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Mangaldeep, ITC Limited’s flagship brand of incense sticks used primarily for religious purposes, was second in India’s market share, with good profitability, but sluggish topline growth. Mangaldeep offered a range of products covering the economy, popular, and premium categories. Price per stick was the key parameter industry players focused on, but many consumers sought benefits beyond price. Janani Kandaswamy, category brand lead for ITC’s Incense and Fragrances, had identified five distinct segments for for puja on the basis of consumers’ motivation for the prayer ritual and the manner of expressing devotion. In February 2019, Mangaldeep had a single broad positioning across its portfolio, as the brand of pure worship, which helped connect to the divine. But Kandaswamy believed that it was time to move away from a one size fits all positioning. She had to design a portfolio strategy to double revenue over three years, tap into new growth opportunities, and make Mangaldeep the most loved devotional brand in the category.

In August 2023, Akriti Gupta, the founder of Canfem, a for-profit social enterprise based in India, faced a critical decision regarding the future direction of her business. Established in 2020, Canfem specialized in providing high-quality products and services for cancer patients and survivors, including mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, hair wigs, and emotional healing therapies. Despite the initial limitations of COVID-19 restrictions, Gupta successfully introduced a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model, leveraging personalized video consultations to build customer trust and loyalty, primarily among women. This approach allowed Canfem to gather valuable customer data, enabling repeat and cross-selling opportunities. With pandemic restrictions lifting, Gupta contemplated whether to continue with the D2C model or to expand Canfem's reach through large e-commerce platforms and online pharmacies. Each expansion option presented unique opportunities and challenges that could shape the company’s growth. Understanding the importance of making the right choice, Gupta sought to assess which path would not only foster Canfem’s growth but also maintain the personalized, high-quality service that had been central to the brand’s success and mission.

The Indian Women Pilots’ Association (IWPA) was a non-governmental organization founded in 1967 by trailblazing women in Indian aviation. The association, sustained through membership dues, sponsorships, and donations, provided interest-free loan scholarships to help women pursue advanced training. It also organized seminars, educational programs, and international collaborations to promote aviation awareness and training. IWPA had been instrumental in promoting women’s participation in the aviation sector in India, but despite its early successes and government support, IWPA was facing significant challenges in 2017. The association was grappling with stagnant membership growth, financial constraints, and a shortage of volunteers. IWPA's president, Dr. Harpreet De Singh, was tasked with revitalizing the organization. Could she help IWPA overcome these obstacles and continue its mission effectively? She and the founding members had to strategize to determine how to manage the association more efficiently, attract new members, and secure the necessary resources to sustain and grow IWPA.

Griffin Gale, an advertising professional and hockey enthusiast, was dedicated to growing the sport of ice hockey in Lincoln, Nebraska, through his work with the Lincoln Ice Hockey Association. He had to decide how to overcome the challenges of growing the sport in a city dominated by other sports, ensuring its future in the region.

Unity Health Toronto (Unity Health), a pioneer in the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in Canadian health care, had leveraged advanced analytics and big data from electronic health records to improve patient care. However, much of the value from AI had been generated within Unity Health. In January 2024, the organization needed to determine the strategic alignment, governance, and investment required to scale its internal AI solutions for external health-care partners. Michael Page, the director of AI commercialization at Unity Health, was tasked with making a proposal to the in-house AI advisory committee on how the hospital network could 1) attain potential economic benefits through AI technologies to further expand the health system at Unity Health and 2) help other health-care organizations improve health-care quality and outcomes through AI.

Founded in 2018 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Selex Motors emerged with a vision to propel Vietnam toward sustainable development through electric motorbikes and renewable energy. The company’s founder and co-founders aimed to overcome the challenges of electric vehicle (EV) ownership—mainly charging inconvenience and high costs—by introducing an innovative ecosystem comprising electric motorbikes, compatible battery packs, battery swapping stations, and an internet of things (IoT) management platform. As the industry evolved, Selex found itself at a crossroads, contemplating a strategic focus between deepening its B2B penetration or revisiting the B2C market to drive transformative change in the EV motorbike sector.

The chief marketing officer of Yindii, a food rescue startup focused on sustainability, was tasked with decisions on various growth initiatives that the company was set to chart for itself. She grappled with key decisions on Yindii’s expansion strategy, including whether to launch the platform in other cities in Thailand or to look at international expansion. The decision was complicated by several variables, such as a similar startup in Hong Kong that was up for sale, an emerging local Thai startup that was challenging Yindii on its home turf, the lucrative Singapore market where Yindii looked to raise the next round of capital, and a looming threat of the global market leader, which might penetrate the fast-growing Asian markets.

