Alpen Bank: Launching the Credit Card in Rom ania Alpen Bank considers whether to launch a credit card

business in Romania. The firm rejected the idea several years earlier because of poor economic conditions in Romania. However, the country is emerging from a recession and incomes are rising along with disposable income. Students decide whether to launch the new business and how to acquire new customers.

Atlantic Computer: A Bundle of Pricing Options Atlantic Computer, a leading player in the high-end server market, has developed a new server, the Tronn, and a software tool, called the "Performance Enhancing Server Accelerator," or PESA, that allows the Tronn to perform up to four times faster than its standard speed. How should Atlantic price the Tronn and PESA? Online tool: Pricing marginal math

Classic Knitwear and Guardian: A Perfect Fit? In response to shareholder demands for margin improvements, the CMO of Classic Knitwear, a privatelabel non-fashion knitwear manufacturer, considers partnering with another company to produce a new line of high-margin, insect-repellant clothing.

Clean Edge Razor: Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning A health and beauty manufacturing company launches a new technologically advanced vibrating razor into the highly competitive men's market for shaving products. The product manager struggles with positioning the product either as a "niche" razor for the high-end market or as a mainstream razor for the average consumer.

New! Cottle-Taylor: Expanding the Oral Care Group in India The director for oral care products in India develops a marketing plan to support 20% growth in India but her boss wants to see 30% growth. To reach the revised goal, she must develop a new marketing plan while considering many factors including the regional differences between rural and urban consumers and the level of acceptance for modern dental standards across India.

Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price Promotion Faced with ambiguous results from a previous price promotion, Culinarian must decide if a new promotion will damage its premium brand or improve brand awareness and stimulate sales. What role should price promotion play in the company's sales growth goals?

The Fashion Channel The new Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Fashion Channel is preparing to recommend a change in the company's traditional marketing approach by introducing a market segmentation program. Students must evaluate consumer research results, calculate financial scenarios, and make their own recommendation. Online tool: Segmentation/ROS/ROI

Flare Fragrances Company, Inc: Analyzing Growth Opportunities Flare Fragrances experiences a decline in annual sales growth and considers introducing a new line of perfume or expanding distribution. Students study a wide range of factors including brand management, consumer demographics, product positioning, and pricing.

Giant Consumer Products: The Sales Promotion Resource Allocation Decision In an effort to boost sagging sales, the Frozen Food Division undertakes a risky trade promotion. Focuses on cannibalization, brand equity erosion, and strategic channel issues.

Harrington Collection: Sizing Up the Active-Wear Market In the wake of slumping sales and sagging profit margins, a leading manufacturer and retailer of highend women's apparel must decide whether to expand into the high-growth active-wear market. The case explores the financial implications, assesses trade and competitor reactions, considers the risks, and determines whether the company's Vigor division will be able to successfully launch and manage a new product line.

Manchester Products: A Brand Transition Challenge Manchester, a furniture company, has acquired an extremely powerful brand but can use its name for only three years-so the VP of Marketing must design a plan that transitions the new brand's power back to the company. The case examines decision-making related to brand equity, communications, and other aspects of marketing strategy.

MedNet.com Confronts "Click-Through" Competition In January 2007, "MedNet.com" is a leading website that provides science-based health information free of charge to online visitors. Its business model relies on advertising sales, primarily to pharmaceutical companies. In the face of fierce advertising competition, MedNet is forced to defend this model. However, in defending the value MedNet delivers, company executives may be building the case for why niche sites may be a better investment for the advertiser's budget. Online tool: Web metrics

Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight Loss Drug The marketing director at a pharmaceutical company must carefully consider the positioning and communications strategy for the launch a new weight-loss drug. Poor positioning of the drug in the highly competitive market for weight-loss solutions could spell disaster.

Metabical: Pricing, Packaging, and Demand Forecasting Recommendations for a New WeightLoss Drug A pharmaceutical company develops a new weight loss drug called Metabical. The senior marketing manager explores three different pricing models and considers the effects on profitability before making a final recommendation.

