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Main Catalogs   Accounting Business Communication Business Law Economics Finance Insurance and Real Estate Management Information Systems Management and Organization Marketing Operations and Decision Sciences      Special Catalogs     Case Studies Text Chapters Mapped to Specific Cases How to Build a Book: Select Content Review & Arrange Personalize Request a Copy Keyword    Title, Author, Case #, Etc. ALEKS Homework Manager Discover Econ   Learning Solutions Group     Harvard Business Review Brief Cases — Marketing  • To include an item in your complimentary custom book, click the item’s Add link. If there is a View link next to an item, you can view the pages by clicking on the link.  • To review the list of items you have selected so far, click on Step 2 in the progress bar above. You have successfully added all of the items to your order. Either click here to review your order or continue to add content from another title.    The Global Brand Face-Off   Added   View  12 pp.  HBR Case Study Author(s): Raman, Anand P. Publication Date: 06/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Brief Case HBS Number: R0306X Subjects: Brand management; Brands; Globalization; HBR case discussions; International business; Marketing strategy; Product positioning Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Espoir Cosmetics has received a tantalizing offer: sponsorship of the sequel to the Hollywood hit Diana's She Devils. For Natasha Singh, the U.S.-based company's global marketing officer, the movie is an ideal vehicle for global brand building. As the film is released in each country, Espoir can launch tie-in lipsticks and nail polishes. But some of Espoir's regional executives don't see it that way. One of them — Vasylko Mazur, the head of Eastern European operations and Tasha's old friend — is particularly upset. “Tasha,” he says, “you don't realize how different Eastern Europe is from the rest of the world. Movie-based promotions won't do anything for my sales.” Tasha understands his point of view. When she was Espoir's marketing head in India, she had to fight for her unconventional local initiatives. But she has come to believe that tastes are changing rapidly all over the world. From Eastern Europe to the smallest towns in India, customers want the products they see on TV, in the movies, and in international magazines. Should Espoir take its new branding initiative global? May be used with: (R0306Z) The Global Brand Face-Off (Commentary for HBR Case Study).   Add   View  16 pp.  HBR Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Raman, Anand P.; Thompson, Peter M.; Aaker, Jennifer L.; Manwani, Harish; Clift, Simon; Kotabe, Masaaki “Mike” Publication Date: 06/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Brief Case HBS Number: R0306A Subjects: Brand management; Brands; Globalization; HBR case discussions; International business; Marketing strategy; Product positioning Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Espoir Cosmetics has received a tantalizing offer: sponsorship of the sequel to the Hollywood hit Diana's She Devils. For Natasha Singh, the U.S.-based company's global marketing officer, the movie is an ideal vehicle for global brand building. As the film is released in each country, Espoir can launch tie-in lipsticks and nail polishes. But some of Espoir's regional executives don't see it that way. One of them — Vasylko Mazur, the head of Eastern European operations and Tasha's old friend — is particularly upset. “Tasha,” he says, “you don't realize how different Eastern Europe is from the rest of the world. Movie-based promotions won't do anything for my sales.” Tasha understands his point of view. When she was Espoir's marketing head in India, she had to fight for her unconventional local initiatives. But she has come to believe that tastes are changing rapidly all over the world. From Eastern Europe to the smallest towns in India, customers want the products they see on TV, in the movies, and in international magazines. Should Espoir take its new branding initiative global?    The Customers’ Revenge   Add   View  8 pp.  HBR Case Study Author(s): Ariely, Dan Publication Date: 12/01/2007 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0712X Industry Setting: Automotive industry Subjects: Customer relations; Customer satisfaction; Customer service; HBR case discussions; Outsourcing; Public relations; Publicity Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Venerable Detroit automaker Atida Motors has a new call center in Bangalore that the company hopes will raise its reputation for customer service. But it doesn't appear to be doing so yet. Complaints about the Andromeda XL — the hip new model Atida hopes will capture the imagination of Wall Street — are flooding the call center. Call backlogs are building, and letters of complaint are piling up. One loyal Atida customer is so upset about getting the brush-off that he's not only talking to a lawyer but threatening to go on YouTube and take his case to the court of public opinion. In the Internet age, does Atida need a new way to deal with unhappy customers? Tom Farmer, the creator of the unintentionally viral PowerPoint presentation “Yours Is a Very Bad Hotel,” says that Atida needs to stop defining customer service solely as a response to bad news and nip problems in the bud by making online dialogue intrinsic to the brand experience. Nate Bennett, of Georgia Tech, and Chris Martin, of Centenary College, observe that Atida has violated its customers' sense of fairness within three dimensions — distributive, procedural, and interactional — thus increasing their desire for revenge. Lexus Vice President for Customer Service Nancy Fein thinks Atida isn't even in the ballpark when it comes to world-class customer service. She offers as an example a Lexus rep who drove 80 miles to deliver $1,000 to a stranded Lexus owner whose purse had been stolen. Barak Libai, of Tel Aviv University and MIT's Sloan School, suggests that Atida in   Add   View  12 pp.  