Case studies

After working through the case and the assignment questions, students will be able to:

▪ Examine Ecuador’s business environment where coffee shops and similar companies operate.

▪ Evaluate the marketing challenges for an enterprise, particularly for a café business operating in Ecuador.

▪ Explain the marketing strategy for a café company to attract a variety of new consumer segments domestically and abroad.

▪ Discuss relevant international market entry strategies given the specificities of the environment in which a company operates.

▪ Describe the advantage of contemporary marketing tools in sustainable market expansion of a café business.

Richard Peet and Soledad Hanna turned their coffee shop business, Sweet & Coffee, into a flagship brand in Ecuador. Their coffee shops successfully promoted the culture of consuming coffee and sweets throughout Ecuador and grew exponentially to 129 stores. However, Sweet & Coffee faced significant challenges entering new states in Ecuador, with considerable investment in central kitchens and logistics. Despite the challenges, Peet wanted to continue opening new Sweet & Coffee stores across Ecuador. However, owing to Ecuador’s fast-changing and unpredictable external environment, Peet needed to make new adjustments to its marketing strategy to reposition Sweet & Coffee for a bright future. International market expansion was an option.

This case is helpful for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in marketing and strategy.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to enumerate the unique process of project management, address unforeseen challenges in large-scale projects and develop strategies for mitigating risks. This case gives an opportunity to learners to analyses the time impact of failure of such infrastructure projects using project evaluation technique. The students would be able to discuss the social and financial implications of such mishaps on the overall economy.

The case tells the story of Gokhale Bridge in Andheri, Mumbai which serves as a vital link between the densely populated suburb’s, eastern and western part. Originally built in 1975, the bridge collapsed in 2018. The 90-m bridge reconstructed in just 15 months was lauded as an “Engineering marvel” by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a civic body responsible for Mumbai’s infrastructure. However, during the grand inauguration on February 26, 2024, a critical misalignment with the adjoining CD Barfiwala Flyover was revealed. This 2-m gap rendered the bridge inaccessible to motorists, undermining its intended purpose and frustrating commuters and residents. The case highlights systemic issues in operations and challenges faced by the BMC. Despite the BMC’s substantial budget and history in managing Mumbai’s infrastructure, the Gokhale Bridge debacle raises serious questions about project management. Amidst public criticism, BMC threw the buck on railways and hired two reputed Engineering colleges to propose solutions to rectify the menace. This situation emphasizes the need for meticulous oversight and risk analysis in civic projects, making the Gokhale Bridge a symbol of both ambition and caution. The case study is intended for Graduate, Postgraduate students in Project management and operations. It is also beneficial for Executive education programs intended government officials, civil servants and project managers.

Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Executive education.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

This case study aims to familiarize the participants with the functioning of the herbal tea industry in an emerging economy like India; understand core concepts, key terminologies and the business relevance of different types of business forecasting; and execute time series forecasting models using MS Excel and interpreting the results.

This case study unveils an important operational concern faced by Deepshika Das, the production manager at Sri Sai Tea Trading Company located at Cuttack in Odisha, India, about future sales projections. The company was gaining popularity for a unique herbal tea called “Chaa Lemon Tea.” However, the company had been experiencing frequent overstocking and understocking due to inappropriate qualitative forecasting. This case study underscores the importance of the concepts associated with quantitative forecasting. It demonstrates the analysis of time series data, building forecasting models and their interpretations using MS Excel.

This case study can be used as a systematic learning tool for postgraduate business school students and master’s level industrial engineering students. This case study can be discussed in courses such as operations and supply chain management, business statistics and quantitative decision-making.

