what is case study competition

What is a Case Competition?

Types of case competitions, financial modeling competition, additional resources, case competition.

Learn all about business case competitions

A case competition is an event where contestants compete to create the best solution to a business case study within the rules and guidelines set out by the organizer. Cases may be designed for individuals or teams, and contestants have to submit their work for judging by a panel. Judges typically use a rubric to grade participants, based on predefined criteria. CFI’s Financial Modeling Competition is an example of an international event where contestants can win up to $10,000 in cash prizes.

There are various types of competitions, and they are usually related to business or education. Some of the most common types include:

• Financial modeling – contestants build an Excel model to value a business or a transaction
• Consulting – management and strategy consulting topics related to business
• Investment banking – typically centered around a transaction such as mergers & acquisitions (M&A)
• Stock pitches – participants must pitch a long or short investment idea for a public security
• Research – research topics can vary widely, including sciences and humanities
• Data analysis – topics can include big data, mathematics, and quantitative topics

Many competitions offer prizes that are awarded to winning teams or individuals. While there is a big range for cash prizes, there are several competitions that award approximately $10,000 to winners.

Examples of competitions that offer $10,000 (or more) in cash prizes include the National Investment Banking Competition (NIBC), the Harvard Case Competition, CFI’s Financial Modeling Competition, the John Molson MBA Case Competition, and ModelOff .

Entering competitions is a great way to boost your resume and advance your career. They are especially popular among undergraduate students and MBA students who want to add some valuable extracurricular activities to their resume.

The top reasons to enter a competition may include:

• Learn new skills
• Build confidence
• Win cash prizes
• Develop leadership skills
• Make new friends
• Improve your resume

CFI hosts the global Financial Modeling & Valuation Competition, where contestants are challenged to download a data pack with financial information, company information, and a specific situation that they need to build a model.

Judges evaluate participants on a scorecard that includes criteria such as structure, design, accuracy, insight, and overall quality of recommendations. Enter the competition now to compete with analysts around the world for a chance to win $10,000 in prizes.

CFI is the official provider of the FMVA™ Analyst Certification that teaches the full range of financial analyst skills required to rise up the ranks in a career. To continue learning and advancing your career, check out these additional CFI resources:

• Is an MBA Worth It?
• Pre MBA Courses
• What is Financial Modeling?
• Job Salary Guides
• See all career resources
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Business Case Competitions: Purpose, Types and Rules

A Guide to Case Studies and Case Study Analysis

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Business Cases in Business School Curriculum

Business cases are frequently used as teaching tools in business school classes, particularly in MBA or other graduate business programs. Not every business school uses the case method as a teaching approach, but many of them do. Nearly 20 of the 25 top business schools ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek  utilize cases as a primary method of teaching, spending as much as 75 to 80 percent of class time on them. 

Business cases are detailed accounts of companies, industries, people and projects. The content within a case study may include information about company objectives, strategies, challenges, results, recommendations, and more. Business case studies can be brief or extensive and may range from two pages to 30 pages or more. To learn more about case study format, check out a few  free case study samples .

While you are in business school, you will probably be asked to analyze multiple case studies. Case study analysis is meant to give you the opportunity to analyze the steps other business professionals have taken to address specific markets, problems and challenges. Some schools also offer on-site and off-site case competitions so that business students can show off what they have learned.

What Is a Business Case Competition?

A business case competition is a type of academic contest for business school students. These competitions originated in the United States, but are now held all over the world. To compete, students typically break into teams of two or more people.

The teams then read a business case and provide a solution for the problem or situation presented in the case. This solution is typically presented to judges in the form of a verbal or written analysis. In some cases, the solution may needed to be defended. The team with the best solution wins the competition.

Purpose of a Case Competition

As with the case method , case competitions are often sold as a learning tool. When you participate in a case competition, you get the opportunity to learn in a high pressure situation involving a real-world scenario. You can learn from students on your team and students on other teams. Some case competitions also provide verbal or written evaluations of your analysis and solution from the competition judges so that you have feedback on your performance and decision-making skills. 

Business case competitions also provide other perks, like the opportunity to network with executives and other people in your field as well as the chance to earn bragging rights and prize winnings, which are typically in the form of money. Some prizes are worth thousands of dollars. 

Types of Business Case Competitions

There are two basic types of business case competitions: invitation-only competitions and competitions that are by application. You must be invited to an invitation-only business case competition. The application-based competition allows students to apply to be a participant. Application doesn't necessarily guarantee you a spot in the competition.

Many business case competitions also have a theme. For example, the competition may focus on a case related to supply chains or global business. There might also be a focus on a particular topic in a particular industry, such as corporate social responsibility in the energy industry.

Rules for Business Case Competitions

Although competition rules can vary, most business case competitions have time limits and other parameters. For example, the competition may be split into rounds. The competition could be limited to two teams or multiple teams. Students might compete with other students at their school or with students from another school.

Students may be required to have a minimum GPA to participate. Most business case competitions also have rules governing access to assistance. For example, students may be allowed to get help when it comes to finding research materials, but help from outside sources, like professors or students who are not participating in the competition might be strictly forbidden. 

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Six Strategies for Winning Case Competitions

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by Lauren Meyer and Sarah Consagra, both MMM 2020 

This content was originally published in Poets&Quants .

To prepare for business school, students gear up for lecture room cold-calling, months of career recruiting, and enough networking to last a lifetime. What many MBA students don’t anticipate are case competitions.

An often-underrated way to derive value from your business school education, case competitions offer students the opportunity to consult for real clients, helping to solve pressing business problems. These competitions have become almost a rite of passage at graduate schools across the nation. Plus, they tend to pay generously – a perk always welcome on an MBA budget.

Over two weeks, our team designed a platform aimed at educating and empowering primary care physicians to directly treat patients with HCV, a task typically reserved for specialists. We were thrilled to win the competition, and even more excited to know that our ideas will further AbbVie’s mission to eradicate a stigmatized and often overlooked disease.

Among busy MBA schedules, making time for a case competition may be difficult. However, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of business school. After competing and succeeding in several during our first year at Kellogg, we’ve gleaned some helpful tips and tricks for designing a “winning” solution and getting the most out of the case competition experience.

1. Make it human-centered.

Get out there and talk to people! Secondary research is important. Where possible, your ideas should also be informed by robust primary research. Judges will be impressed when you are able to cite conversations with people who are “living the problem.” Through our conversations with doctors, nurses, and social workers, we unearthed unique pain points related to HCV treatment that we would have missed entirely by relying on the internet. One nurse reminded us that “doctors are people, too,” and that their own unconscious biases and busy schedules might prevent them from treating certain diseases with urgency.

2. Keep it laser-focused.

When solving an innovation challenge, there are typically a number of exciting possible solutions. We’ve found it is most effective to select the one solution you think is most compelling Then, tell the audience  why  you chose it, and build it out in detail. The audience will be much more impressed by a single, deep and well-studied solution than a set of broad and shallow ones. In our presentation, we recommended launching the education platform with primary care physicians covered by Medicare Advantage, a group we believed was uniquely poised to adopt the education platform. By honing in on one of many existing pain points, we were able to demonstrate that we had done the hard work of prioritizing the biggest win for our client.

3. Make it beautiful.

The value of an aesthetically compelling presentation cannot be overstated. This will keep your audience alert and engaged. Straightforward, crisp slides with simple design elements will go a long way. If you want to take it one step further, don’t be afraid to get creative by adding illustrations and vivid imagery. Our team used hand-drawn illustrations (just stick figures – nothing fancy) to bring a typical HCV patient’s journey to life for the judging panel.

4. Know your numbers.

When it comes to Q&A time, it’s always satisfying to respond to a judge’s doubting question with, “Yes, and we have data to support that.” If you’re going to whip out that reply, make sure you’ve done your homework. While only key numbers should be presented, an appendix is a helpful add-on for all the numerical content that you may want to pull out of your arsenal during follow-up questioning. Make sure you practice speaking confidently about how you arrived at those final numbers as well.

5. Make it actionable.

Ultimately, judges want solutions that feel tangible – ones they can execute readily, with existing budget, and feel excited to promote to internal stakeholders. Craft a clear outline for how you’ll launch your idea, what money you’ll leverage, and what existing resources you can draw on. If you want to add some glitz, you can always build out a roadmap for how your solution might evolve and grow as you scale (three, five, or ten years down the line). In our presentation, we focused on a “pilot program,” and then shared a window into what a “full-scale” version might look like. This helped the judges understand our solution’s potential for immediate effect, and how that might translate into something bigger and more impactful.

6. Tell a story.

Business jargon and charts might seem impressive, but if the judges aren’t hooked they may miss the genius of your solution. Storytelling can be a critical lever for standing out and connecting with your audience. Share emotional and powerful stories of personas or real people you spoke with to demonstrate how this solution will transform the lives of customers and stakeholders. Coming full circle to our first tip: speaking with people out in the world will enable you to deliver compelling human stories.

One bonus tip to remember : be sure to make it fun! That may sound cheesy, but it’s hard to envision and build out a business solution under time constraints if you’re not curious about the subject matter. Find teammates you enjoy spending time with, and let your enthusiasm shine when pitch day rolls around.

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Participating in a business-related case competition is one of the best ways to develop critical business and presentation skills, gain practical real-world industry experience, and network with experts and potential employers. 

Definition of a Case Study: A Case Study is created using a research method that is in-depth and detailed to examine an issue or problem and its related contextual conditions.

Being familiar with case studies will help you prepare for case competitions and also for company interviews.  While the case competition presentation will be brief compared to one done for a job interview, understanding the elements will strengthen your solution.

• Brinkmeyer, A., & Zhu, S. (2019). IMA Student Case Competition: Advice for Competitors .  Strategic Finance, 101 (2), 67-68.
• Poets and Quants. (2019). Six Strategies for Winning Case Competitions.
• Can you use library resources for case competitions? Check your particular case competition requirements, guidelines, and restrictions. If they are allowed, encouraged, optional, then read on! 
• You may need to do research on particular industries, companies or products/services. This guide will get you started, but reach out to Management Library staff via the blue "email me" button for focused assistance. 
• Owen Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) is available to assist with logistical support of case competitions. 

When allowed, utilizing professional business research tools available via VU in combination with expert information assistance from Management Library can help you succeed. Just ask the Owen team that won 1st place in the 2023 SEC Case Competition !

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Introduction to Case Analysis & Critical Thinking

Whether you are competing in a case competition or participating in case studies in your courses, you might be wondering how to approach this process. This video by Professor Zoe Mayhook provides an introduction to the case analysis and critical thinking, and includes the following concepts: 

• Short history of the case method (0:19)
• Business case types (1:05)
• Business case characteristics (1:45)
• SWOT Analysis (4:41)
• Porter's Five Forces (6:36)
• Timeline Analysis (10:12)
• Financial Analysis (10:42)
• Case & Effect Analysis (14:36)
• Concluding thoughts (16:44)
• SWOT Analysis
• Industry Analysis
• Financial Analysis
• Other Analysis Tools

The SWOT Analysis is the process of identifying internal and external factors that affect the competitive positioning of a company. The SWOT mnemonic stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which helps individuals identify and succinctly organize information so that their decisions and recommendations leverage a company’s strengths and opportunities, while also overcoming their weaknesses and possible threats. Sample SWOT Analyses can be found through the following resources.

NOTE: Copy and pasting a published SWOT analysis is plagiarism. They offer a good starting point, but conducting a SWOT analysis for your assignments, case studies, and case competitions should be your own work. 

