LOBLAW COMPANIES LIMITED Assignment Questions: 1. Do you expect Wal-Mart to introduce its Supercenters into Canada? Why or why not? 2. Should Loblaw be afraid of Wal-Mart? 3. What should Loblaw do to prepare for the entry of Wal-Mart? Design an action plan to counter this competitive threat. Starbucks Assignment Questions: 1. What is Starbuck’s strategy? 2. Given your assessment of its competitive premise, how should it leverage its resources and capabilities to achieve its growth objective? 3. How will you respond to McDonald’s offer? Wal-Mart Tries on Cheap Chic Assignment Questions: 1.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wal-Mart’s fashion brands, George and Metro 7? 2. Where has Wal-Mart gone wrong in its attempt to create an effective marketing communication program for its brands? 3. Can Wal-Mart position itself as a credible arbiter of fashion? How? The Walt Disney Company Assignment Questions: 1. Why has Disney been successful for so long? 2. What did Michael Eisner do to rejuvenate Disney? Specifically, how did he increase net income in his first four years? 3. Has Disney diversified too fat in recent years? Gillette’s Energy Drain (A): The acquisition of Duracell
Assignment Questions: 1. If you were James Kilt, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gillette, what strategic actions would you take to turn Duracell around? 2. What were the impacts of Duracell’s introduction of Ultra on the nature of competition in the battery industry? 3. What could Gillette have done differently in 1996 that would have had a more positive impact on company and industry profitability? 4. Why was Gillette unable to achieve the same success in batteries that it had been able to achieve in shaving products? Vincor and the new World of Wine Discussion Questions: . Assess Vincor’s global competitive position in the wine industry. Does it make sense for Vincor to try and become a global top player? Why? 2. Should Vincor concentrate on further developing the United States market or expand into a geographically distant country such as Australia? What are the risks of such an expansion? 3. What will Vincor gain by acquiring Goundrey? How does Goundrey fit into Vincor’s overall strategy? 4. What would you recommend? Eli Lilly Assignment Questions: 1. Did Eli Lilly pursue the right strategy to enter the Indian market? 2.
Carefully consider the evolution of the joint venture. Evaluate the three successive IJV leaders. Identify the unique challenges faced by each. 3. How would you assess the overall performance of the JV? What did the partners learn from the IJV? 4. What action would you recommend regarding the Ranbaxy partnership? What are the implications of your recommendation? How would you implement this? GPS-To-Go Assignment Questions: 1. What options does Thomas have to reduce the overall product UMC (material and labour) to meet the target costs? 2. Analyze each of these options and prepare a presentation for Scott.