HBR Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Ariely, Dan; Farmer, Tom; Bennett, Nate; Martin, Chris; Fein, Nancy; Libai, Barak Publication Date: 12/01/2007 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0712A Industry Setting: Automotive industry Subjects: Customer relations; Customer satisfaction; Customer service; HBR case discussions; Outsourcing; Public relations; Publicity Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Venerable Detroit automaker Atida Motors has a new call center in Bangalore that the company hopes will raise its reputation for customer service. But it doesn't appear to be doing so yet. Complaints about the Andromeda XL — the hip new model Atida hopes will capture the imagination of Wall Street — are flooding the call center. Call backlogs are building, and letters of complaint are piling up. One loyal Atida customer is so upset about getting the brush-off that he's not only talking to a lawyer but threatening to go on YouTube and take his case to the court of public opinion. In the Internet age, does Atida need a new way to deal with unhappy customers? Tom Farmer, the creator of the unintentionally viral PowerPoint presentation “Yours Is a Very Bad Hotel,” says that Atida needs to stop defining customer service solely as a response to bad news and nip problems in the bud by making online dialogue intrinsic to the brand experience. Nate Bennett, of Georgia Tech, and Chris Martin, of Centenary College, observe that Atida has violated its customers' sense of fairness within three dimensions — distributive, procedural, and interactional — thus increasing their desire for revenge. Lexus Vice President for Customer Service Nancy Fein thinks Atida isn't even in the ballpark when it comes to world-class customer service. She offers as an example a Lexus rep who drove 80 miles to deliver $1,000 to a stranded Lexus owner whose purse had been stolen. Barak Libai,    A Rose by Any Other Name   Add   View  6 pp.  HBR Case Study Author(s): Stone, Daniel B. Publication Date: 03/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0303X Subjects: Brand management; Brands; HBR case discussions; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Tom Rose was about to listen to his marketing head, Cassie Martin, make a major presentation on the biggest strategic initiative in Rose Partyware's history: the launch of a branded line of party ware. Rose had manufactured paper goods for parties and other social events for many years. But Tom had recently spotted an opportunity to break out of the pack: a new printing technology that would improve quality and reduce costs. When Rose test-marketed the new line, consumers loved it, and retailers pledged their support. Tom felt that the new technology would give Rose the edge it needed to establish its own brand, which would, in turn, allow the company to stay ahead of its rivals. In her presentation, Cassie reported that customers loved the brand concept. However, it was going to be more expensive than she had originally thought. And Hank Lewis, Rose's national accounts manager, further complicated matters when he told Tom that one of Rose's biggest customers, Party!, had just decided to offer customers a complete line of party goods under its own name and wanted Rose to manufacture it. The management team is split on whether Rose should launch its own line. Tom needs to decide: What's the best marketing strategy for Rose Partyware?   Add   View  10 pp.  HBR Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Stone, Daniel B.; Weise , Frank E., III; Pant, Micky; Hoch, Stephen J.; Corstjens, Judith; Corstjens, Marcel Publication Date: 03/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0303A Subjects: Brand management; Brands; HBR case discussions; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Tom Rose was about to listen to his marketing head, Cassie Martin, make a major presentation on the biggest strategic initiative in Rose Partyware's history: the launch of a branded line of party ware. Rose had manufactured paper goods for parties and other social events for many years. But Tom had recently spotted an opportunity to break out of the pack: a new printing technology that would improve quality and reduce costs. When Rose test-marketed the new line, consumers loved it, and retailers pledged their support. Tom felt that the new technology would give Rose the edge it needed to establish its own brand, which would, in turn, allow the company to stay ahead of its rivals. In her presentation, Cassie reported that customers loved the brand concept. However, it was going to be more expensive than she had originally thought. And Hank Lewis, Rose's national accounts manager, further complicated matters when he told Tom that one of Rose's biggest customers, Party!, had just decided to offer customers a complete line of party goods under its own name and wanted Rose to manufacture it. The management team is split on whether Rose should launch its own line. Tom needs to decide: What's the best marketing strategy for Rose Partyware?    