2011 Nielsen Case Competition

Competition Guide
 Welcome

Welcome to the inaugural Nielsen Case Competition at the University of Florida. We’re
delighted to have such a diverse and talented group of participants this year. In the dynamic
world of global business, leaders must be proactive to stay ahead of customer demands and
pressure from competitors. This case competition is designed to enrich and challenge your
creativity and problem-solving skills to help prepare you for a career in today’s rapidly changing
business environment. I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity to dive in,
connect and learn. Best of luck, and we look forward to receiving your solutions.

Mitchell J. Habib
Chief Operating Officer
The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company

As a global leader in measurement and information, we know that a precise understanding of
consumers is the key to making the right decisions to enable profitable growth. At Nielsen,
we’re always innovating to keep pace with emerging market trends and the increasingly diverse,
demanding and connected consumer.

Our mission is to provide clients the most complete global understanding of what consumers
watch and buy. Nielsen provides a suite of global practices and measurement solutions serving
the media, entertainment and consumer industries.

After nearly a century, we’re more focused and skilled

than ever at providing a complete view of what
consumers watch and buy through powerful insights
that clarify the relationship between content and
commerce. For our clients in media, consumer
packaged goods, telecom and advertising, our
expansive data and measurement capabilities
provide market context and confidence with a long
history of innovation and integrity.

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 Competition Guide

This guide includes materials to help student teams prepare for the case competition. The guide
covers everything from how to delegate work to what to expect at the competition.
The guide will also ensure that each team has the opportunity to take advantage of all aspects
of the competition. The competition offers participants not only great business experience, but
also the chance to network with prominent leaders attending the event as judges or as
organizers. Students are encouraged to relax and socialize between presentations. Enjoy the
experience!

Competition Committee
The Nielsen Company
Michaela Barbour, Staffing Partner
Robyn Dow, VP, University Relations
Kathie Miller, SVP, Communications, Global Business Services
Betsy Williams, SVP, Human Resources

University of Florida
Josh Funderburke, Asst. Director of Career & Leadership Programs
& SIFE Sam Walton Fellow
Sarah Alexander, Student Director
Alli Dreyer, Student Director
Aly Fernandez, Student Director
Kara Jordan, Student Director
Kenny Merritt, Student Director
Daniel Rybin, Student Director
Kathryn Stolarz, Student Director

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Judges
Gainesville Round: February 8, 2011
University of Florida
Amy Jo Coffey, Assistant Professor, Dept. of
Telecommunication
Kara Kravetz Cupoli, Director of Student
Services, Traditional MBA Programs
Michelle Darnell, Lecturer, Dept. of
Management
Kelly Gust, Associate Director, MBA Programs
Joe Hartman, Professor and Chair, Industrial
and Systems Engineering
Steve Kirn, Executive Director, David F. Miller
Center for Retailing Education and Research
Stephen J. LaBarbera, Lecturer, Dept. of
Marketing
David Ostroff, Chair, Dept. of
Telecommunication; Interim Chair, Dept.
of Journalism
Craig Petrus, Director of Career Services,
Hough Graduate School of Business
William Rossi, Program Director & Sr. Lecturer
New York City Round: February 18, 2011
The Nielsen Company
Dave Calhoun, CEO
Nic Covey, VP, Nielsen Cares
Paul Donato, EVP, Chief Research Officer
Roberto Llamas, Chief Human
Resources Officer
Alex Sevilla, Assistant Dean and Director,
MBA Programs
Mary Steffel, Postdoctoral Fellow
Craig Tapley, Graham-Buffett Master Lecturer
of Finance
Horace Tucker, Associate Director, School of
Business
Asoo Vakharia, Beal Professor of Logistics and
Supply Chain Mgmt; Director, Center for
Supply Chain Management
Barton Weitz, JC Penny Eminent Scholar Chair
Eric Wild, Adjunct Professor
The Nielsen Company
Chris Gera, VP, Information & Support Services
Damon Lister, Project Coordinator,
GBS COE Global Operations
Bob McCann, Executive Vice
President, Corporate
Amy Rettig, VP, Public Affairs
Kathie Miller, SVP, Communications, Global
Business Services
Angela Talton, Global Call Centers Leader
Betsy Williams, SVP, Human Resources
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 Competition Rules
» The case is NOT to be shared or distributed to anyone outside of the competition at any
time, as outlined in the confidentiality agreement signed by all participants
» Students may not receive help prior to competing from any professors or faculty
members
» All work presented must be the work of solely the participating team members
» The final deliverable must be presented using PowerPoint and any videos or graphics used
must be embedded directly into the presentation, as internet access will not be available
during the competition
» The presentation format must be PC-compatible
» The organizers will provide each team with one PC notebook for presenting
» Only invited guests, competition staff and judges may attend the various presentations
» The student teams that do not move on to the semi-final round will be invited to view the
semi-finalist teams’ presentations
» The semi-finalist teams will not be able to view other semi-finalists’ presentations
» Finalist teams who have not yet presented will not be able to view other teams’
presentations. After a team has presented, team members may attend the remaining final
round presentations.

