Case studies

After completing this case study, students will be able to understand the issues firms, brands and influencers face due to sponsorship disclosure regulation and the impact of self-regulation on firms engaging in influencer marketing, explain the challenges regulators face in ensuring compliance in an emerging market, explain Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI)’s challenges in adopting influencer guidelines from emerged markets and recommend ethical theory (or theories) and strategies to firms engaged in influencer marketing.

This case study centers on Mr Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of WOW Skin Science, who started the beauty and personal care business with his brother Karan Chowdhary in 2015 in Bangalore, India. The company successfully built its brand through influencer marketing but faced challenges after the ASCI implemented new influencer guidelines. On May 31, 2021, he expressed disagreement with ASCI guidelines during an interview with Akansha Nagar from Buzz in Content, particularly the requirement to label every product or service received by influencers as an advertisement. He expressed concern about certain rules, fearing they might harm organic content and reduce viewership and followers. Subsequently, ASCI registered noncompliance cases against the company and communicated with them about complaints regarding influencer guideline violations. In this situation, Manish needed to evaluate his decision on noncompliance with regulation and required an action plan to strategically manage its influencer marketing campaign by incorporating ASCI’s guidelines. Overall, this case study highlights the journey of WOW Skin Science and its challenges with self-regulatory authorities over its influencer marketing strategy in an emerging market. Additionally, students can gain insight into the marketing communication ethics of a startup operating in an emerging market by embodying the protagonist’s role.

This case study is suitable for postgraduate level students pursuing a Master of Business Administration program. The difficulty level ranges from moderate to complex. It fits well into integrated marketing communication and marketing strategy courses. This case study discusses marketing ethics, advertising and promotion regulation.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand the complexity of diversification and market expansion strategies in a growing consumer-driven market context, apply strategic frameworks to analyze the Indian oral care market, analyze brand positioning principles to develop a marketing strategy for Aquawhite and evaluate and identify the pros and cons of the various decisions taken during market diversification.

This case study seeks to examine the market expansion dilemmas faced by Aquawhite, a brand in the oral health-care sector, and the role of key decision-makers in addressing these challenges. This case study aims to provide insights into the complexities of brand extension and market expansion strategies in the context of a developing consumer-driven market. This case study is structured as a qualitative analysis based on publicly available information, including Aquawhite’s historical data, market trends and industry reports. Additionally, insights from relevant interviews with key stakeholders within the company have been considered to present a comprehensive view. This case study highlights the dilemmas faced by Aquawhite as it navigates market expansion. It reveals the critical role of Nikhil Nanda, the managing director in addressing these dilemmas and shaping the brand’s future. This case study emphasizes the need for a strategic approach that balances market dynamics with brand identity.

This case study is suitable for use in undergraduate and postgraduate-level courses on marketing management and strategic management. This case study provides insights into brand development, market entry and expansion strategies. It can be used to discuss the marketing mix, segmentation and targeting, as well as competitive analysis.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

The case study aims to provide students with an understanding of child labour in India and how the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) movement is facilitating the eradication of child labour in India. The key objectives are to understand the challenges of eradicating child labour in India, assess the approaches to rescue and rehabilitation for the protection of a child in India, analyse the personality traits of a leader and evaluate the charismatic leadership of a leader.

The case study discussed child labour and the movement started by Kailash Satyarthi to protect children through the BBA or Save the Childhood Movement in India. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his contribution to creating an environment to abolish child labour. Headquartered in New Delhi, BBA was established in 1980 to eliminate child slavery and violence against children (BBA.org.in, 2017). Satyarthi’s effort brought regulatory changes in the Indian constitution in the form of “Education as a fundamental right” (The Novel Prize, 2023). As per census 2011, more than 10 million children were involved in various industries in India (Drishtiias.com, 2019). Satyarthi and his BBA were far behind the mission they were to achieve. How should he move to eliminate child labour from India? Will he be able to create any impact on citizens, society and government through his new approaches?

