Case Study Marketing Manager Analysis

“Start A Fire: Creating Value and Growth” case by Sarit Markovich, Oded Golan, and Charlotte Snyder, Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, available in your Harvard Coursepack under “Required Supplemental Materials” in the syllabus.

General Guidelines
Your analysis should be no longer than 5 pages – double-spaced, 1-inch margins, and 12-size font. You can have up to two pages of exhibits as an appendix and one page for references. You may also include a cover sheet as an additional page if you want. If you do not, include a coversheet make sure your name is prominently displayed on the submission.

Assume the role of marketing consultant brought in to advise Star a Fire’s Oded Golan and his partners. Your analysis should be addressed to him.

To write your analysis, please follow the steps below:
1. Skim the case quickly to get an overview of the situation it presents.
2. Read the case thoroughly to digest the facts and circumstances.
3. Carefully review all the information presented in the exhibits and take notes if necessary.
4. Decide what are the key issue(s) that Start A Fire is facing.
5. Conduct a situation analysis, secondary market research, buying behavior analysis, marketing strategies, and value offering analysis.
6. Provide your recommendations for the key issue(s) that you identified.
7. Support your diagnosis and opinions with reasons and evidence.
8. Provide an appropriate action plan

The sections of your report should be the following:
1. Executive summary (this comes first, but is written last)
2. Key issue(s)
3. Recommendations and Rationale
4. Action Plan
5. Appendices: SWOT analysis, secondary market research main findings, buying behavior analysis, marketing strategies and value offering analysis. Any references should be in current APA format.

Grading
For grading we will be looking for completeness, internal consistency, justification, flow and professionalism. Most important is whether you identify the most critical issues in your analysis and if your proposed plan addressed them in a realistic way. Your written case analysis will contribute 12% to your course grade.
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