Learn more about SWOT Analysis

• An Essential Guide to SWOT Analysis
• SWOT Analysis Template

When conducting an industry analysis, it may be useful to consider Porter's Five Forces model . This model helps individuals look at competitive forces within an industry, which can help inform a company’s business strategy. Porter's five forces includes: 

• Competitive Rivalry 
• Threat of New Entry
• Threat of Substitutes 
• Supplier Power
• Buyer Power

Many business databases a Purdue carry industry reports that can help is your analysis. IBISWorld Industry reports is a useful first step, and provides information that utilizes the Porter's Five Forces Model. To learn how to use IBISWorld for Porter's Five Forces research, check out the following article: Using Porter's Fives Forces to Develop Business Strategies (2020).  IBISWorld . 

• Current Industrial Reports (Census) The CIR program provides statistics primarily for production and shipments, but data on inventories, orders, and consumption are collected in a number of surveys. These surveys also measure manufacturing activity in important commodity areas such as textile and apparel, chemicals, primary metals, computer and electronic components, industrial equipment, and consumer goods.

Financial ratios allow provide useful insights, and can be divided into five different classes.

• Profitability Ratios
• Liquidity Ratios
• Activity Ratios
• Leverage Ratios
• Market Value Ratios

Check out the following resources to learn more about financial ratios:

• Key Business Ratios (D&B) Examine industry benchmarks compiled from D&B's database of public and private companies, featuring 14 key business ratios. Choose a one-year or three-year set of ratios for public and private companies in 800 lines of business.
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• HBS | What is Value Chain Analysis? Value chain analysis is a means of evaluating each of the activities in a company’s value chain to understand where opportunities for improvement lie. Conducting a value chain analysis prompts you to consider how each step adds or subtracts value from your final product or service. This, in turn, can help you realize some form of competitive advantage.
• Microsoft Office | Timeline Templates Conduct a timeline analysis with these free templates provided by Microsoft Office.
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Case Competitions

Student Experience

Pitch your ideas, put your business skills to the test, and compete in a case competition.

Participating in a business-related case competition is one of the best ways to develop critical business and presentation skills, gain practical real-world industry experience, and network with experts and potential employers. Partner with Carey faculty to fine-tune your presentation and case analysis skills. And then put your theories to the test and present to leading executives around the world. With competitions hosted at Carey and funding available to register and travel to outside competitions, at Carey Business School you can compete and win in some of the most prestigious case competitions worldwide.

2024 iOme Challenge

A team of four first-year MBA students and two MS in Finance students won the 2024 iOme Challenge. The iOme Challenge is a prestigious national student competition that tasks participants with analyzing the current state of retirement policy in the United States and proposing viable policy solutions to address the needs of their generation. Participating teams respond to the annual iOme Challenge question with an essay and public policy proposal. The six Carey students wrote their response paper titled, “Investing in Our Future: A Transition to Sustainable Retirement Security.”

2024 Venture Capital Investment Competition

A team of four Carey students won first place at the 2024 New England Regional Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition in Boston. This marks the first win in Carey history at the regional round of the competition. The VCIC is a competition where teams of participants act as venture capitalists for the day and evaluate startups for potential funding. The teams conduct extensive research, draft a term sheet for their selected startup, and present findings to a panel of professional venture capitalist judges.

Howard University’s 27th Annual MBA Exclusive Conference: 18th Annual Minority Case Competition 

A team of Carey students took home first place and $12,000 at the 18th Annual Minority Case Competition, held during the MBA Exclusive Conference at Howard University. This year’s competition was sponsored by the NobleReach Foundation and themed “Leveraging Innovation and Entrepreneurship for National Competitiveness.” The case focused on the United States’ response to substantial adversarial investments in digital infrastructure and the need to create a mission-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem to remain competitive. The Carey team developed a comprehensive strategy to build the ecosystem, aligning entrepreneurs, investors, universities, students, communities, and government agencies. The strategy aimed to ignite a wave of innovation that would transform the entrepreneurial landscape, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and responsible society. Students had a week to plan, strategize, and solve the case to then present their ideas to a panel of judges.

BioNJ Health Equity in Clinical Trials MBA Business Plan Case Competition

A team of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School students took home the first-place prize, winning $10,000, at the BioNJ’s inaugural MBA Business Plan Case Competition. The Carey team, consisting of five MBA/MPH students, developed a business plan that outlined a new health equity solution in clinical trials. The competition is designed to promote next-generation innovators and to identify new methods and models to strengthen clinical trial diversity and expand health equity.

MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition

A team of Carey students took first place, winning $2,000, at the 18 th annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition, held virtually on April 20-22, 2022. This marks the third win by a Carey team in the last four competitions, making Johns Hopkins the best-performing business school (tied with MIT Sloan) in competition history.

CFA Institute Research Challenge

A Carey student team placed first in the annual local DC/Baltimore CFA Institute Research Challenge . The competition requires students to research and analyze a publicly traded company, write a report, and present a buy, sell, or hold recommendation to a panel of industry experts.

Case Competitions Funding and Support

Carey Business School provides case competition teams with faculty and peer advisors, case preparation workshops, a list of over a hundred national case competitions, and funding for registration and other needs if necessary.

To request case competition resources, email [email protected].

Case competitions Carey participates in

The annual CFA Institute Research Challenge is a global competition requiring students to research and analyze a publicly traded company, write a report, and present their buy, sell, or hold recommendations to a panel of industry experts. Teams are judged based on their research, analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills.

Danaher Case Competition

The annual Healthcare Business Association case competition is sponsored by global science and technology innovator Danaher Corporation. Student teams from universities across the nation traveled to Baltimore to compete for the $7,500 first-place prize, on a case judged by a panel of Danaher Health IT subject experts and business leaders.

Graduate Consulting Club Case Competition

The Johns Hopkins Graduate Consulting Club Case Competition’s annual competition brings together students and fellows from across the country to work on some of the most pressing challenges in today's health care sector. Interdisciplinary teams comprised of students from across multiple schools, programs and departments. 40 schools competed in the April 23, 2021 case competition sponsored by HighMark Health.

This intense, 48-hour simulated competition requires teams to improve the efficiency of a hypothetical near-bankrupt firm. Graduate students from top business schools across the globe aim to run the most profitable factory with rankings based on their ending cash balances.

Venture Capital Investment Competition

In this annual competition, student teams play the role of venture capitalists who are looking to invest in one of the startups presenting at the event. Student teams are assessed on the investment opportunities and pitching an investment strategy to the judges. The winning team of the local (Carey students only) competition win a spot in the regionals.

Past case competitions

Carey students placed second in the 2021 virtual Danaher Case Competition. This competition focused on the rapid growth of at-home lab testing and issues related to effectiveness, efficiency, and inequities in access.

KeyBank Ohio State University Minority MBA case competition

A Carey Business School team took first place, winning $10,000, in the KeyBank Ohio State University Minority MBA Case Competition.

Arthur Page Society - Student Case Competition

Carey student, Rhianna Taniguchi, placed first in the business school category with her submission, "Turning a Moment into a Movement: Why the NBA said 'Black Lives Matter.'"

UNC/Duke Case Competition

Carey students placed third in the UNC/Duke Case Competition. The competition brings together graduate students (Master’s, PhD, JD, MD) and provides the opportunity for teams to apply their analytical skills and creativity in a real-world context, by solving a real-world business problem.

MIT Operations Simulation Competition

For the second consecutive year, a Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School student team took the top prize at the annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition.

Amazon Case Competition

The Carey Business School team took the top spot at the 2020 Reaching Out MBA conference— the largest gathering of LBGTQ+ business students and alumni.

Harvard Global Case Competition

A team of Johns Hopkins students placed third in Harvard University’s annual  Global Case Competition  on April 25, 2020. The team, which included four Carey students, team faced off against 160 other teams from around the world.

Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition

A four-member team of Johns Hopkins University students, including two from the Carey Business School, has won first place in the 16th annual Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition.

A Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Global MBA team took top prize in the 15th annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition, held April 7, 2019, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• Danaher Virtual Case Competition 2020
• Carey Places at Harvard Case Competition
• Carey MBA student wins case competition at...

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About Case Competitions

Preparing for case competitions, case competitions library resources.

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Business schools and organizations host case competitions, where teams present solutions to diverse business cases.

• Sauder's CUS Case Competition Club Provides support to undergraduate students who are interesting in becoming case solvers. The club has internal competitions, as well as a current list of external competitions subsidized by the CUS and the Dean's Office.

If you are competing, it is useful to find out about the case competition in which you are participating. Use Google to search for your case competition, and explore the website fully, looking for terms like Archives , Resources , Press Releases , or Media to find information about previous cases and competition winners. YouTube may also have highlights from past competitions.

Below is a selective list of case competitions:

• Case Competitions / The Case Centre Annotated list of case study competitions, including deadlines for submission and lists of past winners.
• Copenhagen Business School. CBS Case Competition Includes links to case solving tools and and cases from 2008 to present.
• McGill Management International Case Competition Content varies, but archives contain a synopsis of the case and some of the presentation slides of case winners.
• Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Global Business Case Competition.
• American Marketing Association. AMA Collegiate Awards & Competitions
• USC Marshall School of Business. Marshall International Case Competition
• Eller College of Management. Collegiate Ethics Case Competition
• Business Source Ultimate Additionally, use article databases like Business Source Ultimate and search by the name of your case competition.
• John Molson MBA International Case Competition Guide (2018)

It is a good idea to get familiar with library resources that can help you analyze cases. The business school that hosts a case competition will often have many of the same resources to which UBC Library subscribes.  

Explore the following research guides for basic strategies and resources:

• Company Research (Pay attention to the pages for Annual Reports, Profiles, Finance/Analyst Reports, SWOT.)
• Industry & Market Research (Pay attention to the Industry Overviews page.)
• International Business
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Case Competitions: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Table of Contents

Introduction, what are case competitions, why participate in case competitions, 1. understanding the case problem:, 2. conducting thorough research:, 3. applying relevant frameworks and models:, 4. developing creative and implementable recommendations:, 5. real-life case examples:.

Welcome to the exciting world of case competitions! If you want to enhance your problem-solving skills, gain valuable experience, and showcase your analytical abilities, participating in case competitions is the perfect opportunity for you. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of case competitions, provide practical tips, and show you the best approach to solve case problems effectively.

Case competitions are prestigious events where teams of students or professionals compete to solve complex business problems. These challenging simulations aim to emulate real-life scenarios that professionals encounter in the business world. Participants are presented with a case. It which often involves analyzing data, developing strategies, making recommendations, and presenting their solutions to a panel of judges. To know more, https://casebuzz.in/what-are-case-competitions-unleashing-the-power-of-collaborative-problem-solving/

Participating in case competitions offers numerous benefits and can significantly boost your personal and professional growth. Here are a few reasons why you should consider taking part in these invigorating events:

• Skill Development : Case competitions provide a platform for honing a wide range of skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical reasoning, teamwork, communication, and presentation skills.
• Real-World Experience : By simulating real-life business challenges, case competitions offer a realistic environment to apply your knowledge and develop practical business acumen.
• Networking Opportunities : These competitions bring together talented individuals from various academic backgrounds and industries, presenting excellent networking opportunities that can lead to valuable connections and future collaborations.
• Resume Enhancement : Participating and performing well in case competitions can significantly strengthen your resume, demonstrating your abilities to potential employers and opening doors to prestigious job opportunities.
• Fun and Rewarding : While case competitions can be intense, they also offer a thrilling and rewarding experience. The sense of achievement and personal growth that comes from successfully tackling complex problems is incredibly fulfilling.