The case study is ideal for courses on understanding strategy, leadership, personality traits and labour laws. This case study is designed for use in undergraduate and graduate early-stage programmes. The main purpose of this case study is to be used in programmes leading to a Master of Business Administration or a Bachelor of Business Administration. This case scenario focused on the BBA movement in India and its aim to eradicate child labour in India. It discussed the child labour scenario in Indian industries and how Satyarthi started the BBA movement to protect the future of underprivileged children in India. The case study discusses the challenges faced in rescuing and rehabilitation of children in India. The authors applied the big five model to analyse the personality of Satyarthi in the case context. The authors also used the concept and components of charismatic leadership to evaluate the traits of charismatic leaders from a case perspective. This case study will benefit students by focusing on traits related to personality and charismatic leadership concepts. Students will get the opportunity to explore the practical and theoretical concepts that interplay in this study.

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CSS 6: Human resource management.

The students will be able to understand the diversity and inclusivity in the recruitment process and different sources of recruitment from the context of school’s managed by the government (state schools); execute job analysis thereby clearly mentioning objectives and performance metrics for the post of principal in the government (state schools); align the succession planning efforts with the organization’s strategic objectives and long-term vision; and evaluate the role of a leader involving integrity, fairness, transparency and accountability and applying ethical principles in decision-making and actions.

The case study exhibits the dilemma faced by a principal Mrs Veena Gandhi in the year 2020–2022 when manpower shortage was the major challenge being faced by the government-run schools in New Delhi NCR. She inculcated inventiveness and practicality in the teaching of elementary education in Nigam Pratibha Vidyalaya. The school’s philosophy was based on creating a learning environment for students so that they could express them, learn and memorize concepts, and had joyful learning. The school managed 50% of the teaching staff, as most of the teachers were promoted to Sarvodaya Vidyalaya run by the department of education in New Delhi. Whereas other teachers were not recruited for the same position which created a demand and supply gap among teaching staff. Now she was going to be retired in January 2023 and was facing a dilemma about her next successor, who could carry forward the philosophies of value-based teaching. She wanted to have such a successor who could carry forward the legacy of the school, but as the school was government-run and the appointment was seniority-wise complete freedom was not in her hands to choose the next principal. By keeping in mind the constraints of authority and entitlement after retirement, she wanted to have the best person for the job who would understand and implement the art integration in teaching and learning.

The case study further engaged the students of BBA in their HR class in reviewing the recruitment and selection strategies in general and succession planning in particular with class discussion. It also targets teaching job analysis concepts to them. Furthermore, it helps them to understand value-based prepositions from the point of view of leaders and comprehend how decisions impact organizational philosophies and culture.

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CSS6: Human resource management.

Through analysis and discussion of the case study, students should be able to understand the marketing mix concept in the context of the retail industry, analyse how the adoption of new media such as social media transforms the elements of the marketing mix and evaluate the marketing mix strategies and their influence on future buying behaviours.

Founded in 2012, “Gecko Kids” is a designer clothing brand based in Mauritius, renowned for its vibrant and playful designs catering to children's fashion and lifestyle. Inspired by the lively spirit of Mauritius, Gecko Kids offers a diverse range of clothing and accessories designed to ignite children's imaginations and celebrate their sense of adventure. In addition to its captivating designs, Gecko Kids, under the leadership of its lead designer, Varnee Moodely, is committed to sustainability, using organic and ethically sourced materials wherever possible. Through responsible manufacturing processes and partnerships with local artisans, the brand strives to minimise its environmental footprint while supporting the communities that inspire its creations. After 32 years in operation, the brand finds itself struggling with challenges stemming from its current marketing mix strategy. This case study delves into the brand’s struggles across the 4Ps – product, price, place and promotion – and explores potential solutions, especially in the 21st century where most companies are adopting digital marketing strategies. Can the company rectify the repercussions of an inadequate marketing plan to sustain the Gecko Kids brand as a thriving local Mauritian entity?

