個案總覽

Mason Instruments has become a second source for the electronics guidance system for a Navy missile. The case decision involves bidding in the third-round competition.

Provides additional data concerning the bid.

Part of a series on a bidding situation involving missile guidance systems.

Presents the first of two cases describing the struggle to solve creative problems on the Dry Idea antiperspirant brand introduced in 1978 by the Gillette Co. and its advertising agency (Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne). Provides company and industry background plus a historical brand review, and focuses on the issue facing product manager Carole Johnson in October of 1983: how to get good creativity fast?

Presents the second of two cases describing the struggle to find "the right advertising" for the Dry Idea antiperspirant brand introduced in 1978 by the Gillette Co. and its advertising agency, Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne (BBDO). The case begins with Gillette's November 1983 decision to stage a bake-off placing BBDO in competition with a second agency to "cook up" a breakthrough advertising campaign for Dry Idea. It then proceeds to describe the six-month bake-off implementation period, provide a report of bake-off copy test results, and pose the question facing product manager Carole Johnson late in April of 1984: who won the bake-off?

Provides an overview of video contents and three attachments: 1) chart discussed at meeting shown in video, 2) historical Dry Idea copy strategies, and 3) graphic comparison of Dry Idea share trends and airing history.

Provides an overview of the two-part video: 1) bake-off participant interviews with managers from Gillette and its advertising agency for Dry Idea, and 2) creative presentations by the two bake-off competitors.

Yoplait's director of new product development is evaluating alternative line extensions including custard-style Yoplait. He must determine what additional research to recommend. Options include a mini-market test, a simulated test market and a fully-fledged test market.

Yoplait's director of new product development is finalizing plans for the national introduction of custard-style Yoplait. Based on the results of a mini-market test and a BASES laboratory test market.

The big issue for multinationals today is not whether to go global but how to tailor the global marketing concept to fit each business. In determining the degree of standardization or adaptation that is appropriate, managers should consider their companies' overall business strategy, which products will benefit from the economies or efficiencies of standardization, which products won't fight cultural barriers, what trade-offs will result from standardizing various elements of the marketing mix, and how standardization will vary from country to country.

In July of 1985 the managers of Alloy Rods (who recently purchased the company through a leveraged buyout arrangement) find that their chief competitor (a company more than 6 times as large as Alloy Rods) has introduced a new product clearly aimed at Alloy's most profitable market segment. Management must frame a response, and a prime focus of the battle will be among distributors. Provides an excellent vehicle for comparing very different channel strategy and channel management philosophies, and also confronts students with the necessity of developing implementable marketing programs within the context of a financially-constrained organization.

After working unsuccessfully for three years with the new sales and distribution channels organization, Wright Line's managers assess their experience and restructure their marketing organization.

Because of the growing number of domestic and international markets blocked by high entry barriers, companies need to master the art of favorably influencing parties other than target consumers. In addition to the four Ps of marketing strategy - product, price, place, and promotion - executives must add power and public relations. Megamarketing is the strategically coordinated application of economic, psychological, political, and public relations skills to gain the cooperation of a number of parties in order to enter and/or operate in a given market.

To improve distributor relations, manufacturers must start by understanding distributor needs. This is accomplished by monitoring distributors - getting into the field and talking with them. Field sales reps must also talk among themselves. Some companies conduct market research studies to zero in on distributor needs. Others establish distributor councils where distributors meet with manufacturing executives to talk about ways to improve distributor programs. Once manufacturers identify distributor needs, manufacturers must work to build partnerships with distributors.

In mid-1985, the vice president of marketing for a large manufacturer of disk drives is considering how to deal with a growing "gray market" for his company's products. The case provides good background material on the evolution of gray markets throughout the disk drive industry, and raises related issues of pricing policies, distribution strategy, and sales force management. A condensed version of Note on the Disk Drive Industry, and Peripheral Products Co.

New product development has become fast paced and competitive. Managers need to realize that the traditional, sequential approach to developing new products will not work in the new arena. Instead, they must adopt a more flexible, holistic product development strategy where a development team works as a unit to reach a common goal.

Cantel Inc. had just been granted a license from the Canadian Department of Communications to provide a national air network for a new mass communications technology, cellular radio communications. In devising a marketing strategy, the management team questioned whether the company should be involved in the provision of a complete cellular package, including the promotion, sales, installation and maintenance of both cellular telephones and network subscriptions. In addition, they were considering alternative distribution channels for bringing cellular to potential end users, and pricing and promotional programs were not yet finalized.

Signode Industries' packaging division manufactures steel and plastic strapping. In 1981 the company underwent the largest leveraged buyout in U.S. corporate history. The case focuses on the packaging division's need to maintain high profitability in a declining market for steel strapping. Since 1974, Signode has been losing 1% per year of the steel strapping market. Since then, there has also been significant erosion of prices. The division president is faced with 1) decreasing price to increase market share, or 2) maintain/increase prices to increase cash flow. The specific decision revolves around the potential adoption of a price-flex system that is designed to authorize selective discounting by the division's sales personnel.

Describes whether the company adopts the price-flex policy discussed in the (A) case. Price increase in steel strapping raw materials is rescinded by steel industry.

Continues the discussion of the price-flex policy described in the (A) case and the (B) case.