Cover Letter
Each written case should be prefaced by a brief one page cover
letter/memo, as follows
To: (Professor)
From: (You)
Subject: (State major issue of case
List the following in brief statement form:
The major problems facing "Company X" are:
1.
2.
3.
etc.
My recommended solutions are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
etc.
Suggested Case Outline/Format
Overview
1. Size-up/situation analysis
a. Define company mission and objectives
b. Perform SWOT analysis (industry/competitive analysis)
1. Identify strengths and weaknesses
2. Identify opportunities and threats
2. Identify key issues/opportunities
a. Perform consumer/customer analysis (use matrix approach, if
possible)
b. Identify target markets (use matrix approach, if possible)
c. Perform financial analyses (including each alternative in 4,
below)
3. Identify/define problems
a. Include symptoms and underlying causes
4. Evaluate alternatives
a. Include advantages/disadvantages of each alternative
5. Select specific recommended strategy (including overall
marketing strategy)
Case Presentation
Analysis Format
I. Size-up/Situation Analysis
A. Analyze internal organization of the firm (do not rewrite
case)
1. Overall firm mission/objectives/policies
2. Financial status/trends/strengths/weaknesses
3. Products/markets served
4. Marketing mix (price, product, promotion) strategy
5. Customer service standards/policies
6. Physical distribution environment and channel network
7. Manufacturing environment (capabilities production policies)
8. Management profile (resources, skills, weaknesses, by
function)
B. Perform competitive analysis*
1. Identify:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
2. Benchmark the firm against competition in the industry
C. Ask yourself the following questions
1. "So what?) - to determine if the points are germane
2. "Is this a key factor for success (KFS)?" - in
gaining a competitive differential/advantage
3. Is the company’s mission too broad/narrow/supportive re
the case objectives?
II. Identify Key Issues/Opportunities
A. Customer/consumer analysis*
For each consumer/end-user group identify:
1. Occupants (who is the market?)
2. Objects (what does the market buy?)
3. Occasions (when does the market buy?)
4. Organization (who is involved in the buying?)
5. Objectives (why does the market buy?)
6. Operations (How does the market buy?)
B. Products/markets served*
For each current or potential market segment identify:
1. Current size (dollars and volumes)
2. Future potential (growth rates)
3. Market share (including competitors)
4. Major competitors and their relative strengths/weaknesses
5. Price elasticity
6. Profitability (financial opportunity)
7. Relevancy/fit re firm’s capacity
8. Relevancy/fit re firm’s objectives
9. Relevancy/fit re firm’s products
10. Relevancy/fit re firm’s product quality
11. Relevancy/fit re firm’s distribution channels and service
support infra-structure
C. Other marketing mix issues
1. Pricing policies/programs
2. Advertising/promotion programs
3. Personal selling programs
4. Distribution/marketing channels used
D. Financial analysis
Identify the following key measurements:
1. Size of industry/markets under review
2. Firm’s market share (dollars or units)
3. Market growth over next "X" years
4. Overall financial position of firm (use contribution/net
segment margin approach
5. Contribution per unit
6. Fixed costs relevant to issues(s) in case
7. Breakeven (current, as well as proposed alternatives)
8. Market share to breakeven
III. Problem Identification
A. Symptoms
B. Underlying causes
C. Problems (prioritize-most important first)
1. Identify why each problem is important
2. Goal=establish a rationale for subsequent action
3. Consider both short-term and long term problems
4. Consider both strategic and operation/tactical problems
IV. Identify Alternatives
A. If more than one-prioritize (most important last)
1. Do A-B-C analysis
2. Concentrate on "major problems"
3. Avoid "straw men" (impractical/unimportant
solutions)
4. Concentrate on viable, effective, practical ideas
B. Be specific and detailed (re why they’re important,
applicable to solving key problems)
1. If possible, merge alternatives into an integrated, overall
package
2. Include contingency plans
3. "Do nothing" sometimes is an acceptable
alternative
4. Discuss advantages/disadvantages of each alternative
C. Perform a quantitative (economic) and qualitative
(advantages/disadvantages) analyses, wherever possible
1. For each viable alternative
2. As outlines in II-C, above
V. Recommendations/Solutions
A. Prioritize (rank most important first)
1. Optimize (estimate payback/benefits to firm)
2. Substantiate conclusions
3. Estimate expectation of success
B. Differentiate between "can" and "should"
1. "Can" - What is management capable of
accomplishing from a "real world" perspective
2. "Should" - What management should do may not be
feasible or practical, given the firm’s organization, culture
and resources
C. Provide practical/how-to recommendations
1. Emphasize why and how your conclusions support key strategic
issues
2. Identify specific changes to the firm’s current marketing
mix (4 Ps)
3. Don’t recommend "motherhood, God and country" -
Be specific in your recommendations
4. Consider the firm’s financial resources (Don’t recommend
a package/strategy that will bankrupt the firm)
5. Ask yourself, "Could I take definitive actions based on
my recommendations?"
D. Include contingency plans/options, where practical
1. In the event your preferred recommendation should fail
E. Outline the new marketing strategy (example of topics to
consider)
1. Objective/goal statement (including alternatives)
2. Profit objectives (including pricing policy)
3. Competitive positioning
4. Growth objective
a. Short-term versus long-term
b. components
i. Market penetration
ii. Market development
iii. Product development
5. Type of firm growth
a. Integrative (channels)
b. Diversification (customers)
F. Recommend marketing mix plans (examples of topics to
consider)
1. Target market (customers/products)
2. Market organization
3. Profit plan (budget)
a. Volume
b. Profit contribution
4. Distribution channels/systems
5. Intra-firm requirement/interfaces
6. Controls/measurement
7. Contingency plans
8. Marketing mix
a. Product
b. Price
c. Place (distribution)
d. Promotion
A Good Case Analysis
1. Is complete
2. Avoids rehashing case facts
3. Makes reasonable assumptions
4. Doesn’t confuse symptoms with problems
5. Doesn’t confuse opportunity with action
6. Deals with objectives realistically
7. Recognizes alternatives
8. Isn’t too assertive/narrowly focused
9. Discusses pros/cons of each alternative
10. Uses quantitative information/data
11. Reaches clear decisions
12. Uses evidence re situation analysis
13. HAS NUMBERS!!!
