Author(s):Asha Kaul
Title – “Doing” the act: Lenovo and corporate reputation. Subject area – The case is positioned in the domain of building, managing and communicating corporate reputation. It discusses the entry of Lenovo in the Indian market where the company faced reputational challenges. Definition of a corporate reputation strategy which was aligned to the overall strategy of the company, helped Lenovo traverse difficult terrains. The case would be relevant for courses on corporate reputation, communication and strategy. Study level/applicability – The case is targeted at MBA students, corporate and PR professionals. The case can be used for MBA courses or management development programmes on corporate reputation, communication, and strategy. Case overview – The case brings out key elements of entry into an emerging market flooded with international, well-positioned players and discusses the entry of Lenovo in the Indian market where the problem was compounded by perceptions of Chinese origin. How does Lenovo bring about a turnaround in positioning, building, communicating and managing reputation, how does it steer stakeholder opinion in its favour? Will Lenovo India be able to replicate the success model in China? The case presents the challenges and discusses the strategies adopted by Amar Babu, MD Lenovo to bring about a change in the existing perceptions of stakeholders. Expected learning outcomes – 1. To discuss strategies for building corporate reputation.2. To critically examine and analyze the strategies adopted by Lenovo India to build reputation and gain market share.3. To analyse links between strategy generation and reputation management. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian to access these. Close

Author(s):Shahram Taj, Souheil Badaa, Sarena Garcia-DeLeone, Beena George
Title – Morocco's Novatis Group: diaper manufacturing in a developing country. Subject area – This case tackles the diaper industry in a developing country and can be applied to three different undergraduate or graduate level courses, including Marketing Management, Strategic Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. The case describes the industry, the manufacturing process, along with detailed information about Novatis Group's business and functions and the overall improving economic environment in Morocco. Study level/applicability – The Novatis Group case has several objectives that can be applied to three different courses within undergraduate and graduate studies including Marketing Management, Strategic Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. Case overview – The case focuses on Novatis Group, a diaper manufacturing company located in Morocco which competes against multinational companies (MNCs) such as Procter and Gamble and Kimberly Clark in order to satisfy the rising diaper needs of the country. Morocco is a developing country that is strengthening its manufacturing industries. The rising economic conditions have given way to a growing middle class and an increased demand for disposable baby diapers. Novatis uses two distribution channels for the diapers: the multi-tiered distribution channel and the streamlined (straight to retailer) channel. Novatis Group is producing diapers at full capacity; still demand has exceeded supply. Expected learning outcomes – Students will understand the business processes in a developing country and how a small, local company can compete against large MNCs. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available, please consult your Librarian to access. Close

Author(s):Pinaki Dasgupta, Jones Mathew
Title – Social media marketing at Reebok India – the dilemma of ROMI and beyond. Subject area – Marketing management, digital marketing, advertising and promotion management, and technology management. Study level/applicability – The case is suitable for BBA and MBA students. It can also be considered in executive education programs. Case overview – Venkatesh Kothapalli, the marketing head at Reebok India headquarters at Gurgaon, was in a decision dilemma about the effectiveness of using social media marketing and its employment in the current scheme of marketing strategy being planned. He had been able to generate a fair amount of awareness and excitement amongst potential users on Reebok's social media sites. However, these often fail to convert into topline sales. In addition, Alex his superior had given clear instructions that no separate budget would be earmarked for this type of medium. So Venkatesh had to divert some parts of his existing budgets (which he did from the PR budget and the DM budget) and channel these into the new area of social media marketing. This had also created concerns in Venkatesh's mind about the possibility of the new media not showing favourable results while budgets of the traditional and tried and tested media like PR and direct marketing were being chopped. Expected learning outcomes – These include: understanding the dilemma of an organization's adoption of newer marketing tools as opposed to traditional marketing practices; evaluating the role of newer mediums like social media marketing and its long term and short term relevance; understanding the origins and development of social media marketing to grasp the full scale of its usefulness; and appreciating the complexities of measuring the effectiveness of social media marketing initiatives. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian for access. Close

Author(s):Javier Jorge O. Silva, Fernando Zerboni, Maricruz Prado
Title – Lubrax by Petrobras. Subject area – The case focuses on brief elaboration, importance, objectives and components. While there are many ways to elaborate a brief, the overriding goal is to outline the most relevant guidelines for campaign design, and the decisions required to launch an advertising campaign. Study level/applicability – This case may be used for the first marketing course in MBA curricula, as well as in executive education programs addressing communications and advertising strategy issues. Case overview – On a cold July afternoon in 2005, Matías Ruiz faced a difficult challenge. After months of long presentations and detailed discussions, the budget for a new advertising campaign had been finally approved. Ever since its arrival in Argentina, the company had concentrated all its efforts on positioning its corporate brand. Now with a firm standing in the domestic market, the time had come to advertise Lubrax, Petrobras' lubricant brand. Bearing in mind that the goal was to build a unique and independent brand identity for Lubrax while preserving its links to Petrobras, Ruiz's team, along with Diálogo Publicidad, a local advertising agency, had prepared three TV advertisements. Ruiz had to choose the most suitable campaign with an approved budget of US$ 3 million – 40 percent below the sum he had hoped to raise. At least one of those ads had to be launched in late October 2005, in time for the category's seasonal consumer sales peak. To do that, Ruiz needed to make a decision and to present a complete proposal to Lubrax's Marketing Director. This case study describes the questions confronting Ruiz at that time – Which ad should we pick? What brand image do we want for Lubrax? What is it that we wish to communicate? What is our goal? What segment are we addressing? Expected learning outcomes – The case provides an insight into the use of advertising campaigns as a marketing tool, describing the company's competition, consumers, distribution channels and organizational hurdles. As a result, it may be used to help students: understand communications complexities, delving into each step in the process and taking stock of relevant decisions involved; learn about the research studies and data analyses required to build a communications plan that fits in with a company's strategy; manage a specific marketing budget; gain experience on advertising campaign development and subsequent evaluation; and survey the mix of marketing drivers needed to boost business sustainability. It will enable students to realize both the significance of thorough brief preparation to pursue a company's strategic goals and the importance of ensuring the ad chosen matches that brief. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available; please contact your librarian for access. Close

Author(s):Pablo Farías
Title – AFP Innova: competing in a tender for new affiliates. Subject area – The concepts of customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer equity (CE). Study level/applicability – BA, MBA, MSc courses: customer equity, marketing metrics, marketing plan, marketing research. Because students are asked to complete a customer lifetime value analysis based on a range of financial and non-financial data, students will need at least a modest level of proficiency in dealing with a few basic financial accounting concepts. Case overview – In Chile, a law passed in 2008 introduced a bidding process to be held every 24 months in the pension industry. The tender mechanism was introduced as part of a reform aimed at reducing the commissions charged by pension fund administrators and at making it easier for new players to enter the market. In early 2009, Daniel Ugarte wondered if it was finally the right time for his firm to enter the pension industry. Ugarte was asked by the board to help chart a direction for the firm. The winning criterion was the lowest management fee (commission) paid by the affiliates. The main focus of the case is a quantitative assignment that asks students to calculate how customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer equity (CE) would be affected by the commission offered. Expected learning outcomes – These include: understanding the concepts of customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer equity (CE) and the importance of maximizing a customer's lifetime value for the firm by calculating the CLV and the CE based on a combination of financial and non-financial data. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available. Consult the librarian for access. Close