ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE
CASE 1 4 Groupon Inc.: Daily Deal or Lasting Success? 14-1 (Contributors: Nick Falcone, Eric Halbruner, Ellie A. Fogarty, and Joyce Vincelette) Groupon began as a local Chicago discount service and became a global phenomenon seemingly overnight. It was a great idea. The company was the first of its kind and changed the way consumers spend, shop, and think about discounts. But how could Groupon, based on such innovation and having experienced such exceptional growth, be in such a precarious position? A wave of competition had swelled, including the likes of technology giants and both general and niche daily deals services, all replicating Groupon’s business model. How could Groupon compete against large companies and their expansive resources?
CASE 1 5 Netflix Inc.: The 2011 Rebranding/Price Increase Debacle 15-1 (Contributor: Alan N. Hoffman) On September 18, 2011, Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings announced on the Netflix blog that the company was splitting its DVD delivery service from its online streaming service, rebranding its DVD delivery service, Qwikster, as a way to differentiate it from its online streaming service, and creating a new Web site for it. Three weeks later, in response to customer outrage and confusion, Hastings rescinded the decision to rebrand the DVD delivery service, Qwikster, and reintegrated it into Netflix. Nevertheless, only five weeks after the initial split, Netflix acknowledged that it had lost 800,000 U.S. subscribers and expected to lose many more, thanks both to the Qwikster debacle and the price hike the company had decided was necessary to cover increasing content costs.
CASE 1 6 Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.: Unsquashable 16-1 (Contributors: Sarah Stefanelli, Christina Marie Kopka, Jakub Libucha, and Joyce Vincelette) Town Sports International decided to move forward with its expansion strategy in order to become the most recognized health club network, through both designing and building clubs and through selective acquisitions within its four major markets, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Town Sports Int’l set out to accomplish this efficiently and effectively by living by its customer-centric mission, “Improving Lives Through Exercise.”
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CASE 1 7 Zynga, Inc. (2011): Whose Turn Is It? 17-1 (Contributors: Zachary Burkhalter, Daniel Zuller, Concetta Bagnato, Joyce Vincelette, and Ellie A. Fogarty) Zynga built its company around social gaming. This new type of gaming transformed the gaming industry on multiple levels and across various platforms. Zynga originally built its games using the Facebook platform and then capitalized on the company’s unique method of social networking to capture audiences around the world. However, this strong reliance on Facebook and changes in consumer gaming practices caused some concern among outside investors as to the future of Zynga.
INDUSTRY THREE: FOOD AND BEVERAGE
CASE 1 8 The Boston Beer Company: Brewers of Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Mini Case) 18-1 (Contributor: Alan N. Hoffman) The Boston Beer Company, founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, is viewed as a pioneer in the American craft beer revolution. Brewing over one million barrels of 25 different styles of beer, Boston Beer is the sixth-largest brewer in the United States. Even though overall domestic beer sales declined 1.2% in 2010, sales of craft beer have increased 20% since 2002, with Boston Beer’s increasing 22% from 2007 to 2009. How can the company continue its rapid growth in a mature industry?
CASE 1 9 Panera Bread Company (2010): Still Rising Fortunes? 19-1 (Contributors: Joyce P. Vincelette and Ellie A. Fogarty) Panera Bread is a successful bakery-café known for its quality soups and sandwiches. Even though Panera’s revenues and net earnings have been rising rapidly, new unit expansion throughout North America has fueled this growth. Will revenue growth stop once expansion slows? The retirement of CEO Ronald Shaich, the master baker who created the “starter” for the company’s phenomenal growth, is an opportunity to rethink Panera’s growth strategy.