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EuroGame is a multinational interactive games company. The company is considering making its products available through the newly developed interactive television market. A consultant to the company has been asked by the Internet Director to advise whether Eurogame should invest in this new market and if so, determine how the firm could leverage these capabilities and with whom it should partner with.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 502-030.

Harry Rawlinson is managing director of Aqualisa, a major U.K. manufacturer of showers. He has just launched the most significant shower innovation in recent history: the Quartz shower. The shower provides significant improvements in terms of quality, cost, and ease of installation. In product testing, the Quartz shower received rave reviews from both consumers and plumbers alike. However, early sales of the Quartz have been disappointing. Rawlinson is now faced with some key decisions about whether to change his channel strategy, promotional strategy, and the overall positioning of the product in the context of his existing product line.

Mainstream marketing has become so obsessed with rigor, quantification, and scientific rectitude that it has lost sight of the importance of magic, mystery, and imagination. We need to restore the balance somewhat, and the way to do that is to take a look at the boy wizard who has captivated the hearts and minds of readers the world over--and turned marketing on its head. Close examination reveals that Harry Potter is more than a mere passing marketing fad. Harry is different because the books are as much about marketing as the outcome of marketing. They deal with marketing matters, they are full of marketing artifacts, they contain analyses of marketplace phenomena, and they provide insights into the contemporary marketing condition. The books refer to almost every element of the marketing mix, as well as aspects of buyer behavior, environmental conditions, and marketing research. Harry Potter unknowingly has the power to transform the modern marketing paradigm from the positivistic trappings of modern marketing into the magical, mysterious, imaginative substance of postmodern marketing.

Marketers have never been more challenged to find the right mix of channels. Seeing the choices clearly will make that challenge less daunting. This author has sound advice for developing clear channel vision.

Monsanto, one of the world's largest producers of commodity chemicals, had decided to focus its operations on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The first shipment of genetically modified soybeans arrived in Europe in November of 1996. Genetic engineering promised to reduce the use of pesticides and curtail world hunger. Therefore, Monsanto was dismayed at the powerful opposition that developed over the next few years. A series of food safety concerns, the foremost being mad cow disease, only added to consumer skepticism. The company must examine its strategy and the relationships with key stakeholders (including governments, farmers, industry groups, environmentalists, grocers and consumers). The (A) case provides background on Monsanto, their corporate strategies and the climate in which they introduced genetically modified products in the United States and Europe. The supplement Monsanto (B), product 9B02A008, focuses on the roles of government and other regulatory bodies in the acceptance of genetically modified products.

This supplement to Monsanto Europe (A), product 9B02A007 discusses the non-acceptance to genetically modified products showing up in the poor performance of Monsanto's agricultural division, affecting its successful divisions and the survival of the company. In order to win back its respectable standing in the marketplace, Monsanto must develop new strategies to educate consumers and influence political decision makers in order to gain greater acceptance of its products.

Two MBA students decide to launch an e-commerce, Internet-based business selling interactive games. Currently the video game market focused on personal computer-based platforms with only one offering Internet access. Over the next few months they would have a number of challenges, not only would the need to build the programming for the site, they must develop a business plan and marketing strategy that would compete with the strong personal computer-based video game market. The supplement, GamesEDGE.com (B), product 9B00A034 outlines the results after the launch of the business.

This case analyses the first years of operation of 12Snap, a German start-up launched in 1999 and considered today the largest mobile marketing channel in Europe. It focuses on the changing market positioning and business model of the company, which evolved from B2C mobile retailing to B2B mobile marketing.

In 1993, Quaker Oats paid $1.7 billion for the rapidly growing Snapple brand. In 1997, it sold the brand to Triarc for a mere $300 million. In 2000, Triarc sold it to Cadbury Schweppes for an estimated $1 billion. How could so much value be lost and regained so quickly? John Deighton's answer to these questions is one that many marketing professionals are likely to resist: There is a vital interplay, he says, between the challenges that a brand faces and the culture of the corporation that owns it. Quaker's textbook marketing approach backfired, whereas Triarc's revival of Snapple's original anything-goes attitude worked. Success in brand management stems from the quality of strategy execution, and successful execution is a matter of temperament. Some strategies are best entrusted to managers with cautious, prudent temperaments; others flourish in the hands of risk takers. So before you commit to a deal, don't just consider a brand's sales. Also give some thought to its soul and how it fits with yours.

