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In January 2018, the Philippine cement industry changed forever with the entry of the 100-per-cent Filipino-owned cement manufacturing company Big Boss Cement Inc. (BBCI). When the company decided to set up shop with a cheaper, eco-friendly manufacturing process that promised less carbon emission, competition became fierce. BBCI planned to expand its capacity to take advantage of a growth in both infrastructure projects and local demand for cement, but it had to analyze the macro-environmental and competitive forces relevant in the context of its entry in the cement industry. It had to ascertain whether it could differentiate its product based solely on ecological appeal. BBCI also had to ensure that its environmentally-friendly brand promise would work, and anticipate potential obstacles to its success and determine how to counter these hurdles.

Hosoo was a kimono and textile company, established in 1688 as a traditional Nishijin weaving company. The 11th generation president of the company, Masao Hosoo, had transformed the business from a producer of premium kimono fabrics and kimonos for the luxury market in Japan to a globally respected textile producer for some of the world's top brands. A great deal of the company's success in the global market could be attributed to the master craftspeople of Japan. This innovative spirit guided endless improvements to weaving and textile development, allowing the highly specialized Nishijin textiles to be woven for use beyond the kimono market. Inspired by the results of their innovation and their global success, and driven by the collapsing kimono market in Japan, Masao and his son, Masataka, set a goal in 2018 to establish Hosoo as an iconic, international house of kimono, relying on innovation to reinterpret what a kimono was, how it was used, and what it meant within a global fashion market.

Bharti Airtel, the Indian and global telecommunications player, is witnessing challenging times. As the market leader, Airtel experienced a shift from voice to data since its revenue from the latter was seen to be proliferating. This move was short lived as the new entrant Reliance Jio changed the landscape of the Indian Telecom Industry. It offered free voice services and competitive tariff plans. With Jio, the blend (data+voice) average revenue per user declined due to low data tariffs and voice cannibalisation by data. Airtel suddenly faced pressure to retain its position as well as postulate a pricing plan to protect its revenue. This case revolves around the future pricing strategy to be adopted by Airtel to retain its market share and come up with a pricing plan to counter the Jio effect of "free" voice calls. The crux is how a market leader develops and implements a pricing strategy to counter the entry of a behemoth competitor that has rock bottom prices, in a context, where the eventual front-runner will cannibalise its main revenue source.

Robin is a B2B technology (SaaS) startup, founded in Boston, MA in 2014, that develops and sells workplace software products designed to help companies manage meeting room scheduling. In March 2016, following a period of underperforming sales results, Sam Dunn, sales leader and co-founder of Robin, realizes that he must make changes to the sales area if he is to achieve Robin's sales targets and meet the expectations of the company's venture capitalists. In two months' time, Dunn will pitch to the investors for Series A funding. His dilemma is clear; the current sales results do not show the required "repeatability and scalability" required to convince the investors. Dunn realizes he must design and present a reworked sales process. This "re-engineering" exercise prompts him to also question if he has the right team in place to implement a possible "new and improved" process.

This case provides an opportunity to evaluate different strategic factors that influence decision-makers when creating a country brand that is able to withstand today's competitive global context. It also explores the challenges of public-private partnership. Building a brand is not easy and to attempt one in the context of a country is quite challenging. It becomes even more difficult when dealing with developing countries, short- and long-term socio-economic crises, and constant pressure from a neighbor like the United States that has considerable influence on a country's image.

In October 2015, Squatty Potty’s chief executive officer (CEO) launched the first viral video campaign in the U.S. company’s history. In terms of cost, it represented the largest single marketing promotion ever for the company’s home remedy for constipation—a foot stool that made going to the bathroom more ergonomic. Further raising the stakes of his decision, the CEO’s three business partners had reservations and objections. The partners worried that an irreverent viral video could be expensive, ineffective, and even offensive to the target markets. For the good of the business, the strength of the partnership, and the efficacy of future marketing efforts, it was critical that the CEO be able to provide credible proof of the campaign’s efficacy. In addition, his ability to critically assess the strengths, weaknesses, and outcomes of the campaign would provide precious insight to shape future promotion campaigns, both online and offline.

