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This case has been written after extensive field research. It is designed specifically for the International Marketing course. However, it can be used in Brand Management, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Management courses as well.

Final-year BBA students or first-year MBA students.

Although introduced in Pakistan in 1999, Veet, a personal hygiene brand, has failed to realize its potential even after a decade. Pakistan is a conservative society and women feel embarrassed buying hair-removing creams. Humayun Farooq, the new brand manager, is at a crossroad; he believes in giving the brand a bold take-off by using fashion as a platform, whereas both top management and his assistant brand manager are skeptical of his proposition, as they see it as risky. His decision is critical, as there is pressure to strike a balance between global standardization and local cultural norms.

The students will be able to: understand how global brands need to conceptualize and implement local brand strategies, given the different market challenges; and apply key theoretical concepts in International Marketing such as cultural product adaptation.

Instructors must ask the students to study the following before discussing the case in class. For the on-air 2009 advertisement of Veet in Pakistan, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Va9bA-ebqE. Although the case sheds light on the relevant Pakistani cultural and religious norms, students may further research and study the Pakistani culture. Nijssen, E.J. and Douglas, S.P. (2011). “World World-mindedness and attitudes toward product positioning in advertising: an examination of global versus foreign versus local positioning”, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 113-133. Shivkumar, H. (2006), Managing global brand advertising, World Advertising Research Centre.

CSS 8: Marketing

HRM; recruitment; managing cultural expectations in business; leadership.

Undergraduate management courses; MBA and MSc.

This case focuses on recruitment problems in Europe with an Asian dimension. A young Dutch and a young Chinese graduate are considering a career with postal, courier and logistics firm TNT – what are their concerns as graduating students in looking for a job? From the opposite perspective, the case considers how employers attract graduate recruits. The case encourages students of a wide range of cultural backgrounds to question if they are following their cultural norms, or their own personal needs, regardless of their culture. It introduces students to the concept of perceptions of employer value propositions (EVPs) and how employers can “market” themselves to employees. The case is appropriate for courses in leadership, human resource management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), managing culture, also job hunting and career workshops.

This case is aimed at projecting the importance of career choice criteria from both graduate and employer perspectives. The case examines issues of national culture and associated differences in employee and organizational expectations. The case also examines the role of CSR in attracting employees; and the particular concerns of Generation Y employees.

Teaching note.

The case study can be used for the course of entrepreneurship and is appropriate for postgraduate students. Discussion would be the most appropriate method for teaching this case study. Through Nutan’s words, students could gain a first-hand glimpse into the transformative journey of a rural woman entrepreneur.

In 2018, Nutan Jha embarked on a remarkable journey by establishing Nutan Creations, a micro-enterprise situated in Kharrak village, Jhanjharpur, Bihar (India). This case study aims to achieve multiple objectives: understanding the operational obstacles confronted by a rural woman entrepreneur, acknowledging the inseparable connection between business and social issues in rural contexts, moreover shedding light on the intersection of gender, entrepreneurship and cultural preservation through traditional Madhubani painting art form products. This distinctive combination brings a fresh perspective to the research, offering unique insights into the challenges and triumphs experienced by rural women entrepreneurs. The findings of this case study exemplify the intricate interplay between business and social concerns in rural areas, portraying an inspiring depiction of how determination, adaptability and robust support networks can conquer hurdles and foster transformative changes.

The case study has been designed for the students of business administration and entrepreneurship who have completed their elementary model on marketing comprehend. The students should need to understand the concept of entrepreneurship and the basics of digital marketing strategy to ensure effective learning.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Key State Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan (a disguised case of an actual BCBS Plan) is the merged product of three state plans. Initially burdened with a reputation of poor customer service, Key State's executives decided to invest heavily in service improvement, eventually achieving superior levels. Key State's high-quality customer service emerged as a true competitive advantage for its customers, who were primarily businesses and health benefits consultants who influenced corporate purchasers of health insurance. The Key State brand came to be synonymous with personal service, security, choice, and dependability. But the health care insurance market was changing under Key State's feet. Spiraling costs meant that high-quality service became less of a competitive advantage as employers were lured by low-cost, low-service providers. Many employers cut or dropped health care benefits entirely, swelling the ranks of the under- and uninsured, who in turn were extremely price-sensitive when shopping for health insurance on their own. Finally, the health care insurance market was being revolutionized by financial institutions willing to hold health benefit accounts and pay providers directly, thereby eliminating the need for Key State as a mediator. Key State executives were aware of these changes but were challenged by the mindset, culture, and organizational design custom-fit to their business accounts. The case asks the reader to consider whether Key State has the right number of target markets, whether it should have one brand or several for its different target markets, what it should do for the uninsured, and how it should improve its brand experience in light of the industry's changing landscape. All of these decisions will have significant implications for the organizational design of Key State.

