Directions for Case Study Write-Up and Submission
MNGT 481, Sect. 001, Fall 2015, Professor Kopka
Due Date: October 28, 2015
The case study write-up and submission involves a written analysis of Case 02: Coca-Cola and
Pepsi in the textbook. The write-up will be individual and must follow the format and writing
guidelines on pages 4 and 9 of the syllabus. The case involves completing and providing
outside research using the tools for external environment analysis that is confronting Coca-Cola
and Pepsi. It also requires taking the perspective of Coca-Cola and using the outside research
and the case information to determine the strategic issue(s) for Coke, generating and evaluating
strategic alternatives for Coca-Cola, and recommending a final strategy for Coca-Cola.
In completing and presenting the external analysis, you will need to provide information in your
Appendices on conditions in the external environment for the external analytical tools. This
means you should research and include in the Appendices with citations the following
information for each set of tools:
General Environment:
Political/Legal/Regulatory Forces
General Economic Conditions
Global Forces
Demographics
Socio/Cultural Forces
Technology Change
Ecological/Natural Environment
Complimentary Products/Services
Key Success Factors in the Industry
Stage of Industry
Five Forces
Threat of New Entrants
Supplier Power
Threat of Substitutes
Buyer Power
Competitive Rivalry
Strategic Group Map (Chapter 11)
Strategy Canvas (Chapter 11)
The information and internal tools analysis about Coca-Cola and Pepsi must be taken from the
case information. DO NOT do outside research on the two companies; outside research is only
for the external environment. While this case study involves outside research for the
external analysis, the analysis requires both external and internal analyses using the
relevant tools discussed during the course and applied in previous case discussions.
Use the outside research on the external environment and combine it with the internal analysis
tools of case information to determine the strategic issue(s) facing Coke and then develop and
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evaluate alternatives for the issue(s). Make the final recommendation for Coke’s strategy from
the alternatives that you evaluated.
Sources of information for this external environment research can be found in Appendix A in the
textbook or by discussions with me. Most industries have industry-specific publications and
newsletters that can be informative about conditions in the industry. Look for industry
publications for beverages, soft drinks, or bottling, for example.
As noted above, follow the case write-up directions for formatting and writing on pages 4 and 9
of the syllabus and use for additional guidance the example case write-up for Apple and the
Case Grading Rubric that is provided on the course web page.
http://pages.towson.edu/kopka/towson_strategy.htm