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1 – 10 of 693Petra Pavlovic, Mignon Reyneke and Sarah Boyd
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of being first-to-market with a new product in a new environment. Explain the differences between business-to-business (B2B) and B2C…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of being first-to-market with a new product in a new environment. Explain the differences between business-to-business (B2B) and B2C markets, how they are interconnected in the speciality consumer good category and the challenges of developing a balanced strategy for both. Assess the competitive positions of different market players within both B2B and B2C. Analyse the role of brand in a niche market and how brand perception influences consumer behaviour. Identify and assess the different strategies for growth in an evolving niche market.
Case overview/synopsis
Origin Coffee is an artisan coffee roaster in South Africa grappling with rising competition, evolving consumer tastes and brand management concerns. As an early entrant, Origin largely created the niche market for speciality coffee across the country as both a retail coffee shop and a wholesale supplier to independent shops and businesses. This case follows founder Joel Singer 15 years later, in August 2020, as he contemplates how to scale the business, which has cultivated a brand synonymous with quality and excellence. Repeated efforts to expand the Origin footprint have met with disappointment and the business is still operating exclusively from its original roastery-café in Cape Town. Yet, the customer perception is that Origin is an industry giant – an established player that has outgrown its plucky upstart status. Origin also faces an increasingly crowded competitive landscape of local artisan roasters and larger chains. The case showcases the power of entrepreneurial innovation to cultivate a new niche market, as well as the risks of playing in a market that is very narrow and immature. Students are left to determine what Origin’s place in the future of South African coffee can and should be.
Complexity academic level
This case is appropriate for students enrolled in postgraduate programmes such as Master of Business Administration and Executive Education programmes. Although the case learnings are transferrable, this case will be particularly useful to students with interests in entrepreneurship, B2B and B2C market strategies and niche market strategy.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Marketing.
Abstract
Subject area
Marketing.
Study level/applicability
The case is aimed at Business Administration students.
Case overview
Udaipur based Aavaran – the echos of rural India – is a concept by COS-V, a leading non-governmental organization (NGO), which aims at connecting the tribal women of rural India with the mainstream. The NGO, set up in 1988 by Smt. Girija Vyas, was initially involved in imparting vocational training to the rural poor. Later, COS-V was taken up by Alka Sharma, a graduate from the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur, who completely changed the direction of the NGO. Her interest in textiles and crafts led to the genesis of the concept “Aavaran”. Aavaran is a retail outlet which was opened with a vision to provide the Indian market with traditional yet contemporary textiles and clothing. It offers a collection of women's and children's clothing and home textiles using a variety of traditional textiles and crafts. It is an artisan driven concept where the supply chain incorporates the essence of Indian textiles and crafts at every level. From the dyeing, printing, sampling and assembly of garments everything is done by the local women trained by COS-V with the support of DC-Handicrafts. The raw materials – the textiles, grey fabrics, etc. – are sourced directly from the rural weavers and artisans across India. The case study discusses how Aavaran developed the unique positioning of a retail platform for contemporary products made from traditional techniques, skills and hand-based processes; how it could revive the diminishing arts of Dabu and Phetia and how it carved a niche through its channelized marketing efforts.
Expected learning outcomes
The case will familiarize management students with the concept of niche marketing with Udaipur based firm Aavaran as an example which developed a unique positioning through its traditionally developed products. It will also acquaint students with a basic understanding of a supply chain with a cooperative firm in focus.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Keywords
Marketing plan; virtual shopping; consumer behavior.
Abstract
Subject area
Marketing plan; virtual shopping; consumer behavior.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate.
Case overview
This case discusses the e-commerce plan of new online grocery company in Mexico, MexGro, which is planning to emerge as low-cost outlet as compared to the brick-and-mortar establishments in the market. MexGro is an online grocer with a round-the-clock call center to process phone-based orders and to provide customer support. The grocery online company is aimed at setting up a virtual grocery shop by the name of MexGro S.A de C.V to serve cross-cultural products to the Hispanic and Asian communities in Mexico. The MexGro, being a virtual shop, need not pay for checkout clerks; display cases, or parking lots, online grocers can drop prices below those of retail stores and remain profitable. This case explores online consumer-shopping behavior, the economics of online and offline grocery distribution, and the challenges of uniting a pure information business with a mundane package delivery service.