When you think of marketing, chances are your mind goes right to your customers--how can you persuade more people to buy whatever it is you sell? But there's another "market" that's equally important: your employees. Author Colin Mitchell argues that executives by and large ignore this critical internal audience when developing and executing branding campaigns. As a result, employees end up undermining the expectations set by the company's advertising--either because they don't understand what the ads have promised or because they don't believe in the brand and feel disengaged or, worse, hostile toward the company. Mitchell offers three principles for executing internal branding campaigns. First, companies need to market to employees at times when the company is experiencing a fundamental challenge or change. Second, companies must link their internal and external marketing campaigns. And, third, internal branding campaigns should bring the brand alive for employees, creating an emotional connection to the company that transcends any one experience. It is a fact of business, writes Mitchell, that if employees do not care about or understand their company's brands, they will ultimately weaken their organizations.

John Williams, senior director of marketing for Microsoft's .NET, was trying to build the .NET brand, a comprehensive family of next-generation connectivity software products. Highlights the challenges of branding and positioning a complex technology offering. The first challenge facing Microsoft was to develop a common definition of .NET, which had been in flux over the prior two years. The second challenge was to choose between an umbrella branding strategy, a sub-branding strategy, and an ingredient branding strategy. The third challenge was to create a value proposition that would appeal to three very different target audiences: business decision makers, IT professionals, and developers.

Synthes is the recognized leader in the U.S. orthopedic implant market, with a 50% market share in the metallic plates, rods, and screws used to fix severe bone fractures. Synthes' marketplace strength lies in the strength of its sales force and in the quality and reliability of its products. A major drawback to all metallic implants, however, is that they often need to be removed after the bones have healed. To address this problem, several major competitors have recently introduced polymer-based "bioresorbable" implants. In theory, these new implants remain rigid while the fracture heals, then gradually dissolve, eliminating their need for removal. In reality, however, some of these new implants have proven problematic--causing infection, incomplete healing, or the need for a second surgery. This leaves Synthes debating whether to enter the bioresorbable market and risk a high-profile product failure or to remain an observer and allow others to test the market and eventually validate (or invalidate) the concept.

Future Shop is a large retail store chain that specializes in audio, video, computer equipment and software, and appliances. A student group has conducted a research study of Future Shop customers' perception of the strengths and weaknesses of the chain and submitted their findings.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. Many firms know about their customers, but few know the customers themselves or how to get new ones. Leaders in customer knowledge management go beyond transaction data, using a mix of techniques, and they aren't afraid to tackle difficult problems. The authors report results from interviews with 24 leading firms and describe seven practices that the leaders share. The companies interviewed--including Harley-Davidson, Procter & Gamble, and Wachovia Bank--have undertaken specific and successful initiatives centered around the management of customer knowledge. Within the practices, two results stand out: First, firms are beginning to rely more on data from actual interactions, such as sales and service. They are seeking creative ways to turn data from these interactions into knowledge. Second, even the most ambitious firms are keeping data from different approaches separate. They are not accepting the notion of an integrated data repository. The authors go on to present the practices of the leaders in customer knowledge management.

In early June 1997, the CEO and vice chairman of Grupo Modelo were reviewing the performance of Corona beer in the U.S. market. Despite a much higher sales volume growth rate, Corona still trailed Heineken, the #1 imported beer brand in the U.S. market. Could Corona overtake Heineken and, if so, what marketing strategy changes needed to be made? Includes color exhibits.

As the financial services industry converges, how should Charles Schwab, widely known as a discount brokerage firm, position its brand? This case presents elements of the company's overall brand strategy--including brand assets, choice of target audience, and media message.

One of the critical tasks in the marketing of new innovations is predicting demand and rates of diffusion for those products. Focuses on four innovative products from different domains. Although one can speculate on the scope and rate of diffusion for each of these products independently, it's helpful to compare and contrast diffusion across these products. Doing so allows one to focus on the "levers" or product characteristics that influence product diffusion, making one product a star and another a dog. Importantly, looking across products allows one to pick up on things that get lost in discussing a single product.

Joe Pompei, a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab, has invented a breakthrough audio invention. The invention is an "Audio Spotlight" that projects a narrow beam of sound in the same way a laser beam projects a narrow beam of light. He must now decide how to commercialize the technology. He has narrowed down the commercial possibilities to four markets: the autosound market, the professional audio market, the interactive kiosk market, and the home audio market.

Digital Angel is considering the appropriate marketing plan for the launch of its new locator device. The device, a watch and pager worn in combination, provides GPS location information and monitors heart rate and body temperature via body sensors. Parents of young children and caregivers of Alzheimer's patients are the initial target markets for the device, but at least 26 potential markets have been identified for the product. Building a brand and generating positive word of mouth are central to the marketing plan decision. But the technology also raises concerns over privacy issues, and the benefits of the product are complex and challenging to communicate.