Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
What is a case?
•A story
•Puts reader in shoes of the protagonists
•No right answers, per se.
•Students/managers/decision makers will always want more
info, but won’t always have all the info. Forced to make
choices based on info presented.
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Structure
Case Writing Assignment
Reebok case as an example
Critical Issue/Decision
How does the Human Rights Now! Concern fit into
Reebok’s marketing and communications strategy?
Should the company go forward with its sponsorship?
Why and how?
Where is this decision point stated?
Intro & very end (pages 1 & 11)
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Structure
Case Writing Assignment
Reebok case as an example
Information to help make a decision:
Culture and ethos of the company = history, background, etc.
Pages 1-3
Place in the industry: larger context of company in the industry
Pages 3-5
History of company marketing & communications
Current marketing plans
Human Rights Now! Tour
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Pages 7-9
Pages 9-11
Pages 5-7
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Case Structure
Reebok case as an example
Analysis to be done to help make a decision
Print advertisements
Look at the exhibits
Current ad spending
Financials
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
1984
1985
1986
1987
Sales ($ millions)
64
299
841
991
Budget ($ millions)
2.7
6.5
10
30
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Case Structure
Reebok case as an example
Along the way, a number of other ideas were introduced:
Net Sales
Product life cycles
Communications Mix
Market research
Market Share
Contract out manufacturing
Distribution
Channels
Cases are pedagogical tools or vehicles to learn not only about a
company but also business basics.
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Potential Case Outline
1) Introduction
Start with the protagonist; give a sense of the person making the
decision and a sense of the critical issue. (~1/2 page)
2) Company
background and
history
General info about founding, evolution, key events that shaped
the company. (~2 pages)
3) Industry info
Need to understand the context within which the company
operates. What are the economics of the industry? (~2 pages)
4) Company specifics
related to decision
5) Summary
More in-depth info than in #2 above and directly related to
critical issue. (~2 pages)
Return to the protagonist and clearly state the critical issue. (~1/2 page)
Total case study length: ~7-10 pages
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Case Writing Process
1) Articulate the critical issue and/or decision point.
• This is provided by your protagonists.
2) Summarize the information needed to make the decision.
• Research may be necessary to fill in gaps.
• Carefully consider your interviews as a mode of
research
3) List necessary data for analysis to make the decision.
• Sources may come from alumni.
• Research may be necessary to fill in gaps.
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Case Interviewing Process
•Do background reading on your company and protagonist. You know the critical
issue, so you should have a sense of the kind of info needed to make a decision.
•Prepare interview questions but also have some sense of the potential answers. Ask
some questions you actually know the answer to, but will help you get a sense of the
company culture.
•Formulate questions that will gather appropriate data for making the decision.
•Prepare your interviewees appropriately.
Have fun and take the time to engage the alums in your project!
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Next Steps—February
Now—Feb 25-29 •Review materials from alum contact.
•Prepare preliminary research for meeting
with Hanna
Feb 25-29
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
•Meet with Hanna in your teams prepared to
discuss the nature of the case study, avenues of
research, and line of questioning for
interviews.
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Next Steps—March
•Prepare for interviews by doing company and industry
research. (Begin to outline/write-up this information.)
•Create interview questions and share with interviewee.
Mar 1-25
•Do interviews.
•Begin outlining the case.
•March 9: Status Report due
•March 18: Status Report due
•March 25: Status Report due
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Engin 9
Case Writing Assignment
Next Steps—April
April 6-21
•Write case and teaching note. (Aim to have a working
draft in the first week of the month.)
•Edit case and teaching note.
•Refine case and teaching note.
April 25/27 Case, teaching note, and takeaways document is due.
Spring 2004
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar