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Managers at MCA/Universal Merchandising are reviewing worldwide merchandising and licensing arrangements for the movie Jurassic Park.

The export director for Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, of Monterrey, Mexico, must develop a sophisticated marketing strategy in order to earn a permanent place for the brewery's SOL brand in the UK brewing market, considered to be one of the world's most dynamic and competitive beer markets. Specifically, he must decide how to position the brand; what brand characteristics, if any, should be modified; what new distribution channels, if any, should be pursued; and finally, what type of advertising and promotional campaign is necessary.

Documents the successful launch of Northern Telecom's Norstar Key Systems product line. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Mike Ennis, general manager of Northern Telecom's Business Products Division, recommends a new solution for replacing Vantage, an unsuccessful product for Northern Telecom. The case documents in detail the voice of the customer. Students are required to discuss the merits of Ennis's proposal.

Most managers rejoice if the majority of customers that respond to customer-satisfaction surveys say they are satisfied. But some of those managers may have a big problem. When most customers are saying they are satisfied but not completely satisfied, they are saying that they are unhappy with some aspect of the product or service. If they have the opportunity, they will defect. Companies that excel in satisfying customers excel both in listening to customers and in interpreting what customers with different levels of satisfaction are telling them.

When Jim Merrick left a well-known computer graphics company for California Vision Tools, he was excited about creating a dynamic marketing department of his own. But he failed to ascertain how much financial support his new company was likely to provide for dynamic product campaigns. Founder and CEO Mark Felton had seen his first product take off like a rocket. But now, when there are imitators all around, will Felton understand the importance of a big marketing push for his second product? Some on the executive staff like Merrick's ideas for a marketing campaign but don't see why he needs an extra $100,000 over his budget. Is Merrick just trying to keep his department's new hires happy? Should he try to implement his intro without incremental funds? Or are the other members of the executive staff being myopic? Five experts try their hands at setting California Vision Tools on the right course.

Traces the evolution of the personal computer industry over the last 20 years and uses this as a backdrop to look at how Dell Computer Corp. grew from a small start-up to a multi-billion-dollar company in a decade. Dell is now faced with a set of decisions on the product markets it needs to serve in order to sustain its growth profitably into the future.

Supplements the (A) case.

Heineken managers are evaluating the results of the research projects designed to identify the values of the Heineken brand and to translate these into effective advertising messages.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 596-015.

One third of the 24 National Hockey League (NHL) teams are unprofitable. Another third are barely profitable. This case provides the background and market research data to help the senior managers of the NHL make decisions pertaining to how they would like to grow the fan base. The two choices under consideration are network advertising and grassroots marketing.

The managing director of Disney Consumer Products for Europe and the Middle East is reviewing recent market research in Lebanon regarding the sales potential of Disney licensed products and assessing the pros and cons of several distribution options.

Danone is the largest food company in France and is in the top ten in the world, but most of its activity is in France, Spain, and Italy. How does it become a global company? Should it? How does it leverage its leadership in yogurt, biscuits, and mineral water?

Loblaw wants to develop long-term relationships with its customers and is testing a variety of strategies to do this.

On April 2, 1993 Philip Morris USA launched an elaborate integrated program of consumer and retail promotions of unspecified duration that effectively slashed the retail price of its flagship brand, Marlboro, by 20% in the U.S. market. This program represented a major shift in strategy designed by Philip Morris to reverse the alarming declines in Marlboro's market share, which had occurred in the face of severe price competition from discount brands. Given Marlboro's status as one of the world's premier brands and the changing environment of consumer marketing, the date these actions were announced was immediately labeled "Marlboro Friday" and heralded as a milestone in marketing history. This case describes the state of the cigarette industry in the early 1990s, reviews the history of Philip Morris and Marlboro, and sets forth the key elements of the radical defensive strategy launched on Marlboro Friday. Did Marlboro's actions represent incisive brand strategy and enlightened brand management? What were the long-term implications of Marlboro Friday?

Supplements the (A) case.

Sunbeam Television, owner of a television station in Miami (a Fox affiliate), buys Channel 7 (a CBS affiliate) in Boston. They bring to the Boston station the concepts and ideas of their Miami news product--that is, a crisp, content-based design rather than one centered around personalities. Industry changes force them out of the CBS affiliation in Boston. Having considered both FOX and NBC, Sunbeam finally settles on NBC. The implications and motivations of their decision are to be discussed.

Supplements the (A) case.

Charles Hughes, president and CEO of Land Rover North America, Inc., is debating product positioning options for the new Land Rover Discovery. The positioning decision must consider the role of the Discovery vis-`a-vis other vehicles in the LRNA line, the brand's strengths and weaknesses versus competition, and the positioning of the Land Rover umbrella brand in the U.K. An allocation of marketing funds across brands and mix elements must also be determined and decisions on the company's innovative retailing strategy and experience marketing initiatives made. The case contains rich consumer behavior data. Includes color exhibits.

Too often when managers think about pricing, the first question they ask is, What should the price be? In fact, what they should be asking is, Have we addressed all the considerations that will determine the correct price? Robert J. Dolan describes two broad qualities of an effective pricing process and provides eight steps to enable managers to develop and use such a process. The pricing scorecard included at the end of the article will allow managers to evaluate how well their pricing practices meet these guidelines.