Expected learning outcomes
This case may be discussed towards learning developing effective online marketing planning strategy for the niche markets. The specific learning objectives of the case are: to analyze the virtual marketing planning constituents for developing customer-centric marketing within a niche and explore the possibilities of sustainable business growth to encourage strategic thinking towards developing online marketing plan and develop effective communications among the consumers and to address the critical online planning issues, such as what are the prospects for grocery shopping on the internet. The case allows students to grapple with the strategic and tactical decisions on planning for the online marketing companies. Students will also become familiar with key questions/issues raised by the various executives of the company in formulating the online marketing plan for ethnic grocery in a niche business environment: the case challenges students to think about how online grocer creates the most value for customers and how grocer will likely be able to overcome the competition from the brick-and-mortar grocers. Should Wal-Mart be aggressive in launching its grocery brand? The case raises issues to debate on how the organizational and system decisions are faced by managers in developing a virtual shopping culture in Mexico as the company has the goal to move among more efficient competitors in the supermarket industry, and How the online marketing plan can be implemented within a niche. This case study would take students through the rise of a private brand to the strategies of its sustainability in the competitive marketplace. This case illustrates the importance of using new variables in developing an effective marketing plan when companies reinforce their products in the niche markets. The discussion in the case allows students an opportunity to evaluate online marketing planning and their brands in a niche as well as in a competitive marketplace.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Kyle Dutton and Mignon Reyneke
This teaching case is well suited for short courses focussed on brand equity or marketing. It explores the following themes:Premium brand equity: managing the brand in different…
Abstract
Subject area of the teaching case:
This teaching case is well suited for short courses focussed on brand equity or marketing. It explores the following themes:
Premium brand equity: managing the brand in different markets, and the process involved in finding the right partners who care about the brand.
Market entry and penetration: strategies for growing in a market, testing a new market, and identifying the right products for a specific market.
Product expansion: the considerations that need to be made when a company is expanding its brand into new markets.
Student level:
This teaching case is specifically aimed at postgraduate students completing a management diploma or a professional development course.
Brief overview of the teaching case:
This case is about a premium confectionery brand Wedgewood. The company started in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 1999, with founder Gilly Walters’ handcrafted nougat aimed at a high-income target market. The retail product went on to be sold in stores nationwide. The company has since diversified its product range and tested markets both locally and abroad, with varying levels of success. In early 2020, Paul Walters, CEO, is considering options for the company. While his brother, Jon Walters, head of production and product development, is keen to increase global exports, Paul is less sure. The brand has been developed over the years and the product line expanded to consist of nougat, energy bars, and biscuits. While considering international markets, Paul must keep tabs on how to align the various brands in the process, and limit any potential damage to the brand equity to a minimum. With the company poised for exponential growth entering new international markets, Paul must consider the best expansion strategy. With business growth will they be able to maintain the core values of the business and the brand? Wedgewood will also need to think about staffing resources that would be required should they take on a massive international expansion.
Expected learning outcomes:
To analyse how a small family-owned business is able to achieve sustainable growth and expand its footprint
To evaluate which business model creates the best platform for the expansion of a premium niche brand
To create a branding strategy for international brand expansion
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Keywords
Robert C. Wolcott and Mohanbir Sawhney
In December 1999 Thomson Financial (TF) began a radical transformation from forty-one divisions toward a more integrated firm organized around customer segments. This required…
Abstract
In December 1999 Thomson Financial (TF) began a radical transformation from forty-one divisions toward a more integrated firm organized around customer segments. This required active, coordinated involvement from business, organization, and technology functions, as well as sustained investment and execution through the crises of the technology market crash and September 11, 2001. By 2005 TF had emerged as one of the top three financial information firms globally (with Bloomberg and Reuters).
Understand: 1. Building the customer-centric firm; “synchronizing” marketing (branding and sales), organizational, and technological infrastructure to focus on customer segments rather than products. 2. Making transformative, long-term investments under difficult circumstances. 3. Coordinating business, organization, and technology strategies throughout a long-term transformation process.
Details
Keywords
Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP); social innovation and business modeling.
Abstract
Subject area
Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP); social innovation and business modeling.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and graduate level management/business school students. It can be taught in marketing management and entrepreneurship/innovation courses.
Case overview
LifeSpring Hospitals Pvt. Ltd is an expanding chain of hospitals that provide high quality health care to lower-income women and children across Andhra Pradesh. It is a 50-50 equity partnership between Hindustan Latex Ltd and the Acumen Fund. LifeSpring has demonstrated exceptional management principles, some of them being the most innovative and attractive ones. The entire focus of LifeSpring is on one particular niche: maternal care. Some argue about its strategy of not adopting diversification, but LifeSpring has proved its point by actually turning out to be a profitable business. The strategy of focusing on one niche has led to reduction in cost in terms of specialized doctors and the range of equipment needed to serve. Adding to the strategic strength of LifeSpring, its operations (management) is perfectly aligned with the organization's vision and quality is achieved via highly standardized procedures for maternal care service.
Expected learning outcomes
This case will cover two important aspects of BOP and social innovation. MBA students will investigate an innovative business model and apply their analytical skills to analyse the sustainability of the model.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes and exercise for class-based discussion.
