The French subsidiary of the German publishing company Gruner & Jahr, itself a subsidiary of the Bertelsmann Group, is considering the launch of a new business magazine called CAPITAL. The market looks unattractive, is new to the company, and the financial risk is high. The case describes the various steps in product development. Students must decide on whether to introduce the magazine and how. CAPITAL was subsequently launched and became the business magazine with the largest circulation in Europe.
To discuss: The concept and implementation of a marketing culture in a non-traditional industry The role of innovation when entering a mature/declining industry The product development process, especially the role of customer and competitive research Marketing mix decisions and financial analysis for new products The sustainability of competitive advantage in an industry where imitation appears to be easy
- New Products
- Marketing Mix
- Market Entry
