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Between 2010 and 2015, Opera Philadelphia experienced a steep decline in household subscribers and single-ticket buyers, coupled with severe revenue fluctuations. At that time, market behaviours had changed along with growth in more sophisticated use of digital media for entertainment and social interaction. The general director's critical objective for the Opera was to develop a fresh strategy that specifically targeted evolving tastes for opera performance in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. The Opera had to determine whether it needed to revise its segmentation and positioning strategy, as well as make adjustments to its product. This new strategy also had to provide protection for and prevent further loss of the Opera's existing subscription audience, many of whom were loyal donors.

Student spreadsheet to case W19419

In the summer of 2016, the unprecedented growth of Pokémon GO introduced augmented reality into mainstream gaming. Pokémon GO was developed by San Francisco-based Niantic, Inc. (Niantic), a highly successful spinoff from Google Inc., which partnered with the Japanese video game company Nintendo Co., Ltd. to bring the popular video game franchise into the mobile gaming sphere. Niantic's version included the innovative use of augmented reality, a technology that merged artificial reality with the real world. Although this strategy was a fresh approach, it also presented risks. Niantic was determined to shut down cheating apps and websites that were overloading the company's servers and giving some players unfair advantages. Some players were dismayed by Niantic’s actions and by the apps and websites themselves, while others predicted that the game's popularity would disappear as quickly as it had grown. By late 2016, Niantic needed to decide how to move forward. Should Pokémon GO continue to evolve as an augmented-reality game, with teams and live events, or should Niantic create a new gaming experience focused on features from the original Pokémon games? Alternatively, should the company partner with third-party developers, including those that had developed popular cheating apps and websites? Finally, how should Niantic fund its unexpected growth?

In September 2018, the leadership team of Agarwal Packers and Movers Limited (APML) gathered for a meeting at the company’s headquarters, located in the heart of New Delhi, India. The founder was considering whether the company should go public by the end of 2019. Since APML’s inception in 1987, the team had worked hard to create a healthy brand recall, establish customer loyalty, and build a robust financial base. However, in the 18 months leading up to the intended initial public offering, the founder needed to consider two key questions: How could the company create and maintain service differentiation in an industry characterized by low entry barriers and limited pricing flexibility? How could it deliver quality service to retain customer loyalty?

Launching its first products in the fall of 2016 in New York, insurtech startup Lemonade was on a mission to disrupt the insurance market by using AI and behavioral economics principles. The company offered renters, homeowners and condo insurance and mainly targeted millennial, tech-savvy individuals with relatively few assets- customers who were less attractive to traditional insurers who had costly, labor-intensive, operations. By offering a delightful, bot-driven consumer experience, embracing a model that removed any incentive to deny claims and that let customers pick causes to donate leftover money to, building a loveable brand, and employing creative digital advertising - the company was able to grow at an impressive pace. By the end of 2018, Lemonade was active in 24 U.S. states, had insured 425,000 customers and was expecting sales (gross premiums) of over $57 million. In an effort to sustain the spectacular growth momentum, the co-founders sought to pursue ambitious plans in 2019, including the launch of new insurance product lines as well as international expansion. But limited resources and scarce management bandwidth suggested that taking on both moves simultaneously could be highly risky. In deciding which path to take, the leadership team had to consider whether it was more important at this stage to scale globally with the current product lineup or to cover a breadth of insurance categories and stay in the U.S. for now. Assessing the relevance of the business model and the role of AI for each of these moves, understanding the nature of consumers in different markets, and foreseeing competitive pressures from both incumbents and startups were key in making the right call.

In 2017, the owner of Toboggan Brewing Company (Toboggan) needed to increase production capacity for his craft beer without making a capital investment. Toboggan was a very small player in the Ontario market; however, its craft beer had significant opportunity for growth due to the owner’s strong business acumen and a proven consumer demand for the product. The owner had four options for potential contracting partners. The trade-offs between his contract partners were price, experience, location, and distribution.

