In the last chapter, you have got an overview of what a marketing case study is, its elements and the different types of marketing case studies. Let us now continue to understand how to approach a marketing case study. In this chapter, I will give you some tips on how to approach a marketing case.
How to approach a Marketing case?
To solve a marketing case or challenge effectively, it is essential to approach the case study in the correct manner. There is no “one size fits approach” for solving a case study. However, following a structured way to approach a case study will help you do the appropriate analysis and ultimately help you to recommend relevant solutions.
Let us now look at some general tips which we must follow before analysing a case study.
The first step to approach a case study is to understand the given situation well. For this, it is recommended that you read the case twice as there may be a lot of information where you have to read between the lines.
The next step is to note the business environment described in the case. Having information related to business activities, management structure, clientele details, employee base, and financial structure will help you craft the best fir solutions for the organisation.
The next step is to identify the aspects which have been defined as issues/challenges in the given case. Basically, you have to understand the P that needs to be focused on among the 4Ps/7Ps of marketing. A case might also have issues related to more than one P. For example, if you have a case study where the pricing and the distribution need to be worked upon, you have to build your solution around both place and price.
Once you have read the case and noted all the relevant information, it is time to zoom out from the case and start processing it.
For a detailed understanding of these steps, you can refer to the e-book. This will help you understand the significance of each of these steps in approaching a marketing case study.
Tips to remember
For approaching a case study, it is pertinent that you begin with a neutral ground without any presumptions. Let us look at some points which we should remember while approaching a case.
- If the case is a group assignment or teamwork, you should brainstorm with your friends/colleagues.
- Do not counter the facts given in the case and instead try to “read between the lines” as these facts might have some underlying information.
- If some data is missing, you can make relevant assumptions to reach the final solution. You can even try to do a primary survey to gain a holistic perspective of the situation.
- You must remember there is no clear-cut solution to most business challenges. Thus, you have to give your best solution and try to rationalise it.
- Always put yourself in the shoe of the manager handling the challenge in the case and then approach a situation that will make your solution more realistic and implementable.
Answering a marketing case
You have developed a complete understanding of how to approach a marketing case. I have also discussed the relevant tips that you should remember while approaching any marketing case and processing the information given in the case. Now let us look at how do you answer a marketing case study in detail in the next chapter.