Student Teams
» Teams may consist of four to six students
» Teams must be made up of students registered for and currently attending a University of
Florida undergraduate program
» At least two students must be from majors outside of business or accounting
» Only four students are required to physically present during the competition
presentation, but all students must be able to answer questions from the judges
» Each team must have a team name; teams without names will have one assigned
» Each team will receive jump drives containing the Competition Guide as well as
two spiral bound printed copies of the document
» Team Captains must sign up for presentation time slots – registration order will be
assigned during the Case Kickoff. Before signing up, Captains should be aware of any
scheduling conflicts from their team members
» A random ballot will be used to assign teams to leagues

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Question Protocol
Any questions regarding the case and/or competition logistics should be sent to
nielsencasecompetition@nielsen.com
Every attempt will be made to provide an answer within 24 hours to the student or team who
posed the question. Questions and answers will also be posted on the case competition website:
http://www.nielsen.com/content/corporate/case_competition.html

Final Deliverable
» Teams may submit only one final presentation to the judges
» The presentation must be in Microsoft PowerPoint
» The presentation must be in English

Supplies
Laptops and projectors will be provided for the presentations. Teams should bring their
presentation on at least two different jump drives, in case there is an issue with one. On
February 7 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., all teams will have access to the Hilton to view the room
size and test their jump drives with the provided laptops.

Prizes

Each participating student, judge and student director will

receive a Nielsen gift bag

Each semi-finalist team member will receive a Nielsen fleece

Each finalist team member will receive an iPod Nano, a $100

iTunes gift card and a trip to New York city including
transportation, accommodations and meals

The winning team members will receive an Apple iPad

and a $200 gift card

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 Gainesville Round Schedule

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Judges’ check-in and Orientation Breakfast

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Opening Round Competition (5 leagues, 4 teams)
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch and Semi-Finalist Announcement
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Final Rounds (5 teams)
5:00 PM-5:45 PM Keynote Address: Bob Livingston
5:45 PM - 7:30 PM Networking Dinner and Finalist Announcement

9:00 AM Team 1
9:35 AM Team 2
10:10 AM Judges’ Break
10:25 AM Team 3
11:00 AM Team 4
11:35 AM Judges’ Deliberation
12:00 PM Lunch and Semi-Finalist Announcement
1:30 PM Semi-Finalist Team 1
2:05 PM Semi-Finalist Team 2
2:40 PM Semi-Finalist Team 3
3:15 PM Judges’ Break
3:30 PM Semi-Finalist Team 4
4:05 PM Semi-Finalist Team 5
4:40 PM Judges’ Deliberation
5:00 PM Keynote Address: Bob Livingston
5:45 PM Networking Dinner and Finalist Announcement

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Keynote Address
Today’s graduates will enter into a world of uncertainty. You
will be impacted by the remains of the recession, the resultant
poor job market and your needs for future earnings. All of these
conditions impact how you will need to prepare for business life
in a competitive and ever-changing world. It will be essential for
you to work hard at uncovering your path to differentiation:
» Competition for initial jobs is unprecedented.
» Advancement in careers is very competitive.
» Your work skills (“What You Do”) will be the cost
of entry.
» But, the ultimate differentiator will be
“How you do What you do.”
This suggests a strong focus is necessary on an individual behavior, attitude, beliefs and how
you interact with others. The good news is, if you understand these conditions and prepare
yourself properly to compete, you will not only survive, you could thrive!

