009, the principal of the Lake Eola Charter School (LECS) in downtown Orlando, Florida completed a course on nonprofit branding at the Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center at a local college. She was energized and ready to apply the information she had learned to evaluate the school's competitive position and to determine its level of mission fulfillment and progress toward goals. Well-suited for running a school, with a doctorate in education administration, the principal had taken the class to shore up her understanding of planning for and managing a nonprofit organization (NPO). In her mind, the key lesson was the need for an environmental analysis to better understand the school's internal environment and external competitors in order to improve the position of the school vis-a-vis the community's educational needs. She employed an MBA intern to help her develop tools for an internal and external environmental scan. The intern had just wrapped up the data collection and analysis. The principal was ready to use the summer down time to make changes for the 2010 academic year, if only she knew how to proceed.<br><br>This case is suitable for marketing strategy courses. The detailed treatment of environmental analysis could also make the case useful in business policy and strategy courses. Instructors will find the case particularly well-suited for classes on marketing, strategy and management in the area of public administration and nonprofit organizations.

In September 2010, faced with increasing threat from social game companies such as Zynga, Ben Feder, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive Software. Inc., had to decide the long-term strategy of his video-game company. As a publisher of traditional video games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo, Take-Two had several popular video games, such as Grand Theft Auto, to its credit. However, the video game industry was undergoing a major transition. In addition to digital downloading and cloud gaming, casual and social games were transforming the video game industry. Electronic Arts, one of Take-Two's major competitors, acquired a social gaming company in November 2009 for $400 million. In August 2010, Disney bought another social gaming company for $763 million. Social games were developed, marketed and monetized very differently from traditional console games. Should Take-Two follow the lead of its competitors or continue to focus on its core business?