To better understand the challenges involved in a successful health insurance company to cope with a rapidly changing and unpredictable environment; to formulate a new strategy and a new organizational design to accomplish this adaptation.

The case delves into supply, demand, price gouging, hoarding and capabilities of the firm. The theories/concepts and a short overview are covered below. These theories and concepts are then referenced as appropriate in the “Answers to Discussion Questions” section as follows: Supply Demand Theory; Price Gouging, Speculation and Hoarding; Resources, Capabilities and Activities; Friedman’s and Porter’s view of goals of a firm; Corporate Social Responsibility.

The case was motivated after a discussion with Mr Matthew Roberts, who is the Chief Operating Officer of SPR Industries. Several subsequent interviews were conducted with Matt. Matt also became the chief protagonist of the case. Matt provided multiple quotes and anecdotes. The protagonist Matt and the focal organization (SPR Industries) are disguised. The financial figures have also been disguised using a multiplier. However, the material facts of the case are authentic.

This case sheds light on the impact of the COVID pandemic on a small business in the personal protective equipment industry. The students will get an understanding of the supply and demand forces in a market. Furthermore, the case bears out how unpredictable situations such as the pandemic lead to speculation and price gouging opportunities but not in all products affected by it. The case explores the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of firms regarding price gouging in their products. Students will also get an appreciation of how an industry and its participants change in response to such black swan events as the COVID pandemic. Finally, the case presents a small enterprise’s decision choices â?? Should they maintain the status quo, become a sub-broker or become a wholesaler.

This case is designed to target undergraduate students of strategic management or entrepreneurship. It could be appropriate for upper level courses such as Strategic Management, Small Business Management and maybe even Family Business Management. It could be taught in the latter half of the course after the basic concepts have been covered. This case could bring together many of the concepts into a real-life setting.

The case describes the dilemma a young leader, First Lieutenant Toomey, faces after arriving at a new organization. Toomey’s subordinate (sergeant first class Rodgers) is more experienced and accomplished and has enjoyed a degree of autonomy under Toomey’s predecessor. Rodger’s demeanor and the physical setup of the joint office space speak to a dysfunctional dynamic in an organization that values a traditional hierarchy and relatively high power distance between supervisor and subordinate. The potential for conflict exists as Toomey contemplates how to address the dysfunctional norms he has observed while maintaining a functional relationship and reputation as an effective leader in his new unit.

The case was created via an interview of the protagonist.

This case is designed for use in undergraduate and graduate level courses on leadership and management. The case is useful for teaching lessons (or electives) on power, influence, conflict management, culture and leading change.

The Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow is preparing to face two challenges: maintaining the educational purpose of transforming students into down-to-earth managers and lifelong champions of the institute, and attracting and retaining good faculty. The case illustrates the institutional processes that a school which is part of a chain needs to consider. The tension between autonomy and conformity, and the concept of a corporate office, which is new to educational settings, are illustrated.

Marketing management, consumer behaviour, digital marketing.

This case can be used for students studying marketing management courses and also for elective courses on consumer behaviour, digital marketing and strategic management in an MBA programme.

This case is about Anju Pharmaceuticals which dealt in the manufacture and sale of ayurvedic/herbal products such as Panchsudha, Zalim Lotion, Ruz, Vama, Mekado etc. in Madhya Pradesh, India. Started in the year 1983, the company had still not been able to make a mark in the market. For quite some time now Mitesh, the third-generation proprietor of the company, was continuously reading articles which discussed how there has been a positive shift in the consumer preferences for products having herbal ingredients. Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies such as Patanjali, Dabur, Marico were banking on herbal components in their various key products such as toothpaste, shampoo and hair oil to expand their market share and some of these Indian companies seemed to be growing faster than bigger multinationals including Hindustan Unilever and Procter & Gamble. With the changes in consumer perception towards herbal products, Mitesh was hopeful that if he could gear up his distribution it would result in improving the bottom-line of the company. He had also started receiving queries from interested clients for third-party manufacturing and packaging of the ayurvedic products under the desired brand name. Mitesh was very much aware that to improve his bottom-line, just relying on efficient distribution would not suffice and he would need to come up with strategic alliances and newer ways of doing the business rather than just following what had been the norm for the last few years. The idea of becoming a third-party manufacturer somehow did not excite Mitesh because he felt that by going in for third-party manufacturing he would never be able to establish the brand identity of Anju Pharmaceuticals. He wanted his company to ride the FMCG herbal wave but how and at what cost were the big questions facing him.

