Unit VIII Case Study
Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically
analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you
research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for
the challenges faced by the company.
Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice,
and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting
research.
Option 1: Red Bull (pp. 581–582)
1. What are Red Bull’s greatest strengths as more companies (like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Monster) enter the energy
drink category and gain market share? What are the risks to their brand equity of competing against such
powerhouses?
2. Discuss the pros and cons of Red Bull’s nontraditional marketing tactics. Should the company do more traditional
advertising? Why, or why not?
3. Discuss the effectiveness of Red Bull’s sponsorships, advertisements, personal selling strategies, promotion, events,
and public relations. Where should the company draw the line in terms of risk?
4. Recommend the next steps for Red Bull with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.
Option 2: Gillette (pp. 612–613)
1. Gillette has successfully convinced the world that more is better in terms of number of blades and other razor
features. How did they do it? Why has that worked in the past? Will it continue to work in the future? Why, or why not?
Will Gillette ever become as successful at marketing to women as to men? Why, or why not?
2. Why have Gillette’s sports marketing partnerships been so successful in developing their brand equity?
3. Some of Gillette’s spokespeople such as Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods have run into controversy after becoming
endorsers for the brand. Does this hurt Gillette’s brand equity or marketing message? Explain.
4. Discuss the effectiveness of their overall marketing campaign including advertising, personal selling, promotion,
events, and public relations strategies.
5. Recommend next steps for Gillette with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.
Option 3: Unilever (Axe and Dove) (pp. 632–633)
1. What makes personal marketing work? Why are Dove and Axe so successful at developing their brand equity?
2. Discuss the effectiveness of the overall marketing campaigns including advertising, personal selling, promotion,
events, and public relations strategies.
3. Is there a conflict of interest in the way Unilever markets to women and young men? Is it undoing all the good that
might be done in the “Campaign for Real Beauty” by making women sex symbols in Axe ads? Discuss.
4. Recommend next steps for Unilever with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.
In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with
subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and
reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5
years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material
must have accompanying in-text citations
DQ Question
Imagine that you are the owner of a new company in your community. What are the key aspects in managing advertising, sales, promotion, events, and public relations? Which do you prioritize as the owner?
