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Opens with a brief history of the U.S. cosmetics market and its rapid development in the 1920s. Also recounts Lauder's initial involvement in the sector, making skin care products and selling them in Manhattan beauty parlors during the Great Depression. Pays particular attention to the period after World War II, when widespread socioeconomic shifts were altering women's possibilities--perceptual and material. For Lauder, such shifts presented important business opportunities. Invites students to analyze how the entrepreneur exploited these opportunities by building quality products, a powerful brand, and a best-of-brand organization. Closes with a discussion of the other brands that Lauder and her colleagues created, those that it acquired in the 1990s, and the importance of specific organizational capabilities in sustaining market leadership in the global, intensely competitive market for prestige beauty products.

WaveRider Communications, Inc., a Toronto-based company, had a mission to become the leader in global wireless technology by developing, selling, and supporting products that enabled wireless Internet service providers. It recently launched its "Last Mile Solution," offering Internet service providers the opportunity to provide wireless Internet access at broadband speeds in the unlicensed 2.4 gigahertz spectrum. The wireless Internet access industry was relatively untapped, and WaveRider's vice president of marketing wondered whether the company, as it started its growth phase, should seek an alliance with a competing technology company. To determine the feasibility of this idea, he needed to classify the competition, review the customer barriers, and evaluate which technology was the best fit.

The seller of fractional interest aircraft programs must decide how to account in its IPO for the sales of fractional interest aircraft programs. Teaching Purpose: To expose students to revenue recognition issues.

The ready-to-eat cereal industry had been flat for five years, and Kellogg's share had been shrinking. Now it had acquired Worthington and a new management team was in place. A new vice president must figure out how to integrate the new company. The case is appropriate for use in a series on postmerger integration, as the students must craft an integration plan de novo. It can be followed by the "Note on Acceleration Transition" and "Albany-Geschmay Merger" to illustrate the application of PWC's integration methodology.

This case describes the creation and performance of the America's Cup team and the leadership of Dennis Conner.

This case examines a proposed $2 billion asset-backed securitization offering that is to be supported by Formula One's television broadcasting rights. The case is written from the perspective of Steve Din, executive director of Securitization for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, who is responsible for placing the securities in September 1998. The proposed Eurobond issuance for Formula One (F1) follows a delayed initial public offering (IPO) in 1997 that failed to materialize owing to disputes with the Formula One teams. In the wake of the delayed IPO, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter replaced Salomon Brothers as the adviser to Bernie Ecclestone, the eccentric billionaire owner of the F1 trademarks, and became the lead manager for the $2 billion structured finance placement meant to bridge Formula One to an eventual IPO. Students are asked to recommend a course of action to meet the challenges of marketing the new issue. The case is designed for use in finance electives focusing on financing methods, investment banking, securitization, or other advanced topics in corporate finance.

The owner of a shop specializing in the creation and sale of Celtic art was faced with the challenge of finding a way to rejuvenate sales; customer traffic was declining due to the closing of a local market. He was determined to develop a strategy that would better insulate his business in the future. Limited resources meant that maximizing the returns on his efforts would be critical to the survival of the business. He had to examine his marketing strategy and product mix, consider his options and generate solutions to improve and secure his short-term and long-term profitability.

Apax Partners is considering a complex buyout of a semiconductor manufacturer. The firms must assess in a compressed timeframe the complex technological, financial, and operational risks that the proposed transaction poses.

Analyzes Marshall Field's efforts to develop a market for mass retailing in late 19th-century Chicago. Examines Chicago's expansion in the 1860s and, within this context, how Field struck out on his own to, build a wholesale and retail business. Concentrates on the efforts of Field and his partner Levi Leiter to build a large regional and, later, a national market for their distribution business and the significant financial, managerial, and strategic challenges they faced. This case analyzes how Field and his partners built a strong, meaningful brand for the company.

Describes the attempt of Texas Pacific Group (TPG), a buyout firm, to purchase a controlling stake in Ducati Motor, the world's leading high-performance motorcycle company, based in Bologna, Italy. Ducati is part of Cagiva Group, a family-controlled industrial group. Cagiva has fallen on hard times and Ducati is the crown jewel in the group. Yet even Ducati is under great financial pressure and short on working capital. Abel Halpern, a partner at TPG, is frustrated because a deal with the owners seems to be an ever-moving target. Although TPG has negotiated with the seller for almost a year. In spite of costly due diligence efforts by TPG, Abel Halpern is now ready to walk away from the deal. In his decision he needs to consider not only valuation and the feasibility of hiring new management to turn the company around but also the feasibility of an eventual exit via the public markets in Italy.

Outlines many of the supply-side innovations, such as improved transportation, communication, and technological developments, that greatly expanded the productive capacity of the United States in the late 19th century. Explores a range of demand-side shifts, including rising incomes, population growth, and urbanization, that changed consumers' wants and needs. These developments, taken together with those on the supply side, altered the nature of the American economy, ushering in widespread industrialization, markets of unprecedented size, and consumption on an entirely new scale. Investigates how, within this context, H.J. Heinz created a successful food-processing business in the last three decades of the 19th century.

