Gervais-Danone/Dr Oetker (B)

The case describes the development and carry-through of strategies to increase company profitability within the semi-conductor industry.

The marketing manager of Ciba-Geigy's Agro Division in France must recommend a marketing strategy and marketing mix for a new fungicide. The degree of market coverage and whether to take an undifferentiated or a differentiated approach are the major issues.

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.