Mountain Man Brewing Company Mountain Man Beer Company brews just one beer, Mountain Man Lager, known as "West Virginia's beer," popular among blue-collar workers. When the company experiences declining sales, the CEO considers launching a new beer, Mountain Man Light, in the hope of attracting younger drinkers. Mountain Man Lager's brand equity is a key asset for the company. Will Mountain Man Light enhance, detract from, or irreversibly damage the brand? Online tool: Break-even analysis

Natureview Farm Natureview Farm, a Vermont-based producer of organic yogurt with $13 million in revenues, is the leading national brand sold into natural foods stores. When the company faces financial pressure to increase revenues to $20 million due to a planned exit by its venture capital investors, the VP of marketing must decide whether to expand into the supermarket channel. Online tool: Channel margins

New! Reed Supermarkets: A New Wave of Competitors The marketing VP at a high-end, conventional supermarket chain is concerned about increased competition from dollar stores and limited-assortment stores offering very low price points. She must decide how to change the current marketing and positioning plan to increase market share.

Reliance Baking Soda: Optimizing Promotional Spending The new Domestic Brand Director needs to create a marketing budget that delivers a profit increase of 10%, weighing the value of advertising, price increases, and the role of the brand within the company. Students are expected to create and defend a similar budget.

Rosewood Hotels and Resorts: Branding to Increase Customer Profitability and Lifetime Value Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is a small firm running 12 individually branded luxury properties. Its new leadership is contemplating whether the firm should significantly increase the prominence of the corporate identity, making Rosewood a corporate brand. Students must calculate how customer lifetime value would be affected by a shift from individual branding to corporate branding. Online tool: Customer lifetime value calculator

Saxonville Sausage Company Saxonville Sausage, a $1.5 billion manufacturer of pork sausage products, is experiencing financial stress because its leading product lines have lately produced declining revenues-except an Italian sausage named Vivio, which has recently experienced a significant increase in revenues, as has the entire Italian sausage category nationwide. W hat steps should the company take to expand Vivio into a powerful national brand?

Soren Chemical: Why Is the New Pool Product Sinking? Soren Chemicals launches a new water clarifier for residential swimming pools called Coracle and is surprised by poor sales. Coracle is chemically similar to the company's highly successful water clarifier for large pools at recreational facilities and offers the same superior product performance. The marketing manager suspects the go-to-market strategy may be flawed but can she diagnose the problem before the end of the selling season?

The Springfield Nor'easters: Maximizing Revenues in the Minor Leagues The marketing director of a new minor-league baseball team must design, conduct, and then interpret survey research to determine optimal ticket pricing that will yield large attendance figures and contribute to the owner's goal of breaking even in the first year of play. The pricing assignment becomes more challenging when other variables like concessions revenue are considered. Students are asked to complete a quantitative assignment as part of case analysis, and they must also grapple with less quantifiable factors.

TruEarth Healthy Foods: Market Research for a New Product Introduction TruEarth Healthy Foods wants to build on its successful introduction of fresh whole grain pasta by introducing a similar product concept for pizza. Acting as brand managers, students analyze the data and decide whether to bring the new product to market.

Alpen Bank: Launching the Credit Card in Romania (Brief Case)

In 2006, the country manager for Alpen Bank in Romania, Gregory Carle, considers whether to recommend the launch of a credit card business. The firm rejected the idea several years earlier because of poor economic conditions in Romania. However, Romania is experiencing a period of economic growth after joining the European Union and Carle believes it is time to reconsider the opportunity despite continued skepticism within the company. Carle faces several important decisions before he can present his plan to the head of International Consumer Businesses. He must decide whether to launch a credit card business in Romania, how to position the credit card, and how to acquire new customers most effectively. This case is appropriate for use in the product policy module of a general marketing course, in a new product course, or in a services management course. Students are required to complete a quantitative assignment as part of case analysis.

