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Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 1 discusses positioning in a business strategy and the need to clearly define and express that positioning as it is the central dynamic for marketing. Most companies have a positioning, but it may not be well articulated. Problems occur when it's assumed that everybody knows a corporation's positioning; it becomes unclear both internally and externally, and companies can fall into the "everyone does it this way" trap. Product or technology leadership, operational excellence, and customer affinity are described as three positioning strategies an organization could use to differentiate itself; companies should focus on one but be competent in all three. With solid positioning comes a sense of clarity: decision-making improves, employee retention and loyalty increases, and like-minded people are attracted to the business. Strategic positioning addresses who stakeholders think a company is. Marketing must align with a business strategy's positioning to be successful; a case example is offered.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 2 continues the discussion on strategy, this time focusing on business objectives. These goals are typically used to outline an action plan, and they need to be derived from the overall business strategy; examples of strategy-based business objectives are offered. Many companies also develop marketing strategies and objectives; however, there doesn't necessarily need to be a separate marketing strategy since marketing should be working within the business strategy. If there are separate, additional marketing objectives, they need to be in furtherance of business objectives. The strategic marketing pyramid is illustrated as a model of how marketing initiatives connect to business strategy and objectives; each marketing tactic needs to be coordinated and designed to work together. In a competitive market, an organization needs to do its research to support their positioning. Another model is provided to explore the competitive landscape, which can provide insights on where a company is and where it's going as well as guidance on marketing tactics.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 3 explores the need to define how a company fits in the industry landscape and to know the customer's place in the industry structure; these are vital steps in developing effective marketing communications. It is also essential for a company to know exactly who they're selling to; the same product can benefit different people in different ways. Some types of industry organization are described, including the direct model, the distribution model, and tiered structures. Building out from the consumer, a tiered structure typically has four levels: original equipment manufacturers, module/systems companies, component suppliers, and component makers. All of these structures aim to give their company a competitive advantage. Structure matters to marketing because the customer's place in the industry structure affects the importance of particular benefits, such as quality, price, or durability.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 4 examines the concept of a buying team rather than a single buyer. Buying teams are increasingly being used by almost every industry; the more people on a buying team, the more disciplines represented, creating a more difficult challenge for marketing. The RAPID decision model groups members of a buying team into four categories: influencers, recommenders, owners, and approvers. Organizing members of a buying team this way can help marketers realize who needs the most attention and what information will need to be communicated to each member. The most important thing to identify is who the key player is; this is not always obvious and often comes down to who has the most to lose. The concept of creating personas in order to capture information on the target audience is discussed as well as working with a sales team.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 5 explores the need for a story in marketing efforts and for that story to be aligned with the company's strategic vision. A common problem is that organizations have several stories, don't know which to tell, and possibly try to tell all of them. A story tells customers who a company is and what benefits they can expect, it gives employees a mantra and a focus, and it provides a sense of pride and purpose, which then helps recruit the next generation. A strategic vision is needed in order to craft an effective story for all parties involved as it captures exactly what needs to be communicated; several steps are offered on how to develop a strategic vision. Ultimately, a company's strategic vision should be aligned with the business strategy and objectives, be connected to the audience's need, and differentiate the company from its competitors.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 6 discusses a major part of the marketing process: content. Content can provide information a customer needs and evidence to prove claims a company is making. However, content creation isn't easy; to help, this chapter describes a process called pyramid messaging to create content more effectively and efficiently and achieve integration and consistency across the entire program. Steps to the pyramid messaging process are offered, including summarizing the strategic vision and presenting the evidence that supports the claim. Creative briefs are also essential in aligning the creative team's work with the business strategy and objectives; they should describe the business strategy, messaging strategy, and audience. A discussion of the creative process is offered along with tips on how to help the process work the best.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 7 explores media tactics, which are marketing tools, not strategies. The endless types of media nowadays can be distracting and confusing for marketing managers. Some companies outline a strategy for each media tool they're going to utilize, but the real value in these tools is their connectivity. Marketers need to assess media strengths and create a mix of various tools to tell their story. The Connect-Convince-Convert model offers a comprehensive plan to reach potential customers, show them what the company has to offer, and turn them into active customers; each phase of this model is described. Campaigns are a way of organizing media choices and creating an integrated tool to connect, convince, and convert; campaigns, not tactics, produce sales and leads. The role of the decision maker in campaigns is explained.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 8 offers a seven-step guide on how to organize a campaign; the seven steps are plan, meet, map, create, produce and launch, optimize, and report. Planning starts with outlining the company's positioning, message, audience, budget, and schedule, as well as who will be part of the team. Once planning is complete, meet with the team to review the plans, discuss tactics, and brainstorm. The mapping stage is where the Connect-Convince-Convert model is used; for the creating stage, it's best if all campaign tactics are created together. Review the entire campaign with the team before it's launched; the team should also go through it individually after the launch to make sure each piece is working properly. The last two steps, optimization and reporting, are discussed in detail in chapters 9 and 10. Tips on working with an agency to create campaigns are also offered.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 9 addresses the digital marketing challenge of having reams of data constantly available. This data should be used to improve performance and demonstrate return on marketing investment. Integrating tactics into campaigns is vital for optimization. To do this, marketing teams can use the Connect-Convince-Convert model to see if each tactic is meeting the goals of that stage. When a campaign is launched, the team should go through it and make sure everything is working correctly. Once there's enough data to make analysis worthwhile, reconvene the team to run through the program and analyze key performance indicators. With those results, discuss the flow of the campaign, what's working, and what's not. Then revise the program in multiple rounds, focusing on quick wins first. Ultimately, optimization offers a trial run, allowing companies to improve campaign performance.

