Required: Create a word-processed document that includes your “talking points” for the discussion along with your answers to the specific questions listed below. The format for your prepared document is informal, as notes, which means bullet points are acceptable. Hand-written papers are not acceptable.
NOTE: The following questions are intended to guide your analysis of the case and do not represent an exhaustive list of issues to be considered.
1. What is Chris considering doing and what factors will he have to align to be successful?
2. What has made MMBC successful? What distinguishes it from competitors?
a. What is distinctive about MMBC’s customers?
b. What is distinctive about MMBC’s product?
c. What is distinctive about MMBC’s promotional messages?
3. What about these factors (in # 2, above) enabled MMBC to create such a strong brand?
4. What has caused MMBC’s decline, despite a strong brand?
a. Describe the market MMBC serves and the beer market in general.
b. Describe the competition and MMBC’s threats.
c. What is the likely future of competitive brewers? What is MMBC’s market/competitive position?
5. Should MMBC introduce a light beer? What are the pros and cons of doing so?
a. If MMBC were to introduce a light beer, what customers should they target and why?
b. How should the light beer be branded and positioned?