The Fashion Channel

DESCRIPTION The new Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Fashion Channel (TFC), a cable television network dedicated to roundthe-clock, fashion-oriented programming, is preparing to recommend a change in the company's traditional marketing approach by introducing a market segmentation program. This program is, in part, a response to the intensifying competitive environment for TFC, and it needs to strengthen the company's brand and positioning with viewers and advertisers. At the same time, the program must maintain consumer and distributor satisfaction with the network. Several segmentation options are being considered, each with pros and cons. Consumer research provides insights but does not give a simple answer regarding the best path to take. The reader must evaluate the research results, calculate financial scenarios, and make a recommendation. Also looks at change management issues. TFC has never done a program like this before, and the Senior Vice President of Marketing is new to the job. In addition to making a recommendation, she must manage the change process to insure that the organization and her leadership team peers are fully aligned. Learning Objective: To illustrate the development of market segmentation options, using a combination of market and consumer data, financial analysis, stakeholder inputs, and other analytic resources; demonstrate how quantitative analysis can be used to support a strategic marketing decision by asking students to review multiple data inputs and to calculate the bottom line impact of proposed options; and highlight the issues involved in managing a business that is experiencing a changing competitive environment.

Subjects Covered: Change management; Consumer marketing; Market research; Market segmentation; Quantitative analysis

Fashion Channel
The new Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Fashion Channel (TFC), a cable television network dedicated to round-the-clock, fashionoriented programming, is preparing to recommend a change in the company's traditional marketing approach by introducing a market segmentation program. This program is, in part, a response to the intensifying competitive environment for TFC, and it needs to strengthen the company's brand and positioning with viewers and advertisers. At the same time, the program must maintain consumer and distributor satisfaction with the network. Several segmentation options are being considered, each with pros and cons. Consumer research provides insights but does not give a simple answer regarding the best path to take. The reader must evaluate the research results, calculate financial scenarios, and make a recommendation. Also looks at change management issues. TFC has never done a program

like this before, and the Senior Vice President of Marketing is new to the job. In addition to making a recommendation, she must manage the change process to insure that the organization and her leadership team peers are fully aligned. Learning Objectives: To illustrate the development of market segmentation options, using a combination of market and consumer data, financial analysis, stakeholder inputs, and other analytic resources; demonstrate how quantitative analysis can be used to support a strategic marketing decision by asking students to review multiple data inputs and to calculate the bottom line impact of proposed options; and highlight the issues involved in managing a business that is experiencing a changing competitive environment. Subjects: Change management; Consumer marketing; Market research; Market segmentation; Quantitative analysis. Setting: Chicago, IL; cable television industry.

Overview The Fashion Channel (TFC), founded in 1996, is a successful cable TV network dedicated to all things fashion. Although quite young compared to other TV networks, TFC has experienced steady growth and in 2006 forecasted its revenue at $310.6 million. TFC operates primarily as a niche network, focused solely on fashion and fashion related programming, but still manages to reach almost 80 million US households that subscribe to cable and satellite television. To date TFC has been able to experience growth in spite of having no clear segmentation, branding, or positioning strategy. Dana Wheeler, a recent hire as TFCs Senior VP of marketing, was tasked to fix this. Building on her experience in the advertising industry and leveraging the market research available to her, Dana developed three segmentation and positioning strategies that she felt, while leveraging the success and momentum TFC has already experienced, positions the company for a more focused attempt to stave off competition, improve growth of the brand, and ultimately increases profit. This paper analyses The Fashion Channel (TFC) case study and assesses the market segmentation and position strategies proposed by Dana Wheeler. Below a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis is presented, followed by a discussion and analysis of the consumer and market data presented in the case, and finally an analysis and recommendation of the three market segmentation and position strategies proposed by Dana. 1. SWOT Rapid expansion and growing competition in the advertising market for both cable and satellite television has forced TFC to develop a market, branding and positioning strategy focused on its market leader position, requiring that it fend off new competition like CNN and Lifetime otherwise risk losing market share and advertising revenue. In order to achieve this objective TFC has decided to spend more...