In its first four years, Fancam Pty Ltd. (Fancam), a high-definition, 360-degree crowd-imaging business based in Cape Town, South Africa, had enjoyed considerable growth that was driven in part by its network of resellers around the world. However, the structure and incentives of the reseller channel were becoming too difficult for the business to manage. By February 2015, Fancam's chief executive officer was considering how to fix the firm's channel management strategy. He was considering the use of reseller exclusivity agreements and wondered how to manage such agreements. He also wondered how to improve the company's multi-faceted sales incentive structure, whether to replace resellers with an in-house sales force, and what role these decisions would have on the brand positioning of his company’s product.

In 2017, the owner of Toboggan Brewing Company (Toboggan) needed to increase production capacity for his craft beer without making a capital investment. Toboggan was a very small player in the Ontario market; however, its craft beer had significant opportunity for growth due to the owner's strong business acumen and a proven consumer demand for the product. The owner had four options for potential contracting partners. The trade-offs between his contract partners were price, experience, location, and distribution.

In its first four years, Fancam Pty Ltd. (Fancam), a high-definition, 360-degree crowd-imaging business based in Cape Town, South Africa, had enjoyed considerable growth that was driven in part by its network of resellers around the world. However, the structure and incentives of the reseller channel were becoming too difficult for the business to manage. By February 2015, Fancam's chief executive officer was considering how to fix the firm's channel management strategy. He was considering the use of reseller exclusivity agreements and wondered how to manage such agreements. He also wondered how to improve the company's multi-faceted sales incentive structure, whether to replace resellers with an in-house sales force, and what role these decisions would have on the brand positioning of his company's product.

In late 2016, the marketing head at Air France India needed a strategy to acquire additional business-class customers. Although Air France India had been performing well in the economy-class segment, revenues in the business-class segment remained a challenge. Which customer group should the airline target to acquire more business-class travellers? How should the company increase its brand image for this target customer group? And how should the company reach out to these new customers? The marketing head also needed to decide whether the company should act alone and implement a strategy of direct marketing, pursue a partnership using a co-branding strategy, or utilize a combination of those options.

In late 2016, the marketing head at Air France India needed a strategy to acquire additional business-class customers. Although Air France India had been performing well in the economy-class segment, revenues in the business-class segment remained a challenge. Which customer group should the airline target to acquire more business-class travellers? How should the company increase its brand image for this target customer group? And how should the company reach out to these new customers? The marketing head also needed to decide whether the company should act alone and implement a strategy of direct marketing, pursue a partnership using a co-branding strategy, or utilize a combination of those options.

Launched in 1981 as an "all occasion" sparkling water brand, LaCroix Sparkling Water has had a number of ups and downs as a brand. After being purchased by National Beverage in 1996, the brand was re-positioned as a new, colorful, fun alternative to the other sparkling water players at the time. As time passed; however, the brand was faced with internal turmoil as well as shifting customer expectations. How did LaCroix react to change both within the company and within the industry?

Launched in 1981 as an "all occasion" sparkling water brand, LaCroix Sparkling Water has had a number of ups and downs as a brand. After being purchased by National Beverage in 1996, the brand was re-positioned as a new, colorful, fun alternative to the other sparkling water players at the time. As time passed; however, the brand was faced with internal turmoil as well as shifting customer expectations. How did LaCroix react to change both within the company and within the industry?

Vazirani Automotive Pvt. Ltd. debuted its first electric hypercar, the Vazirani Shul, in July 2018 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. The Shul was promoted as the first electric hypercar from India; however, although the company was headquartered in Mumbai, India, its manufacturing and design hubs were in California, United States. The Shul was considered unique because the car offered a blend of art and science, in contrast to other hypercars that were designed to appear aggressive and driven completely by science.<br>If successful, the Shul has the opportunity to become the world’s first electric car with a jet turbine-electric powertrain, expected to hit Indian roads by 2021. Could the Shul be successful in India and in the global markets? With design and manufacturing centres in the United States, should the Shul be positioned as an Indian car? Was the strategy of blending art and science in a car unique, and was it a recipe for success?