Corporate strategy is vital for all organizations; however, the vast majority of employees are unaware of or do not understand their company strategy. Business leaders, on the other hand, are increasingly recognizing the need to bridge the gap between marketing and their corporate strategy in order to succeed. Rather than providing a map for creating a strategy, this text offers easily implemented tools to connect all aspects of an organization's marketing program to its business strategy, which will then help communicate the company's strategy both internally and externally. Guidance is given on how to make sense of all the reams of data available in this day and age. Written particularly for marketers, this book provides practical help in addressing everyday challenges as well as a comprehensive overview connecting high-level business strategy with individual tactics, such as social media, news articles, and ads. Chapter 10 explores the elusive goal of calculating return on investment (ROI) for marketing expenditures. Calculating ROI can be difficult because of technology barriers, sales-marketing alignment, and intangibles; simply looking at sales or leads doesn't offer the whole story. Nevertheless, ROI is essential for marketing. It tells marketers what's working and what's not, which ultimately can lead to marketing not being seen as an expense but an essential part of a company's success. For companies that don't always have reliable sales data, alternatives to calculating ROI are given. Reporting ROI to management needs to focus on the overall program rather than individual tactics. The ROI report should clearly outline how the business strategy connects to the marketing tactics; it should describe the business strategy and objectives, audience, marketing initiative, how the audience was reached, and how to know if a campaign was successful. Long-term brand building should also be factored in.

In March 2020, Second Harvest Heartland, one of six Foodbanks serving Minnesota, was caught in the COVID-19 emergency with considerably more people exposed to hunger and food insecurity. Its management team led by CEO Allison O' Toole and COO Theirry Ibri alertly managed the crisis by improvising and implementing new programs. In August 2021, with signs of the crisis behind them, they had to decide which of the adaptations they should keep, and how to go back to addressing their original mission of ending hunger.

