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The case examines a competitive situation in the market for Scotch whisky in Thailand. Two multinationals fight for market share with a complex portfolio of products under the Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, and Ballantine brand names. Students must understand a broad array of branding, consumer behavior, pricing, and regulatory issues in order to arrive at recommendations for Chivas Regal to defend against recent gains of Johnnie Walker. The case can be taught with a focus on the Chivas Regal 12 Year product and recommendations for its growth, but also can be taught as a broader portfolio case, with students aligning a portfolio of Chivas and Ballantine products at different quality levels to maximize sales and profit.

Television viewers both recall and like fast-forwarded ads-as long as they've seen the commercials at least once at regular speed.

If you're like most brand managers, you're unaware of or turned off by "extreme consumers"-people so crazy about the brand that they spend more than 10% of their lifetime income on it. But they can be your most powerful marketers.

In a January 2010 public statement, Google threatened to stop censoring its search results on its Google.cn website, as required by Chinese authorities. Should Google exit China? Or attempt a compromise with the Chinese government?

What is next for healthcare IT provider American Well, whose innovative Online Care technology allows physicians to deliver care to patients online in real time? Using American Well's platform, patients with non-emergency health concerns can communicate with physicians online or by phone and receive advice or even a diagnosis without having to visit the physician's office. American Well's co-founders, Ido Schoenberg and Roy Schoenberg, believe this platform will reduce the cost of care delivery; create new revenue-earning opportunities for providers; and contribute to a more efficient, convenient healthcare delivery system. While the platform could benefit insurers, providers, employers, and patients alike, the company has only marketed to a few health insurance companies to date. In November 2009, 3 insurers have adopted the technology, and American Well expects several more to do so over the next 12 months. As the company plans to accelerate adoption by health insurers, it is also considering other growth options. Is it too early to commit resources to developing and marketing American Well's second-generation product, which facilitates real-time connectivity between primary care physicians and specialists? Should American Well pursue new markets in the U.S., such as hospitals, chains of clinics, and pharmacies, or even expand internationally? In a broader sense, American Well's technology solves the economic obstacle of time and place by connecting excess supply (of physician capacity) with excess demand (for patient care). Could this model be adapted to other industries, such as legal and accounting services? Alternatively, should American Well continue to focus solely on its primary product and on becoming the leader in the Online Care Industry?

In 2009, Samsung invited Professor Bernd Schmitt to advise the company about how it could transform its brand and appeal to consumers on an emotional level. Although Samsung was generally well-regarded for its technological skill and steady execution, it had a reputation for lacking innovation and creativity. In this case, students accompany Schmitt on his journey from Seoul to Silicon Valley to Las Vegas as he discovers how a revolutionary new camera might change consumers' perception of the brand.

In March 2007, the vice-chairman and managing director of Eureka Forbes Ltd. is reflecting upon 25 years of market leadership in the water purifier business in India, but is troubled by the very low penetration compared to potential. In 25 years, the company has undergone significant evolution in all of its key strategic levers - technology, brands and channels. Can the company use its vast market learning and experience to achieve a breakthrough in penetrating the mass market for water purifiers in India? Other external pressures also apply. With climate concerns reaching a crescendo globally, water sustainability issues are in the spotlight, especially in large and rapidly industrializing countries such as India. This presents both enormous challenges and opportunities for Eureka Forbes. The vice-chairman and managing director is looking to his top 150 managers who will assemble at the company's annual strategic planning meeting to come up with fresh market strategies.

Twitter has become an incredibly popular micro-blogging service since its launch in 2006. Its founders have ambitious plans for the service, and are backed by hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital funding, which values the company at $3.7 billion in 2011. Twitter seems to attract a diverse audience of users, such as political organizers looking to disseminate information to their followers; businesses looking to reach out, in real time, to potential customers; and social users. The company charges consumers nothing for its service. By 2011, competitors have emerged, some of whom are financially strong. It remains unclear - at least to some observers - whether the company will ever make money from its service.

For investment bankers, consultants, and entrepreneurs, valuing branded businesses as accurately as possible is of critical importance. This case introduces a new approach to valuing branded businesses, one that incorporates public perception of brand characteristics. This case reviews traditional methods of valuation and walks students through the new approach, using Hewlett-Packard as an example.

