Fluent Essays

FORMAT FOR WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS Sections of the Analysis (in order):  • Executive Summary (2-3 paragraphs) • Problem Definition (1 page) • Analysis of Alternatives (2 pages) • Plan Development (1 page) Executive Summary  This section should define the problem, state the chosen alternative, and briefly explain why the chosen alternative is the superior alternative. The Executive Summary should not contain background material from the case. Write the Executive Summary for your audience – the executives of the company. They are, of course, well-informed about the situation. This section will usually be only 2 or 3 paragraphs in length.  Problem Statement and Statement of Alternatives  Adequately and appropriately defining the problem is the key to the case analysis. A problem definition should be framed as a decision to be made. Therefore, “sales have fallen off” is not a properly defined problem. The problem should not be defined so narrowly that good alternative courses of action are not considered. Therefore, “should we increase advertising” is too narrowly defined to result in a thoughtfully considered decision. The problem definition should contain three key elements: decision objectives; success measures; and decision constraints. For example: how can we maintain our quality brand image (objective); and regain our lost market share (success measure); given limited funds for advertising and sales promotion (constraint)? This section should identify the alternative courses of action to be investigated. This section should also list the major dimensions, or states of nature in a decision theory framework, of the decision (i.e., those factors on which the choice of an alternative will largely depend). These states of nature are uncertain and, for the most part, are uncontrollable: competitor actions, consumer needs and response, and turns in the economy are examples. The potential payoff of any alternative depends on the “true” state of nature. This section will most likely be about 1 page in length.  Analysis of Alternatives  This section may contain qualitative as well as quantitative analyses. In a decision theory sense, this section seeks to calculate the expected payoff of each alternative. Therefore, you must sift through the case information to find those pieces of information relevant to the decision to be made. Here, you are really constructing the states of nature, estimating probabilities of the state of nature, determining cell payoffs, and calculating the expected values of each alternative. It is proper to place actual calculations, exhibits, etc. in the appendices and simply refer to your findings in the body of the paper. This section will ultimately identify the chosen alternative strategy or course of action. This section will normally be 2 to 3 pages in length.  Plan Development  Once the alternative strategy is selected, you must develop a plan for its implementation. Basically, this involves specifying the marketing mix to be employed. This section will be 1 to 2 pages in length.Guidelines for Marketing Case Analysis This is meant to be a guide for analyzing case situations and preparing a written report of your analysis and conclusions. It is not meant to impose rigid standards for your assignments but provide help to you in organizing them. Function of a Case: Cases serve at least four functions. It is important to understand these in order to assess their value to you in studying Marketing. In general, cases will: What is a case? A case is a statement of facts, opinions, and judgments that are more or less relevant to an actual business situation in which a problem exists and a decision must be made. A problem exists when business facts, opinions, and judgments are in conflict. Most cases are real business situations, that is they are based upon problems and events that actually took place, although they may be disguised as to the actual names of the people companies and locations in which they took place. Analysis of Cases: The following are a few general comments relevant to the analysis of a case: Build familiarity with management, company, and industry problems. ● Develop confidence in your ability to think like a manager. ● Develop a growing understanding of the relationships between marketing management problems and the other functional areas of the business. ● Build additional skills in written and oral communication. ● Read the case carefully and distinguish between what are the facts of the case and what are the judgments and opinions of the people involved in the case. You cannot change the facts of the case, but you can read between the lines and question the judgments and opinions. Sometimes what is stated as fact is merely an opinion. ● Your objective is to learn through exploration, discussion and argument in as logical a framework as possible. There are no clear-cut solutions to be found. There is no correct answer! The actions of the managers described in the case may or may not illustrate the proper handling of marketing problems, good analysis of relevant data, etc. You must decide what is good and what is bad. You must support your decisions with facts and logical argument based on sound marketing and financial reasoning , where applicable. ● Often you will want further information or data in evaluating a case situation. This lack of complete information mirrors the real life situation that the managers in the case have faced. One of the key things that a ● Discussion of Cases: If the case is to be discussed in class, be prepared to present and defend your thinking. If a conflicting viewpoint to yours is being presented by other students question them and reconcile their thinking with your own. Do not accept another viewpoint as being correct because it is the one being presented or the one that has gained popular support unless you have been convinced of the logic behind it. Consideration of alternative issues will o