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The new program director at an indoor soccer facility must rethink his marketing strategy if the company is to break even. This case is suitable for an introductory marketing class.

This case provides a detailed description of Tandy Corporation's Incredible Universe stores from 1992 to 1995: layout, major departments, advertising and promotion, location, staff and customers. These very large consumer electronics stores were launched in the belief that incredible selection, entertainment and service would be a formula that customers would love; however, the unprofitable performance of the chain to date raises questions about the future of this venture.

MasterCard must decide whether to renew the sponsorship of the World Cup and other soccer events in light of a 100% increase in the sponsorship fee and a strategic realignment by MasterCard. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Autobytel enjoys first-mover advantage in the Internet new car buying space. According to a number of metrics, it is the online leader in this category. However, a number of competitors have sprung up, raising questions about the long-term viability of Autobytel's purchase referral model. In addition, Autobytel is struggling to accelerate revenue growth. The company has launched several new services and is now seeking to reposition itself in the market.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 500015.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 500021.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 500-028.

In spring 1998, Pradeep Jotwani, vice president and general manager of the Consumer Products Business Organization of the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), was contemplating the increasing success of e-commerce and its implications for his division. The consumer products group had started selling refurbished printers through an Internet outlet center in December 1997, but Jotwani was now considering a move to sell new printers directly to consumers via this new channel. If he were to make such a move, he wondered which products to sell online at what prices, and how to communicate this strategy to the channel partners without damaging the existing distribution structure.

It is 1995 and Steinway & Sons has just been purchased by two young entrepreneurs. For 140 years, Steinway has held the reputation for making the finest quality grand pianos in the world. The past 25 years have proven to be a challenge, however. First, the company has changed hands several times and product quality has become a concern. Second, the worldwide market for pianos has been in a steady decline, and competition for high-end grand pianos has increased. Finally in 1992, Steinway took the questionable steps of introducing a mid-priced line of grand pianos under the brand name "Boston." Designed by Steinway, but manufactured by a Japanese piano maker, the Boston line represented a major shift in strategy for the company. Within this context, what do two young entrepreneurs (with little or no experience in the piano industry) hope to accomplish in buying Steinway? In particular, what value do they bring to the company and what decisions should they make?

Eddie Bauer has decided to coordinate its merchandising strategy (price, selection) across its stores and catalog. But with e-commerce, is this still sensible?

Under the leadership of Nicholas Hayek, the Swatch Group, makers of the Swatch watch, is widely credited with revitalizing the Swiss watch industry by offering a consistent set of brands addressing all segments of the global watch market. New opportunities beyond the watch market have been explored recently (e.g., telecom, cars), but they did not live up to expectations. In October 1998, the Swatch Group launched Swatch Internet Time (SIT). SIT divided every day into 1,000 "beats" equivalent to 86.4 seconds each. Each day began with @000 (@ was the abbreviation for beats) and noon was @500. A new meridian line was created that passed over Swatch headquarters in Biel, Switzerland, making Biel Mean Time (BMT) the official reference for Internet time. Many questioned Swatch's motive behind SIT. Some believed that launching SIT was merely a way to reenergize the Swatch brand in markets such as the United States where sales and the Swatch image had been suffering. And others questioned whether the concept of SIT would catch on.

A lot of companies have launched marketing campaigns tied to charitable causes. But according to Jerry Welsh, one of the pioneers of cause-related marketing, most of the programs fail to create real benefits for either the companies or the charities.

Explores the basic vocabulary and issues related to product policy within a firm.

Provides general managers with a framework with which they can structure and understand pricing decisions. Draws examples from existing HBS case materials.

Clorox's Brita skillfully exploits a tide of water safety concerns, growing a home water (filtration) business from inception to a 15% U.S. household penetration in ten years. The dilemma in the case arises as the period of increasing returns seems to be drawing to a close, and management must use its legacy, an installed based and a strong brand equity, to take the business forward into a less friendly environment. Students can model the relation between the primary demand for pitchers and the derived demand for filters to decide where they want to put future investments.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 500-024.

Augat Electronics Inc. was finalizing its plan to launch a new line of connectors and tools for cable television service technicians. While the line was being developed, a major new U.S.-based competitor launched a new product line at a premium price and captured the leadership position in the Canadian market. Key decisions facing Augat were how to price its products and what the supporting marketing strategy should be. The new Augat connector appeared to offer customers significant economic benefits.

The management team at ING Bank of Canada was preparing to launch Canada's first discount bank. Initially, the bank planned to serve its customers using mail and telephone. Later, it planned to supplement the telephone banking service with an interactive voice response system and an Internet-based service. ING hoped to attract customers by offering significantly higher interest rates on its savings products than any of its competitors. There was some skepticism about the viability of the proposed business model. At the time of the case, the president and CEO of ING Bank was reviewing the proposed launch strategy.