This case study is suitable for undergraduate-level programmes in marketing.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to critically analyze the business model of Desiri Naturals, analyze the pricing strategy of Desiri Naturals, examine the importance of experiential marketing in the success of an environment-friendly business, identify the challenges faced by new entrepreneurs and evaluate the sustainability practices of Desiri Naturals.

This case study discusses the business model of an environmentally friendly business. The challenges and obstacles faced by entrepreneurs are illustrated in this case. The entrepreneurs’ vision to provide chemical-free food is highlighted and their business operations as a means to fulfill this vision are explained. Desiri used an age-old bull-driven method of oil extraction (Ghana). Challenges in pricing due to the availability of low-priced mass-produced edible oil using the solvent extraction process are presented in this case. The entrepreneurs faced the pricing dilemma at the inception of the business, as oil produced using the natural cold pressing method cost three times the selling pricing of solvent-extracted oil. Innovative methods of experiential marketing such as Ghana tourism are explained in this case. This case study also explains the sustainable and natural farming techniques propagated through its network of farmers. This case study provides insights into the scalability of this model and the scope for employment generation in rural India. The environmentally friendly practices followed by Desiri, such as the use of glass bottles and reusable steel containers for packaging oil are emphasized. Finally, this case presents the marketing and operational challenges faced by entrepreneurs in their quest to expand their operations.

This case study can be used by postgraduate and undergraduate students studying marketing, entrepreneurship, sustainability and operations management courses in commerce and business management streams.

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CSS8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to appreciate the challenges in managing a pharma sales team by learning the nuances of business hygiene, learn how new managers taking over a pharma sales team analyze data of a sales territory by balancing both quantitative and qualitative factors, evaluate the challenges of performance management of sales teams and balancing the expectations of various stakeholders, understand the approach of sales and effort hygiene – correlating data points that may not be directly connected but have a dependency and learn to forecast and build a business projection

Innov-Health’s dermatology (skin and hair) division in West Bengal, an Eastern state of India, recently hired Pradeep Vir as the area business manager. Innov-Health, a leading 100-year-old global healthcare player, was headquartered in the USA, with categories spanning oncology, immunology, neurosciences, metabolic, dermatology and pain management. Its brand Acnend, an acne cream, the only product in the division, was a market leader in India. Acnend required doctors’ prescriptions to be bought and was sold by pharmacies via distributors. In India, Acnend was doing well at the end of the first quarter (January–March) of 2022 in a highly competitive product category. Vir had just joined the West Bengal territory with four major cities, each with a district manager (DM). The position had been vacant for the past three months, but the DMs had done well in their sales performance for Quarter 1. All of them had achieved their targets, so Quarter 2, when he joined, started on a high note. But Salil Govind, the regional sales manager, his boss, was very concerned that a territory that had no manager had been consistently doing so well. He was concerned that the territory had far greater potential than the Quarter 1 projections had laid out. Govind now wanted Vir to re-work the Quarter 2 projections of West Bengal on priority since April had already begun. As Vir started working on the data, he was perplexed. While at a very obvious level, all four DMs were outperforming, there were gaps in varying degrees in the effort levels of each. The cumulative key performance indicators such as inventory, call average and doctor coverage and the data essentials for business hygiene[1] were worrisome and needed to be addressed. In addition, the doctor coverage, resulting in conversion, left a lot to be desired. However, he was conscious that he was new to the organization and would have to tread carefully. He wanted to do well. Vir got down to analyzing and taking action.

This case study is suitable for use in graduate-level management programs. It can be useful in courses such as sales management, marketing strategy and marketing analytics. The case study is also well suited to introducing students to the basics of sales, sales productivity, territory management, managing a team and business forecasting. The case study provides students a step-by-step understanding of business hygiene, and how just looking at overall sales numbers may not be conclusive, but a deep dive into effort and productivity is far more useful for forecasting.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to discuss topics such as new venture creation and opportunity sensing, knowledge sharing and employee bonding and the use of social networks in business growth.