Instructor Spreadsheet to accompany product 8B18A002.

Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B18A002.

How should companies launch products in times of uncertainty? Should they "wait and see"until uncertainty resolves -or commit to a full-scale launch and ride it out? Conventional wisdom says being early to market is the right choice, but that is not always the case. Many companies can benefit from a mixed, "act and see"approach.

After a successful transition from a projects-based IT business services company to a platform-driven analytics company, Saama's core leadership team gathered in 2017 to brainstorm the next phase of its growth. The year before, the team had decided to narrow its target market to the life sciences vertical. Saama now had to decide how to execute on this focused strategy by choosing a growth pathway within the life sciences vertical. Saama's leadership team was considering three alternatives: acquiring new customer accounts, developing existing customer accounts, or developing new products by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. The team had to evaluate these growth pathways in terms of both short- and long-term revenue potential, as well as their potential for sustaining Saama's competitive advantage.

Set in 2016, this case follows Phua Koon Kee, the CEO of Kova Group, one of the largest paint manufacturers in Vietnam, as he pondered upon the business expansion strategy that could elevate the Kova brand's status to that of a household name. Based on a patented NANO technology that used silicates from rice husks to make paint, Kova's products were of higher quality than its competitors, in terms of environmental-friendliness, durability, waterproof properties and anti-fungal capability. Kova's distinct competitive advantage was its adaptation for the tropical climate and its localisation for geographical landscapes in Vietnam and other SE Asian Markets, which were the key reasons Kova was able to enjoy price premiums in its home market. Despite offering innovative and superior-quality products, Kova faced multiple challenges to growth. Domestically, as the Vietnamese economy opened up to the entry of foreign paint companies, competition in the paint industry has intensified. Kova wanted to grow the retail market, where the bulk of its revenue stream was derived, but channel distribution to numerous small stores and brand promotions to end-consumers would demand the company to come up with a well-crafted strategy. Internationally, Kova suffered from a lack of brand presence and a poor country-of-origin image. Given the multi-faceted challenges, Phua is left thinking about developing an effective integrated marketing plan to create a strong brand positioning for Kova. How could he then leverage the distinctiveness of the Kova brand to gain a larger local market share and subsequently conquer overseas markets?

Beyond Meat, a producer of plant-based meat substitutes, was founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The company's vision is for consumers to enjoy a meat-like taste and texture in their favourite dishes while avoiding the many chemicals used in processed meat and reducing the number of animals killed every year. Wanting to reduce global meat consumption by 25 percent by 2020, the company works to educate consumers about the superior benefits that eating vegan products will provide not only to the consumers but to the environment they live in and the animals they live around. The largest market for Beyond Meats is the younger generation, which is more health and environmentally conscious and, ultimately, the driving force behind using plant protein for food. Can the company reach beyond this demographic to increase sales of its products? Will the food tastes of Americans change quickly enough to ensure that growing profits will attract more investors?

The case examines a number of critical episodes in the growth of SodaStream International Ltd., an Israeli maker of home beverage carbonation products. In particular, the case centers on the role of CEO Daniel Birnbaum in a series of highly public confrontations with competitors, critics, and government officials that highlight issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CEO activism. While other published case studies have chronicled Birnbaum's early efforts to turn around the century-old company following its acquisition by a venture capital firm in 2007, the current case delves into the more recent - and more turbulent - history of the company with particular emphasis on the role of business in society and issues faced by senior business leaders in reconciling personal values with the pursuit of business results. The case also considers the specific context of SodaStream as an Israeli company confronting a unique and complex set of societal, political, and geopolitical challenges. The case asks readers to consider the impact of the events described on the company, its business performance, and various stakeholders. The case also invites a discussion on the evolving role of corporations as agents of business and societal change and prompts participants to consider the role of business leaders in confronting complex moral and social issues. In particular, the case explores the growing phenomenon of 'CEO Activism' and the potential clash between individuals' moral or political beliefs and the responsibilities of public company executives to deliver business results.