In January 2010, Bob Bowman, chief executive officer of Major League Baseball Advanced Media -- MLB's digital arm -- is facing a number of decisions related to its app for Apple's new iPad. For example, what are the best name, price, and set of features for MLBAM's iPad app? The case describes what is often seen as one of the most successful paid-content businesses in sports and media. Provides in-depth information on MLBAM's four main sources of revenues and relates those to the league's overall revenues. It also describes the company's online and mobile offerings in considerable detail and outlines the choices facing MLB's offering for Apple's iPad device, enabling a rich discussion of viable marketing strategies.

The NFL faces a decision on how to continue efforts to grow its fanbase in the UK. The decision needs to take into account lessons learned from previous NFL activities in Europe, market research on the UK sports fan and the implications of any move on the U.S. fan. Moreover, the decision should be couched within the broader context of the NFL's goal to expand internationally. Alistair Kirkwood, head of NFL UK, and Chris Parsons, VP of NFL International, must propose a course of action that the London-based team can both execute and that will receive the approval of the NFL's commissioner and owners.

This note develops a comprehensive new set of concepts to understand buying processes of parents choosing among complex educational services using the example of Montessori private schools.

This note develops a comprehensive new conceptualization of the complex processes that accompany large scale high technology product/service bundles using the example of nuclear power plants.

This note develops a comprehensive new set of concepts to understand buyer behaviour for complex high technology consumer products using the example of notebook computers.

Within the past 20 years, consumer advertising of prescription drugs has grown from a rarity to one of the most pervasive forms of consumer advertising, with ads for antidepressants and heart medications now as common as those for fast food and automobiles. At the same time, direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising has attracted a growing chorus of criticism from consumer advocates, health professionals, and elected officials. This article explores the extent to which such criticism has merit and the extent to which it lacks soundness. Specifically, the article casts doubt on the charges that (1) DTC advertising is deceptive; (2) DTC downplays product risks; (3) DTC focuses on trivial or imaginary maladies; (4) DTC doesn't promote non-pharmaceutical solutions to health problems; (5) DTC harms the doctor-patient relationship; and (6) DTC is responsible for the rapid rise in drug costs.

Within 10 months of Gregg Steinhafel's taking over as CEO at Target, the U.S. was mired in the most significant economic downturn in 50 years. Top competitor Wal-Mart had positioned itself well for the crisis, while Target's same store sales began to slide. While Steinhafel believed that Target's long-term strategy and positioning were right, he pondered a set of strategic and operational challenges. Did Target have the right mix of offensive and defensive tactics to weather the downturn and position itself for the economy's eventual recovery? How far could Target go in emphasizing low price-the "pay less" side of its slogan-without eroding the company's core promise of offering unique and upscale products that customers would not see at other low-priced retailers? Would the benefits of adding fresh food to Target's general merchandise stores outweigh the associated challenges?

This note describes the rapidly changing environment of social media and how managers can leverage it.

In January 2010, Jen McDonald, head of Bank of America Corporation's (BoA) Digital Marketing group, was discussing the bank's mobile strategy with Douglas Brown, senior vice president, Mobile Product Development. BoA launched mobile banking in 2007 and within three years it had 4 million active customers. This success prompted line-of-business managers to request Jen and Doug to include more functionality in the bank's mobile app that were specific to their businesses such as credit cards and mortgages. Jen and Doug had to decide how to leverage the mobile platform for various businesses of the bank without creating confusion or increasing complexity for the consumers. Recognizing the potential impact mobile technology could have on the entire banking industry, they also had to decide on how to position BoA's mobile banking in the long run.

How much can you really influence consumers when you launch a Facebook page to attract "fans" and to pepper them with messages and offers? Quite a lot, one small cafe chain found.

Can cold, hard cash actually make you feel stronger? Yes, says professor Kathleen Vohs, whose studies showed that handling money actually reduced research subjects' physical and psychological pain levels. In fact, even pictures of cash had the same effect. Her research shows that money makes people more self-sufficient and more motivated-though it also makes them less helpful, less social, and less charitable. Her findings have interesting implications for companies in their dealings with customers as well as in their efforts to motivate employees.