This case study focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of Mr Nikhil Methiya, the owner of Dronelab Technology Private Limited, which provides surveying, inspection, agriculture, surveillance and research and development services using drone technologies. This case highlights how Methiya used his minimal resources to grew his business, diversified his activities and developed a sound company profile and work culture to provide the best services to clients. This case also discusses the role of social networks in business growth and expansion, the use of effectuation theory in forming new businesses and the importance of conducting a SWOT analysis to understand a firm’s internal and external environments. Furthermore, this case touches upon the challenges and opportunities of the drone industry in India. It leaves readers in a dilemma should Methiya plan to expand his business to Europe and Africa in the upcoming years. This case study is suitable for postgraduate management students specializing in entrepreneurship and can serve as a valuable resource for the Venture Creation Program’s start-up strategy and execution. The case study’s pedagogy involves discussion-based learning.

This case study can be used in management for an entrepreneurship specialty course. It is ideal for postgraduate students and has a moderate level of difficulty.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to enumerate the unique characteristics of business-to-business (B2B) versus business-to-consumer marketing, explore strategic positioning and how niche marketing can create a competitive advantage, deduce the significance of core values in corporate culture and decision-making, explore innovative partnership and talent acquisition models, infer the role of educational marketing in sectors where clients are not fully aware of their needs and apply strategic decision-making to balance short- and long-term goals in terms of profitability and growth.

This case study tells the story of BarkB2B, a boutique marketing firm specialized exclusively in B2B marketing. Founded in Egypt in 2018, BarkB2B focused on creating long-lasting partnerships with clients in industries such as IT, logistics, construction and renewable energy. The case explores the critical aspects of BarkB2B’s business model and offers a comprehensive view of real-world challenges and opportunities in the B2B marketing landscape. It helps learners understand strategic positioning, core values in decision-making, innovative partnership-based business models, the role of educational marketing and the complexities associated with growth. It concludes by highlighting the dilemma faced by BarkB2B’s founder and managing director Naela Sakr as she reflects on the challenge of maintaining the company’s positioning while achieving greater profitability and growth.

The case study is intended for undergraduate and graduate students in marketing, strategic marketing, consumer behavior and entrepreneurship courses. It is also beneficial for marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate training and executive education programs.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand the challenges faced by cocoa farmers in developing countries and their impact on the cocoa value chain, describe the need for a business to create a business model that offers social impact in small developing economies, explore innovative business models, such as vertical integration, for addressing transparency and fair compensation issues in agricultural supply chains, analyze the role that start-ups can play in disrupting the commodities supply chain and building a national competitive advantage and examine how a values-driven business can gain the trust of stakeholders and create a profitable ecosystem.

This case study describes the innovative business model of Inaru Corporation, a pioneering venture founded by two sisters, Janett Liriano and Erika, aimed at revolutionizing the cocoa industry in the Dominican Republic. This case study outlines the challenges faced by cocoa farmers in the country, including low productivity, exploitation by middlemen and lack of value addition. Inaru’s innovative business model aimed to disrupt the traditional supply chains by prioritizing fair compensation for farmers, investing in sustainable practices and vertically integrating cocoa production from farming to manufacturing. Through direct relationships with producers, profit-sharing agreements, and a commitment to ethical business practices, Inaru sought to empower cocoa farmers and cultivate a more equitable and sustainable cocoa industry. Inaru was a model for ethical and caring business practices where it shared the profits with its farmers. By operating a profit-sharing model and sharing its fortune with other women, Inaru was helping create gender equity in the cocoa sector. Inaru planned to scale its business model to other cocoa-producing countries and even transfer its business model strategy to other commodities beginning with the coffee segment in Dominican Republic. By exploring Inaru’s case study, students gain a deep understanding of how businesses can drive positive change, create value for stakeholders and contribute to sustainable development goals.

This case was written for use in teaching graduate and postgraduate management courses in entrepreneurship and economics, politics and business environment.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.