Can Knockoffs Knock Out Your Business?   Add   View  5 pp.  HBR Case Study Author(s): Nunes, Paul F.; Mulani, Narendra P Publication Date: 10/01/2008 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0810X Subjects: Brand management; Crime Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Ruffin CEO Bill Bronson is on a mission. Counterfeits of his company's adventure gear and clothing are on the rise, and Bronson is hell-bent on stopping them. He has hired top-notch investigators to track down the criminals, invested in technology that will help distinguish his products from look-alikes, and pushed online vendors to stop selling fakes. All of that has cost a lot of money, however, and the problem seems to be getting worse. How far should Bronson take his campaign? Three experts comment on this fictional case study in R0810A and R0810Z. Giorgio Brandazza, a professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management, fought a similar battle as an executive at Calvin Klein. He advises Ruffin to mitigate the effects of copycats by building up the strength of its brand. For one thing, the company should increase its retail presence in countries where it is plagued by fakes. Single-brand stores will allow Ruffin to guarantee customers they're getting authentic goods, showcase its products in distinctive ways, and build strong relationships with consumers. J. Merrick “Rick” Taggart, president of Victorinox Swiss Army in North America, recommends zeroing in on the worst counterfeiting offenders. A resource Ruffin should take advantage of, he says, is customs and border patrol officers; if the company frequently communicates with them about ports of entry and consignee and consignor data, these officials can more easily sniff out illegal activity. The foundation for any good defense against counterfeiters, says Candace S. Cummings, general counsel of VF Corporation, is instituting tight controls over the company's supply chain and distribution process. That means, among o   Add   View  8 pp.  HBR Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Nunes, Paul F.; Mulani, Narendra P; Brandazza, Giorgio; Taggart, J. Merrick “Rick”; Cummings, Candace S. Publication Date: 10/01/2008 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0810A Subjects: Brand management; Crime Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Ruffin CEO Bill Bronson is on a mission. Counterfeits of his company's adventure gear and clothing are on the rise, and Bronson is hell-bent on stopping them. He has hired top-notch investigators to track down the criminals, invested in technology that will help distinguish his products from look-alikes, and pushed online vendors to stop selling fakes. All of that has cost a lot of money, however, and the problem seems to be getting worse. How far should Bronson take his campaign? Three experts comment on this fictional case study in R0810A and R0810Z. Giorgio Brandazza, a professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management, fought a similar battle as an executive at Calvin Klein. He advises Ruffin to mitigate the effects of copycats by building up the strength of its brand. For one thing, the company should increase its retail presence in countries where it is plagued by fakes. Single-brand stores will allow Ruffin to guarantee customers they're getting authentic goods, showcase its products in distinctive ways, and build strong relationships with consumers. J. Merrick “Rick” Taggart, president of Victorinox Swiss Army in North America, recommends zeroing in on the worst counterfeiting offenders. A resource Ruffin should take advantage of, he says, is customs and border patrol officers; if the company frequently communicates with them about ports of entry and consignee and consignor data, these officials can more easily sniff out illegal activity. The foundation for any good defense against counterfeiters, says Candace S. Cummings, general counsel of VF Corporation, is instituting tight contro    World-Class Bull   Add   View  8 pp.  HBR Case Study Author(s): Humphreys, John; Ahmed, Zafar U.; Pryor, Mildred Publication Date: 05/01/2009 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0905X Subjects: Customer relationship management; Ethics; Sales strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: When Chris Knox, a top salesperson at Specialty Fleet Services, volunteers to go after the business of Armadillo Gas & Power, he decides to try a new approach. After all, no one else from SFS has succeeded with Dale Landry, Armadillo's CFO. Knox shows up at Landry's ranch, asks to photograph his beloved bull, presents the photo as a gift to Landry's wife, and engineers several other encounters before Landry learns that Knox is anything more than a charming young man. Not long after he reveals his position at SFS, Knox wins the account. Sales VP Jeremy Silva emails the sales team, praising Knox's maneuvers. But the human resources vice president thinks that Knox breached the company's ethics code. Does Knox deserve a reprimand? Four experts comment on this fictional case study in R0905B and R0905Z. Kirk O. Hanson, the executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, believes that Knox went astray not by trying to share a potential client's passion but by treating the Landrys as a means to an end — deceiving them and violating their personal space along the way. There's a big difference between deceiving competitors and deceiving customers, explain consultants Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. SFS needs to clarify this difference in its ethics code, apologize to Landry, and fire Silva, who demonstrated in hitting the “send” button that he does not understand the policies and behaviors that build shareholder value. James Borg, a business psychologist and author, argues that Knox didn't coerce Landry into buying SFS's services but instead simply got the CFO's attention and let his persuasive techniques do the r   Add   View  12 pp.  HBR Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Hanson, Kirk O.; Humphreys, John; Peppers, Don; Rogers, Martha; Ahmed, Zafar U.; Pryor, Mildred; Borg, James Publication Date: 05/01/2009 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0905B Subjects: Customer relationship management; Ethics; Sales strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: When Chris Knox, a top salesperson at Specialty Fleet Services, volunteers to go after the business of Armadillo Gas & Power, he decides to try a new approach. After all, no one else from SFS has succeeded with Dale Landry, Armadillo's CFO. Knox shows up at Landry's ranch, asks to photograph his beloved bull, presents the photo as a gift to Landry's wife, and engineers several other encounters before Landry learns that Knox is anything more than a charming young man. Not long after he reveals his position at SFS, Knox wins the account. Sales VP Jeremy Silva emails the sales team, praising Knox's maneuvers. But the human resources vice president thinks that Knox breached the company's ethics code. Does Knox deserve a reprimand? Kirk O. Hanson, the executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, believes that Knox went astray not by trying to share a potential client's passion but by treating the Landrys as a means to an end — deceiving them and violating their personal space along the way. There's a big difference between deceiving competitors and deceiving customers, explain consultants Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. SFS needs to clarify this difference in its ethics code, apologize to Landry, and fire Silva, who demonstrated in hitting the “send” button that he does not understand the policies and behaviors that build shareholder value. James Borg, a business psychologist and author, argues that Knox didn't coerce Landry into buying SFS's services but instead simply got the CFO's attention and let his persuasive techniques do the rest. Whereas    And Now, a Word from Our Sponsor   Add   View  8 pp.  Case Study Author(s): Peebles, M. Ellen Publication Date: 10/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. The commentary-only version is Reprint R0310Z. The complete case study and commentary is Reprint R0310A. Bryant Pharmaceutical's flagship product, a popular arthritis medicine called Seflex, is selling well -- but not well enough. With generic versions due on the shelves in a couple of years, the drug company is looking for a dramatic sales increase. VP Laura Goldenberg knows she has to reach more consumers, but in an environment where people bombarded with advertising are using devices such as TiVo to skip ads, her job has suddenly taken on a new intensity. In search of a new, gangbuster campaign, Laura and her ad agency come up with the idea of product placement -- not your typical integration of a product into a television or movie script, but a less traditional approach. Their idea is to hire a much-loved, elderly actress to extol the virtues of Seflex on a morning news program. The news segment would be about arthritis, and Seflex would be casually mentioned during the interview. The company would have to pay the actress $1 million, and there are risks: What if it gets out that Bryant is paying her? What if the actress errs and says something about Seflex's side effects? Should the company green-light Laura's plan? This fictional case study looks at the pros and cons of traditional product placement and newer, more subtle alternatives to advertising. In R0310Z, commenting on the case are Bob Gamgort, president of Masterfoods USA; Michelle R. Nelson, an assistant professor of journalism and mass communications at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; FTC commissioner Mozelle W. Thompson; and Mike Sheehan, president and CEO of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos. HBS Number: R0310X Subjects: Adver   Add   View  12 pp.  Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Peebles, M. Ellen Publication Date: 10/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: Bryant Pharmaceutical's flagship product, a popular arthritis medicine called Seflex, is selling well -- but not well enough. With generic versions due on the shelves in a couple of years, the drug company is looking for a dramatic sales increase. VP Laura Goldenberg knows she has to reach more consumers, but in an environment where people bombarded with advertising are using devices such as TiVo to skip ads, her job has suddenly taken on a new intensity. In search of a new, gangbuster campaign, Laura and her ad agency come up with the idea of product placement -- not your typical integration of a product into a television or movie script, but a less traditional approach. Their idea is to hire a much-loved, elderly actress to extol the virtues of Seflex on a morning news program. The news segment would be about arthritis, and Seflex would be casually mentioned during the interview. The company would have to pay the actress $1 million, and there are risks: What if it gets out that Bryant is paying her? What if the actress errs and says something about Seflex's side effects? Should the company green-light Laura's plan? This fictional case study looks at the pros and cons of traditional product placement and newer, more subtle alternatives to advertising. Commenting on the case are Bob Gamgort, president of Masterfoods USA; Michelle R. Nelson, an assistant professor of journalism and mass communications at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; FTC commissioner Mozelle W. Thompson; and Mike Sheehan, president and CEO of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos. THIS HBR CASE STUDY INCLUDES BOTH THE CASE AND THE COMMENTARY. FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, THE REPRINT IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN TWO OTHER VERSIONS: CASE STUDY ONLY, REPRINT R0310X, AND COMMENTARY ONLY, REPRINT R0310Z. HBS Number: R0310A    Blogger in Their Midst   Add   View  8 pp.  Case Study Author(s): Suitt, Halley Publication Date: 09/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. The commentary-only version is Reprint R0309Z. The complete case study and commentary is Reprint R0309A. It was five minutes before show time, and only 15 people had wandered into the conference room to hear Lancaster-Webb CEO Will Somerset introduce the company's latest line of surgical gloves. More important, sales prospect Samuel Taylor, medical director of the Houston Clinic, had failed to show. Will walked out of the ballroom to steady his nerves and noticed a spillover crowd down the hall. He made a ``What's up?'' gesture to Judy Chen, Lancaster-Webb's communications chief. She came over to him. ``It's Glove Girl. You know, the blogger,'' Judy said, as if this explained anything. ``I think she may have stolen your crowd.'' ``Who is she?'' Will asked. Glove Girl was a factory worker at Lancaster-Webb, whose always outspoken, often informative postings on her web log had developed quite a following. Will was new to the world of blogging, but he quickly learned about its power in a briefing with his staff. After Glove Girl had raved about Lancaster-Webb's older SteriTouch disposable gloves, orders had surged. More recently, though, Glove Girl had questioned the Houston Clinic's business practices, posting damaging information at her site about its rate of cesarean deliveries -- to Sam Taylor's consternation. This fictional case study considers the question of whether a highly credible, but sometimes inaccurate and often indiscreet, online diarist is more of a liability than an asset to her employer. What, if anything, should Will do about Glove Girl? In R0309Z, four commentators -- David Weinberger, author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined; Pamela Samuelson, a professor of law and information management at the University of California,   Add   View  12 pp.  Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Suitt, Halley Publication Date: 09/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: It was five minutes before show time, and only 15 people had wandered into the conference room to hear Lancaster-Webb CEO Will Somerset introduce the company's latest line of surgical gloves. More important, sales prospect Samuel Taylor, medical director of the Houston Clinic, had failed to show. Will walked out of the ballroom to steady his nerves and noticed a spillover crowd down the hall. He made a ``What's up?'' gesture to Judy Chen, Lancaster-Webb's communications chief. She came over to him. ``It's Glove Girl. You know, the blogger,'' Judy said, as if this explained anything. ``I think she may have stolen your crowd.'' ``Who is she?'' Will asked. Glove Girl was a factory worker at Lancaster-Webb, whose always outspoken, often informative postings on her web log had developed quite a following. Will was new to the world of blogging, but he quickly learned about its power in a briefing with his staff. After Glove Girl had raved about Lancaster-Webb's older SteriTouch disposable gloves, orders had surged. More recently, though, Glove Girl had questioned the Houston Clinic's business practices, posting damaging information at her site about its rate of cesarean deliveries -- to Sam Taylor's consternation. This fictional case study considers the question of whether a highly credible, but sometimes inaccurate and often indiscreet, online diarist is more of a liability than an asset to her employer. What, if anything, should Will do about Glove Girl? Four commentators -- David Weinberger, author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined; Pamela Samuelson, a professor of law and information management at the University of California, Berkeley; Ray Ozzie, CEO and chairman of Groove Networks; and Erin Motameni, vice-president of human resources at EMC -- offer expert advice. THIS HBR CASE STUDY INCLUDES BOTH THE CASE AND    Class — or Mass?   Add   View  12 pp.  Case Study   Add   View  16 pp.  Case Study and Commentary    Cross Selling or Cross Purposes?   