Approach to crack case competitions

When it comes to participating in case competitions, the first and most crucial step is understanding the case problem at hand. This requires careful analysis and comprehension of the given scenario. To approach this effectively, it’s important to break down the problem into its key components and identify the underlying issues. By doing so, you can gain a clear understanding of what the case is truly asking for.

“Understanding the case problem is like solving a puzzle – the pieces may seem scattered at first, but once you put them together, the picture becomes clearer.”

To fully grasp the case problem, put yourself in the shoes of the key stakeholders involved. Consider their perspective, motivations, and potential challenges. This will enable you to approach the problem from a holistic standpoint, taking into account various factors that may influence the final resolution.

In order to tackle a case competition successfully, conducting thorough research is paramount. Start by gathering relevant data and information that pertains to the industry, market trends, and any other factors that may impact the case problem. This will provide you with a solid foundation upon which you can build your analysis.

• Effective research involves diving deep into credible sources such as industry reports, academic journals, and reputable publications to ensure accuracy and reliability of the information gathered.
• Engage in both primary and secondary research methodologies to uncover valuable insights. Interviews with industry experts, customer surveys, and competitor analysis are just a few ways to gather primary data.
• Do not underestimate the power of quantitative analysis. Utilize statistical tools and techniques to identify patterns, correlations, and trends that may be instrumental in formulating your recommendations.

By investing time and effort in comprehensive research, you equip yourself with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions and provide well-rounded solutions.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the case problem and have conducted thorough research, it’s time to apply relevant frameworks and models to structure your analysis. Frameworks such as SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, or the Value Chain can help you dissect the problem and identify key areas of focus.

“Frameworks act as guiding principles, allowing you to navigate through the complexities of the case problem with clarity and precision.”

Ensure that the selected frameworks align with the specific case problem and are appropriate for the industry or sector in question. By using these frameworks as a roadmap, you can systematically analyze the case and uncover insights that may not have been apparent at first glance.

One of the distinguishing factors in a successful case competition is the ability to develop creative and implementable recommendations. After conducting thorough research and applying relevant frameworks, it’s time to think outside the box and propose innovative solutions.

• View the problem from various perspectives and consider unconventional approaches that may not have been explored before.
• Incorporate real-world constraints and limitations into your recommendations to ensure their practicality and feasibility.
• Test the viability of your recommendations using robust analysis and consider potential risks and challenges that may arise during implementation.

By pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking and embracing creativity, you can stand out from the competition and showcase your ability to provide unique solutions.

To illustrate the application of the approach discussed above, let’s delve into some real-life case examples. These examples will provide practical insights into how the understanding of the case problem, thorough research, relevant frameworks, and creative recommendations come together to crack a case competition.

“Real-life case examples serve as a source of inspiration and allow you to witness firsthand how the approach that we have discussed can yield remarkable results.”

• Company X: A Struggling Retailer : In this case, the problem revolves around a struggling retail company facing fierce competition from e-commerce giants. By understanding the challenges faced by traditional retailers and conducting thorough research on industry trends, the team can leverage frameworks such as the Osterwalder Business Model Canvas to identify opportunities for growth. Creative recommendations may involve integrating technology to enhance the in-store experience, implementing personalized marketing strategies, and exploring partnerships with complementary businesses.
• Start-up Y: Scaling in a Disruptive Industry : This case focuses on a start-up operating in a disruptive industry. By understanding the unique dynamics of the industry and conducting research to uncover customer preferences, the team can utilize frameworks like the Ansoff Matrix to explore growth strategies. Creative recommendations may involve targeting niche markets, leveraging strategic alliances, and innovating the business model to adapt to changing industry trends.
• Organization Z: Mitigating Environmental Impact : Here, the case revolves around an organization seeking to reduce its environmental impact. By understanding the organization’s current practices and conducting research on sustainability frameworks, the team can propose recommendations using tools such as the Triple Bottom Line and Circular Economy principles. Creative recommendations may involve implementing renewable energy sources, minimizing waste throughout the supply chain, and engaging stakeholders in sustainability initiatives.

In each of these examples, the approach of understanding the problem, conducting thorough research, applying relevant frameworks, and developing creative recommendations proves instrumental in cracking the case competition.

For more solved case studies, visit:

1. https://www.casecompetition.com/library/

2. https://www.shwetaarora.in/post/case-study-competition-ppt-example

Mastering case competitions is no small feat, but armed with the right knowledge and approach, you can excel in these high-stakes events. In this guide, we’ve explored the fundamentals of case competitions, provided tips for success, and outlined the best approach to solving case problems. Remember, practice makes perfect, so invest time in mock sessions, develop your skills, and embrace the thrill of tackling complex business challenges. Participating in case competitions is not just about winning but also about growing both personally and professionally. So, what are you waiting for? Start your case competition journey today and unlock your true potential!

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Business School Case Competitions

• Preparation

Competitions

• American Marketing Association Collegiate Awards and Competitions
• The Case Centre: Case Competitions Directory of case study competitions, including past winners.
• Copenhagen Business School (CBS) Case Competition The largest case competition in the world. Includes case-solving tools, past cases 2008-present, and past winners.
• Eller College of Management Collegiate Ethics Case Competition From the University of Arizona. Includes submission guidelines, list of past winners.
• MBA Exchange: MBA Competitions Over 100 case competitions are listed.
• USC Marshall School of Business Case Competition
• << Previous: Preparation
• Last updated: Oct 28, 2022 10:38 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/casecompetitions

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.

Student case competitions

Case competitions can play a role in highlighting the many skills involved in case writing, teaching and learning. They can benefit faculty, researchers and students and offer the opportunity to showcase expertise at business schools and universities.

This page provides details of current student case competitions. We're always interested to hear about new case competitions, so if yours isn't listed please get in touch.

We also have a page that lists information about case writing competitions .

Promote your competition

If you would like your student case competition promoted on this page please contact Paddy.

Competition currently closed

Aarhus Case Competition is an annual case competition founded in 2011. It is the largest case competition in the Nordics with over 650 participants, divided into two case tracks, Advanced and Aspire. The first track is Advanced, which consists of 27 top students divided into nine teams. They are recruited from all around the world to compete in creating the best case solutions. The other track is Aspire Case Camp, open for all students at Aarhus University, both experienced case solvers and people who are new to case solving. Throughout the week, Aspire and Advanced will solve the same three cases presented to them by the case company as if they were real-life consultants.

At Aarhus Case Competition, our mission is to prepare business students for a business career, which we believe is best accomplished through hands-on experience and collaboration with our partners.

Further information

Visit the competition website

List of winners

Amsterdam Case Competition is a new competition organised by the University of Amsterdam and student organisation SEFA. We organise a week-long competition for top universities around the world! Our competition includes an eight-hour case, a 24-hour case, as well as several two-hour cases and countless social and networking opportunities.

Students can expect top companies from the Netherlands and the world to be involved, thus providing them with experience of real life problems of top businesses, as well as opportunities to network and meet the business leaders of today.

At Amsterdam Case Competition, our goal is to gather bright minds from all over the world to compete on competitive cases. By doing so we strive to create value, but also link aspiring consultants together from all over the world.

Competition currently closed 

CaseIT is the world's premier international undergraduate Management Information System (MIS) case competition, hosted annually in collaboration with the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University (SFU). The brightest business students from across the globe converge to Vancouver, B.C. to put their case analysis skills to the test in this week-long event. With opportunities to network, explore, and learn, the CaseIT experience is one that you will never forget.

Visit competition website

List of winners 

 Competition currently closed 

We connect students and companies in solving real-life challenges. By organising two of the world's most prominent case competitions, we have built a platform for students across the globe to exercise their current skillsets while simultaneously gaining new inspiration and expanding their toolboxes. In everything that we do, we aim to provide life-time experiences.

  Submission deadline: 8 September 2024

The impact of globalisation on business, both locally and globally, is immense and ignoring it would be a catastrophic undertaking. The goal of the case competition is to identify and answer questions that real businesses and managers are posing today in relation to Emerging Markets. The growing role of Emerging Market Multinationals in the business world continues to evolve and this case competition seeks to challenge us to come up with win-win solutions for expanding stakeholders.

The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Syracuse University Maxwell School is sponsoring its 16 th annual E-PARCC competition to further stimulate the creation of effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations. 

Submission deadline: 10 August 2024

Launched in 2022, the ESSEC Case Competition for High School Future Leaders 2024 offers a platform for high school students to experience the teaching of a top-level business school while engaging in a real-life case challenge. Open to all high school students aged 14-18 worldwide, this year's competition focuses on the realms of business, entrepreneurship and sustainability. Over the course of two weeks, students will experience ESSEC's teaching methods through seven online academic workshops and two coaching sessions led by our esteemed faculty and industry experts. On September 14, participants will present their final proposals to the jury, either online or in-person in Singapore for those based locally.

If you are eager to enhance your business acumen and problem-solving skills, form your teams now and stand a chance to win exciting prizes in this competition. Gather a team of three to six members and submit a three-minute video proposing your ideas to reduce plastic use in your school or community. Only teams that have passed this mini-challenge will be invited to participate in the case competition. Registration is now open until 10 August 2024 (SGT) .

Visit company website 

The event brings together students and faculty from all of Hong Kong’s universities as well as top universities from the Asia-Pacific region. Teams of four undergraduates compete in business strategy-making and presentation, and are judged by senior international business executives. Students also have the opportunity to interact with some of Asia's brightest talents and experience Hong Kong's unique international culture.

Entries open for 2024

Are you ready for the challenge? This globally popular Institute of Management Accountants Middle East and India Student Case Competition invites university students to think strategically and stretch their analytical skills to solve a finance business case on “Determening How to Classify Stock Investments: The Case of Unbekannt, Inc.”

Put your business acumen to the test and present your team’s analysis in front of leading business heads. This year’s case gives you and your team the chance to get selected for the Grand Finals, where you will compete with peers from around the world.

Please note that this competition is only open to students across the Middle East, Africa and India.

In 2024, ISM-HK worked with HKU Asia Case Research Center and Cathay Pacific on a real-life case on supplier risk management and sustainability as the key theme.

Prizes and recognition:  - Internship opportunities (sponsored by Richemont, MTR Corporation) - $8000 cash prize - Asia miles (sponsored by Cathay Pacific) - Xbox (sponsored by Microsoft) - Mentorship program (sponsored by Argon & Co, ISM, Lululemon, Mars, etc.) - APSM digital pack (sponsored by ISM Global) - Company visit (sponsored by HSBC, Richemont and Schneider Electric)

Entries open for 2025

The John Molson MBA International Case Competition is the largest, oldest and most prestigious MBA case competition in the world.

This is your chance to showcase your school’s talent, gain top-level exposure and network with fellow MBA students from around the globe. First place winners walk away with the highly coveted Concordia Cup as well as prize money of $10,000 CAD.

KeyBank and Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University host an annual Minority MBA Student Case Competition. The  KeyBank  Foundation supervises the selection of a contemporary and never-before-used case topic that addresses business issues with varied implications at either a national or international level. Teams of three presenters are invited from universities and colleges across the country to compete. Each team benefits from the opportunity to develop important professional skills such as analyzing and responding quickly to often-complex business issues. Also, teams have a chance to hone their communication and team-building talents while learning from the expertise of business executive judges and moderators.

The NIBS Worldwide Case Competition - one of the oldest undergraduate case competitions in the world - is a test of problem-solving ability, business acumen, cultural insight, communication skills, and teamwork. Teams of four undergraduate students compete on behalf of their respective universities. They receive written case studies focused on international business issues, and have a limited time to assess the challenges facing the organisation and recommend a specific course of action to panels of senior managers, policymakers and academics.

