This case illustrates the founding and growth of Veja, the first eco-sneaker company in the world, in the broader context of the evolution of the fashion industry and the emergence of the eco-fashion movement. By September 2010, the five-year old venture had become a reference in ethical fashion, and an inspiration for other eco-fashion start-ups. Its path, its successes and its aspirations made it a perfect acquisition target; like-minded companies .....more

The chief financial officer of Granite Apparel is trying to determine which of the three fundraising options is optimal for Granite Apparel to finance a projected rapid growth strategy. The three options are an initial public offering of equity, a privately placed debt issue and a private placement of preferred shares.

This case focuses on New Balance — a privately held company and the fourth largest athletic footwear manufacturer in the world. Founded over 100 years ago, New Balance has a strong social responsibility culture and mission established by its owners. Its commitment to employees, for example, was expressed through maintaining domestic manufacturing in the United States (the only large footwear manufacturer to do so presently) and avoiding layoffs in .....more

The chief operation officer (COO) of Long Wang Sha Tan Ku Company, a boardshorts manufacturer based in Shanghai, China, was expected to present a plan to improve the company's profitability through adjustments to the company's operations. There were at least three possible paths to increase profitability. First, reviewing how production was scheduled between the company's two manufacturing facilities. Second, since the company operated .....more

In June 2008, the president and owner of Canada Goose Inc. (Canada Goose), a producer of luxury sport jackets, was contemplating the future of his company. Despite recent years’ steady growth in both his company and the industry in general, the president believed that a significant opportunity existed for Canada Goose to further cement itself as a market leader for this industry. The president was intrigued by two separate offers from national retailers .....more

The manager of Mobile Media for adidas International is debating what to do, given the sparse amount of traffic to date at the adidas FIFA World Cup mobile portal. By February, there had been only 3,000 visits to the mobile site, compared to the one million visits predicted earlier based on the previous success of a Lucas Films Star Wars mobile campaign. Given that the World Cup is a global event viewed by millions of people in person and more than .....more

The manager of Mobile Media for adidas International is debating what to do, given the sparse amount of traffic to date at the adidas FIFA World Cup mobile portal. The (B) case describes the results of a new effort to use a popular portal to advertise the adidas World Cup mobile site. The case can be used to discuss the impact of using different media channels to deliver marketing communications.

Kirsti Paakkanen has achieved a celebrity status in Finland for her enigmatic leadership of the Finnish design company Marimekko. Purchasing the company in a state of near bankruptcy in 1991, Paakkanen took several actions to restore profitability and realize growth. As of 2006, the company has sales of €64 million (of which 80 per cent are from Finland) and net profits of €8.4 million. Over the last few years, Paakkanen and her team have focused .....more

Chip Wilson, founder of lululemon athletica, a Vancouver-based manufacturer, distributor and retailer of high quality yoga apparel, started a new streetwear line of apparel that would combine fashion with social consciousness. The apparel sold at OQOQO was made from natural and organic materials, under safe and fair working conditions, and it was produced in a way to reduce environmental impact. There were some problems regarding the sourcing of materials .....more

The chairman and chief product designer of lululemon athletica is preparing to address an audience at an investor's conference. He describes lululemon's great success from 1998 to 2006 and analyses the growth opportunities it faces. This case helps students understand the concept of competitive advantage in relation to the functional and emotion marketing drivers. In addition, it underlines the importance of preserving brand equity and prioritizing .....more