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Smartwear’s Marketing Research Proposal: NAC’s Dilemma

CASE STUDY, MARKETING RESEARCH
ET Cases, 10 pages
AUTHOR(S) : R. Muthukumar and Dr. Nagendra V. Chowdary

Case Preview

Smartwear’s Marketing Research Proposal: NAC’s Dilemma

 

Newton Advertising and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (NAC), is an advertising and PR agency which offered advertising solutions & services along with PR. The company’s major revenue source had been advertising services. With a long history of 25 years, NAC became a popular and well-known advertising agency in India. Having created some of the most defining advertisements (prints & TVCs) for Indian companies, NAC had been focusing on SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and MSMEs (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) during the last 4 years. Although the ticket size was comparatively less, with the growing entrepreneurial culture in India, SMEs and MSMEs are poised for a meteoric rise in the years to come. One of the biggest bottlenecks for an SME/MSME (especially in B2C segment) was to reach out to the target customers in an effective and efficient way.

On May 11th 2015, NAC received a business proposal to undertake a marketing research from an MSME, Smartwear. Anand Tripathi (Anand), Director, Operations, having forwarded the proposal (the mail) to John Mathews (John), the Director (Client Engagement and Strategy), was not sure what should be NAC’s reply. During lunch time, Anand confabulated with John regarding the mail sent. John said, “I wish I could tell you right now.” “We need to communicate within a week, though”, said Anand.

Smartwear, setup in 2001, was a manufacturer and supplier of Knitted & Woven Garments (T-Shirt), for men and women. It was one of the major suppliers to many popular Indian and Global brands like Nike, Puma, UCB, Evolution, Anora, Levi’s, etc. Although the company was making decent profits (with 28% margins), the Founder, G. Kumar (Kumar), had aggressive growth plans up his sleeves. He wanted to launch his own brand and make it bigger. To start with, he decided to launch a new product – occasional/festive ethnic wear for men. As he had been operating in a B2B market, as a supplier to Indian and global brands, neither did he know about any product launch nor did he know anything about GTM (Go To Market) strategies for a new product..................

Assignment Questions

I. What do you understand by Marketing Research? Is there any difference between Marketing Research and Market Research? What is the process of conducting a Marketing Research?

II. What is the importance of Marketing Research:

a) For Companies/Organizations/Institutions
b) For an MBA Program
c) For Marketing specialization student/participant

III. .........................

Exhibits

Exhibit I: Six Steps of Marketing Research Process

Exhibit II: Smartwear’s Marketing Research Brief

Exhibit III: Marketing Research Logic and Marketing Research Magic

Exhibit IV: Classification of Marketing Research

Exhibit V: Examples of Marketing Research

Exhibit VI: Top Marketing Research Companies and Marketing Research Associations

Exhibit VII: Marketing Research – Strategic Framework

Teaching Note Preview

Smartwear’s Marketing Research Proposal: NAC’s Dilemma

 

Synopsis

Being the inaugural case study in Marketing Research course, this case study was used to illustrate the importance of Marketing Research as a subject of  academic pursuit. Also, as the case study’s dilemma deals with a strategic issue of setting up/introducing a new business line (of that Marketing research) the students/participants would get a broader perspective on Marketing Research as an academic pursuit as well as a professional pursuit.

Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding

The students/participants must be encouraged to read, view and visit the websites cited as all of these would not only broaden the context of learning but would also provide appropriate perspectives on Marketing Research.

Reading

  • • Naresh K. Malhotra and Satyabhushan Dash, “Introduction and Early Phases of Marketing Research”, Marketing Research An Applied Orientation, 6th Edition, Pearson Education, 2010 – To understand the broad contours of Marketing Research including the scope and importance of Marketing Research

 

Viewing

  • • The students/participants must be encouraged to visit/view the following articles/videos (The URLs provided herewith) as they can be used to rivet the classroom discussion

 

.............................................

Case Positioning and Setting

This case study can be used for:

MBA Program – Marketing Research Course – To introduce the participants/students to the broad contours of Marketing Research and the importance of marketing research; why Marketing Research is important; how Marketing Research projects are executed

MDPs/EDPs – To familiarize the participants with the practical implications of marketing research

Assignment Questions

  • I. What do you understand by Marketing Research? Is there any difference between Marketing Research and Market Research? What is the process of conducting a Marketing Research?
  • II. ............................

......................................

Preamble to this Case Study Analysis

This case study being an introductory case in Marketing Research course, the students/participants must be sensitized to the broad contours of Marketing Research as a discipline of study/course in a program. As the case study also presents a dilemma of NAC to accept or not Smartwear’s Marketing Research Proposal, a careful analysis of this dilemma should expose the participants/students to the big picture of Marketing Research as a profession and not just as a discipline of study. Accordingly, the classroom orchestration can be done as suggested below [Exhibit (TN)-I]....................

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Abstract

This case study is meant to introduce the participants/students to the subject matter and scope of Marketing Research as a discipline. Positioned to be the inaugural case in Marketing Research course, this case study enables an exposure to the richness of rigor and deep interconnections vis-à-vis the business decisions landscape. This case study, through the dilemma of Newton Advertising and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (NAC), outlines the broad contours of Marketing Research subject. When approached by a B2B textile manufacturer Smartwear to undertake a Marketing Research for its newly planned ethnic wear for men, NAC was in a dilemma whether to undertake the assignment or not. John Mathews, Strategy Director, NAC, was not sure what would the Marketing Research business practice entail. Atul Jain, a marketing research enthusiast, provides him with a broad marketing research canvas. John was not convinced with Atul's reurging to take up Smartwear's marketing research assignment, let alone marketing research as a Business Practice.


Pedagogical Objectives

  • To understand the broad contours of Marketing Research including the scope and subject matter
  • To demonstrate the importance of Marketing Research in a variety of business settings
  • To help NAC to resolve its dilemma of taking up Marketing Research assignment in particular and Marketing Research as a business practice in general

Case Positioning and Setting

This case study can be used for:

  • MBA Program - Marketing Research Course - To introduce the participants/students to the broad contours of Marketing Research and the importance of marketing research; why Marketing Research is important; how Marketing Research projects are executed
  • MDPs/EDPs - To familiarize the participants with the practical implications of marketing research




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- Teaching Note (**ONLY for Academicians)


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