NEIWAI, a popular Chinese lingerie brand, was founded in 2012. The brand was able to rapidly adapt to both online and offline channels and attracted investment from several top venture capital firms. Being a direct-to-consumer brand, NEIWAI faced various issues like sustainable growth, creating intellectual property protection, and setting pricing limits. To overcome these issues, NEIWAI created offline channels and, at the same time, also planned to enter international markets, starting with the United States. In this scenario, would NEIWAI be able to make its mark in the US market?
Zhejiang Meorient Business Exhibition Co., Ltd (Meorient) was founded in 2010 with the vision of building the world’s leading digital exhibitions company and establishing China’s first-class national exhibitions brand. This case examines Meorient brand’s internationalization platform construction and growth by embracing and harnessing digitalization. With years of experience in overseas markets and accumulated resources in various industries, Meorient has served more than 200,000 Chinese enterprises and helped Chinese manufacturers connect with the global market. Under the leadership of co-founder Fang Huansheng, Meorient established a research and development team in Hangzhou in 2018 dedicated to the integration of big-data analytics and foreign trade matchmaking systems. In 2019, Meorient Exhibition was listed on the Growth Enterprise Market board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and became the first Chinese exhibitions company to be listed. Over three years, the company continued to refine its digital services, culminating in the creation of a distinctive digital service matrix.<br><br>A business expansion avenue emerged for Meorient following the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. With precautionary measures and travel restrictions severely limiting offline (in-person) exhibitions globally, Meorient harnessed digital infrastructure to launch a digital exhibitions platform. To facilitate business growth in the face of substantial uncertainty and establish a global competitive edge, Meorient needed to promptly devise strategies to launch and facilitate the online exhibitions platform, and had to convince exhibitors and buyers to embrace its innovative digital products.
Street Business School (SBS) employed an innovative social-franchise model aimed at providing entrepreneurship training to one million impoverished women worldwide. Originating as BeadforLife, a non-profit organization that connected women in Uganda who produced recycled paper jewellery with international markets, SBS developed a tailored entrepreneurship program while working with small groups of bead producers. With aspirations to expand globally and impact more women, SBS adopted a social franchising model and certified other organizations to implement its valuable approach and curriculum. However, generating earned income proved challenging, and SBS relied heavily on funds raised from individuals and philanthropic organizations. In addition, the organization faced the dilemma of balancing its focus on scalability and global expansion with the depth of impact it aimed to achieve. In January 2023, the chief executive officer (CEO) wondered what she should recommend to the board as the most appropriate business model for scaling SBS’s impact.
CZM Foundation Equipment (CZM) was a manufacturer of foundation drilling rigs founded in Brazil in 1976. The company set up a subsidiary in the USA in 2012, which was so successful that it turned into the headquarters. Twelve years later, CZM’s executives were considering expansion in Europe, which could provide CZM with opportunities to enhance the design and development of its machines, improve the efficiency of its global supply chain, and open the door to new markets. It already had an engineering department in Italy and relationships with suppliers in Italy, France, and Germany. However, CZM executives were concerned about the highly competitive environment in Europe, which could make establishing a European subsidiary a risky choice. They also faced two related decisions: a) which country to choose, and b) which entry strategy to use, either a wholly owned subsidiary or an equity alliance with a partner.
A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S (Maersk) dominated the shipping business as the world’s second-largest container shipping company in terms of fleet size and capacity of handling cargo. In December 2023, Houthi attacks on various Maersk vessels passing through the Red Sea interrupted supply chains from Asia to Europe. One Maersk vessel was hit by a missile while travelling from Salalah, Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Maersk temporarily halted all its container shipments via the Red Sea route. One week after resuming travel, a second Maersk vessel was hit. Container ship operations in the Red Sea were again forced to stop. The US Central Command and other co-operative groups such as the Combined Maritime Forces intervened to help normalize the unrest created by Houthi rebels but their efforts had little impact. Maersk’s share price fell by almost 5 per cent in December 2023. Maersk was wondering how to resolve its situation and move forward. Should it evaluate alternative routes or transportation modes to continue providing seamless shipping services to its clients? Should Maersk continue or enhance its recently implemented policies for transit disruption fees? Or should Maersk follow a demand-driven route, in addition to the disruption fees, to maintain vessel and crew safety?
In late 2017, Zara, a major Spanish multinational retail clothing chain specializing in fast fashion, was the target of a negative campaign initiated by the workers of one of the company’s Turkish suppliers, Bravo Tekstil, who had been left without pay after their employer declared bankruptcy and disappeared overnight. Zara was in the media spotlight, and Clean Clothes Campaign, the garment industry’s largest alliance of labour unions, was pressuring the company to compensate for the workers’ losses and pay three months of wages and severance. Although not legally liable, Zara offered to pay about one-quarter of the Bravo Tekstil workers’ claims to limit its reputational damage. Bravo Tekstil’s workers remained largely dissatisfied with this offer and promised further actions against the Spanish multinational enterprise (MNE). In the short term, Zara had to decide how to respond effectively to these specific allegations, and over the longer term, it had to develop a more deliberate strategy for managing its suppliers’ potential irresponsibility.
