Paul & Elisabeth Merage Foundation | Andre & Katherine Merage Foundation

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Imran Currim, Ph.D.

Imran Currim, Ph.D.

Chancellor’s Professor / Associate Dean, Marketing & Student Relations for Executive MBA Programs

The Paul Merage School of Business / University of California, Irvine

Class Overview

Marketing Strategy 

This module will help Israeli business people understand and develop alternative marketing strategies for U.S. markets. We will focus on organic growth, when companies grow through existing or new products or services in existing or new markets. Discussions will cover securing new markets through expanding geographically and targeting new segments (or customers).  Learning is facilitated through a combination of readings, case discussions, and an assignment. 

 Text, Articles, and Cases 

  1. “What High Tech Managers Need to Know About Brands,” Harvard Business Review, July August 1999.
  2. *Biopure, Harvard Business School Case 9-598-150.
  3. *Mednet.com Confronts “Click-Through” Competition, Harvard Business School Case 2066-PDF-ENG.

 *I hope you can read items 2 and 3 before my Monday session and briefly write your thoughts on each of the questions on the cases (see below). This is important for the group discussion. Items 1, 2, and 3 can be ordered from www.hbsp.com (Harvard Business School Publishing).

 

Monday, May 28 

8.00 – 12.00 Introduction, Alternative Growth Strategies, Honda Motor Car Company 

12.00 – 1.00 Lunch 

1.00 – 2.30  Biopure 

  1. How do you assess Biopure’s potential in the human market? The animal market? 
  1. What are the biggest obstacles to Biopure’s success in the human market? The animal market?
  2. How might Oxyglobin be a threat to Hemopure? How might it be an asset to Hemopure? 
  1. What should Biopure do regarding the commercial release of Oxyglobin? If they release, what price should they set? How should it be distributed? 

2:45 – 5:00 MedNet.com Confronts “Click-Through” Competition 

  1. What does an advertiser want? Sales, leads, brand awareness? What are the best metrics for measuring these? 
  1. What specific consumer behaviors determine whether or not a business model produces the results an advertiser wants?
  1. What is the best argument Heather Yates can make to justify charging Windham Pharmaceuticals for impressions instead of click-throughs? Does she have acceptable alternatives? 
  1. What value to the consumer does a general interest site contribute that a niche site can’t? Which is the more defensible business model? 
  1. What steps can MedNet take to address emerging competitive threats?

 

Tuesday, May 29, 08:00-12:00 

8.00 – 12.00 Customization of Marketing Strategies and Group Discussion 

8:00 – 8:15 We will make a list of Israeli products or services for export. The participants will be divided into groups. Each group will select a product or service offered by a group member firm for export.  

8:15 – 10.00 Dr. Currim will lead a brainstorming session on key questions and methodology for development of export plan 

10.00 – 11.00 Group Develops Marketing Strategy for Israeli Exports to the U.S. 

Each group will come up with:

 (a) key questions to be answered in order to judge the export potential of the product or service, to be summarized on 1-2 transparencies, and 

(b) an outline of a process or methodology for answering the key questions, to be summarized on 1-2 transparencies.

 11:15 – 12:00 Group Presentations and Discussion

Each group will present the output of the 9.45-10.45 session, followed by a discussion on how the questions and methodology can be enhanced (15-20 minutes per group).