AssGal1
revised August 31, 1999
Babson College
F.W. Olin Graduate School of
Management
MARKETS & MARKETING
MARKETING SYSTEMS STREAM
Topic: Building and Maintaining Global Competitive Advantage
Case: Gallo Rice
MKTG/ECON Case: Gallo Rice II (READ/Download)
Reading: HBR Porter: What is Strategy?
Our discussion of this case will focus on assessing and serving markets
around the globe. We will spend most of our attention on Gallo’s operations
in Italy and Argentina – where Gallo is already well-known – but we will
also spend a little time comparing these markets to their situation in
Poland, which they have more recently entered. As you prepare for class,
please focus most of your attention on just one market -- Argentina --
and do a good job of analyzing what Gallo has done -- and should do --
in that market.
Gallo markets branded specialty rice products. In assessing its programs,
please consider such questions as:
-
How does Gallo define its market opportunity? Do you agree?
-
How has Gallo dealt with the issue of marketing a "commodity" product such
as rice?
-
What is its brand/product line policy?
-
How has it taken competition into account?
-
What marketing strategies has Gallo used for each of its product lines?
-
What Marketing Mix it has used?
-
How has it priced? Is this in line with pricing theory?
-
Do you agree with these basic decisions?
-
Are these strategies in line with what you have learned about demand theory
and the product attribute model?
-
What are the key issues for a marketer in deciding which geographic markets
to enter?
In the case, there are surprisingly few named few "actors" and we learn
little about each of them or how they organize and work as a Team. In the
real world, people and organization are more important than that, as we
will discuss. Please think about this issue:
-
What sort of organization does Gallo need to ensure its success in a variety
of markets?
-
If you were offered a job as a manager at Gallo, what marketing job (if
any) would you want? Why?
Professors Isaacson and Polutnik have developed an additional short case:
Gallo
Rice II (READ/Download)
-
Please prepare to discuss it in class this week or later in the semester.
Please also participate in the discussion and polling.
MID-TERM (Due as shown in e-campus).
Please write a management memo of not more than two double-spaced,
normal margin, pages -- plus any one numeric or picture exhibit you may
wish to attach -- answering this question:
"How should Gallo improve the marketing of its product line in Argentina?"
See e-campus "Assignments" for more details.