As one of the world’s largest fried chicken chains, Popeyes had failed twice to enter the Chinese market over a twenty-year span. In March 2023, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the owner of Popeyes, attempted a third strike by bringing the fried chicken brand under its local joint venture, Tim Hortons International Limited China (Tims China). The responsibility of making this third attempt successful rested with Yongchen Lu, the chief executive officer of Tims China. To cultivate another world-class, fast-service brand in China, Lu faced the imperative of delineating synergy between the two distinctive brands (one in coffee and the other in fried chicken). Could he make Popeyes a success in China?
BluPlanet Recycling Inc. (BluPlanet), was a successful recycling service provider based in Calgary, Alberta, that faced the challenge of maintaining its balance between social, environmental, and economic objectives amid rapid growth. Its chief executive officer was considering plans regarding the expansion of the company while preserving its social and environmental commitments. The options included diversifying from waste collection and transportation into waste processing, particularly organic waste, and expanding geographically into Western Canada or the Northwestern United States. Additionally, he was interested in exploring how BluPlanet could be more innovative and introduce new technologies. With the company’s annual strategy retreat approaching, he sought to present clear plans for sustainable growth to his top management team.
The UK brand Vimto was successfully integrated with the Ramadan season in the Persian Gulf region, which presented a compelling narrative of strategic brand adaptation and cultural sensitivity. Through a strategic partnership between the British company Nichols plc and the Saudi company Aujan Group Holding, Vimto transcended its origins from a simple cordial beverage to become an iconic symbol of the Muslim holy month, deeply embedded in the traditions and celebrations of millions of consumers. This transformation was driven by insightful marketing strategies that aligned the brand with the values and rituals of the Ramadan holy month, fostering a strong emotional connection with consumers across the Gulf. The collaboration between Nichols plc and Aujan Group Holding leveraged deep local insights and familial networks. It also exemplified the critical role of local partnerships in navigating the complexities of international markets.
Audioteka S.A. was established in 2008 and had a presence in various European markets. It was time for Audioteka to reaffirm its value as a fast-growing mid-sized Polish company. By 2022 the company offered 80,000 audiobooks in 11 languages. Newly appointed chief executive officer Arkadiusz Seidler was exploring possibilities to enter new markets that could help the company grow. An unusual direction had been identified, India. Preliminary data indicated that the idea was promising. But was it worth considering a project that could be perceived as an expression of overconfidence and eccentricity on the part of Audioteka's current management? To date, no Polish company had achieved success in India.
In March 2023, Daikin India had reached the milestone of US$1 billion in turnover. It aimed to surpass $2 billion in the next three years. It had fared poorly in the Indian market since its entry in 2000, but after joining the company in 2010, Kanwal Jeet Jawa, the first Indian and inpatriate on the Japanese board of directors, had turned around Daikin’s Indian subsidiary. Did Daikin’s decision to make India an export hub and to replicate the Indian model for Africa and the Middle East make sense? What role should India play in Daikin’s response to the “China plus one” strategy? Given that the AC industry grew through incremental innovation, how could Daikin compete with its rivals and grow sustainably in India and other emerging markets?
Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Ballard) was a pioneer and world leader in hydrogen fuel cell power system development and commercialization, employing over 1,100 employees worldwide, with operations in China, Europe, and North America. However, despite its strong revenue growth, Ballard had failed to report positive operating income since 1993. At the end of 2022, a new round of government support for green technologies had the potential to change things for Ballard. The company now faced the question of whether to expand its operations in China, previously its major market, or shift its focus more toward North America and Europe. Factors to consider included geopolitical tensions and government funding. What steps should Ballard take next?
In July 2023, Tesla, Inc. (Tesla), a global leader in the manufacture and sales of electric vehicles, needed to formulate its entry strategy in India. Tesla’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, had met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to the United States in June 2023 and expressed optimism about India as a market for Tesla. This development was in sharp contrast to the events of just over a year earlier, when Musk and Tesla had expressed disappointment with the Indian government’s policy of heavily taxing imports of fully assembled Tesla cars and had seemingly abandoned their plans to enter India, at least in the short term. Despite the thaw in the relationship with the Indian government, Tesla’s top management needed to get a number of critical decisions right if the company’s entry into the Indian market was to be successful.
The founders of SENS Foods (SENS), a Czech sustainable-food small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), wanted to expand the business beyond their home market. SENS was operating in the rapidly growing alternative-protein market using products derived from edible crickets. Due to its increasing profitability and international expansion potential, SENS saw an opportunity to expand into one of more Nordic markets—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. SENS had to explore the possible modes of entry and evaluate the most suitable ones. In the short term, SENS had a sustained competitive advantage with its Thailand-based Cricket Lab Ltd. farm and its brand name. SENS’s intangible resources—business positioning and messaging, innovation, and research—represented a temporary competitive advantage. For market selection purposes, five cluster criteria were proposed to assess the attractiveness of the identified markets: estimating the level of primary competition, market maturity, market size, country environmental performance, and transportation costs. The founders needed to evaluate the four Nordic countries using these five selection criteria to identify the top two countries for further examination regarding mode of entry and level of competition.
