SUGGESTED CASE PREPARATION QUESTIONS

1. Techsonic Industries, Inc.: Humminbird—New Products

1. What priority would you attach to each of the three new products? Which one or
ones of them would you announce at the upcoming annual trade show?
2. What problems does Techsonic face that could be impacted by new products and
what opportunities does Techsonic face that it could take advantage of?
3. As Jim Balkcom, what criteria would you use to evaluate new product
opportunities?
4. How do you evaluate the research used by Techsonic for (a) the 901, (b) the radio,
and (c) the navigation device? How would you have done things differently?

2. Marketing Antidepressant: Prozac and Paxil

1. What was the value proposition of the early antidepressants (the MAOIs and the
tricyclics)? Was the value proposition of Prozac similar to these early
antidepressants, or different? How was the value proposition of Paxil
differentiated from that of Prozac?
2. Why did the early antidepressants (the MAOIs and tricyclics) fail to achieve
widespread acceptance in the market? What factors accounted for the success of
Prozac? What factors accounted for the success of Paxil?
3. Case Exhibit 10 consists of a self-test for Social Anxiety Disorder. Take a look at
the questions on this test and come up with a prediction for what an average
individual of average mental health would score on this test. (Possible scores
range from 0 to 68)
4. What are the different ways that Lilly and SmithKline Beecham/GlaxoSmithKline
(SKB/GSK) have captured value from their respective drugs? Have these
companies done a good job of maximizing their product’s revenue potential?
5. In anticipation of Prozac coming off patent, Lilly has adopted a multi-pronged
strategy. What do you think of the various elements of this strategy? In general,
should the company scale back on marketing Prozac, or should it ramp up its
Prozac marketing efforts in anticipation of generic competition? What should
GSK’s marketing strategy be for Paxil, now that Prozac is coming off patent?
Should it be similar to, or different from, Lilly’s strategy?

3. Rohm & Haas

1. What should Joan Macey do? Specifically with respect to pricing? Specifically
with respect to distribution?
2. What is the appropriate strategy for marketing a Kathon MWX type of product?
3. What role do formulators play in taking this product to customers? Mill supply
houses?
4. What role can suppliers play in developing this market?
5. What factors have led to the failure of Kathon MWX?
6. Why is Kathon 886 MW so successful?
 7. How should Joan Macy implement her plan of action?

4. Yoplait Custard-Style Yogurt (A)

1. What are the most salient aspects of the yogurt category bearing on a new product
introduction?
2. Evaluate the new product development process for Yoplait Custard-Style to this
point. How would you as the head of Yoplait USA rate Becker’s performance as
director of New Business Development?
3. What are the key questions facing Becker at this time?
4. What are the pro’s and con’s of each of the research alternatives being considered
by Becker? Which or which combination of research producers would you
recommend?