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CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

The case is designed taking into consideration the three learning domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956) – cognitive, i.e. knowledge and thinking; affective, i.e. feelings and attitude; and psychomotor, i.e. specific applied skills. Accordingly, these learning objectives are identified:▪ to frame a data and insights-driven design challenge and communicate product and solution design ideas clearly (LO 1);▪ to understand and apply the design thinking process for data science and AI-enabled digital product ecosystem innovation (LO 2);▪ to deploy a structured methodology for adapting a data science and AI-enabled digital product ecosystem in diverse markets (LO 3); and▪ to create a digital product management and go-to-market roadmap for tapping new markets (LO 4).

Stones2Milestones (S2M), a pioneering Indian EdTech company founded in 2009, is preparing to script a first-of-its-kind global success story with Freadom, its machine learning and artificial intelligence-enabled English learning product suite, being used by over 7,500 schools and 1 million-plus K-12 students. Driven by the mission of creating a nation of readers and helping every child “find their place in the world”, the bootstrapped social venture struggled to sustain itself in the initial years despite a healthy uptake by schools of its evocatively named offering, Wings of Words (WOW) that aimed to inculcate the habit of reading among 3–12-year-olds through storytelling. In 2016, S2M pivoted to a product-based model led by technology and digital innovations, launching Freadom, an adaptive mobile reading app that logged an exponential growth in its user base. By 2019, Freadom’s remarkable vision, a data science-led product map, and its enormous potential for global socio-economic impact had earned it a serendipitous association with Stanford University as a mentor and collaborator. Over the next four years, S2M’s contrarian bet on a data science and analytics-led product development strategy, an obsessive focus on user-centric continuous product innovation, foresight to translate the Covid-19 pandemic crisis into an opportunity, and strategic impetus to leverage the Stanford association led to 20-fold growth in its user base, sustained commercial success and global recognition. Enthused by Freadom’s growing success and its untapped global potential in transforming English language skill-acquisition as an essential life-skill among learners in 110-plus English-as-second-language (ESL) countries, the S2M product team had christened Freadom as the “English OS for the World.” In November 2023, in pursuit of ambitious global aspirations, S2M entered into a partnership with the Finnish Global Education Solutions (FGES), a member of Education Finland program controlled by the Finnish National Agency for Education. The S2M-FGES joint venture, by leveraging the mutually complementary strengths of the two partners – a market-leading data science and AI-based product suite with the Stanford pedigree, user-centric innovation expertise, an established and loyal customer base, easy access to low-cost tech and data science talent, sales and distribution capabilities and the global stature of the renowned Finnish school education system that could open doors – aims to further develop and deploy Freadom on the international stage. The case introduces Freadom at this pivotal juncture, identifying underlying dilemmas and challenges that must be addressed towards realizing its global potential. How could Freadom’s ambition fructify, of establishing a made-in-India English learning product suite as the “English OS for the world” in mature global ESL markets, an audacious dream that had never been attempted before? Would the product development, customer acquisition and market expansion approaches aimed at “creating a nation of readers” that had worked so well in India, be replicable in diverse K-12 learning landscapes such as South Korea, Singapore, Middle East and Finland, that were very different, each of them unique in its own way – in socio-cultural, linguistic, educational and pedagogical environment? And, how could Freadom continue to deliver on its promise of being the ultimate English learning platform for 3–12-year-old K-12 students globally, helping them find “their place in the world?”

This case can be used in courses or modules on data science and AI-based solutioning, design thinking and communication, user-centric problem-solving, creativity, innovation, social entrepreneurship, new product planning and development, digital product management, customer experience (Cx) management, sustainable development and international business. The case focuses on the contemporary theme of data science and AI-based design thinking as a tool to understand and frame a socially-pertinent need gap and design challenge, communicate and evaluate ideas and drive sustained user-centric innovation in a digital ecosystem. The surrounding context of this case pertains to social and impact entrepreneurship in an emerging economy with high socio-economic disparities, and underscores the potential for grassroots digital innovations originating from emerging markets to address societal and human development need gaps globally, including in developed economies. This case, therefore, presents a unique opportunity to the faculty at global business schools, which have a fairly diverse class mix from developed and large emerging economies, to generate an enriching discussion on the multifaceted potential of “border-less” social entrepreneurship and innovation. The pertinent theme and surrounding context make the case particularly relevant for the following suggested courses/modules: core/introductory courses on innovation, data science and digital technologies, problem-solving, communication, social entrepreneurship, product management, emerging economies, international business and sustainable development; and elective courses on data science and AI applications, design thinking and communication, educational technology (EdTech), entrepreneurship in emerging economies, creativity and problem-solving, digital business, social and impact entrepreneurship, sustainable business strategy, international expansion and customer-centric communication.