All NIBS member institutions are eligible to enter the competition. Each participating school is represented by a single team, chosen by the school and consisting of four students and a faculty coach or coaches.

Be part of an award-winning international student competition.

The Risk Management Challenge, a case competition of the  PRMIA Institute , empowers undergraduate and graduate students by taking them beyond the classroom and giving them exposure to real-world business situations.

The Challenge offers students the opportunity to apply the concepts they have learned and showcase their knowledge, critical thinking skills, leadership, and presentation abilities.

Entries closed for 2024

The NASBITE International Student Case Competition is an exciting learning and networking opportunity for undergraduate students attending two-year and four-year colleges and universities that offer an academic business programme. 

In 2024, the Competition will provide an opportunity for both undergraduate international business students as well as graduate business students to solve a real-world challenge posed by a US-based exporter. 

The annual Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC) prepares participants to understand the critical issues that are unique to family enterprise by applying the knowledge and expertise they have developed in the classroom towards solving complex family business cases.

During four tough rounds of competition, teams present their case to a distinguished panel of judges who will determine which group best understood, analysed and presented the case.

To participate in this competition, organised by Tsinghua University, students are required to select a topic related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals - set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 - that aligns with their research interests and expertise, and conduct public policy case studies focusing on real-world scenarios and practices.

Participants have the option to explore case stories within local communities or those that impact global populations. The chosen topic should allow for a comprehensive discussion of the issue from multiple perspectives, while avoiding overly broad scopes. The competition seeks case studies that effectively blend narrative storytelling with sufficient data, showcasing participants’ solid policy knowledge and exceptional analytical capabilities.

The first prize is worth $3,000.

Visit the competition website  

Learning with cases can be a challenging experience.

Our interactive study guide will take you through the process, providing practical tips, tricks and tools.

Discover more

Case Competitions: The Winning Strategy

By ayush kumar.

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Case competitions revolve around the all-important case – a problem statement (long or short) that you must solve. In preparing the case for XLRI Jamshedpur’s Clockspeed Case Competition, I learned one very important lesson – the solution to a case doesn’t revolve around extremely detailed quantitative analysis. It requires what I call the CEO’s Eye. The first step while reading the case is to identify the most critical issue – what would be the CEO’s primary pain point? Once you can put yourself in the CEO’s shoes, life gets easier, because then you can think of solutions as a CEO would – keeping all stakeholders in mind, minimizing the cost needed to bring about whatever change is required, and doing all this staying true to the company’s vision and values.

In virtual case competition finales, your presentation would be shared on a Zoom screen with the jury panel. Nobody likes looking at a cluttered or unattractive presentation. On the other hand, a presentation without all the necessary analysis would not get you into the finale in the first place. Solution: Learn to own every pixel of the screen – know what to leave blank, what to write where, but actual spend time thinking of the design and the aesthetic. If your presentation is pleasing to look at, that definitely aids your effort. There are plenty of templates available online, but they will be of no use unless you actually plan your slides out. The templates are the tool, not the master.

Presenting Live

The all-important national finale, with you and about 10-12 other teams or individuals, all presenting to a jury panel. The most critical element here is often overlooked – the script! Have a script ready – don’t try to come up with clever things to say on the spot. With enough practice, you’ll get used to being able to read seamlessly off the screen. This keeps you focused and within the time limit. Also, don’t simply read off the slide, but focus on the key insights in each slide. Why is that slide there at all? If you find that a slide has no insight, you suddenly know that it can easily be excluded.

Case competitions are a lot of fun, teach you most of the key elements of business, and allow you to test your mettle against students from all over India. Also, winning the prize money doesn’t hurt either!

I hope sincerely this article was of help to the readers, and at the very least gives you enough confidence to go out there and participate!

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2024 complete list of mba case competitions.

Whether you’re looking to gain experience for your resume, win prizes, or connect with other like-minded MBA Candidates, fill out this form to access our curated list of active case competitions for MBA students. 

What is an MBA case competition?

An MBA case competition is an opportunity for individuals with diverse skillsets to come together and solve a business challenge. By combining their strengths, teams work towards a reward (which could be monetary), access to decision-makers at certain companies, or even a job opportunity.

At WeSolv, we have our own version of business case competitions called Case Challenges .

How do I win an MBA case competition?

Winning teams capture the attention of judges and company sponsors. Before diving in, read the competition description carefully to understand the judging criteria and how the competition is being assessed . Judges crave teams who think outside the box, forge a compelling narrative, and flawlessly demonstrate seamless collaboration. Clarity, persuasion, and collaboration – these are the ingredients that win.

Are you interested in hosting a Case Challenge on WeSolv?

More Frequently Asked Questions

Are technical skills necessary to succeed in case challenges.

No! Unless specifically noted, a case competition is not strictly for developers or engineers. As a matter of fact, most business case competitions are looking for marketers, consultants, entrepreneurs, and those in business school or interested in finance roles. 

I'm considering participating in a case competition, but it's in an industry I don't have experience in (e.g., healthcare, consumer goods finance). Should I still participate?

Definitely! Don’t let your unfamiliarity with the specific industry hold you back. Many case competitions specifically welcome diverse perspectives and encourage participation from those with transitional skills and experience in different industries , as they often lead to more creative and well-rounded solutions. The transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, honed through case competitions are valuable in any field. Additionally, if you’re interested in transitioning into a new industry, participating in a relevant business case competition is a great way to showcase your initiative and gain valuable insights.

What is the most prestigious business case competition?

There’s a long list of legacy business case competitions , and not all of them are marketed toward MBA candidates; there are even case competitions designed for high school students! Out of the lineup of case competitions that are geared toward MBAs and other advanced degree seekers, though, the John Molson MBA International Case Competition is often considered the oldest and largest, founded in 1981 and featuring 30+ teams. That said, while things like reputation and alumni success stories do matter when it comes to choosing the right case competition to participate in, legacy isn’t the end-all. Many employers are looking to more niche case competition marketplaces to connect with talent — and, for MBA candidates, that can mean accessing more networking opportunities in less-crowded environments.

Are MBA case competitions worth it?

The real-world experience granted by case competitions is absolutely worth it, especially in a recruitment environment that increasingly sets its eye toward skills-based hiring. Case competitions for MBA students provide valuable networking opportunities with peers, industry professionals, and potential employers. Winning or even simply participating in competitions can significantly boost a resume, showcasing your ability to handle pressure and solve complex issues outside of an academic setting. Not only that, but the feedback from judges, who are often industry leaders, can provide insights and learning opportunities that are hard to come by in a classroom.

Considering my current workload, is participating in an MBA case competition a wise use of my time?

Cramming your schedule with classes, extracurriculars, and a jam-packed social calendar? We get it – time is precious. But amidst the hustle, case challenges offer a double win: boost your resume and fill any gaps, while opening doors to valuable connections. At these events, you’ll network with recruiters, executives, and future colleagues from top companies, building vital industry connections and potential mentorship opportunities. Case competitions? Not just a resume booster, but a launchpad for your career.

Do MBA case competitions happen online or in-person?

Both! So make sure to read the description for each case competition carefully. Some take place in person, virtually, or a combination of both!

How long do case competitions for MBA students typically last?

The duration of case challenges can vary greatly, ranging from a few intense weeks to several months, depending on the specific competition and its goals.

Always check the individual challenge’s website or submission page for its specific start and end dates. This will give you a clear picture of the overall time frame involved.

The amount of actual work you commit within that timeframe will depend on several factors:

• Team structure: Working collaboratively can distribute tasks and workload, potentially making the experience more manageable.
• Challenge format: Some challenges have specific work phases with deadlines, while others offer more flexibility.
• Your own approach: You can dedicate as much or as little time as you feel comfortable with, balancing the challenge with your other commitments.

Remember, while some challenges require concentrated effort, they also aim to be engaging and educational. Effective teamwork and good time management can make the experience rewarding and enjoyable.

Additional tip: Many competitions offer resources and support, such as forums or mentors, to help participants manage their time and workload effectively.

I represent an organization that organizes MBA case competitions. How can I add my organization's case competition to your list?

Submit your organization’s case competition for consideration using this form.

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[Updated 2023] Top 10 Winning Case Study Competition Presentations [and 10 Vexing Business Issues They Can Help You Solve]

A case study competition is a formal exercise that tests the participants’ mettle in decision-making, collaboration, and presentation skills. As a key driver of industry-specific analysis focused on the problem-solving acumen of the researchers, case study competitions have become an integral part of corporate brainstorming as well as high-end B-school programs.

In the most basic sense, a case study competition aka a case competition seeks to give students or researchers a chance to analyze various aspects of a company and then come up with solutions to its problems. Based on the complexity of the subject involved, the participants are given a certain time limit to examine the subject and its market situation, find out loopholes that result in a problem, and then propose the solution in the form of a presentation.

Now ideally, the analysis and research phase of a case study competition demands a diverse team to work in unison and think on their feet. Some tasks may also require the contestants to work out an entire roadmap for the organization. These roadmaps can address issues at every managerial level of the organization right up to the director.

However, what makes or breaks a participating team’s chances of winning the competition is the presentation of the case study. A well-defined and logically structured presentation can enable a power-packed performance, ultimately helping you become the star of the competition.

Therefore, this blog puts together 10 of SlideTeam’s best case study competition presentation templates in context with 10 major business issues that they can help analyze and solve. Take a look, download the ones you like, and get cracking with your presentation.

Templates to use for your case study competition 

The corporate landscape is susceptible to occasional crises. Therefore, examining a subject for your case study competition requires a fine eye for detail that sees beyond the corporate veneer. And while this research and collective thinking can take up a lot of your deadline time, you may not want to fumble last minute to prepare a half-baked presentation that lays waste to your hard work.

Therefore, here are 10 case study competition presentation templates prepared by SlideTeam experts that solve 10 significant issues that the subject can face. These templates carry detailed information on how the subject matter resolved the problems and fit any criteria assigned by the judges of your case study competition. So when you find your perfect fit, just click on the template and incorporate it to save precious time.    

Problem 1: Opening up new revenue streams in a stagnant market

A dormant market is a businessperson’s nightmare. Plummeting profits in the then lucrative ecosystem can make even the most well-established company jittery. However, opening up new revenue streams in such an ecosystem can be a challenge as well as an opportunity. If you figure out the challenge, you can exploit the opportunity.

Notably, this is quite a popular topic assigned as a challenge in a case study competition. It tests how the participants understand revenue generation and how to diversify a company’s portfolio with appropriate techniques. Here’s an actionable template that accomplishes that with ease.

The template solution

The following PowerPoint template takes a beer company as a case study. The company is generating stagnant revenue in the North American region and, therefore, wants to attract more customers and develop new revenue streams in the area. So the template methodically addresses the issues with appropriate profiling and SWOT analysis of the company.

Additionally, the template explores the development and marketing of a new product range for the company including premium, specialty, and healthier products. This is supported with suitable cost and risk analyses while exploring possibilities of future growth. Just click and download the template and infuse it with your subject-specific information.

Download this template   

Problem 2: Declining user base

Call it the effect of intense competition or lack of engaging prospects; customers tend to wean off a brand if nothing excites them anymore. The result is a grueling loss of revenue and, sometimes, even a complete downfall. The challenge in this situation is more about acting fast and thinking out of the box rather than fixing the mundane.

