CASE ANALYSIS GUIDELINES
CASE ANALYSIS AND PREPARATION
The same guidelines should be applied for the group presentation, the written assignments, and preparation for class discussion. All cases are different, and a strong analysis will look different from one case to another. However, there are certain core elements that should be included in some form in every case analysis.
1. What is your recommendation? Recommend a topline course of action right up front so that the audience/reader is prepared to listen to or read the balance of your presentation with your proposal in mind. At this point, you do not need to go into detail or rationale. That comes later. For example, “We are here to present the Brady Motors Corp. (BMC) case and are recommending that BMC enter the truck category to further expand their sales beyond traditional sedans.”
2. What is the problem? This may be expressed as a problem to be solved, a decision to be made or a key issue to be addressed. The answer to this question will set the direction for your presentation or brief. In many of the cases there will be more than one problem, so your choice on this topic will determine the focus of your assignment. For example, “BMC is experiencing stagnant sales in the sedan market and is exploring alternatives to reinvigorate growth.”
3. What are the decision alternatives? In some cases, these will be explicitly stated in the case (although you do not have to be limited to these), while in others you will have to determine the alternatives on your own. For example, “BMC is exploring entering the emerging electric car market or the fast-growing truck category or staying with traditional sedans but discounting their price significantly to spur sales.”
4. What are the pros and cons of each decision alternative? These should be handled in the context of your overall discussion of the case and backed by whatever analysis you are able to provide based on the information from the case itself. This is the section in which you should be applying the concepts you have learned in class and in the reading.
5. What is your recommendation? Recommend a detailed course of action along with your rationale for that recommendation. Use the support that you need to be persuasive — that is your goal. You should also include any relevant logistics in terms of next steps or an action plan for moving forward.
In addition, there should be some additional analysis that will be different for each case depending on the problem to be addressed and the information provided in the case. It might involve a SWOT analysis, a competitive review, a profit and loss projection, or a discussion of category or consumer trends or some other factors.
All of your presentation must be based on the situation at the time of the case.
For example, if your case takes place in 2001, you would not be proposing a solution that relied heavily on social media which didn’t exist at that time.
Keep in mind that in marketing (as in many business situations), there are very few “right” answers in an absolute sense. There are usually several viable alternatives that could be recommended and supported. Your challenge is to pick one and be as persuasive as possible in putting it forward.
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