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CSS11: Strategy.

The case study aims to facilitate a deep understanding of the strategic decisions in the context of asset-light model, its competitive advantage and industry dynamics within the context of the Indian hospitality sector. Suggested teaching objectives for the case study are as follows:▪ Analyze the strategic decisions made by Lemon Tree Hotels in the context of the Indian hospitality industry.▪ Evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition from an ownership-centric model to an asset-light strategy.▪ Discuss the competitive advantage built by Lemon Tree Hotels and the implications of its unique market offering.▪ Explore the impact of the post-pandemic era on the hospitality sector and the strategic adjustments made by the company.▪ Encourage critical thinking about the future trajectory of Lemon Tree Hotels, considering the ownership dilemma and evolving market dynamics.

The case study explores the strategic decisions made by Lemon Tree Hotels, a mid-market hotel chain in India, at the intersection of ownership and asset-light strategies. The founder, Patanjali Keswani, faced a dilemma of whether to persist with the ownership-centric model that propelled the company’s success or to pivot toward an asset-light approach, acknowledging the capital-intensive nature inherent in the industry. The case delves into the complexities of expansion, the adoption of an asset-light model and the challenges and opportunities encountered. Keswani’s calculated decisions and the company’s unique offering established its competitive edge. However, the shift to an asset-light model raised questions about the sustainability of this advantage in the more competitive mid-segment hospitality sector. The case discusses the challenges in the mid-market hotel industry in India, the transformative changes in consumer expectations and the strategic significance of the company’s transition to an asset-light model. The narrative unfolds through a lens that considers the competitive advantage built on a positive brand image, operational efficiency and a unique market offering. The case concludes at a strategic juncture, leaving Keswani and Lemon Tree Hotels grappling with the dilemma of ownership versus asset-light strategies, with implications for the company’s future trajectory.

The case study is designed for postgraduate students studying management, business administration and strategic management.

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CSS11: Strategy.

This case study introduces some elements of strategic management process that instils competitive advantage on an entity such as a higher educational institute (HEI). It endeavours to achieve the following goals: comprehend strategy implementation through the sustainability paradigm; demonstrate the concept of cost-benefit analysis in strategy; analyse the challenges to new product adoption; and deliberate on extension of the project to include newer areas for greening. Thus, students would be taught about strategy implementation through the sustainability paradigm: they would be introduced to the concept of cost-benefit analysis through an application of the concept in strategic decision-making; students would be taught the about the challenges in new product (such as greening equipment) adoption; and they would be guided to deliberate on the extension of the project in newer areas of greening.

