3 Page Marketing Strategy Case Analysis
BUSGRAD2020
Howtoprepareacase.docxPreparing a Case Report
Case Report Deliverables
Case reports consist of a report and exhibits (when applicable). Case reports may not exceed three double-spaced pages, excluding exhibits (which are unlimited within reason). I use a blind grading system which means I do not know whose report I am reading. To ensure that this system works only place your N number on your report. Your name should not be included anywhere in your report.
Case Format
You can assume that for each case you work for the firm in question and report to the case protagonist. They have assigned you the task of researching the situation and providing guidance. As such, your report must be factual, concise, and well written. You can come up with a great solution only to be rejected all because the ideas were not well presented. A good case analysis follows a Problem, Analysis, Recommendation format. I will outline each of these below.
Problem: Most of the cases contain several problems; some are more important than others. State what you perceive to be the key problem(s) and why. This section should be brief, being no longer than 1 paragraph.
Analysis: The analysis section will vary depending on the specifics of each case. Some cases will provide you with various alternatives that the company is considering while other cases require you to develop the alternatives. In general, you will need to examine all the elements and information contained in the case to ensure that you are taking into consideration all critical data. The analysis section is the critical part of your case report as it will guide the reader to accept or reject your recommendations. You can take a stance of analyzing the alternatives, weighing one against another. One method that may help you analyze your alternatives is by using the Evaluation Matrix found below. You should not include this type of matrix with your report; it is merely to help you think about the alternatives. The analysis section requires you to utilize all of your analytical skills, including quantitative and qualitative analysis tools.
Recommendations: State how each of the problems you have identified should be resolved based on your analyses. Briefly explain your rationale for choosing that particular recommendation. If appropriate, discuss contingency plans that managers need to consider. You should keep in mind critical issues that the company may face, such as availability of capital, financial risk, competitor reactions, etc. Where applicable, provide a pro forma statement, budget, or other forms of quantitative analysis to help the manager determine the appropriateness of your recommendation.
It is important to remember that a case analysis is not a summary of the case facts. Your reports will be graded based on the thoughtfulness and insight provided by your analysis and how well your recommendations reflect this analysis. Additionally, clarity in your writing is well rewarded. A well-written paper should be able to effectively communicate your points in a grammatically correct and concise way.
Exhibits
The purpose of exhibits is to provide your reader with a “quick” overview of the key elements of your analysis and/or to support your recommendations. Exhibits should add value to the report by being valuable for your reader. Exhibits should be easily read and not filled with calculations. Your reader should be able to examine an exhibit and fully understand what information you are trying to convey. Little thing such as limiting the use of borders, keeping the font size and type the same as in your paper, and limiting the use of abbreviations, all contribute to creating quality exhibits. If you feel the need to explain your calculations, or what exactly the figures indicate, you can use a footnote just below the exhibit. Footnotes should use a smaller type size so that it does not take away from the exhibit itself.
Each exhibit should be individually labeled (e.g., Exhibit 1, Table 2, etc.) and given a titled (e.g., Breakdown of Sales Volume by Region) that is representative of its content. See the example below. The overall design of your Exhibits is entirely up to you. The exhibits should be a “portrait” format, rather than in “landscape.” In some cases, it may be necessary to use “landscape,” but this will be a rare situation.
In the body of your paper, direct readers to the proper exhibit. You could, for example, write something like, “As shown in Exhibit 1, growth in the East region is expected to grow to $166.4 million by 2019.” This example is giving the reader what they need, while also directing them to the source of this information. A poor example would be something like “See Exhibit 1 for projected sales growth.”
Case Grading Criteria
Format – 10% Clarity of writing – 20% Analysis – 40% Recommendation – 30%
General Guidelines
1. Do not repeat facts from the case in your report.
2. Your job is to sell your recommendations to your boss.
3. Write in a clear, professional manner.
4. Proofread your paper for issues of clarity and to ensure it is free from typographical errors.
5. Do not throw around “buzz words” or mention concepts that you are not 100% clear.
6. Critical errors can kill your credibility (and your career).
1. Never misspell the name of the company and/or brand name.
2. Do not misstate key information such as sales figures, market share levels, etc.
Below is one approach that you can use in preparing a case.
1. Skim the case - Get a basic overview of the case by quickly skimming the case. Get a feel for the situation that the company is facing. Make sure to read it from the perspective of the protagonist.
2. Read the case again - The goal with this reading is to fully digest the facts and circumstances that the company is facing. Make sure that you examine all the pertinent information contained in the case. Highlighting key quantitative and qualitative data is helpful at this stage. Do not overlook information contained in exhibits from the case.
3. Determine the key strategic issue - You should start to gain a full understanding of the pressing issue (or problem) of the case. Make sure that the problem is market focused and feasible for the company. Do not confuse symptoms (i.e., declining sales) with the actual problem (i.e., price cut by a competitor). Reexamine your idea of the key strategic issue as you proceed with your analysis.
4. Conduct preliminary analysis - With your problem statement firmly in place, the next step is to determine what information would be helpful to you as you begin to recommendations. This often requires you to crunch numbers the information you would like to have is not readily available. However, you typically have enough data to come up with the information you want Do not disagree with the facts in the case, but you can “read between the lines” and question opinions expressed by people in the case.
5. Formulate alternatives - Alternatives are ways in which you can address the “problem.” Often, the case will provide you with several alternatives, and you should examine them as to how well they will address the problem. However, you are not limited to the alternatives given in the case, and you can offer independent solutions. When the case provides no alternatives, your goal is to develop strategically sound (i.e., plausible) solutions. No matter the source, alternatives must be fully vetted (examined). The analysis you conduct here is critical as it will serve as the support and justification of your recommendation.
6. Outline your recommendations - Based on your analysis of the alternatives, explicitly state what course of action you recommend. You should reiterate the key reasons for making this recommendation, but you do not need to repeat everything you wrote in your analysis. The primary question you should ask yourself here is - does the recommendation address the problem you proposed earlier? If appropriate, you should outline a course of action that the company should follow when implementing your recommendations. Remember, managers will need to be fully convinced about the feasibility of your recommendation. Use your analysis section and exhibits to provide the necessary evidence. The key thing to remember here is that no matter how good your ideas if you can’t provide enough justification, the likelihood of receiving the “go-ahead” is doubtful.