Hunley, Inc. manufactures rods for the niche sport of fly fishing. It specializes in freshwater rods that are perceived as "middle-market" products, targeted at "avid" fly fishers, In the face of declining revenue and a decreasing price per unit sold, the company's president is considering several growth options, including introducing a rod made from state-of-the-art materials (moving up-market) and expanding distribution into Walmart (down-market). Hunley's president must decide whether either option is feasible and if so, what kind of marketing plan is necessary for each to succeed. If neither option is chosen, he must determine what other ways Hunley might grow. This is a rich marketing mix case that requires students to develop a qualitative and quantitative plan for Hunley's product line under two very different growth options. The discussion can illuminate numerous marketing issues that an instructor might want to emphasize, including: brand extension, product and company market position, positioning statements, market segmentation, introductory marketing programs, new product launches, channel conflict, sales force management of a strategic shift, among others. This case is suitable for an introductory marketing course for undergraduate or MBA students. It can also be used in a section on positioning and increasing consumers' willingness-to-pay within a strategy course. Further, the challenges facing Hunley are relevant to many courses in executive education.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 919501.

It is not surprising that managers find it hard to distinguish similar-sounding, IT-based concepts such as augmented reality and virtual reality. To many, all of these constructs mean nearly the same and, as a result, the terms are often used interchangeably. This confusion holds back those eager to explore the different opportunities these new technologies present. This Executive Digest presents six different types of reality and virtual reality-(1) reality, (2) augmented reality, (3) virtual reality, (4) mixed reality, (5) augmented virtuality, and (6) virtuality-as part of our actual reality/virtual reality continuum. We then illustrate their differences using a common example and outline business applications for each type.

In 2014, Guccio Gucci SpA (Gucci), a flagship brand of the Kering group, was struggling with its operating profit and human resources. By December 2014, the company had experienced three consecutive quarters of declining profits. In addition to the company's financial issues, its president and chief executive officer (CEO) and its creative director had abruptly left the company. On January 15, 2015, a new CEO took over and faced several decisions. He needed to decide whether or not to reposition the brand and whether to hire internally or externally for a new creative director-related decisions that would strongly influence the brand's position in the market and its appeal in the future.

While there are a number of courses focused on helping students create and perfect innovative new products, there remains a gap regarding how to create and perfect the idea-or the positioning behind the product. The reality is that it is significantly more difficult than most people think to create a superior positioning concept. In addition, most sophisticated marketing organizations begin with a winning idea before they begin to deploy R&D resources to create a product. This note helps students understand what a positioning concept is, the critical elements of a testable positioning concept, and the attributes of those concepts that tend to be superior to those of their rivals. It is useful for undergraduate and graduate students interested in marketing, sales, brand management, and entrepreneurship.

In mid 2010 the Sealed Air Corporation has to decide on next steps for its novel video tracking technology (called VTID) after unsuccessful attempts to market it in three different industry settings. The company must determine whether its most recent target market, the quick-serve restaurant segment, is still worth pursuing or whether the company should look for a different application and market altogether. The company could also revisit the previous two applications, tracking and tracing processed meat and tracking employee safety practices. At the other extreme, after seven years of R&D and marketing efforts and millions of dollars in expenses, the company could cease attempts to commercialize VTID.

In May 2017, The White Dog Cafe (White Dog) had been under new ownership for seven years, had opened two new locations, and had continued most of the initiatives that had made it one of the most well-respected and sustainably run restaurants in the United States. But the restaurant was still relatively unknown. How could White Dog’s director of marketing convince owner Marty Grims that a brand management agency could help the White Dog brand evolve to meet the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated marketplace?