Ideally, the peak and plateau of the subscriber base of a business depend on how its client communication channels are performing. The peak is when the company is giving its best to acquiring more customers, and the plateau is when this activity falls stagnant. The following PowerPoint template provides a comprehensive to-do list for addressing this issue.

The following PowerPoint template takes a telecom company as the case study. It evaluates the current domestic and international market presence of the company and then suggests solutions.

Notably, this template displays a four-pronged approach to growing the company’s user base. This includes tracking customer-related metrics, promoting the launch of new products on social media for better reach, resolving service issues more quickly, and providing personalized services to the customers.

One can also depict how measuring the KPIs after applying better expansion, technological and promotional strategies shows promising results. Ultimately, one can use the tabulated models in the template to show how a strategic overhaul grows the company’s user base over the years.

Download this template

Problem 3: Customer retention rate optimization

Consumer loyalty towards a company depends on several spontaneous factors ranging from special offers and support. This loyalty, or customer retention rate as it is called, has to be in high figures for a company to thrive in a world full of replicable ideas. If companies ignore what their competitors listen to, customer loyalty is out the window then and there. This applies specifically to those relying on digital platforms for their bread and butter.

Often the biggest challenge for online companies is to get the maximum value out of their association with the customers. Ideally, with practical techniques of customer retention rate optimization, loyal customers become advocates for the brand. Here’s the template solution to prepare a winning case study.     

This PowerPoint template analyzes the declining customer retention rate of an e-commerce company over five years. Besides taking stock of the current situation, the template also offers a comprehensive view of the company’s five major problems. These include increased customer churn rate, decline in sales, reduced repeat order rate, decreased customer loyalty level, and falling Net Promoter Score (NPS).

The template depicts a systematic approach to solving these problems. It illustrates loyalty programs, social media presence, and customized services to increase the company’s KPIs. Additionally, you can also discuss the risk management strategies to make a convincing point in your case study competition. 

Download this template    

Problem 4: Growing the market share

Growing their market share is quite an uphill battle for companies. The underlying reason is the global shift in market trends that may push the company to lose a significant chunk of its market share. Besides, business owners find themselves constantly juxtaposing their strategies in the face of a crumbling market share, finding it hard to churn out the right solution.

Moreover, strategic myopia is another roadblock in claiming a more significant share in the industry. Here’s a suitable PowerPoint template that will help you establish a credible solution for a case study.

The following PowerPoint template provides an unbiased view of the case study of an energy company facing a decline in market share. Though enjoying a stellar reputation in its region of operation, the company faces the challenge of increasing its market share with its offshore wind expansion strategy. The template uncovers how the organization attains this with renewable energy applications.

Moreover, the template also defines how the strategy will unfold in three stages — “feel the breeze”, “catch the wind”, and “take off”. You will also find techniques of overcoming the intense commoditized competition in this PPT template, making it a handy tool to help you triumph in the case study competition. 

Problem 5: Personnel shortage

While hiring the right talent is one of the biggest challenges for startups and corporations alike, personnel shortage can invite crisis galore. With staff crunch comes dwindling productivity and revenue, putting companies in a fix. Personnel shortage is often the assignment targeted in several case study competitions. From the perspective of human resources, a shortage of specialized staff makes it more challenging to keep the business afloat.

So here’s a template solution that offers an outline of the strategic initiatives needed to tide over the crisis and help the subject reclaim a better position.  

The case study presented in this PowerPoint template addresses pilot shortage in an airline company. It illustrates the critical facts about the company first, such as the revenue, total passengers, and net profits. After that, it depicts the pilot shortage data over the years, attributed to retirements of old experienced pilots and cost of training new pilots.

Using this template, you can showcase the company’s financial position and three key strategies to enhance human capital. These include establishing a training academy with regulated costs, promoting the benefits of joining the pilot training, and increasing the R&D and innovation efforts for better market positioning. Click below to download and deploy.

Download this template          

Problem 6: Declining sales

One of the most vexing concerns for a company is declining sales figures. The key drivers of sales are high demand for the product, better market positioning, and customer sentiment. If any of these falls out of balance, the consequences are detrimental. Corporate think-tanks today have to face this challenge with strategic vision and analyses.

Primarily, low sales result from lack of unique value proposition (UVP), misalignment of marketing and sales, expansion beyond capability, and variants of mismanagement along the company hierarchy. The following template solution shows how to keep these at bay.     

In the face of any kind of decline, the company’s strategy will need some tweaking. If the situation turns grave, a complete strategy pivot may be the answer. Therefore, this PowerPoint template is the perfect tool to execute strategic changes for better sales. The template takes a car manufacturing company as the subject and describes its vital stats and figures in a well-developed layout.

The template shows how various contributors of poor sales can be tackled with the help of diversification of the business, development of more fuel-efficient cars, and production of vehicles in the budget segment to attract more customers. Additionally, the template suggests steps like investment in R&D and digital marketing for more impactful promotions.

Problem 7: High fuel costs

Rising global fuel prices are a pain for companies across the globe. International market fluctuation and COVID impact are enough to crush the spirits of companies relying on fossil fuels for basic operation. Fuel being their most crucial resource, organizations have to grapple with continuous demand-and-supply math and the financial burden of purchase and utilization.

Increased fuel costs have a cascading effect in the form of increased transportation costs, loss of customer base, and high employee turnover. Here’s a template showing a case study to solve this conundrum.   

The ultimate goal here is to minimize transportation costs. The following PowerPoint template illustrates the techniques to do that with the help of an example of a logistics company. With a comparative view of the crude oil prices globally and fuel costs in a particular country of service, this template chalks out a triple-phase roadmap for the company. This includes automated logistics for shorter processing duration, inking a contract with a suitable logistics supplier, and using warehouses for storage and dispatch. 

The template also helps you present the subsequent cost analysis and comparison with data-driven tables and charts. So download the template below and make an everlasting impression.  

Problem 8: Brand expansion

Growing companies are at the helm of innovation and development. However, the biggest test comes when they need to expand their brand to unexplored markets. Merely having a product may not be enough to get the desired outcome. Moreover, the changing demographics and global technical disruptions make it a steep climb for ill-equipped organizations.

The road to a more prominent brand is full of technical and strategic hiccups. So here’s the perfect PowerPoint template to help you deduce the secret to brand expansion.    

Here’s a typical example of the brand expansion needs of a reputed pharmaceutical company. The PowerPoint template showcases the tactics to capture a new market for the company’s existing brand of treatment drugs for Crohn’s disease.

Additionally, this template illustrates how the company can develop the brand to treat other auto-immune disorders. It also provides the roadmap with careful SWOT analysis and competitive study while outlining the market opportunities for the brand.

The PPT template is perfect for presenting lucrative pricing strategies and marketing techniques that the company can follow to crush the competition in their dominant market. Click the link below and download the template right away.     

Problem 9: Applying trends to get a competitive advantage

A business owner’s biggest asset is their ability to feel the market’s pulse and devise strategies accordingly. But the corresponding challenge is even more troubling — how to apply the latest trends and march ahead of the competition? Often the concern here stems from the inability to infuse technology into your business model. Besides, trends are often ignored as one-hit wonders or “too much work”.

However, this is where budding entrepreneurs make the silliest mistake and keep “doing their own thing”. This costs them their customer base in the long term as their competitors, who put their ear to the ground, can satisfy the client better. The following template uncovers the secret to success.      

Full disclosure! The lure of the trending comes with its own set of risks. And to get the rewards, this template will show you how to apply systematic techniques to gain a competitive advantage. The case study subject is a cosmetics company looking to drub its competition by adopting the latest industry trends.

Since the face value here is of the utmost importance, the template showcases how incorporating visual technology can separate the brand from the crowd. Additionally, the template outlines how adopting AI-powered virtual try-on, engaging displays, and personalized customer service applications can boost the company’s market presence. The result — increased customer loyalty and spectacular profits.     

Problem 10: Applying trends to enhance profit margins

Applying the latest industry trends is beneficial for the company’s competitive positioning, and it also leads to better profit margins. However, execution requires critical and dynamic thinking on the part of the business owner. Here’s a template that helps you bring corrective strategies to the table.      

This PowerPoint template also considers a cosmetics company as a case study. Besides highlighting the lack of the latest technology, it also brings to light the company’s inadequate customer experience strategies and poor cross-selling skills. All these factors are visualized as the causes of the company’s depleting revenue streams.

As a workable solution, the template also highlights strategies like developing the team’s cross-selling skills, providing innovative skincare tools, and rolling out loyalty programs to entice existing customers. You can also discuss the risk mitigation strategies and quality assurance frameworks for enhancing profit margins with ease. Download it right away.  

So there you have it! These are the 10 comprehensive PowerPoint templates that will make any case study competition presentation a cakewalk. Just download these and let visually stunning designs do the talking for your hard work and research. Should you feel the need for something even more fine-tuned to your needs, our design team will always be ready to help. You can also explore our one-page case study templates to keep it short and excellent.  

FAQs on Case Study Competition

What is a case competition.

A case competition is a business competition where participants are presented with a real-world business scenario or problem, and are given a limited amount of time to analyze the situation, develop a solution or strategy, and present their recommendations to a panel of judges. These competitions typically involve teams of undergraduate or graduate students who work together to analyze the case and develop a solution.

What do you do in a case competition?

In a case competition, participants are given a real-world business scenario or problem and are required to analyze the situation, develop a solution or strategy, and present their recommendations to a panel of judges within a limited time frame, typically ranging from a few hours to several days. Here's a breakdown of what typically happens during a case competition:

Receive the case: The competition organizers will provide the case to participants, which usually includes a description of a business problem or challenge that needs to be solved.

Analyze the case: Participants will work in teams to analyze the case, using their knowledge of business concepts, industry trends, and market research to identify the root cause of the problem and potential solutions.

Develop a solution: Based on their analysis, participants will develop a solution or strategy to address the problem, outlining specific steps and tactics to achieve their proposed solution.

Prepare a presentation: Once the solution is developed, participants will prepare a presentation to communicate their proposed solution to the judges. The presentation usually includes an executive summary, background information, the proposed solution, and an implementation plan.

Present the solution: Teams will present their solutions to the judges, typically within a set time limit. The presentation may include visual aids, such as slides, charts, or graphs, to help convey their ideas.

Q&A: After the presentation, the judges may ask questions to clarify the solution or challenge assumptions made by the team.

Award ceremony: After all the teams have presented, the judges will announce the winners of the competition, and prizes may be awarded to the top teams.

What is the objective of case competition?

The goal of a case competition is to develop critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork and presentation skills. Participants are typically judged based on the quality of their analysis, the feasibility and creativity of their solution, and the clarity and persuasiveness of their presentation.

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Case Challenge

Competition structure

Registration and eligibility.

Google’s Case Challenge is an initiative for business schools in India, designed to attract and engage budding early talent to creatively respond to live and realistic business challenges. This competition will give students an opportunity to stretch their imagination and come up with innovative solutions to the day to day challenges faced by teams across Google. Finalists will also get a chance to work closely with assigned Google mentors and understand Google’s ecosystem better, along with cash prizes for the winning teams.

Case Challenge is open to the participating institutes:

• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
• Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
• Indian Institute of Management, Indore
• Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
• Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
• Indian Institute of Management, Shillong
• Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
• Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
• Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
• Indian School of Business
• XLRI - Xavier School of Management
• Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
• Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
• Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Mumbai
• National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai
• Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource development
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences
• SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai

1 year executive programs of the above campuses are also eligible to register as Participating institutes.