Bob Livingston is a consummate client service professional, with more than 40 years of
interactions with clients and customers. He has led client service organizations at the Lipton Tea
Company and The Nielsen Company, and still consults
to Nielsen on client service matters. Bob also leads
REL Communications Inc., a consulting company that
works with Fortune 500 companies to guide their
teams in the development of client relationship
strategies.
Bob’s extensive experience as a client service advocate
helped form his beliefs and provide the content in his
book, “How You Do…What You Do.” The book
presents a simple, yet complete, roadmap to guide
readers through the process of change. The steps of
the roadmap not only benefit large organizations, but
are also used by leaders who endeavor for excellence
in their personal attitudes and behaviors. Bob’s
keynote address will focus on how to embrace change
and perfect “The Product Called You.”
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Gainesville Round Logistics
» The day of the competition, students will check-in at least 30 minutes prior their
assigned presentation time and will be given a final itinerary for the day’s events and
a Nielsen Case Competition gift bag
» Each round will run as follows:
• 10 minutes: Presentation set-up
• 15 minutes: Uninterrupted presentation
• 10 minutes: Q&A
» There will be a holding area for idle teams
» During free time between presentations, groups have may practice their presentations
» Each team will prepare and distribute printed handouts of presentation slides to judges
» During the first round of the competition, teams will submit their PowerPoint slides to
the organizers immediately following their presentation
» Teams are not permitted to revise their slides at any point after the first presentation
» All students are invited to attend lunch at 12:30, during which the competition
committee will announce which five teams will advance to the semi-final round
» All students are invited and encouraged to attend the keynote address at 5:00
» All semi-finalists are invited to attend dinner at 5:45, during which the competition
committee will announce which three teams will advance to the final round of
competition in New York City
» Immediately following dinner, the three finalist teams should meet with
Robyn Dow to discuss logistics for
the next round

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 Judging/Scoring
Teams will be evaluated on a 100-point scale. The top team in each first-round league will
continue to the semi-final round.
After the semi-final round, all judges will deliberate privately to decide which teams will
move to the final round in New York.
Teams will be judged on the following criteria:

Problem Definition and Analysis (25 points)

• Definition of problem and key issues
• Qualitative and quantitative
• Analysis of company & industry

Alternatives and Recommendation (15 points)

• Evaluation of feasible alternatives, solutions and recommendation
• Realism and practicality of solutions
• Strategic orientation and focus
• Logical tie-in to analysis
• Justification of recommendation

Implementation and Plan of Action (20 points)

• Consideration of cost and control issues
• Timeline and analysis of potential problems

Organization of Material and Overall Presentation (25 points)

• Ability to defend position
• Clarity and style of presentation
• Delivery
• Smoothness and balance of work, teamwork

Questions and Answers (15 points)

• Presentation style, communication skills
• Creativity
• Professionalism
• Use of Time

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 How to Approach the Case
Please remember that Nielsen’s senior management is already working on the issues in the case.
We do not want a laundry list of things we should do. We want you to identify a small number
of potential initiatives that reflect deep and careful analysis.
There is no prescribed method for dividing the work of preparing the case analysis. One
approach is detailed below, but teams are encouraged to work through the case using the
method that best fits members’ strengths and preferences.