After the successful completion of this case, the readers would be able to accomplish the following: gain insights into the problems faced by small businesses when they want to scale up their business. Get insights into the challenges/difficulties of adopting e-commerce by a small organization. Be aware of the changing consumer preferences for herbal and ayurvedic products and how companies are gearing up to cash on to the changing market opportunities. Comprehend the problem situation. Suggest ways of taking advantage of the current scenario to expand and grow the business.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 8: Marketing.

Competitive strategy.

Post-Graduate (MBA/Doctoral) level courses.

This paper aims to examine the evolution of Himalaya Drug Company (hereinafter referred to as Himalaya), an Ayurveda-based pharmaceutical-wellness company. Over the eight decades of its history, Himalaya has built a reputation for Ayurveda-based formulations that conform to allopathic standards and are accepted globally. In the recent years, Himalaya dramatically strengthened its competitive position of “scientific Ayurvedic products” through its entry into fast-moving consumer goods (or consumer-packaged goods), categories of wellness products as well as over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs. This case describes the focused differentiation strategy of Himalaya and sets out the challenges it faced/would face in sustaining its focused differentiation strategy, as it enters into highly penetrated categories such as toothpastes and soaps (that were traditionally dominated by broad differentiators and broad cost leaders).

The outcomes are as follows: to exemplify the logic of focused differentiation, where a competitor commands a higher willingness to pay than its average competitors, by narrowing its target segments; to illustrate how the firm’s entire set of activities are tailored to meet the specific needs of a set of carefully chosen products, narrow customer segments, of defined geographic markets; to highlight how a combination of tradeoffs and fit helps protect the firm’s competitive position from its potential imitators; and to demonstrate the limits of a focused strategy, specifically relating to growth, and how a company such as Himalaya can overcome such limits.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

To understand how certain cultural dynamics play out in the case, the main attributes of Hofstede and Meyer’s work are first highlight. While Hofstede focuses on national culture, Meyer’s uses culture as a tool by which to gauge behavior within organizations, teams and individuals. Below the main elements of their work are highlighted. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are detailed in IM Exhibit 1. Note there are six dimensions on a scale of 0–100. The higher the number, the higher that element of that dimension. For example, the individualism score for the USA is 91, whereas China’s score is 20, suggesting that Americans are much more individualistic, whereas the Chinese are much more collectivist. Students can find where the USA, France and China, the three countries discussed in the case, stand at the Hofstede’s website noted below. For reference, these are also noted in IM Exhibit 2.

All of the information in the case was gathered using publicly available secondary sources (i.e. news articles, annual reports and executive/employee interviews). All sources are cited at the end of the Case/IM.

On April 12, 2022, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the global leader in the personal luxury goods, released first quarter earnings for 2022, highlighting their latest acquisition, the New York City-based Tiffany & Co (Tiffany). Tiffany had performed well due to growth in demand in the USA following two difficult years because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This underscored the fact that Tiffany was still largely dependent on the US market, which was a cause for concern for CEO, Anthony Ledru, who was brought in by the parent LVMH to elevate Tiffany and exploit the high growth market for personal luxury goods in China and other parts of Asia-Pacific. LVMH’s acquisition of Tiffany had been completed on January 7, 2021, and LVMH was expecting the turnaround of the largely US-centric Tiffany to show results by shifting focus to higher-end and more iconic jewelry lines and greater expansion in China. Nonetheless, Ledru’s ability to address the China market for Tiffany was constrained by culture clashes between the company’s French owners and management team and its large cadre of US-based employees. Employees chaffed at what they felt was a rigid and autocratic management style and at the company’s insistence on limits to a work-from-home policy that was instituted in early 2020 because of the pandemic. Ledru and his top management team had to quickly overcome the internal clashes and employee issues to make significant inroads in the China market.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate and MBA courses addressing dynamics of global business, strategy and culture, such as cross-cultural management, international business, global strategy and organizational behavior. At both levels, its is found that the case will be valuable in generating a lively discussion on organizational and strategic challenges grounded in often lesser discussed issues around cultural fit. In most courses, the case should be positioned toward the end, mainly because it examines both cultural challenges (French ownership of a quintessentially American company) and strategic initiatives (how to grow the brand itself along with geographic expansion, i.e. China), assuming that the module has covered one or the other/or both at different points in the course.