Wild Card Entrants

With the endeavour to expand Case Challenge to students across India, we have introduced wild card entrants this year. In this, students from business schools across India can register and participate in the first round (Online Challenge) subject to the rules and requirements of the Competition. Further details will be discussed in the subsequent sections.

The competition will be conducted across four rounds:

• Online Challenge
• Case Study Round
• Cohort Round
• National Finale The language of the Competition will be entirely in English and will be conducted virtually.

Judging of all Rounds will be performed by a panel of judge(s) selected by Google. Please note that any entry is subject to and evaluated based on the following broad parameters:

• Structured thinking and strategy
• Originality & Innovation
• Feasibility & Scalability
• Market Intelligence/Data Insights/Consumer Insights
• Presentation Skills
• Q&A Session

Teams are prohibited from communicating with any outside party and cannot solicit assistance from anyone (including staff, faculty advisor, other students) during the time they are participants of the Competition, unless permitted by Google. Google's and/or any judge’s decision is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered in relation to such decision.

Round 1 (Online Challenge) Registration

• Digital marketing
• Sales & marketing
• Human resources
• Teams cannot change their choice of case study post registration.
• Round 1 registrations are open to students of all business schools in India.
• First 5000 registered teams will be invited to the Online Challenge round.

The Online Challenge

• The first 5000 registered teams will receive details about the Online Challenge through their registered email address.
• This 30 minute Online Challenge will assess the team’s critical thinking and logical reasoning and will be conducted on Sep. 18, 2021 .
• Atmost Top 5 Teams per campus from the participating institutes will be announced as campus winners, and will move to Round 2 .
• Top 20 teams from the wild card entrants will proceed to Round 2.
• The announcement of shortlisted Teams qualifying for the 2nd Round will be made via an email to the campus and the respective Teams.

Round 2 (Case Study Round) Making a Submission

• All the shortlisted Teams will be administered the case study on their chosen topics at the time of registration.
• The Teams will have to submit a one pager solution and a five minutes video pitching their proposed solution.
• The submission entries should consist of both the solution submission and video pitch, else the team stands disqualified.
• Only one submission per Team will be taken into consideration.
• Teams cannot change their choice of case study.

Submission Guidelines

• The format of the submission will have to be a one-page Google slide converted to a pdf document. No other formats (including zip files) will be accepted.
• Deadline for submission will be communicated to the teams.
• There are no restrictions on font size, style etc. but it should not result in a submission that is difficult to read by the judges.
• The maximum size of the PDF file to be uploaded should not exceed 10MB.
• The naming convention to be followed for the Submission is: CampusName_Team name_CaseStudyChosen. For the 'CaseStudyChosen', mention the type (Analytics, Digital marketing, Sales & marketing, Human Resources).
• We urge the Teams not to wait till the last moment to make their Submission entries. Google or its affiliates’ shall not be responsible for any technical snags that may occur due to high volume.
• No Team may revise, substitute, add, delete, or in any other manner alter their original Submission after it has been submitted.

What we expect from the Submission:

• Originality, clarity and uniqueness of the idea.
• Innovative approach to the given problem.
• Solution must be relevant to the given problem and should have a clear plan of action.
• Solution should be succinct yet self-explanatory.
• Feasibility of implementation, sustainability, scalability and fitment with Google’s vision.
• Tables, diagrams, and charts are permitted on the one-pager, but are not necessary (attachment of an appendix slide is not allowed).
• Relevant assumptions backed by proper rationale.
• References/sources to be quoted where required (as footnotes).

What the Submission should not have:

• It must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Competition.
• It must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to any applicable laws.
• It must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Competition.
• It must be original, unpublished work that does not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity.
• The judging panel as chosen by Google will evaluate all Submissions and shortlist Teams for Round 3 based on the judging criteria.
• Top 5 teams per case study (Analytics, Digital marketing, Sales & marketing, and Human Resources) will proceed to the next round.

Round 3 (Cohort Round) Presentation

• The shortlisted Teams will submit a presentation deepening their ideas as submitted in Round 2 and present its business solution (virtually) to a panel of judges.
• Deadline for submission will be communicated to the Teams.
• Teams will be given 12 minutes to present followed by an 8 minutes “Question and Answer” session by the judging panel.
• The Cohort Rounds will be held virtually via Google Hangouts between Oct. 22, 2021 and Oct. 28, 2021 .

Presentation Guidelines

• The presentation should not exceed ten slides.
• Case Study chosen during registrations cannot be changed.
• The format of the presentation will have to be Google slides and no other formats (including zip files) will be accepted.
• Additionally, qualifying teams will also have to submit a PDF version of their submission for our reference.
• You are free to select font type, size etc. but it should not result in a submission that is difficult to read by our panel, during the presentation.
• The maximum size of the file to be uploaded cannot exceed 100MB each (slide and PDF).
• The naming convention to be followed is: CampusName_Teamname_CaseStudyChosen. In the CaseStudyChosen, mention the type (Analytics, Digital marketing, Sales & marketing).
• Deadlines will not be extended. If the qualifying Team does not submit the presentation by the deadline, then such Team will be disqualified.
• It will be the responsibility of the Team Leader to ensure that if not all Team members at least 2 members of the Team are present for the presentations on the scheduled day. In the event of at least 2 members are present at the start of the presentation, the Team will be disqualified.
• The top two teams from each cohort round will qualify for the National Finale of the Competition.
• 8 teams in total will qualify for the National Finale.

Round 4 (National Finale) Mentoring

• Shortlisted Teams will be assigned a mentor to guide them for their pitch/presentation.
• Teams will be allowed to make changes to the presentation submitted during the Cohort Round, however the Teams cannot change the chosen case study.
• The shortlisted Teams will only be allowed to refine the solution and make cosmetic changes under the guidance of the mentor, with their permission. Major changes at this stage to the solution, approach, etc. will not be allowed.

Presentation

• The National Finale will be held virtually via Google Hangouts.
• The Finale date will be communicated to the Teams.
• Shortlisted Teams will present the revised presentation to a judging panel, and will get 12 minutes for presenting their idea, and 8 minutes for Q&A.
• At least 2 members will have to be present for the presentation on the given date of the National Finale Round.
• The judging panel as indicated by Google will review the presentation.
• The top three teams will be selected as national winners.

Student prizes

The top three teams at the National Finale will receive the following:

• Cash prize of INR 5,00,000/- to the entire team.
• Pre-placement interview offers for internship or final hiring.

Second prize:

• Cash prize of INR 3,00,000/- to the entire team.

Third prize:

• Cash prize of INR 2,00,000/- to the entire Team

Each member of the winning Teams is solely responsible for all taxes, levies and other statutory payments associated with his or her receipt and use of a cash prize received by such member. No substitution, assignment or transfer of prize is permitted. Google will withhold and/or report taxes as required by the applicable law. All prizes may be revoked if a Team is found to have violated any of the rules or instructions of Google or is disqualified. The business and location related to the pre-placement interview offers for internship and final hiring will be at the discretion of Google.

Competition period

The competition will be conducted across 4 rounds:

• National Finale

The language of the competition will be entirely in English and all the rounds will be conducted virtually.

Eligibility Criteria

• A student must be a first or second year student irrespective of their specialisation but enrolled in a full-time management program of a business school in India.
• Students must be Indian nationals. Foreign national students are not allowed to participate in this Competition.
• Every student must have an official user account provided by the business school at which the student is enrolled.

Participation as a Team

• Participation will be through teams of eligible students comprising a minimum of 2 or a maximum of 3 students and enrolled at a business school in India (a “Team”). First year students cannot form teams with 2nd year students and vice versa. A Team can only have team members from the same batch of the same institute.
• All Team members must independently meet the eligibility requirements of the Competition.
• A student cannot be a member of more than 1 Team.
• Students going on an exchange program can participate as long as there are at least 2 students in the Team that are not attending an exchange program and are available to attend the Competition.
• Modification to a Team’s composition or details after registration/communicating acceptance to participate is not allowed.
• Team members who compete at the beginning of the Competition must participate throughout the Competition Period, where the team is shortlisted for the next round.
• Any deviation from the above will result in immediate disqualification of the entire team.

How to enter

The Team must register before it can participate in the Competition.

• To enter the Competition, the Team Leader must complete the registration form and provide required information about the members of the Team.
• The Team may opt for the email address of the Team Leader as a point of contact for instructions on the Competition. The designated email address is necessary as specific communications/instructions regarding the Competition will be communicated to the Team through this address. You are required to keep yourself updated on all emails issued to you.
• The registration starts from Sept. 7, 2021 and will close on or before 22:00 hours IST on Sept. 10, 2021 .
• Only one registration per Team will be taken into consideration.
• Any questions or inquiries regarding the Competition should be directed to [email protected] .

Team Leader and Team Name

Each Team must nominate one member as the Team leader, who may not be changed during the Competition Period (the “Team Leader”).

• The Team Leader is the primary point of contact for the team during the competition.
• Each Team must decide on a name for their team. Your team name must be neutral and brief, without the use of offensive or vulgar language or violate the intellectual property rights of others. Google reserves the right to request for a change of the Team name in its sole discretion.

Verifying Eligibility

• Google reserves the right to verify your eligibility. You agree to provide Google with any proof of eligibility requested by Google and your refusal or failure to timely provide such proof may result in the Team’s disqualification from the Competition.

How can we route our queries to Google regarding the case challenge?

Please email us at [email protected] for any questions regarding the competition.

How many individuals can be on a team?

One team can have a minimum of two and maximum of three members. An individual can not be part of more than one team.

Who can participate in the competition?

Case Challenge is open to first or second year students (irrespective of their specialisation) enrolled in a full-time, management program of a business school in India.

Is the Case Challenge a continuation of Google Online Challenge (which was conducted recently for the first year students)?

No, Case Challenge and Google's Online Challenge are different programs.

I could not participate in Google Online Challenge. Can I still register for this competition?

Yes, these two are completely different initiatives.

All my team members have already appeared for Google’s Online Challenge. Do we still need to appear for the round 1 Online Challenge, post registration?

Yes. All teams who register to participate in Case Challenge will have to appear for Round 1, which is an Online Challenge. Google Online Challenge and Case Challenge are separate initiatives.

Can entries be modified after submission?

No, once submitted, entries cannot be modified.

I filled in the wrong details for one of my team members, how can I fix this?

Entries can not be modified once submitted. Please be sure to double check all details before submitting.

Do I need to register through my college email ID or can I use my personal email ID as well?

Only college email ID should be used for registration for all team members. Please don’t use your personal email ID.

What if my submission exceeds the file size limit?

The entry will be disqualified. Please ensure the files submitted are within the size limitation shared. For the first round, file size for the submission shouldn’t exceed 10MB.

Will any exceptions be made for late entries due to technical difficulties at the time of submission?

No, late entries will not be considered.

Can one person be a part of two different teams?

No, an individual cannot be part of more than one team.

Do we need to submit our resumes?

No, resumes are not required.

Will all registered teams qualify for round one?

Only the first 5000 registered teams will qualify for round one, which is the Online Challenge.

While registering, I can only see the cohort names (analytics, digital marketing and sales & marketing and human resources), but the case studies are not present?

The case studies will be available post round one. While registering, please choose the cohort of your interest. In case you qualify round one, you will be administered the case study on the cohort you have chosen.

Do all the team members have to appear for the Online Challenge or can the team leader appear for the challenge as a team representative?

Online Challenge is a team based challenge designed to assess a team’s critical thinking and decision making. Only the team leader will receive the challenge id and passkey details to login to the challenge. The team will be given 30 minutes to solve the challenge. It is the responsibility of the team leader to submit the answers on the team’s behalf. More than one submission per team will lead to the team’s disqualification.