Introduction and Problem Definition As the only network dedicated solely to fashion, The Fashion Channels (TFC) consistent Fashion for everyone strategy is facing challenges by the other two competitors Lifetime and CNN, which are separately targeting young females and men by their fashion-related programming. The channel needs to target the right viewers and offer advertisers an attractive mix of viewers, consequently strengthening its competitive position. External Situation Analysis Current Networks Industry In 2006, consumer advertisers spent almost $20 billion on cable networks. In the industry, there are more than 700 cable networks, and most networks revenue stream comes from cable-affiliate fees and advertising sales. As a basic network which is automatically received by customers when they sign up for basic cable service, TFC has already achieved full penetration of available cable households
and there is limited opportunity to raise fees. Advertising sales becomes a key weapon of TFCs growth opportunity. Advertising campaigns among networks make the marketing price go up and down all the time. Nowadays most networks are trying to increase their ratings because the ad buyers are more interested in buying ratings and demographics than in specific programming subjects. Other than that, traditional networks have fixed supply of advertising because they have long-term loyal business relationships. Its not that easy for other networks such as TFC to get these ad customers from them. Competitors of TFC Lifetime and CNN are the two biggest competitors of TFC. They start to offer fashion-specific programming and attract advertisers by their higher ratings, the audiences characteristics, and competitive trends. Consumer behavior Competitors such as Lifetime and CNN have been targeting fashion-specific programs. Now consumers have more choices. When looking at Alpha... The Fashion Channel Case Analysis Problem Statement: The case of the Fashion Channel exhibited possible failures and multiple problems. After thorough review of the case I felt the core problem is the failure to focus on a specific demographic. TFC had run off the marketing strategy of something-for-everyone for plenty of years and found success in this untouched niche of fashion television. Without competition, this marketing mentality had been very profitable, and started drawing up attention from other networks. With rising competition in this network specialty, TFC was losing CPM (cost per thousand) advertising value and market share. Stuck in the past success of their previous marketing strategy, TFC is in dire need of change. Create a strategy to successfully reach a powerful viewer segment to increase the ratings in highly valued demographic groups to ultimately increase CPM pricing. In the end Dana Wheeler would need to drive revenue growth, increase viewership, and increase

advertising pricing. Situation Analysis: Strengths: The biggest strength of TFC is the fact that they are providing fashion television 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This can play a huge part into the CPM value if you are a company who deals with fashion and wants to reach a specified fashion segment of viewers. The network has also had great past success. They found a niche and created something that has not been seen before, giving their network the competitive edge on their competitors. Being the only network offering fashion, TFC has the experience, expertise, and ability to capture specific segments with high interest in the fashion industry. Weaknesses: I feel their biggest weakness is that TFC is stuck in their old ways, using the pitch of something-for-everyone. This is great when there is no competition, but when competition rises there is need to find a more specific market segment. They didnt know who their target market was nor did they know the demographics...

Giant Consumer Products: The Sales Promotion Resource Allocation Decision

DESCRIPTION This case provides students with an opportunity to become familiar with some major strategic issues that firms face when formulating and implementing a sales promotion, including: cannibalization, brand equity erosion, forward-buying, passthrough, and consumer stockpiling. It also provides them an opportunity to utilize retail scanner purchase data in order to evaluate the historical performance of sales promotions. Based on calculating top-line revenue, marketing margin, and return on marketing investment (ROMI) for prior promotions, students can recommend the most financially and strategically defensible initiative from a choice of several competing sales promotions. The setting is the frozen foods category in the consumer packaged goods industry.

Learning Objective: To provide students with a greater appreciation of how such strategic issues as cannibalization, brand equity erosion, forward-buying, pass-through, and consumer stockpiling can factor into decision-making pertaining to sales promotion activity. To provide students with an understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of brand management. To provide students with some insight into how annual brand plans and sales promotions are developed and implemented. To provide students with exposure to financial analytics, including return on marketing investment (ROMI), commonly utilized by brand managers at consumer packaged goods firms.

Subjects Covered: Brand equity; Brand management; Brands; Margins; Marketing planning; Pricing strategy; Return on investment; Sales promotions Harrington Collection: Sizing Up the Active-Wear Market

DESCRIPTION Topics Include: apparel, brand management, breakeven analysis, channel management, consumer behavior, industry analysis, marketing mix, product development, and profitability analysis. In the wake of slumping sales and sagging profit margins, a leading manufacturer and retailer of high-end women's apparel, Harrington Collection, must evaluate an opportunity to expand into the high-growth active-wear market. Sara Huey, Vice President of Strategic Planning, calls on two of her colleagues to help perform a comprehensive market evaluation. They must analyze the financial implications of the opportunity, assess trade and competitor reactions, consider the risks, and determine whether the Vigor division of the company will be able to successfully launch and manage the new product line. Learning Objective: Discuss product mix in the context of a mature, highly-competitive industry. Evaluate the strategic implications of a new product introduction on the company, its channel partners and competitors. Understand how to identify, organize, and use demand and cost information to predict the financial impact of adding a new product line. Subjects Covered: Breakeven analysis; Consumer behavior; Product introduction

