Assignment
Analyze the Sneakerhead relationship with Nike product
How does a Sneakerhead perceive each of the 4Ps of Marketing, relative to footwear?
How might Nike leverage mobile technology to enhance/address a gap in one/some/all of those 4Ps to better address how Sneakerheads perceive their offering?
OR
What can your company learn about their own core audiences from how Sneakerheads perceive footwear?
How might your company leverage mobile technology to enhance/address a gap in one/some/all of those 4Ps to better address how your core audience perceives your offering?
Suggested Approaches
Frame the pursuit of information
What kinds of content/information/sources might have the highest value?
How is it most likely to be pursued/obtained?
When/Where might they prefer to consume information (time of day, device, source, etc.)?
Why is this information so prized?
HINT: Constructing a consumer journey infographic might be an interesting way to concisely frame what a Sneakerhead or your core audience is doing/thinking at each phase of their journey.
Resources
HBR Sneakerhead videos (Links to an external site.)
Independent research on the Sneakerhead / relevant community (i.e. articles, online communities, etc.)
Format & Advice
Your case analysis will be prepared as an Insights Memo to an executive individual or leadership team of your choice. This could be your current organization, a past organization or even your dream employer. As the author of the memo, you will apply case analysis to make the mobile-first strategy at said organization even better than it already is.
At the top of your memo, please include the following formatting:
To: [Insert Executive Title, including Company Name]
From: [Insert Your Name, Strategic Media Consultant]
Subject: [Insights from Case Study Title Insert Key Takeaway]
Date: [Insert case analysis due date]
Your audience will be most interested in your interpretations, less so your ability to find interesting charts/visuals. While supporting visuals are key to a compelling case, you are being assessed on what value you can extract, not just what you can find.
There is no one particular style for a good case study analysis. But, there are some common elements to excellent submissions:
Critical thinking counts: Apply our class discussions and readings. Do additional research to find relevant benchmarks/examples that you can apply to the questions. Im looking for more than a repeat of whats stated in the case or a reading: I want to see your unique thoughts and analysis. Take a stand. After analyzing the details of the case study, provide a clear opinion regarding your answers to the case questions. Your analysis should provide some advice to managerial decision-makers that can be applied to other situations beyond this case
Notes and Citations: Its helpful to see which citations applied to your thoughts. Cite specific details regarding key facts and issues of the case. Instead of general observations that apply to any problem, use details from the case study itself. Analyses, observations, and suggestions should be tied directly to those details. At a minimum, I will look for you to draw on the other readings in the course to inform and support your arguments. Higher grades will be awarded to those who use evidence from beyond the course, such as outside research. Provide a balanced perspective. Consider both the pros and cons of your opinion or recommendation.
Design Considerations: You may include an appendix with relevant charts, images, links or screen grabs. If you use screen grabs, please include a link to the source URL. Keep in mind visuals and supporting elements will not count towards the 3-4 page requirement. The length requirement is 750-1,000 words regardless of the number of pages required to produce a relevant analysis.