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Keywords
Aluisius Hery Pratono and Irzameingindra Putri Radjamin
Niche products and environmental ethics.
Abstract
Subject area
Niche products and environmental ethics.
Study level/applicability
The case is suitable for undergraduate students who have some understanding of competitive advantage in emerging economies, of niche products, the resource-based perspective and environmental ethics.
Case overview
The case concerns the Indonesian coffee industry, specifically the production of Kopi Luwak, a coffee that involves a type of local wild animal as an essential part of the process. The case outlines a typical problem for a new leader who has to start his tenure with a creditable performance. The company is a resource-based one that has to manage a potential risk of violating environmental ethics.
Expected learning outcomes
The case reveals the value of the international value chain for a cup of coffee. Through investigating the intersection between business feasibility and conservation issues, students should be able to understand what are appropriate business opportunities with environmental ethics considerations.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available; consult the librarian for access.
Details
Keywords
Ajay Chauhan and Rabia Rasheed
The case discusses Islamic Banking Principles and Products (Banking), Business Strategy for Niche Markets (Strategic Management) and Segmentation and Marketing Strategy (Marketing…
Abstract
Subject area
The case discusses Islamic Banking Principles and Products (Banking), Business Strategy for Niche Markets (Strategic Management) and Segmentation and Marketing Strategy (Marketing Management).
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate Graduate Training – Executives at junior level.
Case overview
This case is about the dilemma faced by Azhar Mehmud, a newly recruited Marketing Manager, Islamic Products (MMIP) in Bank Islam on six-month probation. Prior to Bank Islam, Azhar had an MBA degree from the UK and about 15 years of experience of business development in a multi-national bank in Indonesia. Looking at his experience, he was awarded to promote Islamic banking (IB) products in Malaysia where the competition was very intense. After his interactions with customers for about six to seven months, he prepared a report for his boss, General Manager, Consumer Banking (GMCB). In this report, he had summarized the challenges of marketing IB products in a market meant for conventional banking. When he presented the report to GMCB, he met with unfavorable reactions. GMCB was not convinced that IB products had any competition from conventional banking. He gave Azhar one additional month to either revise his thinking or quit the organization.
Expected learning outcomes
The expected learning outcomes are as follows: to enhance the awareness of IB products, principles and differences from the conventional banking products; to introduce the concept of business strategies for niche markets; to make students realize the importance of segmentation in view of niche market like IB.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Nakul Parameswar, Ashwani Singh, Rajat Malik and Sanjay Dhir
Strategic Management.
Abstract
Subject area
Strategic Management.
Study level/applicability
Master of Business Administration/Executive Program in Management Level.
Case overview
Rajat Malik started eFin Recruiters in January 2015 an RPO firm solely catering to the finance domain. Positioning eFin Recruiters in a niche domain created serious challenges to be tackled. Rajat was contemplating leveraging the Indian Government’s Startup India campaign launched on January 16, 2016 to his advantage to scale up eFin Recruiters’ operations by 400 per cent and compete with large established players in the RPO industry. Complacency and anticipated retaliatory action by competitors against eFin Recruiters’ positioning in the niche domain were a huge impediment in eFin Recruiters’ path to exponential growth.
Expected learning outcomes
This case will enable students to understand the concepts of industry analysis, strategic positioning from the view of an entrepreneurial firm and business level strategy. This case acts as a medium to integrate entrepreneurship and strategy which is of utmost relevance.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS: 11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Shalini Rahul Tiwari and Rakesh Chopra
Social Entrepreneurship/management of non-profit organizations (and non-government organizations).
Abstract
Subject area
Social Entrepreneurship/management of non-profit organizations (and non-government organizations).
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate/MBA/Executive MBA.
Case overview
PUKAR is a niche non-government organization (NGO) working on a unique concept of “Right to Research”. It has several themes aimed at democratizing research and broadening access to knowledge among the disenfranchised or the weakly institutionalized groups. The resulting output is disseminated through media such as lectures, Web site, books and newsletters, thus initiating local, national and global debates about future of these groups. PUKAR conceptualizes all projects around this philosophy, which are supported by few specialized funding organizations. Funding organizations, on the other hand, are trying to support many causes aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens of various countries. Thus, PUKAR's growth is constrained by limited funds. Nevertheless, PUKAR has been able to create transformation in the lives of youth who carry out these projects. PUKAR, therefore, faces a continuous challenge of conceptualizing proposals that are meaningful and impactful for the society and to stay true to its core philosophy.
Expected learning outcomes
The expected learning outcomes include: to understand the nature of challenges (both strategic and operational) faced by a niche NGO; to analyze how the strategy of an NGO evolves with time; to analyze the impediments of growth for a niche NGO; and to analyze the strategic options for growth and sustenance of an NGO.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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