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Marilynn Duker, CEO, was exploring how to grow the company while maintaining the culture that made it a leader in the field of senior housing. Brightview constructed and operated senior living apartment communities that offered independent living, assisted living, and dementia care services for seniors in northeastern U.S. markets. While Brightview was smaller than the largest senior living firms (it had 42 properties with over 5,600 apartments), it had purposely managed its growth so that it could focus on offering the best work experience for its employees. The executives believed that doing so would lead to the best experience for its residents and, ultimately, the best financial returns for its investors. Its strategy appeared to be working so far and the company had received rewards for being a best place to work. Regardless of market or product, Duker and the executive team recognized that many seniors preferred to live at home and bring in help or could not afford to live in a senior living community.

In 2018, Nestlé, the Switzerland-based, multinational food and nutrition company, faced an activist campaign by Third Point LLC regarding the company's passive stake in L'Oréal. In its June 2017 letter, which was followed up by a July 2018 reminder, the activist fund urged Nestlé to sell its L'Oréal stake and use the funds to strengthen its position in its core health and nutrition markets. L'Oréal was also asking Nestlé to clarify its position regarding the investment. Nestlé's recently appointed chief executive officer needed to make a decision regarding the L'Oréal stake. How should he address the activist fund and respond to L'Oréal's request?

The case CodeCheck (A) explains in which ecosystem the company is embedded, the technological backbone of the company, and provides information about the growing importance of conscious consumer. It ends with the question of Boris Manhart, CEO and Founder of CodeCheck, should monetize this rich and valuable data to finance the further growth of the company.

The case CodeCheck (B) answers this question by introducing the CodeCheck Insights. It is the vehicle by which CodeCheck provides analytics and insights to producers of food and cosmetics, which generated CHF 600'000 revenue in 2019. In addition, CodeCheck Insights sells context-specific advertising, which also generate about CHF 600'000 revenue in 2019. While these are solid numbers for a startup, the growth ambition of Boris requires a new financing round for CHF 5-7 million.

The case is set in January 2020 and the case protagonist is John Donahoe, Nike's new CEO. Nike is the largest company worldwide in the athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment business. The case focuses on the challenges Donahoe faces as he attempts to drive Nike to the goal of $50 billion in annual revenues by 2021. The case focuses on Nike's competition, the convergence of technology with apparel and footwear, as well as the company's corporate social responsibility issues. Donahoe has to address internal as well as external challenges. Donahoe was appointed CEO at a time when the Oregon sports and apparel company faces a number of controversies, including when Nike-sponsored athletes were caught up in scandals; the ban of Alberto Salazar, Nike's top running coach amid doping allegations; as well as continued concerns about Nike's workplace culture after an internal employee survey leaked describing the company as run by a boys club that is hostile towards women. Nike faces tough competition in all of its market, as well as along the value chain. Rapid advances in mobile technology and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) could fundamentally change the industry. Nike is also moving further into ecommerce to offset the "Amazon effect." The fast-growing Chinese market, moreover, may provide an avenue for needed future growth.

In 2018, Cycles Devinci, a bike manufacturer in Saguenay, Quebec, set itself the ambitious objective of 20% annual growth for the next three years. Simon Brodeur, global brand manager for enduro and downhill bikes, suggested the company expand into Asia Pacific. Intrigued, marketing manager Alain Pedneault asked him to draw up a proposal for selling 1,000 bikes in that region by 2021. Brodeur thus found himself compelled to formulate a proposal for the management team. Providing a stimulating organizational context and actual data, the case puts students in a real-life situation where they must screen markets based on both quantitative (estimated demand, per capita income, demography, tariffs, etc.) and qualitative criteria (political and cultural challenges and international agreements). The case analysis addresses a wide range of strategic dimensions, including business models, competitive advantage, and international marketing. It highlights the challenges faced by a company trying to raise awareness of its brand overseas and by marketing and brand managers at a company with ambitious objectives but limited resources.