Manchester Products: A Brand Transition Challenge

DESCRIPTION Brand Transition In January of 2005, Manchester Products Inc., a longtime leader in office furniture that only recently entered into the home furniture market, acquired Paul Logan's Furniture Division (PLFD). The acquisition of PLFD made Manchester an instant market leader in household furniture. A key factor in the value of PLFD has been the name of the company founder -arguably the premiere name in high-end fashion and accessories, and a true lifestyle brand. However, Manchester has acquired rights to use the Paul Logan brand name for only three years. Jason Adams, VP of Marketing for Manchester, is responsible for designing a plan to transition the brand from the Paul Logan name to Manchester. He must develop the optimal timing and sequencing of the brand transition, assess the implications, and establish the appropriate mix of advertising and promotion programs to support the transition. Learning Objective: 1. Evaluate alternative product policies and communications programs for implementing a brand transition. 2. Discuss the horizontal and vertical stretching of a brand name in relation to product line breadth and depth. 3. Evaluate the marketing strategy behind an acquisition, including considerations of product-company and product-market fit. and product-market fit. Subjects Covered: Acquisitions; Brand equity; Branding; Consumer marketing; Marketing communications; Marketing strategy MedNet.com Confronts 'Click-Through' Competition

DESCRIPTION Brief Case from HBSP In January 2007, "MedNet.com" is a leading website that provides science-based health information free of charge to online visitors. MedNet communicates with traditional web journalism, interactive software, and social media tools such as blogs, video reports and virtual reality tours. The site operates conservatively within the government-regulated health information market. MedNet's business model relies on advertising sales, primarily to pharmaceutical companies. MedNet competes for advertising dollars with large search engines, category specific sites, and clinical trial sites. In 2007, large search engines charge for "results," or "click throughs." Other sites, such as online newspapers, charge for impressions. Advertising campaigns depend on numerous variables (an efficient audience size, audience frame of mind, willingness to complete a transaction, etc.) In the face of fierce advertising competition, MedNet is forced to defend key elements of its business model vis-a-vis a large search engine. However, in defending the advertising value MedNet delivers, MedNet executives may be building the case for why niche sites may be a better investment for the advertiser's budget. Learning Objective: To illustrate the Internet industry's structure, especially the marketing implications related to channel power and influence (large search engines and niche websites). By comparing impression-based with click-through advertising, to help students understand the variables involved in consumer-based, advertising business models. Students must identify the best metrics to support various business models and calculate the return on investment (ROI) for an advertising campaign. Subjects Covered: Advertising; Advertising strategy; Business models; Business to business; Consumer marketing; Financial ratios; Internet marketing; Search engines

Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight Loss Drug (Brief Case) John A. Quelch, Heather Beckham

DESCRIPTION Topics include Consumer Behavior, Marketing Communications, New Product Launch, Product Positioning, and Push/Pull Marketing. This case can be used separately or in conjunction with Brief Case #4183, Metabical: Pricing, Packaging, and Demand Forecasting for a New Weight Loss Drug. Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) expects final approval for its revolutionary weight loss drug, Metabical. Metabical will be the only weight loss drug with FDA approval that is also clinically proven to be effective for moderately overweight people. Barbara Printup, Senior Marketing Director for CSP, must develop the positioning strategy and marketing communications plan in preparation for the launch of the new drug. Printup must consider the consumer decision-making process and the interaction between the consumer who purchases the drug and the health care provider who prescribes the medication. Despite promising medical studies and consumer research, poor positioning of the drug in the highly competitive market for weight-loss solutions could spell disaster. Students analyze market research data and consider the optimal positioning strategy and marketing communications program. Learning Objective: Understanding the hierarchy-of-effects, the decision-making unit, the decision-making process, and push vs. pull communications. Identifying strategies for segmenting, targeting, and positioning new products. Understanding the critical elements of a marketing communications program. Subjects Covered: Consumer behavior; Marketing communications; Product introduction

