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Dow Chemical Polyolefins and Elastomers R&D: Sustaining High Performance (Abridged)
Horniman, Alexander B.; Cross, TomCase DARDEN-OB-0918-ELeadership and People ManagementOnce considered a candidate for divesture, Dow Chemical Polyolefins and Elastomers has had 12 successful years in a row. The company has set the standard of excellence for new-product innovation, having launched an average of one new-product line each year with 10 of the 11 launches being a success. After winning awards and receiving recognition for his speed in developing and launching chemical products, the company’s COO now had a new concern t...Starting at €8.20
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Smoke and Mirrors (A)
Cross, TomCase DARDEN-OB-0948-ELeadership and People ManagementThe CEO of Exhaust Tech, the worldwide leader in exhaust systems, has directed the newly appointed head of marketing to advertise and market a new product that is less expensive to manufacture but has no real consumer benefits other than the lifetime guarantee that no longer offers any competitive differentiation. The head of marketing prefers another product and feels he is being pressured into inventing something out of nothing to launch this n...Starting at €8.20
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James Madison and "The Business of May Next" (B)
Cross, Tom; Newell, Terry; Rice, PeterCase DARDEN-OB-0969-ELeadership and People ManagementOn May 30, 1787, the second day of the Convention held in the Pennsylvania State House, six states voted “aye” and one “nay” to the proposal to establish “a national Government … consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.” In that moment, delegates who had gathered merely to revise the Articles of Confederation agreed to abolish it. In that moment, James Madison earned the title of Father of the Constitution, although he had no...Starting at €5.74
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The Cycling Industry
Farris, Paul W.; Hoeller, DanielTechnical Note DARDEN-M-0744-EMarketingThis note explores brand evolution in a growing industry. Four high-end U.S. bicycle frame manufacturers (Trek, Seven, Moots, and Cérvolo) compete for brand status in the $2,000-and-up mountain bike market. Challenged by a coming carbon shortage and famed cyclist Lance Armstrong's retirement, the continued domination of Asian imports, and the reduction in the number of local bike shops, this industry faces significant strategy challenges.Starting at €8.20
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Does TripSense Make Sense?
Farris, Paul W.; Skurnik, Ian; Zimmerman, AlanCase DARDEN-M-0757-EMarketingThis case prompts students to determine how Progressive Insurance can best assess the customer interest, technical feasibility, economic viability, and actuarial justification of TripSense, its usage-based pricing program.Starting at €8.20
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Progressive Insurance: Not Your Standard Insurance Story
Farris, Paul W.; Pfeifer, Phillip E.; Zimmerman, AlanCase DARDEN-M-0758-EMarketingProgressive Insurance, a leader in the automotive insurance market, has succeeded through innovation. This case describes the company’s strategies for differentiating its service through programs such as Immediate Response Vehicles and Express Quote. Through these programs and a series of creative advertising campaigns, Progressive has built a strong brand in a relatively short time.Starting at €8.20
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Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: 15 Years Later
Spekman, Robert E.; Farris, Paul W.; Webb, MarjorieCase DARDEN-M-0766-EMarketingCompact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) lasted five to six times longer-8,000 to 12,000 hours-than comparable incandescent bulbs and consumed 75% less energy. By July 2008, prices had fallen as low as $2 or so per bulb, compared with $0.25 for standard bulbs. But manufacturers had yet to crack the code on how to get consumers to choose these innovative energy-efficient light bulbs over standard bulbs.Starting at €8.20
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The Tata Nano: The People's Car (A)
Farris, Paul W.; Venkatesan, Rajkumar; Kishore, N. Raghu; Lemley, AmyCase DARDEN-M-0768-EMarketingStudents identify promotion, price, place, segment, targeting, and positioning for marketing “the world’s cheapest car.” This case is effective for MBA, undergraduate, and executive learners studying market segmentation, pricing, cannibalization risk, pricing, and break-even sales in the face of different price and cost scenarios. Has Tata chosen the right marketing strategy? Does the Nano represent an evolution or a revolution in automobile mark...Starting at €8.20
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SVEDKA Vodka (B)
Farris, Paul W.; Venkatesan, Rajkumar; Zuckerman, IvyCase DARDEN-M-0775-EMarketingIn the second case of a three-part series, the SVEDKA founder assesses which initial decisions were most critical in the launch of his now-successful product. He also explores the new choices he faces, including changes to the distribution channels and additions to the product line. Suitable for both MBA- and undergraduate-level courses such as "Integrated Marketing Communications," the case presents opportunities to discuss pricing, target, dist...Starting at €5.74
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Customer Profit
Pfeifer, Phillip E.; Farris, Paul W.; Bendle, NeilTechnical Note DARDEN-M-0799-EMarketingThis technical note introduces important metrics firms use to monitor customer relationships. The note begins by discussing how to count the firms’ customers and keep track of their activity using the concepts of recency and retention. An important summary of customer activity is the profit the firm receives from each customer. Just as some brands are more profitable than others, so too are some customer relationships more profitable than others....Starting at €8.20