Supplement to case 719019

In September 2017, news spread of McDonald's India terminating its franchise arrangement with its joint venture (JV) in India. The termination notice was the newest step in the saga of the conflict between the two JV partners-US-based McDonald's and the Indian partner Vikram Bakshi of Connaught Plaza Restaurants Limited (CPRL). McDonald's entered India in 1996 through a JV that was originally seen as the perfect combination to share investments, reduce risks, and succeed. The events between 2013 and 2017 showed that this was not true, and many reasons were suggested in the media for the problems-strategy, team, resources, and a mismatched value system. Did the former franchise holder CPRL have a legal right to use the McDonald's name anymore? Could the partners resolve their differences?

On April 12, 2018, the manager of a Philadelphia Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) store called the police and two customers were arrested. The two men, who were black, were sitting at a table in the store without having placed an order. The incident sparked an online wave of protest over racial bias at Starbucks, a company that had long touted its social agenda of racial equity and diversity. The chief executive officer of Starbucks, quickly acknowledged the incident with a general public apology and a more specific follow-up statement later the same day. Amid outrage over the Philadelphia arrests and backlash online, the company also announced a half-day mass anti-racism training program for its employees. Experts were skeptical about the success of the training, claiming that a half-day training session could not eliminate racial bias. Was the company doing enough to train its front-line employees in providing not only the best service but also equal service to its customers? Did Starbucks truly represent the values it promoted? Would a half-day anti-racism training session effectively address the issue of racial bias, especially for front-line workers?

In late 2016, HaoDF Online launched an "Internet hospital" in Yinchuan, China, which, in its first three months, served more than 31 million users and conducted online diagnosis and treatment for almost 1 million patients. The online health care services platform could collaborate with physicians to remotely monitor patient conditions and guide paramedical staff in the decision-making process. However, beyond diagnosis, consultation, and prescriptions, patients needed a physical hospital or clinic for the actual treatment, which led to the first of two major challenges that the company needed to address. The online health care platform could not achieve its full business value and become profitable without collaborating with existing traditional health care organizations, which were reluctant to embrace the online health care system as a medium for interaction with patients. How could HaoDF Online better attract traditional health care organizations for collaboration? Also, dozens of newcomers were entering the market, enticed by the readily available venture investment and funding, which raised a second challenge for HaoDF Online-What business strategies should the company develop to sustain its competitiveness and become profitable?

In 2015, three entrepreneurs in India decided to resurrect the 100-year-old iconic Keventers brand, which had stopped selling milkshakes in the 1970s. Although earlier generations had grown up enjoying Keventers' milkshakes, millennials had very little association with the brand. To connect with this new generation, the three entrepreneurs relied on both old and new brand associations. The three founders re-established the Keventers milkshakes brand; however, the milkshakes market became flooded with small and large competitors, and the company needed to find new ways to ensure the Keventers brand's long-term sustainability. To sustain its growth momentum, the Keventers brand entered the subscription-based, premium-milk market in June 2018. As a result of increasing urbanization, rising incomes, and demographic changes, the consumption behaviour of Indian consumers was undergoing transformation. Demand for premium, organic, unadulterated milk was on the rise among affluent health-conscious consumers. Premium milk comprised less than 1 per cent of the dairy market in 2018, but it was expected to rise to 5 per cent by 2020. How could the three founders meet their goals of capturing 20 per cent of the premium-milk market and becoming a major competitor by mid-2019?

Supplement to case W19604

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) was founded in 1971 and focused on retailing items for customers' "home and heart" life events, such as weddings, births, and moves. By the end of 2017, the company had over 1,530 stores distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, but its third-quarter earnings results revealed a 50 per cent year-over-year decline in net profits and a 45 per cent decline in stock price compared to the beginning of the year. BBBY was facing a steady decrease in physical store sales even as digital sales showed growth. BBBY was trying to catch up to competitors with digital initiatives, gain and retain customers through discount and membership programs, and keep a close control on costs, but the question remained: How could BBBY stay relevant and competitive in the long term?