In February 2024, the general manager and vice-president of Audi Seattle found himself having to consider the future challenges that could be in store for traditional automotive retailing. Despite having faced numerous challenges in the automotive industry over the years, such as recessions and factory strikes, he had remained dedicated to the car business in an ever-changing industry. Now, however, he was all too aware of the imminent threat posed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) selling directly to consumers. Franchise laws had historically shielded auto dealerships from such threats, but Tesla Inc. had bypassed these laws and was selling directly to consumers, altering the industry landscape. With franchise laws under threat and with some competitors already adapting to the shift, the general manager would have to act quickly in determining how to pivot to avoid revenue and market share losses. How should Audi Seattle adapt to the rapid changes taking place in the industry and secure its future?

In 2022, Manisha Pande, the co-founder and managing director of Village Ways (VW), a responsible tourism company in India, was facing financial challenges which threatened to wipe out her company’s 16 years of growth. VW offered personalized trips within India and in neighbouring countries, fostering the well-being of rural communities while limiting environmental damage. But then the COVID-19 pandemic stopped tourism worldwide and created significant financial setbacks for VW. VW thus needed a new strategy to ease its financial strain, save the business, and preserve the community’s trust. Should Pande stick to her pre-pandemic plan of further expanding VW into other countries, or should she focus on saving the company today? Amid these twin challenges of short-term survival and long-term growth planning, Pande also had to uphold VW’s core values of environmental conservation and responsible tourism.

Nolan Anderson, chief technology officer of Auxe, a service-based tech company, needed to identify profitable growth opportunities following sluggish performance. Auxe operated a two-sided marketplace, like Uber Technologies Inc. or Zomato, connecting technicians with customers for TV installations. Contractors were used to drive growth, which led to some quality control issues. Anderson was considering three strategies: expanding products by offering home camera installations, targeting a new customer segment by bidding for the digital signage needs of 7-Eleven Inc., or expanding into the US market. Anderson had until the end of the week to develop a recommendation and action plan to present to the executive team.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> FINALIST - 2024 Fox International Case Writing Competition</strong></p><br/>In April 2024, ZenOnco, known for its successful integrative oncology platform in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, launched a new cancer hospital in Varanasi, India, led by its chief executive officer (CEO) and her co-founder. This expansion brought ZenOnco into the realm of medical treatment in Varanasi, where the company encountered unexpected cultural challenges. The CEO aimed to address these challenges by advocating for early cancer detection, treatment, and supportive care, while positioning ZenOnco as a trusted partner. The question remained: How could ZenOnco effectively bridge these cultural gaps and ensure patients could access necessary care with dignity and support?

In August 2024, the founders of Advancer Group (Advancer), Australia’s first AI-powered expert assistant for human resources (HR), needed a strategy that would best meet the varied interests and concerns of all potential stakeholders. Their goal was to help Australian managers and team members be more productive and efficient, thereby supporting business growth, by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with human HR advisors. Although the entrepreneurs had a plan for expansion, they still needed to persuade the executives at small and medium-sized enterprises to invest in Advancer’s products and services. It was therefore crucial for them to gain a deeper understanding of how to foster trust among their primary stakeholders.

<div style="font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.4;"><p align="justify">Robertet Group was established in 1850 and headquartered in Grasse, France, the world’s perfume capital, specializing in crafting premium natural ingredients for flavours and fragrances. By early 2022, Robertet Group was facing a unique strategic and survival threat from intensifying competition between the industry’s leading Swiss company, Givaudan, and its US challenger, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., a rising power in the industry that had completed several acquisitions to challenge the ruling Givaudan by quickly gaining market share. As the smallest of the major market leaders in the global flavours and fragrances industry, Robertet Group was suddenly facing the risk of being overtaken and subsequently acquired. The company was caught in what was known as the “Thucydides trap,” and facing a destabilized industry. Robertet Group had to find a way to respond to imminent threats. Could the company remain a leading brand in a natural, sustainable, and environmental flavours and fragrances market, while avoiding being consumed by the industry’s giants?