Prof Atmanand, as the Director of MDI Murshidabad (MDIM), was combating the challenge of leading the campus of the fledgling institute in its initial years. It was May 2023. MDIM was a business school in West Bengal, India. Atmanand had formulated a strategy of “greening” of the campus using a solar lighting system and organic waste converter to start off. The first steps were initiated in early 2021. The possible gains from this move needed to be weighed against the possible costs. Possible benefits included reductions in electricity expenditure, easier conformation to contemporary waste disposal norms, better scores in HEI-ranking exercises and increase in brand value of MDIM. The principal costs were: capital expenditure, possible higher payback period and challenge in adoption of sustainability products such as organic waste converter. The case study engages the student to learn about competitive strategy design and implementation in an HEI, and the resulting challenges. The case study can consequently be used in a Master’s level course in strategic management (competitive strategy) in the context of sustainability management, or as a case in the elective sustainability management offered to the senior batch in the MBA curriculum. The case study weighs out the benefits of the “greening” programme at MDIM against its possible costs. The possible benefits were manifold: reduction in electricity bills, easier conformance to contemporary waste disposal norms and higher scores at HEI-ranking exercises, both at the national and the international levels. Some benefits were not so quantifiable, such as better “press”, and consequent increase in brand value of MDIM. Weighted against these were the costs, capital expenditure, possible higher payback period and lack of in-house operational expertise (such as mechanics). The decision is not easy; although there are numerical tools (indicated in the case), they must be supplemented with a holistic understanding of the context, and any decision to be taken would require a combination of qualitative understanding along with numerical indicators. The case also exhorts the reader to understand problems in adoption of sustainability products and attempts to look to the future in terms of managerial initiatives.

This case study is suitable for postgraduate level (MBA) and executive programmes.

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CSS4: Environmental Management.

Learning Objective 1: Develop students’ ability to critically assess and probe the challenges of aligning business objectives with compliance to local and international environmental regulations. Students will learn to identify how tensions between regulatory compliance and business goals influence decision-making processes in resource-intensive industries.

Learning Objective 2: Increase problem-solving skills of students by exploring the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental stewardship. They will be able to examine real-world dilemmas, such as community displacement, biodiversity loss, and pollution in mining contexts, and understand how to navigate these complex challenges using insights from Dr Nick’s experiences.

Learning Objective 3: Advance integrative learning, inquiry and interpretive capabilities of students by demonstrating the significance of ESG principles in mining operations focusing on environmental management, community engagement, and ethical governance. Students will learn how to integrate these principles into corporate strategies to achieve a balance between profitability and sustainability.

Learning Objective 4: Equip students with hands-on experience through real business scenarios by addressing dilemmas companies face in the era of climate change and appreciate the role of leadership in driving and implementing sustainable practices. Students will understand how leaders like Dr Nick balance stakeholder interests, ethical standards, and operational efficiency, and how this balance impacts the company’s growth and sustainability objectives.

This case introduces students to the difficulty an environmental manager faces in balancing the interests of the community at large with the company’s goals. Dr Nick Okello, an environmental manager at Base Titanium, is the protagonist of the case. For several years, Dr Nick has overseen the business’s environmental programs at the high-grade mineral sand mine called Kwale Operation, which is situated along Kenya’s coast. The case allows students to explore how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are applied in a mining company setting by using this case study. Simple assessments can be applied by students to evaluate ESG and discuss their analysis of it. The mining industry’s intricate relationship between corporate governance, business strategy, and environmental stewardship is exemplified by the Dr Nick case at Base Titanium. It provides a critical analysis of the difficulties businesses confront in attempting to strike a balance between sustainable ethical business practices and economic growth, especially in areas where governance issues are common.

This case is suitable for use in executive education, MBA, senior undergraduate, and other graduate-level business programs in courses such business management, organizational behaviour, environmental sciences, project management, strategic management, operations, finance, corporate governance, leadership, and sustainable development.

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CSS 4: Environmental Management.

This case study will frame the significance of the business model for a company. The reader will understand business model innovation and how it helps enhance entrepreneurial rewards. The students will be able to identify the entrepreneurial traits which lead to business model innovation. The readers will know about the components of a business model and will be able to apply the understanding in creating a business model canvas.

The real-life case is of a tech start-up founded in Ahmedabad by three friends. Their diverse educational background helped them in creating a successful venture that later transformed into a public company. They were always trying to make their business model competitive and innovative. Being a start-up, there were critical business decisions taken and strategies formed by the founding team. They were facing a dilemma after making the company public, as their responsibility towards the stakeholders increased. They need to keep in mind the needs of all the stakeholders and the enterprise itself. They were at a crossroads in deciding about their business model.