Add   View  8 pp.  Case Study Author(s): Harding, Ford Publication Date: 07/01/2004 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. The commentary-only version is Reprint R0407Z. The complete case study and commentary is Reprint R0407B. Software maker TopTek has acquired a consulting and systems-integration firm, mainly to profit from the software sales that are a natural by-product of consulting engagements. But in many ways the two companies worked better when they were separate. Before the acquisition, the same people who delivered services to clients made the consulting firm's sales. By contrast, TopTek's professional salespeople, all of them highly skilled at selling product, handled sales. Now the consultants and the salespeople are trying to work together, but they're making a hash of it. For instance, the CIO of a TopTek customer--a retailer--is complaining that consultants from the acquired firm are driving him nuts. They've got his boss's ear, and they're selling additional projects left and right, stimulating demand for a pace of change that the CIO says the retailer can't handle. The consultants in the newly constituted TopTek aren't happy either. They get no commissions on products they sell, because commissions for all sales to an account--forever--go to the salesperson who snagged it in the first place. The sales force has its own gripes. The consultants aren't much help in winning new business, according to Ron Murphy, TopTek's sales VP. What will it take for cross selling to succeed at TopTek? Commenting on this fictional case study are Ram Charan, an author and adviser to CEOs; Caroline A. Kovac, the general manager of IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences; Jerome A. Colletti, an author and consultant; and Federico Turegano, the managing director of SG Corporate and Investment Banking, an arm of Societe Generale Group. HBS Number: R0407X   Add   View  12 pp.  Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Harding, Ford Publication Date: 07/01/2004 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: Software maker TopTek has acquired a consulting and systems-integration firm, mainly to profit from the software sales that are a natural by-product of consulting engagements. But in many ways the two companies worked better when they were separate. Before the acquisition, the same people who delivered services to clients made the consulting firm's sales. By contrast, TopTek's professional salespeople, all of them highly skilled at selling product, handled sales. Now the consultants and the salespeople are trying to work together, but they're making a hash of it. For instance, the CIO of a TopTek customer -- a retailer -- is complaining that consultants from the acquired firm are driving him nuts. They've got his boss's ear, and they're selling additional projects left and right, stimulating demand for a pace of change that the CIO says the retailer can't handle. The consultants in the newly constituted TopTek aren't happy either. They get no commissions on products they sell, because commissions for all sales to an account -- forever -- go to the salesperson who snagged it in the first place. The sales force has its own gripes. The consultants aren't much help in winning new business, according to Ron Murphy, TopTek's sales VP. What will it take for cross selling to succeed at TopTek? Commenting on this fictional case study are Ram Charan, an author and adviser to CEOs; Caroline A. Kovac, the general manager of IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences; Jerome A. Colletti, an author and consultant; and Federico Turegano, the managing director of SG Corporate and Investment Banking, an arm of Societe Generale Group. THIS HBR CASE STUDY INCLUDES BOTH THE CASE AND THE COMMENTARY. FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, THE REPRINT IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN TWO OTHER VERSIONS: CASE STUDY ONLY, REPRINT R0407X, AND COMMENTARY ONLY, REPRIN    How Low Will You Go?   Added   View  5 pp.  Case Study Author(s): Mobley, Mary Edie; Humphreys, John Publication Date: 04/01/2006 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0604X Industry Setting: Automotive parts & accessories Subjects: Behavior; Brief case; Customer relations; Discrimination; Employee retention; Ethics; Gender; HBR case discussions; Human resources management; Leadership; Management; Principles; Sales agents; Sales strategy; Sex discrimination; Values; Women in business Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: No question, Galen McDowell knew how to sell. He quickly hooked a big-league outfit, Kinan Motors, as a potential customer. He invited their representatives to come take a tour of the company and, while they were in town, visit the Red Ruby Club. The Red Ruby? That's a strip club. Galen assured CEO Bob Carlton that it was upscale and full of businesspeople. He said his reps had often made use of the club to woo important accounts away from rivals. As if to prove his point, Kinan quickly signed a multimillion-dollar contract with OptiMotors after the visit. Then April Hartley, Bob's first salesperson, quit. She had been trying to build relationships with customers, but the really big accounts, it seemed, were looking for “more exciting stuff” than she could give them. Now Joan Warren — another saleswoman, and one who would happily close a deal anywhere she got the chance — is complaining because Galen won't let her go to the club with him. “I won't stand by and be disadvantaged simply because I'm a woman,” she says. When does client entertainment cross the line? May be used with: (R0604Z) How Low Will You Go? (Commentary for HBR Case Study).   