Kineer Services Limited (Kineer) was a social marketing startup set up in 2018 by Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, a prominent Indian transgender, and Manish Jain, an ex-hospitality industry veteran. Their objective in setting up Kineer was to provide a life of dignity to the socially stigmatized third gender community in India. As a startup, Kineer faced several challenges including finding the right business investors and manufacturing facilities, crafting a suitable distribution set-up, and marketing a commodity product with a differentiated branding strategy. Tripathi and Jain had to try to create a recallable and recognizable packaged water brand using a unique value proposition based on gender inclusivity. They also had to choose between pursuing a consumer market and an institutional market route. Could they hope for a future beyond being a niche brand? Was social marketing going to help them? As B2C sales required massive investments, should the brand continue to pursue the more manageable B2B segment? Should it go ahead with the offer of Cyrus Enterprises to sell its product in the B2C markets? Would selling the product through a third party compromise the brand identity?

This note discusses the sources of competitive advantage for firms, including scale economies, network economies, counter positioning, switching costs, branding, cornered resources, and process power. It also introduces the features of sustainable competitive advantage, offers examples, and includes a framework for assessing the sustainability of each source of competitive advantage. This note is taught at Darden in digital marketing and would also be suitable in a module covering competitive marketing strategy.

Mantra Ayurveda (Mantra), established in India in 2020, manufactured and marketed luxury Ayurvedic skin care and hair care products. The brand's equity in the Indian market was low, its performance marketing efforts were not leading to expected revenue gains, and the revenue from direct-to-consumer (DTC) initiatives had experienced a negligible uptick in financial year (FY) 2020-21. In April 2021, the chief executive officer would have to convince the board and investors about his plans for achieving fourfold revenue growth from the DTC channel in FY 2021-22. He needed to propose a choice that would build the brand for long-term sustenance while delivering on short-term revenue goals, considering key strategic pillars: an international DTC market launch to expand; offline marketing to increase brand awareness; in-house and outsourced performance marketing to optimize digital efforts; and discounts, promotions, and the launch of smaller package sizes to drive trials. Making the right choice could lead to an expanded international brand presence and deeper penetration into the Indian luxury market. However, the wrong choice could mean an early exit of a major investor, leaving the company cash-starved and plunging both the company and the future of his career into uncertainty.

Spreadsheet to accompany product W25528.

Additional Supplement to accompany product W25528.

Exhibits for case TB0658.

This case discusses the launch of a marketing campaign titled "The Barbershop Girls of India" created by Gillette India, a Procter and Gamble company (P&G). Gillette India had been highlighting social issues for many years. Their "Gillette soldier for women" campaign, launched in 2013, is just one example. But this time, they took addressing social issues up a notch by addressing gender stereotypes in Indian society through their "The Barbershop Girls of India" campaign. The case outlines the company's prior efforts in social media platforms leading to the launch of the "The Barbershop Girls of India." The case encourages students to analyze how companies choose social issues to address through their marketing communication campaigns, as well as how marketing communications may be integrated with corporate goals and brand identity. The case concludes with questions about the future of the Gillette India brand, and what type of marketing efforts it should follow in the future.

Luisa Mazinter, the CMO of TymeBank in South Africa, was tasked in August 2019 with maintaining the country's first digital bank's rate of customer acquisitions, while increasing the account usage of their existing customers. Six months after the launch, TymeBank had been described as one of the fastest-growing digital banks in the world. Although the brand launch had been successful across a number of measures, Mazinter knew that maintaining this momentum in the coming year would present additional challenges. The dominant major banks were responding by reducing their fees, promoting new digital services and aggressively targeting TymeBank's target market. New entrants also presented a looming threat. The case requires students to identify Mazinter's marketing choices, analyze the emerging market environment, competitive positioning, and existing integrated marketing communications campaign, propose an appropriate allocation of marketing spend for September to December 2019, and recommend how TymeBank needed to evolve its marketing activities into 2020.

As John Donahoe prepared to take over as CEO of Nike, Inc., he faced growing controversy over the company's failure to support anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong. After US basketball team Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey tweeted agreement with the Hong Kong protesters, Nike did not publicly back this stance. Instead, it removed Rockets merchandise from its China stores. Nike's silence on this matter contrasted sharply with its past strong support of individual's opinions. Nike management had to determine how to reconcile the company's image based on Western values with its continued growth in China.