Cases

Harley-Davidson: Rejuvenating an Iconic Brand
Harley-Davidson’s first-ever chief marketing officer has his work cut out as the company seeks to curb slowing sales from aging customers. The dilemma: what to do with its less known and unprofitable Buell brand, which has a younger customer base. Which of five options—continue its dual-brand strategy, double down on Buell, operate Buell as an endorsement brand, sell it, or discontinue the brand entirely—will best attract younger buyers without alienating current diehard customers?

Beleza Natural: Marketing Strategies for Empowering Social Change
Beleza Natural—a chain of hair salons catering to low-income women with afro hair—is striving to rapidly grow its business to reach R$1 billion ($300 million) in sales. CEO and co-founder Leila Velez is considering various fundamental marketing strategies to deliver on her promise to investors while fulfilling her social mission: empower low-income women. The question: What is the best strategy to catalyze company growth: launch a new mass-media campaign, expand Beleza’s target market, broaden its service offerings, streamline service delivery, expand distribution channels, or franchise.

Miele Hong Kong: Marketing Strategies for Building Global Brands
Luxury appliance manufacturer Miele has to launch its new “Fire and Ice” designer kitchen appliance series for luxury developments in the highly competitive Hong Kong market. Miele must determine how to effectively price Fire and Ice products, if it should offer an initial price discount to developers, and how best to communicate the benefits of its upscale new product line.

Puma Social: Marketing Strategies for Building Lifestyle Brands
Puma must choose the most effective moves in three broad areas to improve its operating agility and ensure continued growth:  (1) proceed with its “After Hours Athlete” campaign to define Puma as a lifestyle brand, limit the campaign to social media and local events, or split media efforts between lifestyle and sports;  (2) broaden product distribution in large specialized outlets, small independent sports and fashion retailers, or increase its own retail outlets; (3) continue to be globally managed or consolidate operations at its headquarters in Germany.

Golden Island Jerky: Orchestrating a New Product Launch
A decade-long attempt to expand its products for the U.S. Asian market left Formosa Meat Company struggling. Pinning her hopes on one product—Golden Island gourmet jerky—CEO Anna Kan must choose one of three options to achieve profitability within a year: grab market share with a low starting price, keep price level with competitors but offer a coupon, or price at competitive par with no incentives.

DuraMax: The Product Improvement Nobody Wanted
Applied Dynamics, maker of industrial supplies used by semiconductor chip makers, is pondering how best to market DuraMax—an advanced grinder that costs half again as much but lasts twice as long as competitive grinders. There are several options on the table: lower the price of DuraMax, increase the company’s salesforce to better explain the product’s benefits to buyers, or shelve Duramax until the technology is more accepted.

Gillette Fusion: Building a $1Billion Brand
Gillette is considering strategies for increasing the sales of its new Fusion razor. Proposed recommendations include raising the price of razors, raising the price of cartridges, introducing new packaging, and launching an extensive advertising campaign. The question is which strategy will turn Fusion into a billion-dollar brand.

Universal Press Pricing Dilemma
Senior managers at Universal Press, a leading press manufacturer, are discussing how to respond to a customer’s request for a price reduction. Representatives from different departments outlined five distinct response strategies that varied from giving in to the customer’s request to not changing the price at all. The question is which strategy will ensure Universal’s long-term success.

DryClean Express: Managing Dissatisfied Customers
The president of DryClean Express, a large privately held dry cleaning company, is deciding how to respond to a request from a dissatisfied customer. He is considering different forms of reimbursement, as well as a revision of the company’s customer management policy. The question is which strategy will maximize the company’s long-term profitability.

Calyx Flowers: Managing Profitable Growth
Vermont Teddy Bear Company is deliberating strategies to improve the financial performance of one of its divisions: Calyx Flowers, a catalogue-based flower delivery service. To grow profits, the Calyx marketing team is entertaining three potential solutions: increasing catalog mailings, increasing advertising using traditional mass media, and increasing advertising over the internet. The question is which strategy will have the greatest impact on the company’s financial performance.

Datril: Pioneering the Acetaminophen Market
Bristol-Myers’ management is considering how to best position Datril, its newest acetaminophen drug. Two alternative strategies have been proposed: a low-price strategy and a “me-too” strategy. Management must choose the strategy that will allow it to achieve its strategic goal of dominating the rapidly growing acetaminophen market.

Iridium Satellite Phone: When the Pioneer Fails
Launched in 1998 following a $5 billion, 11-year development, Iridium’s highly touted satellite phone service failed spectacularly, garnering a mere fraction of the half million-plus subscribers it expected in its first year. Within 10 months of launch, Iridium filed for bankruptcy, unable to meet its financial obligations.  Seven months later Iridium discontinued service and began liquidating assets, leaving chief investor and satellite builder, Motorola, to ponder why this pioneering effort derailed.

The Introduction of the New Coke
Responding to the “Pepsi Challenge,” showing people preferred Pepsi to Coke, the Coca-Cola company set out to replace its 99-year-old flagship product with New Coke after positive reactions from focus groups and tests with 200,000 consumers. In mere weeks, angry consumer response and rapidly declining sales force the company to find ways to limit the damage to its image and bottom line.