Add   View  9 pp.  Case Study and Commentary Author(s): Mobley, Mary Edie; Humphreys, John; Brown, John; Frank, Katherine; Narayandas, Das; Rousseau, Denise Publication Date: 04/01/2006 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0604A Industry Setting: Automotive parts & accessories Subjects: Behavior; Brief case; Customer relations; Discrimination; Employee retention; Ethics; Gender; HBR case discussions; Human resources management; Leadership; Management; Principles; Sales agents; Sales strategy; Sex discrimination; Values; Women in business Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: No question, Galen McDowell knew how to sell. He quickly hooked a big-league outfit, Kinan Motors, as a potential customer. He invited their representatives to come take a tour of the company and, while they were in town, visit the Red Ruby Club. The Red Ruby? That's a strip club. Galen assured CEO Bob Carlton that it was upscale and full of businesspeople. He said his reps had often made use of the club to woo important accounts away from rivals. As if to prove his point, Kinan quickly signed a multimillion-dollar contract with OptiMotors after the visit. Then April Hartley, Bob's first salesperson, quit. She had been trying to build relationships with customers, but the really big accounts, it seemed, were looking for “more exciting stuff” than she could give them. Now Joan Warren — another saleswoman, and one who would happily close a deal anywhere she got the chance — is complaining because Galen won't let her go to the club with him. “I won't stand by and be disadvantaged simply because I'm a woman,” she says. When does client entertainment cross the line?    Keeping to the Fairway   Added   View  8 pp.  Case Study Author(s): Waite, Thomas J. Publication Date: 04/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0304X Subjects: Brand management; Brands; HBR case discussions; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing Product Description: Sandy Michaels, chief marketing officer of financial services giant Pace Sterling, faces a tough dilemma now that the high-profile golf tournament her company sponsors has been tainted with controversy. The Dover Hill country club, where the prestigious Champions invitational is played, accepts only men as members. This year, a powerful women's organization has decided to make a bigger issue of that exclusivity. Under pressure from the Women's Rights Organization (WRO) to withdraw its support, Pace Sterling must think about the marketing value it gets from the sponsorship and how much that value might be diminished — or heightened — by the controversy. CEO Cal Buckley enlists the help of Michaels and other senior executives in the company to determine just that. Michaels firmly believes that Pace Sterling should stay the course and sponsor the event. Michaels is unwavering--that is, until the day she comes across this newspaper headline: “Tommy Ward Should Boycott Dover Hill.” Ward is the undisputed king of the golf world and the odds-on favorite to win the Champions. The WRO is clearly turning up the volume. Should Pace Sterling proceed with its sponsorship?   Add   View  12 pp.  Case Study with Commentary Author(s): Waite, Thomas J. Publication Date: 04/01/2003 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article Product Description: Sandy Michaels, chief marketing officer of financial services giant Pace Sterling, faces a tough dilemma now that the high-profile golf tournament her company sponsors has been tainted with controversy. The Dover Hill country club, where the prestigious Champions invitational is played, accepts only men as members. This year, a powerful women's organization has decided to make a bigger issue of that exclusivity. Under pressure from the Women's Rights Organization (WRO) to withdraw its support, Pace Sterling must think about the marketing value it gets from the sponsorship and how much that value might be diminished--or heightened--by the controversy. CEO Cal Buckley enlists the help of Michaels and other senior executives in the company to determine just that. Michaels firmly believes that Pace Sterling should stay the course and sponsor the event. Michaels is unwavering--that is, until the day she comes across this newspaper headline: "Tommy Ward Should Boycott Dover Hill." Ward is the undisputed king of the golf world and the odds-on favorite to win the Champions. The WRO is clearly turning up the volume. Should Pace Sterling proceed with its sponsorship? Offering advice are Sergio Zyman, former chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola; James E. Murphy, global managing director of marketing and communications at Accenture; Kim Skildum-Reid, co-author of The Sponsor's Toolkit and The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit; and Paul A. Argenti, a professor of management and corporate communication at Dartmouth's Tuck School. HBS Number: R0304A Subjects: Brand management; Brands; HBR Case Discussions; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy Academic Discipline: Marketing

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