In November 2018, a co-owner of House of Lasagna, a chain of casual dining restaurants in the Philippines, was considering different marketing strategies to increase customer awareness of the chain’s brand and unique menu. The company had seven restaurants in November 2018 and a target of 25 restaurants by 2020. She was concerned about the customer satisfaction survey that the company conducted every year. The survey reported high customer satisfaction but comparatively low brand awareness. The co-owner knew that high brand awareness was critical for growth. What marketing strategies could House of Lasagna use to increase its brand awareness? Future growth and expansion strategies were most important. Would a loyalty program help increase customer retention?

In 2015, the director of the Lebanese non-governmental organization Arcenciel felt a surge of pride knowing that his organization's bottle caps project had created grassroots awareness of the importance of recycling. In recent years, Arcenciel had grown from an organization that supported people who were disabled and disenfranchised to become the largest recycler in the region. The organization had managed to create a synergy between its engagement on behalf of people who were marginalized and its activities to dispose of garbage in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The Lebanese public was encouraged to collect plastic waste; and in exchange for each tonne of collected bottle caps, Arcenciel would donate a wheelchair to a person with a disability who was in need. This initiative engaged thousands of people in joint collection efforts. The director wondered how the trust that Arcenciel had gained through the bottle caps project could be harnessed to bring about political change, and to place environmental and social issues in Lebanon on the national agenda.

In 2015, the director of the Lebanese non-governmental organization Arcenciel felt a surge of pride knowing that his organization's bottle caps project had created grassroots awareness of the importance of recycling. In recent years, Arcenciel had grown from an organization that supported people who were disabled and disenfranchised to become the largest recycler in the region. The organization had managed to create a synergy between its engagement on behalf of people who were marginalized and its activities to dispose of garbage in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The Lebanese public was encouraged to collect plastic waste; and in exchange for each tonne of collected bottle caps, Arcenciel would donate a wheelchair to a person with a disability who was in need. This initiative engaged thousands of people in joint collection efforts. The director wondered how the trust that Arcenciel had gained through the bottle caps project could be harnessed to bring about political change, and to place environmental and social issues in Lebanon on the national agenda.

In November 2018, a co-owner of House of Lasagna, a chain of casual dining restaurants in the Philippines, was considering different marketing strategies to increase customer awareness of the chain's brand and unique menu. The company had seven restaurants in November 2018 and a target of 25 restaurants by 2020. She was concerned about the customer satisfaction survey that the company conducted every year. The survey reported high customer satisfaction but comparatively low brand awareness. The co-owner knew that high brand awareness was critical for growth. What marketing strategies could House of Lasagna use to increase its brand awareness? Future growth and expansion strategies were most important. Would a loyalty program help increase customer retention?

Vazirani Automotive Pvt. Ltd. debuted its first electric hypercar, the Vazirani Shul, in July 2018 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. The Shul was promoted as the first electric hypercar from India; however, although the company was headquartered in Mumbai, India, its manufacturing and design hubs were in California, United States. The Shul was considered unique because the car offered a blend of art and science, in contrast to other hypercars that were designed to appear aggressive and driven completely by science. If successful, the Shul has the opportunity to become the world's first electric car with a jet turbine-electric powertrain, expected to hit Indian roads by 2021. Could the Shul be successful in India and in the global markets? With design and manufacturing centres in the United States, should the Shul be positioned as an Indian car? Was the strategy of blending art and science in a car unique, and was it a recipe for success?

The case describes the challenges and opportunities of airport retailing in the confectionery category from both manufacturers' and retailers' perspectives. It is based in 2012, when Mondelez planned to launch a new flavour of its flagship brand, Toblerone, the first in 15 years, at Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur international airports. The airport retail market was significant for Mondelez, and in particular, for the Toblerone brand, given that 23% of its sales came from the airport retail market. Distinctive consumer and shopping behaviour at airport confectionery stores, market segmentation by type of passenger and purchase motivation, importance of promotions, personal selling, display and sampling, and regional differences in the three airport markets were the key considerations for Mondelez while planning the launch of the new variant. Moreover, the timing of the proposed launch coincided with the upcoming festival season, a peak time for confectionary retailers at airports. The main takeaway from the case is a detailed understanding of how multiple factors influence airport retailing of confectionary brands and how it is significantly different from supermarket or city-side retailing.