Four years ago, Diane Ashton and Sundeep Lal were working together at MIT on a titanium extraction project. Durable and highly heat resistant, titanium is a key constituent of many specialty alloys, but it's also very expensive to produce. So when Diane discovered a solution that isolated titanium efficiently, the partners recognized that the technology would be worth billions to large manufacturers. Sundeep and Diane secured a $20 million investment from a prominent VC and drew up a business plan. Within six months of their discovery, Titrolyte Inc. was born. But Diane and Sundeep soon discovered that what had been a fairly straightforward operation in the confines of an MIT lab was difficult to reproduce on a large scale. In just two years, they had to go back to investors for more money. Sundeep thinks that Titrolyte is ready to go public. Besides, he's concerned that if they don't IPO now, they might miss the bus. But Diane is worried that they're moving too fast. They haven't perfected the technology yet, and Titrolyte's business systems leave a great deal to be desired. Should Titrolyte risk going public now, while the market is still open? Five commentators offer advice in this fictional case study. In R0102A and R0102Z, William Bourne, Tim Draper, Sarah Mavrinac, Neil Jones, and David Perry offer advice on this fictional case study.

Four years ago, Diane Ashton and Sundeep Lal were working together at MIT on a titanium extraction project. Durable and highly heat resistant, titanium is a key constituent of many specialty alloys, but it's also very expensive to produce. So when Diane discovered a solution that isolated titanium efficiently, the partners recognized that the technology would be worth billions to large manufacturers. Sundeep and Diane secured a $20 million investment from a prominent VC and drew up a business plan. Within six months of their discovery, Titrolyte Inc. was born. But Diane and Sundeep soon discovered that what had been a fairly straightforward operation in the confines of an MIT lab was difficult to reproduce on a large scale. In just two years, they had to go back to investors for more money. Sundeep thinks that Titrolyte is ready to go public. Besides, he's concerned that if they don't IPO now, they might miss the bus. But Diane is worried that they're moving too fast. They haven't perfected the technology yet, and Titrolyte's business systems leave a great deal to be desired. Should Titrolyte risk going public now, while the market is still open? In R0102A and R0102Z, William Bourne, Tim Draper, Sarah Mavrinac, Neil Jones, and David Perry offer advice on this fictional case study.

Four years ago, Diane Ashton and Sundeep Lal were working together at MIT on a titanium extraction project. Durable and highly heat resistant, titanium is a key constituent of many specialty alloys, but it's also very expensive to produce. So when Diane discovered a solution that isolated titanium efficiently, the partners recognized that the technology would be worth billions to large manufacturers. Sundeep and Diane secured a $20 million investment from a prominent VC and drew up a business plan. Within six months of their discovery, Titrolyte Inc. was born. But Diane and Sundeep soon discovered that what had been a fairly straightforward operation in the confines of an MIT lab was difficult to reproduce on a large scale. In just two years, they had to go back to investors for more money. Sundeep thinks that Titrolyte is ready to go public. Besides, he's concerned that if they don't IPO now, they might miss the bus. But Diane is worried that they're moving too fast. They haven't perfected the technology yet, and Titrolyte's business systems leave a great deal to be desired. Should Titrolyte risk going public now, while the market is still open? In R0102A and R0102Z, William Bourne, Tim Draper, Sarah Mavrinac, Neil Jones, and David Perry offer advice on this fictional case study.

The case is a unique insight into the preparation to avoid the Y2K bug striking at the world economy's financial nerve centre. It tells the real story of how a global network was swiftly formed, procedures set in place, and norms introduced.

In 2000, Accrue is one of three survivors of the initial consolidation of the Web traffic analysis software industry. However, entry from CRM software providers and consultants, as well as ASPs offering Web analysis services, has introduced new threats to Accrue. Newly tapped Interim CEO Greg Walker must develop a plan to help Accrue navigate through the transitions shaking this industry.

Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) is a $74 million nonprofit social enterprise that combats poverty by helping community development organizations build affordable housing and create economic development opportunities through public-private partnerships. Poses a dilemma for the CEO: whether to grow geographically or programmatically. Presents the history of the organization and the many challenges facing urban and rural community groups, such as how to improve educational opportunities for their citizens. Also describes how LISC funds its operations, including the syndication of low-income housing tax credits, foundations, and private partnerships.

A major U.K.-based multinational is reevaluating its leverage policy as it restructures its business. The treasury team models the tradeoffs between the benefits and costs of debt financing, using Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the savings from the interest tax shields and expected financial distress costs under several sets of leverage policies. The group treasurer (CFO) must decide whether and how the simulation results should be incorporated into a recommendation to the board of directors and, more generally, what recommendation to make regarding the firm's leverage policy.