This case illustrates how Vontobel, a mid-size Swiss private bank successfully built out its multi-issuer platform for Structured Products (SPs). The case starts by describing the industry of SPs, the market for SPs in Switzerland, and on Vontobel building its know-how in SPs. As a result, deritrade® Single-Issuer Platform (SIP) was launched in 2010. The platform helped gain operational efficiency, relieve employees from doing manual operations and thus allow scarce resources to focus on the core businesses. The bank then gained experience in the market with its SIP. Once the SIP delivered its full power and the SP market stagnated, Vontobel considered opening its platform to its competitors to become a Multi-Issuer Platform (MIP). Yet, there were numerous challenges faced by the company with this decision: cannibalization, convincing competitors to join, pricing, and governance.

The chief executive officer of RenY Corporation (RenY) based in Hong Kong, had just established the Ghana Investment Fund Limited (GIF) as a subsidiary of RenY in Ghana. GIF aimed to invest in the entrepreneurial ideas of university graduates in Ghana under a model that brought together the intellectual capital of the graduates, e-commerce, and investment capital under an umbrella of mentoring and collaboration. Access to Ghanaian government contracts to provide products and services was an important aspect of the CEO's sustainable development plans for low income communities, but he was faced with ethical issues on the way government business was done in Ghana-to be successful in gaining some of these contracts, extra payments were required. He had to decide if his investment was going to result in nothing or if there was a way to move forward.

The case is set in September 2019, and the protagonist of the case is Sheryl Sandberg. The case opens with her contemplating the new ventures on which Facebook is embarking, such as its transformation into a mega-app, the launch of its Libra cryptocurrency and the roll-out of its dating site, so as to continue its growth and to fend off competition. More than 99 percent of Facebook's revenues come from advertising and, along with Alphabet's Google, it dominates the digital advertising space. However, Facebook and other big tech companies are coming under increasing attack from governments and civil society groups for this dominance. Antitrust investigations and possible break-ups of these big firms are being proposed. Sandberg is facing other challenges as well. Concerns about how Facebook uses data it gathers from its users have come to the forefront. It has fallen afoul of privacy laws in Europe and the United States and been subject to large fines. Facebook's role as a vehicle for propagating fake news has been under scrutiny. Elections in the United States have been impacted and civil unrest (with occasionally fatal results) has occurred in other countries. Libra itself is facing problems, as governments and regulators voice objections to its introduction, applying pressure on potential partners. In 2019, Facebook was the fifth most valuable company on the planet, with a market capitalization of $540 billion (behind Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet).

This case describes the first commercial flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in 2011, three years after originally planned, as well as the first commercial flight of Airbus' superjumbo, the A380, in 2007. It also describes the companies' current endeavors in 2011, including Airbus' work on the A350 and A320neo (new engine option) and Boeing's development of the 737 MAX. Boeing originally considered replacing the 737 with a completely new and redesigned ("clean-sheet") plane, but utlimately (in part due to pressure from the A320neo) decided to modify the 737 instead.

This case describes an issue with the batteries of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner planes overheating and sometimes catching fire in 2013. The planes were grounded for several months until Boeing introduced new safety measures. The case also discusses a problem with cracks on the wings of Airbus's A380 superjumbo, which required the company to make a costly fix to a particular wing component.

This case describes the introduction of Airbus's A350XWB (Xtra Wide Body) in 2015. It also describes Airbus and Boeing's current endeavors in 2015, including Airbus's development of the A330neo, Boeing's work on the 737 MAX, and Boeing's announcement of the 777X.

This case describes Airbus and Boeing developments in 2016, including Airbus's delivery of the first A320neo and Boeing's work on the 737 MAX and 777X programs. It also notes Airbus's restructuring in 2016.