For the video submission in Round two, do all the team members have to be present in the video?

Yes, all team members have to be a part of the video, else the team stands disqualified.

My campus is not included in the list of participating institutes. Can I still take part in the competition?

With the endeavour to expand Case Challenge to students across India, we have introduced wild card entrants. In this, student from business schools across India can register and participate in the first round (Online challenge) subject to the rules and requirements of the competition.

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5 Famous Business Competitor Case Studies Of All Time

Look at any good or famous business competitor case study examples, and one thing immediately becomes clear:

Done well, this approach to competitive analysis can help you identify your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses and your own, all while determining those crucial gaps in the market that represent a golden opportunity for your brand.

However, doing not so well and a competitor case study can soon balloon into an overwhelming waste of time which may provide you with a tonne of data on your competition yet offers no real insight on how to use that data to gain a competitive advantage.

To help ensure yours is done well, I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to doing competitive analysis the right way, outlining not only what to look for when analyzing your competition but how to take what you find and put it to work for your business.

What is a Business Competitor Case Study and Why Do You Need One?

Typically, when we think of a business case study, we think of the traditional “Here’s how a business came with a solution to a particular problem.”

For example, there’s a famous case study focusing on the multi-national coffee supply chain Starbucks . After “hitting a wall” in their sales and revenue, the brand found a solution by closing down a significant number of their stores and “reinvigorating” their branding, essentially focussing on quality over quantity.

Other businesses can learn from the Starbucks case study and those like them and, where appropriate, apply what worked to their own brand.

A business competitor case study operates similarly, albeit with some notable differences. In this case, the problem doesn’t belong to another business but your own.

That problem or challenge could be:

• How do we increase our revenues and/or revenue streams?
• How do we re-engage with lapsed/former customers?
• How do we increase our ROI in social media or digital marketing?
• How do we increase our market share?

Or it could be any number of other challenges.

Whatever the case may be, carrying out this kind of competitive analysis helps you find the solution by looking at your main competition. If growing your market share is your main priority, identifying a weakness that your competitor has can help you develop new ideas on how you can offer customers something they’re simply not getting from that competitor.

If your digital marketing is leaving a lot to be desired, surveying the landscape to see where you’re falling behind can help you pinpoint precisely where you’re going wrong.

What’s more, making effective use of this competitive intelligence can help you to identify changes in both your audience and the industry as a whole, highlighting trends you can capitalize on, new audiences you could potentially target, or simply new ways to reach and engage with your existing target audience.

5 Famous Business Competitor Case Study Examples

1. the army crew team.

The Army Crew Team is an all-time classic business competitor case study that has a lot to teach us about how we work as a team. The coach of West Point’s varsity Army Crew team took his eight top individual rowers and placed them together in one boat. In a second boat, he placed his eight second-tier rowers.

The team in the second boat consistently beat the team in the first boat, despite the first boat consisting of better performing individual rowers. The case study shows that, collectively, a team can be more than the sum of its individual parts and that there’s more to getting great work out of a team than simply gathering together your star performers.

For businesses looking at the best ways to get the most out of their teams, this is an essential case study to look at.

See also: Twitter Competitors Analysis

2. Malden Mills

Two weeks before Christmas 1995, the Malden Mills factory burned to the ground.

Employees feared and assumed that they’d be unemployed until the factory was rebuilt, but the company’s CEO, Aaron Feuerstein, invested $25 million of company money to ensure those employees would still have a wage and benefits while the factory was rebuilt.

In one regard, this worked out well. When the factory reopened, the employees who had been well taken care of worked harder than ever. Productivity was at an all-time high and business boomed. In another regard, the cost of paying for the factory rebuild as well as taking care of employees landed Malden Mills in bankruptcy court three times.

This famous case study is used time and time again to present an argument for the pros and cons of philanthropy and making difficult decisions regarding employee satisfaction.

3. Apple Inc.

For the longest time, Apple was known as “Apple Computers” a name that perfectly summed up their focus on the personal computer market. In 2007, however, they dropped the “computers” part and simply became “Apple Inc.” This was more than just a name change for the company, it was part of an entire rebranding a shift in focus from personal computers to iPods, iPhones, iPads, and the like.

It was a strategy that paid off for them. Apple was already a well-known company beforehand, but after their “rebirth” in 2007, they truly became not only a household name but one of the most successful and profitable businesses of all time.

This famous case study is used a lot to demonstrate the benefits of taking the company in an entirely different direction rather than trying to compete in an already overcrowded market.

The ‘ Cadbury Ethical Dilema ‘ is a popular case study that is frequently presented to MBA students taking part in business case study competitions. Chocolate manufacturers Cadbury had prided themselves on their strong values and fair ethical practices. So it came as a huge blow to the brand when it was discovered that child labor was being used to produce cocoa on Côte d’Ivoire cocoa farms.

The House of Representatives passed legislation in the US which meant that companies who could prove their chocolate was produced without forced labor could print “slave-labor free” labels on their chocolate.

Naturally, this would paint companies who couldn’t prove that in a bad light, so the industry as a whole asked for time to essentially clean up its act. When the agreed deadline for doing so came to an end, Cadbury were left with a dilemma – did they continue to stall for time or did they find another way to ensure ethical management of their supply chain?

This case study remains famous for pointing out the difficulties in managing ethical practices and is well worth looking at for considering the impact that the practices of others in your supply chain can have on your business.

5. Coffee 2016

Another well-known case study that should be familiar to anyone who ever competed in a business case study competition in the last few years. Student teams were asked to come up with ideas for improving the returns generated by everyone involved in the production and consumption of coffee from the grower right through to the consumer.

The case was famous as it has so much to teach businesses and business students alike about marketing practices and supply chain logistics.

How to Create a Business Competitor Case Study

So, that takes care of the what and the why, but what about the how? Below, you’ll find a simple nine-step process to help you get the ball rolling with your own competitor analysis.

1. Determine Which Products/Services to Evaluate

If your business offers more than one product or service, you may find that analyzing your competitors becomes much less of a headache when you focus on just one of them or at least one type. For example, if you make sports clothing, you may choose to focus on your competition in the running gear market or concentrate on developing a strategy to increase revenues from your line of sports shoes.

If you’re a digital marketing agency, you might want to narrow down your competitive research to just Search Engine Optimization or how you can improve the service you offer to a web design client.

That’s not to say that you can’t research more than one aspect of your business, but doing so may mean that you end up producing data that isn’t always relevant and doesn’t help you to make the kind of strategic decisions you really need to make.

2. Determining Your Competitors for a Business Competitor Case Study

On the whole, your business is likely to have three types of competitors.

Direct Competitor

A direct competitor is any business that sells the same product or service in the same category to meet the same need for the same audience. Your biggest competitor, the one people most closely compare your business to, is more than likely going to fall in this category, as are any others that are actively competing for your share of the market.

If you sell sports shoes to female marathon runners, another company that sells sports shoes to female marathon runners would be your direct competitor. If you run a local car washing service and another business three blocks over also offer a local car washing service, they’re in direct competition with you.

Indirect Competitor

An indirect competitor is a business that sells a different product or service to meet the same need of the same audience. A common example is fast food restaurants.

McDonald’s and Burger King both sell fast food burgers (products) to hungry people (audience) so that those people can fulfill that hunger (need). If I’m hungry and want the convenience of fast food and the delicious taste of a burger, I could spend my money at either restaurant, which makes them direct competitors.

However, if I’m just hungry and want something convenient, whether it’s a burger or not, I might choose to go to McDonald’s or head next door to Pizza Hut or Subway. All three brands are in the same category (fast food), all three brands meet my need for a convenient way to satisfy hunger, but all three do so with different types of products, making them indirect competitors.

Replacement Competitor

A replacement competitor meets the same needs for the same audience but using different products or services in a different category. For example, I could choose to go to McDonald’s to fill my hunger, but I might also choose to go to Target and buy ingredients to make a homemade dinner.

To go back to the car wash example I used earlier – If you run a local car wash and the auto repair shop next door sells car cleaning supplies, that would make them a replacement competition. Your customer could choose to substitute using your service to buy some cleaning supplies and do the job himself.

Potential and Future Competitors

When determining your competition, it’s worth noting that just because a business isn’t currently in your market segment doesn’t mean they won’t eventually. This is why it’s worth noting your potential and future competitors too.

Potential competitors are those who may sell the same products, even with the same category but haven’t yet entered your market. For example, a company that operates exclusively in the next town, city, or state over to you may not be a direct competitor yet, but they have the potential to be if they chose to move into your town/city/state.

Likewise, if you run a limousine hire service focusing exclusively on corporate clients and another company across town focuses exclusively on limousine hire for weddings, they too have the potential to be a competitor. A future competitor is much more likely to become direct competitors, such as an expanding national chain.

To really get the most value out of your eventual competitive analysis report, it pays to consider all of these types of clients and their impact on your business.

How to Find Your Competitors for a Competitive Analysis

There are some competitors that you don’t have to look very hard to find. You know they’re there. They are the businesses and brand names that are hard to ignore, the ones everyone compares you to do.

Still, don’t just limit your research there.

Head to Google.

Search for the kind of keywords you’d expect people to use for your business.

Who else comes up beside you?

Search for your business name.

What are other businesses paying for Google ads around your business?

What about social media? Who are people talking about?

You can also use tools such as the Audience Overlap tool provided by Alexa , which helps you to not only track down your competition but develop and deliver on your entire competitive intelligence project. Don’t discount offline methods either. Magazines, trade publications, and even asking your target audience directly via focus groups, surveys, and so on can all prove helpful.

3. Start Your Research

Although Google can be a very powerful tool for finding out about your competitors, don’t just limit yourself to a quick search or browse their website. Yes, that’s important, especially if you’re both predominantly online brands. If your competitors have a physical presence, it’s important to check that out too.

You may want to treat this the same way you would a typical market research project and get a group of people to experience your competitor’s business, their customer service, sales experience, products, and so on. That way, you get a much wider range of opinions and can look for trends and common themes that can influence the strategic decisions you need to make to gain a competitive advantage.

4. Analyze Your Findings

With the research done, it’s time to collate what you’ve found into your competitive analysis report. This may take the form of graphs, charts, written insights, anything that can help you present a compelling business case as to why your brand needs to be made.

5. Identify Action Points

Speaking of which, the point of analyzing your competition isn’t to pay attention to how many social media followers they have or how they compare to you in terms of brand recognition; it’s to provide you with actionable steps that you can take to achieve your business goals.

So with that in mind, figure out what you’re actually going to do due to your competitor research. Will you be rethinking your price points? Revamping your customer service? Starting again with a completely different digital marketing strategy?

6. Take a Snapshot of Your Business Pre-Changes

Before you implement those steps, be sure to look at how your business is currently performing.

Consider your main KPIs and any data relating to how you’re currently doing. After all, it’s going to make it much easier to determine if the steps you’ve taken have been effective when you’ve got some real, measurable statistics to play with.

7. Implement the actions

This next step may sound simple, but it’s where the real work comes in. Whatever actionable steps you decide to take, whether it’s coming up with a brand new social media plan, establishing yourself as a market leader, or simply ensuring that every client receives first-class customer service, now’s the time to make that happen.

8. Measure the Results

When you’ve made your changes, measure your results.

Compare where you are now to where you were when you took that snapshot in step six.

9. Repeat as necessary

Last but not least, it’s important not to fall into the habit of thinking that competitive analysis is a one-and-done affair.

