Professor Kay Lemon MK811
Helpful Notes for Case Analysis
In case analyses in Marketing, we first try to get a good idea of the goals and obstacles facing the firm. Thenwe engage in analysis, followed by recommendations for action. What precisely are goals and obstacles?
GOAL
What the actors in the case (i.e., the firm) should be trying to achieve (improved profit, sales, customer lifetime value, market share, etc.). Note that goals are NOT a “decision to be made”, such as “what price should we choose?” What impedes or restrains them from achieving the goal. Obstacles are specific things or situations that may get in the way of the goal (company culture, new product development processes, competitors, government or environmental issues, customer education, etc.).
OBSTACLES
ANALYSIS
Key issues underlying or affecting the goal and or obstacles. Analyses such as: competitor analysis, customer decision-making analysis, break-even analysis, quantitative analyses, channel analyses, SWOT analysis, etc. Recommended approach, based upon the analysis, that will overcome the obstacles and allow the firm to achieve the goal. Must show how the plan will overcome obstacles and achieve goal.
ACTION PLAN
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Professor Kay Lemon MK811
Guidelines for Case Analyses: (Or: How to save time understanding a case and getting at the key issues) 1. When you first read the case, have a pen and paper handy and jot down three columns of things as you go along: Goal – Obstacles – Opportunities. (This should save you about 15-30 minutes). 2. Iterate on the goal as you go through the first time. 3. Then, look at the obstacles and opportunities through the lenses of the marketing framework. Do the obstacles and opportunities tend to center around two or three aspects of the framework? Is this a problem about creating, capturing or sustaining value? Are competitors a key impediment? Is it the consumer decision process? Try to identify three or four key areas. (These will guide your analysis and action plan.) 4. At this point, you may want to write the first 50-75 words of your write-up, as this will guide your thinking for the rest of the case write-up. 5. Do analysis that is appropriate, focusing on the three or four key impediment or opportunity areas you have identified. These may be quantitative (for example: break-even, customer lifetime value, pricing thermometer, etc.) or more qualitative (for example, perceptual map, consumer decision-making process, market segmentation, etc.). **This is not an exhaustive list – just some examples** (This will limit the extent to which you do analysis that doesn’t help you). 6. You may need to go back and edit your goals or obstacles at this point based on new insights from your analysis. (This will increase your chances of hitting the key issues in the case). 7. Then, create your action plan, making sure that your recommendation shows how you will overcome the obstacles to reach your goal. Additional analysis may be called for here to support your recommendation (3 year profit with your price, how growth is achieved by getting more revenue per customer, repositioning of the product in the marketplace, etc.). 8. Now, complete your write-up, using your analysis to support your identification of key obstacles and to support your action plan. Your case analyses should be typewritten and double-spaced. There will be a word limit (e.g., 1500 wordsI will announce specifics) and a limit on exhibits (e.g. fourI will announce specifics).
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Professor Kay Lemon MK811
The recommended format for a written case analysis is: 1. An opening paragraph which defines the Goals and Obstacles and outlines your Solution. The body of the paper which highlights the supporting Analyses, Conclusions, and Recommendations for action. This section defends your definition of the problem and sets up the case for your recommended solution by drawing inferences from case facts and data. Exhibits as needed to support assertions contained in the body of the paper.
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Structure is important for your argument to be lucid. You may use bullet point format for part of your argument, but be careful not to become so cryptic that your argument is unintelligible. Use exhibits to amplify and support your paper, but ensure that the argument in the paper is sufficiently coherent to be plausible even if the exhibits were to be lost. Never append an exhibit that is not referred to in the text. Assume the reader knows the case facts as well as you do. There is no need to repeat facts verbatim from the case except explicitly to support a goal, obstacle or solution. The cases will be graded according to the criteria listed below. As such, you should strive for these goals in each of your three case analyses. Quality of goal and obstacle diagnosis – Have you defined the goals and obstacles that really are the source of identifiable symptoms or the key impediment to attaining valued goals? Or, have you merely identified symptoms of the more fundamental goals and obstacles? Quality of analysis – This refers to the abundance of non-obvious and pertinent inferences. Good papers are dense with good insights, and utilize analytic tools we learn in the course. Quality of recommendations – Have you offered specific, comprehensive, and actionable plans? Don't be excessively detailed. Present the main thrust of the recommendation, assuming details can be handled by competent subordinates. Does your recommendation show how it overcomes the obstacles to achieve the goal(s)? Writing style and organization – Do you offer logical structure, clarity, conciseness, and interest? Hope you find this helpful .
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