Makoye Safaris, a jungle safari tour company based in Tanzania founded by Vicent Makoye, offered fully guided, safe, and environmentally friendly tours largely to international tourists. The tours were private, custom designed, and flexible and included airport pick-up and drop-off, accommodation, transportation, and three meals daily. Makoye wanted the company to grow and acquire a larger market share. However, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread worldwide, and Tanzania’s tourism sector went into a downturn. Although the number of tourists started to increase in 2021, Makoye Safaris needed a good marketing plan to achieve its target of doubling the number of international tourists it served by 2025.
Breadfast is an online grocery delivery retailer founded by Mostafa Amin, Muhammad Habib, and Abdallah Nofal in Egypt in 2017. The three co-founders are now contemplating international expansion into new markets to further grow their revenues and diversify geographically. They have decided to investigate expanding into nearby Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, they must examine the macroeconomic environment and the food and beverage industry in those two countries to determine if the conditions are favourable to ensure a successful international expansion. In addition to identifying the criteria of attractiveness for each country, the co-founders must select the most appropriate market entry strategy. The online grocery retail market in Tunisia and KSA has been growing as a result of evolving consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have favourable and unfavourable factors. Given the risks and trade-offs in each country, Breadfast must determine which market to enter and which mode of entry will increase its the chance of success.
In 2008, Goldwind bought 70 per cent of Vensys’ shares through its German subsidiary to obtain a range of strategic assets, including a professional research and development team and associated design capabilities, intellectual property rights of permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) technology, and corresponding wind turbine designs. Over the years, the post-merger integration (PMI) process of an emerging market multinational enterprise (EMNE) and a developed country multinational enterprise (DMNE) saw many conflicts. By the end of 2021, the general manager of Goldwind Germany needed to strengthen the integration process between the two companies to facilitate its growth in Europe and elsewhere.
ASML Holding NV (ASML) was a leading technology company headquartered in the Netherlands that specialized in the design and production of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It had a global presence, with operations in Asia, Europe, and North America. Its unique chip manufacturing technology was essential for the development of technology products from military equipment and laundry machines to the smartphones in peoples’ pockets. ASML produced complex and consequential products that were the foundations of the modern economy. Because of this, ASML played a significant role in global geopolitics and found itself in the middle of the West’s increasing efforts to control exports of semiconductor technology to China. In December 2022, a couple of months after the US government unilaterally restricted exports of chip technology to China, ASML faced a strategic crossroads: should it maximize company profits and ignore Western policy by engaging China, or should it weigh the pitfalls of ignoring the West’s political decision to block China from essential technology and disengage from its business with the People’s Republic of China?
Kyrö Distillery Company (Kyrö), founded in 2012 in Isokyrö, Finland, focused on producing rye whisky from Finnish rye. However, it took an average of three years for one batch of whisky to be produced and ready for sale, so, to cover their costs and stay afloat, the founders decided to start producing gin, which could be produced faster. As luck had it, in 2014, Kyrö’s rye-based Napue Gin was named the best gin in the gin-and-tonic category in the UK-based International Wine & Spirit Competition, and Kyrö now had two promising products in its roster: rye whisky and rye-based gin. <br><br>Kyrö exported its products to overseas markets, including Japan, where its results had so far been modest, but it planned to expand and grow its businesses in Japan. As an underdog in an industry dominated by major global players, Kyrö had to work to increase its market share. It relied on its authentic brand image, original products, and brand ambassadors. In September 2022, as one of Kyrö’s co-founders travelled to Japan to meet with the company’s main Japanese distributor, he wondered, How could the company gain growth in a market that was highly competitive and dominated by well-established local companies?
NSGC Information Technology Co., Ltd. (NSGC Technology) is both a cybersecurity enterprise engaged in technological innovation and a software firm focusing on cyber range construction and cybersecurity talent cultivation. It boasts a long history of doing business with the military industry, and it has produced a wide range of competitive cyber range products. At its inception in 2014, NSGC Technology initiated XCTF, a CTF (capture the flag) competition ranking first in Asia and second in the world, which earned the company a strong international reputation. NSGC Technology started to tap the global market in 2017 and has fostered an international outlook over many years of overseas practices. Its products and services are now available in more than twenty countries. While competing with leading global manufacturers, it has developed insights into the cyber range sector and become the only internationally competitive Chinese enterprise in this field. However, as the company marched from the military industry into non-military fields, it became trapped in low-level industry competition in 2021. In addition, the company’s overseas business has been severely impacted since 2020 by the COVID-19 outbreak. At the beginning of 2022, facing challenges at home and abroad, NSGC Technology had to carefully examine the relationship between domestic and global markets and formulate a new corporate development strategy.