If there’s one universal truth about the business landscape, it’s that things change constantly. New trends emerge, new customers arrive on the scene, once loyal customers become former customers. As such, it’s important to analyze your competition as a regular component of your overall competitive strategy.

What to Include in a Business Competitor Case Study

You’ve now got a complete strategy to put your competitive analysis report together, but what exactly should you include in that report, and what aspects of your competitor’s business should you research?

The following are essential aspects that will help you to put together the most effective competitor case study.

1. Features

Starting with the basics, look at your customers’ product or service, which competes with yours, and note all of its features. For the best results, do this for each competitor and add your findings to a spreadsheet. This will make it easy to compare products and see what you’re missing.

It may even show you what your competitors are missing, highlighting a hidden advantage that you may not have previously capitalized on.

2. Market Share

Determining their market share will help you identify who your main competitor is and who you and who you may need to focus your attention on.

3. Price points

Pay attention to what the competition charges and consider what insights you can gain about your own pricing.

4. Marketing types

Your competition’s SEO marketing strategy, where they invest their ad spend, the kind of social media marketing tools they use are all important.

What keywords are they using to draw traffic?

How do your competitor’s websites compare to yours?

What are their PPC campaigns like?

All of these questions will help you determine their strengths and weaknesses from a digital standpoint.

Don’t forget about other forms of media, either.

Do they advertise in print publications? If so, which ones?

What about TV, radio, and other advertising platforms?

5. Online popularity

How do they fare in terms of social media engagement and website traffic? How does that compare to your own online presence?

Here, you’re looking more at quantifiable numbers. Likes, follows, mentions, page views, etc., should all be taken into consideration. They may not be the most important factor for some aspects of your business, but if you’re looking to up the game with your marketing and communication strategy or your SEO strategy, these numbers are worth considering.

6. Public perception and reputation

Here, we’re focusing on quality over quantity. One company may have more social media mentions than you, but if all those mentions are negative, it’s a different story. Social listening tools can be a big help in discovering what people are saying about your competitor’s brand online and can prove to be a valuable way to discover the perception of your competitors from a client perspective.

Away from social media, you might also want to consider news releases, blogs, and news articles as a means of discovering what kind of reputation your competitors have in the wider media.

7. Search Engine Optimization

An SEO marketing strategy is vital for just about any business in the digital age, but how do the strategies of competing businesses compare to yours, and what can that teach you. Here’s where keyword research and looking at their inbound marketing strategy, their approach to content marketing, and technical SEO aspects will all be important.

What makes other businesses in your market unique? What do they promote as being their reason for standing out from the crowd? Along with any sales literature, you might want to look at their mission and values statements and the kind of language they use in social media bios to get a good idea of their USPs.

9. Strengths and Weaknesses

Any good business competitor case study will feature a list of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and insight into what opportunities this presents for your business.

Just as you might do a SWOT analysis for your business, a similar approach may help you analyze what other brands do well, how that influences the things you need to improve on, and what they don’t do so well, and how you do can capitalize on that.

10. Geography

In this regard, when we talk about geography, we’re not just talking about the town, city, or region your competitors operate in. Although that’s important, it’s just as important to note whether they have physical bricks-and-mortar venues in those towns or whether they’re a strictly eCommerce or digital-only operation.

What are the Advantages of Conducting a Competitor Analysis?

Identify your own weak spots

Competitor analysis doesn’t just identify your competitors’ weaknesses and gaps in the market. It may also highlight gaps in any areas for improvement in your own company. By comparing your brand to others, you get a different perspective than you’d get from standard SWOT analysis, and this can pay dividends when it comes to driving your company forward.

Improve your marketing and SEO efforts

Competitive strategy analysis isn’t just about products, services, and customers. It can also identify the SEO techniques used by competitors and come up with appropriate keywords to help you improve your organic search results.

Define your Benchmarks and Fine-Tune Your KPIs

Input your findings into a competitive analysis template, and it will soon become apparent what areas your business needs to be focusing on. This can prove invaluable when it comes time to determine your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and decide what -and how- it measures.

Identify gaps in your talent pool

A competitor case study really influences every aspect of your business beyond the direct products or services you sell. Your HR team can use the information to help identify gaps in your talent pool. If there’s a newly emerging market trend that you lack the talent to capitalize upon, your team can use this information to help with the recruitment needed to fill that gap.

What are the Disadvantages of Competitive Analysis?

Too much data, not enough analysis.

It’s easy to get so overwhelmed with the sheer amount of data you can unearth on your competitors that you forget that it’s the analysis of that data that really makes all the difference. It’s important to think about what meaningful conclusions you can draw and what actionable steps you can take as a result.

The impact is lessened if not kept up to date

The landscape of business is constantly changing. It’s not enough to assess the competition when you first start out and then never update it. Industries change, new trends emerge, new competitors arrive on the scene, all of which demand that market research on your competitors remains a key part of your competitive strategy.

Benchmarking performance based on competitors is not always the solution

Comparing your own performance against your competitors may not work so well if your competitors do things wrong or badly. Sure, it’s great to be an industry leader, but if the overall performance of that industry lacks compared to what the market actually demands, you may need to come up with a brand new strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Business Competitor Case Study

Question: what is a business case study competition.

Answer: A business case study competition is an event in which student teams compete to develop the best solution to a particular business case study. Though such events aren’t always exclusively for MBA students, most of them are as case study competitions can be a great way to inspire creative thinking and develop skills.

Question: How often should I do a competitive analysis?

Answer: Ideally, competitive analysis should be performed monthly, but if that seems like overkill for your industry, commit to at least once per quarter.

Question: What should be included in a competitive analysis?

Answer: Every competitive analysis report will be different depending on the nature of your business and your industry. However, as a general rule, it should identify who your competitors are, your competitor’s weaknesses, strengths, and overall strategies. Above all, it should provide insight into how you use their strengths and weaknesses to your advantage, whether that’s making improvements where you’re lacking or highlighting to customers what your brand does better than a rival’s.

The Final Word on Creating a Business Competitor Case Study

Whether you call it competitive intelligence gathering, competitive analysis reporting, or compiling a business competitor case study, there are three key points that I want you to take away from this guide:

• Competitive analysis is about identifying your own strengths and weaknesses as much if not more than your competitors.
• All the research and data in the world is unhelpful if it doesn’t provide you with insights into what you’re doing right and what you could be doing better.
• This isn’t a one-and-done project. Analyzing the competition is something you should be doing regularly to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of your industry.
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Investment Portfolio Case Competition Logistics and Rules

• An informational video will be available online December 13, 2023.
• Applications will be due January 8, 2024. Please go to “applications” for the form.  Accepted teams will need to pay a registration fee of $100 due January 26, 2024.
• The case will be distributed electronically at 5:00 PM EST on January 30, 2024.
• PowerPoint presentations and a copy of a 2-page handout summarizing their analysis and recommendation must be emailed to [email protected] by noon EST on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
• Team presentations will begin at 10:10 AM EST via Zoom.
• Students will be on the honor system throughout the event (see below).
• Judges will announce their decisions for first and second place and the presentation of awards will be announced.

Honor System

• No outside help will be allowed from anyone (i.e., no phone calls, e-mails etc.).
• All data sources are fair game, including the Internet and any proprietary quantitative or fundamental models developed in advance. However, proper attribution must be provided (i.e., sources must be clearly marked on each slide).
• Any violation of these rules constitutes grounds for disqualification.

The Presentation

• All teams must put their case PowerPoint presentation on a pre-designed template provided by the competition organizers.
• A total of 20 minutes will be allotted per team. Ten minutes will be used for the formal presentation, ten minutes for Q&A from the judges. These time limits will be strictly enforced by an official timekeeper.
• All team members must participate in either the presentation or in answering the judges’ questions.
• Student teams competing will not be allowed to view the presentations of the other teams before they have presented.
• Judges will be provided with a score sheet for the competition. In brief, the presentation will be judged on the basis of the quality of the analysis, the appropriateness of the recommendation, presentation delivery, and the quality of the Q&A.

How Microsoft KILLS its Competition Silently?: Business Strategy Case Study

Updated: August 20, 2024

Think School

In 1998, the US Department of Justice and 20 states sued Microsoft for anti-competitive practices, leading to a two-decade-long case. Microsoft's dominance stemmed from strategies like integrating Internet Explorer into Windows and limiting compatibility with other browsers. The case highlights the importance of product quality, innovation, and evolving technology trends, showcasing lessons in competition, innovation, and industry standards setting. The video also mentions Scalar Academy, a tech upscaling platform offering training in critical tech skills and job placement assistance at top companies. Viewers are encouraged to delve deeper into the Microsoft case study for valuable insights.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to Microsoft Lawsuit

Microsoft's business strategy, events in the computer revolution, rise of internet browsers, microsoft's competitive strategies, lessons from microsoft's case study, scalar academy sponsorship, closing thoughts and call to action.

The US Department of Justice and 20 US states sued Microsoft for monopoly and anti-competitive practices in 1998. This led to a historic case lasting two decades, with Microsoft still dominating the market today.

Microsoft's business strategy involved embracing, extending, and exterminating its competition. By integrating Internet Explorer into Windows, providing it for free, and limiting compatibility with other browsers, Microsoft gained dominance in the web browser market.

Key events include IBM introducing personal computers with MS DOS in 1981, Microsoft's revenue growth, introduction of Office suite in 1989, and Windows 3.0 launch in 1990, leading to widespread computer usage.

The rise of internet browsers saw Netscape Navigator dominating the market in the 1990s with innovative features. Netscape went public in 1995 but later faced downfall due to Microsoft's aggressive tactics with Internet Explorer.

Microsoft's strategies to dominate included establishing industry standards with Internet Explorer, targeting competitors like Netscape Navigator and AOL's AIM, and leveraging product integration and dominance to eliminate competition.

Lessons include the importance of product quality and innovation, the risks of focusing solely on competition, and the success of platforms that empower developers like Apple and Google. The importance of evolving trends in technology is emphasized.

Information about Scalar Academy, a tech upscaling platform offering training in data structures, algorithms, and system design with job placement assistance in top companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google.

Summarizes the valuable lessons from the Microsoft case study and encourages viewers to explore study materials for deeper insights. Promotes engagement with the content and links provided.

Q: What were the key events in Microsoft's history leading to its dominance in the market?

A: Key events include IBM introducing personal computers with MS DOS in 1981, Microsoft's revenue growth, introduction of Office suite in 1989, and Windows 3.0 launch in 1990.

Q: How did Microsoft gain dominance in the web browser market?

A: Microsoft gained dominance by integrating Internet Explorer into Windows, providing it for free, and limiting compatibility with other browsers.

Q: What role did Netscape Navigator play in the browser market in the 1990s?

A: Netscape Navigator dominated the market in the 1990s with innovative features before facing downfall due to Microsoft's aggressive tactics with Internet Explorer.

Q: What were some of the strategies used by Microsoft to dominate the market?

A: Microsoft's strategies included establishing industry standards with Internet Explorer, targeting competitors like Netscape Navigator and AOL's AIM, and leveraging product integration and dominance to eliminate competition.

Q: What are some of the lessons learned from the Microsoft case study?

A: Lessons include the importance of product quality and innovation, the risks of focusing solely on competition, and the success of platforms that empower developers like Apple and Google.

Q: What is the importance of evolving trends in technology according to the case study?

A: The case study emphasizes the importance of evolving trends in technology to stay competitive and relevant in the market.

Q: What type of training does Scalar Academy offer?

A: Scalar Academy offers training in data structures, algorithms, and system design with job placement assistance in top companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google.

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