Metabical: Pricing, Packaging, and Demand Forecasting Recommendations for a New Weight Loss Drug (Brief Case)

DESCRIPTION Topics Include: Pricing Policy, Demand Forecasting, New Product Development, Cost-Based Pricing, Target-Return Pricing, Product Packaging, Sales Forecasting, Competitive-Oriented Pricing, Demand-Oriented Pricing and Return on Investment. This case can be used separately or in conjunction with Brief Case #4240, Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight Loss Drug. Metabical is a new weight loss drug from Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals intended for moderately overweight individuals. In anticipation of final FDA approval, the senior director of marketing, Barbara Printup, prepares for the product launch and must make several critical decisions. First, she must select the optimal packaging size for the drug which typically requires a 12-week course of treatment. Next, she must determine the appropriate pricing. Since most insurance companies do not cover weight-loss medications, price has a direct impact on the sales forecast. To establish the initial demand forecast, Printup considers three approaches based on different assumptions. Her final recommendations must consider long term profitability and meet the company's desired return on investment.The case includes a quantitative assignment for students. Learning Objective: 1. Analyze different product pricing approaches: cost-based pricing, demand-oriented pricing, competitive-oriented pricing, and target-return pricing. 2. Evaluate product packaging alternatives for fit with consumer data and possible pricing strategies. 3. Explore the complexity of making product pricing and packaging decisions for a new product when demand and consumer behavior are uncertain. 4. Examine methods for forecasting demand of a new product and estimating profitability. DISCIPLINE: MARKETING Subjects Covered: Demand planning; Forecasting; Pricing policies; Return on investment

Mountain Man Brewing Co.: Bringing the Brand to Light

DESCRIPTION Chris Prangel, a recent MBA graduate, has returned home to West Virginia to manage the marketing operations of the Mountain Man Beer Company, a family-owned business he stands to inherit in five years. Mountain Man brews just one beer, Mountain Man Lager, also known as "West Virginia's beer" and popular among blue-collar workers. Due to changes in beer drinkers' taste preferences, the company is now experiencing declining sales for the first time in its history. In

response, Chris wants to launch Mountain Man Light, a "light beer" formulation of Mountain Man Lager, in the hope of attracting younger drinkers to the brand. However, he encounters resistance from senior managers. Mountain Man Lager's brand equity is a key asset for Mountain Man Brewing Company. The question is whether Mountain Man Light will enhance it, detract from it, or irreversibly damage it. Learning Objective: To explore brand equity: its creation and using brands as platforms for growth; the risks and benefits of a product line extension (including congruent vs. incongruent extensions) using an existing brand name; and the concepts of cannibalization and brand alienation. To practice marginal analysis, breakeven analysis, net present value (NPV) analysis, and sensitivity analysis, emphasizing the difficulty in choosing between qualitative and quantitative information in making key strategic decisions. Subjects Covered: Brand equity; Brand management; Breakeven analysis; Consumer marketing; Demographics; Forecasting; Margins; Marketing; Metrics; Present value; Product differentiation; Quantitative analysis

Natureview Farm

DESCRIPTION Explores channel management issues in the U.S. food industry. Natureview Farm, a Vermont-based producer of organic yogurt with $13 million in revenues, is the leading national yogurt brand (24% market share) sold into natural foods stores. It has achieved this through its special yogurt manufacturing process and through cultivating personal relationships with dairy buyers in the natural foods channel. Set in 2000, when the company faces financial pressure to grow revenues to $20 million by the end of 2001 due to a planned exit by its venture capital investors. The immediate decision point that the protagonist, Natureview's vice president of marketing, faces is whether to achieve this revenue growth by expanding into the supermarket channel. Learning Objective: To engage in an exploration of potential risks and rewards associated with a company's choice of channel and how these channel conflicts can potentially be managed. To develop understanding of the key issues related to consumer product market development and product development growth strategies. To enable students to calculate margin economics across distribution channels. Subjects Covered: Margins; Market share; Marketing; Marketing channels; Pricing; Quantitative analysis; Sales promotions; Value chains Reed Supermarkets: A New Wave of Competitors