This case study is suitable for honours or postgraduate level or entrepreneurship training.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

The learning outcomes are as follows: understand the concept and importance of UGC in marketing campaigns; analyze the benefits and challenges of incorporating UGC as a marketing strategy; and evaluate the effectiveness of Nykaa's UGC marketing campaign.

The case focuses on Nykaa, India’s premier beauty and cosmetic e-commerce platform, and its innovative use of user-generated content (UGC) in social media marketing. Being a marketing intern, the objective is to critically evaluate the effectiveness of Nykaa’s UGC strategy compared to brand-generated content in terms of reach, engagement and brand attachment. The case examines the objectives behind Nykaa’s UGC campaign, which aimed to leverage authentic customer experiences to build trust, increase brand visibility and drive sales. Students will explore the reasons why Nykaa chose UGC as a marketing strategy. The case also delves into the challenges associated with implementing a UGC campaign. Additionally, the case highlights the role of social media platforms in facilitating UGC campaigns and explores the strategies adopted by Nykaa to encourage customers to participate actively. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and their potential applicability to other industries and brands.

The teaching case is aimed at the students of postgraduate academic programs in the areas of knowledge of marketing, social media marketing and digital marketing. The case will help in understanding the user and brand-generated content and how to help companies with its solution.

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CSS8: Marketing.

The learning outcomes are as follows: first, to understand the significance of Agri-tech solutions in the future of agriculture. (Case Question 1) – evaluate the role of Agri-tech firms in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and enhancing productivity. (Case Question 1); second, to analyze the competitive landscape of the agriculture sector in Sindh. (Case Question 2) – assess how the competitive landscape influences Kissan Madadgar’s market entry strategy. (Case Question 2); third, to analyze and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Kissan Madadgar’s existing business model and product range in the context of entering a new market. (Case Question 3); fourth to identify key challenges facing the agriculture sector in Sindh. (Case Question 4) – identify potential opportunities in the evolving agriculture market. (Case Question 4) and assess the impact of challenges and opportunities on Kissan Madadgar’s business strategies. (Case Question 4); and fifth, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different market entry strategies (online platform only, joint venture with international bodies, opening physical shops, developing a model farm, geographical mapping). (Case Question 5) – analyze the strategic fit of these options with Kissan Madadgar’s objectives and capabilities. (Case Question 5); formulate recommendations based on the best market entry strategy for Sindh. (Case Question 5).

In April 2023, Seema, the head of marketing at Kissan Madadgar, journeyed through the lush rice fields of Sindh, contemplating the province’s distinct agricultural landscape. Despite Kissan Madadgar’s success in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan, entering Sindh presented a set of unique challenges. The province’s linguistic diversity, with various dialects of Sindhi spoken in key agricultural regions, posed a significant communication barrier. Additionally, farmers in Sindh grappled with limited water access, reliance on expensive solar tube wells and crippling debt due to high-interest loans from traditional lenders. Competing against well-established local agro-tech players, such as BaKhabar Kissan and Farmdar, further complicated the task of gaining trust and building brand recognition. Recognizing these hurdles, Seema partnered with Sukkur IBA University to conduct comprehensive research and develop a tailored entry strategy for the region. Potential entry strategies included maintaining an online-only model, forming joint ventures with international organizations, opening physical shops, establishing a model farm and adopting a cluster-wise entry approach. Each option had distinct advantages and challenges. As Seema found herself at the crossroads of decision-making, the urgency to craft a winning strategy for Kissan Madadgar’s entry into Sindh intensified. She knew that understanding Sindh’s unique market dynamics was crucial, as was assessing Kissan Madadgar’s strengths and weaknesses. Amidst strong local competition, Seema pondered the dilemma: Which entry strategy should Kissan Madadgar adopt to ensure not just a successful entry into Sindh but also sustainable growth and competitive advantage in the long run?

Undergraduate and Graduate (first year only)

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CSS 8: Marketing.