Dividing the Work

Each team member should have a role on the team. It is the captain’s responsibility to guide the
team in defining and assigning roles. One approach might include defining roles based the
judging criteria, which include:
1. Introduction, key issues, problem statement
2. Analysis
3. Alternatives and recommendation
4. Implementation
5. Financial analysis, conclusion
Problem Statement: The key issues and problem should be clearly stated.
Analysis: The environmental, economical, financial, and political factors of the case should be
reviewed in terms of relevancy to the key issues. The analysis should evaluate both external and
internal factors. A SWOT analysis is one way participants could review the organization.
Alternatives: Normally, two to three alternatives should be analyzed. The recommended
alternative should address the key issues and solve the problem stated.
Implementation: The implementation is an action plan that will be used to execute the
recommendation. The implementation must fit the organization and should be attainable. The
implementation should address all areas of the organization, including operations, marketing,
human resources and finance. The plan should have a timeline and a breakdown of the costs
associated with implementation.
Financials: The case should address how the recommendation will affect the organization
financially. If the case study does not provide any financial data, students should still address
how the plan will generally affect the organization’s finances without using specific numbers.
Items that may be included in this section include share price, profits, revenue, expenses, IRR
and NPV. Financials presented should be realistic and based on factual information from the
case.
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Presenting
When entering the presentation room, team members should introduce themselves to the
judges and quickly take their positions. Prior to presenting, it is suggested that the team
designates a member or members to change slides. There should be balance and flow between
presenters. Practicing these transitions can be as important as the presentation itself. Sloppy or
awkward transitions are distracting and show a lack of preparation to the judges. A minimum of
four members of the team should present the case, and all team members should be available
to answer questions.

Question Period
When the team has completed the presentation, all members should stand and wait for the
judges to begin the question period. When a judge asks a question, be careful that several team
members do not jump in to answer. Team members should discuss prior to the presentation
who will answer certain categories of questions. If the question is unclear, ask for clarification
before trying to present an answer.
After a team member has answered a question, a follow up answer should only be given by
another member of the team if it will add value to what was already said. Teams must also
ensure that they do not contradict each other while answering questions.
At no time should a team argue with a judge. Many times judges will tell teams they do not
agree at all with the solution presented. Some may even tell the team that they are wrong.
When this occurs, becoming confrontational will only hurt the team. It is this time when
confidence in the solution must be presented. Teams should support their answers, but should
do so by revisiting the facts they presented and assuring the judge that the chosen plan is the
optimal solution to the problem.
Teams should also pay attention to the body language of the judges. When a judge begins to
nod their head in agreement or present other body language that sends similar signals, the
person answering the question should wrap up and allow for the next question to be asked. The
objective is to efficiently answer questions in the 10-minute period.

Attire
It is important to dress professionally while participating in the competition. Business
professional attire is required. It is important that team members not only wear professional
clothing, but that they are comfortable in their attire.
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The First Presentation
If this is your first case competition, you may be understandably nervous about the challenging
and fast-paced day. Each team can get off to a good start by securing a game plan prior to
leaving for the competition. Sometimes the excitement and adrenaline of competing can lead to
teams becoming disorganized and unfocused. To combat this, the team should gather and
communicate their thoughts prior to entering the preparation room. Before presenting, teams
might consider practicing a team ritual (a pre-case cheer, a moment of silence or top 5 keys to
success, etc.) to help presenters relax and mentally prepare.
Communication is the key component that will allow teams to stay on track and complete the
presentation to the best of their abilities. Vocalizing during practice if a plan is going off track
can jolt the team back on track. Communicating key information such as time remaining,
potential roadblocks or new information will allow all members to fully prepare for the
presentation and work as a strong unit.
The most important thing to remember about presenting is to leave the outcome in the
presentation room. Premature celebration or feelings of doubt may cause teams to lose sight of
their strategies and not succeed in the competition. Whether teams win or lose, work well or
poorly together, every participant will gain valuable experience from the competition.

Winning and Losing

In every competition, some teams will win, some will lose and some will experience both
outcomes. This section of the guide is not aimed at teaching teams how to do either in terms of
strategy or preparation; rather it is designed to help teams to win and lose gracefully, and learn
from each experience.
Whether it is the first win or the fourth in a row, teams should understand that there is a proper
way to celebrate. Over-celebrating will give the impression that the winning team is not
respectful of the teams they competed against. Showing class and respect to all teams is a
contributing factor towards a team’s competition scores.
Losing should also be handled appropriately. Review the loss and pick out areas where the team
could have approached the case differently to produce a better result. Many times, both teams
present a strong case and the judges’ decisions are the result of one particular point. Therefore,
a loss does not mean the losing team did not present a good solution to a case, it simply means
the other team performed slightly better. After the results are posted, teams can review the
judges’ comments and determine how they can perform better at the next case. Whether a
team goes undefeated or loses, every participant will leave with a greater ability to tackle the
issues that will face them in their careers.
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