DESCRIPTION Reed Supermarkets is a high-end supermarket chain with operations in several Midwestern states. Meredith Collins, vice president of marketing, visits stores located in Columbus, Ohio, an important region with the largest market and the greatest impact on revenue growth. She is concerned about increased competition from dollar stores and limitedassortment stores offering very low, appealing price points. Reed's market research shows that as a result of the economic downturn, customer loyalty is dwindling and consumers are willing to go to multiple stores to get the best deals. Collins must decide whether to change the current marketing and positioning plan in an effort to increase market share to meet challenging corporate targets. Her options include retreating from price competition and focusing on quality or embracing more private-label brands and competing more aggressively on price. She can also maintain the current positioning and appeal to customers looking for a quality shopping experience. The case contains an implicit quantitative assignment that instructors can emphasize to the degree they choose. Learning Objective: Explore elements of marketing strategy, market segmentation, product differentiation, and product positioning for a retail organization. Analyze and differentiate among conflicting strategic perspectives. Understand the "cycle of retailing," which suggests that new retail stores naturally evolve from low-price, low-overhead stores to become upscale retailers offering additional services and product lines. Subjects Covered: Competitive strategy; Consumer marketing; Market positioning; Market segmentation; Marketing strategy

Reliance Baking Soda: Optimizing Promotional Spending (Brief Case)

DESCRIPTION Reliance Baking Soda is Stewart Corporation's oldest and most established product. The new Domestic Brand Director needs to create a 2008 marketing budget that delivers a profit increase of 10% over 2007 levels. She must first evaluate the effectiveness of past consumer and trade promotions and determine if a price increase will have net bottom line benefits. Then she must decide on the optimal allocation of her marketing budget, taking into account the brand's apparent "cash cow" role in the Household Division of Stewart Corporation. Students are expected to complete a quantitative assignment: create and defend a budget. Learning Objective: 1. Evaluate the respective roles of price, advertising, consumer promotion, and trade promotion in marketing a mature product. 2. Develop quantitative analysis skills needed to evaluate consumer and trade promotion expenditures. 3. Explore different approaches to marketing expenditure allocations and consider the implications of those decisions. Subjects Covered: Advertising; Communication strategy; Consumer marketing; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy; Product management; Program budgeting; Quantitative analysis; Sales promotions Rosewood Hotels and Resorts: Branding to Increase Customer Profitability and Lifetime Value

DESCRIPTION Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, a small luxury private hotel management firm running a collection of 12 individually branded hotels and resorts in multiple countries, was wondering how to foster customer retention and loyalty and capture the maximum value from its 115,000 guests. Rosewood had always allowed each hotel to stand as its own individual brand, with the Rosewood name presented as a muted sub-brand, if at all. Now Rosewood's new leadership was contemplating whether the firm should significantly increase the prominence of the corporate identity, making Rosewood a corporate brand. The main challenge that Rosewood's executives face is to assess whether the potential economic benefits from increased guest retention can outweigh the $1,000,000 marketing investment needed to implement the corporate branding strategy. The central focus is a quantitative assignment that asks students to calculate how customer lifetime value would be affected by a shift from individual branding to corporate branding. Learning Objective: To understand the concept of customer lifetime value (CLTV) and the importance of maximizing a customer's lifetime value for the firm; learn the components of customer lifetime value and how each component can be estimated; calculate customer lifetime value based on a combination of financial and non-financial data; and explore risks and opportunities associated with corporate branding vs. the branding of individual products. Subjects Covered: Brand management; Brands; Customer retention; Quantitative analysis

Saxonville Sausage

DESCRIPTION Saxonville Sausage, a $1.5 billion manufacturer of pork sausage products, is experiencing financial stress because its leading product lines have lately produced declining revenues in product categories that are realizing no growth. However, one product line, an Italian sausage brand named Vivio, has recently experienced a significant increase in revenues, as has the entire Italian sausage category nationwide. Unfortunately, Vivio represents only 5% of the company's total revenues. Ann Banks, a seasoned marketing director, has been hired to expand Vivio, currently distributed in a few cities, especially in the northeastern U.S, into a powerful national brand. Depicts the sequence of steps Ann takes to determine the best positioning for the brand. These steps include analyzing and employing specific techniques for researching customers' needs, preferences, and values; using the learning from research to develop a motivation-centered characterization of the target consumer; eliciting tactical ideas from a cross-departmental team of colleagues for product "alterations," packaging,

and other contributory elements in the branding program; and finally, choosing between two positionings that seem equally valid. Learning Objective: Primary Objectives: determine the optimal positioning for a brand to adopt based on consumers' motivations, influences, and values, and understand the research and post-research processes undertaken by a brand or marketing manager who is building a plan to increase brand revenues. Supporting Objectives: translate learning about target customers into testable positioning concepts; evaluate tactics that support the positioning and further communicate the brand's identity, and gain insight into choosing between two relatively viable positioning options. Subjects Covered: Branding; Consumer behavior; Focus groups; Market research; Product differentiation; Product positioning

Soren Chemical: Why is the New Swimming Pool Product Sinking? (Brief Case)

DESCRIPTION Topics include distribution channels, pricing, and new product marketing. Jen Moritz, the marketing manager for Soren Chemical Co. is struggling with the poor sales performance of Coracle, a new clarifier for residential swimming pools. The performance is puzzling because Coracle is chemically similar to another Soren product that has sold well for treatment of larger pools. Soren distributes the other product B2B through "chemical formulators" serving the commercial pools market -- but Soren uses wholesale distributors to sell Coracle. Given the slow start in establishing Coracle as a consumer brand, Moritz suspects that the go-to-market strategy may be flawed, but she is unsure where the problem lies; she examines channel strategy, distribution partners, the Coracle pricing scheme, the threat of competitors' offerings, and other potential problem sources. Learning Objective: 1. Examine the interactive nature of the elements of the marketing mix, i.e. the impact of pricing and branding policy on the incentives of channel partners 2. Evaluate different approaches to pricing, including value pricing, competitive parity pricing, and customer indifference pricing (cannibalization) 3. Understand the trade-offs in new product marketing between an ideal strategy and what is actually feasible and affordable Subjects Covered: Branding; Communication strategy; Marketing channels; Marketing mix; Marketing strategy; New product marketing; Pricing The Springfield Nor'easters: Maximizing Revenues in the Minor Leagues DESCRIPTION The marketing director of a new minor-league baseball team must design, conduct, and then interpret survey research to determine optimal ticket pricing that will yield large attendance figures and contribute to the owner's goal of breaking even in the first year of play. The pricing assignment becomes more challenging when other variables like concessions revenue are considered. Students are asked to complete a quantitative assignment as part of case analysis, but they must grapple with less quantifiable factors as well. Learning Objective: 1. Discuss the design, implementation, and interpretation of research surveys. 2. Learn to use quantitative analysis methods to develop a "scaled" pricing strategy. 3. Help students to understand the sometimes subtle relationships between pricing and the possible impact on sales of auxiliary products. Subjects Covered: Consumer marketing; Market research; Pricing strategy; Quantitative analysis

TruEarth Healthy Foods: Market Research for a New Product Introduction (Brief Case)

DESCRIPTION Topics covered include: consumer marketing, market research, new product introduction, and quantitative analysis. TruEarth Healthy Foods, a maker of gourmet pastas, sauces, and meals, wants to build on its successful introduction of

fresh whole grain pasta by introducing a similar product concept for pizza. In an increasingly competitive market, TruEarth is focused on beating its competition and wants to act quickly and decisively. The company conducts extensive market research, first using focus groups to test the concept and then following up with take-home trials. Acting as brand managers, students must complete a quantitative analysis of the available data to project the sales volume for pizza and then decide whether to bring the new product to market. Learning Objective: 1. Understand the assumptions and techniques for estimating markets and projecting sales 2. Analyze and interpret data to decide whether to bring a new product to market 3. Recognize the importance of perceived value to consumers for a new product as compared with existing products 4. Understand the limitations of making decisions based on research and available data Subjects Covered: Brands; Consumer marketing; Market research