In 2023, Puthran & Associates, an all-women intellectual property law firm in India, was grappling with challenges in employee retention as women employees resigned or relocated due to family commitments. Elizabeth Puthran, the firm’s founder–partner, believed strongly in her founding policy decision that P&A be an all-women team of lawyers and attorneys. Yet with the increasing departures of its employees, the firm needed to balance maintaining a women-centric workplace with ensuring operational stability and growth. While Puthran’s authentic leadership style emphasized inclusivity and talent development, she needed to consider potential policy adjustments to improve retention and employee satisfaction.

In January 2021, the founders of Meal’d, a lunch subscription service based in Kerala, India, were waiting in a cafe to meet with a potential new business partner. They took off their masks and recalled their first meeting in the same cafe, which had led to the beginning of Oru Pothichoru (later renamed Meal’d) in 2017. Now, three years later, their idea had prospered; however, it had reached a standstill with the onset of the pandemic in 2020. The operations of the company had stopped completely in August 2020, and since then, the founders had been struggling to pay employee salaries. Prior to the pandemic, they had been on the verge of obtaining a sizable investment to expand into cities in neighbouring states. But with the recent drastic changes in the business ecosystem, they simply needed money to stay afloat. The founders had been deliberating over the possible alternatives for survival to pitch to the potential partner. Were they back to square one, or could they sustain the brand?

In 2022, Doja Cat walked the red carpet for the sixty-fourth annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, wearing a blinged-out JBL speaker as her only accessory. Chris Epple, vice president of marketing in the lifestyle division of JBL’s parent company, Harman International Industries Inc. (Harman), had realized a huge win with the Doja Cat collaboration. A year after the Grammy Awards, in March 2023, Epple contemplated what was next. He knew this had been the right partnership at the right time, but his greatest concern now was maintaining the social media buzz and continuing to build community around the brand. He wondered how JBL should manage future partnerships and collaborations to keep its target Generation Z consumers engaged and the brand story relevant.

Velmenni, founded in 2014, was India’s first start-up company to venture into the realm of light communication and carry out research and development for commercializing light fidelity (LiFi) technology. After overcoming various technological and market hurdles, Velmenni had been able to make a few advancements by deploying pilot products with potential customers. However, the company lacked a continuous source of revenue. At this critical juncture when Velmenni was making progress with customers and feeling hopeful of getting substantial funding, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Investors who had committed funds didn’t move forward and Solanki lost most of his team members. The chief executive officer now faced the critical question of Velmenni’s very existence. Asking the team members to leave and selling the technology (licensing or assigning it to someone else) would provide him some cash as well as time to think about his next move. But should he instead restructure the team and get more paid pilot projects, to increase the chances of commercialization and investment?

On October 15, 2023, the founder and CEO of Girls in Sports Alberta (GISA) faced a critical decision about expanding her enterprise. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, GISA offered affordable, high-quality multisport programs for girls with the aim to build confidence and promote sports participation. After a successful first year, the business badly needed more employees and funding; however, as a sole proprietorship, it had limited access to certain grants. The founder was now considering changing GISA’s business model and legal structure. Should she transition GISA to a corporation to retain control, or become a non-profit to access new funding opportunities? Which was the right path to achieve sustainable growth?

In 2024, the managing director of a pharma company faced an ethical dilemma after being informed that a senior manager had falsified her resumé and manipulated the reference check process when she applied for her position three and a half years before. After first denying all allegations, the senior manager eventually confessed. However, her pregnancy may have complicated the situation for the company. Given that the company had planned to promote her, would firing her be appropriate? Dismissing her could jeopardize the company’s relationship with major customers and five orders totalling over $20 million. Under these circumstances, how can the company balance its core values with potential business impacts and sensitivity for the manager’s well-being?

Zhongzhi, a virtual reality (VR) company founded in late 2016 and based in Nanchang, China, used its VR films to lay the groundwork for its entry into the metaverse as a business. Since 2021, the first year of the metaverse, Zhongzhi has focused on developing the JiuTian Intelligent Space Platform, which integrates all kinds of digital technologies—such as VR, blockchain, and digital twin—to embed diverse case contents. Zhongzhi’s operations have encompassed three key areas: vocational education, a science and technology centre, and rural revitalization. However, establishing a sustainable metaverse business remains a significant concern. The company was confronted with a strategic dilemma: whether to focus all efforts on a core business area or diversify into new ventures that offer long-term sustainability.